John Calvin Commentary Psalms 105:19

"Until the time that his word came to pass, The word of Jehovah tried him." — Psalms 105:19 (ASV)

Until the time that his word came—here the prophet teaches that although, according to the judgment of the flesh, God seems to be too slow in His actions, He nevertheless holds supreme rule over all things, so that He may eventually accomplish in due time what He has determined.

Regarding the term word, it is undoubtedly to be understood here not as doctrine or instruction, but as a heavenly decree. The pronoun his can be understood to refer to God Himself or to Joseph; however, its application to Joseph seems preferable to me, implying that Joseph remained in prison until the outcome of his affliction was revealed, an outcome hidden in the divine purpose.

It must always be kept in mind that the prophet calls people's minds away from that impious imagination which portrays fortune as exercising blind and arbitrary control over human affairs. Since nothing could be more uncertain than the welfare of the Church while Joseph was considered a condemned person, the prophet here elevates our minds and directs us to look at the hidden word—that is, the decree—for whose manifestation the proper opportunity and time had not yet arrived.

In the same way, I explain what follows: the word of God tried him. To interpret it as referring to Joseph's prophesying, as many do, seems too subtle. Until the favorable outcome appeared, which God kept long hidden and in suspense, Joseph’s patience was severely tried. What worldly people, who do not acknowledge God as the Governor of human affairs, call fate, the prophet distinguishes by a more appropriate name, calling it word—and the word of each person.

I see no impropriety in using the French word destinée. When the Stoics dispute, or rather babble, about destiny, they not only entangle themselves and the very subject they discuss in intricate mazes, but they also obscure an undeniable truth; for by imagining a concatenation of causes, they strip God of His governance of the world.

It is an impious invention to link together interwoven causes in such a way that God Himself is bound by them. Our faith, therefore, should ascend to His secret counsel, by which He, uncontrolled, directs all things to their ultimate purpose. This passage also teaches us that God will continue the afflictions of the godly only until they are thoroughly tested by them.