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Psalm Eighty-nine
New King James Version (NKJV)
YLT An instruction, by Ethan the Ezrahite.
INTRODUCTION TO PSALM 89
Maschil of Ethan the Ezrahite. Who this Ethan was is
not certain. Kimchi takes him to be the same with Ethan the wise man, a
grandson of Judah, 1 Kings 4:31. But seeing he lived some
hundreds of years before the times of David, it is not likely that he should be
the writer of this psalm; for David is made mention of in it, which could not
be, unless it can be thought to be by a spirit of prophecy; which indeed is the
opinion of Doctor LightfootF11, who takes this Ethan to be the
penman of this psalm; and who
"from
the promise, Genesis 15:1 sings joyfully the deliverance
(of Israel); that the raging of the Red sea should be ruled, Psalm 89:9, and Rahab, or Egypt, should be
broken in pieces, Psalm 89:10, and that the people should
hear the joyful sound of the law, Psalm 89:15, and as for the name of David
in it, this, he says, might be done prophetically; as Samuel is thought to be
named by Moses, Psalm 99:6, which psalm is held to be made
by him; or else might be put into it, in later times, by some divine penman,
endued with the same gift of prophecy, who might improve the ground work of
this psalm laid by Ethan, and set it to an higher key; namely, that whereas he
treated only of bodily deliverance from Egypt, it is wound up so high as to
reach the spiritual delivery by Christ; and therefore David is often named,
from whence he should come.'
There
was another Ethan, a singer, in David's time; and it is more probable that he
is the person, who might live to the times of Rehoboam, and see the decline of
David's family, and the revolt of the ten tribes from it; or perhaps it was one
of this name who lived in the times of the Babylonish captivity, and saw the
low estate that David's family were come into; to which agrees the latter part
of this psalm; and, in order to comfort the people of God, he wrote this psalm,
showing that the covenant and promises of God, made with David, nevertheless
stood firm, and would be accomplished: the title of the Septuagint version
calls him Etham the Israelite; and the Arabic version Nathan the Israelite: the
Targum makes him to be Abraham, paraphrasing it
"a
good understanding, which was said by the hand of Abraham, that came from the
east.'
But
whoever was the penman of this psalm, it is "maschil", an instructive
psalm, a psalm causing to understand; it treats concerning the covenant of
grace, and the promises of it; and concerning the mercy and faithfulness of
God, in making and keeping the same; and concerning the Messiah and his seed, his
church and people; and the stability and duration of all these: many passages
in it are applied to the Messiah by Jewish writers, ancient and modern; and Psalm 89:20 is manifestly referred to in Acts 13:22.
Psalm 89:1 I
will sing of the mercies of the Lord forever; With my mouth
will I make known Your faithfulness to all generations.
YLT
1Of the kind acts of
Jehovah, to the age I sing, To all generations I make known Thy faithfulness
with my mouth,
I will sing of the mercies of the Lord for ever,.... Both
temporal and spiritual, especially the latter, in which there is a large
display of the rich and abundant mercy of God, from whence they are so called;
as in the choice of men to everlasting life, who are said to be vessels of
mercy; in the covenant of grace made with them, the blessings of which are the
sure mercies of David; in the mission of Christ, whose coming, as the dayspring
from on high, is owing to the tender mercy of our God; in redemption by him, in
which mercy and truth have met together; in regeneration, which is according to
abundant mercy; in the forgiveness of sins, which is according to the multitude
of his tender mercies; and in the whole of salvation, which is not by works of
righteousness, but by the mercy of God through Christ: the word may be rendered
"graces, kindnesses, goodnesses"F12חסדי
"bonitates", Tigurine version; "benignitates", Junius &
Tremellius; "beneficia", Piscator; "gratias", Cocceius. ,
and designs the abundance of grace; as in the heart of God, in the covenant, in
the hands of Christ, as displayed through him, and in the several parts of
salvation, and the whole of it: and these are a proper subject for a song; and
a truly gracious soul, sensible of these things, thankful for them, cheerful on
account of them, and seeing his interest in them, cannot but "sing"
of them; and will determine to do it "for ever", every day, and all
the day long, as long as he lives, and while he has any being, and which he
will do to all eternity:
with my mouth will I make known thy faithfulness to all
generations; God is faithful to himself, to all the perfections of his
nature, to his truth, holiness, and justice, he cannot deny himself; he is so
to his Son, and to all engagements with him, and promises to him; to all his
counsels, purposes, and decrees; all which are faithfulness and truth, or
faithfully and truly performed; and to his covenant and promises made to his
people in Christ, in whom they are all yea and amen: and that this glorious
perfection of God might be made known to the saints in all successive
generations, and be taken notice of by them, the psalmist spoke and sung this
psalm with his mouth, and penned it with his hand; in which there is more
mention made of the faithfulness of God than perhaps in any other passage of
Scripture besides; see Psalm 89:2.
Psalm 89:2 2 For I have said, “Mercy
shall be built up forever; Your faithfulness You shall establish in the very
heavens.”
YLT 2For I said, `To the age is
kindness built, The heavens! Thou dost establish Thy faithfulness in them.'
For I have said,.... That is, in his heart he had said, he
had thought of it, was assured of it, strongly concluded it, from the Spirit
and word of God; he believed it, and therefore he spoke it; having it from the
Lord, it was all one as if he had spoke it:
Psalm 89:3 3 “I have made a covenant
with My chosen, I have sworn to My servant David:
YLT 3I have made a covenant for
My chosen, I have sworn to David My servant:
I have made a covenant with my chosen,.... Not with
Abraham, as the Targum expresses it: but with David, as in the following
clause; not David, literally understood, though he was chosen of the Lord to be
his servant, and a covenant was made with him, and a promise made to him of the
perpetuity of his throne and kingdom in his family, Psalm 78:70 but mystical David, the
Messiah, David's son and antitype; after, on this account, called David in Scripture,
Ezekiel 34:23 and who is the Lord's
"chosen" One, foreordained to be the Redeemer of lost sinners, chosen
to be the Mediator between God and them, to be the head of the church, and
Saviour of the body; and his human nature was chosen to the grace of union to
the Son of God, Psalm 89:19, hence he is called God's elect,
Isaiah 43:1 and with him the covenant of
grace was made from all eternity, and all the blessings and promises of it were
put into his hands; he is the Mediator, surety, and messenger of it, and by his
blood it is ratified and confirmed: the Septuagint render it, in the plural
number, "with mine elect ones"; and it is a truth, that the covenant
of grace is made with all the elect, considered in Christ, and is made with
them as such, and not as believers, converted persons, &c. election is the
foundation of the covenant, and the source of all covenant blessings:
I have sworn unto David my servant: to the Messiah, called
David, as before observed, and who is the Lord's servant, as man and Mediator,
of his choosing, calling, sending, and supporting, Isaiah 42:1, to whom he swore, and he will
not repent; and which oath of his, joined to his covenant and promise, makes
for the strong consolation of the heirs of promise; see Psalm 89:35, the sum and substance of which
covenant and oath follow.
Psalm 89:4 4 ‘Your seed I will
establish forever, And build up your throne to all generations.’” Selah
YLT 4`Even to the age do I
establish thy seed, And have built to generation and generation thy throne.
Selah.
Thy seed will I establish for ever,.... Meaning not the
natural seed of David, at least not only them; whose family was indeed
preserved, though in very low circumstances, until the Messiah came, who sprung
from thence, Luke 1:27, but the spiritual seed of
Christ, to whom it was promised that he should have a seed, and should see and
enjoy it, and which should endure for ever; see Psalm 89:29, and so he always has had a
seed to serve him in all generations, in the worst of times, and will; and who
are established in him, and will be kept and preserved by him, and whom he will
present to his Father, saying, "Lo, I and the children whom thou hast
given me", Hebrews 2:13.
and build up thy throne to all generations; and this
shows that the passage is not to be understood literally of David, and of his
temporal throne and kingdom, which did not last many generations; but of the
spiritual throne and kingdom of the Messiah, who sprung from him, called the
throne of his father David, whose throne is for ever and ever, and whose
kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, Luke 1:32, Psalm 45:6, his throne is in the heavens,
where he will reign until all enemies are put under his feet; and it is also in
the midst of his church, and in the hearts of his people, where he reigns as
King of saints; and he is on the same throne with his Father; it is the same
with his, as to glory, power, and authority; on this he will sit, and judge the
world at the last day; and on it he will reign with his people a thousand
years, in the New Jerusalem state, and after that to all eternity, Revelation 3:21.
Selah. See Gill on Psalm 3:2.
Psalm 89:5 5 And the heavens will
praise Your wonders, O Lord;
Your faithfulness also in the assembly of the saints.
YLT 5and the heavens confess Thy
wonders, O Jehovah, Thy faithfulness also [is] in an assembly of holy ones.
And the heavens shall praise thy wonders, O Lord,.... Which, by
a prosopopceia, may be understood of the heavens literally, in the same sense
as other inanimate creatures praise the Lord, Psalm 148:3, or mystically of the church,
consisting of heaven born souls, and whose doctrines and ordinances are from
heaven; or of the apostles, as Jerom, who had their ministry, mission,
commission, and gifts, from thence; or rather of the angels, the inhabitants of
heaven, who praise the Lord for his wonderful works of nature, providence, and
grace, Psalm 148:2, particularly they admire and
praise the wonderful work of redemption "that wonderful thing of thine"F13פלאך "mirabile tuum", Pagninus, Montanus,
Cocceius, Gerjus; "mirabile apus tuum", Junius & Tremellius;
"illud miraculum tuum", Michaelis. , as the word may be rendered,
being in the singular number: the person of the Redeemer is wonderful, and that
is his name; his incarnation is a most amazing thing, it is the great mystery
of godliness; and the redemption wrought out by him is the wonder of men and
angels: when he appeared in the world, the angels of God worshipped him; at his
birth, they sung glory to God in the highest; and the mysteries of his grace
are what they look into with wonder and praise, Hebrews 1:6,
thy faithfulness also in the congregation of the saints; i.e. is
praised there; which Aben Ezra and Kimchi interpret of the angels also, who are
called saints, Deuteronomy 33:2, of which there is a
congregation, even an innumerable company, Revelation 19:6, these not only admire and
praise the wonderful works of the Lord, but his perfections also; and
particularly his faithfulness in the execution of promises and threatenings, Revelation 7:11, but rather holy men are
meant, such as are called to be saints, and are gathered together in a Gospel
church state, designed by a congregation of them, among and by whom the truth
and faithfulness of God, as well as his lovingkindness and mercy, are spoken of
with the highest commendation, Psalm 40:9.
