John Calvin Commentary Psalms 73:15

"If I had said, I will speak thus; Behold, I had dealt treacherously with the generation of thy children." — Psalms 73:15 (ASV)

If I should say, I will speak thus. David, perceiving the sinfulness of the thoughts with which he was tempted, puts a bridle upon himself and reproves his inconstancy in allowing his mind to entertain doubts on such a subject. We have no difficulty in discovering his meaning, but there is some difficulty or obscurity in the words.

The last Hebrew verb in the verse, בגד, bagad, signifies to transgress, and also to deceive. Some, therefore, translate it as, I have deceived the generation of thy children, as if David had said, "Were I to speak thus, I would defraud your children of their hope." Others read, I have transgressed against the generation of thy children; that is, "Were I to speak thus, I would be guilty of inflicting an injury upon them."

But as the words of the prophet stand in this order, Behold! the generation of thy children: I have transgressed; and as a very good meaning can be elicited from them, I would expound them simply in this way: Were I to approve of such wicked thoughts and doubts, I would transgress; for, behold! the righteous are still remaining on the earth, and you reserve in every age some people for yourself.

Thus it will be unnecessary to add anything to complete the meaning, and the verb בגדתי, bagadti, I have transgressed, will read by itself and not be construed with any other part of the verse.

We have observed elsewhere that the Hebrew noun דור, dor, which we have rendered generation, properly refers to time. The idea David intends to convey is now perfectly obvious. While worldly men give loose reins to their unhallowed speculations until they finally become hardened and, divesting themselves of all fear of God, cast away with it the hope of salvation, he restrains himself so that he may not rush into similar destruction.

To speak or to declare here signifies to utter what had been meditated upon. His meaning, therefore, is that if he had pronounced judgment on this subject as something certain, he would have been chargeable with a very heinous transgression. He found himself previously involved in doubt, but now he acknowledges that he had grievously offended; and the reason for this, which he places between the words expressing these two states of mind, is that God always ensures that some of His own people remain in the world.

He seems to repeat the demonstrative particle, Behold! for the sake of contrast. He had said a little before, Behold! these are the ungodly; and here he says, Behold! the generation of thy children. It is assuredly nothing less than a divine miracle that the Church, which is so furiously assaulted by Satan and innumerable hosts of enemies, continues safe.