Psalms 145:17

Psa 145:17 The LORD [is] righteous in all his ways, and holy in all his works.

Ver. 17. The Lord is righteous in all his ways] This we must hold for an undoubted truth, though we see not always the reason of his proceedings. Sinful men dare to reprehend oft times what they do not comprehend.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Psa_145:17

The Lord is righteous in all His ways.

The Divine ways

I. God has many ways of dealing with His universe. Gods ways are His methods of action.

1. He has settled methods of action in relation to His inanimate universe He has a way of managing the seas, and the stars, and all the blind forces of Nature.

2. He has settled methods of action in relation to His sentient universe. The smallest insect and the hugest mammoth He manages by their instincts.

3. He has settled methods of action in relation to His moral universe.

(1) With the unfallen. The myriads who retain their pristine virtues.

(2) With the fallen. These include the impenitent and the repentant. He has methods of dealing with them, they are settled and unalterable.

II. In all Gods ways He is absolutely righteous.

1. This is a matter of necessity. He could not but be righteous: whatever He does must be right because He does it, for there is nothing higher than Himself, nothing outside of Himself. He is absolutely irresponsible. What the infinitely wise, holy, and loving does, must be righteous.

2. This is a matter for rejoicing. How blessed the thought that He, with whom we have to do, on whom we are absolutely dependent, to whom we are amenable for all our conduct, and who will settle our destiny at last, will never do us wrong, will always act righteously. Moral--Trust in Him. (David Thomas, D. D.)

The Biblical Illustrator, edited by Joseph S. Exell (c. 1880s–1900s) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Psa 145:17. The Lord is righteous in all his ways — And not unrighteous in any of them; and holy in all his works — Always acting like himself, with perfect rectitude and purity. In all his acts of government he is just, injurious to none, but administering justice to all: his ways are equal, though ours are unequal. In giving laws, in deciding controversies, in recompensing services, and punishing offences, he is incontestably righteous and holy, and we are in duty bound to acknowledge it. But the word חסיד, here rendered holy, generally signifies merciful, and, it seems, ought to have been so translated here. There is a mixture of mercy in the most severe and terrible works and dispensations of God toward men in this life, judgment without mercy being reserved for the next life, Jas 2:13; Rev 14:10.

Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

17. (Psa 145:17) Righteous (is) Jehovah in all his ways and merciful in all his works. Justice and mercy are not mentioned here as opposites, but rather as equivalents, the goodness of God being really included in the rectitude so frequently ascribed to him.

Joseph Addison Alexander, The Psalms Translated and Explained (1850) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

He praiseth God, not only because he is beneficial to all his creatures, but also in that he justly punisheth the wicked, and mercifully examineth his by the cross, giving them strength and delivering them.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

holy . . . works--literally, "merciful" or "kind, goodness" (Psa 144:2) is the corresponding noun.

righteous--in a similar relation of meaning to "righteousness" (Psa 145:7).

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Verse 17. The Lord is righteous] It was the similarity of this to the omitted verse, which should have been the fourteenth, that caused it to be omitted.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

17. Jehovah is righteous in all his ways. He does not now speak of God’s goodness merely in providing all his creatures with their daily food, but comprehends other parts of his providence, as in correcting men for their sins, restraining the wicked, trying the patience of his people under the cross, and governing the world by judgments which are often inscrutable to us. The ground upon which praise is here ascribed to God may seem a common one, being in every one’s mouth; but in nothing is wisdom shown more than in holding fast the truth, that God is just in all his ways, so as to retain in our hearts an unabated sense of it amidst all troubles and confusions. Though all acknowledge God to be just, most men are no sooner overtaken by affliction than they quarrel with his severity: unless their wishes are immediately complied with, they are impatient, and nothing is more common than to hear his justice impeached. As it is everywhere abused by the wicked imputations men cast upon it, here it is very properly vindicated from such ungrateful treatment, and asserted to be constant and unfailing, however loudly the word may disparage it. It is expressly added, in all his ways and works, for we fail to give God due honor unless we recognize a consistent tenor of righteousness in the whole progress of his operation. Nothing is more difficult in the time of trouble, when God has apparently forsaken us, or afflicts us without cause, than to restrain our corrupt feelings from breaking out against his judgments; as we are told of the emperor Mauricius in a memorable passage of history, that seeing his sons murdered by the wicked and perfidious traitor Phocas, and being about to be carried out himself to death, he cried out — “Thou art righteous, O God, and just are thy judgments!” As this man of no bad character opposed such a shield to the cruel trials he met with, we must learn to put a check upon our spirits, and always give God’s righteousness the honor due to it. David, however, goes farther still, intimating that God, even when he seems to be most severe, is so far from being cruel as to temper his heaviest judgments with equity and clemency.

