John Calvin Commentary Psalms 115:12

"Jehovah hath been mindful of us; he will bless [us]: He will bless the house of Israel; He will bless the house of Aaron." — Psalms 115:12 (ASV)

Jehovah has remembered us. Many render the term bless in the past tense, he has blessed, since, according to them, the prophet's design was to present the past experience of God’s kindness as an encouragement to cherish good hope for the future: “We have already, from long experience, been taught how valuable the favor of our God is, because from this source alone have flowed our prosperity, our abundance, and our stability.”

He assumes the principle, the truth of which should be admitted by all, that we enjoy neither prosperity nor happiness any further than it pleases God to bless us.

As often as the Israelites were rescued from many dangers, or aided in time of need, or treated in a friendly manner, they had so many palpable proofs of the loving-kindness of God towards them. However, as there is no just cause to urge us to change the verb from the future into the past tense, it is quite in unison with the scope of the passage if we say that the same blessing is promised here to the faithful which they have previously experienced.

Thus the meaning will be that God, mindful of his covenant, has until now been attentive to us; therefore, as he has begun to favor us, he will continue to do so forever. In pronouncing these blessings, he observes the same order as above, assigning to the children of Aaron a superior place in God’s benediction, excluding from it those among the Israelites who were hypocrites.

He says, both the small with the great, by this circumstance he further magnifies God’s paternal regard, showing that he does not overlook even the lowliest and most despised, provided they sincerely invoke his aid. Now, as there is no acceptance of persons before God, our low and abject condition should be no obstruction to our drawing near to him, since he so kindly invites those who appear to be held in no reputation to approach him.

Moreover, the repetition of the word bless is intended to mark the uninterrupted stream of his loving-kindness. Should any prefer the past tense, he has blessed, the meaning will be that the favor of God towards his people has continued for a long period, which should be a sure evidence of the perpetuity of his fatherly regard.

This interpretation is strengthened by the subsequent verse, in which he says that God would multiply the benefits which he had up to that time conferred upon them.

For God’s liberality is an inexhaustible fountain, which will never cease to flow as long as its progress is not impeded by the ingratitude of men. And therefore it will be continued to their posterity, because God manifests the grace and the fruit of his adoption even to a thousand generations.