Comments on Corruption

As there was some significant debate on verse 10 of Psalm 16 last Sunday, here are a few thoughts from various commentators on what the verse means. I hope it helps make things clearer....

"At its full value, as both Peter and Paul insisted, this language is too
strong even for David's hope of his own resurrection. Only he whom God raised up saw no corruption." (Derek Kidner)

"As to the point, that Peter (Acts 2:30) and Paul (Acts 13:33) contend that this prophecy was fulfilled in the person of Christ alone,3 the sense in which we must understand them is this, that he was wholly and perfectly exempted from the corruption of the grave, that he might call his members into his fellowship, and make them partakers of this blessing,4 although by degrees, and each according to his measure. As the body of David, after death, was, in the course of time, reduced to dust, the apostles justly conclude that he was not exempted from corruption. It is the same with respect to all the faithful, not one of whom becomes a partaker of incorruptible life without being first subjected to corruption. From this it follows that the fullness of life which resides in the head alone, namely, in Christ, falls down upon the members only in drops, or in small portions.

The question, however, may be asked, as Christ descended into
the grave, was not he also subject to corruption? The answer is easy. The etymology or derivation of the two words here used to express the grave should be carefully attended to. The grave is called lwas, sheol, being as it were an insatiable gulf, which devours and consumes all things, and the pit is called txs, shachath, which signifies corruption. These words, therefore, here denote not so much the place as the quality and condition of the place, as if it had been said, The life of Christ will be exempted from the dominion of the grave, inasmuch as his body, even when dead, will not be subject to corruption." (John Calvin)

"This great statement of faith of David was never fulfilled in regard to him. It was fulfilled in Christ. David "foreseeing this spake of the resurrection of Christ" (Acts 2:31). Hengstenberg in his book, Christology of the Old Testament says, "David in Christ could very properly speak as he here does." The Holy Spirit guided the spirit of David so that he gave shape and form to his utterance in such a way that what he concluded in the logic of faith reached a marvelous fulfillment in the resurrection of Christ. David died, of course, yet he did not die but lives forever because of the death and resurrection of his greater Son. " (Will Pounds)

Colin