Psalms 94:17

17 If the LORD had not been my help, my soul would soon have dwelt in the land of silence.

Psalms 94:17 Meaning and Commentary

Psalms 94:17

Unless the Lord had been my help
Against her enemies, which were so many and mighty, and her friends so few and feeble, and having no heart to defend her cause; especially this will be the case at the time of the slaying of the witnesses; but the Lord will appear, and help her; the Spirit of life, from him, shall enter into them, and cause them to live again, and to ascend up to heaven; and shall destroy great numbers of their enemies, and the rest shall be frightened, and give glory to God, ( Revelation 11:11-13 ) ,

my soul had almost dwelt in silence;
or "within a little", or "must quickly" F5; not only have been, but must have dwelt, continued in silence, in the grave; see ( Psalms 115:17 ) his case being desperate, like that of the apostles, when they had the sentence of death within themselves, ( 2 Corinthians 1:10 ) , this is to be understood not of the soul precisely, and abstractly considered, which dies not, nor is it silent after death; but of the whole person, being a part for the whole; and of the person, with respect to the mortal part, the body, which only dies, and while in a state of separation, or in the grave, is silent, and ceases from all operations of life: perhaps this may have some respect to the silencing of the witnesses, which is a principal thing meant by the slaying of them; a stop put to their ministrations, partly by the edicts of their enemies, and partly by the discouragement of their friends, their shyness, and negligence of them; and which silence will be almost total, if not altogether; though it will last but for a short time; they shall not dwell or continue in silence, but will open their mouths again; signified by the angel flying through the midst of heaven, with the everlasting Gospel, ( Revelation 14:6 ) .


FOOTNOTES:

F5 (jemk) "quasi parum", Montanus, Gejerus, Junius & Tremellius, Piscator.

Psalms 94:17 In-Context

15 for justice will return to the righteous, and all the upright in heart will follow it.
16 Who rises up for me against the wicked? Who stands up for me against evildoers?
17 If the LORD had not been my help, my soul would soon have dwelt in the land of silence.
18 When I thought, "My foot slips," thy steadfast love, O LORD, held me up.
19 When the cares of my heart are many, thy consolations cheer my soul.
Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright 1952 [2nd edition, 1971] by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.