Worthy.Bible » STRONG » Psalms » Chapter 125 » Verse 4

Psalms 125:4 King James Version with Strong's Concordance (STRONG)

- Read this chapter

4 Do good, H2895 O LORD, H3068 unto those that be good, H2896 and to them that are upright H3477 in their hearts. H3826

Cross Reference

Psalms 41:1-3 STRONG

KJV ASV YLT DARBY WEB BBE

[[To the chief Musician, H5329 A Psalm H4210 of David.]] H1732 Blessed H835 is he that considereth H7919 the poor: H1800 the LORD H3068 will deliver H4422 him in time H3117 of trouble. H7451 The LORD H3068 will preserve H8104 him, and keep him alive; H2421 and he shall be blessed H833 upon the earth: H776 and thou wilt not deliver H5414 him unto the will H5315 of his enemies. H341 The LORD H3068 will strengthen H5582 him upon the bed H6210 of languishing: H1741 thou wilt make H2015 all his bed H4904 in his sickness. H2483

Isaiah 58:10-11 STRONG

KJV ASV YLT DARBY WEB BBE

And if thou draw out H6329 thy soul H5315 to the hungry, H7457 and satisfy H7646 the afflicted H6031 soul; H5315 then shall thy light H216 rise H2224 in obscurity, H2822 and thy darkness H653 be as the noonday: H6672 And the LORD H3068 shall guide H5148 thee continually, H8548 and satisfy H7646 thy soul H5315 in drought, H6710 and make fat H2502 thy bones: H6106 and thou shalt be like a watered H7302 garden, H1588 and like a spring H4161 of water, H4325 whose waters H4325 fail H3576 not.

1 John 3:17-24 STRONG

KJV ASV YLT DARBY WEB BBE

But G1161 whoso G3739 G302 hath G2192 this world's G2889 good, G979 and G2532 seeth G2334 his G846 brother G80 have G2192 need, G5532 and G2532 shutteth up G2808 his G846 bowels G4698 of compassion from G575 him, G846 how G4459 dwelleth G3306 the love G26 of God G2316 in G1722 him? G846 My G3450 little children, G5040 let us G25 not G3361 love G25 in word, G3056 neither G3366 in tongue; G1100 but G235 in deed G2041 and G2532 in truth. G225 And G2532 hereby G1722 G5129 we know G1097 that G3754 we are G2070 of G1537 the truth, G225 and G2532 shall assure G3982 our G2257 hearts G2588 before G1715 him. G846 For G3754 if G1437 our G2257 heart G2588 condemn us, G2607 G3754 God G2316 is G2076 greater G3187 than our G2257 heart, G2588 and G2532 knoweth G1097 all things. G3956 Beloved, G27 if G3362 our G2257 heart G2588 condemn G2607 us G2257 not, G3362 then have we G2192 confidence G3954 toward G4314 God. G2316 And G2532 whatsoever G3739 G1437 we ask, G154 we receive G2983 of G3844 him, G846 because G3754 we keep G5083 his G846 commandments, G1785 and G2532 do G4160 those things that are pleasing G701 in his G846 sight. G1799 And G2532 this G3778 is G2076 his G846 commandment, G1785 That G2443 we should believe G4100 on the name G3686 of his G846 Son G5207 Jesus G2424 Christ, G5547 and G2532 love G25 one another, G240 as G2531 he gave G1325 us G2254 commandment. G1785 And G2532 he that keepeth G5083 his G846 commandments G1785 dwelleth G3306 in G1722 him, G846 and G2532 he G846 in G1722 him. G846 And G2532 hereby G1722 G5129 we know G1097 that G3754 he abideth G3306 in G1722 us, G2254 by G1537 the Spirit G4151 which G3739 he hath given G1325 us. G2254

Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on Psalms 125

Commentary on Psalms 125 Matthew Henry Commentary

John Gill   Keil & Delitzsch   Robert Jamieson: Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible  

Psalm 125

This short psalm may be summed up in those words of the prophet (Isa. 3:10, 11), "Say you to the righteous, It shall be well with him. Woe to the wicked, it shall be will with him.' Thus are life and death, the blessing and the curse, set before us often in the psalms, as well as in the law and the prophets.

  • I. It is certainly well with the people of God; for,
    • 1. They have the promises of a good God that they shall be fixed (v. 1), and safe (v. 2), and not always under the hatches (v. 3).
    • 2. They have the prayers of a good man, which shall be heard for them (v. 4).
  • II. It is certainly ill with the wicked, and particularly with the apostates (v. 5).

Some of the Jewish rabbies are of opinion that it has reference to the days of the Messiah; however, we that are members of the gospel-church may certainly, in singing this psalm, take comfort of these promises, and the more so if we stand in awe of the threatening.

A song of degrees.

Psa 125:1-3

Here are three very precious promises made to the people of God, which, though they are designed to secure the welfare of the church in general, may be applied by particular believers to themselves, as other promises of this nature may. Here is,

