John Calvin Commentary Psalms 22:3

"But thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel." — Psalms 22:3 (ASV)

Yet you are holy. In Hebrew, it is properly, And you are holy: but the conjunction ו (vau) should, without doubt, be translated by the adversative particle yet. Some think that the eternal and immutable state of God is here contrasted with the afflictions David experienced, but I cannot agree with this opinion.

It is simpler and more natural to view the language as meaning that God has always shown himself gracious to his chosen people. The subject treated here is not what God is in heaven, but what he has shown himself to be toward humanity. It may be asked whether David, in these words, aggravates his complaint by insinuating that he is the only person who obtains nothing from God?

Or whether, by holding up these words as a shield before him, he repels the temptation that assailed him by presenting to himself this truth: that God is the continual deliverer of his people? I admit that this verse is an additional expression of the greatness of David’s grief, but I have no doubt that in using this language, he seeks from it a remedy against his distrust.

It was a dangerous temptation to see himself forsaken by God. Accordingly, so that he would not nourish it by continually thinking about it, he turned his mind to contemplate the constant evidences of God's grace, from which he might encourage himself in the hope of obtaining help.

Therefore, he not only meant to ask how it was that God, who had always dealt mercifully with his people, should now, forgetting, as it were, his own nature, thus leave a miserable man without any help or comfort; but he also takes a shield with which to defend himself against the fiery darts of Satan.

He calls God holy because he always remains true to himself. He says that God inhabits the praises of Israel because, in showing such generosity toward the chosen people as to be continually bestowing blessings on them, he provided them with reason for continued praise and thanksgiving. Unless God causes us to taste his goodness by doing good to us, we will necessarily become silent in celebrating his praise.

Since David belonged to this chosen people, he strives, against all obstacles that distrust might suggest, to cherish the hope that he will at last be united to this body to sing with them the praises of God.