Psaumes 81:15

Darby's French Translation

Ceux qui haïssent l'Éternel se seraient soumis à lui; et leur temps, à eux, eût été à toujours;

Parallel Translations

La Bible Ostervald (1996)
J'eusse en un instant fait ployer leurs ennemis, j'aurais tourné ma main contre leurs adversaires.

Louis Segond (1910)
Ceux qui haïssent l'Eternel le flatteraient, Et le bonheur d'Israël durerait toujours;

La Bible David Martin (1744)
Ceux qui haïssent l'Eternel lui auraient menti, et le temps [de mon peuple] eût été à toujours.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

The haters: Psalms 18:45, Psalms 83:2-18, Exodus 20:5, Deuteronomy 7:10, John 15:22, John 15:23, Romans 1:30, Romans 8:7

submitted themselves: or yielded feigned obedience, Heb. lied. Psalms 18:44, Psalms 63:3, *marg.

time: Psalms 102:28, Isaiah 65:22, Joel 3:20

Reciprocal: Leviticus 26:8 - General Deuteronomy 33:29 - found liars 2 Samuel 19:18 - fell down 2 Samuel 22:45 - submit themselves Psalms 66:3 - through Jeremiah 2:3 - all that Luke 20:20 - feign John 15:24 - hated 2 Timothy 1:5 - unfeigned 2 Peter 2:3 - with

Gill's Notes on the Bible

The haters of the Lord should have submitted themselves unto him,.... Or, "lied unto him" h; feignedly submitted to him, flattered him, pretended friendship to him, and entered into a league with him; either Israel, mentioned Psalms 81:13, our God, whom and whose worship and people they hated; as every natural man is an hater of God, and all that is good, and enmity itself unto him; but these shall all submit to Christ, sooner or later, in one way or another, and acknowledge him Lord, and that he is superior to them, and themselves not a match for him; as Julian the emperor when wounded, said, Thou hast overcome me, O Galilean:

but their time should have endured for ever; which Jarchi and Aben Ezra interpret of the calamities and vengeance that should come upon the haters of God, who will be punished with everlasting destruction; their worm will never die, nor their fire be quenched; it is everlasting, and the smoke of their torment will ascend for ever and ever; in which sense the word is used, Isaiah 13:22 or rather this is to be understood of the time, or happy state and condition, of the Israelites, which would have been of long continuance, had they hearkened to the Lord, and walked in his ways; particularly, they would have long enjoyed the land of Canaan, which was given to Abraham and his seed for an everlasting possession, and which they held by the tenure of their obedience, Genesis 17:8, and so all truly gracious souls, that hearken to the voice of Christ, and walk in his ways, are in a happy state, which will endure for ever; they are blessed with all spiritual blessings, and those are for ever; the heavenly land of Canaan they shall dwell in for ever; their mansions or habitations in Christ's Father's house are everlasting; their house, not made with hands, is eternal in the heavens; their estate, possession, and inheritance is an eternal one; it is incorruptible, and fades not away; their being with Christ is for ever; and their happiness is often expressed by eternal life and eternal glory.

h יכחשו "mentientur", Montanus; "mentiti fuissent", Vatablus; "mentirentur", Musculus, Cocceius, Gejerus; "mendaciter se dedissent", Junius & Tremellius, Piscator.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

The haters of the Lord - The enemies of the Lord, often represented as those who hate him - hatred being always in fact or in form connected with an unwillingness to submit to God. It is hatred of his law; hatred of his government; hatred of his plans; hatred of his character. See Romans 1:30; John 7:7, John 15:18, John 15:23-25. Compare Exodus 20:5.

Should have submitted themselves unto him - Margin, yielded retained obedience. Hebrew, lied. See the phrase explained in the notes at Psalms 18:44. The meaning is, that they would have been so subdued as to acknowledge his authority or supremacy, while it is, at the same time, implied that this would have been forced and not cordial. No external power, though it may so conquer as to make people outwardly obedient, can affect the will, or subdue that. The grace of God alone can do that, and it is the special triumph of grace that it can do it.

But their time - The time of his people. They would have continued to be a happy and a flourishing nation.

Should have endured for ever - Perpetually - as long as they continued to be obedient. If a nation were obedient to the will of God; if it wholly obeyed his laws; if it countenanced by statute no form of sin; if it protected no iniquity; if it were temperate, just, virtuous, honest, there is no reason why its institutions should not be perpetual, or why it should ever be overthrown. Sin is, in all cases, the cause of the ruin of nations, as it is of individuals.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Psalms 81:15. Their time should have endured for ever. — That is, Their prosperity should have known no end.