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Psalm Forty-five
Psalm 45
Chapter Contents
This psalm is a prophecy of Messiah the Prince, and
points to him as a Bridegroom espousing the church to himself, and as a King
ruling in it, and for it.
Commentary on Psalm 45:1-5
(Read Psalm 45:1-5)
The psalmist's tongue was guided by the Spirit of God, as
the pen is by the hand of a ready writer. This psalm is touching the King
Jesus, his kingdom and government. It is a shame that this good matter is not
more the subject of our discourse. There is more in Christ to engage our love,
than there is or can be in any creature. This world and its charms are ready to
draw away our hearts from Christ; therefore we are concerned to understand how
much more worthy he is of our love. By his word, his promise, his gospel, the
good will of God is made known to us, and the good work of God is begun and
carried on in us. The psalmist, verses 3-5, joyfully foretells the progress and
success of the Messiah. The arrows of conviction are very terrible in the
hearts of sinners, till they are humbled and reconciled; but the arrows of
vengeance will be more so to his enemies who refuse to submit. All who have
seen his glory and tasted his grace, rejoice to see him, by his word and
Spirit, bring enemies and strangers under his dominion.
Commentary on Psalm 45:6-9
(Read Psalm 45:6-9)
The throne of this almighty King is established for ever.
While the Holy Spirit leads Christ's people to look to his cross, he teaches
them to see the evil of sin and the beauty of holiness; so that none of them
can feel encouragement to continue in sin. The Mediator is God, else he had
been neither able to do the Mediator's work, nor fit to wear the Mediator's crown.
God the Father, as his God in respect to his human nature and mediatorial
offices, has given to him the Holy Spirit without measure. Thus anointed to be
a Prophet, Priest, and King, Christ has pre-eminence in the gladdening gifts
and graces of the spirit, and from his fulness communicates them to his
brethren in human nature. The Spirit is called the oil of gladness, because of
the delight wherewith Christ was filled, in carrying on his undertakings. The
salvation of sinners is the joy of angels, much more of the Son. And in
proportion as we are conformed to his holy image, we may expect the gladdening
gifts influences of the Comforter. The excellences of the Messiah, the
suitableness of his offices, and the sufficiency of his grace, seem to be intended
by the fragrance of his garments. The church formed of true believers, is here
compared to the queen, whom, by an everlasting covenant, the Lord Jesus has
betrothed to himself. This is the bride, the Lamb's wife, whose graces are
compared to fine linen, for their purity; to gold, for their costliness: for as
we owe our redemption, so we owe our adorning, to the precious blood of the Son
of God.
Commentary on Psalm 45:10-17
(Read Psalm 45:10-17)
If we desire to share these blessings, we must hearken to
Christ's word. We must forget our carnal and sinful attachments and pursuits.
He must be our Lord as well as our Saviour; all idols must be thrown away, that
we may give him our whole heart. And here is good encouragement, thus to break
off from former alliances. The beauty of holiness, both on the church and on
particular believers, is, in the sight of Christ, of great price, and very
amiable. The work of grace is the workmanship of the Spirit, it is the image of
Christ upon the soul, a partaking of the Divine nature. It is clear of all sin,
there is none in it, nor any comes from it. There is nothing glorious in the
old man or corrupt nature; but in the new man, or work of grace upon the soul,
every thing is glorious. The robe of Christ's righteousness, which he has
wrought out for his church, the Father imputes unto her, and bestows upon her.
None are brought to Christ, but those whom the Father brings. This notes the
conversion of souls to him. The robe of righteousness, and garments of
salvation, the change of raiment Christ has put upon her. Such as strictly
cleave to Christ, loving him in singleness of heart, are companions of the
bride, who partake of the very same grace, enjoy the same privileges, and share
in one common salvation. These, every one, shall be brought to the King; not
one lost or left behind. Instead of the Old Testament church, there shall be a
New Testament church, a Gentile church. In the believing hope of our everlasting
happiness in the other world, let us always keep up the remembrance of Christ,
as our only way thither; and transmit the remembrance of him to succeeding
generations, that his name may endure for ever.
── Matthew Henry《Concise Commentary on Psalms》
Psalm 45
Verse 1
[1] My
heart is inditing a good matter: I speak of the things which I have made
touching the king: my tongue is the pen of a ready writer.
Enditing —
Heb. boileth, or bubbleth up like water over the fire. This denotes that the
workings of his heart, were fervent and vehement, kindled by God's grace, and
the inspiration of the Holy Ghost.
Made —
Have composed.
Pen — He
was only the pen or instrument in uttering this song; it was the spirit of God,
by whose hand this pen was guided.
Verse 2
[2] Thou art fairer than the children of men: grace is poured into thy lips:
therefore God hath blessed thee for ever.
Fairer —
Than all other men: which is most true of Christ; but not of Solomon; whom many
have excelled, in holiness and righteousness, which is the chief part of the
beauty celebrated in this psalm.
Grace —
God hath plentifully poured into thy mind and tongue the gift of speaking
wisely, eloquently, and acceptably.
Therefore —
And because God hath so eminently qualified thee for rule, therefore he hath
blessed thee with an everlasting kingdom.
Verse 3
[3] Gird
thy sword upon thy thigh, O most mighty, with thy glory and thy majesty.
Thy sword — To
smite thine enemies. And the sword is here put for all his arms, as it is in
many other places.
Verse 4
[4] And
in thy majesty ride prosperously because of truth and meekness and
righteousness; and thy right hand shall teach thee terrible things.
And —
Being thus magnificently girt and armed.
Ride — March
on speedily and successfully against thine enemies.
The word —
That is, the gospel: which is called the word of truth, Ephesians 1:13, and may no less truly be called
the word of meekness, because it is not delivered with terror, as the law was
at Sinai, but meekly and sweetly; and the word of righteousness, because it
brings in everlasting righteousness, and strongly excites all men to the
practice of righteousness and holiness. And so the gospel is compared, to an
horse or chariot, upon which Christ is said to ride, when the gospel is
preached, and carried about from place to place.
Teach thee —
Thou shalt do exploits, which shall be terrible to thine enemies. But the
phrase, thy right hand shall teach thee, is not to be taken properly; the
meaning is, his hand should shew him, discover and work before him.
Verse 5
[5] Thine arrows are sharp in the heart of the king's enemies; whereby the
people fall under thee.
Arrows —
The same with the sword, and this is no other than his word, which is sharp and
powerful, and pierceth the hearts of men.
The kings — Of
thine enemies.
Fall —
Prostrate at thy feet, after the manner of conquered persons.
Verse 6
[6] Thy
throne, O God, is for ever and ever: the sceptre of thy kingdom is a right
sceptre.
O God — It
is evident, that the speech is still continued to the same person whom he calls
king, verse 1,11, and here God, to assure us that he doth
not speak of Solomon, but a far greater king, who is not only a man, but the
mighty God, Isaiah 9:6.
A right scepter —
Thou rulest with exact righteousness and equity.
Verse 7
[7] Thou
lovest righteousness, and hatest wickedness: therefore God, thy God, hath
anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows.
Therefore —
Therefore God hath exalted thee far above all men and angels, to a state of joy
and endless glory at his right hand; which is fitly compared by the oil of
gladness.
Thy God —
According to thy human nature, John 20:17, though in respect of thy Divine
nature, thou art his fellow, Zechariah 13:7, and his equal, Philemon 2:6, and one with him, John 10:30.
Oil — So
called, because it was a token of gladness, and used in feasts, and other
solemn occasions of rejoicing.
Fellows —
Above all them who partake with thee in this unction: above all that ever were
anointed for priests or prophets, or kings.
Verse 8
[8] All
thy garments smell of myrrh, and aloes, and cassia, out of the ivory palaces,
whereby they have made thee glad.
Myrrh —
Wherewith they used to perfume their garments: this may denote those glorious
and sweet smelling virtues, which, as they were treasured up in Christ's heart,
so did they manifest themselves outwardly, and give forth a grateful smell, in
the whole course of his life and actions.
Palaces —
The king is here supposed to reside in his ivory palaces, and his garments are
so fragrant, that they not only perfume the whole palace in which he is; but
the sweet favour is perceived by those that pass by them, all which is
poetically said, and with allusion to Solomon's glorious garments and palaces.
The heavenly mansions, may not unfitly be called ivory palaces, as elsewhere in
the same figurative manner they are said to be adorned with gold and precious
stones, from which mansions Christ came into the world, into which Christ went,
and where he settled his abode after he went out of the world, and from whence
he poured forth all the fragrant gifts and graces of his spirit, although there
is no necessity to strain every particular circumstance in such poetical
descriptions; for some expressions may be used, only as ornaments, as they are
in parables; and it may suffice to know, that the excellencies of the king
Christ are described by things which earthly potentates place their glory.
Whereby — By
the sweet smell of thy garments out of those ivory palaces, or the effusion of
the gifts and graces of thy spirit from heaven; which as it is a great blessing
to those who receive them, so doth it rejoice the heart of Christ, both as it
is a demonstration of his own power and glory, and as it is the instrument of
bringing souls to God.
Made thee —
Thou art made glad.
Verse 9
[9]
Kings' daughters were among thy honourable women: upon thy right hand did stand
the queen in gold of Ophir.
Among —
Among them that attend upon thy spouse, as the manner was in nuptial
solemnities. As the queen is the church in general, and so these honourable
women are particular believers, who are daily added to the church, Acts 2:47. And although the church is made up of
particular believers, yet she is distinguished from them, for the decency of
the parable. And these believers may be said to be Kings daughters, because
among others, many persons of royal race embraced the faith, and because they
are in a spiritual sense, Kings unto God, Revelation 1:6.
Right hand —
The most honourable place.
Ophir —
Clothed in garments made of the choicest gold. By which he designs the graces
wherewith the church is accomplished.
Verse 10
[10]
Hearken, O daughter, and consider, and incline thine ear; forget also thine own
people, and thy father's house;
Hearken —
The prophet having hitherto spoken to the bridegroom, now addresseth his speech
to the bride.
O daughter — He
speaks like an elder person, and as her spiritual father and counsellor.
Incline — He
uses several words, signifying the same thing, to shew his vehement desire of
her good.
Forget —
Comparatively.
Verse 11
[11] So
shall the king greatly desire thy beauty: for he is thy Lord; and worship thou
him.
So — So thou shalt be
acceptable to thy husband; which will abundantly recompence thee, for the loss
of thy father's house.
Thy Lord — As
he is thy husband, and also as he is thy king, and God.
Verse 12
[12] And
the daughter of Tyre shall be there with a gift; even the rich among the people
shall intreat thy favour.
The daughter —
The people of Tyre; as the daughter of Zion or Jerusalem, are put for their
inhabitants: he mentions the Tyrians; because they among others, and before
many others, were to be converted to Christ, but they are here put for all the
Gentiles, whom that city fitly represents, as being the mart of the nations.
A gift — To
testify their homage.
The rich — Of
other nations.
Verse 13
[13] The
king's daughter is all glorious within: her clothing is of wrought gold.
Daughter —
The spouse; so called, because she was the daughter of one king, and the wife
of another.
Within — In
her soul.
Her cloathing —
She is outwardly adorned with virtuous and honourable actions.
Verse 14
[14] She
shall be brought unto the king in raiment of needlework: the virgins her
companions that follow her shall be brought unto thee.
Brought — He
alludes to the custom of conducting the bride to the bride-groom's house.
Companions —
Her bride-maidens attending upon her.
Verse 16
[16]
Instead of thy fathers shall be thy children, whom thou mayest make princes in
all the earth.
Instead —
Having directed his speech to the bride, he now returns to the bridegroom, as
may be gathered both from the Hebrew words, which are of the masculine gender;
and from the next verse, which unquestionably belongs unto him, and therefore
this cannot be understood of Solomon, and his marriage with Pharaoh's daughter,
because he had no children by her, and but very few by all his wives and
concubines; and his children were so far from being made Princes in all the
earth, that they enjoyed but a small part of their father's dominions, but this
was fully accomplished in Christ: who instead of his fathers of the Jewish nation,
had a numerous posterity of Christians of all the nations of the earth, which
here and elsewhere are called princes and kings, because of their great power
with God and with men.
Verse 17
[17] I
will make thy name to be remembered in all generations: therefore shall the
people praise thee for ever and ever.
Remembered — As
he began the psalm with the celebration of the king's praises, so now he ends
with it, and adds this important circumstance, that this nuptial song should
not only serve for the present solemnity, but should be remembered and sung in
all successive generations.
