Psalms 94:8-11
Verse 8 Understand, ye brutish - These are the same expressions as in Psa 92:6 (note), on which see the note. Verse 9 He that planted the ear, shall he not hear? - This is allowed to be an unanswerable mode of argumentation. Whatever is found of excellence in the creature, must be derived from the Creator, and exist in him in the plenitude of infinite excellence. God, says St. Jerome, is all eye, because he sees all; he is all hand, because he does all things; he is all foot, for he is every where present. The psalmist does not say, He that planted the ear, hath he not an ear? He that formed the eye, hath he not eyes? No; but, Shall he not hear? Shall he not see! And why does he say so? To prevent the error of humanizing God, of attributing members or corporeal parts to the infinite Spirit. See Calmet. Verse 10 He that chastiseth the heathen, shall not he correct? - You, who are heathens, and heathens of the most abandoned kind. He that teacheth man knowledge - We here supply shall not he know? But this is not acknowledged by the original, nor by any of the Versions. Indeed it is not necessary; for either the words contain a simple proposition, "It is he who teacheth man knowledge," or this clause should be read in connection with Psa 94:11 : "Jehovah, who teacheth man knowledge, knoweth the devices of man, that they are vanity." As he teaches knowledge to man, must he not know all the reasonings and devices of the human heart?
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