Psalms 58:11

_SO THAT A MAN SHALL SAY, VERILY THERE IS A REWARD FOR THE RIGHTEOUS: VERILY HE IS A GOD THAT JUDGETH IN THE EARTH._ So that a man shall say, Verily there is a reward for the righteous. "Verily" - literally, only; it is not otherwise than so. 'There is fruit to the righteous: though for a time piety seems fruitless, it is not really so. VERILY HE IS A GOD THAT JUDGETH IN THE EARTH. In the Hebrew "judgeth" is plural, in contrast to the unjust judges, "the sons of men (Psalms 58:1). God exercises on earth the righteous judgment which they withhold....

11._So that a man shall say, Verily there is a reward. _We have additional evidence from what is here said of the cause or source of it, that the joy attributed to the saints has no admixture of bad feeling. It is noticeable from the way in which this verse runs, that David would now seem to ascribe to all, without exception, the sentiment which before he imputed exclusively to the righteous. But the acknowledgement immediately subjoined is one which could only come from the saints who have an eye to observe the divine dispensations; and I am, therefore, of opinion that they are specially alluded to in the expression, _And a man shall say, _etc At the same time, this mode of speech may imply that many, whose minds had been staggered, would be established in the faith. The righteous only are intended, but the indefinite form of speaking is adopted to denote their numbers. It is well known...

6-11 David prayed that the enemies of God's church and people might be disabled to do further mischief. We may, in faith, pray against the designs of the enemies of the church. He foretells their ruin. And who knows the power of God's anger? The victories of the Just One, in his own person and that of his servants, over the enemies of man's salvation, produce a joy which springs not from revenge, but from a view of the Divine mercy, justice, and truth, shown in the redemption of the elect, the punishment of the ungodly, and the fulfilment of the promises. Whoever duly considers these things, will diligently seek the reward of righteousness, and adore the Providence which orders all thing aright in heaven and in earth...

Verse Psalms 58:11. _SO THAT A MAN SHALL SAY_] That is, people, seeing these just judgments of God, shall say, There is a reward (פרי _peri,_ _fruit_) to the righteous man. He has not sown his seed in vain; he has not planted and watered in vain: he has the fruit of his labours, he eats the fruit of his doings. But wo to the wicked, it is ill with him; for the reward of his hands has been given him. _HE IS A GOD THAT JUDGETH IN THE EARTH_] There is a God who does not entirely defer judgment till the judgment-day; but executes judgment now, even in this earth; and thus continues to give such a proof of his hatred to sin and love to his followers that every considerate mind is convinced of it. And hence arise the indisputable maxims: "There is, even _here_, a reward for the righteous;" "There is a God who, even _now_, judgeth in the earth.

SO THAT A MAN SHALL SAY - That is, every man shall say, or people everywhere shall see this. This expresses the result of a close observation of the divine dealings among people. The conclusion from those dealings is, (a) that there is, on the whole, a reward for the righteous on earth, or that righteousness tends to secure the favor of God and to promote human happiness; and (b) that there is a God - a just Being presiding over human affairs. A REWARD FOR THE RIGHTEOUS - Margin, as in Hebrew, “fruit for the righteous.” That is, righteousness will produce its appropriate “fruits,” as trees that are cultivated will reward the cultivator. The idea is, that there is a course of things on earth, even with all there is that is mixed and mysterious, which is favorable to virtue; which shows that there is an “advantage” in being righteou

EXPOSITION A PSALM of condemnation on unrighteous judges. Some suppose the judges to be superhuman beings, entrusted with the government of the earth (Cheyne). Others suggest heathen rulers of Israel, in Babylonia, during the time of the Captivity. But the language is not stronger than that addressed often to native judges (see Isaiah 1:16; Isaiah 10:1; Jeremiah 5:26-24; Micah 3:9, etc.). And there is no reason for rejecting the statement of the "title," that the psalm was written by David. It may either belong to the early years of David's reign, or to the time immediately preceding Absalom's rebellion.

SO THAT A MAN SHALL SAY,.... Any man, and every man, especially, that is observing, wise, and knowing; he shall conclude, from such a dispensation of things, from God's dealing with the wicked after this manner: VERILY, [THERE IS] A REWARD FOR THE RIGHTEOUS; or "fruit" k for them: they have the fruits of divine love, the blessings of an everlasting covenant; and the fruit of Christ, the tree of life, which is sweet unto their taste, as are the benefits of his death, his word and ordinances; and the fruits of the Spirit, his several graces wrought in their souls; and the fruits of righteousness, the effect of which is peace; and is a reward they receive in, though not for keeping the commands of God; and they gather fruit unto eternal life, which is the recompence of reward, the reward of the inheritance, the great reward in heaven, which remains for them; and which they shall have, not...

Psalms 58 A Judgment Psalm __ 1. Why God must judge (Psalms 58:1) 2. The judgment executed (Psalms 58:6) “Do ye of a truth in silence speak righteousness?” (literal rendering of the first verse). Righteousness is not heard on earth. Wickedness and violence are on the earth, therefore God must arise and deal with these conditions in judgment. It will overtake the wicked and the imprecatory prayers will be answered. Then the righteous will be glad when he seeth the vengeance and it will be said, “Verily there is a reward for the righteous; verily He is a God who judgeth the earth.”...

LVIII. A PRAYER FOR VENGEANCE ON UNRIGHTEOUS JUDGES. This Ps. is closely allied to Psalms 82. The reproaches in Psalms 58:3, where the enemies of the Psalmist are said to have gone astray from the womb, and Psalms 58:4, where they are compared with deaf adders, point to Jewish tyranny, such, _e.g.,_ as that of the Sadducean priests, rather than to a foreign power. Nobody would have expected heathen to hear the voice of Jewish religion. PSALMS 58:1. We ought certainly to read, Do ye indeed speak righteousness, O ye gods? (_mg.)._ The title was given in flattery (_cf._ 2 Samuel 17:14, where see _mg.),_ or wit

THE RIGHTEOUS. the righteous one. HE IS. GOD: or, There is. God, judges in the earth [will say]. Note the Introversion in this verse....