For David, when he changed his countenance before Achimelech, who dismissed him, and he went his way. [1 Kings 21]

“when he disguised his sanity as the matter that is stated (in I Sam. 21:14): “And he changed his speech before their eyes, etc. And he scribbled upon the doors of the gates.” That he disguised his speech and his sanity and feigned madness and let his saliva run down upon his beard. before Abimelech All Philistine kings were called thus, and all Egyptian kings [were called] Pharaoh. Although his name was Achish, he was called Abimelech. The Midrash Aggadah explains that he was as righteous as Abimelech (mentioned in the Torah in relation to Sarah), for he did not want to kill him although his men said to him, “Is this not David, the king of the land?” As is stated in Midrash Psalms (34:1).”

“Title: A Psalm of David, when he changed his countenance before Abimelech, and he dismissed him, and he went away. This history is found in 1 Kings 21, where it is said that David, fleeing from the face of Saul, came to Achis, king of Gath, and was recognized there, and also his power, because he had slain the Philistine; and fearing that danger threatened him from this, because those men were of the race of the Philistines, and also because of envy of his power, he wished to avoid this, and feigned himself a fool, and so that king held him in contempt. All this is found in 1 Kings 21, except that the name does not agree, since there the king is called Achis, but here Abimelech. Nor is this inconsistent, either because he had two names, or because he was named Achis but of the race of Abimelech. Hence he changed his countenance by showing himself foolish, and he dismissed him and he went away, because David, cast out by him, went away and withdrew. Mystically, Christ changed his countenance when he changed his sacrament, in which the divine truth was hidden. Or Christ changed the old paschal sacrament into the new before Abimelech, which is interpreted "the kingdom of my father." The father of Christ is God according to his divinity, but David according to his humanity. The kingdom of David is the people of the Jews; the kingdom of God is the Church. Christ indeed changed his countenance before Abimelech, that is, before the Jews, because they were the kingdom of his father David, who did not recognize him: Isaiah 53: "we have seen him, and there was no beauty," and they held him in contempt: hence "we esteemed him not." And he went away to the gentiles. Or Achis, which is interpreted "unbelieving," signifies the Jews. In the preceding Psalm the Psalmist expounded the dignity of the just; here, however, he invites others to the praise of God. This Psalm is divided into two parts. First an exhortation to praise is set forth. Second, a certain necessary instruction, at "Come, children." Concerning the first he does two things. First he treats of the praise of God. Second he sets down the matter of praise, at "I sought." Concerning the first he does two things. First he sets forth an example of praise. Second he exhorts others to imitate it, at "let them hear." Concerning the first he does two things. First he gives an example of praise in himself. Second, the fruit of the praise of God, at "in the Lord shall my soul be praised." He says therefore, "I will bless the Lord." Sometimes one praises God for his own sake, as when he speaks with the tongue, he speaks to himself alone. Sometimes for the consolation of others, as when he prophesies also to others. To bless the Lord, then, is, as has been said, to confess the praise of God; but to bless the Lord is to do good "at all times," namely of adversity and of prosperity. Against this is Psalm 48: "he will give you praise when you do well to him," but Job did not act thus, in Job 2: "if we have received good things at the hand of the Lord, but evil, etc." Tobit 4: "bless God at all times." Likewise it is fitting that one bless God not only in himself, that is, in his own heart, but also that he have his praise in his mouth. For there is a necessity of vocal praise, so that you not only praise God, but also praise him for the benefit and provocation of others. Hence he says, "his praise shall be always in my mouth": Isaiah 51: "joy and gladness shall be found therein, thanksgiving, and the voice of praise." "Always," moreover, he says, that is, at every appointed time. Or in the preparation of the mind. Or always by doing good, from which God is always praised. Note that this verse is sung at the sixth hour, when Christ suffered, whose Passion is for us a cause of praise. Then when he says, "in the Lord," the fruit of praise is set down. He says therefore, "in the Lord shall my soul be praised." For one always reckons the good of a friend as one's own good. Hence he says, in the praise of God my own praise also consists. If God is great, it follows that his friend is great: Psalm 117: "my strength and my praise is the Lord." And he says "soul," because spiritual joy belongs principally to it. Consequently, when he says, "let them hear," he leads others first to the cause of praise. Second to the praise itself, at "magnify." The beginning of praise is interior joy; hence he says, "let the meek hear." And therefore they rejoice in all things that are of God, because the harsh do not rejoice but rebel. And he says "let them hear," because this joy comes from hearing of others acting well. Then when he says, "magnify," he exhorts to praise. And first to interior praise. Second to exterior praise, at "and let us extol." As to the first he says, "magnify the Lord with me." To magnify and to praise God are the same thing, because the goodness of God and his greatness are the same: because in those things which are not great in bulk, to be greater is the same as to be better, according to Augustine in On the Trinity. And therefore he says, "magnify": Luke 1: "my soul doth magnify the Lord." And this corresponds to what he said, "I will bless the Lord." As to the second he says, "and let us extol his name." That which is high in itself is said to be extolled when it is diffused among many: Ecclesiasticus 43: "glorifying God, extol him as much as you can," etc. "Together," that is, in concord. And this corresponds to what he said, "his praise shall be always in my mouth." Consequently, when he says, "I sought," the