1_I will sing of the mercies of Jehovah for ever. _It must be borne in mind, as I have just now observed, that the Psalmist opens with the praises of God, and with calling to mind the Divine covenant, to encourage the faithful to strengthen their faith against the formidable assaults of temptation.... [ Continue Reading ]
2_For I have said, Mercy shall be built up for ever. _He assigns the reason why he perseveres in singing the Divine praises in the midst of adversities; which is, that he does not despair of the manifestation of God’s loving-kindness towards his people, although at present they were under severe cha... [ Continue Reading ]
3_I have made a covenant with my chosen. _(524) The more effectually to confirm himself and all the godly in the faith of the Divine promise, he introduces God himself as speaking and sanctioning, by his authority, what had been said in the preceding verse. As faith ought to depend on the Divine pro... [ Continue Reading ]
5._And the heavens shall praise thy wondrous work. _The prophet, having spoken of God’s covenant, even as faith ought to begin at the word, now descends to a general commendation of his works. It is, however, to be observed, that when he treats of the wonderful power of God, he has no other end in v... [ Continue Reading ]
6_For who in the clouds can be compared to Jehovah? _The prophet now proceeds to illustrate farther what he had said respecting God’s wonders, and exclaims emphatically, _Who in the clouds can be compared to God? _The reason why he speaks of _the clouds, _or _heaven, _is because, what is not surpris... [ Continue Reading ]
To the same effect is the following verse, in which it is affirmed, that _God is very terrible in the assembly of the saints. _In these words is censured that devilish superstition, to which almost all men are prone, of exalting angels beyond measure, and without reason. But if the angels themselves... [ Continue Reading ]
9._Thou governest the pride of the sea. _I have already observed that what the prophet has hitherto spoken generally concerning the power of God, is to be referred to the miracle of the deliverance of the Israelites from Egypt, which he now celebrates in express terms. According to the interpretatio... [ Continue Reading ]
11_The heavens are thine, the earth also is thine. _He again repeats, the third time, that the same God who had been the deliverer of the chosen people exercises supreme dominion over the whole world. From the fact that God created all things, he concludes, that it is He who actually presides over,... [ Continue Reading ]
14._Righteousness and judgement are the place of thy throne. _These encomiums serve more effectually to confirm the hope of true believers than if the Divine power alone had been presented to our view. Whenever mention is made of God, it behoves us to apply our minds principally to those attributes... [ Continue Reading ]
15._Blessed is the people that know the joyful sound. _Here the same train of reflection concerning the Church is pursued, not only because unbelievers are blind to the consideration of God’s works, but also because the prophet has no other purpose in view than to inspire the godly with good hope, t... [ Continue Reading ]
17._For thou art the glory of their strength. _The same sentiment is confirmed when it is declared, that God never leaves his faithful servants destitute of strength. By the appellation _the glory of their strength, _which is ascribed to him, is meant that they are always so sustained by his present... [ Continue Reading ]
18._For to Jehovah is our buckler. _As the chief protection of the people was in the person of their king, it is here expressly shown, that the maintenance of the welfare of the faithful by his instrumentality is the gift of God. But it is to be noticed, that the prophet’s mind was not so fixed upon... [ Continue Reading ]
19._Then thou spakest in vision to thy meek ones. _The Psalmist now declares at greater length why he said that the king, set over the chosen people for the preservation of the public good, was given them from heaven; namely, because he was not chosen by the suffrages of men, nor usurped at his own... [ Continue Reading ]
20_I have found David my servant. _The prophet confirms the same proposition, That there was nothing of royalty in David, who owed all to the sovereignty of God in preventing him by his grace. Such is the import of the word_found, _as if God had said, When I took him to elevate him, this proceeded e... [ Continue Reading ]
22_The enemy shall not exact upon him. _(540) Here it is declared in express terms, that although David may not be without enemies, the power of God will be always ready to maintain and defend him, that he may not be oppressed with unrighteous violence. It is accordingly affirmed, that David will no... [ Continue Reading ]
24_My truth and my mercy shall be with him. _God shows that he will continue to exercise without intermission that grace which he had manifested towards David at first. These words are as if he had said, that to prove himself faithful to his word, he would be always gracious and bountiful. Thus We s... [ Continue Reading ]
25._And I will set his hand in the sea. _The vast extent of the kingdom is here adverted to. As the people by their wickedness had, as it were, blocked up the way, and intercepted the blessing of God, their inheritance was more limited than the promise implied. But now God declares, that during the... [ Continue Reading ]
