(5) Foolish.—Literally, shiners—i.e., displayers of self; or, perhaps, self-praisers, boasters.

Shall not stand.—As distinguished men before kings (Proverbs 22:29); as angels in the court of the heavenly King (Job 1:6).

Psalm 5:5-6. The foolish shall not stand in thy sight — Literally, The mad shall not stand before thine eyes; shall not be admitted to attend upon thee, nor shall they be acquitted at the judgment of the great day. The word הוללים, holelim, here rendered the foolish, properly signifies the madmen, as the learned reader may see by consulting Ecclesiastes 2:2; Ecclesiastes 2:12; Ecclesiastes 7:7; Ecclesiastes 10:13; Isaiah 44:25. Wicked men are intended, as the next clause explains it; who are indeed morally and really madmen, in that they oppose and fight against Omnipotence, and voluntarily expose themselves to such dreadful miseries as are implied in everlasting banishment from God, for such mean and momentary gains or pleasures as are found in sin. Thou shalt destroy — With an everlasting destruction from thy presence, and the glory of thy power, them that speak leasing — Or falsehood, that continue so to do, and will not be reformed: that are void of integrity and veracity, or who suffer themselves to be employed by the father of lies in spreading calumnies and slanders. The Lord will abhor the bloody man also — That is, the passionate, the malicious, the implacable. For inhumanity, cruelty, and revenge are no less contrary, no less hateful to the God of mercy, than deceit, lies, and slanders are to the God of truth.

5:1-6 God is a prayer-hearing God. Such he has always been, and he is still as ready to hear prayer as ever. The most encouraging principle of prayer, and the most powerful plea in prayer, is, to look upon him as our King and our God. David also prays to a sin-hating God. sin is folly, and sinners are the greatest of all fools; fools of their own making. Wicked people hate God; justly are they hated of him, and this will be their endless misery and ruin. Let us learn the importance of truth and sincerity, in all the affairs of life. Liars and murderers resemble the devil, and are his children, therefore it may well be expected that God should abhor them. These were the characters of David's enemies; and such as these are still the enemies of Christ and his people.The foolish - Referring still to his enemies, as having this character, and urging the fact that they "had" such a character as a reason why God should hear him, and deliver him. The word "foolish" here, הוללים hôleliym, is used to denote the wicked, under the common idea in the Scriptures that sin is folly. Compare Psalm 14:1. It is rendered by Prof. Alexander, "the proud" or "insolent." The Aramaic renders it "deriders;" Latin Vulgate: "unjust;" Septuagint "transgressors;" Gesenius, Lexicon, "proud." So DeWette. The common idea, however, is the correct one, referring to the wicked under the idea that they were "fools," as all sin is supreme folly.

Shall not stand in thy sight - Shall not be allowed to be in thy presence; that is, thou wilt not approve their cause, or favor them. See the notes at Psalm 1:5.

Thou hatest all workers of iniquity - All that do wrong. He refers here, also, to a general characteristic of God, but still with an implied and immediate reference to his enemies as sustaining this character, and as a reason why he appealed to God to defend his cause. Nothing is more constantly affirmed in the Scriptures than that God hates all forms of evil.

5. foolish—vainglorious and insolent.

iniquity—especially such as denotes a negation, or defect, that is, of moral principle.

The foolish; or, the madmen, as the word properly signifies, as Ecclesiastes 2:2,12 7:7 10:13 Isaiah 44:25, i.e. wicked men, as the next words explain it; who are indeed morally and really madmen, in fighting with the Lord God Almighty, and in exposing themselves to such dreadful hazards and mischiefs for such mean and momentary advantages. In thy sight; either in battle against thee, as this phrase is used, Deu 7:24 Joshua 1:5 7:12; or in judgement at thy tribunal, of which see on Psalm 1:5: compare 1 Samuel 6:20 Job 41:10.

All workers of iniquity, i.e. such as make sin their choice, design, and business, giving up themselves to the constant or customary practice of it. Compare Matthew 7:23. Otherwise, in a general sense, there is no man that doth not sin or work iniquity, Ecclesiastes 7:20.

The foolish shall not stand in thy sight,.... By the "foolish" are meant not such who are so in a natural, but in a moral sense, wicked and ungodly men. The Septuagint render the word, "transgressors of the law"; and the Vulgate Latin version, "the unrighteous"; and the Arabic version, "they that contradict thy precepts". The word (h) used comes from a root which signifies to "praise"; and may design such as are praisers of themselves, proud boasters; who are elated with their own excellencies, with their wisdom, strength, honours, riches, and righteousness, and treat all others with contempt; for though they are unrighteous, yet they trust in themselves that they are righteous, and despise others, which betrays their folly; hence the Syriac version renders it, "the proud"; and the Chaldee paraphrase, "mockers". And their not standing in the sight of God denotes his abhorrence and detestation of them; as when one man abhors another he cannot endure to look upon him, or bear to have him in his presence: and it shows that such shall receive no favour from him; for though, like proud Haman, they may think themselves his favourites, and they are the persons the king will delight to honour; yet to their great mortification they will find, that a poor Mordecai, a mean despicable believer, will be preferred unto them. Nor shall they stand in acceptance and confidence before him at the day of judgment: they will not be able to stand themselves, but will call to the rocks and mountains to cover them; and they will not be suffered lost and, but will be driven from the presence of the Lord into everlasting burnings,

thou hatest all workers of iniquity; not all that have sin in them or do sin, for there are none without it; but such who give themselves up to work wickedness, who make it the business of their lives, and are slaves unto it, living in a continued series and course of impiety; and this character does not only belong to openly profane sinners, but to some professors of religion; see Matthew 7:22; and these are the objects of God's hatred. Which does not so much intend any past act of his, the preterition or passing them by, when he chose others in his eternal purposes; in which sense the word is used in Romans 9:13, as his continued aversion to them, denying them his grace and favour, and rejecting them from all nearness to him and communion with him; and may include the everlasting punishment of them, by which his displicine and hatred will be made manifest: and he is impartial in it, without any respect to persons, high or low, rich or poor; indignation and wrath, tribulation and anguish, will come upon every soul of man that does evil. God's love to his own people was antecedent to sin, and was placed upon them in Christ, in whom their persons are always well pleasing to him; and though they sinned in Adam, and became actual transgressors of his law, yet such was his love to their persons, that he saves them from their sins by the blood and righteousness of his son.

(h) "jactitantes", Gejerus; "insane gloriosi", Michaelis; so Ainsworth.

{d} The foolish shall not stand in thy sight: thou hatest all workers of iniquity.

(d) Who run blindly after their carnal desires.