The Lord knoweth the thoughts of man
He not only hears their words, and sees their actions; but he
knows their thoughts, the secret thoughts of their hearts, though
he is afar off from them, and, they from him; he is the searcher
of the hearts and trier of the reins of the children of men; see
( Psalms
139:2 Psalms
139:23 Psalms
139:24 ) ( Jeremiah
17:9 Jeremiah
17:10 ) , and so is Christ, who is the omniscient God, and is
the Jehovah all along spoken to and of in this psalm; he knows
the thoughts of men, and is a critical discerner of them, (
Matthew 9:3
Matthew 9:4 )
( Hebrews
4:12 )
that they are vanity;
either that their thoughts are vanity; the object of them is
vanity, the riches and honours of this world, which are all
vanity and vexation of spirit; and sinful lusts and pleasures,
which are vain and useless, yea, pernicious and hurtful: and so
they are in their issue and event; they come to nothing, they are
without effect; the Lord disappoints men's devices, and
frustrates their designs; they think of this and the other, form
schemes, but cannot execute them: or else the sense is, that they
themselves are vanity, as man in his best estate is; even every
man, whether of high or low degree; see ( Psalms 39:5 Psalms 39:6 ) (
62:9 ) . The
Syriac version is, "for they are a vapour"; with which compare (
James 4:14 ) .
Thales, an Heathen philosopher F5, being asked whether men's
deeds could be hid from God, answered, no, nor their thoughts.