12<\/strong>. With the eye of faith he beholds the certain and irreparable ruin of the “workers of iniquity” ( Psa 36:3-4<\/em><\/span>: cp. Psa 5:5<\/span>; Psa 6:8<\/span>; Psa 14:4<\/span>). There<\/em> points to the scene of their discomfiture. Cp. Psa 14:5<\/span>; Psa 64:8<\/span>.<\/p>\n they are cast down<\/em> ] R.V. they are thrust down (Psa 5:10<\/span>; Psa 35:5<\/span>), and overthrown for ever. Cp. Isa 26:14<\/span>. Such judgements are an earnest of the final triumph (Rom 16:20<\/span>).<\/p>\n There are the workers of iniquity fallen – <\/B>The meaning of this seems to be, that the psalmist saw his prayer answered already. He speaks as if that which he desired and had prayed for was already done, and as if he himself saw it. He was so certain that it would be done, he had such an assurance that his prayer would be answered, that he seemed, by faith, to see the events already occurring before his own eyes, and felt that he might speak of what he prayed for as if it were already granted. Such is the nature of faith; and such strong confidence in God, and in his faithfulness to his promises, may all have who pray in faith. It is remarkable, as has been observed already in reference to the Psalms, how often a psalm begins in depression and ends in triumph; how often the author is desponding and sad as he surveys, at the beginning of the psalm, the troubles which surround him, and how in the progress of the psalm the clouds disperse; the mind becomes calm; and the soul becomes triumphant.<\/P> They are cast down, and shall not be able to rise – <\/B>They are utterly overthrown. Their discomfiture is complete. They shall never be able to rally again. So faith looks on all enemies of truth and righteousness as hereafter to be utterly overthrown, and it regards this as so certain that it may speak already in the exulting language of victory. So certainly will all the spiritual foes of those who trust in God be vanquished – so certainly will the righteous triumph – that, on the wings of faith, they may look beyond all conflicts and struggles, and see the victory won, and break forth into songs of exulting praise. Faith often converts the promises into reality, and in the bright anticipations and the certain hopes of heaven sings and rejoices as if it were already in our possession – anticipating only by a few short days, weeks, or years, what will certainly be ours.<\/P><\/p>\n Verse 12<\/span>. There are the workers of iniquity fallen<\/B><\/I>] THERE, in Babylon, are the workers of iniquity fallen, and so cast down that<\/I> they shall not be able to rise<\/I>. A prophecy of the destruction of the Babylonish empire by Cyrus. That it was destroyed, is an historical fact; that they were never able to recover their liberty, is also a fact; and that Babylon itself is now blotted out of the map of the universe, so that the site of it is no longer known, is confirmed by every traveller who has passed over those regions.<\/P> <\/P> The word sham<\/I>, THERE, has been applied by many of the fathers to the pride<\/I> spoken of in the preceding verse. There<\/I>, in or by pride, says Augustine<\/I>, do all sinners perish. There<\/I>, in heaven, have the evil angels fallen through pride, says St. Jerome<\/I>. There<\/I>, in paradise, have our first parents fallen, through pride and disobedience. There<\/I>, in hell, have the proud and disobedient angels been precipitated. – Eusebius<\/I>, c. THERE, by pride, have the persecutors<\/I> brought God’s judgments upon themselves. See Calmet<\/I>. But the first interpretation is the best.<\/P> <\/P> ANALYSIS OF THE THIRTY-SIXTH PSALM<\/B><\/P> <\/P> The object of this Psalm is to implore God, out of his goodness, that he would deliver the upright from the pride and malice of the wicked.<\/P> <\/P> I. The psalmist sets down the character of a wicked man, and his fearful state, Ps 36:1-5<\/span>.<\/P> <\/P> II. He makes a narrative in commendation of God’s mercy, Ps 36:6-10<\/span>.<\/P> <\/P> III. He prays for a continuance of God’s goodness to his people, petitions against his proud enemy, and exults at his fall, Ps 36:10-12<\/span>.<\/P> <\/P> I. The character of a wicked man: –<\/P> <\/P> 1. “There is no fear of God before his eyes” and from this, as an evil root, all the other evils spring: and thus he enters on an induction of particulars.<\/P> <\/P> 2. “He flattereth himself in his own eyes.” A great sin, in his eyes, is no sin: vice is virtue; falsehood, truth.<\/P> <\/P> 3. In this he continues, “until his iniquity be found to be hateful;” – till God, by some heavy judgment, has passed his sentence against it.<\/P> <\/P> 4. He is full of hypocrisy and deceit; “the words of his mouth are iniquity and deceit;” he gives goodly words, but evil is in his heart.<\/P> <\/P> 5. He has renounced all wisdom and goodness: “He hath left off to be wise, and to do good.”<\/P> <\/P> 6. He enters deliberately and coolly into evil plans and designs: 1. “He deviseth mischief upon his bed.” 2. “He sets himself (of firm purpose) in the way that is not good. 3. “He abhors not evil.” He invents wickedness; he labours to perfect it; yea, though it be of the deepest stain, he abhors it not.