
Text -- Psalms 116:11 (NET)




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collapse allCommentary -- Word/Phrase Notes (per phrase)
JFB -> Psa 116:10-11; Psa 116:11
JFB: Psa 116:10-11 - -- Confidence in God opposed to distrust of men, as not reliable (Psa 68:8-9). He speaks from an experience of the result of his faith.
Confidence in God opposed to distrust of men, as not reliable (Psa 68:8-9). He speaks from an experience of the result of his faith.

JFB: Psa 116:11 - -- Literally, "terror," or "agitation," produced by his affliction (compare Psa 31:22).
Literally, "terror," or "agitation," produced by his affliction (compare Psa 31:22).
Clarke -> Psa 116:11; Psa 116:11
Clarke: Psa 116:11 - -- I said in my haste - This is variously translated: I said in my Light, Chaldee. In my excess, or ecstasy, Vulgate. In my ecstasy, εκστασει,...
I said in my haste - This is variously translated: I said in my Light, Chaldee. In my excess, or ecstasy, Vulgate. In my ecstasy,

Clarke: Psa 116:11 - -- All men are liars - כל האדם כזב col haadam cozeb , "the whole of man is a lie."Falsity is diffused through his nature; deception proceeds ...
All men are liars -
"O what a thing were man, if his attire
Should alter with his mind
And, like a dolphin’ s skin
His clothes combine with his desires
Surely if each one saw another’ s heart
There would be no commerce
All would disperse, And live apart.
Hebert
To the same purpose I shall give the following Italian proverb: -
Con arte e con inganno
Si vive mezzo l’ anno
Con inganno e con art
Si vive l’ altro parti
"Men live half the year by deceit and by art
By art and deceit men live the other part.
Who gives this bad character of mankind? Man.
Calvin -> Psa 116:11
Calvin: Psa 116:11 - -- 11.I said in my fear Some take the word חפז , chaphaz, to denote haste or flight, and consider it as expressive of what David said when he fled...
11.I said in my fear Some take the word
The design of David, as I formerly observed, is in all respects to magnify the grace of God; and for this purpose, in speaking of his trials, he acknowledges that he did not deserve divine help and comfort; for he ought to have recollected, that, depending on the prophecy, he would have risen superior to all unbelief. This, he says, he did not do, because, owing to the perturbation of his mind, he could see nothing but vanity. If his faith was shaken in this violent manner, what will we do if God do not support and sustain us? This is not meant to keep the faithful in suspense between doubt and uncertainty, but rather to make them call more earnestly upon God. We ought to consider this trial attentively, for we can form no conception of these assaults until we actually experience them. Let us at the same time remember, that David’s attack was only temporary, continuing while he was perplexed with doubt, in consequence of the prophecy having escaped from his recollection.
TSK -> Psa 116:11