── John Wesley《Explanatory Notes on Psalms》
Exposition
Explanatory Notes and
Quaint Sayings
Hints to the Village
Preacher
Other Works
TITLE. The many
titles of this Psalm mark its royalty, its deep and solemn import, and the
delight the writer had in it. To the Chief Musician upon Shoshannim. The most
probable translation of this word is upon the lilies, and it is either a
poetical title given to this noblest of songs after the Oriental manner, or it
may relate to the tune to which it was set, or to the instrument which was
meant to accompany it. We incline to the first theory, and if it be the true
one, it is easy to see the fitness of borrowing a name for so beautiful, so
pure, so choice, so matchless a poem from the golden lilies, whose bright array
outshone the glory of Solomon. For the sons of Korah. Special singers are
appointed for so divine a hymn. King Jesus deserves to be praised not with
random, ranting ravings, but with the sweetest and most skilful music of the best
trained choristers. The purest hearts in the spiritual temple are the most
harmonious songsters in the ears of God; acceptable song is not a matter so
much of tuneful voices as of sanctified affections, but in no case should we
sing of Jesus with unprepared hearts. Maschil, an instructive ode, not an idle
lay, or a romancing ballad, but a Psalm of holy teaching, didactic and
doctrinal. This proves that it is to be spiritually understood. Blessed are the
people who know the meaning of its joyful sound. A Song of loves. Not a carnal
sentimental love song, but a celestial canticle of everlasting love fit for the
tongues and ears of angels.
SUBJECT. Some here see
Solomon and Pharaoh's daughter only—they are short sighted; others see both
Solomon and Christ—they are cross eyed; well focused spiritual eyes see here
Jesus only, or if Solomon be present at all, it must be like those hazy shadows
of by passers which cross the face of the camera, and therefore are dimly
traceable upon a photographic landscape. "The King, "the God whose
throne is for ever and ever, is no mere mortal and his everlasting dominion is
not bounded by Lebanon and Egypt's river. This is no wedding song of earthly
nuptials, but an Epithalamium for the Heavenly Bridegroom and his elect spouse.
DIVISION. Ps 45:1 is an
announcement of intention, a preface to the song; Ps 45:3 adores the matchless
beauty of Messiah; and from Ps 45:3-9, he is addressed in admiring ascriptions
of praise. Ps 45:10-12 are spoken to the bride. The church is further spoken of
in Ps 45:13-15, and the Psalm closes with another address to the King,
foretelling his eternal fame, Ps 45:16-17.
EXPOSITION
Verse
1. My heart. There is no writing like that dictated by the
heart. Heartless hymns are insults to heaven. Is inditing a good matter.
A good heart will only be content with good thoughts. Where the fountain is
good good streams will flow forth. The learned tell us that the word may be
read overflows, or as others, boils or bubbles up, denoting the warmth of the
writer's love, the fulness of his heart, and the consequent richness and glow
of his utterance, as though it were the ebullition of his inmost soul, when
most full of affection. We have here no single cold expression; the writer is
not one who frigidly studies the elegancies and proprieties of poetry, his
stanzas are the natural outburst of his soul, comparable to the boiling jets of
the geysers of Hecla. As the corn offered in sacrifice was parched in the pan,
so is this tribute of love hot with sincere devotion. It is a sad thing when
the heart is cold with a good matter, and worse when it is warm with a bad
matter, but incomparably well when a warm heart and a good matter meet
together. O that we may often offer to God an acceptable minchah, a
sweet oblation fresh from the pan of hearts warmed with gratitude and
admiration. I speak of the things which I have made touching the King.
This song has "the King" for its only subject, and for the King's
honour alone was it composed, well might its writer call it a good matter. The
psalmist did not write carelessly; he calls his poem his works, or things which
he had made. We are not to offer to the Lord that which costs us nothing. Good
material deserves good workmanship. We should well digest in our heart's
affections and our mind's meditations any discourse or poem in which we speak
of one so great and glorious as our Royal Lord. As our version reads it, the
psalmist wrote experimentally things which he had made his own, and personally
tasted and handled concerning the King. My tongue is the pen of a ready
writer, not so much for rapidity, for there the tongue always has the
preference, but for exactness, elaboration, deliberation, and skilfulness of
expression. Seldom are the excited utterances of the mouth equal in real weight
and accuracy to the verba scripta of a thoughtful accomplished penman;
but here the writer, though filled with enthusiasm, speaks as correctly as a
practised writer; his utterances therefore are no ephemeral sentences, but such
as fall from men who sit down calmly to write for eternity. It is not always
that the best of men are in such a key, and when they are they should not
restrain the gush of their hallowed feelings. Such a condition of heart in a
gifted mind creates that auspicious hour in which poetry pours forth her
tuneful numbers to enrich the service of song in the house of the Lord.
Verse
2. Thou. As though the King himself had suddenly appeared
before him, the psalmist lost in admiration of his person, turns from his
preface to address his Lord. A loving heart has the power to realise its
object. The eyes of a true heart see more than the eyes of the head. Moreover,
Jesus reveals himself when we are pouring forth our affections towards him. It
is usually the case that when we are ready Christ appears. If our heart is warm
it is an index that the sun is shining, and when we enjoy his heat we shall
soon behold his light. Thou art fairer than the children of men. In
person, but especially in mind and character, the King of saints is peerless in
beauty. The Hebrew word is doubled, "Beautiful, beautiful art thou."
Jesus is so emphatically lovely that words must be doubled, strained, yea,
exhausted before he can be described. Among the children of men many have
through grace been lovely in character, yet they have each had a flaw; but in
Jesus we behold every feature of a perfect character in harmonious proportion.
He is lovely everywhere, and from every point of view, but never more so than
when we view him in conjugal union with his church; then love gives a ravishing
flush of glory to his loveliness. Grace is poured into thy lips. Beauty
and eloquence make a man majestic when they are united; they both dwell in
perfection in the all fair, all eloquent Lord Jesus. Grace of person and grace
of speech reach their highest point in him. Grace has in the most copious
manner been poured upon Christ, for it pleased the Father that in him should
all fulness dwell, and now grace is in superabundance, poured forth from his
lips to cheer and enrich his people. The testimony, the promises, the
invitations, the consolations of our King pour forth from him in such volumes
of meaning that we cannot but contrast those cataracts of grace with the speech
of Moses which did but drop as the rain, and distil as the dew. Whoever in
personal communion with the Wellbeloved has listened to his voice will feel
that "never man spake like this man." Well did the bride say of him,
"his lips are like lilies dropping sweet smelling myrrh." One word
from himself dissolved the heart of Saul of Tarsus, and turned him into an
apostle, another word raised up John the Divine when fainting in the Isle of
Patmos. Oftentimes a sentence from his lips has turned our own midnight into
morning, our winter into spring. Therefore God hath blessed thee for ever.
Calvin reads it, Because God hath blessed thee for ever. Christ is
blessed of God, blessed for ever, and this is to us one great reason for his
beauty, and the source of the gracious words which proceed out of his lips. The
rare endowments of the man Christ Jesus are given him of the Father, that by
them his people may be blessed with all spiritual blessings in union with
himself. But if we take our own translation, we read that the Father has
blessed the Mediator as a reward for all his gracious labours; and right well
does he deserve the recompense. Whom God blesses we should bless, and the more
so because all his blessedness is communicated to us.
Verse
3. Gird thy sword upon thy thigh. Loving spirits jealous of
the Redeemer's glory long to see him putting forth his power to vindicate his
own most holy cause. Why should the sword of the Spirit lie still, like a
weapon hung up in an armoury; it is sharp and strong, both for cutting and
piercing: O that the divine power of Jesus were put forth to use against error.
The words before us represent our great King as urged to arm himself for
battle, by placing his sword where it is ready for use. Christ is the true
champion of the church, others are but underlings who must borrow strength from
him; the single arm of Immanuel is the sole hope of the faithful. Our prayer
should be that of this verse. There is at this moment an apparent suspension of
our Lord's former power, we must by importunate prayer call him to the
conflict, for like the Greeks without Achilles we are soon overcome by our
enemies, and we are but dead men if Jesus be not in our midst. O most
mighty. A title well deserved, and not given from empty courtesy like the
serenities, excellencies and highnesses of our fellow mortals—titles, which are
but sops for vain glory. Jesus is the truest of heroes. Hero worship in his
case alone is commendable. He is mighty to save, mighty in love. With thy
glory and thy majesty. Let thy sword both win thee renown and dominion, or
as it may mean, gird on with thy sword thy robes which indicate thy royal
splendour. Love delights to see the Beloved arrayed as beseemeth his
excellency; she weeps as she sees him in the garments of humiliation, she
rejoices to behold him in the vestments of his exaltation. Our precious Christ
can never be made too much of. Heaven itself is but just good enough for him.
All the pomp that angels and archangels, and thrones, and dominions, and
principalities, and powers can pour at his feet is too little for him. Only his
own essential glory is such as fully answers to the desire of his people, who
can never enough extol him.
Verse
4. And in thy majesty ride prosperously. The hero monarch
armed and apparelled is now entreated to ascend his triumphal car. Would to God
that our Immanuel would come forth in the chariot of love to conquer our
spiritual foes and seize by power the souls whom he has bought with blood. Because
of truth and meekness and righteousness. These words may be rendered, ride
forth upon truth and meekness and righteousness.—Three noble chargers to
draw the war chariot of the gospel. In the sense of our translation it is a
most potent argument to urge with our Lord that the cause of the true, the
humble, and the good, calls for his advocacy. Truth will be ridiculed, meekness
will be oppressed, and righteousness slain, unless the God, the Man in whom
these precious things are incarnated, shall arise for their vindication. Our
earnest petition ought ever to be that Jesus would lay his almighty arm to the
work of grace lest the good cause languish and wickedness prevail. And thy
right hand shall teach thee terrible things. Foreseeing the result of
divine working, the psalmist prophesies that the uplifted arm of Messiah will
reveal to the King's own eyes the terrible overthrow of his foes. Jesus needs
no guide but his own right hand, no teacher but his own might; may he instruct
us all in what he can perform, by achieving it speedily before our gladdened
eyes.
Verse
5. Thine arrows. Our King is master of all weapons: he can
strike those who are near and those afar off with equal force. Are sharp.
Nothing that Jesus does is ill done, he uses no blunted shafts, no pointless
darts. In the heart of the King's enemies. Our Captain aims at men's
hearts rather than their heads, and he hits them too; point blank are his
shots, and they enter deep into the vital part of man's nature. Whether for
love or vengeance, Christ never misses aim, and when his arrows stick, they
cause a smart not soon forgotten, a wound which only he can heal. Jesus' arrows
of conviction are sharp in the quiver of his word, and sharp when on the bow of
his ministers, but they are most known to be so when they find a way into
careless hearts. They are his arrows, he made them, he shoots them. He
makes them sharp, and he makes them enter the heart. May none of us ever fall
under the darts of his judgment, for none kill so surely as they. Whereby
the people fall under thee. On either side the slain of the Lord are many
when Jesus leads on the war. Nations tremble and turn to him when he shoots
abroad his truth. Under his power and presence, men are stricken down as though
pricked in the heart. There is no standing against the Son of God when his bow
of might is in his hands. Terrible will be that hour when his bow shall be made
quite naked, and bolts of devouring fire shall be hurled upon his adversaries:
then shall princes fall and nations perish.
Verse
6. Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever. To whom can this
be spoken but our Lord? The psalmist cannot restrain his adoration. His
enlightened eye sees in the royal Husband of the church, God, God to be adored,
God reigning, God reigning everlastingly. Blessed sight! Blind are the eyes
that cannot see God in Christ Jesus! We never appreciate the tender condescension
of our King in becoming one flesh with his church, and placing her at his right
hand, until we have fully rejoiced in his essential glory and deity. What a
mercy for us that our Saviour is God, for who but a God could execute the work
of salvation? What a glad thing it is that he reigns on a throne which will
never pass away, for we need both sovereign grace and eternal love to secure
our happiness. Could Jesus cease to reign we should cease to be blessed, and
were he not God, and therefore eternal, this must be the case. No throne can
endure for ever, but that on which God himself sitteth. The sceptre of thy
kingdom is a right sceptre. He is the lawful monarch of all things that be.
His rule is founded in right, its law is right, its result is right. Our King
is no usurper and no oppressor. Even when he shall break his enemies with a rod
of iron, he will do no man wrong; his vengeance and his grace are both in
conformity with justice. Hence we trust him without suspicion; he cannot err;
no affliction is too severe, for he sends it; no judgment too harsh, for he
ordains it. O blessed hands of Jesus! the reigning power is safe with you. All
the just rejoice in the government of the King who reigns in righteousness.
Verse
7. Thou lovest righteousness, and hatest wickedness. Christ
Jesus is not neutral in the great contest between right and wrong: as warmly as
he loves the one he abhors the other. What qualifications for a sovereign! what
grounds of confidence for a people! The whole of our Lord's life on earth
proved the truth of these words; his death to put away sin and bring in the
reign of righteousness, sealed the fact beyond all question; his providence by
which he rules from his mediatorial throne, when rightly understood, reveals
the same; and his final assize will proclaim it before all worlds. We should
imitate him both in his love and hate; they are both needful to complete a
righteous character. Therefore God, thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil
of gladness above thy fellows. Jesus as Mediator owned God as his God, to
whom, being found in fashion as a man, he became obedient. On account of our
Lord's perfect life he is now rewarded with superior joy. Others there are to
whom grace has given a sacred fellowship with him, but by their universal
consent and his own merit, he is prince among them, the gladdest of all because
the cause of all their gladness. At Oriental feasts oil was poured on the heads
of distinguished and very welcome guests; God himself anoints the man Christ
Jesus, as he sits at the heavenly feasts, anoints him as a reward for his work,
with higher and fuller joy than any else can know; thus is the Son of man
honoured and rewarded for all his pains. Observe the indisputable testimony to
Messiah's Deity in verse six, and to his manhood in the present verse. Of whom
could this be written but of Jesus of Nazareth? Our Christ is our Elohim. Jesus
is God with us.
