John Calvin Commentary Psalms 28:5

"Because they regard not the works of Jehovah, Nor the operation of his hands, He will break them down and not build them up." — Psalms 28:5 (ASV)

Because they regard not the doings of Jehovah. In this verse he reveals the root of impiety, declaring that the ungodly are so bold in doing evil because, while they are thus indulging their hatred and committing every kind of wickedness, they think that they have nothing to do with God.

And when conscience stings them, they soothe themselves with false hopes, and at last stubbornly harden themselves into insensibility. First, being intoxicated with prosperity, they flatter themselves that God is their friend, while He has no regard for those good men who are overwhelmed with so many afflictions; and next, they persuade themselves that the world is governed by chance, thus blinding themselves in the midst of the clear light of day.

In this way, David’s adversaries, willingly ignorant that God had appointed him to be king, emboldened themselves to persecute him. He therefore complains of their blatant ignorance of this, just as Isaiah (Isaiah 5:20) brings the same complaint, in general terms, against all the ungodly people of his time.

This doctrine, then, has a twofold use:

1. It is a great consolation to the children of God to be convinced, while they are unjustly troubled, that by the providence of God they are thus beneficially trained in patience; and that while the affairs of this world are all in a state of disturbance and confusion, God nevertheless sits supreme in heaven, conducting and governing all things.
2. This is a very fitting curb to subdue the passions of our flesh, so that we do not, like the Andabates, fight in the dark with eyes closed, as if God did not see and did not care about what is done here below.

Therefore, let us learn to consider carefully that the judgments God executes are themselves proofs of His righteousness in governing humankind; and that even if all things should be jumbled together in confusion, the eye of faith should be directed to heaven to consider God’s secret judgments.

And since God never ceases, even in the midst of the greatest darkness, to give some signs of His providence, it is inexcusable negligence not to pay attention to them. The prophet further emphasizes this perverseness by repeating the works of God’s hands. He thus intimates that the ungodly, by recklessly pursuing their course, trample underfoot whatever of God’s works they may encounter that could check their madness.

Let him destroy them, and not build them up. Some believe that the first part of this verse is the subject, functioning as a noun, for the verbs in the last clause, as if David had said, “This brutal madness will destroy them.” But the name of God should instead be supplied, and then the context will flow excellently.

However, since the verbs in Hebrew are in the future tense, the sentence may be explained as meaning that David now assures himself of the destruction of the reprobate for which he had recently prayed. I do not reject this interpretation; but, in my opinion, the words are simply a continuation of his petitions.

In this way, he prays that the wicked may be overthrown, so as not to rise again or recover their former state. The expression Let him destroy them, and not build them up is a common figure of speech among the Hebrews, according to what Malachi says concerning Edom: “Thus saith the Lord of Hosts, They shall build, but I shall throw down” (Malachi 1:4). Therefore, lest we be struck with an incurable plague, let us learn to awaken our minds to the consideration of God’s works, so that we may be taught to fear Him, to persevere in patience, and to advance in godliness.