  • I. The character of God's people, to whom these promises belong. Many call themselves God's people who have no part nor lot in this matter. But those shall have the benefit of them and may take the comfort of them,
    • (1.) Who are righteous (v. 3), righteous before God, righteous to God, and righteous to all men, for his sake justified and sanctified.
    • (2.) Who trust in the Lord, who depend upon his care and devote themselves to his honour. All that deal with God must deal upon trust, and he will give comfort to those only that give credit to him, and make it to appear they do so by quitting other confidences, and venturing to the utmost for God. The closer our expectations are confined to God the higher our expectations may be raised from him.
  • II. The promises themselves.
    • 1. That their hearts shall be established by faith: those minds shall be truly stayed that are stayed on God: They shall be as Mount Zion. The church in general is called Mount Zion (Heb. 12:22), and it shall in this respect be like Mount Zion, it shall be built upon a rock, and its interests shall be so well secured that the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. The stability of the church is the satisfaction of all its well-wishers. Particular persons, who trust in God, shall be established (Ps. 112:7); their faith shall be their fixation, Isa. 7:9. They shall be as Mount Zion, which is firm as it is a mountain supported by providence, much more as a holy mountain supported by promise.
      • (1.) They cannot be removed by the prince of the power of the air, nor by all his subtlety and strength. They cannot be removed from their integrity nor from their confidence in God.
      • (2.) They abide for ever in that grace which is the earnest of their everlasting continuance in glory.
    • 2. That, committing themselves to God, they shall be safe, under his protection, from all the insults of their enemies, as Jerusalem had a natural fastness and fortification in the mountains that were round about it, v. 2. Those mountains not only sheltered it from winds and tempests, and broke the force of them, but made it also very difficult of access for an enemy; such a defence is God's providence to his people. Observe,
      • (1.) The compass of it: The Lord is round about his people on every side. There is no gap in the hedge of protection which he makes round about his people, at which the enemy, who goes about them, seeking to do them a mischief, can find entrance, Job 1:10.
      • (2.) The continuance of it-henceforth even for ever. Mountains may moulder and come to nought, and rocks be removed out of their place (Job 14:18), but God's covenant with his people cannot be broken (Isa. 54:10) nor his care of them cease. Their being said to stand fast for ever (v. 1), and here to have God round about them for ever, intimates that the promises of the stability and security of God's people will have their full accomplishment in their everlasting state. In heaven they shall stand fast for ever, shall be as pillars in the temple of our God and go no more out (Rev. 3:12), and there God himself, with his glory and favour, will be round about them for ever.
    • 3. That their troubles shall last no longer than their strength will serve to bear them up under them, v. 3.
      • (1.) It is supposed that the rod of the wicked may come, may fall, upon the lot of the righteous. The rod of their power may oppress them; the rod of their anger may vex and torment them. It may fall upon their persons, their estates, their liberties, their families, their names, any thing that falls to their lot, only it cannot reach their souls.
      • (2.) It is promised that, though it may come upon their lot, it shall not rest there; it shall not continue so long as the enemies design, and as the people of God fear, but God will cut the work short in righteousness, so short that even with the temptation he will make a way for them to escape.
      • (3.) It is considered as a reason of this promise that if the trouble should continue over-long the righteous themselves would be in temptation to put forth their hands to iniquity, to join with wicked people in their wicked practices, to say as they say and do as they do. There is danger lest, being long persecuted for their religion, at length they grow weary of it and willing to give it up, lest, being kept long in expectation of promised mercies, they begin to distrust the promise, and to think of casting God off, upon suspicion of his having cast them off. See Ps. 73:13, 14. Note, God considers the frame of his people, and will proportion their trials to their strength by the care of his providence, as well as their strength to their trials by the power of his grace. Oppression makes a wise man mad, especially if it continue long; therefore for the elect's sake the days shall be shortened, that, whatever becomes of their lot in this world, they may not lose their lot among the chosen.

Psa 125:4-5

Here is,

  • 1. The prayer the psalmist puts up for the happiness of those that are sincere and constant (v. 4): Do good, O Lord! unto those that are good. This teaches us to pray for all good people, to make supplication for all saints; and we may pray in faith for them, being assured that those who do well shall certainly be well dealt with. Those that are as they should be shall be as they would be, provided they be upright in heart, that they be really as good as they seem to be. With the upright God will show himself upright. He does not say, Do good, O Lord! to those that are perfect, that are sinless and spotless, but to those that are sincere and honest. God's promises should quicken our prayers. It is comfortable wishing well to those for whom God has engaged to do well.
  • 2. The prospect he has of the ruin of hypocrites and deserters; he does not pray for it (I have not desired the woeful day, thou knowest), but he predicts it: As for those, who having known the way of righteousness, for fear of the rod of the wicked, basely turn aside out of it to their wicked ways, use indirect ways to prevent trouble or extricate themselves out of it, or those who, instead of reforming, grow worse and worse and are more obstinate and daring in their impieties, God shall send them away, cast them out, and lead them forth with the workers of iniquity, that is, he will appoint them their portion with the worst of sinners. Note,
    • (1.) Sinful ways are crooked ways; sin is the perverting of that which is right.
    • (2.) The doom of those who turn aside to those crooked ways out of the right way will be the same with theirs who have all along walked in them, nay, and more grievous, for if any place in hell be hotter than another that shall be the portion of hypocrites and apostates. God shall lead them forth, as prisoners are led forth to execution. Go, you cursed, into everlasting fire; and these shall go away; all their former righteousness shall not be mentioned unto them. The last words, Place upon Israel, may be taken as a prayer: "God preserve his Israel in peace, when his judgments are abroad reckoning with evil-doers.' We read them as a promise: Peace shall be upon Israel; that is,
      • [1.] When those who have treacherously deserted the ways of God meet with their own destruction those who faithfully adhere to them, though they may have trouble in their way, shall have peace in the end.
      • [2.] The destruction of those who walk in crooked ways will contribute to the peace and safety of the church. When Herod was cut off the word of God grew, Acts 12:23, 24.
      • [3.] The peace and happiness of God's Israel will be the vexation, and will add much to the torment, of those who perish in their wickedness, Lu. 13:28; Isa. 65:13. My servants shall rejoice, but you shall be ashamed.