Psalm 25:14

The secret of the LORD is with them that fear him; and he will shew them his covenant.

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(14) Secret.—Rather, familiar intercourse (so Symmachus). The Hebrew word primarily means couch, and then the confidential talk of those sitting on it. In Jeremiah 6:11; Jeremiah 15:17, the word is rendered “assembly.” The English word board offers a direct analogy. The word divan seems to have had a history exactly the reverse. (Comp. Psalm 55:14, “sweet counsel.”)

And he will shew them his covenant.—Literally, and his covenant to make them know. This is closely parallel with the preceding clause. The communion enjoyed by the pious is the highest covenant privilege.

Benson Commentary

Psalm 25:14. The secret of the Lord — Hebrew, סוד, sod, his fixed counsel, or design, is with them that fear him — To direct and guide them in the right way; to show them their duty in all conditions, and the way to eternal salvation. “The greatest happiness of man in this world,” says Dr. Horne, “is to know the fixed and determinate counsels of God concerning the human race, and to understand the covenant of redemption.” This, though it was revealed, yet might be called a secret, because of the many and deep mysteries in it, and because it is said to be hid from many of them to whom it was revealed, Matthew 11:25; 2 Corinthians 3:13-15; 2 Corinthians 4:3; and it cannot be understood to any purpose without the illumination of God’s Holy Spirit. Or, the secret of the Lord means his love and favour, which is called his secret, Job 29:4; Proverbs 3:32; and because it is known to none but him that enjoyeth it. And he will show — Hebrew, he will make them to know his covenant — That is, he will make them clearly to understand both its duties and its blessings, neither of which ungodly men rightly understand; he will make them to know it by experience, or he will fulfil and make it good to them and in them; as, on the contrary, God threatens to make ungodly men to know his breach of promise, Numbers 14:34.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

25:8-14 We are all sinners; and Christ came into the world to save sinners, to teach sinners, to call sinners to repentance. We value a promise by the character of him that makes it; we therefore depend upon God's promises. All the paths of the Lord, that is, all his promises and all his providences, are mercy and truth. In all God's dealings his people may see his mercy displayed, and his word fulfilled, whatever afflictions they are now exercised with. All the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth; and so it will appear when they come to their journey's end. Those that are humble, that distrust themselves, and desire to be taught and to follow Divine guidance, these he will guide in judgment, that is, by the rule of the written word, to find rest for their souls in the Saviour. Even when the body is sick, and in pain, the soul may be at ease in God.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

The secret of the Lord - On the word here rendered "secret," see the notes at Job 15:8. It properly means a couch or cushion; and then, a divan or circle of friends sitting together; then, deliberation or consultation; then, familiar contact, intimacy; and then, a "secret," - as if it were the result of a private consultation among friends, or something which pertained to them, and which they did not wish to have known. It is rendered "secret" in Genesis 49:6; Job 15:8; Job 29:4; Psalm 25:14; Proverbs 3:32; Proverbs 11:13; Proverbs 20:19; Proverbs 25:9; Amos 3:7; "counsel" in Psalm 55:14; Psalm 64:2; Psalm 83:3; Jeremiah 23:18, Jeremiah 23:22; and "assembly" in Psalm 89:7; Psalm 111:1; Jeremiah 6:11; Jeremiah 15:17; Ezekiel 13:9. The word "friendship" would perhaps express the meaning here. The sense is, that those who fear the Lord are admitted to the intimacy of friendship with Him; are permitted to come into His presence, and to partake of His counsels; are allowed free access to Him; or, as it is more commonly expressed, have "fellowship" with Him. Compare 1 John 1:3. The language is such as would be applied to the intimacy of friends, or to those who take counsel together. The language belongs to a large class of expressions denoting the close connection between God and His people.

With them that fear him - With those who truly and properly reverence Him, or who are His true worshippers: Psalm 5:7; Job 1:1.

And he will show them his covenant - Margin, "And his covenant to make them know it." The meaning is, that God will impart to them the true knowledge of His covenant; or, in other words, He will enable them to understand what there is in that covenant, or in its gracious provisions, that is adapted to promote their happiness and salvation. The word "covenant" here is the same term which is commonly used to describe the arrangements which God has made for the salvation of people: see Psalm 25:10. Whatever there is in that arrangement to promote the happiness and salvation of His people, He will cause them to understand.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

14. The reason of the blessing explained—the pious enjoy communion with God (compare Pr 3:21, 12), and, of course, learn His gracious terms of pardon.

Matthew Poole's Commentary

The secret of the Lord; either,

1. His word and counsel, to direct and guide them in the right way, which he oft mentions here as a singular blessing, Psalm 25:8,9,12, to show them their duty in all conditions, and the way to their eternal salvation. And so this may seem to be explained by the following words,

he will show them his covenant. And this, though it was revealed, yet might be called a secret, because of the many and deep mysteries in it, and because it is said to be hid from many of them to whom it was revealed, Matthew 11:25 2 Corinthians 3:13-15 4:3; and it is not to be understood to any purpose without the illumination of their minds by God’s Spirit, as is manifest from Psalm 119:18,19, and many other places of Scripture. Or rather,

2. His love and favour, which is called his secret, Job 29:4 Proverbs 3:32, and that very fitly, because it is known to none but him that enjoyeth it, Proverbs 14:10 Revelation 2:17. Or his gracious and fatherly providence, which is here said to be with them; or, as it is in the Hebrew, towards them, taking care of them, and working for them; even then when God seems to frown upon them.

