John Calvin Commentary Psalms 44:17

"All this is come upon us; Yet have we not forgotten thee, Neither have we dealt falsely in thy covenant." — Psalms 44:17 (ASV)

All this has come upon us, etc. As they have already attributed to God all the afflictions they endured, if they should now say that they were undeservedly afflicted, it would be the same as accusing God of injustice; and thus what is spoken here would no longer be a holy prayer, but rather an impious blasphemy.

However, it should be observed that the faithful, although in their adversities they do not perceive any obvious reason for being treated this way, still rest assured of this and regard it as a fixed principle: that God has good reasons for treating them so severely. At the same time, it is proper to observe that the godly do not speak here of the past, but rather allege their patient endurance, which was no small token of their piety, since, in the most humble manner, they thus bowed their neck to God's yoke.

We see how the great majority of people murmur and obstinately fret against God, like refractory horses that rage furiously against their masters and strike them with their feet. Therefore, we know that the one who, in affliction, imposes a holy restraint upon themselves, so as not to be carried away from the path of duty by any impatience, has made no inconsiderable attainments in the fear of God.

It is an easy matter even for hypocrites to bless God in times of prosperity; but as soon as he begins to deal harshly with them, they break forth into a rage against him. Accordingly, the faithful declare that, although the many afflictions they endured tended to turn them aside from the right path, they did not forget God but always served him, even when he did not show himself favorable and merciful towards them.

Therefore, they do not proclaim their virtues in a former and distant period of their history, but only allege that even in the midst of afflictions they steadfastly kept the covenant of God. It is well known that long before the persecution of Antiochus, there were many abuses and corruptions that provoked God's vengeance against them, so that, regarding that period, they had no ground to boast of such integrity as is described here.

It is true that, as we shall very soon see, God spared them, thus showing that they had been afflicted more for his name’s sake than for their own sins; but the forbearance God exercised towards them in this respect was not sufficient to warrant them to plead exemption from guilt.

We must, therefore, consider that here they do nothing more than allege their own patience, in that, amidst such grievous and hard temptations, they had not turned aside from the service of God.

First, they affirm, We have not forgotten thee: for, indeed, afflictions are, as it were, like so many clouds that conceal heaven from our view, so that God might then readily slip from our remembrance, as if we were far removed from him.

Second, they add, We have not dealt falsely in thy covenant; for, as I have said, human wickedness reveals itself especially when people are tried more severely than they had anticipated.

Third, they declare that their heart had not turned back, and lastly, that their footsteps did not decline from the paths of God.

As God is daily inviting us, our hearts must always be ready to proceed in the paths into which he calls us. Hence follows the direction of our ways; for by our outward works and by our whole life, we testify that our heart is unfeignedly devoted to God.

Instead of the translation, Nor have our steps declined, which I have given, some suggest another reading that is not without some plausibility—namely, Thou hast made our steps to decline. This is because, first, the term תט, tet, can be rendered this way, and second, according to the word arrangement, there is no negative in this clause.

Regarding the meaning, however, I do not agree with their opinion at all, for they connect this passage with that in Isaiah 63:17:

O Lord, why hast thou made us to err from thy ways?

The complaint made here amounts rather to this: that the faithful are like poor, wretched creatures wandering in desert places, since God had withdrawn his hand from them. The expression The paths of God, does not always refer to doctrine but sometimes to prosperous and desirable events.