Verse
8. All thy garments smell of myrrh, and aloes, and cassia.
The divine anointing causes fragrance to distil from the robes of the Mighty
Hero. He is delightful to every sense, to the eyes most fair, to the ear most
gracious, to the spiritual nostril most sweet. The excellences of Jesus are all
most precious, comparable to the rarest spices; they are most varied, and to be
likened not to myrrh alone, but to all the perfumes blended in due proportion.
The Father always finds a pleasure in him, in him he is well pleased; and all
regenerated spirits rejoice in him, for he is made of God unto us,
"wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption." Note that
not only is Jesus most sweet, but even his garments are so; everything that he
has to do with is perfumed by his person. All his garments are thus
fragrant; not some of them, but all; we delight as much in his purple of
dominion as in the white of his priesthood, his mantle as our prophet is as
dear to us as his seamless coat as our friend. All his dress is fragrant with
all sweetness. To attempt to spiritualise each spice here mentioned would be
unprofitable, the evident sense is that all sweetnesses meet in Jesus, and are
poured forth wherever he is present. Out of the ivory palaces, whereby they
have made thee glad. The abode of Jesus now is imperial in splendour, ivory
and gold but faintly image his royal seat; there is he made glad in the
presence of the Father, and in the company of his saints. Oh, to behold him
with his perfumed garments on! The very smell of him from afar ravishes our
spirit, what must it be to be on the other side of the pearl gate, within the
palace of ivory, amid those halls of Zion, "conjubilant with song,
"where is the throne of David, and the abiding presence of the Prince! To
think of his gladness, to know that he is full of joy, gives gladness at
this moment to our souls. We poor exiles can sing in our banishment since our
King, our Wellbeloved, has come to his throne.
Verse
9. King's daughters were among thy honourable women. Our
Lord's courts lack not for courtiers, and those the fairest and noblest. Virgin
souls are maids of honour to the court, the true lilies of heaven. The lowly
and pure in heart are esteemed by the Lord Jesus as his most familiar friends,
their place in his palace is not among the menials but near the throne. The day
will come when those who are "king's daughters" literally will count
it their greatest honour to serve the church, and, meanwhile every believing
sister is spiritually a King's daughter, a member of the royal family of
heaven. Upon thy right hand, in the place of love, honour, and power, did
stand the queen in gold of Ophir: the church shares her Lord's honour and
happiness, he sets her in the place of dignity, he clothes her with the best of
the best. Gold is the richest of metals, and Ophir gold the purest known. Jesus
bestows nothing inferior or of secondary value upon his beloved church. In
imparted and imputed righteousness the church is divinely arrayed. Happy those
who are members of a church so honoured, so beloved; unhappy those who
persecute the beloved people, for as a husband will not endure that his wife
should be insulted or maltreated, so neither will the heavenly Husband; he will
speedily avenge his own elect. Mark, then, the solemn pomp of the verses we
have read. The King is seen with rapture, he girds himself as a warrior, robes
himself as a monarch, mounts his chariot, darts his arrows, and conquers his
foes. Then he ascends his throne with his sceptre in his hand, fills the palace
hall with perfume brought from his secret chambers, his retinue stand around
him, and, fairest of all, his bride is at his right hand, with daughters of
subject princes as her attendants. Faith is no stranger to this sight, and
every time she looks she adores, she loves, she rejoices, she expects.
Verse
10. Hearken, O daughter, and consider. Ever is this the great
duty of the church. Faith cometh by hearing, and confirmation by consideration.
No precept can be more worthy of the attention of those who are honoured to be
espoused to Christ that that which follows. And incline thine ear. Lean
forward so that no syllable may be unheard. The whole faculties of the mind
should be bent upon receiving holy teaching. Forget also thine own people,
and thy father's house. To renounce the world is not easy, but it must be
done by all who are affianced to the Great King, for a divided heart he cannot
endure; it would be misery to the beloved one as well as dishonour to her Lord.
Evil acquaintances, and even those who are but neutral, must be forsaken, they
can confer no benefits, they must inflict injury. The house of our nativity is
the house of sin—we were shapen in iniquity; the carnal mind is enmity against
God, we must come forth of the house of fallen nature, for it is built in the
City of Destruction. Not that natural ties are broken by grace, but ties of the
sinful nature, bonds of graceless affinity. We have much to forget as well as
to learn, and the unlearning is so difficult that only diligent hearing, and
considering, and bending of the whole soul to it, can accomplish the work; and
even these would be too feeble did not divine grace assist. Yet why should we
remember the Egypt from which we cam out? Are the leeks and the garlic, and the
onions anything, when the iron bondage, and the slavish tasks, and the death
dealing Pharaoh of hell are remembered? We part with folly for wisdom; with
bubbles for eternal joys; with deceit for truth; with misery for bliss; with
idols for the living God. O that Christians were more mindful of the divine
precept here recorded; but, alas! worldliness abounds; the church is defiled; and
the glory of the Great King is veiled. Only when the whole church leads the
separated life will the full splendour and power of Christianity shine forth
upon the world.
Verse
11. So shall the king greatly desire thy beauty. Wholehearted
love is the duty and bliss of the marriage state in every case, but especially
so in this lofty mystic marriage. The church must forsake all others and cleave
to Jesus only, or she will not please him nor enjoy the full manifestation of
his love. What less can he ask, what less may she dare propose than to be
wholly his? Jesus sees a beauty in his church, a beauty which he delights in
most when it is not marred by worldliness. He has always been most near and
precious to his saints when they have cheerfully taken up his cross and
followed him without the camp. His Spirit is grieved when they mingle
themselves among the people and learn their ways. No great and lasting revival
of religion can be granted us till the professed lovers of Jesus prove their
affection by coming out from an ungodly world, being separated, and touching
not the unclean thing. For he is thy Lord; and worship thou him. He has
royal rights still; his condescending grace does not lessen but rather enforce
his authority. Our Saviour is also our Ruler. The husband is the head of the
wife; the love he bears her does not lessen but strengthen her obligation to
obey. The church must reverence Jesus, and bow before him in prostrate
adoration; his tender union with her gives her liberty, but not license; it frees
her from all other burdens, but places his easy yoke upon her neck. Who would
wish it to be otherwise? The service of God is heaven in heaven, and perfectly
carried out it is heaven upon earth. Jesus, thou art he whom thy church praises
in her unceasing songs, and adores in her perpetual service. Teach us to be
wholly thine. Bear with us, and work by thy Spirit in us till thy will is done
by us on earth as it is in heaven.
Verse
12. And the daughter of Tyre shall be there with a gift. When
the church abounds in holiness, she shall know no lack of homage from the
surrounding people. Her glory shall then impress and attract the heathen
around, till they also unite in doing honour to her Lord. The power of missions
abroad lies at home: a holy church will be a powerful church. Nor shall there
be lack of treasure in her coffers when grace is in her heart; the free gifts
of a willing people shall enable the workers for God to carry on their sacred
enterprise without stint. Commerce shall send in its revenue to endow, not with
forced levies and imperial taxes, but with willing gifts the church of the
Great King. Even the rich among the people shall intreat thy favour. Not
by pandering to their follies, but by testifying against their sins, shall the
wealthy be one to the faith of Jesus. They shall come not to favour the church
but to beg for her favour. She shall not be the hireling of the great, but as a
queen shall she dispense her favours to the suppliant throng of the rich among
the people. We go about to beg for Christ like beggars for alms, and many who
should know better will make compromises and become reticent of unpopular truth
to please the great ones of the earth; not so will the true bride of Christ
degrade herself, when her sanctification is more deep and more visible; then
will the hearts of men grow liberal, and offerings from afar, abundant and
continual, shall be presented at the throne of the Pacific Prince.
Verse
13. The king's daughter is all glorious within. Within her
secret chambers her glory is great. Though unseen of men her Lord sees her, and
commends her. "It doth not yet appear what we shall be." Or the
passage may be understood as meaning within herself—her beauty is not outward
only or mainly; the choicest of her charms are to be found in her heart, her
secret character, her inward desires. Truth and wisdom in the hidden parts are
what the Lord regards; mere skin deep beauty is nothing in his eyes. The church
is of royal extraction, of imperial dignity, for she is a king's daughter; and
she has been purified and renewed in nature; for she is glorious within. Note
the word all. The Bridegroom was said to have all his garments perfumed,
and now the bride in all glorious within—entireness and completeness are
great points. There is no mixture of ill savour in Jesus, nor shall there be
alloy of unholiness in his people, his church shall be presented without spot
or wrinkle, or any such thing. Her clothing is of wrought gold. Best
material and best workmanship. How laboriously did our Lord work out the
precious material of his righteousness into a vesture for his people! no
embroidery of golden threads can equal that masterpiece of holy art. Such
clothing becomes on so honoured by relationship to the Great King. The Lord
looks to it that nothing shall be wanting to the glory and beauty of his bride.
Verse
14. She shall be brought unto the king in raiment of needlework.
The day comes when the celestial marriage shall be openly celebrated, and these
words describe the nuptial procession wherein the queen is brought to her royal
Husband attended by her handmaidens. In the latter-day glory, and in the
consummation of all things, the glory of the bride, the Lamb's wife, shall be
seen by all the universe with admiration. While she was within doors, and her
saints hidden ones, the church was glorious; what will be her splendour when
she shall appear in the likeness of her Lord in the day of his manifestation?
The finest embroidery is but a faint image of the perfection of the church when
sanctified by the Spirit. This verse tells us of the ultimate rest of the
church—the King's own bosom; of the way she comes to it, she is brought
by the power of sovereign grace; of the time when this is done—in the future, she
shall be, it does not yet appear; of the state in which she shall come—clad
in richest array, and attended by brightest spirits. The virgins her
companions that follow her shall be brought unto thee. Those who love and
serve the church for her Lord's sake shall share in her bliss "in that
day." In one sense they are a part of the church, but for the sake of the
imagery they are represented as maids of honour; and, though the figure may
seem incongruous, they are represented as brought to the King with the same
loving familiarity as the bride, because the true servants of the church are of
the church, and partake in all her happiness. Note that those who are admitted
to everlasting communion with Christ, are pure in heart—virgins, pure in
company—her companions, pure in walk—that follow her. Let none hope
to be brought into heaven at last who are not purified now.
Verse
15. With gladness and rejoicing shall they be brought. Joy
becomes a marriage feast. What joy will that be which will be seen at the
feasts of paradise when all the redeemed shall be brought home! Gladness in the
saints themselves, and rejoicing from the angels shall make the halls of the
New Jerusalem ring again with shoutings. They shall enter into the King's
palace. Their peaceful abodes shall be where Jesus the King reigns in state
for ever. They shall not be shut out but shut in. Rights of free entrance into
the holiest of all shall be accorded them. Brought by grace, they shall enter
into glory. If there was joy in the bringing, what in the entering? What in the
abiding? The glorified are not field labourers in the plains of heaven, but
sons who dwell at home, princes of the blood, resident in the royal palace.
Happy hour when we shall enjoy all this and forget the sorrows of time in the
triumph of eternity.
Verse
16. Instead of thy fathers shall be thy children. The ancient
saints who stood as fathers in the service of the Great King have all passed
away; but a spiritual seed is found to fill their places. The veterans depart,
but volunteers fill up the vacant places. The line of grace never becomes
extinct. As long as time shall last, the true apostolical succession will be
maintained. Whom thou mayest make princes in all the earth. Servants of
Christ are kings. Where a man has preached successfully, and evangelised a
tribe or nation, he gets to himself more than regal honours, and his name is
like the name of the great men that be upon the earth. Jesus is the king maker.
Ambition of the noblest kind shall win her desire in the army of Christ;
immortal crowns are distributed to his faithful soldiers. The whole earth shall
yet be subdued for Christ, and honoured are they, who shall, through grace,
have a share in the conquest—these shall reign with Christ at his coming.
Verse
17. I will make thy name to be remembered in all generations.
Jehovah by the prophet's mouth promises to the Prince of Peace eternal fame as
well as a continuous progeny. His name is his fame, his character, his person;
these are dear to his people now—they never can forget them; and it shall be so
as long as men exist. Names renowned in one generation have been unknown to the
next era, but the laurels of Jesus shall ever be fresh, his renown ever new.
God will see to this; his providence and his grace shall make it so. The fame
of Messiah is not left to human guardianship; the Eternal guarantees it, and
his promise never fails. All down the ages the memories of Gethsemane and
Calvary shall glow with inextinguishable light; nor shall the lapse of time,
the smoke of error, or the malice of hell be able to dim the glory of the
Redeemer's fame. Therefore shall the people praise thee for ever and ever.
