Psalms 14:6

Old Testament Poetry/Hymns ASV (1901)

What does Psalms 14:6 say?

The American Standard Version records this verse as: “Ye put to shame the counsel of the poor, Because Jehovah is his refuge.” Read the surrounding verses and the named sources below before drawing broader conclusions.

The verse

Ye put to shame the counsel of the poor, Because Jehovah is his refuge.
Psalms 14:6 — American Standard Version

Context — Psalms 14

American Standard Version (1901) — public domain. Click any verse for its study page.
6Ye put to shame the counsel of the poor, Because Jehovah is his refuge.

What do historical commentaries say?

John Gill's Exposition
John Gill (1697–1771) · Exposition of the Old and New Testament · 18th-century historical commentary
“You have shamed the counsel of the poor, etc.] The poor saints, the Lord’s people, the generation of the righteous, who are generally the poor of this world; poor in spirit, and an afflicted people: and the counsel of them intends not the counsel which they give to others, but the counsel which they receive from the Lord, from the Spirit of counsel, which rests upon them, and with which they are guided; and this is to trust in the Lord, and to make him their refuge; and which is good advice, the best of counsel. Happy and safe are they that take it! But this is derided by wicked and ungodly men; they mock at the poor saints for it, and endeavour to shame them out of it; but hope makes not…”
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Barnes' Notes
Albert Barnes (1798–1870) · Notes on the Whole Bible · 19th-century historical commentary
“Ye have shamed - The address here is made directly to the wicked themselves, to show them the baseness of their own conduct, and, perhaps, in connection with the previous verse, to show them what occasion they had for fear. The idea in the verse seems to be, that as God was the protector of the “poor” who had come to him for “refuge,” and as they had “shamed the counsel of the poor” who had done this, they had real occasion for alarm. The phrase “ye have shamed” seems to mean that they had “despised” it, or had treated it with derision, that is, they had laughed at, or had mocked the purpose of the poor in putting their trust in Yahweh. The counsel - The purpose, the plan, the act - of the…”
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Wesley's Explanatory Notes
John Wesley (1703–1791) · Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament and Old Testament notes · 18th-century historical commentary
“Because - This was the ground of their contempt, that he lived by faith in God's promise and providence. Psalms 14:7”
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Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge
R. A. Torrey and contributors · The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge · Cross-reference reference work
“Ye: Psa 3:2, Psa 4:2, Psa 22:7, Psa 22:8, Psa 42:10; Neh 4:2-4; Isa 37:10, Isa 37:11; Eze 35:10; Dan 3:15; Mat 27:40-43 Lord: Psa 9:9; Heb 6:18 Psalms 14:7”
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Keil & Delitzsch
C. F. Keil & F. Delitzsch · Commentary on the Old Testament · 19th-century historical commentary
“The psalmist himself meets the oppressed full of joyous confidence, by reason of the self-manifestation of God in judgment, of which he is now become so confident and which so fills him with comfort. Instead of the sixth tristich, which we expected, we have another distich. The Hiph. הבישׁ with a personal object signifies: to put any one to shame, i.e., to bring it about that any one must be ashamed, e.g., Psa 44:8 (cf. Psa 53:6, where the accusative of the person has to be supplied), or absolutely: to act shamefully, as in the phrase used in Proverbs, בּן מיבישׁ (a prodigal son). It appears only here with a neuter accusative of the object, not in the signification to defame (Hitz.), - a…”
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Related study paths

Sources and verification