John Calvin Commentary Psalms 103:17

"But the lovingkindness of Jehovah is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him, And his righteousness unto children`s children;" — Psalms 103:17 (ASV)

But the goodness of Jehovah, etc. The Psalmist leaves nothing for people to rely upon but the mercy of God, for it would be egregious folly to seek a ground of confidence in themselves. After having shown the utter emptiness of people, he adds the timely consolation that, although they have no intrinsic excellence that does not vanish into smoke, God is an inexhaustible fountain of life to supply their needs.

This contrast is to be particularly observed. For whom does he thus divest of all excellence? The faithful who are regenerated by the Spirit of God and who worship him with true devotion—these are the persons whom he leaves with nothing on which their hope may rest but the mere goodness of God.

Since the Divine goodness is everlasting, the weakness and frailty of the faithful do not prevent them from boasting of eternal salvation until the end of life, and even in death itself. David does not confine their hope within the limits of time; he views it as commensurate in duration with the grace on which it is founded.

To goodness is added righteousness, a word, as we have frequently had occasion to observe before, denoting the protection by which God defends and preserves his own people. He is then called righteous, not because he rewards every person according to their desert, but because he deals faithfully with his saints by spreading the hand of his protection over them. The Prophet has properly placed this righteousness after goodness, as the effect of goodness. He also asserts that it extends to the children and children’s children, according to these words in Deuteronomy 7:9: “God keepeth mercy to a thousand generations.” It is a singular proof of his love that he not only receives each of us individually into his favor, but also in this associates with us our offspring, as it were by hereditary right, so that they may be partakers of the same adoption. How shall he cast us off, who, in receiving our children and children’s children into his protection, shows to us in their persons how precious our salvation is in his sight?

Furthermore, nothing is easier than for hypocrites to flatter themselves under the false pretext that they are in favor with God, or for degenerate children groundlessly to apply to themselves the promises made to their fathers.

Therefore, it is again stated, by way of exception, in verse 18, that God is merciful only to those who, on their part, keep his covenant, which the unbelieving render ineffective by their wickedness.

The keeping, or observing of the covenant, which is here used instead of the fear of God mentioned in the preceding verse, is noteworthy; for in this way David intimates that none are true worshippers of God except those who reverently obey his Word. Very far from this are the Papists, who, thinking themselves equal to the angels in holiness, nevertheless shake off the yoke of God like wild beasts by trampling his Holy Word underfoot.

David, therefore, rightly judges of people’s godliness by their submitting themselves to the Word of God and following the rule which he has prescribed to them.

Since the covenant begins with a solemn article containing the promise of grace, faith and prayer are required, above all things, for its proper keeping. Nor is the additional clause superfluous—who remember his statutes; for, although God is continually reminding us of them, yet we soon slide away to worldly cares, are confused by a multiplicity of distractions, and are lulled asleep by many allurements.

Thus, forgetfulness extinguishes the light of truth, unless the faithful rouse themselves from time to time. David tells us that this remembrance of God’s statutes has an invigorating effect when people put them into practice. Many are quick enough to discourse upon them with their tongues whose feet are very slow, and whose hands are almost dead, in regard to active service.