They shall confess thee to be what thou art, and shall render to thee in
perpetuity the homage due. Praise is due from every heart to him who loved us,
and redeemed us by his blood; this praise will never be fully paid, but will be
ever a standing and growing debt. His daily benefits enlarge our obligations,
let them increase the number of our songs. Age to age reveals more of his love,
let every year swell the volume of the music of earth and heaven, and let
thunders of song roll up in full diapason to the throne of him that liveth, and
was dead, and is alive for evermore, and hath the keys of hell and of death.
"Let
him be crowned with majesty
Who bowed his head to death,
And be his honours sounded high
By all things that have breath."
EXPLANATORY
NOTES AND QUAINT SAYINGS
TITLE. "Upon
Shoshannim, "or upon lilies. It will be remembered that lilies
were an emblem of purity and loveliness, and were introduced as such in the
building of Solomon's temple (see 1Ki 7:19,22,26 2Ch 4:5); and the church is
compared in the Canticles to a "lily among thorns." So 2:2. The
Psalms which bear this title, "upon lilies, "are the present, the
sixty-ninth, and the eightieth (compare Ps 60:1-12); and all these contain
prophecies of Christ and his church. The sixtieth is a parallel to the
forty-fourth, and represents her supplicating appeal to God, and Christ's
victories. The sixty-ninth displays the victories gained by Christ through
suffering. The eightieth is also parallel to the forty-fourth and sixtieth, a
plaintive lament of the church in distress and a supplicating cry for
deliverance. All these three Psalms are (if we may venture to use this
expression) like the voice of the "lily among thorns." That there is,
therefore, some reference here to the spiritual meaning of the word (Mynvs), or
lilies, in this title, seems at least to be probable. Christopher
Wordsworth.
Title. We think that Shoshannim
signifies an instrument of six strings, or a song of rejoicing. Augustin
Calmet, 1672-1757. Kitto, on the other hand, says that the word is so
clearly lilies, that he is disinclined to go out of the way to bring in
the Hebrew word for six.
Title. "To
the chief musician upon Shoshannim." Some would have it that
instruments whereon were many engravings of lilies, which are six leaved
flowers, are here meant. And, indeed, some interpreters, because of that
derivation of the word, do thus translate it, upon Shoshannim, that is, upon
lilies; and that either in reference to their wedding garlands, that were
made much of lilies, or as intending by these lilies Christ and his church. Arthur
Jackson.
Title. "A
song." The word (ryv), shir, the meaning of which (song),
is unquestioned, is prefixed to many of the Psalms, three times simply and
thirteen times in connection with Mizmor. There is no mark of
peculiarity in their composition. The meaning of the word seems to be
discriminated from Mizmor, as signifying a thing to be sung, with
reference to its poetical structure. John Jebb.
Whole
Psalm. The Psalter, which sets forth so much truth respecting the person
and work of Christ—truth more precious than gold and sweeter than the
honeycomb—is not silent respecting the bond subsisting between him and his people,
THE MYSTICAL UNION BETWEEN CHRIST AND THE CHURCH. When a prince sets his
affections on a woman of lowly rank, and takes her home to be his wife, the two
are so united that her debts become his, his wealth and honours become hers.
Now, that there is formed between Christ and the church, between Christ and
every soul that will consent to receive him, a connection, of which the most
intimate of all natural relations is the analogue and type, we have already
found to be not only taught in the Psalms, but to be implied in the very
structure of many of them. He takes his people's sins upon him, and they
receive the right to become the sons of God: the One Spirit of God wherewith he
was baptised without measure, dwells in them according to the measure of the grace
that is given them. I will only add further, that this union, besides being
implied on so many places, is expressly set forth in one most glorious
Psalm—the Nuptial Song of Christ and the Church—which has for its peculiar
theme the home bringing of Christ's elect, that they may be joined to him in a
union that shall survive the everlasting hills. William Binnie, D.D.
Verse
1. My heart is inditing a good matter, and then My tongue
shall be like the pen of a ready writer. Oh, then I shall go merrily on in
his service, when I have matter prepared in my heart. And, indeed, as the
mariner sees further new stars the further he sails, he loseth sight of the old
ones and discovers new; so the growing Christian, the further he sails in
religion he discovers new wants, new Scriptures affect him, new trials afflict
him, new business he finds with God, and forgetting those things that are
behind, he reacheth after those things that are before, and so finds every day
new business with the Lord his God; and he that's busy trifles not; the more
business the less distractions. Richard Steele.
Verse
1. My heart is inditing a good matter. (vxr) (rakhash);
boils or bubbles up; denotes the language of the heart full and ready for
utterance. Victorinus Bythner.
Verse
1. My heart is inditing a good matter. Here you have the work
of the Spirit of prophecy. By his operation the good "matter" is
engendered in the psalmist's bosom, and now his heart is heaving and labouring
under the load. It is just beginning to throw it up, like water from a
fountain, that it may flow off in the channel of the tongue. Here, therefore,
you have some insight given you of the manner of the operation of the Spirit in
the heart of man. The psalmist says his heart is doing what the spirit is doing
in his heart. The heart does it, indeed, but it is the Spirit's working. The
psalmist took all the interest and pleasure in his subject that he could have
done, if the Spirit had had nothing to do with it; for when the Spirit works,
he works not only by the heart, but in the heart; he seizes upon all its
affections, every fibre of it is bent to his will. George Harpur, in
"Christ in the Psalms, "1862.
Verse
1. Good matter, the good spell, or gospel. Christopher
Wordsworth.
Verse
1. A similitude taken from the mincah, or meat offering
in the law, which was dressed in the frying pan Le 7:9, and there boiled in
oil, being made of fine flour unleavened, mingled with oil Le 2:5, and
afterwards was presented to the Lord by the priest, verse 8. Here the matter of
this Psalm is as the mincah or oblation, which with the oil, the grace
of the Spirit, was boiled and prepared in the prophet's heart, and now
presented. Henry Ainsworth.
Verse
1. It is reported of Origen, saith Erasmus, that he was ever
earnest, but most of all when he discoursed of Christ. Of Johannes Mollias, a
Bononian, it is said, that whenever he spake of Jesus Christ, his eyes dropped,
for he was fraught with a mighty fervency of God's Holy Spirit; and like the
Baptist, he was first a burning (boiling or bubbling), and then a shining
light. John Trapp.
Verse
1. Touching the king. It does not all concern the king
immediately, for much of it concerns the queen, and about one half of it is
directly addressed to her. But it relates to him inasmuch as it relates to his
family. Christ ever identifies himself with his people; so that, whatever is
done to them, is done to himself. Their interests are his. George Harpur.
Verse
1. My tongue shall be like the pen of one that takes minutes
or writes shorthand: for I shall speak very briefly, and not in words at
length, or so as to be understood in a literal sense, but in figures and
emblems. From "Holy David and his old English Translators
cleared," 1706. (Anon.)
Verse
1. The pen. We call the prophets the penmen of
Scripture, whereas they were but the pen.
Verse
2. Thou art fairer than the children of men: grace is poured into
thy lips. Thus he begins to set forth his beauty, wherein is the
delightfulness of any person; so is it with the soul when God hath made known
to man his own filthiness and uncomeliness through sin, and that only by Jesus
sin is taken away; oh, how beautiful is this face, the first sight of him!
Secondly, Full of grace are thy lips: here is the second commendation;
which is, when Jesus hath opened his lips to us, from them he pours out grace
into our soul, when he makes known the Father to us, and speaks peace to all
that are far off and near; when he calls, "Come unto me, all ye that
labour and are heavy laden, and I will refresh you:" and all this is
because God hath blessed him for ever; we are assured he comes from God, and
that he and his works are eternal, and therefore all his grace poured out upon
us shall remain with us, and make us blessed for ever; for he is the Word of
God, and he speaks the mind of God, for he speaks nothing but what he hath
heard from the Father; and when he speaks to our souls with his Word, the
Spirit is given, a certain testimony to our soul that we are the sons of God,
and a pledge of our inheritance; for the Spirit and the Word cannot be
separated. Richard Coore, in "Christ set forth."
Verse
2. Thou art fairer than the children of men, etc. Nothing can
be more beautiful than this abrupt way of discourse. The prophet sets out with
a professed design to speak of the king. But as if in the moment he had so
intended, the glorious Person of whom he was going to speak appeared to
his view, he instantly leaves every other consideration to speak to him
himself. And what a rapturous address he makes! He first describes the glories,
the beauties, the astonishing loveliness, of his person. Though to a
carnal eye there was no beauty to desire him, his visage was marred more than
any man's, and his form more than the sons on men, yet to an eye truly
enlightened, he is the king in his beauty, fairer, as the glorious Mediator,
the Head, the Bridegroom of his Church and people, than all the children of
men. And, in the Father's view, so greatly beloved, so truly glorious, that grace
was poured into his lips. Reader, observe the expression; not simply grace
put into his heart, for the holiness and purity of his person, but poured into
his lips, that, like the honey, it might drop upon his people, and be for ever
communicated to all his redeemed, in an endless perpetuity of all suited
blessings here, and glory hereafter. Robert Hawker, D.D.
Verse
2. Thou art fairer than the children of men. Are you for beauty?
That takes with most: for this none like Christ. For beauty and comeliness he
infinitely surpasses both men and angels. We read of Moses, that he was
exceeding fair; and of David, that he was ruddy, and of a beautiful
countenance; and Josephus reports of the one of them, that all that saw him
were amazed at and enamoured of his beauty. Oh, but what was their beauty to
Christ's? Were their beauty, and with theirs the beauty of men and angels put
together, it would all be nothing to the beauty of Christ; not so much as the
light of a farthing candle is to the light of the sun at noonday. Edward
Pearse in "The Best Match." 1673.
Verse
2. Thou art fairer, etc. Fair he was (1) in his conception,
conceived in purity, and a fair angel brought the news. Fair (2) in his nativity:
wraioz is the word in the Septuagint, tempustivus, in time, that is,
all things are beautiful in their time, Ec 3:11. And in the fulness of time
it was that he was born, and a fair star pointed to him. Fair (3) in his childhood;
he grew up in grace and favour, Lu 2:52. The doctors were much taken with him.
Fair (4) in his manhood; had he not been so, says S. Jerome, had there
not been something admirable in his countenance and presence, some heavenly
beauty, the apostles and the whole world (as the Pharisees themselves confess)
would not so suddenly have gone after him. Fair (5) in his transfiguration,
white as the light, or as the snow, his face glittering as the sun Mt 17:2,
even to the ravishing the very soul of S. Peter, that "he knew not what he
said, "could let his eyes dwell upon that face for ever, and never come
down the mount again. Fair (6) in his passion. Nihil indecorum, no
uncomeliness, in his nakedness; his very wounds, and the bloody prints of the
whips and scourges drew an ecce from the mouth of Pilate: "Behold,
the man!" the sweetness of his countenance and carriage in the midst of
filth and spittle, whips and buffets. His very comeliness upon the cross, and
his giving up the ghost, made the centurion cry out, he "was the Son of
God:" there appeared so sweet a majesty, so heavenly a lustre in him
through that very darkness that encompassed him. Fair (7) in his resurrection;
so subtle a beauty, that mortal eyes, even the eyes of his own disciples, were
not able to see or apprehend it, but when he veiled it from them. Fair (8) in
his ascension; made his disciples stand gazing after him so long (as if
they never could look long enough upon him), till an angel is sent from heaven
to rebuke them, to look home, Ac 1:2. Mark Frank.
Verse
2. O fair sun, and fair moon, and fair stars, and fair flowers, and
fair roses, and fair lilies; but O ten thousand thousand times fairer Lord
Jesus! Alas! I have wronged him in making the comparison this way. O black sun
and moon! but O fair Lord Jesus! O black flowers, and black lilies, and roses!
but O fair, fair, ever fair, Lord Jesus! O black heaven! but O fair Christ! O
black angels! but O surpassingly fair Lord Jesus! Samuel Rutherford.
Verse
2. In one Christ we may contemplate and must confess all the beauty
and loveliness both of heaven and earth; the beauty of heaven is God, the
beauty of earth is man; the beauty of heaven and earth together is this God
man. Edward Hyde, D.D., 1658.
Verse
2. Thou. "I have a passion, "observed Count
Zinzendorf in one of his discourses to the congregation at Herrnhut, "and
it is He—He only."
Verse
2. Thou art fairer. Hebrew, thou art double fairer;
the Hebrew word is doubled, ad corroborandum, saith Kimchi. John
Trapp.
Verse
2. Grace is poured into thy lips. This is said as if this
grace were a gift, and not something inherent in our Lord himself. And is not
this exactly what we learn from the histories of the evangelists? Before Jesus
went forth to the work of his public mission, the Holy Ghost descended from
heaven like a dove, and lit upon him. The Spirit who imparts all its graces to
the church of Christ, imparted his graces to Christ himself. Not that the Son
of God needed the anointing of the Spirit of God, but he suffered it to be so
that he might be in all things like his brethren. If he was to be their
example, he must show them wherein their great strength lay. They see in him
the fruits of the Holy Ghost who is promised to themselves. All that Christ
ever did as the Head and Representative of his people, he did by that very
Spirit which is still resident in his church. George Harpur.
Verse
2. Grace is poured into thy lips. Full of grace are thy lips.
Full of grace for the matter, and full of grace for the manner.
1.
