Psalms 11:3

3 For they have destroyed, whom thou hast made perfect; but what did the rightful man? (For they shall destroy, what thou hast made good; but what can the upright do?)

Psalms 11:3 Meaning and Commentary

Psalms 11:3

If the foundations be destroyed
Or, "for the foundations are destroyed" F19; all things are out of order and course both in church and state; the laws, which are the foundations of government, are despised and disregarded; judgment is perverted, and justice stands afar off; the doctrines and principles of religion are derided and subverted; so that there is no standing, either in a political or religious sense. Jarchi interprets this of the priests of the Lord, the righteous, who are the foundations of the world, particularly the priests of Nob, slain by Doeg. Other Jewish writers, as Aben Ezra, Kimchi, and Ben Melech, understand it of the purposes and counsels, nets and snares, laid by the wicked for the righteous, which are broken and destroyed; not by them, for what can they do? but by the Lord, who is in his holy temple. So it

what can the righteous do?
or "what does the righteous one do" F20? that is, the righteous Lord, he sits in the heavens, he beholds all the actions of the wicked, he distinguishes the righteous from them, and rains a violent storm of wrath upon them, as in the following verses; or "what has the righteous man done" F21? what has David done, that the priests of Nob should be slain? nothing that was criminal; nor shall he bear the sin, but they, according to Jarchi's sense; or rather, what has he done that the wicked should bend their bow, prepare their arrow, and attempt to shoot privily at him, and to overturn the foundations of justice and equity? nothing that deserves such treatment: or if the fundamental doctrines of true religion and everlasting salvation be subverted, what can the righteous do? he can do nothing to obtain salvation, nor do any good works of himself; the Chaldee paraphrase is, "wherefore does he do good?" he can have no principle, motive, or end to do good, if fundamental truths are destroyed: or "what should he do" {w}? something the righteous ones may do, and should do, when men are attempting to undermine and sap the foundation articles of religion; they should go to the throne of grace, to God in his holy temple, who knows what is doing, and plead with him to put a stop to the designs and attempts of such subverters of foundations; and they should endeavour to build one another up on their most holy faith, and constantly affirm it while others deny it; and should contend earnestly for it, and stand fast in it.


FOOTNOTES:

F19 (Nworhy twtvh yk) "nam fundamenta destruuntur", Piscator, Michaelis; "quoniam", Pagninus, Montanus; so Ainsworth.
F20 (lep hm qydu) "justus quid operatus est?" Pagninus, Montanus, Vatablus, Gejerus; "quid facit?" Syr. Arab.
F21 "Justus quid fecit?" V. L. Munster, Tigurine versiom, Piscator; so Ainsworth.
F23 "Quid fuerit operatus justus?" Junius & Tremellius; "quid fecerit?" Schmidt.
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Psalms 11:3 In-Context

1 To the victory, [the psalm] of David. I trust in the Lord; how say ye to my soul, Pass thou over into the hill, as a sparrow doeth? (To victory, the song of David. I trust in the Lord; how say ye to me, Fly thou over to the mountains, like a sparrow doeth?)
2 For lo! sinners have bent a bow; they have made ready their arrows in an arrow case; that they shoot in darkness the rightful men in heart. (For lo! the sinners have bent their bows; and they have placed their arrows in their arrow cases; so that they can shoot in the dark those with an upright heart.)
3 For they have destroyed, whom thou hast made perfect; but what did the rightful man? (For they shall destroy, what thou hast made good; but what can the upright do?)
4 The Lord is in his holy temple; he is Lord, his seat is in heaven. His eyes behold on the poor man; his eyelids ask the sons of men. (The Lord is in his holy Temple; he is the Lord, his throne is in heaven. He looketh upon the poor; he assayeth the sons and daughters of men.)
5 The Lord asketh a just man, and an unfaithful man; but he, that loveth wickedness, hateth his soul. (The Lord assayeth the righteous, and the unrighteous alike; and with all his soul, he hateth those who love wickedness.)
Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.
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