| Scripture |
Expanded Comments |
| To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David. |
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| 1 O LORD, thou hast searched me, and known me. |
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| 2 Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off. |
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| 3 Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways. |
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| 4 For there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O LORD, thou knowest it altogether. |
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| 5 Thou hast beset me behind and before, and laid thine hand upon me. |
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| 6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain unto it.
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Such knowledge – His mighty intellect grasps with ease all the interests of his wide domain, from immensity to minutia. R1864:3
Memory that never fails, judgment that never errs, plans that never miscarry, vigilance that never ceases. R1560:2
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| 7 Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence? |
Go from thy spirit – To escape or be hidden from divine power. E366
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| 8 If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in Sheol, behold, thou art there. |
My bed in hell – Sheol, oblivion, death, not torment. E366
Thou art there – Even oblivion is accessible to divine power. E366
God has the same power to aid those in hell that he has to bless those in heaven. HG754:6*; HG756:1*
God's power is unlimited. Even over those in the tomb he can, and will, exert it, and bring forth all that are in the graves. (John 5:28) R2599:3
"I have the keys of death and of hades, oblivion." (Rev. 1:18) E366
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| 9 If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea; |
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| 10 Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me. |
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| 11 If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me; even the night shall be light about me. |
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| 12 Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee; but the night shineth as the day: the darkness and the light are both alike to thee. |
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| 13 For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother's womb. |
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| 14 I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well. |
Fearfully – Awe-fully; we are noble creatures, in the image of our God, except as marred by sin. R1566:3
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| 15 My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. |
My substance – My organism. E404
When I was made – Either at first birth, or in the resurrection. E404
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| 16 Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them. |
In continuance – Gradually. E404
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| 17 How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God! how great is the sum of them! |
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| 18 If I should count them, they are more in number than the sand: when I awake, I am still with thee. |
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| 19 Surely thou wilt slay the wicked, O God: depart from me therefore, ye bloody men. |
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| 20 For they speak against thee wickedly, and thine enemies take thy name in vain. |
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| 21 Do not I hate them, O LORD, that hate thee? and am not I grieved with those that rise up against thee? |
Them – Includes both evil men and evil angels. Q322:2
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| 22 I hate them with perfect hatred: I count them mine enemies. |
Perfect hatred – We want to hate what the Lord hates. "Thou hast loved righteousness and hated iniquity " (Heb. 1:9) R4909:5, R1861:4, R5949:2, R1291:1; Q321:5, Q783:T
We hate the Antichrist systems with "a perfect hatred" because we love God with a perfect love. The two, being opposites, properly produce opposite sentiments. R1191:4
We have no thought of ever becoming more loving than the Lord. R4909:6, R2131:2
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| 23 Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: |
Search me, O God – It is in the diagnosis of our case that we are most likely to err; it is here that sobriety of mind and meekness are so much needed. R2094:5
Try me – The Lord says, I will prove you by leaving you all your time, influence, money, everything, in your hands as my steward. Q615:T
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| 24 And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. |
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