Psalms 25:3

Psa 25:3 Yea, let none that wait on thee be ashamed: let them be ashamed which transgress without cause.

Ver. 3. Yea, let none that wait on thee be ashamed] Be nosed and twitted with my disappointments, as they are sure to be if I be repulsed by thee and worsted by mine enemies; all thy praying people shall have it cast in their teeth and laid in their dish.

Let them be ashamed which transgress without cause] Let shame be sent to the right owner, even to those that deal disloyally, unprovoked on my part. And so it was; for Ahithophel hanged himself; Absalom was trussed up by the hand of God, and despatched by Joab; the people that conspired with him partly perished by the sword, and partly fled home, much ashamed of their enterprise. Oh the power of prayer! what may not the saints have for asking!

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.

The prayer generalized as to all who wait on God--that is, who expect His favor. On the other hand, the disappointment of the perfidious, who, unprovoked, have done evil, is invoked (compare Sa2 22:9).

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 3. Let none that wait on thee be ashamed] Though he had burden enough of his own, he felt for others in similar circumstances, and became an intercessor in their behalf.

Transgress without cause.] Perhaps בוגדים bogedim may here mean idolatrous persons. "Let not them that wait upon and worship thee be ashamed: but they shall be ashamed who vainly worship, or trust in false gods." See Mal 2:11-16. The Chaldeans have evil entreated us, and oppressed us: they trust in their idols, let them see the vanity of their idolatry.

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

3. Yea, none of those, etc. If these words should be explained in the form of a desire, as if David had said, Let none who wait on thee be put to shame, “Que tons ceux qui s’attendant a toy ne soyent point confus.” — Fr.

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.

(3) Wait on thee.—More literally, as in LXX., wait for thee, with idea of strong endurance. The root means to make strong by twisting. (Comp. Psa_25:5; Psa_25:21, where the same word occurs, though in a different conjugation.) The Vulgate has qui sustinent te, “who maintain thee,” i.e., as their God. The Authorised Version is in error in following the imperative of the LXX. in this verse. It should run, none that wait for thee shall be ashamed.

Transgress without cause.—Better, practise treachery in vain. The Hebrew word is translated dealt treacherously, Jdg_9:23.

Without cause.—Literally, empty.

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

3. Render with R.V.

Yea, none that wait on thee shall be ashamed:

They shall be ashamed that deal treacherously without cause.

The words are not a prayer, but the expression of a conviction corresponding to and justifying the prayer of Psa_25:2. Cp. Rom_5:3-5. It certainly gains in point if the last clause of Psa_25:5 is joined to Psa_25:1, and the Psalmist has already spoken of himself as one of “those who wait on Jehovah.”

which transgress] Rather as R.V., that deal treacherously: a word used of faithless, treacherous conduct towards men (Jdg_9:23), or God (Jer_3:20): here of the faithless desertion of God which is the opposite of patiently waiting upon Him. Cp. Psa_119:158.

without cause] Or, to no purpose, without result.

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.

Yea, let none that wait on thee be ashamed,.... David not only prays for himself, but for other saints, as it becomes the people of God to do; for them they waited on the Lord in public worship, attended his house and ordinances, and waited on him for the discoveries of his love, the enjoyment of his voracious presence, and were looking for his salvation, for the Messiah; for those the psalmist prays, that they might not be ashamed of their expectation and hope, by the delay of those things, or the denial them;

let them be ashamed which transgress without cause; or "act treacherously without cause" (w); as David's subjects did, who were risen up in rebellion against him, and acted the perfidious part, contrary to their allegiance, and without any just reason, they not being ruled with rigour, and oppressed; but were guided and governed by him according to the laws of God, in the integrity of his heart, and by the skilfulness of his hands; he being a king that reigned in righteousness, and a prince that decreed judgment: and such are those who are now risen up against our rightful sovereign King George (x), a parcel of perfidious treacherous wretches; some of them who were in the last rebellion, and obtained his father's pardon; others that have partook yearly of his royal bounty, for the instruction of their children; and all have enjoyed the blessings of his mild and gentle government; and therefore are without cause his enemies: and for such we should pray, as David did for his enemies, that they might be ashamed; that they may fail in their attempts and designs, and be brought to deserved punishment; see Psa 7:4; or "let transgressors be ashamed", and be empty (y); in a state of emptiness and want; lose their wealth, honour, and credit.

(w) "qui perfide agunt", Junius & Tremellius, Piscator, Cocceius, Michaelis; so Amama & Ainsworth. (x) This was written December 2, 1745. (y) "in statu vacuitatis ac egestatis", Gussetius, p. 790.

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

Yea, let none that wait on thee be ashamed - To “wait on the Lord” is an expression denoting true piety, as indicating our dependence on him, and as implying that we look to Him for the command that is to regulate our conduct and for the grace needful to protect and save us. Compare Isa 40:31. See also Isa 8:17; Isa 30:18; Psa 40:1; Psa 69:3. This petition is indicative of the wish of the pious heart that none who profess to serve God may ever be put to shame; that they may never be overcome by sin; that they may never fall under the power of temptation; that they may not fail of eternal salvation.

Let them be ashamed which transgress without cause - This does not imply that any sinners transgress otherwise than without cause, or that they have any good reason for sinning; but it brings into view a prominent thought in regard to sin, that it is without cause. If the wicked had any good reason for their course of life - if they were compelled to do wrong - if the temptations under which they act were so powerful that they could not resist them - if they were not voluntary in their transgressions - then true benevolence would demand of us the prayer that they might not be confounded or put to shame. However, since none of these circumstances occur in the case of the sinner, there is no lack of benevolence in praying that all the workers of evil may be put to confusion; that is, that they may not triumph in an evil course, but that their plans may be defeated, and that they may be arrested in their career. There is no benevolence in desiring the triumph of wickedness; there is no lack of benevolence in praying that all the plans of wicked men may be confounded, and all the purposes of evil be frustrated. True benevolence requires us to pray that all their plans may be arrested, and that the sinner may not be successful in his career. A person may be certain that he is acting out the principles of benevolence when he endeavors to prevent the consummation of the plans and the desires of the wicked.

