“Oh, how abundant is your goodness, which you have stored up for those who fear you and worked for those who take refuge in you, in the sight of the children of mankind! In the cover of your presence you hide them from the plots of men; you store them in your shelter from the strife of tongues.” -Psalm 31:19–20
David concludes the Psalm with three themed couplets. This first couplet (vss. 19-20) focus on God’s storage of care for his elect.
David first praises God for his abundant goodness. The Hebrew maw rab (“how abundant”) is an exclamatory statement of praise. He is praising God for his plentiful store of goodness. It has been stored up for those who, publicly (“in the sight of the children of mankind”), fear and take refuge in God. It reminds us of Jesus’s teaching:
“So everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven, but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven.” -Matthew 10:32–33
David continues praising God not only for storing up goodness for the children of God, but for storing up the children of God safely from the plots of (unbelieving) men. God hides his own under the cover of his presence.
In this and previous complimentary passages in this Psalm, we get a glimpse of the immutability and consistency of God in how he judges evildoers and unbelievers in proportionate abundance to how much he blesses and protects his elect children. In other words, God’s abundant goodness has two sides: the right side from which issues blessing and protection, and the wrong side from which issues judgment against all that threatens righteousness. Oh, how abundant is God’s goodness!