Psalm 89:6 6 For who in the heavens can
be compared to the Lord?
Who among the sons of the mighty can be likened to the Lord?
YLT 6For who in the sky,
Compareth himself to Jehovah? Is like to Jehovah among sons of the mighty?
For who in the heaven can be compared unto the Lord?.... Or
"ranked"F14יערך "par
aestimetur", Junius & Tremellius; "par aestimabitur",
Piscator. , or put upon a par, with him; none of the angels in heaven; for
though they are holy, wise, knowing, powerful, faithful, kind, and merciful
creatures, yet not to be compared with the Lord for holiness, wisdom,
knowledge, strength, faithfulness, and mercy; see Exodus 15:11,
who among the sons of the mighty can be likened unto the Lord? the Syriac
version very wrongly renders it "the sons of angels", seeing angels
do not propagate their species, Luke 20:36 to which Kimchi agrees, who
makes the "mighty" to be angels, and their sons to be the host of
heaven, which are moved and guided by them: the Septuagint, Vulgate Latin,
Ethiopic, and Arabic versions, render it "the sons of God"; and this
phrase, indeed, is applicable to the angels, Job 38:7, and so the Targum interprets it
of the multitude of the angels; but rather the mighty men of the earth, and
their children, are meant; princes, nobles, judges, and civil magistrates of
all sorts, men of power and authority in the world; there are none of them to
be likened to the Lord, who is King of kings, and Lord of lords; see Psalm 82:1.
Psalm 89:7 7 God is greatly to be
feared in the assembly of the saints, And to be held in reverence by all those
around Him.
YLT 7God is very terrible, In
the secret counsel of His holy ones, And fearful over all surrounding Him.
God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of the saints,.... Which
Jarchi and Kimchi understand of angels again, and render it "God is to be
feared in the great assembly of them"; for they are a very large number,
even an innumerable company, in and by whom the Lord is feared and worshipped, Hebrews 12:21, but rather an assembly or
congregation of holy men are designed: it is the duty of such to assemble
together publicly for religious worship; they ought to do it on account of the
Lord, who requires it, and encourages it by his presence, he has promised; on
the account of themselves, it being for their profit and pleasure; and on the
account of others, for their conversion and comfort; and in imitation of the
people of God, in all ages; nor should they forsake the assembling of
themselves: the word סוד rendered
"assembly", signifies "counsel" or "secret"; see Genesis 49:6 and so the Targum,
"God
is mighty in the secrets of the saints, sitting on a throne of glory;'
in
the assembly of the saints, the secrets of God's love are disclosed unto them;
the doctrines and mysteries of his grace, called the whole counsel of God, Acts 20:27 are there made known; and the
ordinances of the Gospel, which also are styled the counsel of God, Luke 7:30, are there administered: now,
where all this is done,
God is greatly feared herein; not with a slavish fear,
a fear of hell and damnation, such as may be in devils; nor with an
hypocritical fear, such as is taught by the precepts of men; but with a filial,
godly fear, such as is peculiar to the children of God; with an holy and humble
fear, with a fiducial and fearless one; with a reverential affection for the
Divine Being, and such as includes all worship of him, internal and external:
and to be had in reverence of all them that are about him; which the Targum
paraphrases
"and
is to be feared above all the angels that stand round about him'
and
so Kimchi interprets it; see Revelation 5:11, but the same thing, in
different words, is meant, as in the preceding clause.
Psalm 89:8 8 O Lord God of hosts, Who
is mighty like You, O Lord? Your faithfulness also
surrounds You.
YLT 8O Jehovah, God of Hosts,
Who [is] like Thee -- a strong Jah? And Thy faithfulness [is] round about Thee.
O Lord God of hosts,.... Of all the hosts of
heaven, the sun, moon, and stars, and of all the heavenly hosts of angels, of
all the armies in heaven, and the inhabitants of the earth:
who is a strong Lord like unto thee? he is Jah, or Jehovah,
and he alone is so, and is the most High in all the earth, Psalm 83:18 and there is none like him for
his great power and strength, by which he has made the heavens and the earth,
and upholds them in their being; and by which he has redeemed his people,
plucked them out of the hands of sin and Satan, and preserves them safe to his
kingdom and glory: see Job 40:9,
or to thy faithfulness round about thee; none so
faithful as the Lord, none to be trusted as he, either angels or men; some
understand it of the faithful ones that are about him, his trusty servants the
angels, who stand round about him ready to do his will; or the glorified saints
that are with him, the called, chosen, and faithful; see Psalm 103:19 or rather the words are to be
read, "and thy faithfulness is round about thee"; and so the Targum,
"and
thy truth (or faithfulness) surroundeth thee:'
look
all around him, and his faithfulness is everywhere to be seen; to himself, and
the perfections of his nature; to his Son, and agreements with him; and to his
counsels of old, his purposes and decrees, and to his covenant and promises: he
is as it were clothed with faithfulness, and it appears in all the
dispensations of his providence and grace.
Psalm 89:9 9 You rule the raging of the
sea; When its waves rise, You still them.
YLT 9Thou [art] ruler over the
pride of the sea, In the lifting up of its billows Thou dost restrain them.
Thou rulest the raging of the sea,.... The power, pride,
and elation of it, when it swells, and foams, and rages, and becomes
boisterous, and threatens vessels upon it with utter ruin and destruction; but
the Lord, who has it under his dominion and government, restrains it; he has
made and can manage it, and he only: his power over it is seen in assigning it
its place, and ordering the waters of it to it when first made; in placing the
sand for its boundary by a perpetual decree, which it cannot pass; by
commanding the stormy wind to lift up its waves, and by making the storm a
calm, and the waves thereof still; see Psalm 107:25, instances of this were at the
universal deluge, and at the Red sea:
when the waves thereof arise, thou stillest them; when the sea
lifts up its waves, and both lift up their voice, and make a noise, and roar,
the Lord hushes them, and makes them still and quiet, as a parent its child
when it cries, or a master his scholars, when they are noisy and tumultuous; so
Christ rebuked the wind, and checked the raging sea, and made it calm, when the
ship in which he was with his disciples was covered with its waves; and as this
is mentioned here as an instance of the great power and strength of the Lord of
hosts, so that was a proof and evidence of the true and proper divinity of our
Lord Jesus Christ, Matthew 8:24, all this may be understood,
in a mystical sense, of the sea of this world, and the wicked inhabitants of
it, who are as the troubled sea, and cannot rest, casting up mire and dirt,
reproaching and blaspheming God and man; and particularly of tyrannical princes
and potentates, who are like the proud waters and raging waves of the sea; but
the Lord on high is mightier than they, and can and does restrain their wrath
and rage, so that his people have nothing to fear from them; see Psalm 124:3.
Psalm 89:10 10 You have broken Rahab in
pieces, as one who is slain; You have scattered Your enemies with Your mighty
arm.
YLT 10Thou hast bruised Rahab, as
one wounded. With the arm of Thy strength Thou hast scattered Thine enemies.
Thou hast broken Rahab in pieces, as one that is slain,.... Or Egypt,
as in Psalm 87:4 or the Egyptians, and
particularly Pharaoh their king; so the Targum explains it,
"Rahab
or the proud one, this is Pharaoh the wicked;'
who
and his people were broken to pieces by the plagues that were brought upon
them, especially when all their firstborn were slain; and he and his host were
broke in pieces at the Red sea, and were seen by the Israelites on the shore,
all dead men; and this was done as easily by the Lord, as one slain with the
sword, as a dead carcass which has no life, power, and strength to defend
itself, may be trampled upon, crushed, bruised, and broken to pieces, by a
living man. All this may be an emblem of the Lord's breaking in pieces the
proud and insolent one Satan, as Rahab signifies; of his breaking his head,
destroying his works, and spoiling his principalities and powers; and indeed of
his destruction of every proud and haughty sinner, that says, Pharaoh like, who
is the Lord, that I should obey him? and of every vain boaster, and
self-righteous person, that trusts in his own righteousness, and will not
submit to the righteousness of Christ; and particularly of mystical Egypt, the
proud beast of Rome, antichrist, who sits in the temple of God as if he was
God, showing himself to be so, blaspheming God, his name, his tabernacle, and
his saints; who will be broken to shivers as a potter's vessel, when the vials
of God's wrath are poured out, and at and by the coming of Christ:
thou hast scattered thine enemies with thy strong arm; as the
Egyptians were in the Red sea, by the waves of it, and cast upon the shore by
them; and as the Amorites were by Moses, and the Canaanites by Joshua; which
instances may be here referred unto; see Numbers 10:35 these are further proofs of
the power and strength of the Lord, Job 40:9.
Psalm 89:11 11 The heavens are
Yours, the earth also is Yours; The world and all its fullness, You have
founded them.
YLT 11Thine [are] the heavens --
the earth also [is] Thine, The habitable world and its fulness, Thou hast
founded them.
The heavens are thine,.... They are made and
inhabited by him, they are the work of his hands, and the seat of his majesty,
and the throne of his glory; the angels of heaven are his, his creatures and
servants; the several heavens are his, the airy, starry, and third heavens; the
place and state of the blessed and glorified saints is of his preparing and
giving:
the earth also is thine; the whole terraqueous
globe, and all that is in it, being made, preserved, and continued by him, and
by him given to the sons of men, Psalm 116:15,
as for the world, and the fulness thereof: the habitable
world, and all that dwell therein, all the children of men, the beasts of the
field, and cattle on a thousand hills, and the provisions for them all; which
is the goodness of the Lord, the earth is full of; these are all the Lord's;
see Psalm 24:1,
thou hast founded them; the world, and the
inhabitants of it; the earth is founded upon the seas, and the world upon
nothing; and the inhabitants are wonderfully preserved and continued by the
power and providence of God; see Psalm 24:2.
Psalm 89:12 12 The north and the south,
You have created them; Tabor and Hermon rejoice in Your name.
YLT 12North and south Thou hast
appointed them, Tabor and Hermon in Thy name do sing.
The
two extreme parts of the world, the northern and southern poles, whether
inhabited or uninhabited, are created by the Lord, to answer some purpose or
another; see Job 26:7.
Tabor and Hermon shall rejoice in thy name; Tabor was a
mountain in the western part of Galilee, in the tribe of Zebulun, Joshua 19:12. This mountain, according to
Mr. MaundrellF1Journey from Aleppo to Jerusalem, p. 113, 114, Ed. 7.
