1._O Jehovah! remember David. _Interpreters are not agreed respecting the penman of this Psalm, though there is little doubt that it was either David or Solomon. At the solemn dedication of the Temple, when Solomon prayed, several verses are mentioned in the sacred history as having been quoted by h... [ Continue Reading ]
2._Who sware to Jehovah. _One affliction of David is particularly mentioned, That he was filled with perplexity on account of the situation of the Ark. Moses had commanded the people ages before to worship God in the place which he had chosen. (Deuteronomy 12:5.) David knew that the full time had no... [ Continue Reading ]
6._Lo! we heard of it at Ephratha. _This verse is obscure, and we need not wonder at the difficulty which interpreters have felt in ascertaining its meaning. First, the relative pronoun (131) being of the feminine gender has no antecedent, and we are forced to suppose that it must refer to the word... [ Continue Reading ]
7._We will go into his habitations. _Here he dictates to all the Lord’s people a common form of mutual exhortation to the duty of going up to the place which had been pointed out by the Angel. The clearer the intimation God may have given of his will, the more alacrity should we show in obeying it.... [ Continue Reading ]
8._Arise, O Jehovah? _(134) Such language as this, inviting the great God who fills heaven and earth to come into a new place of residence, might seem strange and harsh, but the external symbols of religion which God had appointed are spoken of in these exalted terms to put honor upon them, and the... [ Continue Reading ]
9._Let thy priests, _etc. He now prays in general for the prosperity of the Church, as what stood intimately connected with the previous statement, the promotion of our best interests being the great end for which God dwells amongst us. Some construe the words into a wish that the worship of God mig... [ Continue Reading ]
10._For thy servant David’s sake, etc_. Some would connect the first part of the verse with the preceding, without adducing reasons against this, it must at once strike the reader that this verse must be taken together. Before entering upon an explanation of the Psalmist’s meaning I may just say tha... [ Continue Reading ]
11._Jehovah sware unto David. _(135) Here he brings out the idea still more clearly, that the only thing he had respect to in David was the free promise which God had made to him. He takes notice of the fact, as confirmatory to his faith, that God had ratified the promise by oath. As to the particul... [ Continue Reading ]
12._If thy sons keep my covenant. _More distinct notice is now taken of the descending line, by which the perpetuity of the succession, as I have already shown, is pointed out. Sons of princes commonly succeed them in this world by right of inheritance, but there was this undoubted peculiarity of pr... [ Continue Reading ]
13._Seeing that Jehovah has chosen Zion. _By coupling the kingdom with the priesthood and sanctuary service, he declares it still more emphatically to have been of divine and not human appointment. The connection is not to be overlooked, on another account. The true strength and stability of that ki... [ Continue Reading ]
14._This is my rest for ever. _The same truth is here put into the mouth of God, to give it additional weight; and it is declared not to have been in vain that the Temple had been erected, since God would show effectually and by practical testimonies the delight which he had in the worship of his ow... [ Continue Reading ]
15._Blessing I will bless, etc_. God’s dwelling in the midst of the people was what constituted the great source of their blessedness; and now some of the proofs are mentioned which he would give of his fatherly regard, such as preparing and administering their ordinary food, relieving their wants,... [ Continue Reading ]
17._There will I make, _etc. He reverts to the state of the kingdom, which God had promised to take under his care and protection. It is necessary that we should attend to the peculiar force of the words employed _I will make the horn of David to bud _Now there can be no doubt as to the meaning of... [ Continue Reading ]
18._His enemies will I clothe with shame. _The priests were said above “to be clothed with righteousness and salvation,” now the enemies of David are represented as “clothed with shame.” It is not enough that all go well within. God must keep us from the various harms and evils which come upon us fr... [ Continue Reading ]