<\/P> <\/P> II. How comes it that such wicked men are permitted to live? How is it that God can bear patiently with such workers of iniquity? The psalmist answers this question by pointing out God’s mercy, from which this long-suffering proceeds; which he considers in a twofold<\/I> point of view: 1. Absolute<\/I> and general<\/I>, extending to all. 2. Particular<\/I>, which is exhibited to the faithful only.<\/P> <\/P> 1. General<\/I>. God is good to all; which is seen in his bountifulness, fidelity, justice; and in his preservation of all things: 1. “Thy mercy, O Lord, is in the heavens.” Thou preservest them. Thy faithfulness<\/I> reacheth unto the clouds<\/I>. They water the earth, as thou hast promised. 3. “Thy righteousness is like the great mountains.” Immovable. 4. “Thy judgments are a great deep.” Unsearchable, and past finding out. 5. “Thou Lord, preservest man and beast.” In thee we live, move, and have our being.<\/P> <\/P> 2. In particular<\/I>. He is especially careful of his followers. The providence by which he sustains them is, 1. A precious thing: “O, how excellent (quam pretiosa) how precious is thy loving-kindness, O Lord!” The operation of which, in behalf of the faithful, is hope, confidence, and comfort in distress: “Therefore the children of men shall put their trust under the shadow,” c. 2. The effects of this, the plenty of all good things prepared for them: 1. “They shall be abundantly satisfied with the goodness of thy house.” 2. “Thou shalt make them drink of the river of thy pleasures.” To which he adds the cause: “For with thee is the fountain of life in thy light we shall see light.”<\/P> <\/P> III. He concludes with a prayer<\/I>, 1. For all God’s people. 2. For himself.<\/P> <\/P> 1. He prays that this excellent and precious mercy may light on all those who serve God sincerely: “O continue thy loving-kindness to them that know thee.”<\/P> <\/P> 2. He prays<\/I> for himself; that he may be defended from the pride and violence of wicked men: “Let not the foot of pride come against me; and let not the hand of the wicked remove me.”<\/P> <\/P> 3. Lastly, he closes all with this exultation: “There are the workers of iniquity fallen!” There, when they promised themselves peace and security, and said, Tush! no harm shall happen to us; there<\/I> and then<\/I> are they fallen: “They are cast down, and shall not be able to rise.”<\/P> <\/p>\n There, <\/B>where they come against me, and hope to ruin me. He seems as it were to point at the place with his finger, as if it were already done, and he could tell all the circumstances of it. Or, then<\/I>, i.e. when they thought all sure, and me irrecoverably lost. <\/P> Fallen, <\/B>i.e. they shall certainly and suddenly fall; which the prophets use to express in the time past. <\/P> <\/p>\n 12. There<\/B>in the acting ofviolence, they are overthrown. A signal defeat.<\/P><\/p>\n There are the workers, of iniquity fallen<\/strong>,…. Either in the pit they dug for others; or into hell, where they shall be turned at last; [See comments on Ps 5:5]<\/span> and<\/p>\n [See comments on Ps 6:8]<\/span>;<\/p>\n they are cast down, and shall not be able to rise<\/strong>; which will be the case of Babylon when fallen, Re 18:21<\/span>, and this distinguishes the falls of the wicked from those of the righteous; for though the righteous fall, whether into sin, or into any calamity, they rise again; not so the wicked; see Ps 37:24<\/span>; and thus, as the psalm begins with the transgression of the wicked, it ends with their ruin.<\/p>\n 12. There the workers of iniquity are fallen. Here he derives confidence from his prayer, not doubting that he has already obtained his request. And thus we see how the certainty of faith directs the saints to prayer. Besides, still farther to confirm his confidence and hope in God, he shows, as it were, by pointing to it with the finger, the certain destruction of the wicked, even though it lay as yet concealed in the future. In this respect, the adverb there (13) is not superfluous; for while the ungodly boast of their good fortune, and the world applaud them, David beholds by the eye of faith, as if from a watch-tower, their destruction, and speaks of it with as much confidence as if he had already seen it realised. That we also may attain a similar assurance, let us remember, that those who would hasten prematurely the time of God’s vengeance upon the wicked, according to the ardor of their desires, do indeed err, and that we ought to leave it to the providence of God to fix the period when, in his wisdom, he shall rise up to judgment. When it is said, They are thrust down, the meaning is, that they are agitated with doubt, and totter as in a slippery place, so that in the midst of their prosperity they have no security. Finally, it is added, that they shall fall into utter destruction, so that it can never be expected that they shall rise again. <\/p>\n (13) Heb. שם sham, there, that is, (pointing with the finger to a particular place,) see there! lo! the workers of iniquity are fallen. “It represents strongly before the eye,” says Mudge, “the downfall of the wicked. Upon the very spot where they practice their treachery, they receive their downfall.” A similar mode of expression occurs in Psa 14:5<\/span> <\/p>\n (12) There . . .<\/strong>Of place. <\/em>The poet has some definite incident in his mind, but has not told enough for <\/strong>us to identify it.