, stands by itself in the plain of Esdraelon, about 1200 to 1800 yards within
the plain; it has a plain area at top, most fertile and delicious, of an oval
figure, extended about six hundred yards in breadth, and twice that in length;
this area is enclosed with trees on all parts, except towards the south, in
which there are in several places cisterns of good water. It is generally
thought to be the mountain Christ was transfigured upon before his disciples;
and if so, it might then be said to rejoice in his name, when he appeared in so
glorious a form upon it; Moses and Elias talking with him, and a voice from the
excellent Glory declaring him his beloved Son; and especially the disciples
rejoiced in his name there and then, who could say, It is good for us to be
here, Matthew 17:1. Hermon was a mountain called
by the Sidonians Sirion, and by the Amorites Shenir, Deuteronomy 3:8 and was in the east; and so
Mr. MaundrellF2Journey from Aleppo to Jerusalem, p. 115, Ed. 7. ,
speaking of Tabor, says, not many miles eastward you see Mount Hermon, at the
foot of which is seated Nain, famous for our Lord's raising the widow's son
there, Luke 7:11, there was an Hermon near Mount
Tabor, thought likely to be here meant; but, be these mountains where and what
they may, they were no doubt very high and fruitful ones, clothed with fruitful
trees and grass, and covered with flocks; which made the proprietors and all
the beholders rejoice in the goodness, wisdom, and power of God: the Targum in
the king's Bible gives the four quarters very truly,
"the
desert of the north, and the inhabitants of the south, thou hast created; Tabor
on the west, and Hermon on the east, praise in thy name.'
Psalm 89:13 13 You have a mighty arm; Strong
is Your hand, and high is Your right hand.
YLT 13Thou hast an arm with might,
Strong is Thy hand -- high Thy right hand.
Thou hast a mighty arm,.... Christ is the arm of
the Lord, and a mighty one he is, and so is the Gospel, which is the power of
God unto salvation; here it seems to design the almighty power of God,
displayed in the works of creation and providence; see Isaiah 51:9.
strong is thy hand; thy "left hand", as some, it
being distinguished from his right hand, mentioned in the next clause; the
Targum adds,
"to
redeem thy people;'
the
work of redemption was put into the hand of Christ, and it prospered in his
hand, and his own arm brought salvation to him; and his hand is strong to keep
and preserve his people, where they are put, and where they are safe; and the
hand of the Lord is strong to correct and chastise them, and sometimes his hand
lies heavy upon them, and presses them sore, when it becomes them to humble
themselves under his "mighty hand": and it also strong to punish his
and their enemies:
and high is thy right hand; when it is lifted up in
a way of judgment against wicked men, and for the defence of his people, then
may it be said to be exalted: and it is high enough to reach the highest and
most powerful of his adversaries; see Psalm 118:16. The Targum adds,
"to
build the house of thy sanctuary.'
Some
renderF3So Paginus, Montana, and V. L. these two last clauses as a
wish or prayer; "let thy hand be strong, and let thy right hand be lifted
up".
Psalm 89:14 14 Righteousness and justice are
the foundation of Your throne; Mercy and truth go before Your face.
YLT 14Righteousness and judgment
[Are] the fixed place of Thy throne, Kindness and truth go before Thy face.
Justice and judgment are the habitation of thy throne,.... The seat
and throne on which he sits; all the administrations of his kingly power in the
government of the world, in the salvation of his people, and in the punishment
of his enemies, being according to the strict rules of justice and judgment: or
"the preparation of thy throne"F4מכון
כסאך "praeparatio sedis tuae". V. L. so the
Sept. ; all that the Lord does according to the counsel of his will; and these
counsels were of old, and were formed in strict justice and judgment, and were
a preparation for his future government in providence and grace: or "the
establishment of thy throne"F5Basis, "fulchrum et
stabilimentum", Michaelis. ; the throne of an earthly king is established
by righteousness; and so the throne of God, and of Christ, is ordered and
established with justice and judgment in the exercise of righteousness for
evermore, Proverbs 16:12.
mercy and truth shall go before thy face; be and appear
wherever he is; all his ways are mercy and truth, Psalm 25:10, "mercy" in pardoning
and saving sinners that come unto him by Christ; and "truth" in
performing all his purposes and promises; and these make the joyful sound next
mentioned.
Psalm 89:15 15 Blessed are the
people who know the joyful sound! They walk, O Lord, in the light
of Your countenance.
YLT 15O the happiness of the
people knowing the shout, O Jehovah, in the light of Thy face they walk
habitually.
Blessed is the people that know the joyful sound,.... Of the
love, grace, and mercy of God displayed in Christ, of peace and pardon by his
blood, of justification by his righteousness, of atonement by his sacrifice,
and of complete salvation by his obedience, sufferings, and death; this is the
sound of the Gospel, and a joyful one it is to sensible sinners; and is so
called in allusion either to a shout made upon a victory gained, and such a
sound is the Gospel; it declares victory by Christ over sin, Satan, the world,
and death, and every enemy; and that he has made his people more than
conquerors over them; or to the jubilee trumpet, which proclaimed liberty and a
restoration of inheritances, Leviticus 25:9 and so the Gospel proclaims
liberty to the captives, freedom from the dominion of sin, and condemnation by
it, from the tyranny of Satan, and the bondage of the law; and gives an account
of the inheritance the saints have in Christ, and through his death, to which
they are regenerated, and for which they are made meet by the Spirit of God,
and of which he is the seal and earnest: or to the silver trumpets, for the use
of the congregation of Israel, and blown at their solemn feasts, and other
times, and were all of a piece, Numbers 10:1, the trumpet of the Gospel
gives a certain sound, an even one, a very musical one; there is no jar nor
discord in it; is a soul charming alluring sound, and very loud; it has
reached, and will reach again, to the ends of the earth, Romans 10:18, it is a blessing to hear it,
but it is a greater to "know" it, not merely notionally, but
spiritually and experimentally; so as not only to approve of it, and be
delighted with it, but so as to distinguish it from all other sounds; and by
faith to receive it, and appropriate the things it publishes to a man's own
soul; and such must be "blessed", or happy persons, for the reasons
following in this verse, and in Psalm 89:16,
they shall walk, O Lord, in the light of thy countenance: enjoy the
gracious presence of God, have the manifestation of himself, the discoveries of
his love, communion with him through Christ, and the comforts of the Holy Spirit,
and these continued; so that they shall walk in the sunshine of these things,
though not always; for sometimes they walk in darkness, and see no light; but
it is an unspeakable mercy and blessing to walk herein at any time, for ever so
short a season, see Psalm 4:6.
Psalm 89:16 16 In Your name they rejoice
all day long, And in Your righteousness they are exalted.
YLT 16In Thy name they rejoice
all the day, And in Thy righteousness they are exalted,
In thy name shall they rejoice all the day,.... That know
the joyful sound, and walk in the light of God's countenance, as they have
reason to do; these will "rejoice" in the Lord himself, for his
"name" is himself; in the perfections of his nature, as displayed in
redemption and salvation by Christ; in him as the God of all grace, as their
covenant God and Father in Christ, and the God of their salvation; and they
will rejoice in Christ, in his name, in which is salvation, and therefore
precious; in his person, blood, righteousness, sacrifice, and fitness; and that
"all the day" long, continually; there is always reason, ground, and
matter for rejoicing in Christ, though it is sometimes interrupted by sin,
temptation, and desertion; see Philemon 4:4.
and in thy righteousness shall they be exalted; from a low
estate of sin and misery to an high estate of grace and glory; from a state of
condemnation and death to a state of justification of life; from being beggars
on the dunghill, to sit among princes, and to inherit the throne of glory; such
as are clothed with the righteousness of the Son of God are exalted to great honour,
as to be admitted into the presence of the King of kings in raiment of
needlework, to stand at his right hand in gold of Ophir, and to live and reign
with him for evermore in his kingdom and glory.
Psalm 89:17 17 For You are the
glory of their strength, And in Your favor our horn is exalted.
YLT 17For the beauty of their
strength [art] Thou, And in Thy good will is our horn exalted,
For thou art the glory of their strength,.... By which
they walk, and do all they do, exercise every grace, and discharge their duty;
they have their strength from Christ, as well as their righteousness, without
whom they can do nothing, but all things through him strengthening them; and as
his righteousness exalts them, his strength adorns and glorifies them; how glorious
and beautiful does a believer look, that is strong in the Lord, and in the
power of his might, in the grace that is in Christ, and in the exercise of
faith on him, giving glory to God; on whom the power of Christ rests, and it
overshadows, and in whose weakness his strength is made perfect!
and in thy favour our horn shall be exalted; either
Christ, the Horn of their salvation, who in an acceptable time, in the time of
God's favour, or good will, was heard and helped by him as man, carried through
his sufferings and death, was raised from the dead, and exalted at his right
hand; see Psalm 89:24 or the saints themselves, their
power and strength, kingdom and glory; by the special favour of God in Christ,
their mountain is made so strong, and they so highly exalted, as that they
think they shall never be moved; and in the latter day the mountain of the
Lord's house shall be exalted above the hills, Psalm 30:6.
Psalm 89:18 18 For our shield belongs
to the Lord,
And our king to the Holy One of Israel.
YLT 18For of Jehovah [is] our
shield, And of the Holy One of Israel our king.
For the Lord is our defence,.... From all their
enemies, being all around them, as a wall of fire to protect them, and as the
mountains were round about Jerusalem, and being kept by his power as in a
fortress, strong hold, or garrison, unto salvation; or our shieldF6מגננו "clypeus noster", Pagninus, Montanus,
Vatablus, Tigurine version; "scutum nostrum", Junius &
Tremellius, Piscator. ; see Psalm 84:9 as are his favour,
righteousness, and salvation, Psalm 5:12 or "to the Lord belongs our
defence or shield"F7ליהוה
"Domino", Pagninus, Montanus. our protection and salvation is from
him:
and the Holy One of Israel is our King; he who was to
be, and is of Israel according to the flesh, and is holy in his nature, life,
and office; he is King of saints, that rules over them, protects and defends
them, and therefore they must be happy: or "to" or "with the
Holy One of Israel is our king"F8ולקדש
ישראל "et sancto Israelis", Pagninus,
Montanus. ; Christ is King of Zion by designation, appointment, and
constitution, of God the Holy One of Israel, the holy God that has chosen
Israel for his peculiar people; though it rather seems that Christ is the Holy
One by what follows.
Psalm 89:19 19 Then You spoke in a vision
to Your holy one,[b] And said:
“I have given help to one who is mighty; I have exalted one chosen from
the people.
