Psalms 25:13

Psa 25:13 His soul shall dwell at ease; and his seed shall inherit the earth.

Ver. 13. His soul shall dwell at ease] Heb. shall lodge in good, even then when his body haply is tossing on his sick bed, and at great unrest, Conquiescet quemadmodum de nocte quiesci solet (Trcmel.). One being asked how he did? answered, My body is weak, my soul is well. He shall be freed from the devil of discontent, and have a blessed self sufficiency; such, and better than he had whom Horace describeth, Epod. 2, Beatus ille qui procul negotiis, &c.; blessed is that man who is far from trouble, such as good Jacob had, when he said, I have enough, my brother, &c. Godliness only hath such a contentedness, 1Ti 6:6.

And his seed shall inherit the earth] God’s love dieth not with the parents; but reviveth in their posterity, 2Sa 7:12.

Eυσεβεων παιδεσσι τα λωια, δυσσεβεων δ ου.

It would be a great stay of mind to us, if God should say of our children, as once David did of Mephibosheth, and afterwards of Chimham, I will take care of them, and see them well provided for. He doth upon the matter say as much and more to every believer.

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.

25:13 prosperity: See 23:6. • inherit the land: Unlike the wicked, who will perish (1:6), the godly have a secure future. In the end, God will bless them, and their blessings will endure (see 37:9, 11, 22, 29, 34; Isa 57:13; Matt 5:5).

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

He shall prosper both in spiritual and corporal things.

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

inherit the earth--(compare Mat 5:5). The phrase, alluding to the promise of Canaan, expresses all the blessings included in that promise, temporal as well as spiritual.

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 13. His soul shall dwell at ease] בטוב תלין betob talin, "shall lodge in goodness;" this is the marginal reading in our version; and is preferable to that in the text.

His seed shall inherit] His posterity shall be blessed. For them many prayers have been sent up to God by their pious fathers; and God has registered these prayers in their behalf.

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

13. His soul shall dwell in good. If the supreme felicity of man consists in undertaking or attempting nothing except by the warrant of God, it follows that it is also a high and incomparable benefit to have him for our conductor and guide through life, that we may never go astray. But, in addition to this, an earthly blessing is here promised, in which the fruit of the preceding grace is distinctly shown, as Paul also teaches,

“Godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come.” (1 Timothy 4:8,)

The sum is, that those who truly serve God are not only blessed as to spiritual things, but are also blessed by him as to their condition in the present life. It is indeed true, that God does not always deal with them according to their desires, and that the blessings which they would wish do not always flow in a certain and uniform manner. On the contrary, it often happens that they are tossed with sickness and trouble, whilst the wicked enjoy prosperity. But we must know, that as often as God withdraws his blessing from his own people, it is for the purpose of awakening them to a sense of their condition, and discovering to them how far removed they still are from the perfect fear of God. And yet, in so far as it is expedient for them, they now enjoy the blessings of God, so that, in comparison of worldly men, and the despisers of God, they are truly happy and blessed, because, even in their greatest poverty, they never lose the assurance that God is present with them; and being sustained by this consolation, they enjoy peace and tranquillity of mind. It is indeed true, that all our miseries proceed from this one source — that by our sins we prevent the divine blessing from flowing down in a uniform course upon us; and yet, amidst such a state of confusion, his grace never ceases to shine forth, so that the condition of the godly is always better than that of others: for although they are not satiated with good things, yet they are continually made to experience a sense of the fatherly favor of God. And to this I am willing to refer the word soul, namely, that, in the reception of the gifts of God, they do not devour them without feeling a sense of their sweetness, but really relish them, so that the smallest competency is of more avail to satisfy them than the greatest abundance is to satisfy the ungodly. Thus, according as every man is contented with his condition, and cheerfully cherishes a spirit of patience and tranquillity, his soul is said to dwell in good. Some interpreters apply this word to dwell or abide to the time of death; but this interpretation is more subtle than solid. The inspired penman rather speaks, as we have already said, of the condition of the present life. Horsley refers the words to the blessedness of a future state. He reads, “His soul shall rest in bliss;” and has the following note: — “תליך, pernoctavit. The words seem to allude to the happy state of the good man’s departed soul, while his posterity prosper in the present world.” That is, the land of Canaan, which God promised to perpetuate to the obedient Israelites and their posterity. “It was promised and given,” says Poole, “as an earnest of the whole covenant of grace and all his promises, and, therefore, is synecdochically put for all of them. The sense is, his seed shall be blessed.”

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.