<\/p>\n 12<\/strong>. <\/strong> There are the workers of iniquity fallen <\/strong> The adverb is emphatic. “There,” where they had laid all their plans and rested their hopes of success, even “there” have they fallen. The place and moment which they had fixed upon for the triumph of their evil purposes God has chosen as the fittest for their overthrow. See note on Psa 2:5<\/span>.<\/p>\n Psa 36:12<\/span><\/em><\/strong>. <\/strong>There are the workers of iniquity fallen<\/em><\/strong><\/strong> The original word sham, <\/em>represents strongly before the eyes the sudden downfall of the wicked: “Upon the very spot where they practise their treachery, they receive their downfall.” This is the proper force of sham, <\/em>as az, <\/em>denotes the very instant.<\/em> <\/p>\n REFLECTIONS.<\/strong>1st, The highest title of the greatest monarch, or the wisest man, is, to be called the servant of the Lord; in this David glories, as his most distinguished honour. We find him here describing the wickedness of the wicked in its true colours, beginning with the root of bitterness within, and proceeding to the hateful fruits without. <\/p>\n 1. The fear of God is banished from his eyes; this the transgression of the wicked saith within my heart. <\/em>David, by observing and marking his conduct, could not but be so convinced; for they who daringly and avowedly continue in the breach of God’s laws, must needs be destitute of his fear. Note; <\/em>It is no charity to deny the evidence of our senses, and to hope well of those who live in open sin. <\/p>\n 2. He cries, Peace, peace, to his soul, he flattereth himself in his own eyes, <\/em>either that God regardeth it not, or will wink at what he calls the little escapes and infirmities of human nature; that his judgments will not be so severe as his word seems to say; that death is at a distance; that if he must repent, it is time enough yet; and that, at least, he shall do as well as thousands of others, whom God will not be so hard as, for a little sin here, to destroy eternally. <\/p>\n 2nd, The world affords a dark prospect to the child of God; he must look above him, not around him, if he would be comforted; and there a blessed scene presents itself in that glorious God, who is the joy of his people, and the portion of their inheritance. 2. He meditates with delight on his dispensations of providence and grace towards his people, in all which his excellent loving-kindness appears. In general, all creatures partake of his providential care: not only man, the lord of the creation, but every beast is fed by his bounty, and preserved by his providence; while with especial regard he manifests his loving-kindness to those who put their trust under<\/em> the shadow of his wings, <\/em>and fills their hearts with wonder, gratitude, and love. With liberal hand their wants are all supplied; with the fatness of his house they are satisfied: <\/em>an all-sufficient God is an all-sufficient portion. Of earthly blessings they shall have enough, while sweet content makes every meal a feast: with spiritual communications they shall be abundantly replenished; enjoying, in holy ordinances here below, divine fellowship with the Father and his Son Jesus Christ; and daily looking for the perfection of happiness in the full, uninterrupted, and eternal enjoyment of God’s presence and love in his temple of glory above. Even in this vale of tears, thou shalt make them drink of the river of thy pleasures; <\/em>those pure joys, which they who thirst after righteousness taste, when coming to Jesus to drink; they receive out of his fulness the abundance of pardon, grace, and consolations, the foretastes of those eternal pleasures which are at God’s right hand for evermore. For with thee is the fountain of life; <\/em>thou art the living fountain; thy breath first animated the lifeless clay; but better far, quickened by thy free spirit, our souls, dead in trespasses and sins, first felt new powers infused, and truly began to live. With living streams fed from the sacred fountain, we are enabled daily to increase with the increase of God, and shortly we expect to drink at the fountain-head, and live eternally glorious and happy, like the author of our blessed immortality. In thy light shall we see light; <\/em>without thee all is darkness; no sun to shine, no eye to see; but when thou, the sun of righteousness, dost arise, then straight our sightless eye-balls meet the welcome day. Before us lies the path of life and glory, and distant realms of everlasting light terminate the prospect. Thither our willing feet are hasting; and, yet a moment, they shall arrive at that bright world, where, face to face, we shall behold the beatific and transforming vision, and in the contemplation of God’s transcendent excellencies, be unutterably and eternally happy. <\/p>\n REFLECTIONS<\/p>\n<\/p>\n READER! let us both pause over the contents of this Psalm, and let us ask ourselves whether our own transgressions and daily short comings, have brought us to the same conclusion as the Psalmist? It is a blessed experience and among the first principles of a cure for disease, as well spiritual as bodily; when we are led to discover in what the disease consists. Yea, Reader! if the Holy Ghost hath convinced of sin, then transgression within our own heart will say, and say it too sometimes in a daring manner, the fear of God is for a while lessened. Alas! what is man, what is every man by sin?