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Selected Verse: Psalms 84:5 - Strong Concordance

Verse	Translation	Text
Ps 84:5	Strong Concordance	Blessed [0835] is the man [0120] whose strength [05797] is in thee; in whose heart [03824] are the ways [04546] of them.
	King James	Blessed is the man whose strength is in thee; in whose heart are the ways of them.

Summary Of Commentaries Associated With The Selected Verse

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A Commentary, Critical, Practical, and Explanatory on the Old and New Testaments, by Robert Jamieson, A.R. Fausset and David Brown [1882]
(Compare Psa 68:28). in whose heart . . . the ways--that is, who knows and loves the way to God's favor (Pro 16:17; Isa 40:3-4).

A Commentary, Critical, Practical, and Explanatory on the Old and New Testaments, by Robert Jamieson, A.R. Fausset and David Brown [1882]

(Compare Psa 68:28).

in whose heart . . . the ways--that is, who knows and loves the way to God's favor (Pro 16:17; Isa 40:3-4).

Notes on the Bible, by Albert Barnes, [1834]
Blessed is the man whose strength is in thee - Not merely are they blessed who dwell there permanently, but the man also whose heart is there; who feels that his strength is in God alone who loves to go there when opportunity is afforded him, treading his way to Zion. The idea is, that all strength must come from God; that this Strength is to be obtained by waiting on him (compare the notes at Isa 40:31), and that, therefore, it is a privilege thus to wait on God. Compare Psa 84:7. In whose heart are the ways of them - literally, "The ways in their heart." DeWette renders this, "Who thinketh on the ways, or paths, to Jerusalem." The word "ways" may refer either to the ways or paths that lead to the place of worship, or the ways to God and to heaven. As the allusion, however, is evidently to those who were accustomed to go up to the place of public worship, the meaning is, that the man is blessed or happy whose heart is on those ways; who thinks on them; who makes preparation for going up; who purposes thus to go up to worship. The sense is enfeebled in our translation by the insertion of the words "of them." The literal translation is better: "The ways, that is, the paths, the going up, the journey, to the place of public worship, are in their heart." Their affections; their thoughts are there. The word rendered ways, means commonly a raised way, a highway, but it may refer to any public path. It would be applicable to what we call a turnpike (road), as a way thrown up for public use. The allusion is to the ways or paths by which the people commonly went up to the place of public worship; and the idea may be well expressed in the language of Watts: "I love her gates, I love the road." The sentiment thus expressed finds a response in thousands of hearts: in the happiness - the peace - the joy - with which true worshippers go to the house of God. In the mind of the writer of the psalm this would have an additional beauty and attractiveness as being associated with the thought of the multitudes thronging that path - the groups - the companies - the families - that crowded the way to the place of public worship on their great festal occasions.

Notes on the Bible, by Albert Barnes, [1834]

Blessed is the man whose strength is in thee - Not merely are they blessed who dwell there permanently, but the man also whose heart is there; who feels that his strength is in God alone who loves to go there when opportunity is afforded him, treading his way to Zion. The idea is, that all strength must come from God; that this Strength is to be obtained by waiting on him (compare the notes at Isa 40:31), and that, therefore, it is a privilege thus to wait on God. Compare Psa 84:7.

In whose heart are the ways of them - literally, "The ways in their heart." DeWette renders this, "Who thinketh on the ways, or paths, to Jerusalem." The word "ways" may refer either to the ways or paths that lead to the place of worship, or the ways to God and to heaven. As the allusion, however, is evidently to those who were accustomed to go up to the place of public worship, the meaning is, that the man is blessed or happy whose heart is on those ways; who thinks on them; who makes preparation for going up; who purposes thus to go up to worship. The sense is enfeebled in our translation by the insertion of the words "of them." The literal translation is better: "The ways, that is, the paths, the going up, the journey, to the place of public worship, are in their heart." Their affections; their thoughts are there. The word rendered ways, means commonly a raised way, a highway, but it may refer to any public path. It would be applicable to what we call a turnpike (road), as a way thrown up for public use. The allusion is to the ways or paths by which the people commonly went up to the place of public worship; and the idea may be well expressed in the language of Watts:

"I love her gates, I love the road."