26._He shall cry to me, Thou art my Father. _In this verse it is declared, that the chief excellence of this king will consist in this, that he will be accounted the Son of God. This indeed is a title of honor, which is applied to all whom God ordains to be kings, as we have seen in a previous psalm... [ Continue Reading ]
28._And I will keep my mercy to him for ever. _We see how God frequently repeats, that he had set up the kingdom of David with the express design of establishing it for ever. By placing _his mercy _first in order, and then adding _his covenant, _he points out the cause of this covenant, intimating i... [ Continue Reading ]
30._If his children shall forsake my law. _The prophet proceeds yet farther, declaring, that although the posterity of David should fall into sin, yet God had promised to show himself merciful towards them, and that he would not punish their transgressions to the full extent of their desert. Moreove... [ Continue Reading ]
34_My covenant will I not break. _As the true knowledge of God’s mercy can only be obtained from his word, he enjoins us to keep our eyes intently fixed upon his covenant. The more excellent and invaluable a blessing it is, “Never to be rejected after having been once adopted by him,” the more diffi... [ Continue Reading ]
35._Once have I sworn by my holiness. _God now confirms by an oath what he previously stated he had promised to David; from which it appears that it was not a matter of small importance; it being certain that God would not interpose his holy name in reference to what was of no consequence. It is a t... [ Continue Reading ]
36._His seed shall endure for ever. _There now follows the promise that the right of sovereignty shall always remain with the posterity of David. These two things — his offspring and his throne, are conjoined; and by these words the everlasting duration of the kingdom is promised, so that it should... [ Continue Reading ]
38._But thou hast abhorred and rejected him. _Here the prophet complains that in consequence of the decayed state of the kingdom, the prophecy appeared to have failed of its accomplishment. Not that he accuses God of falsehood; but he speaks in this manner, that he may with all freedom cast his care... [ Continue Reading ]
40._Thou hast broken down all his walls. _The prophet, although he might easily have found another cause to which to impute the breaking down and razing of the fortifications, yet under the influence of devout and sanctified feeling acknowledges God to be the author of this calamity; being fully con... [ Continue Reading ]
42_Thou hast exalted the right hand of his oppressors. _Here he states that God took part with the enemies of the king; for he was well aware that these enemies could not have prevailed but by the will of God, who inspires some with courage, and renders others faint-hearted. In short, in proportion... [ Continue Reading ]
45._Thou hast shortened the days of his youth. _Some would explain this sentence as meaning, that God had weakened the king, so that he faded or withered away at his very entrance upon the flower of youth, and was exhausted with old age before reaching the period of manhood. (554) This exposition ma... [ Continue Reading ]
46._How long, O Jehovah? wilt thou hide thyself for ever? _After having poured forth his complaints respecting the sad and calamitous condition of the Church, the Psalmist now turns himself to prayer. Whence it follows that the language of lamentation to which he had hitherto given utterance, althou... [ Continue Reading ]
47_Remember how short my time is. _After having confessed that the severe and deplorable afflictions which had befallen the Church were to be traced to her own sins as the procuring cause, the prophet, the more effectually to move God to commiseration, lays before him the brevity of human life, in w... [ Continue Reading ]
48._What man shall live, and shall not see death? _This verse contains a confirmation of what has been already stated concerning the brevity of human life. The amount is, that unless God speedily hasten to show himself a father to men, the opportunity of causing them to experience his grace will no... [ Continue Reading ]
49._O Lord! where are thy former mercies? _The prophet encourages himself, by calling to remembrance God’s former benefits, as if his reasoning were, That God can never be unlike himself, and that therefore the goodness which he manifested in old time to the fathers cannot come to an end. This compa... [ Continue Reading ]
50._O Lord! remember the reproach of thy servants. _They again allege, that they are held in derision by the ungodly, — a consideration which had no small influence in moving God to compassion: for the more grievous and troublesome a temptation it is, to have the wicked deriding our patience, that,... [ Continue Reading ]
51._With which thy enemies, O Jehovah! have reproached thee. _What the Psalmist now affirms is, not that the wicked torment the saints with their contumelious language, but that they revile even God himself. And he makes this statement, because it is a much more powerful plea for obtaining favor in... [ Continue Reading ]
52._Blessed be Jehovah for ever! _I am surprised why some interpreters should imagine, that this verse was added by some transcriber in copying the book, affirming, that it does not correspond with the context: as if the language of praise and thanksgiving to God were not as suitable at the close of... [ Continue Reading ]