John Calvin Commentary Psalms 115:16

"The heavens are the heavens of Jehovah; But the earth hath he given to the children of men." — Psalms 115:16 (ASV)

The heavens, the heavens are Jehovah’s. In this passage the prophet extols the bounty of God, and His paternal regard for the human race, in that, although He needed nothing Himself, He yet created the world, with all its fullness, for their use. How does it happen that the earth is everywhere covered with such a great variety of good things, meeting our eye in all directions, unless God, as a provident father of a family, had designed to provide for our needs?

Therefore, in proportion to the comforts we enjoy here, are the tokens of His fatherly care. This is the prophet’s meaning, which I am astonished is so little heeded by most interpreters. The point is, that God, satisfied with His own glory, has enriched the earth with an abundance of good things, so that humankind may not lack anything.

At the same time he demonstrates that, as God has His dwelling-place in the heavens, He must be independent of all worldly riches; for, certainly, neither wine, nor grain, nor anything required for the support of the present life is produced there. Consequently, God has every resource in Himself.

To this circumstance the repetition of the term heavens refers: The heavens, the heavens are enough for God; and as He is superior to all aid, He is to Himself instead of a hundred worlds. Therefore, it remains as another consequence from this, that all the riches with which the world abounds loudly proclaim what a beneficent father God is to humankind.

It is indeed surprising that there should be no appreciation for this doctrine, considering that the Holy Spirit spoke of the inestimable goodness of God. Under the papacy, they chanted this psalm in their churches, and they continue the practice still; but is there one among a hundred of them who reflects that God, in bestowing all good things upon us, reserves nothing for Himself, except a grateful acknowledgment of them?

And not only in this matter does the ingratitude of the world appear, but the wicked wretches have conducted themselves most vilely, in open and infamous blasphemy, perverting this verse and making a jest of it, saying that God remains unconcerned in heaven and pays no regard to the affairs of men.

The prophet here expressly declares that the world is employed by God for the sole purpose of testifying to His paternal solicitude towards humankind; and yet these swine and dogs have made these words a laughing-stock, as if God, because of His vast distance from men, totally disregarded them. And here I am prompted to relate a memorable story.

While we were having supper in a certain inn, and speaking of the hope of the heavenly life, a profane despiser of God who happened to be present treated our discussion with derision, and now and then mockingly exclaimed, “The heaven of heavens is the Lord’s.” Instantly afterwards he was seized with dreadful pain and began to vociferate, “O God! O God!” and, having a powerful voice, he filled the whole room with his cries.

Then I, who had felt indignant at his conduct, proceeded, in my own way, to tell him fervently that now at least he perceived that those who mocked God were not permitted to escape with impunity.

One of the guests, an honest and pious man, still alive, but also facetious, used the occasion thus: “Do you invoke God? Have you forgotten your philosophy? Why do you not permit Him to remain at ease in His own heaven?” And as often as the one bawled out, “O God!” the other, mocking him, retorted, “Where is now your Coelum coeli Domino?”

At that time his pain was indeed lessened; nevertheless, the remainder of his life was lived with impunity.