The sentiment thus expressed finds a response in thousands of hearts: in the happiness - the peace - the joy - with which true worshippers go to the house of God. In the mind of the writer of the psalm this would have an additional beauty and attractiveness as being associated with the thought of the multitudes thronging that path - the groups - the companies - the families - that crowded the way to the place of public worship on their great festal occasions.

Commentary on the Old Testament, by Carl Friedrich Keil and Franz Delitzsch [1857-78]
This second half takes up the "blessed" of the distichic epode (epoodo's) of the first, and consequently joins member to member chain-like on to it. Many hindrances must be cleared away if the poet is to get back to Zion, his true home; but his longing carries the surety within itself of its fulfilment: blessed, yea in himself blessed, is the man, who has his strength (עוז only here plene) in God, so that, consequently, the strength of Him to whom all things are possible is mighty in his weakness. What is said in Psa 84:6 is less adapted to be the object of the being called blessed than the result of that blessed relationship to God. What follows shows that the "high-roads" are not to be understood according to Isa 40:3., or any other passage, as an ethical, notional figure (Venema, Hengstenberg, Hitzig, and others), but according to Isa 33:8 (cf. Jer 31:21), with Aben-Ezra, Vatablus, and the majority of expositors, of the roads leading towards Zion; not, however, as referring to the return from the Exile, but to the going up to a festival: the pilgrim-high-roads with their separate halting-places (stations) were constantly present to the mind of such persons. And though they may be driven never so far away from them, they will nevertheless reach the goal of their longing. The most gloomy present becomes bright to them: passing through even a terrible wilderness, they turn it (ישׁיתהו) into a place of springs, their joyous hope and the infinite beauty of the goal, which is worth any amount of toil and trouble, afford them enlivening comfort, refreshing strengthening in the midst of the arid steppe. עמק הבּכא does not signify the "Valley of weeping," as Hupfeld at last renders it (lxx κοιλάδα τοῦ κλαυθμῶνος), although Burckhardt found a [Arab.] wâdı̂ 'l-bk' (Valley of weeping) in the neighbourhood of Sinai. In Hebrew "weeping" is בּכי, בּכה, בּכוּת, not בּכא, Rnan, in the fourth chapter of his Vie de Jsus, understands the expression to mean the last station of those who journey from northern Palestine on this side of the Jordan towards Jerusalem, viz., Ain el-Haramı̂je, in a narrow and gloomy valley where a black stream of water flows out of the rocks in which graves are dug, so that consequently עמק הככא signifies Valley of tears or of trickling waters. But such trickling out of the rock is also called בּכי, Job 28:11, and not בּכא. This latter is the singular to בּכאים in Sa2 5:24 (cf. נכאים, צבאים, Psa 103:21), the name of a tree, and, according to the old Jewish lexicographers, of the mulberry-tree (Talmudic תּוּת, Arab. tût); but according to the designation, of a tree from which some kind of fluid flows, and such a tree is the Arab. baka'un, resembling the balsam-tree, which is very common in the arid valley of Mecca, and therefore might also have given its name to some arid valley of the Holy Land (vid., Winer's Realwrterbuch, s.v. Bacha), and, according to Sa2 5:22-25, to one belonging, as it would appear, to the line of valley which leads from the coasts of the Philistines to Jerusalem. What is spoken of in passages like Isa 35:7; Isa 41:18, as being wrought by the omnipotence of God, who brings His people home to Zion, appears here as the result of the power of faith in those who, keeping the same end of their journeyings in view, pass through the unfruitful sterile valley. That other side, however, also does not remain unexpressed. Not only does their faith bring forth water out of the sand and rock of the desert, but God also on His part lovingly