There is a very slight change of rendering of the first clause, which
greatly increases its 'force, and preserves the figure that is obscured
by the usual translation. We should read 'shall dwell safely _on_,'
rather than '_by_, Him.' And the effect of that small change in the
preposition is to bring out the thought that God is regarded as the
foundation on which His beloved build their house of life, and dwell in
security and calm. If we are sons through the Son, we shall build our
houses or pitch our tents on that firm ground, and, being founded on
the Rock of ages, they will not fall when all created foundations reel
to the overthrow of whatever is built on _them_. It is not
companionship only, blessed as that is, that is promised here. We have
a larger privilege than dwelling _by_ Him, for if we love His Son, we
build _on_ God, and 'God dwelleth in us and we in Him.'
What spiritual reality underlies the metaphor of dwelling or building
on God? The fact of habitual communion.
Note the blessed results of such grounding of our lives on God through
such habitual communion. We shall 'dwell safely.' We may think of that
as being objective safety--that is, freedom from peril, or as being
subjective--that is, freedom from care or fear, or as meaning
'trustfully,' confidently, as the expression is rendered in Psalm xvi.
9 (margin), which is for us the ground of both these. He who dwells in
God trustfully dwells both safely and securely, and none else is free
either from danger or from dread.