John Calvin Commentary Psalms 66:17

"I cried unto him with my mouth, And he was extolled with my tongue." — Psalms 66:17 (ASV)

I cried to him with my mouth. He proves that he owed his safety to divine intervention because he had prayed and, as a consequence, had clearly experienced God's kindness. Answers to prayer serve significantly to illustrate the goodness of God and confirm our faith in it.

In saying that he cried to God with his mouth and tongue, these terms denote, as we have seen in a previous part of the psalm, the vehemence and earnestness with which he prayed. If he had not prayed from the heart, he would have been rejected, but he also mentions the tongue as a sign of the ardor of his supplications.

Some absurdly imagine that because the expression under the tongue is used, the meaning is with the heart. Words are said to come from under the tongue because they are formed by the articulation of the tongue, as in that passage:

The poison of asps is under their lips (Psalms 140:3).

The term extol suggests that we cannot honor God more in our worship than by looking upward to him for deliverance. The Papists rob him of a chief part of his glory when they direct their prayers to the dead or to images and place so little importance on calling upon the name of the Lord.

The Psalmist next lays down the rule that must be followed if we would pray properly and acceptably, guarding against that presumptuous practice which overlooks the necessity of faith and penitence. We see with what audacity hypocrites and ungodly men associate themselves with the Lord’s people, in response to the general calls of the Word to engage in prayer.

To check this solemn mockery, the Psalmist mentions integrity of heart as indispensable. I am aware that these words may be considered an assertion of his own personal uprightness, as we find him frequently vindicating this by appealing to the visible and practical proofs God had shown of His favor to him. However, his main object is clearly to reinforce, through the example of his own practice, the general principle of drawing near to God with a pure heart.

We have a parallel scripture in John 9:31: We know that God heareth not sinners. In one sense, God hears none but sinners, for we must all conform to the great rule of applying to Him for the remission of our sins. But while believers make an unreserved confession of guilt before God, by this very act they cease to be sinners, for God pardons them in answer to their supplications. We are not to forget the words of Paul:

Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity (2 Timothy 2:19).

Besides, to regard iniquity in the heart does not mean to be conscious of sin — for all the Lord’s people must see their sins and be grieved for them, and this is praiseworthy rather than condemnable — but it means to be determined to practice iniquity.

He particularly refers to the heart, suggesting that not only were his hands clean, in the sense of his being innocent before men, but that he could appeal to God as proof of his inward integrity.

When the heart does not correspond to outward conduct and harbors any secret evil intent, the fair outward appearance may deceive people, but it is an abomination in the sight of God. The Psalmist affirms with emphasis that his prayers had been answered, and we should conclude from this that we will never be disappointed if we seek God in sincerity.