anticipates their love, and rewardingly anticipates their faithfulness: a gentle rain, like that which refreshes the sown fields in the autumn, descends from above and enwraps it (viz., the Valley of Baca) in a fulness of blessing (יעטּה, Hiphil with two accusatives, of which one is to be supplied: cf. on the figure, Ps 65:14). The arid steppe becomes resplendent with a flowery festive garment (Isa 35:1.), not to outward appearance, but to them spiritually, in a manner none the less true and real. And whereas under ordinary circumstances the strength of the traveller diminishes in proportion as he has traversed more and more of his toilsome road, with them it is the very reverse; they go from strength to strength (cf. on the expression, Jer 9:2; Jer 12:2), i.e., they receive strength for strength (cf. on the subject-matter, Isa 40:31; Joh 1:16), and that an ever increasing strength, the nearer they come to the desired goal, which also they cannot fail to reach. The pilgrim-band (this is the subject to יראה), going on from strength to (אל) strength, at last reaches, attains to (אל instead of the אל־פּני used in other instances) Elohim in Zion. Having reached this final goal, the pilgrim-band pours forth its heart in the language of prayer such as we have in Psa 84:9, and the music here strikes up and blends its sympathetic tones with this converse of the church with its God. The poet, however, who in spirit accompanies them on their pilgrimage, is now all the more painfully conscious of being at the present time far removed from this goal, and in the next strophe prays for relief. He calls God מגנּנוּ (as in Psa 59:12), for without His protection David's cause is lost. May He then behold (ראה, used just as absolutely as in Ch2 24:22, cf. Lam 3:50), and look upon the face of His anointed, which looks up to Him out of the depth of its reproach. The position of the words shows that מגנּנוּ is not to be regarded as the object to ראה, according to Psa 89:19 (cf. Ps 47:10) and in opposition to the accentuation, for why should it not then have been אלהים ראה מגננו? The confirmation (Psa 84:11) puts the fact that we have before us a Psalm belonging to the time of David's persecution by Absalom beyond all doubt. Manifestly, when his king prevails, the poet will at the same time (cf. David's language, Sa2 15:25) be restored to the sanctuary. A single day of his life in the courts of God is accounted by him as better than a thousand other days (מאלף with Olewejored and preceded by Rebia parvum). He would rather lie down on the threshold (concerning the significance of this הסתּופף in the mouth of a Korahite, vid., supra, p. 311) in the house of his God than dwell within in the tents of ungodliness (not "palaces," as one might have expected, if the house of God had at that time been a palace). For how worthless is the pleasure and concealment to be had there, when compared with the salvation and protection which Jahve Elohim affords to His saints! This is the only instance in which God is directly called a sun (שׁמשׁ) in the sacred writings (cf. Sir. 42:16). He is called a shield as protecting those who flee to Him and rendering them inaccessible to their foes, and a sun as the Being who dwells in an unapproachable light, which, going forth from Him in love towards men, is particularized as חן and כבוד, as the gentle and overpowering light of the grace and glory (χάρις and δόξα) of the Father of Lights. The highest good is self-communicative (communicativum sui). The God of salvation does not refuse any good thing to those who walk בּתמים (בּדרך תמים, Psa 101:6; cf. on Psa 15:2). Upon all receptive ones, i.e., all those who are desirous and capable of receiving His blessings, He freely bestows them out of the abundance of His good things. Strophe and anti-strophe are doubled in this second half of the song. The epode closely resembles that which follows the first half. And this closing ashrê is not followed by any Sela. The music is hushed. The song dies away with an iambic cadence into a waiting expectant stillness.

