Psalms 31:17

Psa 31:17 Let me not be ashamed, O LORD; for I have called upon thee: let the wicked be ashamed, [and] let them be silent in the grave.

Ver. 17. Let me not be ashamed] i.e. Disappointed of my hopes.

Let the wicked be ashamed] For they call not upon God, but shame those that do, Psa 14:4; Psa 14:6.

Let them be silent in the grave] Let their large spoken mouths be stopped with a spadeful of mould.

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.

18. (Psa 31:17). Jehovah, let me not be shamed, for I have called (upon thee). Let the wicked be shamed, be silenced, in hell. He distinguishes himself, as one who calls upon God, from the wicked who do not, and appeals to the righteousness of God as requiring that defeat, and disappointment, and frustration of the hopes, should fall, not upon the class to which he belongs and of which he is the representative, but upon that represented by his enemies, of whom it has been well said, that they are not reckoned sinners because they are his enemies, but enemies because they are sinners, or in other words, enemies to him because they are the enemies of God.— Silenced in reference to their present loud and angry contests with the righteous.—In hell, or in the grave, i.e. in death.

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

31:17 The psalmist, who did not deserve to be disgraced, invokes the principle of retribution (see study note on 1:6; see also “Prayers for Vengeance” Theme Note).

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

Let death destroy them to the intent that they may hurt no more.

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

Verse 17. Let the wicked be ashamed] Those who traduce my character and lay snares for my life; let them be confounded.

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

17. O Jehovah! let me not be ashamed. In these words, the Psalmist continues his prayer, and to strengthen his hopes, he contrasts himself with his enemies; for it would have been more than absurd to permit those who by their wickedness so openly provoked the wrath of God to escape with impunity, and that one who was innocent and relied upon God should be disappointed and made a laughing-stock. Here, accordingly, we perceive what the Psalmist’s comparison implies. Moreover, instead of speaking of his hope or trust, he now speaks of his calling upon God, saying, I have called on thee; and he does this with good reason, for he who relies on the providence of God must flee to him with prayers and strong cries. To be silent in the grave, implies that death, when it befalls the ungodly, restrains and prevents them from doing farther injury. This silence is opposed both to their deceitful and treacherous devices, and to their outrageous insolence. In the very next verse, therefore, he adds, Let lying lips be put to silence, which, in my opinion, includes both their craftiness, and the false pretences and calumnies by which they endeavor to accomplish their designs, and also the vain boasting in which they indulge themselves. For he tells us that they speak with harshness and severity against the righteous, in pride and scorn; because it was their froward conceit, which almost always begets contempt, that made David’s enemies so bold in lying. Whoever proudly arrogates to himself more than is his due, will almost necessarily treat others with contempt.

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. The prayer of Psa_31:1 is repeated. While my prayers are answered, let my enemies be silenced and consigned to Sheol. A similar prayer in Psa_25:2-3; Jer_17:18.

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.

Let me not be ashamed, O Lord,.... The same petition as in Psa 31:1;

for I have called upon thee; who is nigh unto all that call upon him in truth, and is rich unto them, and has promised to help and save them; which should he not do, not only he would be made ashamed, but the promise of God would seem to fail: for the psalmist does not plead any duty of his, nor make a merit of his prayers; but has respect to the promise and faithfulness of God;

let the wicked be ashamed; as they will be, sooner or later, of their wickedness, and of their false trust and confidence; of their being incensed against Christ, and their rage against his people, and persecution of them;

and let them be silent in the grave; as all are that are there; and the sense is, let them be brought to the grave, where they will be silent, or cease (f); that is, from their evil words and works, and particularly from troubling the saints, Job 3:17.

(f) "Verbum est" "quod significat cessare ab aliquo opere, vel sermone", Psal. iv. 5. Gejerus.

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

Let me not be ashamed, O Lord, for I have called upon thee - That is, I have reposed entire confidence in thee, and in thy promises, in the time of trial; let now the result be such as to show that I had reason thus to trust in thee; that thy character is such that the persecuted and the afflicted may always find thee to be a safe and secure refuge. In other words, Let me not be disappointed, and thus be made “ashamed” before men, as if I had put my trust where no relief was to be found, or where there was nothing to authorize an act of unreserved confidence. See the notes at Psa 25:2-3.