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

Let none that wait on thee be ashamed, with me and for me; for if I be frustrated, all that trust in thee will be discouraged and upbraided with my example.

Let them be ashamed; blast their wicked designs and hopes.

Which transgress, or prevaricate, or deal perfidiously with me, violating their faith given to me.

Without a cause; without any provocation of mine, or without any sufficient reason.

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

Ver. 3. Yea, let none that wait on thee be ashamed. Suffering enlarges the heart by creating the power to sympathize. If we pray eagerly for ourselves, we shall not long be able to forget our fellow sufferers. None pity the poor like those who have been or are still poor, none have such tenderness for the sick as those who have been long in ill health themselves. We ought to be grateful for occasional griefs if they preserve us from chronic hardheartedness; for of all afflictions, an unkind heart is the worst, it is a plague to its possessor, and a torment to those around him. Prayer when it is of the Holy Ghost's teaching is never selfish; the believer does not sue for monopolies for himself, but would have all in like case to partake of divine mercy with him. The prayer may be viewed as a promise; our Heavenly Father will never let his trustful children find him untrue or unkind. He will ever be mindful of his covenant. Let them be ashamed which transgress without cause. David had given his enemies no provocation; their hatred was wanton. Sinners have no justifiable reason or valid excuse for transgressing; they benefit no one, not even themselves by their sins; the law against which they transgress is not harsh or unjust; God is not a tyrannical ruler, providence is not a bondage: men sin because they will sin, not because it is either profitable or reasonable to do so. Hence shame is their fitting reward. May they blush with penitential shame now, or else they will not be able to escape the everlasting contempt and the bitter shame which is the portion of fools in the world to come.

Ver. 3. Yea, let none that wait on thee be ashamed. To wit, neither by their own disappointments, nor mine. For this last some add because if he should fail of his hopes, he knew this would be a great discouragement to others. Arthur Jackson, M.A., 1593-1666.

Ver. 3. Let them be ashamed which transgress without cause. All persons who transgress, do it, in some sense, without cause; since they cannot excuse of justify their conduct. God is so amiable and excellent in every part of his great name, that he deserves our constant reverence and love. His law is so holy, just, and good, and all his precepts concerning all things so righteous and calculated to make us happy, that the mouth of every transgressor must be stopped. Hence we must all be covered with shame, if dealt with according to our deserts, for all have sinned. But since God has promised to be merciful to those who truly repent, and unfeignedly believe his holy gospel, shame will be the portion of those only who wilfully persist in their wickedness, and refuse to return to God by Jesus Christ. These then are the persons whom the psalmist speaks of as transgressing without cause, and doubtless these have no cloak for their sin. William Richardson, 1825.

Ver. 3. Let them be ashamed which transgress without cause. Let shame be sent to the right owner, even to those that deal disloyally, unprovoked on my part. And so it was; for Achitophel hanged himself; Absalom was trussed up by the hand of God, and dispatched by Joab; the people that conspired with him, partly perished by the sword, and partly fled home, much ashamed of their enterprise. Oh, the power of prayer! What may not the saints have for asking? John Trapp.

Ver. 3. Shame out of place and in place.

Psalms 25:4*

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

3. Without cause—Spontaneously, as if they delighted in it.

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

Yea, let none that wait on thee be ashamed. The prayer passes from the particular to the universal. What David desires for himself he desires also for all the true servants of God all who wait on him, look to him, seek for indications of his will. (comp. Psa_123:2) Let them he ashamed which transgress without cause. Let shame be the portion, not of thy servants, but of thy adversaries of those who transgress (or rebel) without reasonable cause. Such persons deserve to be brought to shame.

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

Cause - Without any provocation of mine.

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

That wherewith the praying one comforts himself is no peculiar personal prerogative, but the certain, joyous prospect of all believers: ἡ ἐλπίς ου ̓ καταισχύνει, Rom 5:5. These are called קויך (קוה participle to קוּה ot elp, just as דּבר is the participle to דּבּר). Hope is the eye of faith which looks forth clear and fixedly into the future. With those who hope in Jahve, who do not allow themselves to be in any way disconcerted respecting Him, are contrasted those who act treacherously towards Him (Psa 119:158, Aq., Symm., Theodot. οἱ ἀποστατοῦντες), and that ריקם, i.e. - and it can only mean this-from vain and worthless pretexts, and therefore from wanton unconscientiousness.

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.)

3. Likewise all (those) waiting for thee shall not be ashamed, ashamed shall be the traitors without cause. He does not ask for any special dispensation in his own behalf, but merely for a fair participation in God's customary mode of dealing with the whole class of which he is a member, here described as those waiting for God, i.e. hoping in him, awaiting the fulfilment of his promises. The modern English sense of waiting on is too restricted, though the phrase once exactly corresponded to the Hebrew.—The position of the verbs, at the end and the beginning of successive clauses, gives a peculiar turn to the sentence, which is lost in some translations.—Without cause qualifies the word immediately preceding, and describes the enemy not only as perfidious, but as acting so gratuitously, and without provocation. See above, on Psa 7:5 (4), and below, on Psa 35:19; Psa 38:20 (19), Psa 69:5 (4).

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

those who betray [to the extent of] destitution Robbers and impounders, who leave the poor destitute of their property, as (above 7:5): “and I stripped my adversary into emptiness (ריקם).”

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.