Commentary on the Old Testament, by Carl Friedrich Keil and Franz Delitzsch [1857-78]

This second half takes up the "blessed" of the distichic epode (epoodo's) of the first, and consequently joins member to member chain-like on to it. Many hindrances must be cleared away if the poet is to get back to Zion, his true home; but his longing carries the surety within itself of its fulfilment: blessed, yea in himself blessed, is the man, who has his strength (עוז only here plene) in God, so that, consequently, the strength of Him to whom all things are possible is mighty in his weakness. What is said in Psa 84:6 is less adapted to be the object of the being called blessed than the result of that blessed relationship to God. What follows shows that the "high-roads" are not to be understood according to Isa 40:3., or any other passage, as an ethical, notional figure (Venema, Hengstenberg, Hitzig, and others), but according to Isa 33:8 (cf. Jer 31:21), with Aben-Ezra, Vatablus, and the majority of expositors, of the roads leading towards Zion; not, however, as referring to the return from the Exile, but to the going up to a festival: the pilgrim-high-roads with their separate halting-places (stations) were constantly present to the mind of such persons. And though they may be driven never so far away from them, they will nevertheless reach the goal of their longing. The most gloomy present becomes bright to them: passing through even a terrible wilderness, they turn it (ישׁיתהו) into a place of springs, their joyous hope and the infinite beauty of the goal, which is worth any amount of toil and trouble, afford them enlivening comfort, refreshing strengthening in the midst of the arid steppe. עמק הבּכא does not signify the "Valley of weeping," as Hupfeld at last renders it (lxx κοιλάδα τοῦ κλαυθμῶνος), although Burckhardt found a [Arab.] wâdı̂ 'l-bk' (Valley of weeping) in the neighbourhood of Sinai. In Hebrew "weeping" is בּכי, בּכה, בּכוּת, not בּכא, Rnan, in the fourth chapter of his Vie de Jsus, understands the expression to mean the last station of those who journey from northern Palestine on this side of the Jordan towards Jerusalem, viz., Ain el-Haramı̂je, in a narrow and gloomy valley where a black stream of water flows out of the rocks in which graves are dug, so that consequently עמק הככא signifies Valley of tears or of trickling waters. But such trickling out of the rock is also called בּכי, Job 28:11, and not בּכא. This latter is the singular to בּכאים in Sa2 5:24 (cf. נכאים, צבאים, Psa 103:21), the name of a tree, and, according to the old Jewish lexicographers, of the mulberry-tree (Talmudic תּוּת, Arab. tût); but according to the designation, of a tree from which some kind of fluid flows, and such a tree is the Arab. baka'un, resembling the balsam-tree, which is very common in the arid valley of Mecca, and therefore might also have given its name to some arid valley of the Holy Land (vid., Winer's Realwrterbuch, s.v. Bacha), and, according to Sa2 5:22-25, to one belonging, as it would appear, to the line of valley which leads from the coasts of the Philistines to Jerusalem. What is spoken of in passages like Isa 35:7; Isa 41:18, as being wrought by the omnipotence of God, who brings His people home to Zion, appears here as the result of the power of faith in those who, keeping the same end of their journeyings in view, pass through the unfruitful sterile valley. That other side, however, also does not remain unexpressed. Not only does their faith bring forth water out of the sand and rock of the desert, but God also on His part lovingly anticipates their love, and rewardingly anticipates their faithfulness: a gentle rain, like that which refreshes the sown fields in the autumn, descends from above and enwraps it (viz., the Valley of Baca) in a fulness of blessing (יעטּה, Hiphil with two accusatives, of which one is to be supplied: cf. on the figure, Ps 65:14). The arid steppe becomes resplendent with a flowery festive garment (Isa 35:1.), not to outward appearance, but to them spiritually, in a manner none the less true and real. And whereas under ordinary circumstances the strength of the traveller diminishes in proportion as he has traversed more and more of his toilsome road, with them it is the very reverse; they go from strength to strength (cf. on the expression, Jer 9:2; Jer 12:2), i.e., they receive strength for strength (cf. on the subject-matter, Isa 40:31; Joh 1:16), and that an ever increasing strength, the nearer they come to the desired goal, which also they cannot fail to reach. The pilgrim-band (this is the subject to יראה), going on from strength to (אל) strength, at last reaches, attains to (אל instead of the אל־פּני used in other instances) Elohim in Zion. Having reached this final goal, the pilgrim-band pours forth its heart in the language of prayer such as we have in Psa 84:9, and the music here strikes up and blends its sympathetic tones with this converse of the church with its God.