YLT 19Then Thou hast spoken in
vision, To Thy saint, yea, Thou sayest, I have placed help upon a mighty one,
Exalted a chosen one out of the people,
Then thou spakest in vision to thy Holy One,.... Samuel
the prophet, that holy man of God, to whom the Lord spoke in vision, or by a
spirit of prophecy, concerning David, the choice and exaltation of him to the
kingdom, and his unction for it, 1 Samuel 16:1. The Vulgate Latin version
reads it "to thy Holy Ones": and so the Targum, with which agree the
Septuagint and Arabic versions, which render it "thy sons"; and the
Syriac version "his righteous ones", and so takes in Nathan also, to
whom the Lord spake in a vision, by night, concerning the settlement and
perpetuity of the kingdom in David's family, 2 Samuel 7:4, &c. Aben Ezra interprets
it of the singers, Heman, Ethan, and others; and Jarchi of Gad and Nathan: but
the whole is rather to be understood of David's son, the Messiah; and it may be
rendered "concerning thy Holy One"F9לחסידך
"de pio tuo", Cocceius; "de sancto tuo", Gejerus. as he is
called, Psalm 16:10, concerning whom in vision,
that is, in prophecy, see Isaiah 1:1. The Lord said, by the mouth of
his holy prophets, from the beginning of the world, the following things:
and saidst, I have laid help upon one that is mighty; this
"mighty" One is the Messiah, the mighty God, the mighty Man, the
mighty Mediator and Redeemer; who was mighty to save to the uttermost, and was
every way fit for and equal to the work of a Redeemer; for which reason the
Lord "laid help" upon him, not for himself; for this is not to be
understood of help promised or given him as man and Mediator: this is after
spoken of, Psalm 89:21, but for others; and so the
Targum adds, "for my people": laying it on him is no other than
ordering or enjoining him, to which he agreed, to help his people out of that
miserable condition they were fallen into, through Adam's transgression, and
their own sins, out of which they could not help themselves: the work assigned
to Christ, and devolved on him in council and covenant, was to help them out of
this estate by price and power; and to help them on in their way to heaven,
through all difficulties, trials, and temptations; and to help them to heaven
itself, and introduce them there: and being thus laid upon him, according to
his Father's will and purpose, and with his own consent, it was found in him,
and exercised by him, Hosea 13:9.
I have exalted one chosen out of the people; the same as
before, the Messiah, God's elect, his chosen One, Isaiah 42:1 "chosen" to be the
head of the church, to be the Mediator between God and man, and to be the
Saviour and Redeemer of lost sinners; to be the foundation and corner stone in
the spiritual building, and to be the Judge of quick and dead: and he was
"chosen out of the people"; out of the vast number of the individuals
of human nature God determined to create, there was a certain number which he
selected for himself, for his own glory, and to be eternally happy with him;
and out of these he singled one "individuum" of human nature, to be
united to the eternal Word, the second Person in the Trinity; and which may be
truly said to be the "chiefest among", or, as the Septuagint version
has it, "chosen out of ten thousand", Song of Solomon 5:10, this the Lord
"exalted" to the grace of union to the Son of God, whereby it became
higher than angels and men, and to have a more excellent name than either of
them, it bearing the name of him to whom it is united, Hebrews 1:4, and he has exalted him to the
offices of Prophet, Priest, and King, for which he is
anointed above his fellows; and he has also, having
done his work, highly exalted him at his right hand; angels, principalities,
and powers, being subject to him.
Psalm 89:20 20 I have found My servant
David; With My holy oil I have anointed him,
YLT 20I have found David My servant,
With My holy oil I have anointed him.
I have found David my servant,.... Not David literally;
but his Son and antitype, the Messiah, who is sometimes called by his name; See
Gill on Psalm 89:3, and his "finding" him
does not suppose any ignorance of him, nor anxious solicitude in seeking him,
nor any
fortuitous
event; but is attributed to God by an anthropopathy, or speaking after the
manner of men; for it is an act of the highest wisdom, and richest grace, to
find out, that is, to pick and appoint, in council and covenant, his own Son to
be his servant, to be the Redeemer and Saviour of sinners, and to be a ransom
for them, Job 33:24. The Apostle Paul seems to refer
to this passage in Acts 13:22.
with my holy oil have I anointed him: not with
material oil, as David, his type, 1 Samuel 16:13 but with the Holy Ghost,
which may well be called holy oil, in allusion to the holy anointing oil under
the law; the oil of gladness with which Christ was anointed above his fellows,
and without measure, at the time of his conception and birth, at his baptism
and ascension to heaven, and even, in some sense, from all eternity; for so
early is he said to be anointed, and to be possessed with all fulness of grace,
being invested with and installed into his office as Mediator; and from this
anointing he has the name of Messiah and Christ, both which signify anointed, Acts 10:38.
Psalm 89:21 21 With whom My hand shall be
established; Also My arm shall strengthen him.
YLT 21With whom My hand is
established, My arm also doth strengthen him.
With whom my hand shall be established,.... A promise
of God's gracious presence with Christ, as man and Mediator, which is his work;
of a communication of grace and strength from him, to carry him through it; and
of his supporting and upholding him under it; which hand of his power and grace
would be always prepared and ready for him, as the wordF1תכון "parate erit", Musculus, Muis; so the
Targum. signifies, and stable and firm with him, so that he should have success
in it; the pleasure of the Lord should prosper in his hand; so the Targum,
"for
my hands are prepared for his help;'
the
Septuagint, Vulgate Latin, and all the eastern versions, "mine hand shall
help him"; and which is confirmed in the next words: mine arm also shall
strengthen him; in the human nature, subject to and encompassed with
infirmities: this shows the greatness of the work of man's redemption, which no
creature could effect; it required the arm and power of the Lord to be exerted,
and by which Christ was made strong by the Lord, both for himself, and for the
working out of salvation for us; which he did when he travelled in the
greatness of his strength, standing up under the mighty weight of our sins, and
the wrath of God; and yet failed not, nor was he discouraged, till his own arm
brought salvation to him; see Psalm 80:17.
Psalm 89:22 22 The enemy shall not outwit
him, Nor the son of wickedness afflict him.
YLT 22An enemy exacteth not upon
him, And a son of perverseness afflicteth him not.
The enemy shall not exact upon him,.... The enemy is the
devil, as in the interpretation of the parable of the tares, Matthew 13:39, the implacable enemy of
Christ and his church; and yet, notwithstanding all his enmity and malice, he
could not "exact", or get more inflicted on him, than the law and
justice of God required of him, as the sinner's surety; or could not "exact"
a tribute of him, or make him tributary to him; or, in other words, conquer
him, and subject him to him: so far from it, that he was conquered by Christ,
and all his principalities and powers spoiled; or could not "deceive"
him, in which sense the wordF2ישיא
"non imponet ei", Tigurine version; "non seducet eum", so
some in Vatablus; "non decipiet eum", Gejerus, Schmidt. is sometimes
used; and so the Targum here: though he deceived Eve, he could not deceive the
Messiah, the seed of the woman; he tried it, in person, by his temptations in
the wilderness, and by his agents and instruments, the Scribes and Pharisees:
but in vain, and to no purpose; he could not succeed:
nor the son of wickedness afflict him: at least not
always: he was indeed afflicted, as by wicked men, and by Satan the wicked one,
yet not so as to be overcome by any; and as Christ personal, so Christ
mystical, or his church and people, are afflicted by the sons of wickedness;
yet, sooner or later, they are delivered out of all their afflictions.
Antichrist, that man of sin, and son of perdition, that wicked one, that is
eminently so, and may be well called "the son of wickedness", has
long and greatly oppressed the people of Christ, and his interest; but he shall
not always; he shall be destroyed with the spirit of his mouth, and with the
brightness of his coming, 2 Thessalonians 2:3. This passage is
applied to the Messiah by the JewsF3Yalkut Simeoni, par. 2. fol. 56.
3. .
Psalm 89:23 23 I will beat down his foes
before his face, And plague those who hate him.
YLT 23And I have beaten down
before him his adversaries, And those hating him I plague,
And I will beat down his foes before his face,.... In Judea,
and in the Gentile world; more especially in Rome Pagan, and Rome Papal; in the
most public manner, before his Gospel, and the ministry of it by his servants;
and they shall either submit unto it, or be broken to pieces as a potter's vessel;
for he must reign till all enemies are put under his feet, 1 Corinthians 15:25,
and plague them that hate him; that would not have him
to reign over them, the unbelieving Jews, and all the followers of antichrist;
who are either plagued with the judgments of God here, or with everlasting
punishment hereafter, with which they will be tormented for ever and ever, Luke 19:14 or "strike"F4אגוף "percutiam", Pagninus, Montanus, Musculus,
Piscator, Michaelis. them with a rod of iron, with his wrath and vengeance;
strike them down to the ground, and to the lowest hell.
Psalm 89:24 24 “But My faithfulness and
My mercy shall be with him, And in My name his horn shall be exalted.
YLT 24And My faithfulness and
kindness [are] with him, And in My name is his horn exalted.
But my faithfulness and my mercy shall be with him,.... The
"faithfulness" of God was and is with Christ, in performing promises
made to him respecting his work, and strength to do it, as man, and the glory
that should follow; and also those made to his people in him, relating to grace
here, and happiness hereafter: and though there was no "mercy" shown
to Christ, as the surety of his people, but he was dealt with in strict
justice; yet, as Mediator of the covenant, the special mercy of God is with
him, even every blessing of it, called "the sure mercies of David";
and is only communicated through him; he is the mercy seat, from whence mercy
is dispensed, and the propitiation through whom God is merciful to men; the
words may be rendered, "my truth and my grace"F5ואמונתי וחסדי "et veritas
mea, et gratia mea", Cocceius, Gejerus, Michaelis. , as they are by the
Targum; and both are with Christ, the truth of doctrine, and all the fulness of
grace, justifying, sanctifying, pardoning, adopting, and persevering grace, John 1:14,
and in my name shall his horn be exalted, or "his
glory", as the Targum; his power and dominion, of which the horn is an
emblem; and his glory is displayed in having the same name his Father has: his
name is expressive of his nature, being, and perfections, the name Jehovah; and
his name of title and office "King of Kings, and Lord of lords"; or
his name the Word of God, as the Targum; who, as such, is the brightness of his
Father's glory: or the sense is, that, by the power of God, he should be raised
from the dead, and have glory given him, and be exalted at his right hand, and
made Lord and Christ; or by means of the Gospel, which is the name of the Lord,
John 17:6, his kingdom and dominion should
be spread in the world; see 1 Samuel 2:10.
Psalm 89:25 25 Also I will set his hand
over the sea, And his right hand over the rivers.