John Calvin's Commentaries (1540-1563) — public domain. Text from the Calvin Translation Society English edition (1840s-50s) via the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (ccel.org). Calvin's coverage is partial (roughly two-thirds of the Bible); uncommented books and verses are honest gaps, never fabricated. The 19th-century editor's footnotes and remarks are omitted so the notes are faithfully Calvin's own voice.

17. righteous] True to His character. Cp. Psa_145:7.

holy] So the LXX, ὅσιος, which is used of God in the N.T. in Rev_15:4; Rev_16:5. But the word châsîd as applied to God (here and in Jer_3:12 only) means full of lovingkindness, loving. See App., Note I.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

The Lord is righteous in all his ways,.... Christ is righteous in all the ways of providence, in which he is jointly concerned with his Father: there are some of the ways of providence, which are now intricate and perplexed, are unsearchable and past finding out, and cannot be easily reconciled to the justice and faithfulness of God, respecting the prosperity of the wicked and the afflictions of the righteous; but these will before long be made manifest, and they will appear to be just and true. And so in all his ways of grace, in all his decrees; in the choice of some to everlasting life, and the leaving of others; with respect to either of these, there is no unrighteousness in him: nor in the redemption of men, for which an adequate price is given; and in which mercy and truth, righteousness and peace, meet together; nor in the justification of a sinner, which is not done without a righteousness, but in such manner that God is just while he is the justifier of him that believes in Jesus; nor in the pardon of sin, which is upon the foot of a satisfaction made to the justice of God, by the blood and sacrifice of Christ; nor in eternal life, the gift of God through Christ, which none inherit but righteous ones. Christ is righteous in all his suretyship engagements, which he has punctually performed, and in the execution of all his offices; in doing which, righteousness and faithfulness are the girdle of his loins and reins: and so likewise he is and will appear righteous in his judgments on his and his people's enemies, in the destruction of antichrist and his followers. And, moreover, he is righteous in all the ways he prescribes for his people to walk in, in all his commandments and ordinances; which are all holy, just, and good;

and holy in all his works; in all his works of providence; doing no evil, though he suffers it for wise ends, and overrules it for good: and in all his works of grace; in election, which is through holiness and to it; in the redemption of his people, which is from a vain conversation, and that they might be a peculiar people, zealous of good works; in the calling of them with an holy calling, and to holiness; in bringing them to glory, which is through regeneration and sanctification. It may be rendered, is "merciful" or "bountiful in all his works" (k); all he does flowing from his grace, mercy, and goodness.

(k) "misericors", Pagninus, Montanus, so Ainsworth; "benignus", Tigurine version, Musculus, Junius & Tremellius, Piscator, Gejerus.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

The Lord is righteous in all his ways - In his own character; in his laws; in his providential dealings; in his arrangements for the redemption and salvation of man. In his own character he is what it is desirable that a God should be; in all his laws he ordains that only which it is desirable should be enacted; in all his dealings with people he does that which it is desirable should be done. He violates no right; he wrongs no one; he demands of no one a service which would be unjust; he makes no arrangements for pardon and salvation which it is not best should be made. It is much for a man to be able to say in all that occurs to him under the divine administration, “It is right;” it is much for a man to have such confidence in God as to be able to feel that all he does in respect to nations is the best thing that could be done. Compare Psa 89:14, note; Psa 97:2, note.

And holy in all his works - Margin, merciful, or bountiful. The Hebrew word is merciful. The idea seems to be that righteousness and mercy are equally consulted in his arrangements; that they meet together, and act harmomoniously in the divine plans. Compare the notes at Psa 85:10.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Holy; or rather, merciful, as this word most commonly signifies. There is a mixture of mercy in the most severe and terrible works of God in this life, judgment without mercy being reserved for the next life, Jam 2:13; Rev 14:10.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Ver. 17. The LORD is righteous in all his ways, and holy in all his works. His ways and works are both worthy to be praised. Jehovah cannot be unjust or impure. Let his doings be what they may, they are in every case righteous and holy. This is the confession of the godly who follow his ways, and of the gracious who study his works. Whatever God is or does must be right. In the salvation of his people he is as righteous and holy as in any other of his ways and works: he has not manifested mercy at the expense of justice, but the rather he has magnified his righteousness by the death of his Son.

