_The Psalmist praiseth God for his covenant, for his wonderful power, for his care of his church, for his favour to the kingdom of David: then, complaining of contrary events, he expostulateth, prayeth, and blesseth God._ Maschil of Ethan the Ezrahite. _TITLE._ האזרחי לאיתן משׂכיל _MASKIIL LEEITHA... [ Continue Reading ]
I HAVE MADE A COVENANT WITH MY CHOSEN— Mudge reads this and the following verse in a parenthesis, and supposes the sense of the 2nd to be continued to the 5th. _Thy faithfulness shalt thou establish in the heavens,_ is explained by the 36th and 37th verses. Houbigant prefixes to the 3rd verse, _For... [ Continue Reading ]
WHO AMONG THE SONS OF THE MIGHTY, &C.— i.e. Of the most mighty princes upon earth: But some understand this of the angels, who, in Job 1:6 are particularly styled _the Sons of God._... [ Continue Reading ]
OR TO THY FAITHFULNESS ROUND ABOUT THEE?— _And thy faithfulness encompasseth thee._ This poetical phrase seems to allude to the expression in the foregoing verse, concerning the saints or angels _that are about him;_ and signifies, that as they wait upon God, and execute his will; so, far above the... [ Continue Reading ]
THOU HAST BROKEN RAHAB IN PIECES— This refers to the destruction of the Egyptians in the Red Sea. "Thou troddest under foot the pride of the Egyptian crocodile, with as much ease as one treads upon the carcase of a man slaughtered in the field of battle;" for it should be rendered, _Thou crushedst u... [ Continue Reading ]
TABOR AND HERMON— These two famous mountains of Judea, the first on the west, and the second on the east of it, are here put for the eastern and western quarters of the world. _Shall rejoice in thy name,_ is a figurative and poetical expression, signifying, "They shall afford matter for thy praise,... [ Continue Reading ]
ARE THE HABITATION OF THY THRONE— Or, _the preparation._ God's throne is here elegantly represented as prepared by _justice_ and _equity,_ by _mercy_ and _fidelity._ By these all his judicatures are managed, and these are the _precones,_ or heralds, who, whenever he administers justice, _go before,_... [ Continue Reading ]
THAT KNOW THE JOYFUL SOUND— This probably refers to the trumpet, which was always used by the express command of God at the Jewish festivals. And as the ideas in the preceding verses are taken from God's deliverance of the people from Egypt, and his august appearance on Mount Sinai, where the awful... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR THE LORD IS OUR DEFENCE, &C.— Mudge connects this with the following verse thus: _Yes, to the Lord belongs our shield, and to the Holy One of Israel our king:_ Psalms 89:19. _From the time that thou spakest in vision to thy favourite, and saidst,_ &c. _Our shield,_ says he, is explained by _the... [ Continue Reading ]
SHALL NOT EXACT UPON HIM— _Shall not oppress him;_ Mudge. Or, according to the original, _deceive him._... [ Continue Reading ]
I WILL SET HIS HAND ALSO IN THE SEA, &C.— i.e. "His empire shall extend from the Mediterranean sea to the rivers Euphrates and Tigris." See 2 Samuel 8:1 and Psalms 72:8.... [ Continue Reading ]
ALSO I WILL MAKE HIM MY FIRST-BORN, &C.— I will deal with him as with an eldest son, to whom a double portion of honour and possessions is due; and advance him to greater dignity than any other prince in the world. This, with what follows in the two next verses, can properly and strictly be applied... [ Continue Reading ]
ONCE HAVE I SWORN, &C.— _One thing I swear by my holiness;_ (_I will not lie unto David:_) Psalms 89:36. _His seed shall endure for ever,_ &c. Psalms 89:37. _As the moon, it shall be fixed firm for ever, and it shall be a faithful witness in heaven: i.e._ "The moon shall be a faithful witness to thi... [ Continue Reading ]
THOU HAST BEEN WROTH WITH THINE ANOINTED— One of the posterity of David, and his lawful successor in the kingdom. These verses are applicable to Zedekiah. See 2 Kings 24:20; Exodus 25:6 and Lamentations 4:20.... [ Continue Reading ]
THOU HAST MADE VOID THE COVENANT, &C.— We may piously say, that it is not in God's power to break any promise he hath made, or for his word to fail in performing any good to mankind, which we have any warrant to expect from him: but we may lawfully believe, that it is in our own power to render all... [ Continue Reading ]
THOU HAST BROKEN DOWN ALL HIS HEDGES— _Thou hast broken all his fences_ or _walls: thou hast made his strong-holds a ruin._ Mudge and Green. See Psalms 80:12.... [ Continue Reading ]
THE DAYS OF HIS YOUTH HAST THOU SHORTENED— Some understand this verse as relating to Jehoiachin, who in his youth was made a slave: (See 2 Kings 24:8; 2 Kings 24:20.) and some to Zedekiah, who was condemned as a rebel to lose his eyes, and to remain a prisoner all his days: and thus the _days,_ the... [ Continue Reading ]
REMEMBER HOW SHORT MY TIME IS— _Remember, as to my own part, what my being is._ See Psalms 39:4, Or, _Remember what my age is. All men,_ in the next clause, means "all of us who labour under this wretched captivity." _In vain,_ signifies as if we were made for nothing else but to be miserable, and d... [ Continue Reading ]
HOW I DO BEAR IN MY BOSOM, &C.— _How I bear in my bosom all wherewith mighty nations,_ Psalms 89:51. _Wherewith thine enemies, O Lord, reproach; wherewith they reproach the steps of thine anointed._ Mudge; who observes, that by this translation an elegant repetition of the sentence is made, as in th... [ Continue Reading ]