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Selected Verse: Psalms 14:6 - Strong Concordance

Verse	Translation	Text
Ps 14:6	Strong Concordance	Ye have shamed [0954] the counsel [06098] of the poor [06041], because the LORD [03068] is his refuge [04268].
	King James	Ye have shamed the counsel of the poor, because the LORD is his refuge.

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Notes on the Bible, by Albert Barnes, [1834]
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 poor; that is, in putting their trust in the Lord. They had derided this as vain and foolish, since they maintained that there was no God Psa 14:1. They therefore regarded such an act as mere illusion. The poor - The righteous, considered as poor, or as afflicted. The word here rendered "poor" - עני ‛ânı̂y - means more properly, afflicted, distressed, needy. It is often rendered "afflicted," Job 34:28; Psa 18:27; Psa 22:24; Psa 25:16; Psa 82:3; et al. in Psa 9:12; Psa 10:12 it is rendered "humble." The common rendering, however, is "poor," but it refers properly to the righteous, with the idea that they are afflicted, needy, and in humble circumstances. This is the idea here. The wicked had derided those who, in circumstances of poverty, depression, want, trial, had no other resource, and who had sought their comfort in God. These reproaches tended to take away their last consolation, and to cover them with confusion; it was proper, therefore, that they who had done this should be overwhelmed with fear. If there is anything which deserves punishment it is the act which would take away from the world the last hope of the wretched - "that there is a God." Because the Lord is his refuge - He has made the Lord his refuge. In his poverty, affliction, and trouble, he has come to God, and put his trust in him. This source of comfort, the doctrine of the wicked - that there "was no God" - tended to destroy. Atheism cuts off every hope of man, and leaves the wretched to despair. It would put out the last light that gleams on the earth, and cover the world with total and eternal night.

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

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 poor; that is, in putting their trust in the Lord. They had derided this as vain and foolish, since they maintained that there was no God Psa 14:1. They therefore regarded such an act as mere illusion.

The poor - The righteous, considered as poor, or as afflicted. The word here rendered "poor" - עני ‛ânı̂y - means more properly, afflicted, distressed, needy. It is often rendered "afflicted," Job 34:28; Psa 18:27; Psa 22:24; Psa 25:16; Psa 82:3; et al. in Psa 9:12; Psa 10:12 it is rendered "humble." The common rendering, however, is "poor," but it refers properly to the righteous, with the idea that they are afflicted, needy, and in humble circumstances. This is the idea here. The wicked had derided those who, in circumstances of poverty, depression, want, trial, had no other resource, and who had sought their comfort in God. These reproaches tended to take away their last consolation, and to cover them with confusion; it was proper, therefore, that they who had done this should be overwhelmed with fear. If there is anything which deserves punishment it is the act which would take away from the world the last hope of the wretched - "that there is a God."

Because the Lord is his refuge - He has made the Lord his refuge. In his poverty, affliction, and trouble, he has come to God, and put his trust in him. This source of comfort, the doctrine of the wicked - that there "was no God" - tended to destroy. Atheism cuts off every hope of man, and leaves the wretched to despair. It would put out the last light that gleams on the earth, and cover the world with total and eternal night.

Commentary on the Old Testament, by Carl Friedrich Keil and Franz Delitzsch [1857-78]
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 meaning it never has (not even in Pro 13:5, where it is blended with הבאישׁ to make stinking, i.e., a reproach, Gen 34:30) - but to confound, put to shame = to frustrate (Hupf.), which is at once the most natural meaning in connection with עצת. But it is not to be rendered: ye put to shame, because..., for to what purpose is this statement with this inapplicable reason in support of it? The fut. תּבישׁוּ is used with a like shade of meaning as in Lev 19:17, and the imperative elsewhere; and כּי gives the reason for the tacitly implied clause, or if a line is really lost from the strophe, the lost clause (cf. Isa 8:9.): ye will not accomplish it. עצה is whatsoever the pious man, who as such suffers reproach, plans to do for the glory of his God, or even in accordance with the will of his God. All this the children of the world, who are in possession of worldly power, seek to frustrate; but viewed in the light of the final decision their attempt is futile: Jahve is his refuge, or, literally the place whither he flees to hide himself and finds a hiding or concealment (צל, Arab. dall, סתר, Arab. sitr, Arabic also drâ). מחסּהוּ has an orthophonic Dag., which obviates the necessity for the reading מחסּהוּ (cf. תּעלּים Psa 10:1, טעמּו Psa 34:1, לאסּר Psa 105:22, and similar instances).