For the matter, he delivered acceptable doctrine: "The law was
given by Moses, but grace came by Jesus Christ." Joh 1:17. Moses had harsh
and hard words in his law; "Cursed is he that continueth not in all things
which are written in the book of the law to do them; "but Christ on the
contrary speaks better things, the first words in his first sermon are,
"Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of
heaven." Mt 5:3. He cometh unto his people, cum verbo gratiae, cum
osculo gratae, saith Augustine: his lips are full of grace, that is,
pouring out gracious words abundantly. Mt 11:28 Joh 3:16 Lu 4:18. "His
lips are like lilies dropping down myrrh" So 5:13; all that heard him
wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth, Lu 4:22.
2.
For the manner, he taught not as the scribes; he spake so sweetly that
the very catch poll officers, astonished at his words, gave this testimony,
"Never man spake like this man," Joh 7:46. He spake so graciously
that the apostles forsook all things and followed him; at his call Andrew left
his nets straightway, James and John their father without tarrying, Matthew
from the receipt of custom, Zacchaeus from the like worldly course came hastily
to receive him joyfully. Mr 10:28 Mt 4:20-21 9:9 Lu 19:6. Nay, beloved, he was
so powerful an orator, that the very winds and waves obeyed his word, Mr 4:39.
It is reported in Holy Writ that all princes and people were desirous of
hearing Solomon's eloquence; the Queen of Sheba wondering at the same, cried
out," Happy are these thy servants which stand continually before thee,
and that hear thy wisdom, "1Ki 10:8. Solomon is type here, but Christ is
the truth; and this showeth evidently that Christ is not a tyrant, but a mild
prince, persuading obedience plausibly, not compelling his people violently;
his sayings are his sceptre and his sword: his piercing exhortations
are, as it were, his sharp arrows by which his followers are subdued
unto him.
To
conclude this argument, his fair words (as the Scripture speaks) "are as
an honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the bones" Pr 16:24:
"an honeycomb," and what more toothsome?" sweetness to the soul
and health to the bones; "and what, I pray, more wholesome? The good man's
soul is Christ's own spouse, to which he speaks a great many ways graciously;
sometimes correcting, and what stronger argument of love? for "whom he
loveth he chasteneth" Heb 12:6; sometimes instructing, and his gospel is
able to make "the man of God perfect, throughly furnished unto all good
works" 2Ti 3:17; sometimes wooing in amorous terms, as in his love song
everywhere: "my beloved, ""my sister, ""my spouse,
" "the fairest among women, ""my love," "my
dove." etc.; sometimes promising, and that both the blessings of this life
present. Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God:
etc., Isa 41:10, and of that life which is to come. Joh 17:21,24. But Christ's
excellent intercession every day to God the Father, appearing in the court of
heaven, and as an advocate pleading for us, is yet fuller of grace; for if
Caleb easily granted his daughter's request, and bestowed on her "the
springs above and the springs beneath" Jud 1:15, how shall Almighty God
(whose mercies are above all his works) deny the suits of such a Son in whom he
is well pleased? John Boys.
Verse
2. Grace is poured into thy lips. The former clause noted his
inward perfections; and this signifies his ability and readiness to communicate
them to others. Matthew Poole.
Verse
2. (second clause). Never were there such words of love and
sweetness spoken by any man as by him: never was there such a loving and tender
heart as the heart of Jesus Christ: Grace was poured into his lips.
Certainly never were there such words of love, sweetness, and tenderness spoken
here upon this earth as those last words of his which were uttered a little
before his sufferings, and are recorded in the 13th, 14th, 15th, 16th and 17th
chapters of John. Read over all the books of love and friendship that were ever
written by any of the sons of men, they do all come far short of these melting
strains of love that are there expressed. So sweet and amiable was the
conversation of Jesus Christ, that it is reported of the apostle Peter in the
Ecclesiastical History, that after Christ's ascension he wept so abundantly,
that he was always seen wiping his face from the tears; and being asked why he
wept so, he answered, He could not choose but weep as often as he thought of
that most sweet conversation of Jesus Christ. John Row.
Verse
3. Gird thy sword upon thy thigh. The sword, according to
ancient custom was hung in a belt put round the shoulders, and reaching down to
the thigh. It was suspended on the back part of the thigh, almost to the
ground, but was not girded upon it; the horseman's sword was fixed on the
saddle by a girth. When David, in spirit invites the Redeemer of the church to
gird his sword upon his thigh, and the spouse says of the valiant of Israel,
"every man hath his sword upon his thigh because of fear in the
night" So 3:8, they do not mean that the weapon was literally bound upon
their thigh, but hung in the girdle on the back part of it; for this was the
mode in which, by the universal testimony of ancient writers, the infantry wore
their swords. It is still the practice in the East to wear swords in this
manner, for Chardin informs us, that "the Eastern people wear their swords
hanging down at length; and the Turks wear their swords on horseback, and on
their thigh." But in his poetical invitation to the Redeemer, to gird his
sword upon his thigh, David manifestly points to some special occasion of
solemn and official character; and a clear light is thrown upon his meaning by
a custom to this day observed in the East. "When a Persian or an Ottoman
prince ascends the throne, "says Mr. Morier, "he girds on his
sabre. Mohammed Jaffer, for example, was proclaimed by the Khan, governor pro
tempore, till the arrival of his brother, and was invested in this dignity
by the girding of a sword upon his thigh, and honour which he accepted
with a reluctance perhaps not wholly feigned."—"This ceremony,
"says Dr. Davey, giving an account of an Eastern coronation,
"remained to be performed before the prince could be considered completely
king—it was that of choosing a new name, and putting on the regal sword. The
prince went in great state to the temple, where he presented offerings, and
then, the sword having been girded on his thigh, the priest presented a pot of
sandal powder, in which the prince, who may now be called king, dipped
his fingers." From these anecdotes, it is evident girding a sword on the
thigh is part of the ceremony of royal inauguration; and that when the psalmist
addresses the Messiah, he refers to his receiving the honours and powers of the
Lord of all. G. Paxton's Illustrations of Scripture.
Verse
3. Thy sword. The word of God is compared to such a weapon,
for the apostle informs us that it is quick, or living, and powerful, and
sharper than any two edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of the
soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and laying open the thoughts and
intents of the heart. It must be observed, however, that this description of
the word of God is applicable to it only when Christ girds it on, and employs
it as his sword. Of what use is a sword, even though it be the sword of
Goliath, while it lies still in its scabbard, or is grasped by the powerless
hand of an infant? In those circumstances it can neither conquer nor defend,
however well suited it might be to do both in the hand of a warrior. It is the
same with the sword of the Spirit. While it lies still in its scabbard, or is
wielded only by the infantile hand of Christ's ministers, it is a powerless and
useless weapon; a weapon at which the weakest sinner can laugh, and against
which he can defend himself with the utmost ease. But not so when he who is the
Most Mighty girds it on. Then it becomes a weapon of tremendous power, a weapon
resistless as the bolt of heaven. "Is not my word like a fire, and a
hammer, saith the Lord, which breaketh the rock in pieces?" It is indeed,
for what can be more efficacious and irresistible than a weapon sharper than a
two edged sword, wielded by the arm of omnipotence? What must his sword be
whose glance is lightning? Armed with this weapon, the Captain of our salvation
cuts his way to the sinner with infinite ease, though surrounded by rocks and
mountains, scatters his strongholds and refuges of lies, and with a mighty blow
cleaves asunder his heart of adamant, and lays him prostrate and trembling at
his feet. Since such are the effects of this weapon in the hand of Christ, it
is with the utmost propriety that the psalmist begins by requesting him to
gird it on, and not suffer it to be inactive in its scabbard, or powerless
in the feeble grasp of his ministers. Edward Payson.
Verse
3. O most mighty. Christ is almighty, and so able to make
good all that he speaketh, and to make his word of precept, promise, and threatening
effectual unto the errand for which it is sent. David Dickson.
Verses
3-4. We may reflect with pleasure on the glorious cause in which
Christ is engaged, and the holy war which he carries on, and in which he shall
prosper. It is the cause of truth, of meekness, and righteousness. His gospel,
his sword, which is the word of God, tends to rectify our errors by truth; to
control our passions by that meekness which it promotes, and to regulate our
lives by the laws of righteousness which it inculcates. Let us rejoice that
this sacred cause has hitherto prospered, and shall prosper. Job Orton,
1717-1783.
Verse
4. And in thy majesty ride prosperously, etc. The wheels of
Christ's chariot, whereupon he rideth when he goeth to conquer and subdue new
converts to his kingdom, are majesty, truth, meekness, righteousness,
manifested in the preaching of his gospel; majesty, when the stately
magnificence of his person and offices is declared; truth, when the
certainty of all that he teacheth in Scripture is known; meekness, when
his grace and mercy is offered to rebels; and righteousness, when
justification by faith in his name is clearly set forth. Christ goeth no voyage
in vain, he cometh not short of his intent and purpose, but doth the work for
which he cometh, preaching the gospel; in his majesty, truth, meekness, and
righteousness, he rideth prosperously. David Dickson.
Verse
4. Ride prosperously, because of truth, and meekness, and
righteousness. The literal translation would be, "Ride on the word of
truth, and the meekness of righteousness, "and so the Syriac has it. If
this rendering be adopted, the meaning will then be, that the great object of
Christ's gospel was to vindicate the cause of truth and righteousness in the
world. Christ is said to ride on the word of truth, because the knowledge of
the truth depends on the word—it is by the word that truth is made known. He is
said to ride on the meekness or humility of righteousness, because meekness or
humility is its distinguishing characteristic. The former relates to what man
is to believe, the latter to how he is to live. George Harpur.
Verse
4. Thy right hand shall teach thee terrible things. This
expression seems only used to imply, either that by his power he should be
enabled to do terrible things, because teaching enables men to do what they are
taught, or that by his almighty power he should experimentally see what great
and terrible things should by done by him. Arthur Jackson.
Verse
5. Thine arrows are sharp in the heart of the King's enemies.
In a still bolder metaphor the arrows which are discharged from the bow of
Christ are the preachers of the gospel, especially the apostles and
evangelists. "His sagittis, "says S. Jerome, "totus
orbis vulneratus et captus est." Paul, the apostle, was an arrow of
the Lord, discharged from his bow from Jerusalem to Illyricum, and from
Illyricum to Spain, flying from east to west, and subduing Christ's enemies
beneath his feet. Christopher Wordsworth.
Verse
5. While beseeching the Redeemer to ride forth prosperously, and
predicting his success, he seems suddenly to have seen his prayers answered and
his predictions fulfilled. He saw his all conquering Prince gird on his
resistless sword, array himself in glory and majesty, ascend the chariot of his
gospel, display the banner of his cross, and ride forth, as on the wings of the
wind, while the tremendous voice of a herald proclaimed before him:
"Prepare ye the way of the Lord, "exalt the valleys, and level the
hills; make the crooked ways straight, and the rough places plain; for, behold,
the Lord God comes; he comes with a strong hand, his reward is with him, and
his work before him. From the bright and fiery cloud which enveloped his
chariot, and concealed it from mortal eyes, he saw sharp arrows of conviction
shot forth on every side, deeply wounding the obdurate hearts of sinners, and
prostrating them in crowds around his path, while his right hand extended
raised them again, and healed the wounds which his arrows had made; and his
omnipotent voice spoke peace to their despairing souls, and bade them follow in
his train, and witness and share in his triumph. From the same bright cloud he
saw the vengeful lightnings flashing thick and dreadful, to blast and consume
everything that opposed his progress; he saw sin, and death, and hell, with all
its legions, baffled, defeated, and flying in trembling consternation before
him; he saw them overtaken, bound, and chained to his triumphant chariot
wheels; while enraptured voices were heard from heaven exclaiming, "Now is
come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of God, and the power of his
Christ." Such was the scene which seems to have burst upon the ravished
sight of the entranced prophet. Transported with the view, he exclaims, Thine
arrows are sharp in the heart of the King's enemies; whereby the people fall
under thee. Edward Payson.
Verse
5. The king's enemies, is not simply an expression for
"Thy enemies, "as some think, but rather implies that Christ's
kingship is the ground of their enmity; just as in the second Psalm their cry
was, "Let us break their bands asunder." George Harpur.
Verse
6. Thy throne, O God. The original word is, probably
vocative, both in the Greek and in the Hebrew; and is so taken by modern
Unitarians, who seek their refuge by explaining away yeos. Henry Alford,
D.D., on Heb 1:8.
Verse
7. Thou lovest righteousness, and hatest wickedness. Many a
one loves righteousness, but would not be its champion; such a love is not
Christ's love. Many a one hates iniquity, not for its own sake, but for the
sake of its consequences; such a hate is not Christ's hate. To be like Christ
we must love righteousness as he loved, and hate wickedness as he hated. To
love and hate as he loves and hates is to be perfect as he is perfect. The
perfection of this love and hate is moral perfection. George Harpur.
Verse
7. Therefore. Observe how usual it is to impute Christ's
exaltation to his merits. God blessed him for ever, as in the second verse of
this Psalm (if such be the sense of that verse), because he was fairer
than the children of men, and grace was poured into his lips. And so the
apostle. God highly exalted him, and gave him a name above every name, because
he had humbled himself, and became obedient unto death. And here God anointed
him with the oil of gladness above his fellows, because he loved
righteousness and hated iniquity. George Harpur.
