John Calvin Commentary Psalms 5:11

"But let all those that take refuge in thee rejoice, Let them ever shout for joy, because thou defendest them: Let them also that love thy name be joyful in thee." — Psalms 5:11 (ASV)

And let all rejoice, etc It makes little difference to the meaning whether we read these words in the future tense, All shall rejoice, etc., or in the optative mood, Let all rejoice, etc.; for in both ways the prophet's meaning will be the same. Namely, if God delivers him, the fruit of this deliverance will be common to all the godly. It is as if he had said, "Lord, if you help me, the goodness that you bestow upon me will not rest on me alone but will extend to all your servants, for this will serve to further confirm their faith and make them praise your name more."

Therefore, to induce God to grant him deliverance, he employs as an argument the end or effect it would produce, since it would stir up all the godly to exercise greater trust in God and encourage them to give praise and thanks to him. This passage teaches us that we are ungrateful to God if we do not take encouragement and comfort from whatever blessings he confers upon our neighbors, since by these he testifies that he will always be ready to bestow his goodness upon all the godly in common.

Accordingly, the reason for this joy is added: because the Lord will cover or protect them. Whenever God bestows any blessings upon any of the faithful, the rest, as I have said before, should conclude that he will show himself beneficent towards them. Again, this passage teaches us that true joy proceeds from no other source than from the protection of God.

We may be exposed to a thousand deaths, but this one consideration should abundantly suffice us: that we are covered and defended by the hand of God. And this will be the case, if the vain shadows of this world do not so beguile us as to prompt us to take shelter under them.

We should also particularly note the statement that those who trust in the Lord love his name. The remembrance of God must be sweet to us and fill our hearts with joy, or rather enrapture us with love for him, after he has caused us to taste his goodness. On the other hand, all unbelievers wish for God's name to be buried and shun the remembrance of him with horror.