The poet, however, who in spirit accompanies them on their pilgrimage, is now all the more painfully conscious of being at the present time far removed from this goal, and in the next strophe prays for relief. He calls God מגנּנוּ (as in Psa 59:12), for without His protection David's cause is lost. May He then behold (ראה, used just as absolutely as in Ch2 24:22, cf. Lam 3:50), and look upon the face of His anointed, which looks up to Him out of the depth of its reproach. The position of the words shows that מגנּנוּ is not to be regarded as the object to ראה, according to Psa 89:19 (cf. Ps 47:10) and in opposition to the accentuation, for why should it not then have been אלהים ראה מגננו? The confirmation (Psa 84:11) puts the fact that we have before us a Psalm belonging to the time of David's persecution by Absalom beyond all doubt. Manifestly, when his king prevails, the poet will at the same time (cf. David's language, Sa2 15:25) be restored to the sanctuary. A single day of his life in the courts of God is accounted by him as better than a thousand other days (מאלף with Olewejored and preceded by Rebia parvum). He would rather lie down on the threshold (concerning the significance of this הסתּופף in the mouth of a Korahite, vid., supra, p. 311) in the house of his God than dwell within in the tents of ungodliness (not "palaces," as one might have expected, if the house of God had at that time been a palace). For how worthless is the pleasure and concealment to be had there, when compared with the salvation and protection which Jahve Elohim affords to His saints! This is the only instance in which God is directly called a sun (שׁמשׁ) in the sacred writings (cf. Sir. 42:16). He is called a shield as protecting those who flee to Him and rendering them inaccessible to their foes, and a sun as the Being who dwells in an unapproachable light, which, going forth from Him in love towards men, is particularized as חן and כבוד, as the gentle and overpowering light of the grace and glory (χάρις and δόξα) of the Father of Lights. The highest good is self-communicative (communicativum sui). The God of salvation does not refuse any good thing to those who walk בּתמים (בּדרך תמים, Psa 101:6; cf. on Psa 15:2). Upon all receptive ones, i.e., all those who are desirous and capable of receiving His blessings, He freely bestows them out of the abundance of His good things. Strophe and anti-strophe are doubled in this second half of the song. The epode closely resembles that which follows the first half. And this closing ashrê is not followed by any Sela. The music is hushed. The song dies away with an iambic cadence into a waiting expectant stillness.

Explanatory Notes on the Whole Bible, by John Wesley [1754-65]
Whose strength - Who trusteth in thee as his only strength. Thy ways - Blessed are they whose hearts are set upon Zion and their journey is thither.

Adam Clarke Commentary on the Whole Bible - Published 1810-1826
The man whose strength is in thee - "Who life and strength from thee derives; And by thee moves and in thee lives." In whose heart are the ways of them - This is no sense. The original, however, is obscure: מסלות בלבבם mesilloth bilebabam, "the high ways are in their hearts;" that is, the roads winding to thy temple. Perhaps there is a reference here to the high roads leading to the cities of refuge. We wish to escape from the hands and dominion of these murderers, and the roads that lead to Jerusalem and the temple we think on with delight; our hearts are with them, we long to be traveiling on them.

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³ The voice [06963] of him that crieth [07121] in the wilderness [04057], Prepare [06437] ye the way [01870] of the LORD [03068], make straight [03474] in the desert [06160] a highway [04546] for our God [0430].
⁴ Every valley [01516] shall be exalted [05375], and every mountain [02022] and hill [01389] shall be made low [08213]: and the crooked [06121] shall be made straight [04334], and the rough places [07406] plain [01237]:

¹⁷ The highway [04546] of the upright [03477] is to depart [05493] from evil [07451]: he that keepeth [05341] his way [01870] preserveth [08104] his soul [05315].

²⁸ Thy God [0430] hath commanded [06680] thy strength [05797]: strengthen [05810], O God [0430], that which [02098] thou hast wrought [06466] for us.

⁷ They go [03212] from strength [02428] to strength [02428], every one of them in Zion [06726] appeareth [07200] before God [0430].

³¹ But they that wait [06960] upon the LORD [03068] shall renew [02498] their strength [03581]; they shall mount up [05927] with wings [083] as eagles [05404]; they shall run [07323], and not be weary [03021]; and they shall walk [03212], and not faint [03286].

² He that walketh [01980] uprightly [08549], and worketh [06466] righteousness [06664], and speaketh [01696] the truth [0571] in his heart [03824].

⁶ Mine eyes [05869] shall be upon the faithful [0539] of the land [0776], that they may dwell [03427] with me: he that walketh [01980] in a perfect [08549] way [01870], he shall serve [08334] me.

²⁵ And the king [04428] said [0559] unto Zadok [06659], Carry back [07725] the ark [0727] of God [0430] into the city [05892]: if I shall find [04672] favour [02580] in the eyes [05869] of the LORD [03068], he will bring me again [07725], and shew [07200] me both it, and his habitation [05116]:

¹¹ For the LORD [03068] God [0430] is a sun [08121] and shield [04043]: the LORD [03068] will give [05414] grace [02580] and glory [03519]: no good [02896] thing will he withhold [04513] from them that walk [01980] uprightly [08549].

¹⁹ Then thou spakest [01696] in vision [02377] to thy holy one [02623], and saidst [0559], I have laid [07737] help [05828] upon one that is mighty [01368]; I have exalted [07311] one chosen [0977] out of the people [05971].