matter of praise is set down, which is the divine clemency in hearing. Concerning this he does two things. First he sets down the clemency of his being heard. Second, the merit of being heard, at "this poor man cried." Concerning the first he does two things. First he sets down the benefit granted to himself. Second he invites others to attain this benefit, at "come," etc. Concerning the first he does three things. First he sets down the petition. Second, the being heard, at "and he heard me." Third, the effect of the being heard, at "and out of all." He says therefore, "I sought the Lord." It is the best choice to seek God himself: hence in the Lord's Prayer the first thing petitioned is "hallowed be thy name": Isaiah 55: "seek the Lord while he may be found." He says therefore, "I sought," as if to say, with great diligence I sought. And therefore the being heard is added, "and he heard me." The effect of being heard, moreover, is that "out of all my troubles he delivered me." For he delivers the just from tribulations, sometimes so that they do not suffer tribulations at all: Job 5: "in six troubles he shall deliver you, and in the seventh, evil shall not touch you." Sometimes so that they are not too greatly troubled: Psalm 93: "according to the multitude of my sorrows in my heart, your comforts have given joy to my soul": 2 Corinthians 1: "who comforts us in all our tribulation": and holy men always have this comfort. Likewise he delivers them outwardly, because evils can never separate the saints from Christ: Romans 8: "who shall separate us from the love of Christ?" Then when he says, "come to him, and be enlightened, and your faces," etc., he invites others to attain this benefit; and concerning this he does two things. First he sets down the invitation. Second, the effect of the invitation, at "and your faces shall not be confounded." He says therefore, "come to him," through faith and charity: James 4: "draw near to God, and he will draw near to you." And therefore he adds, "and be enlightened." God is light, and whoever draws near to the light is enlightened: Isaiah 60: "arise," through affection, "and be enlightened": Deuteronomy 33: "he who draws near to his feet shall receive of his doctrine." The effect of this leading, moreover, is that "your faces shall not be confounded" in rejection, namely because you shall not suffer it, since there is no confusion for those who hope in him. Daniel 3. Or, "your faces," that is, your thoughts, shall not be confounded through a lack of truth. Then when he says, "this poor man cried," he sets down the merit of being heard; and concerning this he does three things. First he sets down the merit itself. Second he promises a like benefit to others, at "he will send in." Third he exhorts to experience it, "taste." He says therefore, "this poor man." This verse differs in nothing from the other, "I sought," except that there he speaks of himself, here of a poor man. And therefore let this alone be explained: who this poor man is. And it is said that "this" either points to himself, or to Christ. And in saying "poor," he suggests the merit of being heard, because he is poor in spirit, or poor in pride, or in the will to possess earthly things. And such as these are heard: Judith 9: "the prayer of the humble and meek has always pleased you": Psalm 32: "he has had regard to the prayer of the humble," etc. "Cried," by the greatness of interior affection: Isaiah 6: "the Seraphim cried one to another and said, Holy, holy," etc. Second, when he says, "the angel of the Lord shall send in," he promises a like benefit; as if to say: thus are others heard, just as this poor man was. Many manuscripts have, "the angel of the Lord shall send in." Jerome has, "the angel of the Lord surrounds round about them that fear him." He says therefore, "the angel of the Lord shall send in," protecting by the splendor of his light, "round about": Psalm 124: "mountains are round about it," namely the angels: 4 Kings 6: "there are more with us than with them." And below: "behold a mountain," etc. He shall send in, that is, he shall make a sending-in: Hebrews 1: "they are all ministering spirits." "And shall deliver them," namely from the assault of enemies and demons: Judith 7: "the children of Israel trust not in the lance nor in the arrow, but the mountains defend them," namely the angel, or Christ: Isaiah 9. According to the translation of the Seventy interpreters, "he shall be called the Angel of great counsel." Because he was sent by God inasmuch as he was man. Or the angel may be understood as the prelate of the Church: Malachi 2: "he is the angel of the Lord of hosts." For the prelates of the Church ought to guard their flock. Third, when he says, "taste and see, that the Lord is sweet," he exhorts to experience; and concerning this he does two things. First he exhorts to the experience of divine fellowship. Second, to the observance of divine fear, at "fear." Concerning the first he does two things. First he exhorts to experience. Second he sets down the effect of experience, "and see that," etc. He says therefore, "taste and see," etc. Experience of a thing is taken through sense; but differently of a thing present, and differently of a thing absent: because of the absent, through sight, smell, and hearing; of the present, however, through touch and taste; but through touch of a present thing extrinsic to us, through taste of what is intrinsic. Now God is not far from us, nor outside us, but within us: Jeremiah 14: "you are in us, O Lord." And therefore the experience of divine goodness is called a tasting: 1 Peter 2: "if so be you have tasted that," etc. Proverbs, last chapter: "she has tasted and seen that her traffic is good." The effect of experience, moreover, is set down as twofold. One is the certitude of the intellect, the other the security of the affection. As to the first he says, "and see." For in corporeal things one first sees, and afterward tastes; but in spiritual things one first tastes, and afterward sees; for no one knows who does not taste; and therefore he says first, "taste," and afterward, "see." As to the second he says, "that the Lord is sweet": Wisdom 12: "O how good and sweet is your spirit, Lord, in us." Psalm 30: "how great is the abundance of your sweetness." And afterward, "blessed is the man who