Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on the Whole Bible
Psalms Ch.1 / 150 Ch.s
PS:1
** David was the penman of most of the psalms, but some
evidently were composed by other writers, and the writers of
some are doubtful. But all were written by the inspiration of
the Holy Ghost; and no part of the Old Testament is more
frequently quoted or referred to in the New. Every psalm either
points directly to Christ, in his person, his character, and
offices; or may lead the believer's thoughts to Him. And the
psalms are the language of the believer's heart, whether
mourning for sin, thirsting after God, or rejoicing in Him.
Whether burdened with affliction, struggling with temptation, or
triumphing in the hope or enjoyment of deliverance; whether
admiring the Divine perfections, thanking God for his mercies,
mediating on his truths, or delighting in his service; they form
a Divinely appointed standard of experience, by which we may
judge ourselves. Their value, in this view, is very great, and
the use of them will increase with the growth of the power of
true religion in the heart. By the psalmist's expressions, the
Spirit helps us to pray. If we make the psalms familiar to us,
whatever we have to ask at the throne of grace, by way of
confession, petition, or thanksgiving, we may be assisted from
thence. Whatever devout affection is working in us, holy desire
or hope, sorrow or joy, we may here find words to clothe it;
sound speech which cannot be condemned. In the language of this
Divine book, the prayers and praises of the church have been
offered up to the throne of grace from age to age.
* The holiness and happiness of a godly man. (1-3) The
sinfulness and misery of a wicked man, The ground and reason of
both. (4-6)
#1-3 To meditate in God's word, is to discourse with ourselves
concerning the great things contained in it, with close
application of mind and fixedness of thought. We must have
constant regard to the word of God, as the rule of our actions,
and the spring of our comforts; and have it in our thoughts
night and day. For this purpose no time is amiss.
#4-6 The ungodly are the reverse of the righteous, both in
character and condition. The ungodly are not so, ver. 4; they
are led by the counsel of the wicked, in the way of sinners, to
the seat of the scornful; they have no delight in the law of
God; they bring forth no fruit but what is evil. The righteous
are like useful, fruitful trees: the ungodly are like the chaff
which the wind drives away: the dust which the owner of the
floor desires to have driven away, as not being of any use. They
are of no worth in God's account, how highly soever they may
value themselves. They are easily driven to and fro by every
wind of temptation. The chaff may be, for a while, among the
wheat, but He is coming, whose fan is in his hand, and who will
thoroughly purge his floor. Those that, by their own sin and
folly, make themselves as chaff, will be found so before the
whirlwind and fire of Divine wrath. The doom of the ungodly is
fixed, but whenever the sinner becomes sensible of this guilt
and misery, he may be admitted into the company of the righteous
by Christ the living way, and become in Christ a new creature.
He has new desires, new pleasures, hopes, fears, sorrows,
companions, and employments. His thoughts, words, and actions
are changed. He enters on a new state, and bears a new
character. Behold, all things are become new by Divine grace,
which changes his soul into the image of the Redeemer. How
different the character and end of the ungodly!