collapse allCommentary -- Word/Phrase Notes (per Verse)
Barnes -> Psa 116:11
Barnes: Psa 116:11 - -- I said in my haste - The Hebrew word used here means to flee in haste; to be in alarm and trepidation; and the idea seems to be, that the asser...
I said in my haste - The Hebrew word used here means to flee in haste; to be in alarm and trepidation; and the idea seems to be, that the assertion referred to was made under the influence of excitement - or that it was not the result of sober reflection, but of an agitated state of mind. It does not necessarily imply that that which was said was false, for many true statements may be made when the mind is agitated and excited; but the meaning is, that he was then in such a state of mind as to suggest the belief, and to cause the assertion that all people are liars. Whether calm reflection would, or would not, confirm this impression of the moment would be a fair question after the excitement was over.
All men are liars - Are false; no one is to be relied on. This was said in the time of his affliction, and this added much to his affliction. The meaning is that, in those circumstances of distress, no one came to his aid; no one sympathized with him; there was no one to whom he could unbosom himself; no one seemed to feel any interest in him. There were relatives on whom he might have supposed that he could rely; there may have been those to whom he had shown kindness in similar circumstances; there may have been old friends whose sympathy he might have had reason to expect; but all failed. No one came to help him. No one shed a tear over his sorrows. No one showed himself true to friendship, to sympathy, to gratitude. All people seemed to be false; and he was shut up to God alone. A similar thing is referred to in Psa 41:5-9; Psa 88:18; compare also Job 19:13-17. This is not an unnatural feeling in affliction. The mind is then sensitive. We need friends then. We expect our friends to show their friendship then. If they do not do this, it seems to us that the entire world is false. It is evident from the whole course of remark here that the psalmist on reflection felt that he had said this without due thought, under the influence of excitement - and that he was disposed, when his mind was restored to calmness, to think better of mankind than he did in the day of affliction and trouble. This also is not uncommon. The world is much better than we think it is when our own minds are morbid and our nerves are unstrung; and bad as the world is, our opinion of it is not unfrequently the result rather of our own wrong feeling than of just reflection on the real character of mankind.
Poole -> Psa 116:11
Poole: Psa 116:11 - -- I said yet once I confess I spake very unadvisedly. In my haste ; through hastiness and precipitation of my mind, for want of due consideration, as ...
I said yet once I confess I spake very unadvisedly. In my haste ; through hastiness and precipitation of my mind, for want of due consideration, as the same phrase is used, Psa 31:22 . Or, in my terror or amazement , when I was discomposed and distracted with the greatness of my troubles.
All men are liars: the sense is either,
1. All men, yea, even my former friends and companions, prove deceitful and perfidious, all human help faileth me; so that my case is desperate, if God do not help me. Or,
2. All men, God’ s own prophets not excepted, are liable to mistakes by the condition of their nature, as they are men, and therefore may easily deceive others; and this might be the case of Samuel in his promise of the kingdom to me. Thus he questions the truth of God’ s promises, yet so as he doth not strike directly at God, but only reflects upon the instrument.
PBC -> Psa 116:11
See PB: Ps 30:7
Gill -> Psa 116:11
Gill: Psa 116:11 - -- I said in my haste, all men are liars. The sin of lying is common to man; there is a natural proneness and propensity to it: men go astray from the w...
I said in my haste, all men are liars. The sin of lying is common to man; there is a natural proneness and propensity to it: men go astray from the womb, speaking lies; yet such who have received the grace of God "put it off" with the rest of "the deeds of the old man", and are "children that will not lie". Wherefore, though the greater part of mankind might deserve this character, yet all and every individual of them did not. However degenerate the age was in which David lived, and the faithful among men were few; yet there were some to whom this imputation did not belong; and therefore, on cool reflection, he owned it was said "in haste"; not with thought and deliberation, but rashly and precipitately, unadvisedly, in a passion, and under a temptation, and when off of his guard; and which he acknowledged and repented of. The Targum is,
"I said in my flight;''
when he made haste and fled from Saul, whom he might call a liar and dissembler, pretending respect to him when he had none; and also his courtiers; nay, even Samuel himself, who had anointed him, and assured him he should be king; and yet now he thought he had deceived him, and he should perish by the hand of Saul, and never come to the kingdom, 1Sa 27:1; or when he fled from his son Absalom, whom he might call a liar, who had deceived him with the pretence of a vow; and also Ahithophel and others, who proved treacherous and unfaithful to him. Some take the words in a quite different sense, as an instance of his great faith; that when he was so greatly afflicted, and obliged to fly, yet declared that every man that should say he should not come to the kingdom was a liar; so Kimchi: and others think his meaning is, that every man is a liar in comparison of God, who is true and faithful to his promises, and not a man, that he should lie. Men of both high and low degree are a lie and vanity, and not to be trusted and depended upon; but a man may safely put confidence in the Lord; to this agrees Rom 3:4; where the apostle seems to have some respect to this passage.

expand allCommentary -- Verse Notes / Footnotes
NET Notes -> Psa 116:11
Geneva Bible -> Psa 116:11
Geneva Bible: Psa 116:11 I said in my ( g ) haste, All men [are] liars.
( g ) In my great distress I thought God would not regard man, who is but lies and vanity, yet I overc...

expand allCommentary -- Verse Range Notes
TSK Synopsis -> Psa 116:1-19
TSK Synopsis: Psa 116:1-19 - --1 The psalmist professes his love and duty to God for his deliverance.12 He studies to be thankful.
MHCC -> Psa 116:10-19
MHCC: Psa 116:10-19 - --When troubled, we do best to hold our peace, for we are apt to speak unadvisedly. Yet there may be true faith where there are workings of unbelief; bu...
Matthew Henry -> Psa 116:10-19
Matthew Henry: Psa 116:10-19 - -- The Septuagint and some other ancient versions make these verses a distinct psalm separate from the former; and some have called it the Martyr's ps...
Keil-Delitzsch -> Psa 116:10-14
Keil-Delitzsch: Psa 116:10-14 - --
Since כּי אדבּר does not introduce anything that could become an object of belief, האמין is absolute here: to have faith, just as in Jo...
Constable: Psa 107:1--150:6 - --V. Book 5: chs. 107--150
There are 44 psalms in this section of the Psalter. David composed 15 of these (108-110...

Constable: Psa 116:1-19 - --Psalm 116
An unnamed writer gave thanks to God for delivering him from imminent death and lengthening hi...

Constable: Psa 116:3-11 - --2. The psalmist's account of his deliverance 116:3-11
116:3 Evidently the writer had been very close to death. He pictured it as reaching out to him w...