hopes in him": Isaiah 30: "blessed are all they that wait for him." Then when he says, "fear," he first exhorts to the observance of divine fear. Second he assigns the cause of fear, at "for there is no." Third he makes the cause manifest, at "the rich have wanted." He says therefore, sweet and pleasant is the Lord. But to whom? "To them that fear him." Therefore, "fear the Lord, all you his saints." And he says "saints," because no one can be holy unless he is fearing. And he says this, because fear is necessary not only to those ascending toward holiness, but also to those remaining in it: Ecclesiasticus 27: "if you hold not yourself in the fear of the Lord, your house shall quickly be overthrown." And also because nothing so empties out holiness as pride does; and fear is a restraint upon pride: Ecclesiasticus 7: "he who fears God neglects nothing": Ecclesiasticus 40: "there is no lessening in the fear of the Lord." The cause, moreover, of why one ought to fear, he adds: "for there is no want to them that fear him." This is explained in many ways. First, of the want of spiritual goods: Isaiah 33: "the riches of salvation are wisdom and knowledge; the fear of the Lord is his treasure." If, then, the fear of the Lord is a treasure, there is no want to those who fear him. Likewise, of bodily want. For it sometimes happens that one who fears God has little; but it does not happen that he is destitute. He is destitute who reckons himself lacking: those who fear God are content with what they have: Philippians 4: "everywhere and in all things I am instructed," etc. Likewise, God comes to the aid of those who seek him in necessity. But Augustine objects, in the Sermon on the Mount, that the Apostle says, 1 Corinthians 4: "even unto this hour we both hunger and thirst, and are naked." How then is there no want to them that fear him? And he says that God is a nourisher and a physician. Now a physician withdraws nourishment from the sick man, and makes him hunger and thirst, because this is expedient for his health. So God, as it is expedient for our salvation, sometimes sends in want, sometimes confers riches, sometimes grants length of days, sometimes brings about brevity. But consequently, when he says, "the rich have wanted," he manifests the reason through its contrary. For the contrary to the fear of the Lord is the affection of those who give their souls to riches. First, therefore, he shows that those who are in riches fail. Second, that those who seek God are without defect, at "they that seek." He says therefore, "the rich have wanted," namely spiritually; that is, those who are rich in worldly things have wanted in spiritual riches. Revelation 3: "you say, I am rich, and made wealthy, and have need of nothing: and know not that you are wretched and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked." "And have suffered hunger," namely for spiritual goods: because a natural appetite for virtue is present in man; for although the appetite is depraved toward sins, yet it naturally desires virtues. Or, in the future, "have wanted," that is, shall want, and "have suffered hunger," that is, shall suffer hunger: Isaiah 65: "my servants shall eat, and you shall be hungry." Likewise it is understood according to the letter: because the rich are frequently brought down to want, since worldly things are perishable. Luke 1: "he has filled the hungry with good things," etc. "But they that seek the Lord": Isaiah 55: "seek the Lord while he may be found," etc. "Shall not be diminished of any good," that is, they shall not fail of perfect good: because they shall have spiritual things according to their desire, and temporal things according to necessity: Luke 12: "seek first the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added unto you": Proverbs 10: "desire shall be given to the just." And their desire is every good: Proverbs 11, and therefore "they shall have every good." "Come." Having set down above the exhortation to praise, here the necessary instruction is set down; and concerning this he does two things. First he instructs concerning the fear of God. Second, concerning divine providence, at "the eyes of the Lord," etc. Concerning the first he does two things. First he sets forth, as it were, a preface to his teaching. Second he adds his teaching, at "who is the man." In the exordium he does three things. First he renders the hearer benevolent. Second, attentive, at "hear me." Third, teachable, at "I will teach you the fear of the Lord." He says therefore, as to the first, "come, children." For it belongs to parents to love their children: and therefore he says "children," so as to render them benevolent by paternal love. Likewise it belongs to parents to invite their children to instruction, and to educate them: hence he says, "come": Genesis, last chapter: "and Jacob called his sons, and said: Gather yourselves together, that I may tell you what shall befall you in the last days": Hebrews 12: "we have had fathers of our flesh for instructors, and we reverenced them." As to the second he says, "hear me": Proverbs 1: "a wise man hearing shall be wiser," etc. Ecclesiasticus 33: "hear me, you great men, and all you people, and rulers of the Church," etc. Third he renders them teachable: and this when he instructs concerning what he is about to speak of, "I will teach you the fear of the Lord," that is, what fruit you shall have if you fear God. Or how you should fear God. And he begins from fear, and rightly so; because in learning one must begin from the elements: Proverbs 1: "the fear of the Lord is the beginning," namely of divine, "wisdom." Then he adds his teaching when he says, "who is the man." And concerning this he does two things. First he teaches the fruit of fear. Second, the teaching itself, at "keep." He says therefore, "who is the man that desires life": for man desires two things, namely long life and prosperity: but because a long life in evil is to be fled from, therefore he says, "who is the man that desires life." Now man acquires this through the fear of the Lord, which is the beginning of wisdom, as is said in Psalm 110, without which wisdom there is no life: hence Wisdom herself says, Proverbs 8: "he that shall find me, shall find life." But some live, yet in evils and hardships: Genesis 47: "the days of my pilgrimage are a