<\/p>\n<\/p>\n Reader! let us both look to him where alone is our remedy. It is wholly with Jesus, in Jesus. He is indeed the fountain of life, the fountain for pardon, for sin, and for all uncleanness. Oh! for grace to be seeking to him continually. Depend upon it, my brother, the more we come, the more we seek, the more we draw, the faster will flow the streams from that spring, which is inexhaustible, unchangeable, eternal. Lord, be thou in me a well of water, springing up unto everlasting life!<\/p>\n<\/p>\n Lord! I beseech thee, fulfil that blessed promise of being abundantly satisfied with the fulness of thine house. Oh! Lord, what can satisfy the desires of an awakened soul, but thyself? Life in thee, and communion with thee, unceasing enjoyment of thee, and unceasing and increasing desires after thee; these, Lord, are the longings of my soul: and do thou, Lord, grant me to be, according to this sweet promise, both satisfied, and abundantly satisfied, during a pilgrimage state here, in this dry and barren wilderness, until thou shalt bring me to the fountain head of everlasting enjoyment with the church above; where, when I awake up after thy likeness, I shall indeed be satisfied with thyself, and in thee find an eternal fountain of joy forevermore. Amen.<\/p>\n Psa 36:12 There are the workers of iniquity fallen: they are cast down, and shall not be able to rise.<\/p>\n Ver. 12. There are the workers of iniquity fallen<\/strong> ] There, where they plotted or practised the downfall of the righteous; as Henry III of France was stabbed in the same chamber where he and others had contrived the Parisian massacre. God taketh notice of the very place where sin is committed, to punish accordingly; as he did Abimelech, Ahab, the Jews, that cried, “Crucify him! crucify him!” &c. <\/p>\n <\/p>\n They are cast down<\/strong> ] With a force; the angel of God chasing them, according to my prayer, which now methinks I see to be graciously answered. It must needs go ill with the wicked when the saints shall turn them over to God to be tamed, and taken an order with. <\/p>\n <\/p>\n And shall not be able to rise<\/strong> ] Because laid for dead by an almighty hand. The righteous falleth seven times in a day, and riseth again; not so the workers of iniquity.<\/p>\n There: Psa 9:16, Psa 55:23, Psa 58:10, Psa 58:11, Psa 64:7-9, Jdg 5:31, 2Th 1:8, 2Th 1:9, Rev 15:4, Rev 19:1-6 <\/p>\n shall: Psa 1:5, Psa 18:38, Jer 51:64 <\/p>\n Reciprocal: Neh 6:14 – think thou Psa 7:16 – General Pro 10:29 – but Eze 3:26 – and shalt Amo 8:14 – shall fall<\/p>\n Psa 36:12. There are the workers of iniquity fallen There, where they came against me, and hoped to ruin me. He seems, as it were, to point at the place with his finger, as if their downfall were already effected, and he could tell all the circumstances of it. Upon the very spot where they practise their treachery, they receive their downfall, which is the proper force of the word , sham, as , az, denotes the very instant of time. <\/p>\n 36:12 {k} There are the workers of iniquity fallen: they are cast down, and shall not be able to rise.<\/p>\n (k) That is, in their pride in which they flatter themselves.<\/p>\n There are the workers of iniquity fallen: they are cast down, and shall not be able to rise. 12. With the eye of faith he beholds the certain and irreparable ruin of the “workers of iniquity” ( Psa 36:3-4: cp. Psa 5:5; Psa 6:8; Psa 14:4). There points to the scene of their discomfiture. Cp. … Continue reading “Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Psalms 36:12”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-14462","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-commentary"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14462","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=14462"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14462\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=14462"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=14462"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=14462"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible <\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
1. He contemplates the bright perfections of the ever-blessed God: Thy mercy is in the heavens, <\/em>laid up for thy faithful people, notwithstanding all the devices of the wicked against them; and as this is now their protection, shortly they will be brought to these heavens, eternally to enjoy it. To this it is owing also, that sinners are so long borne with. God is merciful, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. Thy faithfulness reacheth unto the clouds: <\/em>though men are false, God is faithful; and his believing people may confidently trust him to fulfil all his promises; nor need think it long that sinners are borne with; his threatenings will be accomplished in their season. Thy righteousness is like the great mountains, <\/em>those decisions against the impenitent, which are fixed and immoveable. Thy judgments are a great deep, <\/em>unfathomable often by the shallow line of human understanding, but always directed with infinite wisdom and unimpeachable equity. <\/p>\nFuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"