WE know how many conspired against David, and endeavored to prevent
his coming to the throne, and from their hostile attempts, had he
judged according to the eye of sense and reason, he might have been so
full of apprehension, as forthwith to have given up all hope of ever
becoming king. And, doubtl... [ Continue Reading ]
3._Let us break, etc_. This is a prosopopoeia, (25) in which the
prophet introduces his-enemies as speaking; and he employs this figure
the better to express their ungodly and traitorous design. Not that
they openly avowed themselves rebels against God, (for they rather
covered their rebellion under... [ Continue Reading ]
After David has told us of the tumult and commotions, the counsels and
pride, the preparation and resources the strength and efforts of his
enemies, in opposition to all these he places the power of God alone,
which he concludes would be brought to bear against them, from their
attempting to frustra... [ Continue Reading ]
Moreover, he ascribes speech to God, not for the purpose of
instructing his enemies, but only to convict them of their madness;
indeed, by the term _speak, _he means nothing else than a
manifestation of God’s wrath, which the ungodly do not perceive
until they feel it. The enemies of David thought i... [ Continue Reading ]
7._I will declare, _etc. David, to take away all pretense of ignorance
from his enemies, assumes the office of a preacher in order to publish
the decree of God; or at least he protests that he did not come to the
throne without a sure and clear proof of his calling; as if he had
said, I did not, wit... [ Continue Reading ]
8._Ask of me. _Christ, it is true, besought his Father (John 17:5) to
“glorify him with the glory which he had with him before the world
was;” yet the more obvious meaning is, that the Father will deny
nothing to his Son which relates to the extension of his kingdom to
the uttermost ends of the eart... [ Continue Reading ]
This is expressly stated to teach us that Christ is furnished with
power by which to reign even over those who are averse to his
authority, and refuse to obey him. The language of David implies that
all will not voluntarily receive his yoke, but that many will be
stiff-necked and rebellious, whom no... [ Continue Reading ]
David having, as a preacher of the judgments of God, set forth the
vengeance which God would take upon his enemies proceeds now, in the
character of a prophet and teacher, to exhort the unbelieving to
repentance, that they may not, when it is too late, be compelled to
acknowledge, from dire experien... [ Continue Reading ]
David expresses yet more distinctly what kind of fear and service God
requires. Since it is the will of God to reign by the hand of his Son,
and since he has engraved on his person the marks and insignia of his
own glory, the proper proof of our obedience and piety towards him is
reverently to embra... [ Continue Reading ]