He will show them his covenant, or, and he will make them to know (for the infinitive is here thought to be put for the future tense of the indicative, as it is Ecclesiastes 3:14,15,18 Ho 9:13 12:3)

his covenant, i.e. he will make them clearly to understand it, both its duties or conditions, and its blessings or privileges; neither of which ungodly men rightly understand. Or, he will make them to know it by experience, or by God’s making it good to them; as, on the contrary, God threatens to make ungodly men to know his breach of promise, Numbers 14:34. Or, as it is in the margin of our Bibles, and his covenant (is, i.e. he hath engaged himself by his promise or covenant) to make them know it, to wit, his secret, i.e. that he will manifest either his word or his favour to them.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

The secret of the Lord is with them that fear him,.... The secret of his purposes with them; as his purpose according to election; his resolution to redeem his chosen ones by his Son; his design to call them by his grace; his predestination of them to the adoption of children, and eternal life; which are the deep things of God the Spirit of God reveals; and all which are made manifest to them in effectual calling; and the secret of his providences is with them; some are made known to them that fear the Lord before they come to pass; as the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah to Abraham, with many other instances in the Old Testament; see Amos 3:7; and what is the book of the Revelation but a revelation of the secrets of Providence, from the time of Christ and his apostles, to the end of the world? some they observe and take notice of while they are performing, and see the gracious designs of God in them, for their good and his glory; and though some of his ways of Providence are past finding out, and his footsteps are not known as yet; hereafter his judgments will be made manifest, and the whole scene will be opened to the saints, and be clear to their view: the secret of his love, free grace, and favour, is with them, which was in his heart from everlasting, and lay hid in his thoughts, which are as much higher than ours as the heavens are higher than the earth; and which is made manifest in regeneration, and then shed abroad in the hearts of his people: secret communion with God is enjoyed by those that fear him, which is what the world knows nothing of, and the joy that results from it is what a stranger intermeddles not with; the Lord has his chambers and secret places, into which he brings them, and where they dwell. The secret of his Gospel is with them; and the mysteries of it, which were kept secret since the world began; as the mystery of a trinity of Persons in the Godhead; the union of the two natures in Christ; the regeneration of the Spirit; the union of the saints to Christ, and their communion with him; the calling of the Gentiles; the resurrection of the dead; and the change of living saints;

and he will show them his covenant: the covenant of grace, which was made with Christ for them from eternity, is made known to them in time, when they are called by the grace of God, and made partakers of the grace of the covenant, then the Lord reveals himself as their covenant God and Father; shows them that his Son is their surety, Mediator, Redeemer, and Saviour; puts his Spirit into them to implant covenant grace in them, to seal up the blessings of it to them, and bear witness to their interest in them, as pardon, justification, and adoption; and to apply the exceeding great and precious promises of it to them.

Geneva Study Bible

The {m} secret of the LORD is with them that fear him; and he will shew them his covenant.

(m) His counsel contained in his word, by which he declares that he is the protector of the faithful.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

14. Mysterious spiritual blessings await him too. To those who fear Him Jehovah reveals His secret counsel. Cp. Proverbs 3:32; Psalm 111:10; Proverbs 1:7; Matthew 11:25. For secret R.V. marg. gives alternatives counsel or friendship, ideas included in the word, which denotes the confidential intercourse of intimate fellowship. For examples see Genesis 18:17; Amos 3:7.

and he will shew them] Lit. make them to know (as in Psalm 25:4), to experience, in ever fuller and deeper measure, the meaning and blessedness of His covenant. We may also render, and his covenant is to give them knowledge.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 14. - The secret of the Lord is with them that fear him. God favours those who fear him with secret and confidential communion (comp. Proverbs 3:32). He "comes unto them, and makes his abode with them" (John 14:23), and "teaches them" (John 14:26), and enlightens them, and leads them in his way, and learns them (ver. 5), and "seals their instruction" (Job 33:16). And he will show them his covenant; i.e. make them see the full force of it, since his "commandment is exceeding broad" (Psalm 119:96). Psalm 25:14

Keil and Delitzsch Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament

The lxx renders סוד, κραταίωμα, as though it were equivalent to יסוד. The reciprocal נוסד, Psalm 2:2 (which see), leads one to the right primary signification. Starting from the primary meaning of the root סד, "to be or to make tight, firm, compressed," סוד signifies a being closely pressed together for the purpose of secret communication and converse, confidential communion or being together, Psalm 89:8; Psalm 111:1 (Symm. ὁμιλία), then the confidential communication itself, Psalm 55:15, a secret (Aquila ἀπόῤῥητον, Theod. μυστήριον). So here: He opens his mind without any reserve, speaks confidentially with those who fear Him; cf. the derivative passage Proverbs 3:32, and an example of the thing itself in Genesis 18:17. In Psalm 25:14 the infinitive with ל, according to Ges. ֗132, rem. 1, as in Isaiah 38:20, is an expression for the fut. periphrast.: faedus suum notum facturus est iis; the position of the words is like Daniel 2:16, Daniel 2:18; Daniel 4:15. הודיע is used of the imparting of not merely intellectual, but experimental knowledge. Hitzig renders it differently, viz., to enlighten them. But the Hiph. is not intended to be used thus absolutely even in 2 Samuel 7:21. בּריתו is the object; it is intended of the rich and deep and glorious character of the covenant revelation. The poet has now on all sides confirmed the truth, that every good gift comes down from above, from the God of salvation; and he returns to the thought from which he started.