Psalms 5:7

But as for me, I will come [into] thy house,.... The tabernacle of Moses, sometimes called the house of God, 1 Chronicles 9:23; for as yet the temple was not built.

But as for me, I will come into thy house in the multitude of thy mercy: and in thy fear will I worship toward thy holy temple.

I will come, to wit, with holy boldness and confidence, as becomes thy son and servant; whereas mine enemies cannot appear in thy presence with any comfort and safety, . Into thy house, to wit, the tabernacle; from which, though I be now excluded, through the malice and power of mine adversaries, yet thou wilt, I doubt not, restore me to my former opportunities of coming thither to worship thee, which was my constant custom and chief joy. In the multitude of thy mercy, or, by thy great mercy, i.e. trusting only to thy great mercy for admittance thither, and acceptance there. Or, for or became of thy many mercies to me, for which I will come to pay my thanks and service unto thee. In thy fear; with a holy dread and reverence of thy majesty, and of thy house, and a due care to please thee in my religious worship, and in the whole course of my life; which he opposeth to the carelessness of his enemies, who came thither so rudely and presumptuously, and with the conscience of such wicked hearts and lives. Toward thy holy temple; looking towards it, when I cannot come to it. Compare . Or, at thy holy temple, i.e. the tabernacle, which is sometimes called by that name.

Psalms 5:7 But as for me, I will come [into] thy house in the multitude of thy mercy: [and] in thy fear will I worship toward thy holy temple.Ver. 7. But as for me] Who am conscious of none of these foul and flagitious practices. The upright shall dwell in God’ s presence, Job 12:16 Psalms 140:13 : not so the hypocrite and ungodly. He is like a vagabond begging at the gate, and not knowing whether the master of the house is providing for him an alms or a cudgel. I will come into thine house, &c.] He knew that the ark and mercy seat were never separated. And in thy fear will I worship, &c.] The fear of God is, 1. Servile; this David meaneth not. 2. Filial or amicable. And this, again, is either Timor culpae, fear to offend so good a God, and to forget his favour, Proverbs 8:13, or Timor cultus, the fear that is to be expressed in our addresses to Almighty God, that reverential godly fear, Jeremiah 5:22 Hebrews 12:28 Psalms 2:11, and here. Thus the very angels make their addresses to the most high God with greatest self abasements, Isaiah 6:5 How much more should we silly and sinful creatures! Omnino oportet nos orationis tempore curiam intrare coelestem (saith Bernard) in qua Rex regum stellato sedit solio, circumdante innumerabili et ineffabili beatorum spirituum exercitu. Quanta ergo cum reverentia, quanto timore, quanta illuc humilitate accedere, debet e palude sua procedens et repens vilis ranuncula! that is, at prayer time we should enter into the heavenly palace, where the King of kings sitteth in a stately throne, environed with an innumerable company of angels and saints. With how great reverence, therefore, godly fear, and humility should a poor paltry frog come, who is newly crawled out of his guzzle!

(7) House . . . temple.—These words must certainly be taken literally, and not, as Hupfeld suggests, metaphorically, or in a spiritual sense with reference to Psalms 5:4. The reference to worship hardly allows the rendering palace, though the derivation of the Hebrew word permits it. No doubt either explanation is possible; but neither would have been suggested but for the title to the psalm; and it is clear (see General Introduction) that historical exactness was not regarded in affixing the psalm-titles. Worship.—Literally, prostrate myself towards, as in 1 Kings 8:29; Psalms 28:2. (Comp. Daniel’s attitude of prayer towards Jerusalem, and that of the Moslems now towards Mecca.)

Verse 7. In the multitude of thy mercy] David considered it an inexpressible privilege to be permitted to attend public worship; and he knew that it was only through the multitude of God's mercy that he, or any man else, could enjoy such a privilege. He knew farther that, from the multitude of this mercy, he might receive innumerable blessings in his house. In this spirit, and with this dependence, he went to the house of the Lord. He who takes David's views of this subject will never, willingly, be absent from the means of grace. In thy fear] Duly considering the infinite holiness of thy majesty, will I worship, אשתחוה eshtachaveh, will I bow and prostrate myself in the deepest self-abasement and humility. Toward thy holy temple.] If David was the author of this Psalm, as is generally agreed, the temple was not built at this time: only the tabernacle then existed; and in the preceding clause he speaks of coming into the house, by which he must mean the tabernacle. But temple here may signify the holy of holies, before which David might prostrate himself while in the house, i.e., the court of the tabernacle. Even in the house of God, there is the temple of God; the place where the Divine Shechinah dwells. God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself. In him dwelt all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. In all ages and dispensations, Jesus was ever the temple where the Supreme Deity was met with and worshipped. The human nature of Jesus was the real temple of the Deity. Nowhere else can God be found.

7–9. In sharp contrast to the banishment of the wicked from God’s presence is the Psalmist’s freedom of access. He prays for the special guidance needed by one who is surrounded by insidious enemies.

But as for me - While it is their characteristic that they are wicked, and have no desire to serve God; and while with such characteristics they can have no hope of access to God, and no reason to

7. But as for me—A sudden transition from the vile and abhorrent character of his enemies to the beautiful unfoldings of a true piety.