hundred and thirty years, few and evil." And therefore he says, "loves to see good days," that is, full days, because there is nothing in those days of eternity except good: Psalm 83: "one day in your courts is better than a thousand." But what the effect of fear is, he shows first in speech. Second in deed, at "turn away." In speech he forbids two things: namely, manifest evil, and fraudulent good. As to the first he says, "keep your tongue from evil," namely of detraction, defamation, and error: Ephesians 4: "let no evil speech proceed from your mouth": James 1: "if any man think himself to be religious, not bridling his tongue," etc. As to the second he says, "and your lips that they speak no guile"; as if to say, do not even utter good things in guile: Psalm 11: "may the Lord destroy the deceitful tongue." And note that he speaks first of restraining the tongue, and afterward of the lips: because one first moves the tongue when one wishes to speak, and afterward the lips. Likewise the tongue first forms, but the lips distinguish the words. Likewise in deed he shows two things to be done. For man ought to order his life, first with regard to himself; and as to this he says, "turn away." Second with regard to his neighbor: and as to this he says, "seek," etc. Concerning the first he does two things, according to the two distinct parts of justice, which are namely to turn away from evil, and to do good. The second is at, "and do good." He says therefore, "turn away from evil": Ecclesiasticus 7: "do not do evil," etc. To turn away from evil is not something meritorious, if "to turn away" denotes only a negation: for by this, namely by not doing evil, one indeed avoids the punishment which one would have incurred if one had committed it; yet life is not thereby acquired. And therefore, taking it in this way, not to do evil is not meritorious, so long as such a will is not informed by charity, so that one turns away from evil for God's sake. "And do good": Isaiah 1: "learn to do good." Second, as to his neighbor, he says, "seek peace," etc. But it sometimes happens that you have a neighbor who assails you, and then it is your part to seek peace; and therefore he says, "seek peace": Romans 12: "if it be possible, as much as is in you, having peace with all men." Sometimes, however, it happens that you have someone who seeks peace from you, and it is then your part to follow it: hence he says, "and pursue it." Or he speaks of the peace which one ought to have in oneself; and this, he says, you should seek in this life. But it is not fully had, because the flesh lusts against the spirit, and the spirit against the flesh, Galatians 5. He says, moreover, "and pursue it," namely so that you may have it more, although it is not perfect here, but in the future, where "the people shall sit in the beauty of peace," Isaiah 32. Or, "seek peace," that is, Christ, who is our peace: Ephesians 2, "and follow it": Ecclesiastes 2: "who is the man that can follow the king his maker?" Then when he says, "the eyes of the Lord are upon the just," he instructs concerning divine providence; and concerning this he does two things. First he sets forth divine providence. Second he shows the effect of divine providence, at "the just cried." Concerning the first he does two things. First he sets forth divine providence with regard to the good. Second, with regard to the wicked, at "but the face of the Lord." He says therefore, "the eyes of the Lord," etc. Toward those for whom we have care, we attend in two ways: namely by sight, toward their deeds; and as to this he says, "the eyes of the Lord." And by hearing, toward their words; and as to this he says, "and his ears." And although in God there is not sight and hearing, but the very wisdom of God; nevertheless, on account of the diverse things known, both are attributed, namely sight and hearing. Sight is signified through the eyes with regard to deeds themselves; hearing, however, through the ears with regard to words: therefore he says, "the eyes of the Lord are upon the just," namely by the sight of approval: 2 Timothy 2: "the Lord knows who are his": Ecclesiasticus 15: "the eyes of the Lord are upon them that fear him," etc. "And his ears," namely so that he is attentive to hear, "unto their prayers." For he who wishes to hear willingly listens to those who pray; hence by this he signifies that he is willing to hear. And he says "unto their prayers," because he hears them even while they are still speaking: Isaiah, last chapter: "while they are yet speaking, I will hear." Consequently, when he says, "but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil," etc., the providence of the Lord concerning the wicked is shown; and concerning this he does two things. First it is set down that divine providence extends also to the wicked. Second, how it differs from that toward the good, at "that he may destroy." He says therefore, "but the face of the Lord," etc. He had said above, "the eyes of the Lord are upon the just." The wicked man could say, if the eyes of the Lord are not upon me, I can sin freely, because he does not see: Job 22: "clouds are his covert, and he does not consider our things": Ezekiel 8: "the Lord sees not, for he has forsaken the earth." But it is not so, because the face of the Lord is against the wicked: Proverbs 15: "hell and destruction are before the Lord," etc. And he says "face," because it denotes his looking upon those wicked men with a certain anger. But to what end does he look upon them? Surely, "that he may destroy the remembrance of them from the earth." This can be understood in two ways. Either because it can be referred to the present earth: and thus their remembrance perishes from the earth in two ways. In one way, so that it is altogether not. In another way, so that it is evil: Proverbs 10: "the name of the wicked shall rot." Many wicked men sought that their remembrance should remain, and yet it perished. But if the remembrance of some remains, still it is said to have perished, because it is putrid and evil: Psalm 9: "their memory has perished with a noise." Or it can be understood of the land of the living. But surely the saints do not have a remembrance of the wicked? If they do not have a remembrance of the evils which they suffered, how then will the just rejoice when he sees the