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20Man is in honor, and will not understand (237) Here the prophet, that he may not be understood as having represented the present life, which in itself is a singular blessing of God, as wholly contemptible, corrects himself as it were, or qualifies his former statements by a single word, importing that those whom he reprehends have reduced themselves to the level of the beasts that perish, by senselessly devouring the blessings which God has bestowed, and thus divesting themselves of that honor which God had put upon them. It is against the abuse of this world that the prophet has been directing his censures. They are aimed at those who riot in the bounties of God without any recognition of God himself, and who devote themselves in an infatuated manner to the passing glory of this world, instead of rising from it to the contemplation of the things which are above.
(237) This verse is precisely the same as the 12th, with the exception of one word. Instead of בלילין, bal-yalin, will not lodge, in the 12th verse, we have here ולא יבין, velo yabin, and will not understand But the Septuagint and Syriac versions read in the 12th verse as here, “ not.” Houbigant thinks that this is the true reading of the 12th verse. “ very repetition,” says he, “ that it is to be so read. Besides, as the Psalmist immediately subjoins, They are like brute creatures, it is sufficiently evident that the reason why men are said to be like the beasts is, because they do not understand, and not because they do not continue in honor, since honor does not belong to the brute creation.”