Ver. 17. The LORD is righteous in all his ways, etc. The ground upon which praise is here ascribed to God may seem a common one, being in every one's mouth; but in nothing is wisdom shown more than in holding fast the truth, that God is just in all his ways, so as to retain in our hearts an unabated sense of it amidst all troubles and confusions. Though all acknowledge God to be just, most men are no sooner overtaken by affliction than they quarrel with his severity: unless their wishes are immediately complied with, they are impatient, and nothing is more common than to hear his justice impeached. As it is everywhere abused by the wicked imputations men cast upon it, here it is very properly vindicated from such ungrateful treatment, and asserted to be constant and unfailing, however loudly the world may disparage it. It is expressly added, "in all his ways and works"; for we fail to give God due honour unless we recognise a constant tenor of righteousness in the whole progress of his operation. Nothing is more difficult in the time of trouble, when God has apparently forsaken us, or afflicts us without cause, than to restrain our corrupt feelings from breaking out against his judgments; as we are told of the Emperor Mauricius in a memorable passage of history, that seeing his sons murdered by the wicked and perfidious traitor Phocas, and being about to be carried out himself to death, he cried out "Thou art righteous, O God, and just are thy judgments." John Calvin.

Ver. 17. Holy in all his works. God is good, the absolute and perfect; and from good nothing can come but good: and therefore all which God has made is good, as he is; and therefore if anything in the world seems to be bad, one of two things must be true of it.

Either it is not bad, though it seems so to us; and God will bring good out of it in his good time, and justify himself to men, and show us that he is holy in all his works, and righteous in all his ways. Or else

If the thing be really bad, then God did not make it. It must be a disease, a mistake, a failure, of man's making, or some person's making, but not of God's making. For all that he has made he sees eternally; and behold, it is very good. Charles Kingsky, in "The Good News of God", 1878.

Ver. 17.

1. What God declares himself to be.

2. What his people find him to be.

3. What all creatures will ultimately acknowledge him to be. G. R.

Psalms 145:18*

Charles H. Spurgeon's The Treasury of David (1869–1885) — public domain. Psalms only. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

The Lord is righteous in all his ways, and holy (rather, gracious, or merciful) in all his works. Mercy and truth meet in God. (Psa_85:10) He is at once perfectly just, and absolutely tender and compassionate. All his works" experience both his justice and his tenderness. (comp. Psa_25:8 Psa_116:5, etc.)

The absoluteness of the Divine righteousness.

"The Lord is righteous in all his ways, and gracious in all his works." This is not the impression every man has of God; it is not the impression even the good man has of God at all times. It is the good man"s thought of God when he is at his best; raised by holy emotion above himself. He can say, "The Lord is righteous in all his ways

I WHEN HE TRIES TO READ THE HISTORY OF THE PAST. The story of the ages is kept for us in order that we may find in it what God has been, and therefore what God is. History as a series of facts is but a poor affair. The philosophy of history is its intercept, and the Divine philosophy of history (God in history) is the supreme interest of it. But it is difficult work, because man can never fully take the Divine standpoint about anything. He is always obliged to get his faith to help his judgment. And yet, what is ever coming out more and more clearly to the devout student is the righteousness of God"s ways. He sees how God has made things come right.

II WHEN HE TRIES TO READ THE MYSTERIES OF THE PRESENT. This is always perplexing work, because of the disturbing influence of feeling and prejudice. God"s ways are not always what we like, and then it is very easy to say that they are not right. The good man has constantly to fall back upon his absolute knowledge of what God is, and upon his deep, experimental conviction of God"s righteous goodness, in order to undo the tangle in which things seem to have got, and to put things into an order and relation that bring to view the Divine righteousness.

III WHEN HE TRIES TO READ GOD"S DEALINGS WITH HIMSELF. Under previous divisions we have had in mind the macrocosm, the whole world of things and people. Now we have in mind the microcosm, the limited sphere of the individual life. And the personal element so seriously influences a man that it takes a whole long life before an adequate impression of the absolute righteousness of God can be gained. And yet it is there, in every man"s life. To see it, and live in the joy of it, is heaven. R.T.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Yahweh is righteous in all his ways

"People can see from everything that Yahweh does that he is righteous"

gracious in all he does

"and he is gracious in all he does" or "people can see from everything that Yahweh does that he is gracious"

is near to all those who call to him

Here "is near" means "ready to help." AT: "is always ready to help all those who call to him" (See: Metaphor)

to all who call to him in trustworthiness

The abstract noun "trustworthiness" can be stated as an action. AT: "to all who tell only the truth when they pray" or "to all whom he trusts when they pray" (See: Abstract Nouns)

translationWords

righteous

grace

call

trust

fulfill

honor

save

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.