vengeance? Psalm 57. I answer: it must be said that they will have a remembrance of them, but not unto good, because they will not have a remembrance of compassion and commiseration for them, nor will they pray for them: Luke 16: "a great chaos is fixed," etc. As if to say: even if they wished, they cannot have mercy, because they are there joined to God where they cannot will except what the justice of God has decreed: Isaiah 26: "you have crushed them, and destroyed all remembrance of them." Then when he says, "have cried," the effect of divine providence is set down. And first with regard to the good. Second with regard to the wicked, at "the death of sinners." Concerning the first he does two things. First he shows how the ears of the Lord are attentive to the prayers of the just. Second, how the eyes of the Lord are upon them. There, "near." Concerning the first he does three things. For first he sets forth the prayer of the saints. Second he sets down the being heard, at "and the Lord heard them." Third, the effect of being heard, at "and out of all." He says therefore, "have cried." The prayer of the saints is called a cry: Isaiah 19: "they shall cry to the Lord because of the oppressor": James, last chapter: "their cry has entered into the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth." A cry is a great voice: and the prayer of the saints is a great voice for two reasons: namely because of the greatness of affection, and because of the greatness of the petition, since they ask for eternal things: Matthew 6: "seek first the kingdom of God." "And the Lord heard them," because he himself grants me to ask: Psalm 119: "in my trouble I cried to the Lord," etc. There follows the effect of being heard, "and out of all their tribulations," etc., namely so that they do not sustain tribulations. Or if they do suffer them, yet not so as to be overwhelmed by tribulations: Hebrews 11: "became valiant in battle." Or, because they were freed from Limbo: Zechariah 9: "you also, by the blood of your testament, have sent forth your prisoners out of the pit," etc. Psalm 53: "this poor man cried, and the Lord heard him, and out of all," etc. Second, when he says, "the Lord is near," he shows how the eyes of the Lord are upon the just: and concerning this he does three things. First he sets down the merit of the just. Second, their imminent danger, at "many." Third, the help provided to them, at "and out of all these." Concerning the first he does two things, according as there is a twofold merit of the just, whereby they merit the mercy of God. For first he touches on the merit of contrition for sins: and as to this he says, "the Lord is near," etc. Psalm 144: "the Lord is near unto all them that call upon him." Some are really wretched, yet they do not know it; hence they are not contrite; and therefore they do not obtain mercy: Revelation 3: "you say that I am rich, and made wealthy, and have need of nothing; and you know not that you are wretched and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked." For it is necessary that they recognize their own wretchedness, groaning in heart; and therefore he says, "unto them that are troubled in heart." Behold contrition for sins: Isaiah 66: "to whom shall I have respect, but to him that is poor and little, and contrite in spirit," etc. Matthew 5: "blessed are they that mourn," etc. As to the second he says, "and he will save the humble of spirit." He says "of spirit," not of words: because Ecclesiasticus 19: "there is one that humbles himself wickedly, and his inward parts," etc. "The humble," therefore, "of spirit," who truly have humility in the heart, "he will save": Proverbs 29: "he will uphold the humble in spirit." Consequently he sets down the imminent danger, because "many are the tribulations of the just": Lamentations 1: "many are my groanings," etc. 2 Timothy 3: "all that will live godly in Christ suffer persecution." And they suffer these tribulations from persecutors: Psalm 118: "many are they that persecute me and afflict me." Likewise from the company of those whom they see sinning, they grieve: 2 Peter 2: "dwelling among them who from day to day tormented the just soul with their unjust works." Likewise from the temptations of the world, the flesh, and the enemy: Galatians 5: "the flesh lusts against the spirit," etc. Consequently, when he says, "and out of all these will the Lord deliver them," he sets down the help provided to them. Now they are helped in two ways. First, so that they are totally delivered: and as to this he says, "and out of all these will the Lord deliver them." Second, so that they do not succumb to tribulations: and as to this he says, "the Lord keeps," etc. He says therefore, "and out of all these tribulations will the Lord deliver them," partly here, but perfectly in the future, when (Revelation 7) "they shall neither hunger nor thirst any more," etc. Ecclesiasticus 51: "you have delivered me, according to the multitude of the mercy of your name": 2 Maccabees 1: "having been delivered by God out of great dangers, we magnificently give thanks to him." Then when he says, "the Lord keeps," he shows how he delivers them, lest they succumb. He says therefore, "the Lord keeps all their bones." Just as sight is in the eye, so in the bones and sinews is strength: and therefore, just as sight is signified through the eye, so strength and power are signified through the bones: because just as the body is sustained through the bones, so human life is sustained through the virtues: in the future, therefore, he will deliver them totally, but meanwhile he keeps their bones, that is, their virtues, which profit more in weakness. Or by the bones may be understood the perfect men, whom the Lord will keep: Ezekiel 37: "thus says the Lord God to these bones: behold I will send spirit into you, and you shall live, and I will lay flesh upon you." "Not one of them shall be broken," because in tribulations no virtue of a man whom God keeps fails. For charity was not failing in the saints through hatred, since they prayed for their persecutors; nor was meekness failing through anger, since no murmuring resounded; nor patience through injustice—rather, in their patience they possessed their souls. And therefore it is said of the paschal lamb, "you shall not break a bone thereof," Exodus 12. Psalm 