YLT 25And I have set on the sea
his hand, And on the rivers his right hand.
I will set his hand also in the sea,.... Which is expressive
not of his dominion over the sea, and of his power and authority over all
things in it, which: he has by right of creation, and as Mediator, Psalm 8:5, of which there were instances in
the days of his flesh, Matthew 8:26, but of his kingdom taking
place in, and of his government over the inhabitants of the isles of the sea;
and so the Targum,
"I
will set or place his government in the provinces of the sea;'
and
which has been remarkably accomplished in our isles, where his Gospel has been
preached, his kingdom set up, and he has had a race of subjects, and a seed, to
serve him for many years:
and his right hand in the rivers: or, as the Targum,
"the
power of his right hand in those that dwell by rivers;'
meaning
such that dwell upon the continent, afar off from the sea, and whose countries
are watered by rivers: so that both phrases denote the extent of Christ's
kingdom in the continent, and in the islands of the sea; signifying, that it
should reach everywhere, and be from sea to sea, and from the river to the ends
of the earth, Psalm 72:8. Compare with this Revelation 10:1. Aben Ezra interprets it of
David's prevailing over those that go in ships in the sea, and in rivers.
Psalm 89:26 26 He shall cry to Me, ‘You are
my Father, My God, and the rock of my salvation.’
YLT 26He proclaimeth me: `Thou
[art] my Father, My God, and the rock of my salvation.'
He shall cry unto me, thou art my Father,.... Not by
creation, as he is the Father of angels and men; nor by adoption, as he is the
Father of saints; but by generation, being the begotter of him, Psalm 2:7 so that he is Christ's own and
proper Father, and Christ is his own and proper Son, John 5:18, and he frequently called him his
Father, and asserted him to be in this relation to him, John 5:17, John 10:30, and addressed him, called upon
him, and prayed unto him as such, Matthew 11:25, "my God"; that
chose him to be the Mediator, Redeemer, and Saviour; who made a covenant with
him, his chosen; who prepared and provided the human nature of Christ; anointed
him with the gifts and graces of his Spirit, and supported him in his
sufferings, and crowned him with glory and honour; whom Christ loved as his
God, trusted in him as such, obeyed him, and prayed unto him: he called him his
God, owned him to be so, and called upon him, and cried unto him, as such, John 20:17. God is the Father of Christ, as
Christ is a divine Person; and he is the God of Christ, as Christ is man: these
two relations frequently go together in the New Testament, John 20:17. It is added,
and the Rock of my salvation; that bore him up, and
where he stood firm, while he was working out the salvation of his people; and
though he was not saved from sufferings and death, yet he was quickly delivered
from the grave, and raised from the dead, and set at the right hand of God,
where he must reign till all enemies are put under his feet.
Psalm 89:27 27 Also I will make him My
firstborn, The highest of the kings of the earth.
YLT 27I also first-born do
appoint him, Highest of the kings of the earth.
Also I will make him my firstborn,.... Or, "make him
the firstborn"; make him great, as Jarchi interprets it; give him the
blessing, the double portion of inheritance: so Christ is made most blessed for
ever, and has all spiritual blessings in his hands; and is heir of all things,
and his people joint-heirs with him. Christ is God's "firstborn", or
"first begotten", Hebrews 1:6, being begotten by him, and of
him; and his firstbegotten, though none begotten after him; as the first that
opened the womb, under the law, was called the firstborn, though none were ever
born after; and in such sense his first begotten, as that he is his only
begotten: and he is the firstborn, with respect to creatures; "he is the
firstborn of every creature"; Colossians 1:15, being begotten and brought
forth before any creature was in being, Proverbs 8:22, and, with respect to the
saints, "he is the firstborn among many brethren", Romans 8:29, they are of the same nature,
and in the same family, and in which Christ is a son, and the firstborn; and in
all things he has the preeminence; and he is also "the firstborn from the
dead", or "the first begotten of the dead", Colossians 1:18 being raised first from
thence by his own power, and to an immortal life; and is the first fruits of
them that sleep, and the efficient and meritorious cause of the resurrection of
life, and the pattern and exemplar of it: even him the Father promises to make
"higher than the kings of the earth"; having a kingdom of a superior
nature to theirs, and a more extensive and durable one; and even they
themselves shall be subject to him; hence he is called "King of
kings", Revelation 19:16. This will be when their
kingdoms become his; when they shall fall down before him, and worship him, and
bring their riches and glory into his kingdom, or the New Jerusalem church
state, Psalm 72:10. This passage is interpreted of
the Messiah by the JewsF6In Shemot Rabba, s. 19. fol. 104. 4. .
Psalm 89:28 28 My mercy I will keep for
him forever, And My covenant shall stand firm with him.
YLT 28To the age I keep for him
My kindness, And My covenant [is] stedfast with him.
My mercy will I keep for him for evermore,.... That is,
for his mystical body, his church and people; for whom stores of mercy are kept
with him, to be laid out in their regeneration, pardon, salvation, and eternal
life; for to them the mercy of God is from everlasting to everlasting, Psalm 103:17, unless this is to be
understood of the "grace" and "kindness"F7חסדי "bonitatem meam", Musculus, Tigurine
version; "benignitatem meam", Junius & Tremellius, Piscator;
"gratiam meam", Cocceius, Gejerus, Michaelis. of God, as the word may
be rendered; his free favour and love to Christ, which always continues; for as
he was always his dearly beloved Son, that lay in his bosom from eternity, so
he continued, throughout his state, of humiliation, his well beloved, in whom
he was well pleased, and still is, and ever will:
and my covenant shall stand fast with him; being made
with him as the head and representative of his people, it remains, and will
remain, sure, firm, and immoveable; its blessings are "sure mercies",
and its promises are all "yea and amen in Christ": the stability of
it, and of all that is in it, is owing to its being made with him, and being in
his hands, who is the surety, Mediator, and messenger of it.
Psalm 89:29 29 His seed also I will make to
endure forever, And his throne as the days of heaven.
YLT 29And I have set his seed for
ever, And his throne as the days of the heavens.
His seed also will I make to endure for ever,.... Not a
race of kings from David, which ended at the Babylonish captivity; not the
natural seed of David, not the Messiah himself, who sprung from him, but the
Messiah's spiritual seed, which were given him by the Father, adopted through
him, regenerated by his Spirit and grace, begotten through his Gospel, and the
ministry of it, and born again in his church, and to whom he stands in the
relation of the everlasting Father, Isaiah 9:6. The "enduring" of
these "for ever" may denote the final perseverance of particular
believers; which may be concluded from the relation of Christ, as an everlasting
Father to them, who therefore must continue as his children; from his affection
to them, from which there can be no separation; from their security in and by
him, being in his hand, and in his heart; from their adoption, which is never
revoked, being sons they are no more servants; from their regeneration of
incorruptible seed; and from the nature of faith, which can never be lost: they
that trust in the Lord are as Mount Zion, which endures for ever, Psalm 125:1 or it may be expressive of the
duration of the church of Christ in general, throughout all periods of time,
notwithstanding the malice and opposition of men and devils against it; see Matthew 16:18,
and his throne as the days of heaven; a phrase
signifying a great length of time, Deuteronomy 11:21 yea, invariable constancy
and duration, Jeremiah 31:25 and indeed the throne of
Christ is for ever and ever, and will be when the present earth and heavens are
fled away, Psalm 45:6. Christ is upon a throne now in
heaven, the same with his divine Father's; and here he must sit and reign, till
all enemies are put under him; and he will be on a throne of glory when he
judges the world, and in the New Jerusalem state for the space of a thousand
years; and, after that, he will reign with his saints, and they with him, for
evermore; his throne and kingdom are everlasting, Isaiah 9:7.
Psalm 89:30 30 “If his sons forsake My
law And do not walk in My judgments,
YLT 30If his sons forsake My law,
And in My judgments do not walk;
If his children forsake my law,.... The same with the
seed before mentioned, the children of the Messiah: it is not said "if he
forsakes", which cannot be supposed of Christ, because he knew no sin, nor
did any; which yet might be supposed of David, had he been literally meant; but
not he, nor his natural children, but the spiritual seed of mystical David, are
here designed, who may sin, and do sin, of which there is too much proof and
evidence; and who sin not only through infirmity, but sometimes very grossly,
and which sins are here expressed by various phrases: they sometimes
"forsake the law of God"; do not attend to it, as they should, as the
rule of their walk and conversation; are remiss in their observance of it, and
obedience to it, and transgress its precepts; or his "doctrine"F8תורתי "verbum meaum revelatum", Gejerus;
"legem et doctrinam meam", Michaelis. , even the doctrine of the
Gospel; which may be said to be forsaken when men grow indifferent to it; go
off from it in any measure, drop their profession of it, or hold it remissly,
or become careless in their attendance on it: forsaking the assembling together
to hear it, in some sense, is a forsaking of it; and this the Lord takes notice
of, and resents, in his people:
and walk not in my judgments; those laws of his house
by which he judges, regulates, and governs his people; by which they are
directed by him, as their Judge and Lawgiver, how to behave themselves in the
church of God; and in which they are to walk, and continue in the observance
of; and so to do is to walk as becomes the Gospel, and worthy of their calling;
but to do otherwise is to walk disorderly; and such are cognizable by the Lord,
and by his people.
Psalm 89:31 31 If they break My statutes And
do not keep My commandments,
YLT 31If My statutes they pollute,
And My commands do not keep,
If they break my statutes,.... Fixed, settled,
appointed ordinances; such as are baptism and the Lord's supper, under the New
Testament dispensation; which are the things that are unshaken, and will remain
until the second coming of Christ: these are to be kept as they were first
delivered; no change and alteration ought to be made in them; so to do is to
break and violate them, or "profane" them, as the wordF9יחללו "prophanaverint", V. L. Pagninus, Montanus,
Tigurine version, Junius & Tremellius, Piscator, &c. here used
signifies; and which may be done by an unbecoming, irreverent, and indecent
attendance on them; as was by some in the Corinthian church, of which the
apostle complains, and who for it were taken notice of, and chastened by the
Lord, 1 Corinthians 11:2, and keep not my
commandments; which should be kept impartially, with great affection to them,
from a principle of love to the Lord, with a view to his glory, and without
trusting to and depending upon an obedience to them; for they are not grievous;
and, besides, "in", though not "for", keeping them, there
is great reward; and a contrary behaviour is displeasing to God: now this
particular enumeration of offences, that may be committed by the children of
God to Christ, show that all sorts of sins may be committed by them; sins of
omission and commission; sins against the law, and against the Gospel; all but
the unpardonable one; and that these, though they are observed in a way
hereafter mentioned, yet are all forgiven.