(13) Shall dwell.—Literally, shall lodge the night (comp. margin); but here, as in Psa_49:12, with added sense of permanency.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

13. Temporal blessings are in store for him. He himself shall continue in prosperity; and his posterity after him shall inherit the land (R.V.), in accordance with the promise to Abraham (Gen_15:7-8), and Israel (Exo_20:12; Lev_26:3 ff.; Deu_4:1; Deu_4:40; &c.). Cp. Psa_37:11; Pro_2:21-22; and the N.T. counterpart, Mat_5:5.

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.

His soul shall dwell at ease,.... Or in "goodness" (f), enjoying an affluence of good things, of spiritual blessings in Christ, in whom he dwells by faith; and where he has peace and safety, amidst all the troubles, afflictions, and exercises, he meets with; and where with godliness he has contentment, which is great gain indeed; for, though he may seem to have nothing, he possesses all things; and has all things given him richly to enjoy, even all things pertaining to life and godliness; and at death, when his soul is separated from his body, it shall enter into rest, and be in perfect peace; it shall lie in Abraham's bosom, and in the arms of Jesus, during the night of the grave, until the resurrection morn, when the body will be raised and united to it, and both will dwell in perfect happiness to all eternity;

and his seed shall inherit the earth; that is, those who tread in the same steps, and fear the Lord as he does; these shall possess the good things of this world, which is theirs, in a comfortable way, as their Father's gift, as covenant mercies, and in love; though it may be but a small portion that they have of them; or rather they shall inherit the new heavens and earth, wherein will dwell only righteous persons, meek ones, and such as fear the Lord, Mat 5:5; and this they shall inherit for a thousand years, and afterwards the land afar off, the better country, the ultimate glory to all eternity.

(f) "in bono", Pagninus, Montanus, Musculus, Junius & Tremellius, &c. so Ainsworth.

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

His soul shall dwell at ease - Margin: “shall lodge in goodness.” So the Hebrew. The idea is that of one “at home;” one who finds a comfortable and safe resting place; one who is not a wanderer or a vagrant. The word rendered in the text “at ease,” and in the margin “goodness,” means “good;” and the idea is that of a good or safe condition as compared with that of one who wanders abroad without a shelter, or of one who has lost his way, and has no one to guide him. As contrasted with such an one, he who fears God, and who seeks his guidance and direction, will be like a man in his own comfortable and quiet home. The one is a condition of safety and of ease; the other, a condition of anxiety, doubt, trouble. Nothing could better describe the calmness, peace, and conscious security of the man who has found the truth and who serves God - as compared with the state of that man who has no religion, no fear of God, no hope of heaven.

And his seed - His posterity; his family. “Shall inherit the earth.” Originally this promise referred to the land of Canaan, as a promise connected with obeying the law of God: Exo 20:12. It came then to be synonymous with outward worldly prosperity; with length of days, and happiness in the earth. See it explained in the notes at Mat 5:5.

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

Shall dwell, Heb. shall lodge, i.e. continue, as this word signifies, Job 17:2; Pro 19:23. It notes the constancy and stability of his happiness, both whilst he lives, and when he is dead; which the next clause seems to suppose.

At ease, Heb. in good, i.e. in the possession and enjoyment of the true good.

The earth, or, the land, to wit, Canaan; which was promised and given, as an earnest of the whole covenant of grace, and all its promises, and therefore is synecdochically put for all of them. The sense is, his seed shall be blessed.

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

Ver. 13. He who fears God has nothing else to fear. His soul shall dwell at ease. He shall lodge in the chamber of content. One may sleep as soundly in the little bed in the corner as in the Great Bed of Ware; it is not abundance but content that gives true ease. Even here, having learned by grace both to abound and be empty, the believer dwells at ease; but how profound will be the ease of his soul for ever! There he will enjoy the otium cum dignitate; ease and glory shall go together. Like a warrior whose battles are over, or a husbandman whose barns are full, his soul shall take its ease, and be merry for ever. His seed shall inherit the earth. God remembers Isaac for the sake of Abraham, and Jacob for the sake of Isaac. Good men's sons have a goodly portion to begin the world with, but many of them, alas! turn a father's blessing into a curse. The promise is not broken because in some instances men wilfully refuse to receive it; moreover, it is in its spiritual meaning that it now holds good; our spiritual seed do inherit all that was meant by "the earth, "or Canaan; they receive the blessing of the new covenant. May the Lord make us the joyful parents of many spiritual children, and we shall have no fears about their maintenance, for the Lord will make each one of them princes in all the earth.