36: "when he shall fall, he shall not be bruised." Or, "one of these," namely of the predestined. John 17: "none of these perished except the son of perdition." Then when he says, "the death of sinners," he sets down the effects of divine providence with regard to the wicked: and concerning this he does two things. First the dangers of the wicked are set down. Second it is shown how the Lord delivers his saints from these, at "will redeem." Concerning the first he does two things. First he shows the evil which the wicked suffer in themselves. Second, what threatens them from the fact that they persecute the good, at "and they that hate." He says therefore, "death," bodily or spiritual: bodily indeed, this is the worst among evils, because they are sent to the worst place. Luke 16: "the rich man died, and he was buried in hell." Likewise, because they lose the hope of grace after death. Proverbs 11: "when the wicked man is dead, there shall be no hope any more." Therefore the death of sinners is the worst, because they die both in body and in soul. Spiritual death: Ephesians 5: "rise from the dead." And this death is the worst. For death is the privation of life. Death, then, the better the thing of which it deprives, the worse it is. Now spiritual death deprives the soul of the life of grace, which is the best, because it is through God. 1 Corinthians 6: "he who cleaves to God is one spirit." Therefore it is the worst. Jerome has it thus: "malice shall slay the wicked," that is, shall destroy him. This is the malice which brings death upon sinners. Romans 6: "the wages of sin is death." Consequently he shows what threatens the wicked from the fact that they persecute the just. Luke 10: "he who despises you, despises me." And therefore he says, "and they that hate the just shall be guilty." Proverbs 29: "bloodthirsty men hate the upright." If, then, he who hates God shall be guilty, then also he who hates the servants of God. Then when he says, "the Lord will redeem," he shows how, in these dangers, the good are delivered. And first, how from past sins. Second, how they are protected from future ones, at "and they shall not be guilty." He says therefore, "the Lord will redeem the souls of his servants." One might say: if the death of sinners is the worst, since no one is so just that he does not sin, then the death of the just themselves is also the worst. And therefore, to exclude this, he says, "the Lord will redeem the souls of his servants." He will redeem, I say, at the price of his own death: "the souls of his servants." He does not say "of the free." For those are freed who shake off from themselves the yoke of justice. Romans 6: "being made free from sin, and become servants to God, you have your fruit," etc. Such, then, as have been made free from being servants of God, are not redeemed; but those who are subjected to the yoke of God are redeemed from guilt and from punishment by the precious blood of Christ. 1 Peter 1: "you were not redeemed with corruptible things, as gold or silver, from your vain conversation of the tradition of your fathers; but with the precious blood, as of a lamb unspotted and undefiled, of Christ." Hosea 13: "I will redeem them from death." Second he shows how they are protected from future sin: because "they shall not be guilty," that is, they shall not sin unto death, "none of them that trust in him." "In him," he says, namely in the Lord; not in their own power, because such fall: hence Psalm 29: "I said in my abundance," that is, in my own power, "I shall not be moved forever. Lord, in your will, you gave strength to my beauty. You turned away your face from me, and I became troubled." But they who trust in the Lord, like him who said, Wisdom 8: "I knew that I could not otherwise be continent, unless God gave it": such a one shall not be guilty, so long as, protected by God, he shall not sin mortally, etc.”

“The title of this psalm tells us both who penned it and upon what occasion it was penned. David, being forced to flee from his country, which was made too hot for him by the rage of Saul, sought shelter as near it as he could, in the land of the Philistines. There it was soon discovered who he was, and he was brought before the king, who, in the narrative, is called Achish (his proper name), here Abimelech (his title); and lest he should be treated as a spy, or one that came thither upon design, he feigned himself to be a madman (such there have been in every age, that even by idiots men might be taught to give God thanks for the use of their reason), that Achish might dismiss him as a contemptible man, rather than take cognizance of him as a dangerous man. And it had the effect he desired; by this stratagem he escaped the hand that otherwise would have handled him roughly. Now, 1. We cannot justify David in this dissimulation. It ill became an honest man to feign himself to be what he was not, and a man of honour to feign himself to be a fool and a mad-man. If, in sport, we mimic those who have not so good an understanding as we think we have, we forget that God might have made their case ours. 2. Yet we cannot but wonder at the composure of his spirit, and how far he was from any change of that, when he changed his behaviour. Even when he was in that fright, or rather in that danger only, his heart was so fixed, trusting in God, that even then he penned this excellent psalm, which has as much in it of the marks of a calm sedate spirit as any psalm in all the book; and there is something curious too in the composition, for it is what is called an alphabetical psalm, that is, a psalm in which every verse begins with each letter in its order as it stands in the Hebrew alphabet. Happy are those who can thus keep their temper, and keep their graces in exercise, even when they are tempted to change their behaviour. In this former part of the psalm, I. David engages and excites himself to praise God. Though it was his fault that he changed his behaviour, yet it was God's mercy that he escaped, and the mercy was so much the greater in that God did not deal with him according to the desert of his dissimulation, and we must in every thing give thanks. He resolves, 1. That he will praise God constantly: I will bless the Lord at all times, upon all occasions. He resolves to keep up stated times for this duty, to lay hold of all opportunities for it, and to renew his praises upon every fresh occurrence that furnished him with matter. If we hope to spend our eternity in praising God, it is fit that we should spend as much as may be of our time in this work. 2. That he will praise him openly: His praise shall continually be in my mouth. Thus he would show how forward he was to own his obligations to the mercy of God and how desirous to make others also sensible of theirs. 