John Calvin Commentary Psalms 12:5

"Because of the oppression of the poor, because of the sighing of the needy, Now will I arise, saith Jehovah; I will set him in the safety he panteth for." — Psalms 12:5 (ASV)

Because of the spoiling of the needy. David now sets before himself, as a matter of consolation, the truth that God will not permit the wicked to wreak such havoc endlessly and without limit. To establish himself and others more effectively in the belief of this truth, he introduces God Himself as speaking.

The expression is more emphatic when God is represented as coming forward and declaring with His own mouth that He has come to deliver the poor and distressed. There is also great emphasis in the adverb now, by which God intimates that, although our safety is in His hand and therefore securely kept, He does not immediately grant deliverance from affliction. For His words imply that He had until now been, as it were, lying still and asleep, until He was awakened by the calamities and cries of His people.

Therefore, when the injuries, extortions, and devastations of our enemies leave us with nothing but tears and groans, let us remember that now the time is at hand when God intends to rise up to execute judgment. This doctrine should also serve to produce patience in us and prevent us from resenting that we are counted among the number of the poor and afflicted, whose cause God promises to take into His own hand.

Regarding the meaning of the second clause of the verse, expositors differ. According to some, to set in safety, means the same thing as to give or bring safety, as if the letter ב, beth, which signifies in, were superfluous. But the language rather contains a promise to grant full restitution to those who are unjustly oppressed.

What follows presents more difficulty. The word פוה, phuach, which we have translated as to lay snares for, sometimes signifies to blow out, or to puff, — at other times to ensnare, or to lay snares for; and sometimes, also, to speak. Those who think it is here used for to speak also differ among themselves regarding the meaning.

Some translate it as God will speak to Himself; that is, God will determine with Himself. But as the Psalmist had already declared God's determination, this would be an unnecessary and vain repetition. Others refer it to the language of the godly, as if David introduced them speaking to one another concerning the faithfulness and stability of God's promises; for with this word they connect the following sentence: The words of the Lord are pure words, etc. But this view is even more strained than the preceding one.

The opinion of others, who suppose that to God's determination to arise, there is appended the language addressed to the godly, is more plausible. It would not be sufficient for God to determine with Himself what He would do for our safety if He did not speak to us expressly and by name.

It is only when God makes us understand by His own voice that He will be gracious to us that we can entertain the hope of salvation. God, it is true, also speaks to unbelievers, but without producing any good effect, since they are deaf. Just as when He treats them with gentleness and liberality, it is without effect because they are uncomprehending and consume His benefits without any awareness that they come from Him.

But as I perceive that under the word יאמר, yomar, will say, God's promises may be suitably and properly understood, to avoid repeating the same thing, I adopt without hesitation the meaning of the last clause, which I have given in the translation: namely, that God declares He will arise to restore to safety those who seem on all sides to be surrounded by the snares of their enemies, and even caught in them.

The import of the language is this: The ungodly may hold the poor and afflicted entangled in their snares as prey they have caught, but I will set them in safety.

If it is objected that the reading in the Hebrew is not for whom, but for him, I would observe that it is nothing new for these words, him, for him, to be used instead of whom and for whom. If anyone prefers the sense of puffing at, I am not strongly opposed to him. According to this reading, David would elegantly taunt the pride of the ungodly, who confidently imagine they can do anything, even with their breath, as we have seen in Psalm 10:5.