Psalm 89:32 32 Then I will punish their
transgression with the rod, And their iniquity with stripes.
YLT 32I have looked after with a
rod their transgression, And with strokes their iniquity,
Then will I visit their transgression with the rod,.... That is,
of men; as in 2 Samuel 7:14, the Lord making use of men
to chastise his people by, as he did of the neighbouring nations of the Jews,
when they sinned against him; and so the Targum interprets it here,
"I
will visit their transgressions by the hands of the tribes of the ungodly;'
or
with such afflictions as are common to men, 1 Corinthians 10:13, in a kind, humane,
moderate way, in measure, in judgment, and not in wrath and hot displeasure; or
in such like manner as a man chastises his children, which is in love, Deuteronomy 8:5.
and their iniquity with stripes; such as diseases of
body, loss of relations, crosses and disappointments in the world; not with the
stripes of divine vengeance, of vindictive justice, such as Christ, the surety
of his people, endured for them; but with the scourges of a father, Isaiah 53:8.
Psalm 89:33 33 Nevertheless My
lovingkindness I will not utterly take from him, Nor allow My faithfulness to
fail.
YLT 33And My kindness I break not
from him, Nor do I deal falsely in My faithfulness.
Nevertheless, my lovingkindness will I not utterly take from him,.... Or
"make it void"F11אפיר "not
irritam faciam", Junius & Tremellius, Piscator, Gejerus. , not from
Christ, who always was, and ever will be, the dear Son of his love, even while
he was obeying, suffering, and dying; nor from all those that are in him, loved
and chosen in him, from everyone of his spiritual seed, who are all dear sons,
and pleasant children; and the love of God to his people is in Christ; and
therefore there can he no separation from it; nor will it ever depart from
them, or be utterly or at all taken from them, as to that itself, though
sometimes the manifestations of it are withdrawn from them; but the love of God
itself is invariable and unchangeable; see Romans 8:38, nor is it removed when God
afflicts and chastens his people; for his chastenings are from love, and in
love; the reason why he chastens them is because he loves them, and he loves
them while he is chastening them; he visits and comforts them, sympathizes with
them, supports them, and supplies them, and makes all things work together for
their good, Revelation 3:19,
nor suffer my faithfulness to fail; in making good his
engagements to Christ, in keeping the covenant made with him, and in fulfilling
his promises to his people; and even when he afflicts them, it is in
faithfulness to them; nor will he suffer them to be afflicted above what they
are able to bear, and will support them under it, and deliver out of it, Psalm 119:75 or "I will not falsify in
my truth"F9ולא אשקר
באמונתי "neque faciam mendacium"
("neque fallam", Montanus) "in veritate mea", Pagninus;
"neque mentiar aut fallam in veritate mea", Michaelis. ; or falsify
his word; he is faithful that has promised, who will do it, yea,
notwithstanding the unbelief of his people, Hebrews 10:23.
Psalm 89:34 34 My covenant I will not
break, Nor alter the word that has gone out of My lips.
YLT 34I profane not My covenant,
And that which is going forth from My lips I change not.
My covenant will I not break,.... Not the covenant at
Sinai, as Aben Ezra, but the covenant of grace made with Christ, and which
stands fast with him, Psalm 89:3, which is firm, sure, and
stable, and as immovable as mountains and hills, and more so, 2 Samuel 23:5 or "profane"F13לא אחלל "non
prophanabo", V. L. Pagninus, Montanus, Tigurine version, &c. it,
though his people profane his statutes, Psalm 89:31, he will not profane his
covenant; though they violate his laws, he is a God keeping covenant with them,
and will not break his word with them:
nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips; any promise
of his, respecting either the temporal, spiritual, or eternal welfare of his
people: or "not change"F14לא אשנה "non mutabo", Pagninus, Montanus, Tigurine
version, Junius & Tremellius, &c. ; as he changes not in his nature and
perfections, nor in his love and affections, nor in his counsels and purposes;
so neither in his covenant and promises, they are always the same, and have a
certain and unchangeable accomplishment; there is a performance of whatsoever
is spoken by the Lord, Luke 1:45.
Psalm 89:35 35 Once I have sworn by My
holiness; I will not lie to David:
YLT 35Once I have sworn by My
holiness, I lie not to David,
Once have I sworn by my holiness,.... Swearing is ascribed
to God after the manner of men, and is done in condescension to the weakness of
his people, and to remove doubts and hesitations from them, relating to things
spiritual and eternal; as to his everlasting love to them, his covenant with
them in Christ, and their perseverance in his grace; and it is made by himself,
or one or other of his perfections, as here by his "holiness"; see Amos 4:2, and indeed his holiness being his
nature, is no other than he himself, the holy God; and because he could swear
by no greater, he sware by himself, that as sure as he was, and was holy, just,
and true, he would make good what he promises, Hebrews 6:13 and this is done but once,
once for all, that being sufficient; it need not be repeated, nor is it ever
revoked; when he swears, he never repents of it, nor changes his mind; and it
is to show the immutability of his counsel that he swears at all, Psalm 110:4,
that I will not lie unto David; he will not lie to any,
he cannot, it is impossible he should; it would be to deny himself, it is
contrary to his being as God, he is not a man that he should lie; it is
contrary to his character as the God of truth; he will not lie, neither in his
counsel nor covenant, in his purposes nor promises; these are the two immutable
things, in which it is impossible he should lie: and he has swore to it that he
will not lie to David, to David's son the Messiah, with whom the covenant is
made, and stands fast; all the prophecies concerning him he has fulfilled; and
all the promises made to him of help and assistance, as man and Mediator, in
his work, and of the reward of it, a glory with him, he has made good.
Psalm 89:36 36 His seed shall endure
forever, And his throne as the sun before Me;
YLT 36His seed is to the age, And
his throne [is] as the sun before Me,
His seed shall endure for ever,.... This is a
confirmation by his oath of what he had before said, Psalm 89:29 which may be understood either
of the perseverance of particular believers, of everyone of the spiritual seed
of Christ; or of the duration of the church in general, throughout all ages, as
before observed; and these being matters of moment and importance, and of which
there are sometimes doubts in the minds of the Lord's people about them, and that
they may be firmly believed by them, he confirms them with an oath; for God
never swears to trivial things; and when he does swear, it is to remove the
doubts of his people, and make their minds easy:
and his throne as the sun before me; that is, shall continue
as long as it does; see Psalm 89:29, or shall be bright, splendid,
and glorious as the sun, so the Targum,
"and
his throne light as the sun before me;'
meaning
his church and kingdom, of which the throne is an emblem, and which became so
in Gospel times, clear and lucid as the sun, Song of Solomon 6:10, when day was made by
the rising of the sun of righteousness, and by the bright shining of the Gospel
ministry; and at particular periods since, as in the times of Constantine, when
the church was clothed with the sun, and at the Reformation, when Christ
appeared with a rainbow on his head, and his face was as the sun, Revelation 12:1 and especially this will be
the case of the church in the latter day, when the light of the moon will be as
the light of the sun, and the light of the sun seven fold, as the light of
seven days; and when the city, the church, will stand in no need of the sun,
nor of the moon; and also in the ultimate glory, when the saints will shine as
the sun in the kingdom of God; see Isaiah 30:26. This passage is applied to
the Messiah by the JewsF1Zohar in Gen. fol. 30. 1. .
Psalm 89:37 37 It shall be established
forever like the moon, Even like the faithful witness in the sky.” Selah
YLT 37As the moon it is
established -- to the age, And the witness in the sky is stedfast. Selah.
It shall be established for ever as the moon,.... Either
Christ's seed, or throne, which comes to much the same sense; for by both are
meant his church and people, his kingdom and interest in the world; the moon is
as perpetual as the sun, and is used as elsewhere to signify the continuance of
the people, church, and interest of Christ, Psalm 72:5, for though the moon has its
spots, and is changeable, sometimes in the full, and sometimes in the decline,
yet always is, and always continues, and ever will; and so though the people of
God have their spots and imperfections, and are sometimes on the decline in the
frames and dispositions of their minds, in the exercise of grace, in their
spirituality, liveliness, and zeal, and in their walk and conversation in the
church and world; yet they shall abide and persevere to the end; and though the
church may be like the moon in the wane, be declining as to numbers, gifts, and
graces, yet it shall continue and be established; it is sometimes indeed in a
fluctuating state, and is not always in the same place, but is removed from one
country to another; yet it always is somewhere, even though in the wilderness,
and ere long will be established on the top of the mountains, and be no more a tabernacle
that shall be taken down; see Psalm 48:8.
and as a faithful witness in heaven: or "in the sky or
cloud"F2בשחק "in aethere",
Montanus, Tigurine version, Vatablus; "in superiore nube", Junius
& Tremellius; "in nubibus", Gejerus. ; some understand this of
the moon, others of both sun and moon; but it seems best to interpret it of something
distinct from either, even of the rainbow, which though it does not always
appear in the clouds, yet it has appeared at times, and does and will unto the
end of the world; and be a faithful and an everlasting token and witness of the
covenant of God made with all creatures, that he will no more destroy the world
by a flood, Genesis 9:12, and is an emblem of the
covenant of grace, and of the continuance, perpetuity, and immutability of it;
see Isaiah 54:9.
Selah. See Gill on Psalm 3:2.
Psalm 89:38 38 But You have cast off and
abhorred, You have been furious with Your anointed.
YLT 38And Thou, Thou hast cast
off, and dost reject, Thou hast shown Thyself wroth With Thine anointed,
But thou hast cast off,.... Here begin
objections to what is before said, and swore to; even to the everlasting love
of God, to Christ, and to his seed, to the unchangeableness and unalterableness
of the covenant, and to the continuance and perpetuity of the kingdom and
church of Christ, taken from the dealings of the Lord with the Messiah and his
people; which were made either by the psalmist, under a spirit of prophecy,
foreseeing what would come to pass; or by the apostles and church of Christ,
about the time of his sufferings and death, and after; when he seemed to be "cast
off", and rejected by the Lord, particularly when he forsook him, and hid
his face from him, Matthew 27:46, as when he hides his face
from his people, it is interpreted by them a casting them off; see Psalm 44:22,
and abhorred; not that he abhorred the person of Christ,
who was his own Son, his beloved Son; nor his afflictions and sufferings, which
were a sacrifice of a sweet smelling savour to him; see Psalm 22:24, though these might be
interpreted by others as if the Lord abhorred or rejected him; because he
suffered him to be used in the manner he was, and particularly to be abhorred
by the Jews, even by the nation in general, Isaiah 49:7, though the sins of his people,
which he had upon him, and for which he suffered, were an abhorring to the
Lord; and when he was made sin, he was made a curse:
thou hast been wroth with thine Anointed; with thy
Messiah; not Rehoboam, from whom the ten tribes were rent; nor Josiah, who was
killed by Pharaohnecho; nor Zedekiah, carried captive into Babylon; but the
true Messiah, the son of David, before said to be found by the Lord, and
anointed with his holy oil, Psalm 89:20, which is to be understood of
him, not as his own son, who was always the object of his love, but as the
sinner's surety, bearing the sins of his people, and all the wrath and
punishment due unto them; and so is reconcilable to the promise, that
lovingkindness should not be taken from him, Psalm 89:33 and is no objection to it,
though made one.