Verse
7. Therefore. He says not, "Wherefore he anointed thee
in order to thy being God, or King, or Son, or Word; "for so he was
before, and is for ever, as has been shown; but rather, "Since thou art
God and King, therefore thou wast anointed, since none but thou couldest unite
man to the Holy Ghost, thou the image of the Father, in which we were made in
the beginning: for thine is even the Spirit." Athanasius.
Verse
7. Therefore God, thy God. God was the God of Christ in
covenant, that he might be our God in covenant; for in his transactions, whole
Christ, Head and members, are to be considered Ga 3:16 1Co 12:12, the covenant
being first transacted with the Head (who is given for a covenant to us, Isa
42:6), and then with the members, with him in reference to us and for us. As
God did not fail our surety, but supported him in his great conflict, when out
of the depths he called unto him; so neither will he fail us in time of need.
Heb 4:16 13:5-6. William Troughton.
Verse
7. Therefore God, thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of
gladness above thy fellows; i.e., enriched and filled thee in a singular
manner with the fulness of the Spirit, whereby thou art consecrated to thy
office; and by reason whereof you out shine and excellest all the saints who
are thy fellows, or copartners in these graces. So that in these words
you have two parts, namely, first, the saint's dignity; and, secondly, Christ's
preeminence. First. The saint's dignity, which consists in this,
that they are Christ's fellows. The Hebrew word (Kyrkxm), is very full
and copious, and is translated consorts, companions, copartners, partakers; or
as ours reads it, fellows; i.e., such as are partakers with him in the
anointing of the Spirit, who do in their measure receive the same Spirit, every
Christian being appointed, modo sibi proportionato, with the same grace
and dignified with the same titles. 1Jo 2:27 Re 1:6. Christ and the saints are
in common one with another. Doth the Spirit of holiness dwell in him? So he
doth in them too. Is Christ King and Priest? Why, so are they, too, by the
grace of union with him. He hath made us kings and priests to God and his
Father. This is the saints' dignity, to be Christ's fellows, consorts, or
copartners; so that look whatever grace or excellency is in Christ, it is not
impropriated to himself, but they do share with him; for indeed he was filled
with the fulness of the Spirit for their sakes and use. As the sun is filled
with light not to shine to itself, but to others, so is Christ with grace; and
therefore some translate the text not prae consortibus, above thy
fellows, but propter consortes, for thy fellows; (Rivetus), making
Christ the first receptacle of all grace, who first and immediately is filled
from the fountain of the Godhead, but it is for his people who receive and
derive from him according to their proportion. This is a great truth; and the
dignity of the saints lies chiefly in the partnership with Christ, though our
translation, above thy fellows, suits best both with the importance of
the word and scope of the place. Secondly. But then, whatever dignity is
ascribed herein to the saints, there is, and still must be, a preeminence
acknowledged and ascribed to Christ: if they are anointed with the spirit of
grace, much more abundantly is Christ: God, thy God, hath anointed thee with
the oil of gladness above thy fellows. John Flavel.
Verse
7. Oil of gladness. For sweet smelling oils were also used to
beautify the face upon occasions of feasting and mirth. Ps 23:5 104:15 Isa
61:3. And likewise this oil of consecration and infusion of the gifts of the
Holy Ghost hath been the cause and foundation of Christ's human nature's
obtaining of the everlasting joys and glory. Php 2:9 Heb 12:2. John Diodati.
Verse
7. Behold, O ye Arians, and acknowledge even hence the truth. The
psalmist speaks of us all as fellows or partakers of the Lord,
but were he one of things which come out of nothing, and of things generate, he
himself had been one of those who partake. But since he hymned him as the
eternal God, saying, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever, and has
declared that all other things partake of him, what conclusion must we draw,
but that he is distinct from generated things, and he only the Father's
veritable Word, Radiance, and Wisdom, which all things generate partake, being
sanctified by him in Spirit? And, therefore, he is here anointed, not
that he may become God, for he was so even before; nor that he may become king,
for he has the kingdom eternally, existing as God's image, as the sacred oracle
shows; but in our behalf is this written, as before. For the Israelitish kings,
upon their being anointed, then became kings, not being so before, as David, as
Ezekias, as Josias, and the rest; but the Saviour, on the contrary, being God,
and ever ruling in the Father's kingdom, and being himself the dispenser of the
Holy Ghost, nevertheless is here said to be anointed, that, as before, being
said as man to be anointed with the Spirit, he might provide for us more, not
only exaltation and resurrection, but the indwelling and intimacy of the
Spirit...And when he received the Spirit, we it was who, by him were made
recipients of it. And, moreover, for this reason, not as Aaron, or David, or
the rest, was he anointed with oil, but in another way, above all his fellows, with
the oil of gladness, which he himself interprets to be the Spirit, saying
by the prophet, "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because the Lord hath
anointed me; "as also the apostle has said, "How God anointed him
with the Holy Ghost." Athanasius.
Verse
8. All thy garments smell of myrrh, and aloes, and cassia, out of
the ivory palaces, whereby they have made thee glad. Although there is considerable
obscurity overhanging these words, still the general idea of a supereminent
fulness of anointing is quite apparent, combined, however, with the other
idea that the anointing oil or ointment os of the most exquisite quality.
Myrrh, and aloes, and cassia were celebrated for their peculiar fragrance, on
which account they were used in compounding the choicest unguents. Myrrh and
cassia are mentioned in Ex 30:23-24, as two of the spices of which the holy
anointing oil was made up. All its ingredients were considered sacred. The
Israelites were forbidden to pour it upon man's flesh, or to attempt any
imitation of it in their own perfumes. Ivory was in early times, as it still
is, rare and costly, and it was highly esteemed as a material for household decoration,
on which the finest workmanship and the most princely expenditures were
displayed. In palaces of ivory, therefore, it was to be expected that, in
correspondence with the magnificence of their structure and the costliness of
their furniture, the ointment employed for anointing would be of the richest
perfume, and in the greatest profusion. According to our version of the Psalm,
the divine Saviour is thus represented as being anointed with oil of the very
best kind, even oil taken from the ivory palaces; and also as receiving it in
no ordinary measure. His anointing was not confined to a few ceremonial drops
poured upon the head, but so abundant is it said to have been, that all
his garments smelled of myrrh, and aloes, and cassia. Bishop Horsley has
proposed a change in the translation, by which means the idea of abundance is
connected, not with the fragrance arising from the anointing, but with the
anointing itself, which is a different and far more important thing. "Thy
garments are all myrrh, aloes, and cassia, excelling the palaces of ivory,
excelling those which delight thee." This translation, which is strictly
literal as well as poetical, is at the same time comparatively free from
obscurity, and it visibly sets forth, under the most expressive imagery, the
surpassing measure of that anointing which was conferred on our Lord above all
his fellows. His garments are supposed not merely to have been all richly
perfumed, or even thoroughly saturated with the oil of gladness, but to have
consisted of the very articles which entered into the composition of the most
precious and odoriferous unguent: Thy garments are all myrrh, aloes, and
cassia. This is figurative language, but nothing could more emphatically
exhibit how truly "the Spirit rested on Jesus, and abode with him" in
all the plenitude of his heavenly gifts. That heavenly anointing constituted,
as it were, his very dress, "excelling" in the quantity or measure of
the anointing "the palaces of ivory; "because their furniture,
however highly scented, were not made of aromatic materials. The strength of
the perfumes would evaporate, the fragrance would soon diminish; but permanent
as well as plentiful fragrance is secured to him whose "garments are all
myrrh, aloes, and cassia." It is added, in the way of parallelism,
"excelling those which delight in thee, "or those which make thee
glad. To say that the persons here alluded to are the occupiers of the ivory
palaces, might perhaps be objected to as fanciful; but palaces are the abodes
of kings; and anointed kings wither literally, or typically, or spiritually,
are the fellows of the Lord's Anointed One; and it does seem manifest that, as
his anointing causes joy and gladness to all the parties concerned in it, so
likewise there is an anointing of those who are honoured to be his fellows
which causes joy and gladness to him. The persons who are in the one verse
spoken of as giving delight to Christ, there is no reason to regard as any
other than the persons spoken of in the former verse as his "fellows."
And if this is the case, then we have a comparison drawn betwixt the one and
the other in the matter of their anointing, and to that of Christ a decided
superiority is ascribed. David Pitcairn, in "The Anointed Saviour,
"1846.
Verse
8. All thy garments smell of myrrh, etc. These things are
true in Jesus; by his garments in meant his righteousness; for it is written,
He clothed himself with righteousness and zeal. And here the translator hath
put in smell, which rather should have been are, for "his
garments are of myrrh, and aloes, and cassia, " that is, truly
purging, cleansing, and making sound; for his righteousness, which is the
righteousness of faith, maketh sound hearted Christians; whereas, man's
righteousness, which is the righteousness of works, maketh filthy hypocrites.
And by "ivory palaces, "is meant the true faith and fear of
God; for ivory is solid and white, and palaces are king's houses; and by Christ
we are made kings, and our dwelling is in faith and fear of God; and this is
the gladness and joy of our Lord Jesus, that he brings many sons and daughters
unto God. Richard Coore, 1683.
Verse
8. Out of the ivory palaces, whereby they have made thee glad.
Commentators have been more perplexed in explaining these words than any other
part of the Psalm. Not to detain you with the various expositions that have
been proposed, I will give you what I conceive to be the meaning of the
passage. The word rendered whereby, is also the name of a region in
Arabia Felix, namely, Minnaea, which, according to the geographer Strabo,
"abounded in myrrh and frankincense." Now, it is singular that,
according to the historian, Diodorus Siculus, "the inhabitants of Arabia
Felix had sumptuous houses, adorned with ivory and precious
stones." Putting these two things together, therefore, namely, that this
region abounded in myrrh and frankincense, and that its inhabitants adorned
their houses with ivory, we may, I conceive, find a clue to the psalmist's
meaning. If we substitute "Minnaea" for "whereby, "the
passage will run thus—
"Myrrh,
aloes, and cassia, are all thy garments.
From ivory palaces of Minnaea they have made thee glad."
You
recollect in the verse just going before, the oil with which Christ was said to
be anointed, is called the oil of "gladness." Accordingly, he
is here said to be made glad (it is the same word in both places in the
Hebrew), by the spices of which that oil is composed. This spices are said to
have been brought out of the most spicy region of the land of spices, and it is
implied that they are the best spices of that spicy region. Out of the ivory
palaces, says the psalmist; not only houses, but palaces—the mansions of
the great, where the best spices would naturally be kept—out of these have come
the myrrh, aloes, and cassia, that have composed the oil of gladness whereby
thou art made glad. God anointed Christ, when he set him on his everlasting
throne, with the oil of gladness; and this anointing was so profuse, his
garments were so overspread with it, that they seemed to be nothing but myrrh,
aloes, and cassia. The spices, moreover, of which the anointing oil was
composed, were the best of their kind, brought, as they were, from the ivory
palaces of Minnaea. Such appears to be the psalmist's meaning; and when thus
understood, the passage becomes most beautifully expressive of the excellency
and unmeasured supply of the gifts and graces of that Spirit with which
Christ was anointed by his Father. George Harpur.
Verse
8. The ivory palaces. The ivory courts. Probably so called
from the great quantity of ivory used in ornamenting and inlaying them; as the
emperor Nero's palace, mentioned by Suetonius, was named, "aurea, "or
"golden, "because "lita auro, ""overlaid with
gold." This method of ornamenting or inlaying rooms was very ancient among
the Greeks. Homer in the fourth book of the Odyssey, seems to mention it, as
employed in Menelaus's palace at Lacedaemon; and that the Romans sometimes
ornamented their apartments in like manner, seems evident from Horace and Ovid.
So in modern times, the winter apartment of the fair Fatima at Constantinople,
has been described by an eye witness as "wainscotted with inlaid work of
mother of pearl, ivory of different colours, and olive wood." Ivory
is likewise employed at Aleppo, as Dr. Russell informs us, in the decoration of
some of the more expensive apartments. Richard Mant.
Verse
8. Ivory palaces. Either edifices 1Ki 22:39 So 7:14, or ivory
coffers, and wardrobes, whence those garments were taken, and are kept. Westminster
Assembly's Annotations.
Verse
8. Whereby they have made thee glad. The best sense of the
phrase—from which they rejoice thee—is had by making they refer
to the king's daughters mentioned in the next verse. William S.
Plumer.
Verse
8. Gesenius and Delitzsch consider (ynm) an abbreviated form of the
plural (Mynm) Ps 105:4, "strings, "or "stringed instruments,
"and would render thus:—"Thee glad out of the ivory palaces
stringed instruments have made." Dalman Hapstone. (With this rendering
Ewald and Lange agree.) J. L. K.
