My goodness extendeth not to thee ] There are almost endless explanations of this clause; no man can read them without being confounded by them. The SEPTUAGINT read oti twn agaqwn mou ou creian eceiv; Because thou dost not need my goods. The VULGATE follows the Septuagint. The CHALDEE: My good is given only by thyself.

So the SYRIAC: My good is from thee. The ARABIC: Thou dost not need my good works. And in this sense, with shades of difference, it has been understood by most commentators and critics.

Bishop Horsley translates, Thou art my good-not besides thee. Dr. Kennicott, My goodness is not without thee.

I think the words should be understood of what the Messiah was doing for men. My goodness, ytbwf tobathi, "my bounty," is not to thee. What I am doing can add nothing to thy divinity; thou art not providing this astonishing sacrifice because thou canst derive any excellence from it: but this bounty extends to the saints-to all the spirits of just men made perfect, whose bodies are still in the earth; and to the excellent, yryda addirey, "the noble or supereminent ones," those who through faith and patience inherit the promises. The saints and illustrious ones not only taste of my goodness, but enjoy my salvation. Perhaps angels themselves may be intended; they are not uninterested in the incarnation, passion, death, and resurrection of our Lord. They desire to look into these things; and the victories of the cross in the conversion of sinners cause joy among the angels of God.

The µy�wdq kedoshim, "saints," or consecrated persons, may refer to the first planters of Christianity, evangelists, apostles, &c., who were separated from all others, and consecrated to the great important work of preaching among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ. With these was all the desire, Åpj chephets, the good will and delight of Christ. In all their ministrations he was both with them and in them.

The passage, taken as referring to David, intimates that he abhorred the company of the profane and worthless, and delighted to associate with them that excelled in virtue.

On these two verses the translation and paraphrase of my old Psalter must not be forgotten: - Ver. 1. Conserva me, Domine, &c.

Trans. "Kepe me Lord, for I hoped in the; I said til Lord, my God thou ert; for, of my gudes thu has na nede." Par. - The voice of Crist in his manhede; prayand til the fader, and sayand: Lord, fader, kepe me imang peplis, for I hoped in the, noght in me.

I said til the, my God, thu ert in that, that I am man; for thu has no nede of my godes; bot I haf of the, al that I haf; here is the wil pride of men confounded; that evenes that thai haf ought of tham self bot syn.

Ver. 2. Sanctis qui sunt in terra, &c.

Trans. "Til halowes the qwilk er his land, he selcouthed all my willes in tham." Par. - Noght til wiked, bot til halows clene in saule, and depertid fra erdly bysynes, the qwilk er in his land: that es, that haf fested thair hope in the land of heven; and rotyd in luf: the qwilk hope es als anker in stremys of this werld. He selcouthed al my willes, that of wonderful, he made my willes, of dying and rysing, sett and fulfilled in tham: that es, in thair profete, qware in that feled qwat it profeted tham my mekenes that wild dye, and my myght to rise.

Matthew Henry Commentary

--David flees to God's protection, with cheerful, believing confidence Those who have avowed that the Lord is their Lord, should often pu themselves in mind of what they have done, take the comfort of it, an live up to it. He devotes himself to the honour of God, in the servic of the saints. Saints on earth we must be, or we shall never be saint in heaven. Those renewed by the grace of God, and devoted to the glor of God, are saints on earth. The saints in the earth are excellen ones, yet some of them so poor, that they needed to have David' goodness extended to them. David declares his resolution to have n fellowship with the works of darkness; he repeats the solemn choice he had made of God for his portion and happiness, takes to himself the comfort of the choice, and gives God the glory of it. This is the language of a devout and pious soul. Most take the world for their chief good, and place their happiness in the enjoyments of it; but ho poor soever my condition is in this world, let me have the love an favour of God, and be accepted of him; let me have a title by promis to life and happiness in the future state; and I have enough. Heaven is an inheritance; we must take that for our home, our rest, ou everlasting good, and look upon this world to be no more ours, than the country through which is our road to our Father's house. Those tha have God for their portion, have a goodly heritage. Return unto the rest, O my soul, and look no further. Gracious persons, though the still covet more of God, never covet more than God; but, being satisfied of his loving-kindness, are abundantly satisfied with it they envy not any their carnal mirth and delights. But so ignorant an foolish are we, that if left to ourselves, we shall forsake our ow mercies for lying vanities. God having given David counsel by his wor and Spirit, his own thoughts taught him in the night season, an engaged him by faith to live to God. Verses #(8-11), are quoted by St Peter in his first sermon, after the pouring out of the Spirit on the day of Pentecost, Ac 2:25-31; he declared that David in them speak concerning Christ, and particularly of his resurrection. And Chris being the Head of the body, the church, these verses may be applied to all Christians, guided and animated by the Spirit of Christ; and we ma hence learn, that it is our wisdom and duty to set the Lord alway before us. And if our eyes are ever toward God, our hearts and tongue may ever rejoice in him. Death destroys the hope of man, but not the hope of a real Christian. Christ's resurrection is an earnest of the believer's resurrection. In this world sorrow is our lot, but in heave there is joy, a fulness of joy; our pleasures here are for a moment but those at God's right hand are pleasures for evermore. Through thi thy beloved Son, and our dear Saviour, thou wilt show us, O Lord, the path of life; thou wilt justify our souls now, and raise our bodies by thy power at the last day; when earthly sorrow shall end in heavenl joy, pain in everlasting happiness __________________________________________________________________

Original Hebrew