Psalm 89:39 39 You have renounced the
covenant of Your servant; You have profaned his crown by casting it to
the ground.
YLT 39Hast rejected the covenant
of Thy servant, Thou hast polluted to the earth his crown,
Thou hast made void the covenant of thy servant,.... His
servant David the Messiah, Psalm 89:3, meaning not the covenant of
circumcision, nor the covenant at Sinai, which were really made void at the
death of Christ; but the covenant of grace and redemption made with Christ,
which it was promised should stand fast, and never be broken, Psalm 89:3, but was thought to be null and
void when the Redeemer was in the grave, and all hopes of redemption by him
were gone, Luke 24:21, but so far was it from being
so, that it was confirmed by the sufferings and death of Christ; and every
blessing and promise of it were ratified by his blood, hence called the blood
of the everlasting covenant, Hebrews 13:20,
thou hast profaned his crown by casting it to the ground: by suffering
it to be cast to the ground, and used contemptibly; as when Jesus was crowned
with thorns, and saluted in a mock manner; when an "if" was put upon
his being the King of Israel, Matthew 27:29, and which seemed very
inconsistent with the promise, Psalm 89:27 that he should be made higher
than the kings of the earth; and yet so it was, and is; he is highly exalted,
made Lord and Christ, crowned with glory and honour, and is set far above all
principality and power, and every name that is named in this world or that to
come, notwithstanding all the above usage of him.
Psalm 89:40 40 You have broken down all
his hedges; You have brought his strongholds to ruin.
YLT 40Thou hast broken down all
his hedges, Thou hast made his fenced places a ruin.
Thou hast broken down all his hedges,.... Round
about his vine, the church; see Psalm 80:12. A famous church was raised at
Jerusalem, quickly after the death, resurrection, and ascension of Christ,
which seemed to be well filled, fenced, and protected; but on a sudden a
violent persecution arose, and the members of it were made havoc of, and the
ministers of the word were scattered abroad, and which was the breaking down of
the hedges; and what was done to the church was taken by Christ as done to
himself, as it is here spoken of him; see Acts 8:1, and this might seem contrary to
the word and oath of God, that his seed should endure for ever, and his throne
as the days of heaven, Psalm 89:29, when the first Christian
church was used in this manner; but that providence was overruled, for the
spread of the Gospel, and the interest of Christ, in other parts; see Acts 8:4, and so no objection to what is
before said:
thou hast brought his strong holds to ruin; the same as
before, the church of Christ, which seemed to be so well built and fortified;
see Isaiah 26:1.
Psalm 89:41 41 All who pass by the way
plunder him; He is a reproach to his neighbors.
YLT 41Spoiled him have all
passing by the way, He hath been a reproach to his neighbours,
All that pass by the way spoil him,.... His church, his members,
which are himself, when made havoc of by their persecutors, and they took
joyfully the spoiling of their goods, Hebrews 10:34, so the church of Christ may
be spoiled, however, attempted to be spoiled, by false teachers, who are the
foxes, the little foxes, that spoil the vines; crafty seducers, who spoil
Christians of their peace and comfort, through philosophy and vain deceit, Song of Solomon 2:15. Christ himself may be
said to be spoiled, when he was stripped of his clothes by the Roman soldiers,
who also parted his garments, casting lots on his vesture; when they that
passed by his cross, as he hung upon it, reviled him, and robbed him of his
good name, and of his kingly and priestly offices; and he is also spoiled by
false teachers, who rob him of his deity, his divine and eternal sonship, and
of his satisfaction and righteousness, by whom he is trodden under foot, and
his blood counted as an unholy thing; and so the Targum,
"all
that pass by the way tread upon him;'
see
Hebrews 10:29, these are they that walk not
in the right way; but go out of it, and choose their own way; they are such as
pass over the right way, or cross it; they are they that transgress, and abide
not in the doctrine of Christ, that so use him, 2 John 1:9,
he is a reproach to his neighbours; his name and character
were reproached by the Jews, his countrymen, who called him a glutton and a wine
bibber; and represented him as a notorious sinner; his miracles as done by the
help of Satan; his doctrine as hard sayings, novel opinions, contrary to common
sense and reason, and tending to licentiousness; and his followers and members
as the offscouring of all things: but all this has been or will be rolled off,
and is no objection to the glory promised him.
Psalm 89:42 42 You have exalted the right
hand of his adversaries; You have made all his enemies rejoice.
YLT 42Thou hast exalted the right
hand of his adversaries, Thou hast caused all his enemies to rejoice.
Thou hast set up the right hand of his adversaries,.... Suffered
them to become powerful, and to prevail against him; as the wicked Jews, and
Satan, and his principalities and powers, at the time of Christ's apprehension,
crucifixion, and death; for then were their hour, and the power of darkness, Luke 22:53, death also had dominion over
him, and held him under the power of it for awhile: the enemies of his
interest, Rome Pagan, and Rome Papal, have, in their turns, had their right
hands set up, and have had power, and prevailed over it; and the latter will
again, at the slaying of the witnesses: all which, though it seems contrary to Psalm 89:21, yet is not; for Satan, though
he bruised Christ's heel, yet Christ bruised his head, destroyed his works, and
him himself, and that by dying; and spoiled his principalities and powers; and
death could not hold him long, nor has it now any dominion over him, and is
abolished by him; and antichrist, and all the antichristian powers, will be
destroyed by him ere long:
thou hast made all his enemies to rejoice; as they did
when they had got him on the cross; and especially when he was laid in the
grave, Psalm 22:7, and as the antichristian party
will when his witnesses are slain, Revelation 11:10, but as the joy of the
former was short lived, and was soon turned into sorrow, so will be that of the
latter.
Psalm 89:43 43 You have also turned back
the edge of his sword, And have not sustained him in the battle.
YLT 43Also -- Thou turnest back
the sharpness of his sword, And hast not established him in battle,
Thou hast also turned the edge of his sword,.... Or the
"sharpness"F1צור
"acumen", Junius & Tremellius, Piscator. of it blunted it, so
that it could do no execution: the disciples of Christ were not allowed the use
of the temporal sword to defend their master; and his house, his kingdom, not
being of this world, Matthew 26:51, other weapons were put into
their hands; the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; and the edge of
this was blunted, with respect to the Jews, being of little or no efficacy
among them; it was turned off by them, and put away from them; but then it was
turned towards the Gentiles, and was powerful and effectual among them; Christ
girt it on his thigh, and rode forth in his glory and majesty, conquering, and
to conquer, and by it subdued many, who fell under him, and gave up themselves
unto him; see Ephesians 6:17, and ere long, with the
twoedged sword, which proceeds out of his mouth, will he smite the
antichristian nations; and the remnant of those that escape at the battle of
Armageddon shall be slain with it, Revelation 19:15,
and hast not made him to stand in the battle; but to fall
in it, being delivered up into the hands of wicked men, of justice, and death;
and yet, by dying, he put away sin, finished it, made an end of it, and
destroyed it; he conquered Satan, and led him captive; overcame the world, the
spite and malice of it, and its prince; and abolished death itself.
Psalm 89:44 44 You have made his glory
cease, And cast his throne down to the ground.
YLT 44Hast caused [him] to cease
from his brightness, And his throne to the earth hast cast down.
Thou hast made his glory to cease,.... The glory of his
deity, though it did not properly cease, yet it seemed to do so, being covered,
and out of sight, and seen but by a very few, while he appeared in the likeness
of sinful flesh; and the glory of his humanity was made to cease, in which he
was fairer than the children of men, and his visage was more marred than any
man's, and his form than the sons of men; and the glory of his offices,
prophetical, priestly, and kingly, which were reproached and vilified, and
disputed and contradicted by the Jews, Matthew 26:68, it may be rendered,
"his purity"F2מטהרו "puritatem
ejus", Montanus, Michaelis. , which seemed to cease when he was clothed
with our filthy garments; or had all our sins laid upon him, and imputed to
him, by his Father; and he was made sin for us, who knew none: the Targum is,
"thou
hast made the priests to cease who sprinkle upon the altar, and purify his
people:'
and
cast his throne down to the ground; this seems contrary, and is an objection to
Psalm 89:29, but is not; for not
withstanding the usage of Christ by the Jews, who rejected him as the King
Messiah; see Gill on Psalm 89:39, yet he is now upon the same throne
with his Father, and will sit upon a throne of glory when he comes to judge the
world, and so in the New Jerusalem church state, and to all eternity.
Psalm 89:45 45 The days of his youth You
have shortened; You have covered him with shame. Selah
YLT 45Thou hast shortened the
days of his youth, Hast covered him over [with] shame. Selah.
The days of his youth hast thou shortened,.... His days
of joy and pleasure; such as days of youth are, in opposition to the days of
old age, which are evil, Ecclesiastes 11:9, these were shortened
when his sorrows and sufferings came on, and God hid his face from him; and
indeed he was a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief all his days: the
Vulgate Latin version renders it, "the days of his time"; and the
Arabic version "the days of his years"; for he did not live out half
the time of man's age, which is threescore years and ten, Psalm 90:10, he dying at the age of thirty
three or four; but, notwithstanding this, he lives again, and lives for
evermore; he has length of days for ever and ever, Psalm 21:4, though his days were in some
sense shortened, yet in another sense they are and will be prolonged, even his
own, and those of his spiritual seed, according to the promise of God, Isaiah 53:10,
thou hast covered him with shame; see Psalm 69:7, when his face was covered with
shame and spitting, from which he hid it not, Isaiah 1:6, but now he is crowned with
glory and honour; wherefore all these complaints, though true, are no
objections to what is before said and swore to.
Selah. See Gill on Psalm 3:2.
Psalm 89:46 46 How long, Lord? Will You hide
Yourself forever? Will Your wrath burn like fire?