3. That he will praise him heartily: "My soul shall make her boast in the Lord, in my relation to him, my interest in him, and expectations from him." It is not vainglory to glory in the Lord. II. He calls upon others to join with him herein. He expects they will (Psa 34:2): "The humble shall hear thereof, both of my deliverance and of my thankfulness, and be glad that a good man has so much favour shown him and a good God so much honour done him." Those have most comfort in God's mercies, both to others and to themselves, that are humble, and have the least confidence in their own merit and sufficiency. It pleased David to think that God's favours to him would rejoice the heart of every Israelite. Three things he would have us all to concur with him in: - 1. In great and high thoughts of God, which we should express in magnifying him and exalting his name, Psa 34:3. We cannot make God greater or higher than he is; but if we adore him as infinitely great, and higher than the highest, he is pleased to reckon this magnifying and exalting him. This we must do together. God's praises sound best in concert, for so we praise him as the angels do in heaven. Those that share in God's favour, as all the saints do, should concur in his praises; and we should be as desirous of the assistance of our friends in returning thanks for mercies as in praying for them. We have reason to join in thanksgiving to God, (1.) For his readiness to hear prayer, which all the saints have had the comfort of; for he never said to any of them, Seek you me in vain. [1.] David, for his part, will give it under his hand that he has found him a prayer-hearing God (Psa 34:4): "I sought the Lord, in my distress, entreated his favour, begged his help, and he heard me, answered my request immediately, and delivered me from all my fears, both from the death I feared and from the disquietude and disturbance produced by fear of it." The former he does by his providence working for us, the latter by his grace working in us, to silence our fears and still the tumult of the spirits; this latter is the greater mercy of the two, because the thing we fear is our trouble only, but our unbelieving distrustful fear of it is our sin; nay, it is often more our torment too than the thing itself would be, which perhaps would only touch the bone and the flesh, while the fear would prey upon the spirits and put us out of the possession of our own soul. David's prayers helped to silence his fears; having sought the Lord, and left his case with him, he could wait the event with great composure. "But David was a great and eminent man, we may not expect to be favoured as he was; have any others ever experienced the like benefit by prayer?" Yes, [2.] Many besides him have looked unto God by faith and prayer, and have been lightened by it, Psa 34:5. It has wonderfully revived and comforted them; witness Hannah, who, when she had prayed, went her way, and did eat, and her countenance was no more sad. When we look to the world we are darkened, we are perplexed, and at a loss; but, when we look to God, from him we have the light both of direction and joy, and our way is made both plain and pleasant. These here spoken of, that looked unto God, had their expectations raised, and the event did not frustrate them: Their faces were not ashamed of their confidence. "But perhaps these also were persons of great eminence, like David himself, and upon that account were highly favoured, or their numbers made them considerable;" nay, [3.] This poor man cried, a single person, mean and inconsiderable, whom no man looked upon with any respect or looked after with any concern; yet he was as welcome to the throne of grace as David or any of his worthies: The Lord heard him, took cognizance of his case and of his prayers, and saved him out of all his troubles, Psa 34:6. God will regard the prayer of the destitute, Psa 102:17. See Isa 57:15. (2.) For the ministration of the good angels about us (Psa 34:7): The angel of the Lord, a guard of angels (so some), but as unanimous in their service as if they were but one, or a guardian angel, encamps round about those that fear God, as the life-guard about the prince, and delivers them. God makes use of the attendance of the good spirits for the protection of his people from the malice and power of evil spirits; and the holy angels do us more good offices every day than we are aware of. Though in dignity and in capacity of nature they are very much superior to us, - though they retain their primitive rectitude, which we have lost; - though they have constant employment in the upper world, the employment of praising God, and are entitled to a constant rest and bliss there, - yet in obedience to their Maker, and in love to those that bear his image, they condescend to minister to the saints, and stand up for them against the powers of darkness; they not only visit them, but encamp round about them, acting for their good as really, though not as sensibly, as for Jacob's (Gen 32:1), and Elisha's, Kg2 6:17. All the glory be to the God of the angels. 