John Calvin Commentary Psalms 116:7

"Return unto thy rest, O my soul; For Jehovah hath dealt bountifully with thee." — Psalms 116:7 (ASV)

Return, O my soul! to your rest. He now encourages himself, or rather, addressing his soul, tells it to be tranquil, because God was favorable towards him. By the term rest, some commentators understand God himself, but this is an unnatural interpretation. It is rather to be regarded as expressive of a calm and composed state of mind.

For it should be noted that David confesses he was severely agitated and perplexed amidst an accumulation of evils, just as each of us is aware of our own restlessness when the terrors of death surround us. Although David possessed unusual fortitude, he was still distressed because of the conflict of grief, and an inward trembling so distracted his mind that he rightly complains of being deprived of his peace. However, he declares that God's grace was sufficient to calm all these troubles.

It may be asked whether the experience of God's grace alone can calm the fear and anxiety of our minds, since David declares that, having experienced relief from divine help, he would, in the future, be at rest? If the faithful regain their peace of mind only when God reveals himself as their deliverer, what room is there for the exercise of faith, and what power will the promises possess?

For, certainly, to wait calmly and silently for those signs of God's favor, which he conceals from us, is the undeniable evidence of faith. And strong faith calms the conscience and settles the spirit; so that, according to Paul, the peace of God, which passeth all understandings reigns supremely there (Philippians 4:7).

And so the godly remain unmoved, even if the whole world were about to go to ruin. What is the meaning of this returning to rest? I answer that however much God's children may be driven here and there, they still constantly derive support from the word of God, so that they cannot totally and finally fall away.

Trusting in his promises, they throw themselves upon his providence; and still they are severely distressed by unsettling fears, and sadly buffeted by the storms of temptation. As soon as God comes to their aid, not only does inward peace take possession of their minds, but from the manifestation of his grace, they are also supplied with grounds for joy and gladness.

David here discusses this latter kind of quietness—declaring that, despite all the prevailing agitation of mind, it was now time for him to delight himself calmly in God. The term גמל , gamal, is incorrectly translated to reward; because, in Hebrew, it usually signifies conferring a favor as well as giving a recompense; which he confirms in the following verse, where he says that his soul was delivered from death. This, then, properly speaking, is the recompense: namely, that God, in delivering him from death, had wiped away the tears from his eyes.

The arrangement of the words is transposed; for, according to our idiom, we would rather have said, he hath delivered my feet from falling; and my eyes from tears, and then he hath delivered my soul from death; for we are accustomed to follow an arrangement where the most important circumstance is mentioned last. Among the Hebrews, such a word order, as in this passage, is by no means improper.

This is their meaning: God has not only rescued me from present death but has also treated me with further kindness by chasing away sorrow and stretching out his hand to prevent me from stumbling. God's grace is enhanced in that he restored to life one who had been almost dead.