YLT 46Till when, O Jehovah, art
Thou hidden? For ever doth Thy fury burn as fire?
How long, Lord, wilt thou hide thyself? for ever?.... When God
hides his face front his people, though it is but for a little while, it seems
long, and a kind of an eternity to them; and so it seemed to the man Christ
Jesus; and indeed what he endured, when his Father hid his face from him, was
of the same kind with an eternal absence; see Psalm 13:1,
shall thy wrath burn like fire? it did so when Christ
bore the sins of his people, and all the punishment due unto them; when his
strength was dried up like a potsherd; when he, the antitype of the passover
lamb roasted with fire, was sacrificed for us; all which is entirely consistent
with God's everlasting and invariable love to him, as his own Son. See Gill on Psalm 89:38.
Psalm 89:47 47 Remember how short my time
is; For what futility have You created all the children of men?
YLT 47Remember, I pray Thee, what
[is] life-time? Wherefore in vain hast Thou created All the sons of men?
Remember how short my time is,.... In this world man's
time here is fixed, and it is but a short time; his life is but a vapour, which
appeareth for a little while; his days are as an hand's breadth; they pass away
like a tale that is told; the common term of life is but threescore years and
ten, and few arrive to that: to know and observe this is proper and useful; it
may awaken a concern for a future state, excite to a vigorous discharge of
duty, and animate to patience under afflictions: the clause in connection with
the preceding verse seems to be a plea for mercy; that, since time was short,
it might not be consumed in bearing the wrath of God; but be spent in peace and
comfort, like that of Job 10:20, Compare with this Psalm 103:13, the Targum is,
"remember
that I am created out of the dust:'
but
these words, with what follow, are the words of the psalmist, representing the
apostles of Christ, and other saints, at the time of his sufferings and death,
and when under the power of the grave, and when they were almost out of hope of
his resurrection: see Luke 24:21, expostulating with the Lord on
that account; and here entreat him to remember the shortness of their time, if
there was no resurrection from the dead, as there would be none if Christ rose
not; and therefore, as their life was a short one, it would be of all men's the
most miserable:
wherefore hast thou made all men in vain? none of the
sons of men are made in vain; for they are all made for the glory of God, which
end is answered, some way or another, in everyone of them; either in the
salvation of them by Christ, or in the just destruction of them through their
own sin; and though the time of life is short, and afflictions many, yet men
are not made in vain, and especially those of them who believe in Christ; for,
for them to live is Christ, they live to his glory: whether they live a longer
or shorter time, they live to the Lord; and when they die, they die to him; and
their afflictions are always for good, temporal, or spiritual, and eternal:
indeed, if there was no future state after this, men might seem to be made in
vain, and there might be some reason for such a question or complaint; but so
it is not; there is an immortal life and state after this, either of bliss or
woe: also, if there was no such thing as the redemption, justification, and
salvation of any of the sons of men, through the sufferings and death of
Christ, and which could not be without his resurrection from the dead, with a
view to which the question is put, then there would seem some room for it; but
there is a redemption of them, and therefore are not made in vain; and Christ,
who was delivered for their offences, is risen for their justification.
Psalm 89:48 48 What man can live and not
see death? Can he deliver his life from the power of the grave? Selah
YLT 48Who [is] the man that
liveth, and doth not see death? He delivereth his soul from the hand of Sheol.
Selah.
What man is he that liveth, and shall not see death?.... Every
living man must die; as sure as a man lives, so sure he shall die: be he strong
and mighty, as the word signifies, or weak and sickly; be he high or low, rich
or poor, prince or peasant, righteous or wicked; persons of all ranks, states,
and conditions, age or sex, must die; for all have sinned; and it is the
appointment of God that they should die, and very few are the exceptions; as
Enoch and Elijah, and those that will be found alive at Christ's coming:
shall he deliver his soul from the hand of the grave; either from
going down into it, or coming under the power of it; so the Targum,
"what
man is he that shall live, and shall not see the angel of death (Hebrews 2:14) shall he deliver his soul
from his hand, that he should not go down to the house of his grave?'
or
deliver himself from the power of it, when in it; that is, raise himself from
the dead: none ever did this, or ever can: Christ indeed undertook, and has
promised, to redeem his people from the power of the grave, upon which they
have believed they should be delivered; see Hosea 13:14, but if Christ rose not
himself, which was the thing now in question, how could it be? the case stands
thus; every man must die; no man can raise himself from the dead; if Christ
rise not, everyone must continue under the power of the grave; for then there
could be no resurrection.
Selah. See Gill on Psalm 3:2.
Psalm 89:49 49 Lord, where are
Your former lovingkindnesses, Which You swore to David in Your truth?
YLT 49Where [are] Thy former
kindnesses, O Lord. Thou hast sworn to David in Thy faithfulness,
Lord, where are thy former lovingkindnesses,.... The
spiritual blessings said to be in Christ; the grace said to be given to us in
him; the sure mercies of David, such as redemption, justification, remission of
sins, and eternal life; so called because they flow from the free favour and
love of God, and, being many, are expressed in the plural number; and which
were former or ancient ones, even promised and secured in Christ before the
world began; springing from the love of God, which, both to Christ and his
people, was from everlasting, and provided for in a covenant, which was as
early:
which thou swarest unto David in thy truth? which were
promised to Christ, the antitype of David, and that with an oath, by the truth
or faithfulness of God, for the certainty thereof: but now where are all these?
or how will they take place, if Christ rise not from the dead? where will be
the redemption of his people, the justification of their persons, the remission
of their sins, and their everlasting salvation? and what will become then of
the covenant, oath, and faithfulness of God?
Psalm 89:50 50 Remember, Lord, the
reproach of Your servants—How I bear in my bosom the reproach of
all the many peoples,
YLT 50Remember, O Lord, the
reproach of Thy servants, I have borne in my bosom all the strivings of the
peoples,
Remember, Lord, the reproach of thy servants,.... The
apostles of Christ, his servants, and the servants of the living God, that
showed unto men the way of salvation, and other saints with them that believed
in Christ, and were made willing to serve and follow him; these were now
reproached by the Scribes and Pharisees for believing in him, and professing
him; and were scoffed and laughed at, when they had crucified him, and laid him
in the grave, triumphing over him and them, believing he would never rise
again, as he had given out he should, and for which his followers were
reproached; and therefore desire the Lord would remember the reproach cast upon
Christ, and them, for his sake, and roll it away:
how I do bear in my bosom the reproach of all the mighty people; the
ecclesiastical and civil rulers of the Jews, their chief priests, Scribes, and
Pharisees, who poured out their reproaches very plentifully on the followers of
Christ, whom the psalmist here represents; which fell very heavily upon them,
as a very great weight and burden, and pressed them sore, and went to their
very hearts, and therefore said to be "in their bosom"; and which is
mentioned to excite the divine compassion, that he would appear for them, and
raise his Son from the dead, as was promised and expected; that their enemies
might have no more occasion to reproach him and them: it is in the original,
"I bear in my bosom all the many people"F3כל רבים עמים
"omnes multos populos", Montanus; "omnes, quam multi sunt,
populos", Cocceius. ; which some understand of the people of God, and of
Christ's sustaining their persons, and making satisfaction for their sins; but
the other sense is preferable: Kimchi supplies the words as we do; and so the
Targum, which renders them thus,
"I
bear in my bosom all the reproaches of many people.'
Psalm 89:51 51 With which Your enemies
have reproached, O Lord,
With which they have reproached the footsteps of Your anointed.
YLT 51Wherewith Thine enemies
reproached, O Jehovah, Wherewith they have reproached The steps of Thine
anointed.
Wherewith thine enemies have reproached, O Lord,.... Which
carries in it another argument why the Lord should take notice of these
reproaches; because they come not only from their enemies, but from his also,
and the enemies of his Son, who would not have him, the King Messiah, to reign
over them, and are said to reproach him in the next clause:
wherewith they have reproached the footsteps of thine Anointed; or thy
Messiah; so Aben Ezra and Kimchi interpret it of the Messiah: Jarchi renders it
"the ends of the Messiah"; and all of them understand it of the
coming of the Messiah, as in the TalmudF4Bab. Sanhedrin, fol. 97. 1.
; which, because delayed, or was not so soon as expected, was scoffed at and
reproached by wicked men; see Malachi 2:17, but it rather designs the
ways and works, actions, and especially the miracles of Christ, which were
reproached, either as done on the sabbath day, or by the help of Satan; and he
was traduced in his kindest actions to the bodies and souls of men, as a friend
of publicans and sinners, and himself as a sinner: and it may have a particular
view to the latter end of the Messiah, the last part of his life, his
sufferings and death, and when he hung on the cross; at which time he was, in
the most insolent manner, reviled and reproached by his enemies: the words may
be rendered "the heels of the Messiah"F5עקבות "calcibus", Vatablus;
"calcaneos"; Gussetius, Michaelis. , and are thought by some to have
reference to the promise in Genesis 3:15, and may regard either the
human nature of Christ, which was both reproached and bruised; or his members
suffering disgrace and persecution for his sake, and which he takes as done to
himself. SuidasF6In voce ανταλλαγμα. interprets it
of the ancestors of Christ, according to the flesh; and Theodoret of the kings
of that time.
Psalm 89:52 52 Blessed be the Lord forevermore! Amen
and Amen.
YLT 52Blessed [is] Jehovah to the
age. Amen, and amen!
Blessed be the Lord for evermore,.... In this world, and
in the world to come, as the Targum; for reproaches and afflictions for
Christ's sake, since they work together for good; as Job blessed the Lord in
the midst of his troubles, Job 1:21, or rather the psalmist, viewing,
by a spirit of prophecy, Christ rising from the dead, ascending to heaven,
sitting at the right hand of God, and interceding for the application of all
the blessings of the covenant; and now, seeing all before objected and complained
of was reconcilable to the love, covenant, and oath of God, breaks out into
this benediction, and with it closes the psalm; which agrees with Christ, not
only as God over all, blessed for ever, but as Mediator, who, as such, is made
most blessed for evermore; see Psalm 21:6. These are not the words of the
copier of the Psalms, blessing God for assistance in prosecuting the work thus
far, which is the sense of some Jewish writers mentioned by Aben Ezra and
Kimchi, but of the psalmist himself:
Amen, and Amen; which words are added to express the wish
and faith of the psalmist; and the word is repeated to denote the vehemence and
strength of the same. Here ends the third part of the book of Psalms, and so
the Syriac version closes it. See Gill on Psalm 41:13. See Gill on Psalm 72:20.
──《John Gill’s
Exposition of the Bible》
New King James
Version (NKJV)