Ver. 13. His soul shall dwell at ease; and his seed shall inherit the earth. The holy fear of God shall destroy all sinful fears of men, even as Moses' serpent devoured all those serpents of the magicians. The fear of God hath this good effect, that it makes other things not to be feared; so that the soul of him that feareth the Lord doth dwell, as in rest, so in goodness; as in peace, so in patience, till this moment of time be swallowed up in the fulness of eternity, and he change his earthly dwelling for an heavenly mansion, and his spiritual peace for an everlasting blessedness. Robert Mossom.

Ver. 13. His soul shall dwell at ease. Shall tarry in good things, as it is in the Vulgate. Unlike the soul of Adam, who, being put into possession of the delights of paradise, tarried there but a few days or hours. Gerhohus, quoted by J. M. Neale.

Ver. 13. His soul shall dwell at ease. He expresses with great sweetness spiritual delectation, when he says, "His soul shall tarry in good things." For whatever is carnally sweet yields without doubt a delectation for the time to such as enjoy it, but cannot tarry long with them; because, while by its taste it provokes appetite, by its transit it cheats desire. But spiritual delights, which neither pass away as they are tasted, nor decrease while they refresh, nor cloy while they satiate, can tarry for ever with their possessors. Hugo Victorinus (1130), quoted by J. M. Neale.

Ver. 13 (first clause). In the reception of the gifts of God, they do not devour them without feeling a sense of their sweetness, but really relish them, so that the smallest competency is of more avail to satisfy them that the greatest abundance is to satisfy the ungodly. Thus, according as every man is contented with his condition, and cheerfully cherishes a spirit of patience and tranquillity, his soul is said to dwell in good. John Calvin.

Ver. 13. "The earth, "or the land, to wit Canaan; which was promised and given, as an earnest of the whole covenant of grace, and all its promises, and therefore it is synecdochically put for all of them. The sense is, his seed shall be blessed. Matthew Poole.

Ver. 13. A man at ease for time and eternity.

Psalms 25:14*

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

13. His soul shall dwell at ease—Literally, his soul shall abide, or dwell, in goodness, or blessedness. If this does not directly relate to immortal blessedness, as many Jewish and Christian interpreters have supposed, it certainly implies it, for, by the connexion and subject, the goodness or blessedness, which is the reward of “fearing God,” must be as enduring as that “fear;” and goodness, (tobh,) in such connexions as in the text, is the standing word for that blessedness which is the end and design of man’s being. Besides, in the parallelism, “abiding in blessedness” and “inheriting the earth” are in contrast, both as to state and time; while the righteous are in blessedness, their seed shall inherit the earth.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

His soul shall dwell at case; rather, his soul shall dwell in bliss; i.e. he shall enjoy, while on earth, blessings of every kind. And his seed shall inherit the earth. His posterity after him shall be continued upon the earth, and shall prosper. (comp. Psa_37:11, Psa_37:22, Psa_37:29) There is a tendency in righteousness to "inherit the earth," only held in check by accidental and (it may be) temporary circumstances (see Butler"s" Analogy," pt. 1. ch. 3, pp. 78, 79).

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

At ease - Hebrew. in Good; in the possession and enjoyment of the true good. The land - Canaan; which was given as an earnest of the whole Covenant of Grace, and all its promises.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

The verb לין (לוּן), probably equivalent to ליל (from ליל) signifies to tarry the night, to lodge. Good, i.e., inward and outward prosperity, is like the place where such an one turns in and finds shelter and protection. And in his posterity will be fulfilled what was promised to the patriarchs and to the people delivered from Egypt, viz., possession of the land, or as this promise runs in the New Testament, of the earth, Mat 5:5 (cf. Psa 37:11), Rev 5:10.

Keil & Delitzsch — Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament (1861–1891) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API. (Old Testament only.)

13. His soul in good shall lodge, and his seed shall possess the land. The parallelism between soul and seed seems to shew that by his soul we are to understand himself, for which the Hebrew has no appropriate expression. The promise, then, includes both himself and his posterity. To lodge, to be at home, to dwell at ease, and by implication, to abide or continue undisturbed. In good, not goodness, but good fortune or prosperity. The verb, translated shall possess, denotes specifically to inherit, or possess as an inheritance, i. e. from generation to generation, in perpetual succession. The land, to wit, the land of Canaan; and as this was the standing promise of the law, uttered even in the decalogue (Exo 20:12), it became a formula for all the blessings implicitly embraced in the promise of Canaan to the ancient Israel, and is so used even by our Lord himself, (Mat 5:5.)

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

His soul shall abide in prosperity When he abides in the grave, his soul shall abide in prosperity.

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.