Psalms 4:4

Stand in awe, and sin not,.... That is, stand in awe of God, and his righteous, judgments; be afraid of him, and tremble before him; make him your fear and your dread, and go on no longer and proceed

Stand in awe, and sin not: commune with your own heart upon your bed, and be still. Selah. Stand in awe, and sin not.

Tremble therefore and be afraid, if not of me, yet at least of God, who hath engaged himself in my cause or quarrel, and will be an adversary to my adversaries. Or, be angry, as this word is here rendered by all the ancient and some modern translators, and, as it is thought, by the apostle, . Or, are you angry? for it may be taken interrogatively. Admit you be angry or displeased that God hath preferred me, an obscure person, and of a mean family, before so many noble and mighty men; yet, or but, (as it follows,) sin not, i.e. do not so far indulge your anger as to break forth into murmuring against God, or rebellion against me; but seasonably suppress and mortify your unadvised and sinful passion, lest it break forth to your own ruin. This Hebrew word signifies in general a vehement commotion of the mind or heart, whether through grief, as ; or fear, as ; or anger, as ,28 Proverbs 29:9 . And sin not, by cherishing and prosecuting your anger and malice against me, and your rebellion against God’ s authority. Commune with your own heart upon your bed; calmly and deeply consider these things in your own breasts in the silent night, when you are at leisure from the crowd of distracting business, and free from the company of crafty and daubing parasites. And be still; either, 1. As to your outward actions; for this verb oft signifies a cessation of actions, as . Proceed no further in your wicked speeches and contrivances against me. Or rather, 2. As to your inward passions. Compose your tumultuous minds; as this verb is used, 62:2 137:2. Suppress your anger and rage, which though directed against me only, yet is indeed against God, and against his counsel and providence.

Psalms 4:4 Stand in awe, and sin not: commune with your own heart upon your bed, and be still. Selah.Ver. 4. Stand in awe, and sin not] Be stirred, or commoved, or troubled. Tremble and sin not. But today the word and the world too is altered; for men sin and tremble not; being arrived at that dead and dedolent disposition of those heathens who were past feeling, Ephesians 4:18-19. St Paul rather alludeth to this text, Ephesians 4:6, than citeth it, as some think. Commune with your own heart upon your bed] Advise with your pillow what you have to do in a business so important as the practice of repentance, whereunto I am now exhorting you. Here, then, examine yourselves, prove your ownselves, as 2 Corinthians 13:5. Sift you, sift you, Zephaniah 2:2. Recoil, turn short again upon yourselves, thrust your hands into your bosoms, as Moses did, and took it out again leprous, white as snow. Take a review of your hearts and lives, converse with yourselves; a wise man can never want with whom to discourse, though he be alone. But as it is a sign that there are great distempers in that family where husband and wife go several days together and speak not the one to the other; so in that soul that flieth from itself, and can go long without examination of self. A good man’ s business lieth most within doors, and he taketh the fittest time (night or day) for the better despatch of it, though thereby he abridge himself of his natural rest. Mr Bradford, the young Lord Harrington, and sundry others, kept journals, or day books, and oft read them over, for a help to humiliation. And be still. Selah] Or, make a pause, dwell upon the work of self-examination till you have made somewhat of it, till you have driven it up to a reformation, as Lamentations 3:39-40, Let us try, and turn. The word signifieth be dumb and hereupon all our silentiaries have founded their superstitious opinions and practices; such as were those old monks of Egypt, who, saith Cassian, were umbrarum more silentes et αλαλοι, as speechless as ghosts. So the Carthusian monks at this day, who speak together but once a week. Some kind of Anabaptists also will not speak a word to any but those of their own sect.

(4) Stand in awe.—Literally, tremble, whether with fear or anger. But the rendering of the LXX., “be angry,” quoted in Ephesians 4:26, though etymologically correct, is plainly inadmissible here. “(See New Testament Commentary.) Commune—i.e., reflect on your conduct, let the still hours of the night bring calmer and wiser thoughts with them. The LXX. and Vulg. translate “repent” instead of “be still.” This supposes the words to be addressed to the enemies. But the next verse makes this doubtful. Probably the clause is a general reflection on the proper conduct of Israelites when in trouble.

Verse 4. Stand in awe, and sin not] The Septuagint, which is copied by St. Paul, Ephesians 4:26, translate this clause, Οργιζεσθε, καιμηἁμαρτανετε; Be ye angry, and sin not. The Vulgate, Syriac, AEthiopic, and Arabic, give the same reading; and thus the original רגזו rigzu might be translated: If ye be angry, and if ye think ye have cause to be angry; do not let your disaffection carry you to acts of rebellion against both God and your king. Consider the subject deeply before you attempt to act. Do nothing rashly; do not justify one evil act by another: sleep on the business; converse with your own heart upon your bed; consult your pillow. And be still.] ודמו vedommu, "and be dumb." Hold your peace; fear lest ye be found fighting against God. Selah. Mark this!

4. Let wholesome fear, continues David, deter you from persisting in this course of action, which is nothing less than sinful. R.V. marg. gives the rendering of the LXX, “Be ye angry,” i.e. If you must needs be angry and discontented with my government, do not be carried away by passion into open rebellion. The rendering is possible, for the word is used of the perturbation of wrath as well as of fear. But it gives a less obvious and suitable sense. The words are adopted (but not as an express quotation) by St Paul in his warning against resentment, Ephesians 4:26. commune &c.] Lit. speak in your heart. The voice of conscience, unheeded in the turmoil and excitement of the day, or silenced by fear of men and evil example, may make itself heard in the calm solitude of the night, and convince you of the truth. Comp., though the turn of thought is different, Psalms 63:6; Psalms 149:5. be still] Desist from your mad endeavour.

Stand in awe - Still addressed to those who in Psalms 4:2 are called “sons of men;” that is, to his enemies. This is rendered by Prof.

4. David now turns from the leading spirits of the rebellion to those who are yet loyal in heart, but bewildered and doubtful as to what should be done.