12 Blessed is the man whom You chasten , O Lord , And whom You teach out of Your law ; 13 That You may grant him relief from the days of adversity , Until a pit is dug for the wicked . 14 For the Lord will not abandon His people , Nor will He forsake His inheritance . 15 For judgment will again be righteous , And all the upright in heart will follow it. 16 Who will stand up for me against evildoers ? Who will take his stand for me against those who do wickedness ? 17 If the Lord had not been my help , My soul would soon have dwelt in the abode of silence . 18 If I should say , " My foot has slipped ," Your lovingkindness , O Lord , will hold me up. 19 When my anxious thoughts multiply within me, Your consolations delight my soul . 20 Can a throne of destruction be allied with You, One which devises mischief by decree ? 21 They band themselves together against the life of the righteous And condemn the innocent to death . 22 But the Lord has been my stronghold , And my God the rock of my refuge . 23 He has brought back their wickedness upon them And will destroy them in their evil ; The Lord our God will destroy them.
Matthew Henry's Commentary on Psalm 94:12-23
Commentary on Psalm 94:12-23
(Read Psalm 94:12-23)
That man is blessed, who, under the chastening of the Lord, is taught his will and his truths, from his holy word, and by the Holy Spirit. He should see mercy through his sufferings. There is a rest remaining for the people of God after the days of their adversity, which shall not last always. He that sends the trouble, will send the rest. The psalmist found succour and relief only in the Lord, when all earthly friends failed. We are beholden, not only to God's power, but to his pity, for spiritual supports; and if we have been kept from falling into sin, or shrinking from our duty, we should give him the glory, and encourage our brethren. The psalmist had many troubled thoughts concerning the case he was in, concerning the course he should take, and what was likely to be the end of it. The indulgence of such contrivances and fears, adds to care and distrust, and renders our views more gloomy and confused. Good men sometimes have perplexed and distressed thoughts concerning God. But let them look to the great and precious promises of the gospel. The world's comforts give little delight to the soul, when hurried with melancholy thoughts; but God's comforts bring that peace and pleasure which the smiles of the world cannot give, and which the frowns of the world cannot take away. God is his people's Refuge, to whom they may flee, in whom they are safe, and may be secure. And he will reckon with the wicked. A man cannot be more miserable than his own wickedness will make him, if the Lord visit it upon him.