Psa 11:7, 23:3, 106:3, Pro 12:28, 16:31, Isa 64:5 | JFB | STEP | 7. his countenance-- literally, "their faces," a use of the plural applied to God, as in ; ; ; , &c., denoting the fulness of His perfections, or more probably originating in a reference to the trinity of persons. "Faces" is used as "eyes" ( ), expressing here God's complacency towards the upright (compare , ).

‏ Psalms 11:7

7. his countenance--literally, "their faces," a use of the plural applied to God, as in Ge 1:26; 3:22; 11:7; Is 6:8, &c., denoting the fulness of His perfections, or more probably originating in a reference to the trinity of persons. "Faces" is used as "eyes" (Psa 11:4), expressing here God's complacency towards the upright (compare Psa 34:15, 16).

‏ Psalms 23:3

3. To restore the soul is to revive or quicken it (Psa 19:7), or relieve it (La 1:11, 19).

paths of righteousness--those of safety, as directed by God, and pleasing to Him.

for his name's sake--or, regard for His perfections, pledged for His people's welfare.

‏ Psalms 106:3

3. The blessing is limited to those whose principles and acts are right. How "blessed" Israel would be now, if he had "observed God's statutes" (Psa 105:45).

‏ Proverbs 12:28

28. (Compare Pr 8:8, 20, &c.). A sentiment often stated; here first affirmatively, then negatively.

‏ Proverbs 16:31

31. (Compare Pr 20:29).

if--or, which may be supplied properly, or without it the sense is as in Pr 3:16; 4:10, that piety is blessed with long life.

‏ Isaiah 64:5

5. meetest--that is, Thou makest peace, or enterest into covenant with him (see on Is 47:3).

rejoiceth and worketh--that is, who with joyful willingness worketh [Gesenius] (Ac 10:35; Joh 7:17).

those--Thou meetest "those," in apposition to "him" who represents a class whose characteristics "those that," &c., more fully describes.

remember thee in thy ways--(Is 26:8).

sinned--literally, "tripped," carrying on the figure in "ways."

in those is continuance--a plea to deprecate the continuance of God's wrath; it is not in Thy wrath that there is continuance (Is 54:7, 8; Psa 30:5; 103:9), but in Thy ways ("those"), namely, of covenant mercy to Thy people (Mi 7:18-20; Mal 3:6); on the strength of the everlasting continuance of His covenant they infer by faith, "we shall be saved." God "remembered" for them His covenant (Psa 106:45), though they often "remembered not" Him (Psa 78:42). Castellio translates, "we have sinned for long in them ('thy ways'), and could we then be saved?" But they hardly would use such a plea when their very object was to be saved.