Put not your trust in princes, nor in the son of man, in whom there is no help.
Do not place trust for guidance, help, strength, hope or rescue in rulers or in any mortal person, because no sure, dependable or lasting deliverance is found in them. Their life is brief and frail, for when breath departs they return to earth and their plans perish in that very day, while happiness, help and hope belong to the one whose help and hope are in the Lord God, who defends the oppressed, provides for the needy, keeps truth forever and reigns forever. Human authority and judgment must never replace God's supervision, standard and wisdom, so trust is to be placed in God day by day and not in the arm of flesh, especially refusing to follow leaders in positions of trust when they themselves do not trust in God, since their influence leads into unbelief, error and loss of faith. People are finite, poor, erring and fallible, their help and judgment are limited and changeable, and prosperity and influence can lead even those in high positions into presumption and distorted judgment unless they submit to and depend on God. In need, perplexity and decision, help, understanding and wisdom are to be sought from the Lord by putting away hearsay, inquiring what He says, seeking by earnest prayer to know His Word for oneself and then doing it, and bringing every public and private burden and care to Him and waiting for His counsel. Trust belongs wholly in the Lord Jesus Christ as a complete Saviour and source of truth, for every person is only an agent dependent on Him, without Him nothing can be done, and every good result comes by divine power imparted to the worker, so all plans and decisions are to be submitted to God's supervision rather than assumed on human say-so.
Words and Setting
Put not trust in princes, that is in human rulers, nor in the son of man, that is in any mortal human being, for guidance, help, strength, hope or rescue, for there is no sure, dependable or lasting help and deliverance in them. Human help is limited and changeable, human counsels are set at naught by God, and human conclusions may be unsound before Him, so rulers and other people cannot be trusted as the source of hope. The reason is human frailty and brevity, for a man's breath leaves him, he returns to earth, and his thoughts perish in that very day. Human life is brief and fragile, and human life, plans and power are temporary and cannot save or provide lasting deliverance.
By contrast true happiness, help and hope belong to the one who has the God of Jacob for help and whose hope is in the Lord his God. He keeps truth, judges for the oppressed, provides for the needy, and reigns forever, and His presence, not human power, gives stability to His cause. The warning stands in Psalm 146:1-3 as part of a song of praise calling each soul to praise the Lord while living and to sing to God while having being. It is sung with joy by parents and children when humble houses of worship are built and schools for children are opened, directing dependence to the Lord in that work of establishing churches and schools and not to princes or human power where there is no help.
Trusting God Alone
The verse forbids letting human authority take the place of God's supervision, standard and wisdom in decisions and plans. It forbids receiving the judgment of men in place of God and following human leaders who cause error and destroy the way of paths. Trust is to be put in God day by day and not in the arm of flesh.
It especially warns against trusting or following leaders, even those in positions of trust or exalted positions, when they themselves do not trust in God. Their influence can lead into unbelief, harm and error and weaken faith in the principles of God's Word, so such a course is not to be supported. As shown when the angels who trusted Satan's wisdom and joined his rebellion were shut out of heaven, influential leaders in a wrong course can lead many others astray.
Human leaders and human opinions are an unsafe criterion because people are poor, finite, erring and fallible. Their judgment and help are limited and changeable, so relying on finite people is precarious. God sets human counsels at naught, and human conclusions may be unsound before Him. Prosperity and influence can lead those in high positions to presumption and distorted judgment unless they submit to and depend on God, and they need the prayers of the church and an arm stronger than human strength to lean on.
Instead, in times of need, perplexity and decision, help, understanding and knowledge are to be sought from the Lord God of Israel. Hearsay and what people say are to be put away, and inquiry is to be made into what the Lord says. Every individual is to seek by earnest prayer to know His Word for himself and then to do it, bringing all burdens both public and private and all temporal concerns, cares and anxieties to Him, and waiting upon Him for counsel and wisdom. Doing this gives individual conviction of His presence, assurance of His readiness to hear prayer for wisdom and instruction, confidence in His willingness to help in perplexity, and the experience of knowing the only true God and Jesus Christ.
Trust belongs wholly in the Lord Jesus Christ as a whole Saviour and source of truth, in whom is completeness. Every human being is only an agent dependent on Him, without Him nothing can be done, and every good result is the effect of divine power imparted to the worker. He leads His people up from the low level where sin has bound them until they are acknowledged in heavenly courts as laborers together with God. By continually looking to Him and beholding Him as the Lamb who takes away the world's sin, believers reflect Him to others and diffuse rays of truth as light to the world for His glory. In every emergency the battle belongs to Him, His resources have no limit, and what appears impossible can make His victory greater.
Practically, decisions and plans are to be submitted to God's supervision and standard rather than assumed on human say-so. This forbids haphazard work in God's sacred work and the centering of many responsibilities in one place, and requires acting on divine counsels, reproofs and warnings instead of evading and making them void by human devices and counter-working. For example, God's people waiting for expected donations from America must not rely on those funds or assume they will arrive, but trust in the Lord to carry out His purpose.