Verse
9. King's daughters. Albeit the Catholic church consisting of
true converts or real saints be but the one and only true spouse of Christ, yet
particular visible churches consisting of saints by calling, by obligation, by
profession, and common estimation, their own or others, are many. The true
church consisting of true converts (whose praise is of God, to whom only they
are certainly known, and not of men), being but one, is compared to the queen;
but the particular, whose collections and consociations are known to men, being
many, are compared to ladies of honour who serve the queen. David
Dickson.
Verse
9. The queen. It is written of Matilda, the empress, that she
was the daughter of a king, the mother of a king, and the wife of a king.
Ortu
magna, viro major, sed maxima prole,
Hic jacet Henrici filia, nupta, parens.
So
David intimates in this hymn, that the church is the daughter of a King, at the
13th verse, "The king's daughter is all glorious within; "and the
mother of a king, at the 16th verse, "Instead of thy fathers shall be thy
children, whom thou mayest make princes in all the earth; "and the wife of
a king, in this verse, Upon thy right hand did stand the queen, as being
(I speak in the language of Canaan), spiritually the wedded and bedded wife to
the king of glory. John Boys.
Verse
10. Forget also thine own people, and thy father's house.
Three alls I expect you to part with, saith Christ. 1. All your sinful
lusts, all the ways of the old Adam, our Father's house. Ever since Adam's
apostasy, God and man have parted houses. Ever since, our Father's house is a
house of ill manners, a house of sin and wickedness. 2. All your worldly
advantages. "If any man come unto me, and hate not his father, and mother,
and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also,
he cannot be my disciple." He that hath all these must be ready to part
with all; they are joined not disjunctively but copulatively. 3. All self, self
will, self righteousness, self sufficiencies, self confidence, and self seekings.
Lewis Stuckley.
Verse
10. Forget also thine own people, and thy father's house. If
you see a bee leave a fair flower and stick upon another, you may conclude that
she finds most honey dew in that flower she most sticks upon: so here God's
people would never leave so many fair flowers in the world's garden, had they
not some other in which they find most sweetness. Christ hath his garden, into
which he brings his beloved, and there she finds other manner of flowers than
any the world hath, in which there is sweetness of a higher nature, even the
honey dew of the choice mercy and goodness and blessing of God himself: if
God's people do leave the full breasts of the world, it is because they have
found the breasts of consolation from which they have sucked other manner of
sweetness than the breast of the world can afford. Jeremiah Burroughs, in
"Moses, his self denial." 1649.
Verse
10. Forget. If thou be on the mountain, have no love to look
back to Sodom. If thou be in the ark, fly not back to the world, as the raven
did. If thou be set on Canaan, forget the flesh pots of Egypt. If marching
against Midian, forget stooping to the waters of Harod. Jud 7:1-25. If on the
house top, forget that is below thee. Mr 13:15. If thy hand be put to the
plough, forget that is behind thee. Lu 9:62. Themistocles desired rather to
learn the art of forgetfulness than of memory. Philosophy is an art of
remembering, divinity includes in it an art of forgetting. The first lesson
that Socrates taught his scholars was, Remember; for he thought that knowledge
was nothing else but a calling to remembrance of those things the mind knew ere
it knew the body. But the first lesson that Christ teacheth his scholars is, Forget:Forget
thine own people; "Repent" Mt 4:17; first, "eschew evil,
"1Pe 3:11. Thomas Adams.
Verse
11. So shall the king greatly desire thy beauty. This is a
most sweet promise. For the Holy Spirit knoweth that this monster, Monk, sticks
fast in our heart—that we want to be pure and without spot before God. Thus, under
Popery, all my temptation was this. I used to say, `that I would willingly go
to the sacrament if I were but worthy.' Thus we seek, naturally, a purity in
ourselves; and we examine our whole life and want to find a purity in
ourselves, that we might have no need of grace, but might be pronounced
righteous upon the grounds of our own merit...Thou wilt certainly never become
righteous by thyself and thine own works...The Holy Spirit saith, therefore, I
will give thee wholesome counsel; and if thou wilt hear me, thou shalt become a
virgin all fair. For, if thou wouldst be beautiful in the sight of God, so that
all thy works should please him, and he should say, "Thy prayer pleaseth
me; all that thou sayest, doest, and thinkest, pleaseth me!" proceed thou
thus: "hear, see, and incline thine ear; "and thou shalt thus become
all fair. When thou hast heard, hast seen, hast forgotten all thine own
righteousness, all the law, all traditions, and all that monkery, and hast
believed, then art thou fair; not in thine own beauty, but in the beauty of the
King who has adorned thee with his Word; because he has brought unto thee
thereby his righteousness, his holiness, truth, and fortitude, and all the
gifts of the Holy Spirit...The Holy Spirit uses the most exalted language. So
shall the king greatly desire thy beauty: that is, thou wilt by this faith
prevail upon him to do whatever thou desirest: so that, as one urged by the
power of love, he will spontaneously follow thee, abide with thee, and take up
his abode with thee. For wherever God has given his Word, there he does not
leave his work which he has begun in thee; but he brings upon thee first the
temptations of the world, the devil, and the flesh; that by them he may work
upon thee. These are his embraces whereby he embraces his spouse through
impatience of love...The sum of the whole therefore, is this: That our beauty
does not consist in our own virtues, now even in the gifts which we have
received from God, by which we put forth virtues, and do all those things which
pertain unto the life of the law; but in this—our apprehending Christ and
believing in him. Then it is that we are truly beautiful: and it is this beauty
alone that Christ looks upon, and upon no other. Martin Luther.
Verse
11. In this Psalm Christ is set forth in all his royalty and majesty;
yet he is said greatly to desire or delight in the beauty of his queen,
that is, the graces of the saints; and that not with an ordinary delight, but
he "greatly desires; "his desire is increased as her beauty is.
For that is there brought in as a motive unto her to be more holy and conformed
unto him, "to incline her ear, and forsake her father's house." So
shall the king greatly desire thy beauty. Christ hath a beauty that
pleaseth him as well as we have, though of another kind; and, therefore,
ceaseth not till he hath got out every spot and wrinkle out of his spouse's
face, as the apostle speaks Eph 5:27, "so as to present her glorious unto
himself, "that it, delightful and pleasing in his eyes. Thomas Goodwin.
Verse
12. And the daughter of Tyre shall be there with a gift. The
daughters of Tyre are the daughters of the Gentiles, the part standing for the
whole. Tyre, a city bordering on this country where the prophecy was delivered,
typified the nations that were to believe in Christ. Thence came that
Canaanitish woman, who was at first called a dog; for that ye may know
that she was from thence, the gospel speaks thus Mt 15:21-28, "Jesus
departed into the coasts of Tyre and Sidon. And, behold, a woman of Canaan came
out of the same coasts, "with all the rest that is related there. She who
at first, at the house of her "father, "and among her "own
people, "was but a dog, who by coming to, and crying after that
"King, "was made beautiful by believing in him, what did she obtain
to hear? "O woman, great is thy faith." The King has greatly
desired thy beauty. Augustine.
Verse
12. With a gift. Those who sold their property, came with
presents to entreat the face of this "queen, "and "laid what
they brought at the apostle's feet." Warm then was love in the church. Augustine.
Verse
12. The rich. They are, indeed, rich in grace, whose graces
are not hindered by riches, whose souls prosper when their bodies prosper, as
the apostle John speaks in his third Epistle; or, who, as it is prophesied in
the verse, being full of worldly blessings, are yet hungry and eager in their
pursuit after Christ. The daughter of Tyre shall be there with a gift; even
the rich among the people shall intreat thy favour, saith the psalmist;
that is, either the favour of Christ himself, or the favour of the church, by
reason of that spiritual excellence and inward glory which she hath received
from Christ. Now, to see the rich bring their gifts, and, which is the thing
chiefly aimed at here, giving up themselves to Christ, this is a rare sight,
and a remarkable work of grace. Joseph Caryl.
Verse
13. The king's daughter is all glorious within, etc. When the
children of God recollect their glorious and heavenly pedigree, they endeavour
to excel others, both in the beautiful disposition of soul and manner of life. The
king's daughter, that is, the daughter of the heavenly Father, who is also
the bride of the king's Son; every believing soul is all glorious,
adorned with a holiness not only glorious to herself, but also to the Father
and the Bridegroom, and is the beginning of a heavenly glory; and that chiefly within,
not only when she appears abroad, and presents herself to the view of men, but
also when she sits in the inner bed chamber in the secret exercises of
religion, in which she in private pleases the Father and the Bridegroom, who
having a regard to the inward man, she above all endeavours to keep that pure
and chaste. Her clothing is of gold; in comparison of which whatever
excellency natural men were even possessed of, is but a shining vanity; nay, it
was wrought gold, curiously beautified with various resemblances, which
represents the perfections of God himself; and of different colours, on account
of the different yet harmoniously corresponding graces of the Holy Spirit; or
of needlework of the Phrygian embroiderers, or rather the work of the cunning
workman, mentioned in So 7:1. Nor is the spouse only beautiful within, but also
without; "holding forth the word of life, "Php 2:16, she practises
charity, glorifies Christ, edifies her neighbour, and in this manner she is
brought unto the king, worthy to be presented to him. This is the only way by
which we are to endeavour to obtain familiarity with him, and the sweetest
intercourse of the most chaste love, both on earth and in heaven. Hermann
Witsius. 1636-1708.
Verse
13. The king's daughter is all glorious within. The meaning
is, either (1.) that her chief glory consisted in this, that she was admitted
to such a familiar privacy with the king; or, (2.) that when she sat in the
inmost rooms of the king's palace, she was there in her greatest glory, because
those rooms were most gorgeously set forth with all kinds of bravery and
glorious furniture; or, (3.) that she used to be gloriously attired, not only
when she went abroad in public, but also when she stayed within, as being
indeed adorned (which may be implied) only for the delight of the king, and not
that others might gaze upon her; or, (4.)—which I like best—that the inward
virtues and endowments of her mind were her greatest ornament and glory. Arthur
Jackson.
Verse
13. All glorious within. Saints must shine by the comeliness
of Christ, as a gracious husband labours to change his spouse into his own
image and likeness by kindnesses, precepts, and example, that he may take the
more delight in her person; so does our spiritual Solomon change the hue of his
Egyptian queen to deem of things and persons as her Lord and husband judges,
and frames her spirit to delight in doing his will and pleasure, and take the
highest solace in obedience, to enjoy a heavenly freedom, mixed with amiable
and joyful reverence. He roots out of her heart all changeable affections and
worldly fancies, and hankering longings after the fond fashions of Shechem, and
all carnal inclinations to the daughters of Canaan's lineage, and all the
beggardly humours of the besotted world, and to pass by with a holy scorn all
the pitiful pageantry of this perishing and fading life, and rise to a mean
estimate of the baubles and trifles that enchant a carnal heart. At length she
arrives to a noble and generous judgment, counting all but dung and dross that
she may win Christ. As her prince of life was crucified by the world for her
redemption, so she begins to be crucified to it in token of conformity to him,
and at length becomes all glorious within. Samuel Lee, in "The Triumph
of Mercy." 1676.
Verse
13. Within. The ark was pitched within by the same pitch with
which it was pitched withal; such is the sincere man, within and without alike,
inside and outside, all one. Yea, he is rather better than he shows, as the king's
daughter, whose outside might sometimes be sackcloth, yet was
all glorious within, and her inward garments of wrought gold. Or as the
temple, outwardly nothing but wood and stone to be seen, inwardly all rich and
beautiful, especially the sanctum sanctorum (when the veil was drawn)
was all gold. The very floor, as well as the roof, was overlaid with gold. 1Ki
6:30. John Sheffield.
Verse
13. Her clothing is of wrought gold. Some read it purled
works, or closures of gold, enamelled gold, such as precious stones
were set in, which were exceeding splendid and glorious; such were the clothes
of service in the tabernacle, and the garments and robes of the high priest,
which shadowed forth Christ's righteousness. Ex 28:11-14 Ex 39:1-6. William
Troughton.
Verse
13. About this time, Father La Combe was called to preach on some
public occasion. The new doctrine, as it was termed, was not altogether a
secret. Public curiosity had become excited. He choose for his text the passage
in Ps 45:13, The king's daughter is all glorious within: her clothing is of
wrought gold. By the king he understood Christ; by the king's
daughter, the church. His doctrine was, whatever might be true in regard
to men's original depravity, that those who are truly given to Christ, and are
in full harmony with him, are delivered from it: that is to say, are all
glorious within. Like Christ, they love God with a love free from
selfishness, with pure love. Like Christ, they are come to do the will
of the Father. Christ is formed in them. They not only have faith in Christ,
and faith in God through Christ, but, as the result of this faith, they have
Christ's disposition. They are now in a situation to say of themselves
individually, in the language of the apostle Paul, "I live, and yet not I,
but Christ liveth in me." He did not maintain that all Christians
are necessarily the subjects of this advanced state of Christian experience,
but endeavoured to show that this is a possible state; that, however
intense human depravity may be, the grace of God has power to overcome it; that
the example of Christ, the full and rich promises, and even the commands, give
encouragement to effort, and confidence in ultimate victory. From the
"Life, Religious Opinions and Experience of Madame de la Mothe
Guyon."
Verse
14. The virgins, her companions that follow her, shall be brought
unto thee. The highest and most excellent Christian cannot say, I
have no need of thee: the queen will not be without any of her true companions.