Let the wicked be ashamed - Let them be disappointed in that on which they had put their trust; let it be seen that they, in their wicked plans, had no safe ground of confidence. They rely on their strength; their skill; their courage; their resources; and not on God. Let it now be seen that these things constitute no safe ground of trust, and let not others be encouraged to follow their example by any success that shall attend them in their designs.

And let them be silent in the grave - Margin, “let them be cut off for the grave.” Hebrew: “for Sheol.” The more correct translation is that which is in the text, “Let them be silent.” That is, let them go down to the grave - to “Sheol” - to the “underworld” - to the “land of silence.” On the meaning of the word used here - “Sheol,” the grave - see the notes at Isa 14:9; compare the notes at Job 10:21-22; and the notes at Psa 16:10. This is represented as a land of “silence.” This idea is derived from “the grave,” where the dead repose in silence; and the meaning here is, let them be cut off and consigned to that land of silence. It is a prayer that the wicked may not triumph.

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

I have called upon thee; and therefore thy honour will be eclipsed in my disappointment, as if thou didst not hear prayers, nor keep promise, nor make any difference between good and bad men.

Let the wicked be ashamed; frustrated in their wicked designs and carnal confidences. Seeing they are implacable in their malice and rage against innocent and good men, do thou cut them off by thy just judgment; and since either the righteous or the wicked must be cut off, let destruction fall upon them, who most deserve it.

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

Ver. 17. Let me not be ashamed, O Lord; for I have called upon thee. Put not my prayers to the blush! Do not fill profane mouths with jeers at my confidence in my God. Let the wicked be ashamed, and let them be silent in the grave. Cause them to their amazement to see my wrongs righted and their own pride horribly confounded. A milder spirit rules our prayers under the gentle reign of the Prince of Peace, and, therefore, we can only use such words as these in their prophetic sense, knowing as we do full well, that shame and the silence of death are the best portion that ungodly sinners can expect. That which they desired for despised believers shall come upon themselves by a decree of retributive justice, at which they cannot cavil"As he loved mischief, so let it come upon him."

Ver. 17. None.

Ver. 17. The shame and silence of the wicked in eternity.

The silence of the grave, its grave eloquence.

Psalms 31:18*

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

17. Ashamed—This marks the different results of a wicked and a holy life. The verb, in either case, is simply declarative. Shame is often, as here, used to represent the punishment of the wicked, in the recoil of their evil designs upon themselves.

Silent in the grave—Hebrew, silent to sheol. Either silent in sheol, or silent as sheol. On sheol, see notes on Psa_6:5; Psa_9:17; Psa_16:10

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

Let me not be ashamed, O Lord (see the comment on ver. l). For I have called upon thee. "I have," i.e. , "been ever thy true worshipper." Even when I have sinned (ver. 10), my sins have not been "sins of unfaithfulness," but lapses, sins of infirmity, unpremeditated yieldings to temptation. Let the wicked be ashamed. Bring shame, i.e. , upon those who are at once my enemies and thine the wicked and impenitent generally and, among them on my present adversaries, those who are collected together to carry on war against me. And let them be silent in the grave; or, in Sheol. Let a stop be put to their slanders (ver. 13) and lying speeches (ver. 18); let them he silenced by removal from this world to the land of the departed.

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

grave

Heb. "Sheol," (See Scofield "Hab 2:5")

The Scofield Reference Bible (1917 edition), notes by C. I. Scofield — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Do not let me be humiliated

This can be stated in active form. AT: "Do not let others make me feel ashamed" (See: Active or Passive)

May the wicked be humiliated!

"I wish that God would disgrace wicked people!"

the wicked

This refers to "wicked people. (See: Nominal Adjectives)

May they be silent in Sheol. May lying lips be silenced

This idea is repeated to emphasize the writer's desire that the voices of the wicked are not heard. (See: Parallelism)

May they be silent in Sheol

Here "in Sheol" represents death. AT: "Let them die so they cannot speak" (See: Metonymy)

lying lips

These represent lying people. AT: "people who lie" (See: Metonymy)

that speak against the righteous defiantly

Here "the righteous" refers to people who are righteous. AT: "that say terrible things about righteous people" (See: Nominal Adjectives)

with arrogance and contempt

These terms have similar meanings. AT: "with a complete lack of respect"

translationWords

call

evil

Hades

righteous

arrogant

contempt

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