Do not place trust for guidance, help, strength, hope or rescue in rulers or in any mortal person, because no sure, dependable or lasting deliverance is found in them. Their life is brief and frail, for when breath departs they return to earth and their plans perish in that very day, while happiness, help and hope belong to the one whose help and hope are in the Lord God, who defends the oppressed, provides for the needy, keeps truth forever and reigns forever. Human authority and judgment must never replace God's supervision, standard and wisdom, so trust is to be placed in God day by day and not in the arm of flesh, especially refusing to follow leaders in positions of trust when they themselves do not trust in God, since their influence leads into unbelief, error and loss of faith. People are finite, poor, erring and fallible, their help and judgment are limited and changeable, and prosperity and influence can lead even those in high positions into presumption and distorted judgment unless they submit to and depend on God. In need, perplexity and decision, help, understanding and wisdom are to be sought from the Lord by putting away hearsay, inquiring what He says, seeking by earnest prayer to know His Word for oneself and then doing it, and bringing every public and private burden and care to Him and waiting for His counsel. Trust belongs wholly in the Lord Jesus Christ as a complete Saviour and source of truth, for every person is only an agent dependent on Him, without Him nothing can be done, and every good result comes by divine power imparted to the worker, so all plans and decisions are to be submitted to God's supervision rather than assumed on human say-so.
Words and Setting
Put not trust in princes, that is in human rulers, nor in the son of man, that is in any mortal human being, for guidance, help, strength, hope or rescue, for there is no sure, dependable or lasting help and deliverance in them. Human help is limited and changeable, human counsels are set at naught by God, and human conclusions may be unsound before Him, so rulers and other people cannot be trusted as the source of hope. The reason is human frailty and brevity, for a man's breath leaves him, he returns to earth, and his thoughts perish in that very day. Human life is brief and fragile, and human life, plans and power are temporary and cannot save or provide lasting deliverance.
By contrast true happiness, help and hope belong to the one who has the God of Jacob for help and whose hope is in the Lord his God. He keeps truth, judges for the oppressed, provides for the needy, and reigns forever, and His presence, not human power, gives stability to His cause. The warning stands in Psalm 146:1-3 as part of a song of praise calling each soul to praise the Lord while living and to sing to God while having being. It is sung with joy by parents and children when humble houses of worship are built and schools for children are opened, directing dependence to the Lord in that work of establishing churches and schools and not to princes or human power where there is no help.
Trusting God Alone
The verse forbids letting human authority take the place of God's supervision, standard and wisdom in decisions and plans. It forbids receiving the judgment of men in place of God and following human leaders who cause error and destroy the way of paths. Trust is to be put in God day by day and not in the arm of flesh.
It especially warns against trusting or following leaders, even those in positions of trust or exalted positions, when they themselves do not trust in God. Their influence can lead into unbelief, harm and error and weaken faith in the principles of God's Word, so such a course is not to be supported. As shown when the angels who trusted Satan's wisdom and joined his rebellion were shut out of heaven, influential leaders in a wrong course can lead many others astray.
Human leaders and human opinions are an unsafe criterion because people are poor, finite, erring and fallible. Their judgment and help are limited and changeable, so relying on finite people is precarious. God sets human counsels at naught, and human conclusions may be unsound before Him. Prosperity and influence can lead those in high positions to presumption and distorted judgment unless they submit to and depend on God, and they need the prayers of the church and an arm stronger than human strength to lean on.
Instead, in times of need, perplexity and decision, help, understanding and knowledge are to be sought from the Lord God of Israel. Hearsay and what people say are to be put away, and inquiry is to be made into what the Lord says. Every individual is to seek by earnest prayer to know His Word for himself and then to do it, bringing all burdens both public and private and all temporal concerns, cares and anxieties to Him, and waiting upon Him for counsel and wisdom. Doing this gives individual conviction of His presence, assurance of His readiness to hear prayer for wisdom and instruction, confidence in His willingness to help in perplexity, and the experience of knowing the only true God and Jesus Christ.
Trust belongs wholly in the Lord Jesus Christ as a whole Saviour and source of truth, in whom is completeness. Every human being is only an agent dependent on Him, without Him nothing can be done, and every good result is the effect of divine power imparted to the worker. He leads His people up from the low level where sin has bound them until they are acknowledged in heavenly courts as laborers together with God. By continually looking to Him and beholding Him as the Lamb who takes away the world's sin, believers reflect Him to others and diffuse rays of truth as light to the world for His glory. In every emergency the battle belongs to Him, His resources have no limit, and what appears impossible can make His victory greater.
Practically, decisions and plans are to be submitted to God's supervision and standard rather than assumed on human say-so. This forbids haphazard work in God's sacred work and the centering of many responsibilities in one place, and requires acting on divine counsels, reproofs and warnings instead of evading and making them void by human devices and counter-working. For example, God's people waiting for expected donations from America must not rely on those funds or assume they will arrive, but trust in the Lord to carry out His purpose.