[There be] many that say, who will show us [any]
good?
&c.] These may be thought to be the men of the world; carnal
worldly minded men, seeking after temporal good, and taking up
their rest and contentment in it; to whom the psalmist opposes
his wish and request, in the following words. Or these are the
words of the men that were along with David, wishing themselves
at home and in their families, enjoying the good things of life
they before had; or rather these are the words of the same many,
the enemies of David, spoken of in ( Psalms 3:1 Psalms 3:2 ) ; who were
wishing, as Kimchi observes, that Absalom's rebellion might
prosper; that David might die and his son reign in his stead, so
the evil they wished to him was good to them: or they may be the
words of the same men, expressing the desperate condition that
David and his friends were in, which the psalmist represents in
this manner, "who will show us any good?" none, say they, will
show them any good, neither God nor man; there is no help for him
in God; he and his friends must unavoidably perish: and this
produces the following petition,
Lord, lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon
us;
meaning his gracious presence, the manifestations of himself, the
discoveries of his love, communion with him, the comforts of his
Spirit, and the joys of his salvation; suggesting that in the
enjoyment of these things lay their good and happiness, and their
safety also; his face and favour, love and grace, being as a
shield to encompass them, and as a banner over them, ( Psalms 5:12 ) (
Song of Solomon 2:4
) ; and so Jarchi observes, that the word here used signifies to
lift up for a banner F18; so, me respect seems to be had to
the form of the priests blessing, ( Numbers
6:24-26 ) ; and the words are opposed to the good desired by
carnal men, and express the true happiness of the saints, (
Psalms
89:15 ) ; this is a blessing wished for not only by David,
but by his antitype the Messiah, ( Matthew
27:46 ) ; and by all believers.