But to the saints that are in the earth, and to the excellent, in whom is all my delight.
But to the saints are in the earth - in contrast to the Most High, who is in the heaven of heavens. Christ Jesus, the Antitype to David, is He to whom this psalm is twice applied in the New Testament (Acts 2:25-28; Acts 13:35-37). He claimed, as man, no goodness independent of God, or which could confer a profit upon God which He had not before. Hence, when the young ruler called Him "Good Master," He replied, "Why callest thou me good? There is none good but one, that is God" (Matthew 19:16-17). His perfect goodness as man was of profit 'to the saints in the earth' - i:e., to those whom He sanctified, or consecrated as His own, by His everlasting purpose of love, whereby also He sanctified or consecrated Himself for their sakes (John 17:19; Hebrews 2:10-11; Hebrews 2:14). It conferred no profit on God, from whom all His goodness as the Son of man was derived. The Hebrew particle for "to (the saints)" lª- expresses 'appertaining to.' The term "saints" here expresses not their holiness so much as His consecration of them as a holy people unto Himself: both the literal Israel (Deuteronomy 7:6; Exodus 19:6) and the spiritual (1 Peter 2:9).
And to the excellent - the princely. Not so much "excellent" in themselves, as in respect to their high calling of God. Christ's righteousness as man was done for the sake of these, that they might be the "righteousness of God in Him" (2 Corinthians 5:21). In reference to David, the type, the inspired words here have only a partial fulfillment. David disclaims making his goodness a ground of hope, since, however beneficial such goodness may be to the saints, with whom he is one, it confers nothing upon God.
In whom is all my delight - my sympathies. In their fullest sense these words find their fulfillment in Messiah alone (Proverbs 8:31. "My delights were with the sons of men;" also Hebrews 2:14).