Explanatory Notes on the Whole Bible, by John Wesley [1754-65]
Because - This was the ground of their contempt, that he lived by faith in God's promise and providence.

Adam Clarke Commentary on the Whole Bible - Published 1810-1826
Ye have shamed the counsel of the poor - Instead of תבישו tabishu, "Ye have shamed," Bishop Horsley proposes to read תבישם tabishem, and translates the clause thus: "The counsel of the helpless man shall put them to shame." But this is not authorized by MS. or version. There is no need for any change: the psalmist refers to the confidence which the afflicted people professed to have in God for their deliverance, which confidence the Babylonians turned into ridicule. The poor people took counsel together to expect help from God and to wait patiently for it; and this counsel ye derided, because ye did not know - did not consider, that God was in the congregation of the righteous.

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¹² Arise [06965], O LORD [03068]; O God [0410], lift up [05375] thine hand [03027]: forget [07911] not the humble [06035] [06041].

¹² When he maketh inquisition [01875] for blood [01818], he remembereth [02142] them: he forgetteth [07911] not the cry [06818] of the humble [06035] [06041].

³ Defend [08199] the poor [01800] and fatherless [03490]: do justice [06663] to the afflicted [06041] and needy [07326].

¹⁶ Turn [06437] thee unto me, and have mercy [02603] upon me; for I am desolate [03173] and afflicted [06041].

²⁴ For he hath not despised [0959] nor abhorred [08262] the affliction [06039] of the afflicted [06041]; neither hath he hid [05641] his face [06440] from him; but when he cried [07768] unto him, he heard [08085].

²⁷ For thou wilt save [03467] the afflicted [06041] people [05971]; but wilt bring down [08213] high [07311] looks [05869].

²⁸ So that they cause the cry [06818] of the poor [01800] to come [0935] unto him, and he heareth [08085] the cry [06818] of the afflicted [06041].

¹ To the chief Musician [05329], A Psalm of David [01732]. The fool [05036] hath said [0559] in his heart [03820], There is no God [0430]. They are corrupt [07843], they have done abominable [08581] works [05949], there is none that doeth [06213] good [02896].

²² To bind [0631] his princes [08269] at his pleasure [05315]; and teach his senators [02205] wisdom [02449].

¹ A Psalm of David [01732], when he changed [08138] his behaviour [02940] before [06440] Abimelech [040]; who drove him away [01644], and he departed [03212]. I will bless [01288] the LORD [03068] at all times [06256]: his praise [08416] shall continually [08548] be in my mouth [06310].

¹ Why standest [05975] thou afar off [07350], O LORD [03068]? why hidest [05956] thou thyself in times [06256] of trouble [06869]?

⁹ Associate [07489] yourselves, O ye people [05971], and ye shall be broken in pieces [02865]; and give ear [0238], all [03605] ye of far [04801] countries [0776]: gird [0247] yourselves, and ye shall be broken in pieces [02865]; gird [0247] yourselves, and ye shall be broken in pieces [02865].

¹⁷ Thou shalt not hate [08130] thy brother [0251] in thine heart [03824]: thou shalt in any wise [03198] rebuke [03198] thy neighbour [05997], and not suffer [05375] sin [02399] upon him.

³⁰ And Jacob [03290] said [0559] to Simeon [08095] and Levi [03878], Ye have troubled [05916] me to make me to stink [0887] among the inhabitants [03427] of the land [0776], among the Canaanites [03669] and the Perizzites [06522]: and I being few [04962] in number [04557], they shall gather themselves together [0622] against me, and slay me [05221]; and I shall be destroyed [08045], I and my house [01004].

⁵ A righteous [06662] man hateth [08130] lying [01697] [08267]: but a wicked [07563] man is loathsome [0887], and cometh to shame [02659].

⁶ Oh that [05414] the salvation [03444] of Israel [03478] were come out of Zion [06726]! When God [0430] bringeth back [07725] the captivity [07622] of his people [05971], Jacob [03290] shall rejoice [01523], and Israel [03478] shall be glad [08055].

⁸ In God [0430] we boast [01984] all the day [03117] long, and praise [03034] thy name [08034] for ever [05769]. Selah [05542].