⁵⁰ Till the LORD [03068] look down [08259], and behold [07200] from heaven [08064].

²² Thus Joash [03101] the king [04428] remembered [02142] not the kindness [02617] which Jehoiada [03077] his father [01] had done [06213] to him, but slew [02026] his son [01121]. And when he died [04194], he said [0559], The LORD [03068] look [07200] upon it, and require [01875] it.

¹² For the sin [02403] of their mouth [06310] and the words [01697] of their lips [08193] let them even be taken [03920] in their pride [01347]: and for cursing [0423] and lying [03585] which they speak [05608].

⁹ Behold [07200], O God [0430] our shield [04043], and look [05027] upon the face [06440] of thine anointed [04899].

¹⁶ And [2532] of [1537] his [846] fulness [4138] have [2983] all [3956] we [2249] received [2983], and [2532] grace [5485] for [473] grace [5485].

² Thou hast planted [05193] them, yea, they have taken root [08327]: they grow [03212], yea, they bring forth [06213] fruit [06529]: thou art near [07138] in their mouth [06310], and far from [07350] their reins [03629].

² Oh that [05414] I had in the wilderness [04057] a lodging place [04411] of wayfaring men [0732]; that I might leave [05800] my people [05971], and go [03212] from them! for they be all adulterers [05003], an assembly [06116] of treacherous men [0898].

¹ The wilderness [04057] and the solitary place [06723] shall be glad [07797] for them; and the desert [06160] shall rejoice [01523], and blossom [06524] as the rose [02261].

¹⁸ I will open [06605] rivers [05104] in high places [08205], and fountains [04599] in the midst [08432] of the valleys [01237]: I will make [07760] the wilderness [04057] a pool [098] of water [04325], and the dry [06723] land [0776] springs [04161] of water [04325].

⁷ And the parched ground [08273] shall become a pool [098], and the thirsty land [06774] springs [04002] of water [04325]: in the habitation [05116] of dragons [08577], where each lay [07258], shall be grass [02682] with reeds [07070] and rushes [01573].

²² And the Philistines [06430] came up [05927] yet again [03254], and spread [05203] themselves in the valley [06010] of Rephaim [07497].
²³ And when David [01732] enquired [07592] of the LORD [03068], he said [0559], Thou shalt not go up [05927]; but fetch a compass [05437] behind [0310] them, and come [0935] upon them over against [04136] the mulberry trees [01057].
²⁴ And let it be, when thou hearest [08085] the sound [06963] of a going [06807] in the tops [07218] of the mulberry trees [01057], that then thou shalt bestir [02782] thyself: for then shall the LORD [03068] go out [03318] before [06440] thee, to smite [05221] the host [04264] of the Philistines [06430].
²⁵ And David [01732] did so [06213], as the LORD [03068] had commanded [06680] him; and smote [05221] the Philistines [06430] from Geba [01387] until thou come [0935] to Gazer [01507].

²¹ Bless [01288] ye the LORD [03068], all ye his hosts [06635]; ye ministers [08334] of his, that do [06213] his pleasure [07522].

²⁴ And let it be, when thou hearest [08085] the sound [06963] of a going [06807] in the tops [07218] of the mulberry trees [01057], that then thou shalt bestir [02782] thyself: for then shall the LORD [03068] go out [03318] before [06440] thee, to smite [05221] the host [04264] of the Philistines [06430].

¹¹ He bindeth [02280] the floods [05104] from overflowing [01065]; and the thing that is hid [08587] bringeth he forth [03318] to light [0216].

²¹ Set thee up [05324] waymarks [06725], make [07760] thee high heaps [08564]: set [07896] thine heart [03820] toward the highway [04546], even the way [01870] which thou wentest [01980]: turn again [07725], O virgin [01330] of Israel [03478], turn again [07725] to these thy cities [05892].

⁸ The highways [04546] lie waste [08074], the wayfaring man [05674] [0734] ceaseth [07673]: he hath broken [06565] the covenant [01285], he hath despised [03988] the cities [05892], he regardeth [02803] no man [0582].

⁶ Who passing [05674] through the valley [06010] of Baca [01056] [01057] make [07896] it a well [04599]; the rain [04175] also filleth [05844] the pools [01293].