John Calvin Commentary Psalms 56:4

"In God (I will praise his word), In God have I put my trust, I will not be afraid; What can flesh do unto me?" — Psalms 56:4 (ASV)

In God I will praise his word. Here he grows more courageous in the exercise of hope, as generally happens with the people of God. They find it difficult at first to reach this exercise. It is only after a severe struggle that they rise to it, but once the effort is made, they emerge from their fears into the fullness of confidence and are prepared to grapple with the most formidable enemies.

To praise, is here synonymous with glorying or boasting. He was now in possession of a triumphant confidence and rejoiced in the certainty of hope. The ground of his joy is said to be the divine word; and this implies that however much he might seem to be forsaken and abandoned by God, he satisfied himself by reflecting on the truthfulness of his promises.

He would glory in God notwithstanding, and although there should be no outward appearance of help, or it should even be noticeably withdrawn, he would remain content with the simple security of his word. This declaration deserves our notice. How prone we are to fret and murmur when God has not immediately granted our requests!

Our discontent may not be openly expressed, but it is inwardly felt when we are left in this manner to depend upon his naked promises. It was no small attainment for David that he could thus proceed to praise the Lord in the midst of dangers, and with no other ground of support but the word of God.

The sentiment contained in the latter clause of the verse might seem at first glance to deserve little consideration. What is more obvious than that God is able to protect us from the hand of men, that his power to defend is immensely greater than their power to injure? This may be true, but we all know too well how much of that perverse unbelief there is in our hearts, which leads us to rate the ability of God below that of the creature.

It was no small proof, therefore, of the faith of David that he could despise the threats of his enemies. And it would be well if all the saints of God were impressed with such a sense of his superiority to their adversaries as would lead them to show a similar contempt of danger.

When assailed by these, they should never forget that the contest is in reality between their enemies and God, and that it would be blasphemous in this case to doubt the issue.

The great object these enemies have in view is to shake our faith in the promised help of the Lord. We are chargeable with limiting his power unless we realize him standing at our right hand, able with one movement of his finger, or one breath of his mouth, to dissipate their hosts and confound their infatuated machinations.

Shall we place him on a level with mortal man and measure his probable success by the numbers that are set against him? “But how,” it may be asked, “are we to account for this sudden change in David’s confidence? A moment before, he was expressing his dread of destruction, and now he bids defiance to the collected strength of his enemies.” I reply that there is nothing in his words that insinuates he was absolutely raised above the influence of fear and every sense of the dangers by which he was encompassed.

They imply no more than that he triumphed over his apprehensions through that confident hope of salvation with which he was armed. Men he terms in this verse flesh, to impress more deeply upon his mind the madness of their folly in attempting a contest so infinitely above their strength.