2. He would have us to join with him in kind and good thoughts of God (Psa 34:8): O taste and see that the Lord is good! The goodness of God includes both the beauty and amiableness of his being and the bounty and beneficence of his providence and grace; and accordingly, (1.) We must taste that he is a bountiful benefactor, relish the goodness of God in all his gifts to us, and reckon that the savour and sweetness of them. Let God's goodness be rolled under the tongue as a sweet morsel. (2.) We must see that he is a beautiful being, and delight in the contemplation of his infinite perfections. By taste and sight we both make discoveries and take complacency. Taste and see God's goodness, that is, take notice of it and take the comfort of it, Pe1 2:3. he is good, for he makes all those that trust in him truly blessed; let us therefore be so convinced of his goodness as thereby to be encouraged in the worst of times to trust in him. 3. He would have us join with him in a resolution to seek God and serve him, and continue in his fear (Psa 34:9): O fear the Lord! you his saints. When we taste and see that he is good we must not forget that he is great and greatly to be feared; nay, even his goodness is the proper object of a filial reverence and awe. They shall fear the Lord and his goodness, Hos 3:5. Fear the Lord; that is, worship him, and make conscience of your duty to him in every thing, not fear him and shun him, but fear him and seek him (v. 10) as a people seek unto their God; address yourselves to him and portion yourselves in him. To encourage us to fear God and seek him, it is here promised that those that do so, even in this wanting world, shall want no good thing (Heb. They shall not want all good things); they shall so have all good things that they shall have no reason to complain of the want of any. As to the things of the other world, they shall have grace sufficient for the support of the spiritual life (Co2 12:9; Psa 84:11); and, as to this life, they shall have what is necessary to the support of it from the hand of God: as a Father, he will feed them with food convenient. What further comforts they desire they shall have, as far as Infinite Wisdom sees good, and what they want in one thing shall be made up in another. What God denies them he will give them grace to be content without and then they do not want it, Deu 3:26. Paul had all and abounded, because he was content, Phi 4:11, Phi 4:18. Those that live by faith in God's all-sufficiency want nothing; for in him they have enough. The young lions. often lack and suffer hunger - those that live upon common providence, as the lions do, shall want that satisfaction which those have that live by faith in the promise; those that trust to themselves, and think their own hands sufficient for them, shall want (for bread is not always to the wise) - but verily those shall be fed that trust in God and desire to be at his finding. Those that are ravenous, and prey upon all about them, shall want; but the meek shall inherit the earth. Those shall not want who with quietness work and mind their own business; plain-hearted Jacob has pottage enough, when Esau, the cunning hunter, is ready to perish for hunger.”

“I will bless the Lord at all times,.... That is, ascribe blessing, give honour, praise, and glory to him, both as the God of nature and providence, for every temporal mercy; and that every day, and at all times in the day; since these are renewed every morning, and continue all the day long: and as the God of grace, for all spiritual blessings; and that continually, because these last always; they are irreversible, unchangeable, and without repentance; yea, saints have reason to bless God in times of adversity as well as prosperity, since it might have been worse with them than it is; they have a mixture of mercy in all, and all things work together for their good; his praise shall continually be in my mouth; not the "praise" of which God is the author, but of which he is the object; which is due unto him, and is given him on account of the perfections of his nature, and the works of his hands, and the blessings of his providence and grace; this, the psalmist says, should be in his mouth: his meaning is, that he should not only retain in his heart a grateful sense of the divine favours, but should express it with his lips; should both make melody in his heart to the Lord, and vocally sing his praise; and that "continually", as long as he lived, or had any being, Psa 146:2.”

“Achimelech. So Clement VIII corrects what Sixtus V had printed Abimelech, conformably to the Hebrew, &c. Some editors have since preferred the latter word, (Calmet) which is retained in Berthier and Calmet, though we should think such changes improper, unless they were made by proper authority. (Haydock) — Many of the ancients suppose that Achimelech (who is also styled Abimelech, the high priest at Nobe) is here meant, from whom David concealed his real design. [1 Kings xxi.] (Eusebius; St. Athanasius; St. Jerome, &c.) — Others rather think that the psalm was composed after David had escaped the great danger at the court of Achis, by counterfeiting madness, 1 Kings xxi. 13. (St. Augustine; Muis, &c.) — Achis alone is styled king among the Satraps. Those who ruled over the Philistines, generally bore the title of Abimelech, as the Egyptian monarchs had that of Pharao. (Berthier) (Genesis xxi. 22.) (Calmet) (Worthington) — This psalm is alphabetical. The last verse beginning with p, is supernumerary, and may belong to the next psalm. See Psalm xxiv. (Calmet) — There seems also to be something wanting in ver. 6., (Houbigant) unless e and v have each only one hemistic. (Haydock) — From the change of names, and of David’s countenance, St. Augustine gathers the vocation of the Gentiles, the real presence, &c. (Worthington) See 1 Kings xxi. (Haydock)”

“(Heb.: 34:2-4) The poet begins with the praise of Jahve, and calls upon all the pious to unite with him in praising Him. The substantival clause Psa 34:2, is intended to have just as much the force of a cohortative as the verbal clause Psa 34:2. אברכה, like ויגרשׁהו, is to be written with Chateph-Pathach in the middle syllable. In distinction from עניּים, afflicti, ענוים signifies submissi, those who have learnt endurance or patience in the school of affliction. The praise of the psalmist will greatly help to strengthen and encourage such; for it applies to the Deliverer of the oppressed. But in order that this praise may sound forth with strength and fulness of tone, he courts the assistance of companions in Psa 34:4. To acknowledge the divine greatness with the utterance of praise is expressed by גּדּל with an accusative in Psa 69:31; in this instance with ל: to offer גּדלּה unto Him, cf. Psa 29:2. Even רומם has this subjective meaning: with the heart and in word and deed, to place the exalted Name of God as high as it really is in itself. In accordance with the rule, that when in any word two of the same letters follow one another and the first has a Sheb, this Sheb must be an audible one, and in fact Chateph Pathach preceded by Gaja (Metheg), we must write וּנרוממה.”