John Calvin Commentary Psalms 40:5

"Many, O Jehovah my God, are the wonderful works which thou hast done, And thy thoughts which are to us-ward; They cannot be set in order unto thee; If I would declare and speak of them, They are more than can be numbered." — Psalms 40:5 (ASV)

Many are your wonderful works which you have done, O Jehovah! Interpreters are not entirely agreed about these words; but it is generally admitted that David here contemplates with admiration the providence of God in the government of humankind. And first of all, he exclaims that the wonders of God’s works are great or many; meaning by this, that God in his inscrutable wisdom so governs human affairs, that his works, which people often think little of due to their constant familiarity with them, far surpass the comprehension of the human understanding.

Thus we find that from one particular species he ascends to the whole class; as if he had said, God has proved not only by this particular act the paternal care which he exercises towards people, but that, in general, his wonderful providence shines forth in the various parts of creation.

Then he adds, that the counsels of God concerning us are so high and so hidden, that it is impossible to count them up in order distinctly and according to their nature. Some think that the word אלינו, elenu, towards us, is employed by way of comparison, in this sense: The counsels of God are far beyond the reach of our understanding (but David rather commends the care which God graciously provides for us). And as, in this way, the connection of the words is broken, they are constrained to render the word ערוד, aroch, which I have translated to count in order, differently, namely, that none is equal to God, or can be compared with him.

To avoid a lengthy refutation, the intelligent reader will agree with me that the true meaning is this: God, by his incomprehensible wisdom, governs the world in such a manner that we cannot count up his works in their proper order, since our minds, through their very dullness, fail us before we can reach such a great height.

It follows, to you, for although we should to some extent reflect on how wonderfully the Lord can provide for our needs, yet this consideration is limited by the imperfection of our understanding, and hence it falls far short of the infinite glory of God. Those who give this explanation—that the counsels of God are not referred to him because most people imagine that everything is subject to chance and fortune, as if David meant in passing to censure the ingratitude of those who defraud God of his praise—are undoubtedly mistaken about the meaning.

In stating, as David does immediately after, that however much he might set himself to recount the works of God, he yet would fail before he could declare even half of them—in stating this, he shows clearly enough that the godly and devout meditation in which the children of God are often engaged gives them only, as it were, a slight taste of them and nothing more.

We have now arrived, then, at the Psalmist’s meaning. Having spoken before of the deliverance which God had granted him, he uses this as an opportunity to set forth the general providence of God in nourishing and sustaining people. It is also his aim here to exhort the faithful to consider God’s providence, so that they may not hesitate to cast all their cares upon it.

While some are in constant pain because of their own anxiety and discontent, or quake at the slightest breeze that blows, and others labor hard to fortify and preserve their life by means of earthly aid—all this proceeds from ignorance of the doctrine that God governs the affairs of this world according to his own good pleasure.

And since most people, measuring the providence of God by their own understanding, wickedly obscure or degrade it, David, placing it on its proper footing, wisely removes this impediment. The meaning of the sentence, therefore, amounts to this: in the works of God people should reverently admire what they cannot comprehend by their reason; and whenever the flesh moves them to contradiction or murmuring, they should raise themselves above the world.

If God ceases to work, he seems to be asleep, because, when we restrict his actions to outward means, we do not consider that he works by secret means. We may therefore learn from this passage that although the reason for his works may be hidden or unknown to us, he is nevertheless wonderful in his counsels.

This verse is closely connected with the preceding one. No one places entire trust in God as one ought, except the person who, shutting their eyes to external circumstances, allows themselves to be governed by him according to his good pleasure. Moreover, having spoken until now in the third person, David now suddenly addresses his discourse to God—not, however, rashly—so that he might lead us more effectively to this sobriety and discretion.

When, however, he affirms that the works of God cannot be distinctly known by us, it is not to deter us from seeking to know them or from examining them, but only to restrain our rashness, which would otherwise exceed the proper limits in this respect.

To this end, the words to you, or before you, are expressly employed, by which we are admonished that however diligently a person may set themselves to meditate upon the works of God, they can only attain to the extremities or borders of them. Although, then, such a great height is far above our reach, we must, nevertheless, endeavor, as much as lies within our power, to approach it more and more by continual advances; as we also see the hand of God stretched out to reveal to us, as far as is appropriate, those wonders which we are unable to discover by ourselves.

There is nothing so preposterous as to affect, of one’s own accord, a profound ignorance of the providence of God, because we cannot yet comprehend it perfectly, but only discern it in part. Even today we find some who make every effort to bury it in oblivion, under no other pretext than that it surpasses our understanding, as if it were unreasonable to allow God anything more than what appears right and proper according to our carnal reason.

David acts very differently regarding it. Feeling all his senses absorbed by an inconceivable majesty and brightness, which he could not bear to look upon, he frankly confesses that these are wonderful things whose reason he could not comprehend. But still he does not wholly and everywhere abstain from mentioning them; instead, according to his capacity, he devoutly sets himself to meditate upon them.

From this we learn how foolish and vain it is to say, by way of caution, that no one should speak of the counsels or purposes of God because they are high and incomprehensible. David, on the contrary, though he was ready to sink under the weight, did not cease to contemplate them and did not abstain from speaking of them because he felt unequal to the task of recounting them; instead, he was content, after having declared his faith on this subject, to conclude his discourse in admiration.