As it is in the body natural, so it is in the church of Christ, or body mystical;
all the members being fitly joined together and compacted by that which every
joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every
part, maketh increase of the body to the edifying of itself in love.
Eph 4:16 Col 2:19. William Troughton.
Verse
14. The virgins her companions that follow her. These are
members of the church, but the figure of a bridal train is employed to sustain
the allegory. What bright train the Royal Bride will have as she goes forth to
meet the Bridegroom! King's daughters will be there, for every crowned head on
earth shall one day bow at the foot of the cross. The daughter of Tyre shall be
there—Tyre, the ancient emporium of the nations—to show that the merchandise of
the world shall be holiness from the Lord. The kings of Sheba and Seba shall
offer gifts. Jews and Gentiles will be there—representatives from all peoples,
and tongues, and nations. They are virgins. They keep themselves
unspotted from the world. They are weaned from its idols; they dread its
contaminations. Their first care is to preserve the whiteness of their souls by
daily washing in the blood of the Lamb...They follow the royal Bride.
They keep by her side in storm and sunshine. They follow her in the
regeneration. They follow her in the search after her Beloved. So 3:2-3. They
follow her to the green pastures and the still waters. They follow her without
the camp bearing his reproach. Like Ruth, they leave father and mother to
follow her. Ru 1:16. Like Caleb, they follow the Lord fully. When a crisis
comes, and the question, "Who is on the Lord's side?" involves heavy
issues, and hollow hearted professors fly away like swallows before the storm,
they follow her. When persecution comes, and Christ's faithful witnesses have
to prophesy clothed in sackcloth, and perhaps to pass through a baptism of
blood to the crown, they follow her: like Peden, when—the bloodhounds of persecution
in full chase after him, and the lone moor his home—he thought of Richard
Cameron gone to glory, and sighed "Oh, to be with Richie!" Duncan
Macgregor, M.A., in "The Shepherd of Israel; or, Illustrations of the
Inner Life," 1869.
Verse
15. With gladness and rejoicing shall they be brought. No
marriage was ever consummated with that triumphal solemnity as the marriage of
Christ and believers shall be in heaven. Among the Jews the marriage house was
called bethillulah—the house of praise; there was joy on all hands, but
not like the joy that will be in heaven when believers, the spouse of Christ,
shall be brought thither. God the Father will rejoice to behold the
blessed accomplishment and consummation of that glorious design and project of
his love. Jesus Christ the Bridegroom will rejoice to see the travail of
his soul, the blessed birth and issue of all his bitter pangs and agonies. Isa
53:11. The Holy Spirit will rejoice to see the complement and perfection
of that sanctifying design which was committed to his hand 2Co 5:5; to see
those souls, whom he once found as rough stones, now to shine as the bright
polished stones of the spiritual temple. Angels will rejoice; great was
the joy when the foundation of this design was laid, in the incarnation of
Christ Lu 2:13; great, therefore, must their joy be when the top stone is set
up with shouting, crying, Grace, grace. The saints themselves shall
rejoice unspeakably, when they shall enter into the king's palace, and be for
ever with the Lord. 1Th 4:17. Indeed, there will be joy on all hands, except
among the devils and damned, who shall gnash their teeth with envy, at the
everlasting advancement and glory of believers. John Flavel.
Verse
15. They shall be brought. Reader! do not fail to observe the
manner of expression, the church is brought, she doth not come of
herself. No, she must be convinced, converted, made willing. No one can come to
Christ, except the Father, who hath sent Christ, draw him. Joh 6:44. Robert
Hawker, D.D.
Verse
15. They shall enter into the king's palace. There are two
rich palaces mentioned in this Psalm: the one an ivory palace Ps 45:8, whereby
is signified the assemblies of the saints, and ordinances of divine worship, in
which the Lord manifests himself graciously. Here the presence of the Lord is
sweet and amiable. So 1:8 Ps 84:2. The other "palace" is mentioned in
this fifteenth verse, and it is a palace of glory, a palace more bright and
splendid than the finest gold glorious mansions. Joh 14:2. William
Troughton.
Verse
16. Instead of thy fathers shall be thy children. O church of
God, think not thyself abandoned then, because thou seest not Peter, nor seest
Paul—seest not those through whom thou wast born. Out of thine own offspring
has a body of "fathers" been raised up to thee. Augustine.
Verse
16. Thy children, whom thou mayest make princes in all the earth.
The new connexion is glorious to the King. Many were his glorious and royal
ancestors down to Jesse, but now there are born to him, the Eternal King, sons
as the dew from the womb of the morning Ps 110:3, who shall, as princes, occupy
the thrones of the world. So our Lord promised to his disciples, "Verily I
say unto you, that ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son
of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve
thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel." Mt 19:28. And Paul says,
"Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world?" 1Co 6:2. Augustus
F. Tholuck.
Verse
16. Princes in all the earth. Others are but princes in their
own dominion, but he will make you princes in all lands...Such a kingdom you
shall have, if you will come into Christ, you shall have the liberty of kings,
the abundance and plenty of kings, the power of kings, the victory of kings,
and the glory of kings. John Preston.
Verse
17. Therefore shall the people praise thee. Christ's espousing
unto himself a church, and gathering more and more from age to age by his word
and Spirit unto it, his converting souls and bringing them into the fellowship of
his family, and giving unto them princely minds and affections, wherever they
live, is a large matter of growing and everlasting glory unto his majesty; for
in regard of this point, and what is said before in this Psalm, he addeth as
the close of all, Therefore shall the people praise thee. David Dickson.
Verse
17. In the Hebrew text, which is here quoted, there is a particle
added to the word ever, which in that case intends a proper
everlastingness, without any period or end at all, and thereupon translated for
ever and ever. William Gouge, D.D., on Heb 1:8.
Verse
17. (last clause):
"When
morning gilds the skies,
My heart awakening cries;
May Jesus Christ be praised."
"When sleep her balm denies,
My silent spirit sighs;
May Jesus Christ be praised."
"In
heaven's eternal bliss,
The loveliest strain is this;
May Jesus Christ be praised."
"To
God the Word on high.
The hosts of angels cry;
May Jesus Christ be praised."
"Let mortals too, upraise
Their voice in hymns of praise;
May Jesus Christ be praised."
"Let
earth's wide circle round,
In joyful notes resound;
May Jesus Christ be praised."
"Let
air, and sea, and sky,
From depths to height reply;
May Jesus Christ be praised."
"Be
this while life is mine,
My canticles divine;
May Jesus Christ be praised."
"Be
this the eternal song
Through all the ages on;
May Jesus Christ be praised."
—Translated by Edward Caswall, in "Poems." 1861.
HINTS TO THE
VILLAGE PREACHER
Verse
1. In the preface, the prophet commends the subject he is to treat
of, signifying,
1.
That it is a good matter—good as speaking of the Son of God, who is the chief
good.
2. Good
for us; for upon the marriage of Christ to his church depends our good. Bishop
Nicholson.
Verse
1. Character read by heart writing.
1.
The true lover of Christ is sincere—my heart?
2. He is a man of emotion.
3. A man of holy meditation.
4. A man of experience—things I have made.
5. A man who bears witness for his Lord.
Verse
1. Three things requisite for Christian teaching:
1.
That the matter be good; and concerning the best of all subjects, touching
the King.
2.
That the language be fluent like the pen, etc.—(a) Partly from nature, (b)
Partly from cultivation, (c) Partly from the Spirit of God.
3.
That the heart be absorbed in it—My heart is inditing. G. R.
Verse
2. In what respects Jesus is fairer than the best of men.
Verse
2. Jesus—his person, his gospel, his fulness of blessing.
Verse
2.
1.
We may and ought to praise Christ. Angels do, God does, Scripture does, Old
Testament saints and New, so should we. It is the work of heaven begun on
earth.
2.
For what should we praise him? (a) For his beauty. Is wisdom beauty? Is
righteousness? Is love? Is meekness? All are found in him supremely—"All
human beauties, all divine, In our Redeemer meet and shine." (b) For his
grace. Grace of God treasured up in him.
3.
For his blessedness—of God and for ever. G.R.
Verses
2-5. In these verses the Lord Jesus is presented,
1.
As most amiable in himself.
2. As the great favourite of heaven.
3. As victorious over his enemies.
—Matthew Henry.
Verses
3-5. Messiah's victory predicted and desired. E. Payson's Sermon.
Verse
5.
1.
Arrows of judicial wrath are sharp.
2.
Arrows of providential goodness are sharper still.
3.
Arrows of subduing grace are sharpest of all. The quiver of the Almighty is
full of these arrows. G.R.
Verse
5. Arrows—what they are; whose they are; whom they strike; where
they strike; what they do; and what follows.
Verse
6. The God, the King, his throne, its duration, his sceptre. Let us
worship, obey, trust, acquiesce, rejoice.
Verses
6-7. Empire, Eternity, Equity, Establishment, Exultation.
Verse
7. Thou hatest wickedness. He hated it when it assailed him
in his temptation, hated it in others, denounced it, died to slay it, will come
to condemn it.
Verse
7. Christ's love and hate.
Verse
8. Christ's garments—his offices, his two natures, his ordinances,
his honours, all are full of fragrance.
Verse
8. Whereby they have made thee glad. We make Jesus glad by
our love, our praise, our service, our gifts, our holiness, our fellowship with
him.
Verse
8.
1.
The odour of his garments, not of blood and battle, but of sweet perfume.
2.
The splendour of his palaces—ivory for rareness, purity, durability, etc.
3.
The source of his delight. (a) Himself, the sweet odour of his own graces. (b)
His people, the savour of those who are saved. (c) His enemies, "even in
them that perish." (d) All holy happy creatures who unite to make him
glad. G.R.
Verses
9-10. The connections of the Bridegroom are to be remembered, those of
the Bride to be forgotten.
Verse
10. "Christ the best husband: or, an earnest invitation to young
women to come and see Christ." George Whitefield's "Sermon,
Preached to a Society of Young Women, in Fetter Lane."
Verse
11. So shall the king greatly desire thy beauty. Christ
delighting in the Beauty of the Righteous. Martin Luther. (Select Works,
by H. Cole. I. 281.)
Verses
13-15.
1.
The Bride's new name—"The king's daughter." She is the king's
daughter for two reasons. (a) She is born of God; and (b) She is espoused
to the Son of God.
2.
The Bride's character—"All glorious within." (a) Because Christ
reigns on the throne of her heart. (b) Because she is the temple of the
Holy Ghost.
3.
The Bride's raiment—"wrought gold, " "needlework:"
this is the righteousness of Christ; in other words, His perfect
obedience, and His atoning death.
4.
The Bride's companion—"Virgins that follow her."
5.
The Bride's home going—"She shall be brought unto the king in
raiment of needlework...With gladness and rejoicing shall they be brought: they
shall enter into the king's palace." (a) She shall see the king in his
beauty. (b) There will be an open declaration of his love to her before
all worlds. Duncan Macgregor, M.A.
Verse
17.
1.
Christ is the Father's delight. "I will make, "etc.
2. He is the church's theme—his name shall be remembered; and
3. He is heaven's glory, "Shall praise thee, "etc. G.R.
WORKS UPON THE
FORTY-FIFTH PSALM
Exposition
of Psalm XLV, in the works of JOHN BOYS, Dean of Canterbury. 1638. Folio
edition, pages 920-931.
The
Mystery of the Marriage Song, and Mutual Spiritual Embraces between Christ
and his Spouse, opened as an Exposition with practical notes and observations
on the whole Forty-fifth Psalm. By W. TROUGHTON, Minister of the Gospel.
1656.
In "Christ
set forth in all types, figures, and obscure places of the Scripture, by
RICHARD COORE, 1683, "there is an Exposition of this Psalm.
A
Treatise of Solomon's Marriage; or, a Congratulation for the happie and hopeful
Marriage betweene the most illustrious and Noble Prince, Fredericke the V.
Count Palatine of Rhine...and the most gratious and excellent Princisse, the
Lady Elizabeth, sole daughter unto the high and mighty Prince James, by the
grace of God, King of Great Britain, France, and Ireland. Joyfully solemnized
on the 14th day of February, 1612...(On Ps 45:10-16. By ANDREW WILLET.)
The
Bride Royall; or, the Spirituall Marriage betweene Christ and his Church.
Delivered by way of congratulation upon the happy and hopeful marriage betweene
the two incomparable Princes, the Palsegrave, and the Ladie Elizabeth. In a
sermon...By GEORGE WEBBE. 1613...(On Ps 45:13-15)
Psalm
XLV applied to Messiah's First Advent, and Psalm XLV applied to Messiah's
Second Advent, in pages 242-341, of The Anointed Saviour set forth as
the Principal Object of Saving Faith. By the Rev. DAVID PITCAIRN. 1846.
Five
Discourses on Christ in the Psalms. An Exposition of the second,
forty-fifth and hundred and tenth Psalms. In a series of Discourses. By the
Rev. GEORGE HARPUR, B.A. London: Wertheim, Macintosh, and Hunt. 1862.
── C.H. Spurgeon《The Treasury of David》