Psalms 94:17

Psa 94:17 Unless the LORD [had been] my help, my soul had almost dwelt in silence.

Ver. 17. Unless the Lord had been my help] He loveth to help at a pinch; he usually reserveth his hand for a dead lift. See 2Ti 4:16-17.

My soul had almost dwelt in silence] i.e. In the dark cloisters of death. The Greek and Latin translators render it, In hell.

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.

17. (Psa 94:17) Unless Jehovah were a help for me, soon would my soul inhabit silence. The phrase a help for me occurs above, Psa 63:7, and a similar one, Psa 44:26). For the meaning of the phrase translated soon, see above, on Psa 2:12; Psa 81:14. To dwell in (or inhabit) silence is to be constantly surrounded by the silence of the grave or of death. See above, Psa 31:17), and below, Psa 115:17.

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

He complaineth of them which would not help him to resist the enemies: yet was assured that God’s help would not fail.

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

Verse 17. Unless the Lord had been my help] Had not God in a strange manner supported us while under his chastising hand, we had been utterly cut off.

My soul had almost dwelt in silence.] The Vulgate has in inferno, in hell or the infernal world; the Septuagint, τω αδη, in the invisible world.

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

(17) In silence—i.e., of the grave, as in Psa_31:17.

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

17. Cp. Psa_124:1 ff.

almost] R.V. soon.

dwelt in silence] The stillness of the grave (Psa_115:17).

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.

Unless the Lord had been my help,.... Against her enemies, which were so many and mighty, and her friends so few and feeble, and having no heart to defend her cause; especially this will be the case at the time of the slaying of the witnesses; but the Lord will appear, and help her; the Spirit of life, from him, shall enter into them, and cause them to live again, and to ascend up to heaven; and shall destroy great numbers of their enemies, and the rest shall be frightened, and give glory to God, Rev 11:11,

my soul had almost dwelt in silence; or "within a little", or "must quickly" (e); not only have been, but must have dwelt, continued in silence, in the grave; see Psa 115:17 his case being desperate, like that of the apostles, when they had the sentence of death within themselves, Co2 1:10, this is to be understood not of the soul precisely, and abstractly considered, which dies not, nor is it silent after death; but of the whole person, being a part for the whole; and of the person, with respect to the mortal part, the body, which only dies, and while in a state of separation, or in the grave, is silent, and ceases from all operations of life: perhaps this may have some respect to the silencing of the witnesses, which is a principal thing meant by the slaying of them; a stop put to their ministrations, partly by the edicts of their enemies, and partly by the discouragement of their friends, their shyness, and negligence of them; and which silence will be almost total, if not altogether; though it will last but for a short time; they shall not dwell or continue in silence, but will open their mouths again; signified by the angel flying through the midst of heaven, with the everlasting Gospel, Rev 14:6.

(e) "quasi parum", Montanus, Gejerus, Junius & Tremellius, Piscator.

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

Unless the Lord had been my help - At the time referred to. If I had not had a God to whom I could have gone - if my mind had not been directed to him - if I had not actually found him a refuge and strength, I should have despaired altogether. There was no other one to whom I could go; there was nothing else but the help of God on which I could rely.

My soul had almost dwelt in silence - Margin, quickly. The original is, “It was as it were but little;” that is, there was little lacking to bring this about; a little heavier pressure - a little added to what I was then suffering - a little longer time before relief was obtained - would have brought me down to the land of silence - to the grave. The Latin Vulgate renders this, “My soul had dwelt in inpherno.” The Septuagint, “in Hades” - τᾤ ἅδῃ tō Hadē. See Psa 31:17. The grave is represented as a place of silence, or as the land of silence: Psa 115:17 : “The dead praise not the Lord, neither any that go down into silence.” Compare Amo 8:3.

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

In the place of silence, to wit, the grave. Compare Job 3:17,18; Psa 88:12; 115:17.

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

Ver. 17. Unless the Lord had been my help, my soul had almost dwelt in silence. Without Jehovah's help, the psalmist declares that he should have died outright, and gone into the silent land, where no more testimonies can be borne for the living God. Or he may mean that he would not have had a word to speak against his enemies, but would have been wrapped in speechless shame. Blessed be God, we are not left to that condition yet, for the Almighty Lord is still the helper of all those who look to him. Our inmost soul is bowed down when we see the victories of the Lord's enemieswe cannot brook it, we cover our mouths in confusion; but he will yet arise and avenge his own cause, therefore have we hope.

Ver. 17. Had been my help. The word signifieth not only help, but summum et plenum auxilium, an helpfulness, or full help:the Hebrew hath a letter more than ordinary, to increase the signification, as learned Mr. Leigh observeth: there is the sufficiency of help. Nathaniel Whiting, in "The Saints' Dangers, Deliverances, and Duties, "1659.

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

17. My soul had almost dwelt in silence—My soul had in a little time— soon—have inhabited silence; the land of silence, the region of the dead. We had quickly perished had not God been our help. On מעשׂ, little, almost, little time, etc., see Psa_81:14; Isa_26:20

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

Unless the Lord had been my Help, my soul had almost dwelt in silence. No; they are not without a champion; Jehovah is their Help. It is a part of their blessedness (ver. 12), that they are preserved in life and protected from the wicked, by God himself. Otherwise they "had soon dwelt in silence." Their soul had gone down to the pit, to the abyss of Sheol, the silent land. (comp. Psa_115:17)

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

Dwelt - In the place of silence, the grave.

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

Unless Yahweh had been my help ... silence

This is a hypothetical situation. Yahweh did help him, so he was not lying in the place of silence. (See: Hypothetical Situations)

Unless Yahweh had been my help

The abstract noun "help" can be expressed as a verb. AT: "If Yahweh had not helped me" (See: Abstract Nouns)

I would soon be lying down in the place of silence

Here "would be lying down" refers to "death" and "in the place of silence" refers to the grave." AT: "in a short time, I would be dead, lying in a silent grave" (See: Euphemism)

Your covenant faithfulness, Yahweh, held me up

The abstract noun "faithfulness" can be translated with an adjective. AT: "You, Yahweh, held me up because you are faithful to your covenant" (See: Abstract Nouns)

When cares within me are many, your consolations make me happy

The psalmist speaks of care as if he could count separate cares. The abstract noun "consolations" can be translated with the verb "console" or "comfort." AT: "When I have been worried about many things, you have comforted me and made me happy" (See: Abstract Nouns)

translationWords

covenant faithfulness

comfort

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