| Scripture |
Expanded Comments |
| 1 To the Overseer. A Psalm by David. |
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| Jehovah, Thou hast searched me, and knowest. |
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| 2 Thou Thou hast known my sitting down, And my rising up, Thou hast attended to my thoughts from afar. |
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| 3 My path and my couch Thou hast fanned, And [with] all my ways hast been acquainted. |
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| 4 For there is not a word in my tongue, Lo, O Jehovah, Thou hast known it all! |
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| 5 Behind and before Thou hast besieged me, And Thou dost place on me Thy hand. |
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| 6 Knowledge too wonderful for me, It hath been set on high, I am not able for it. |
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 do I go from Thy Spirit And whither from Thy face do I flee |
Go from thy spirit – To escape or be hidden from divine power. E366
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| 8 If I ascend the heavens there Thou [art], And spread out a couch in Sheol, lo, Thee! |
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 I take the wings of morning, I dwell in the uttermost part of the sea, |
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| 10 Also there Thy hand doth lead me, And Thy right hand doth hold me. |
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| 11 And I say, 'Surely darkness bruiseth me, Then night [is] light to me. |
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| 12 Also darkness hideth not from Thee, And night as day shineth, as [is] darkness so [is] light. |
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| 13 For Thou Thou hast possessed my reins, Thou dost cover me in my mother's belly. |
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| 14 I confess Thee, because that [with] wonders I have been distinguished. Wonderful [are] Thy works, And my soul is knowing [it] 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, Curiously wrought in the lower part of earth. |
My substance – My organism. E404
When I was made – Either at first birth, or in the resurrection. E404
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| 16 Mine unformed substance Thine eyes saw, And on Thy book all of them are written, The days they were formed And not one among them. |
In continuance – Gradually. E404
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| 17 And to me how precious have been Thy thoughts, O God, how great hath been their sum! |
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| 18 I recount them! than the sand they are more, I have waked, and I am still with Thee. |
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| 19 Dost Thou slay, O God, the wicked Then, men of blood, turn aside from me! |
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| 20 Who exchange Thee for wickedness, Lifted up to vanity [are] Thine enemies. |
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| 21 Do not I hate, Jehovah, those hating Thee And with Thy withstanders grieve myself |
Them – Includes both evil men and evil angels. Q322:2
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| 22 [With] perfect hatred I have hated them, Enemies they have become to me. |
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 a grievous way be in me, And lead me in a way age-during! |
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