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27.Add iniquity to their iniquity. As the Hebrew word און,avon, signifies at times guilt as well as iniquity, some translate the verse thus, Add thou, that is, thou, O God! punishment to their punishment Others extend it yet further, regarding it as a prayer that wicked men might punish them for their wickedness. But it is abundantly evident, from the second clause, that what David prays for rather is, as is almost universally admitted, that God, taking his Spirit altogether from the wicked, would give them over to a reprobate mind, that they might never seek or have any desire to be brought to genuine repentance and amendment. Some interpret the phrase to come into righteousness as meaning to be absolved or acquitted; (91) but it seems to want the spirit of the language here used, by which David intends to express much more. Accordingly, the words ought to be expounded thus: Let their wickedness increase more and more, and let them turn away with abhorrence from all thought of amendment, to make it manifest that they are utterly alienated from God. (92) As this form of expression is familiar to the Sacred Writings, and every where to be met with, we ought not to think it harsh; and to wrest it, as some do, for the sake of avoiding what may have the appearance of absurdity, is ridiculous. The explanation they give of it is, That God adds sins to sins by permitting them; (93) and they defend such an exposition by asserting that this is an idiom of the Hebrew language, an assertion, the accuracy of which no Hebrew scholar will admit. Nor is it necessary to bring forward any such quibbles to excuse God; for, when he blinds the reprobate, it is sufficient for us to know that he has good and just causes for doing so; and it is in vain for men to murmur and to dispute with him, as if they sinned only by his impulse. Although the causes why they are blinded sometimes lie hidden in the secret purpose of Deity, there is not a man who is not reproved by his own conscience; and it is our duty to adore and admire the high mysteries of God, which surpass our understanding. It is justly said that “’ judgments are a great deep,” (Psa_36:6.) It would certainly be highly perverse to involve God in a part of the guilt of the wicked, whenever he executes his judgments upon them; as, for example, when he executes the judgment threatened in the passage before us. The amount is, that the wicked are plunged into a deep gulf of wickedness by the just vengeance of Heaven, that they may never return to a sound understanding, and that he who is filthy may become still more filthy, (94) (Rev_22:11.) Let it further be observed, that I do not explain the righteousness of God as denoting the righteousness which he bestows upon his chosen ones in regenerating them by his Holy Spirit, but the holiness manifested in the life which is so well-pleasing to him.
(91) This is the idea attached to it by Horsley, who translates the verse thus: “ them punishment upon punishment, and admit them not to thy justification.” Cresswell explains it thus: “ them not be restored to thy favor, nor experience thy clemency.”
(92) “Qu’ sont alienez et bannis de la presence de Dieu.” — Fr. “ they are alienated and banished from the presence of God.”
(93) This is the explanation given by Hammond. The Hebrew word נתן,nathan, here rendered add, he translates give or permit, which he supports in the following note. “ נתם, to give, signifies also to permit, appears by Est_9:13, ינתן, ‘ it be given to the Jews,’ i e. , permitted them. So Exo_12:23, ‘ shall not suffer (the Hebrew hath יתן, give) the destroyer to come in; the Chaldee reads ישבק, ‘’ and the LXX. ἀθήσει, to the same sense. So Psa_16:10, ‘ shalt not suffer ( יתם, again, give) thy Holy One to see corruption.’ And so תנה עון, give wickedness, is no more than permit: for so it is ordinary with God, as a punishment of some former great sin or sins, though not to infuse any malignity, yet by withdrawing his grace, and delivering them up to themselves, to permit more sins to follow, one on the heels of the other, and so to be so far from reforming and amending as daily to grow worse and worse, to be more obdurate, and so finally never to enter into God’ righteousness; i e. , into that way of obedience required by him, and which will be accepted by him, or (as צדק, in the notion of mercy, may signify being applied to God) into his mercy, so as to be made partakers of it.” A fuller statement and illustration of Calvin’ views on this point is given in his Institutes, Book I. chapter 18.
(94) In the French version, the two last verbs of the sentence are put in the future tense, by which the idea conveyed is somewhat modified: “En sorte qu’ ne retourneront jamais, a bon sens, et celuy qui est ord, deviendra encore plus ord.” — “ that they shall never return to a sound understanding, and he who is filthy will become still more filthy.”