John Calvin Commentary Psalms 118:19

"Open to me the gates of righteousness: I will enter into them, I will give thanks unto Jehovah." — Psalms 118:19 (ASV)

Open unto me the gates of righteousness. Under the influence of ardent zeal, David here sets himself to testify his gratitude, commanding the temple to be opened to him, as if the oblations were all already prepared. He now confirms what he said formerly: that he would render thanks to God publicly in the properly constituted assembly of the faithful.

It was the practice of the priests to open the doors of the temple to the people; it appears, however, that David here alludes to his long exile, which supposition is corroborated by the following verse. Having been for a long period prevented from having access to the sanctuary, and even from coming within sight of it, he now rejoices and exults at being again admitted to offer sacrifice to God.

And he declares that he will not approach as the hypocrites were accustomed to do, whom God, by the prophet Isaiah, reproaches with treading His courts in vain (Isaiah 1:12), but that he will come with the sacrifice of praise. Fully persuaded that he drew near in the spirit of genuine devotion, he says it is proper that the doors of the temple, which recently he dared not enter, should be opened to him and others like him.

“It is,” he says, “the gate of Jehovah,” and therefore He will open it for the just. The meaning is that, banished as David had been from the temple and from his country, now that the kingdom is in a better condition, both he and all the true worshippers of God regained their right to approach His sanctuary.

Thus he indirectly mourns over the profanation of the temple, because, while under the tyranny of Saul, it was occupied by profane despisers of God, as if it had been a kennel for dogs and other unclean animals. This abomination—the temple being for a long time a den of thieves—is here inveighed against; but now that it is open to the righteous, he declares it to be God’s holy house.

What occurred in the days of Saul is visible in these days: God’s bitter enemies most wickedly and shamefully occupy His sanctuary. The Pope would not be Antichrist if he did not sit in the temple of God (2 Thessalonians 2:4). Having, by his vile pollutions, converted all temples into brothels, let us endeavor as much as we can to purge them and prepare them for the pure worship of God.

And as it has pleased Him to choose His holy habitation among us, let us exert ourselves to remove all the defilements and abominations which disfigure the purity of the Church. David then relates briefly the reason for his offering the sacrifice of praise to God, namely, that he had been preserved by His grace.