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Psalm Twenty-one
New King James Version (NKJV)
YLT To the Overseer. -- A
Psalm of David.
INTRODUCTION TO PSALM 21
To the chief Musician
a Psalm of David. This psalm
was either written by David; and therefore called a "psalm of David";
or it was written
as it may be rendered
"for David"
by some other
person
on account of his victories and triumphs; or rather "concerning
David"F19לדוד "pro Davide
vel
de Davide"
Vatablus. ; that is
concerning the Messiah
the son of David
as Kimchi says some expound it; or concerning the Messiah
who is called David
Ezekiel 37:24; and Jarchi observes
that
their Rabbins interpret it of the Messiah; but
says he
it is right to explain
it
moreover
of David himself
for an answer to the heretics (Christians) who
err in it; and various passages in this psalm are by the Jewish writers
understood of the Messiah; as "the King"
in Psalm 20:1 is in the Targum called the King
Messiah; Psalm 21:4 is in the Talmud appliedF20T.
Bab. Succah
fol. 52. 1. Vid. Nachman. disput. "cum fratre Paulo"
p.
36. Ed. Wagenseil. to him; Psalm 21:3 are in ZoharF21In
Numb. fol. 68. 3. 4.
and in the MidrashesF23Midrash Tillim apud
Viccars. in loc. & in Galatin. l. 3. c. 9. Bemidbar Rabba
fol. 212. 4.
& 218. 1.
interpreted of him; and many Christian writers understand the
whole of him; which is right: though Theodoret thinks it was penned on the
account of the health of King Hezekiah
and his restoration from his disease;
which is not likely.
Psalm 21:1 The
king shall have joy in Your strength
O Lord; And in Your salvation
how greatly shall he rejoice!
YLT
1Jehovah
in Thy strength is
the king joyful
In Thy salvation how greatly he rejoiceth.
The king shall joy in thy strength
O Lord
.... Either in
that strength which is in Jehovah himself
in whom is everlasting strength; and
which is seen in the works of creation and providence
and is the same in
Christ himself
as he is the mighty God; or else in the strength which Jehovah
communicated to Christ as man
whereby he was strengthened in his human nature
to go through and complete the work of man's redemption; or in the strength
which the Lord puts forth
and the power which he exerts towards and upon his
people
in conversion; which is the produce of the exceeding greatness of his
power; and in strengthening them
from time to time
to exercise grace
discharge duty
and withstand temptations and sin; and in keeping them safe to
the end; in supporting them under all their trials
and in carrying on and
finishing the work of faith upon their souls; all which is matter of joy to
Christ;
and in thy salvation how greatly shall he rejoice? meaning
either his own salvation by the Lord
from all his sorrows and troubles
and
out of the hands of all enemies
being in the presence of God
where is fulness
of joy
Psalm 16:9; or else the salvation of his
people by him
which Jehovah appointed them to
secured for them in the
covenant of grace
sent Christ to work out for them
applies by his Spirit
and
at last puts into the full possession of: Christ rejoices at the effectual
calling and conversion of his people
when salvation is brought near unto them;
and especially at their glorification
when they shall be in the full enjoyment
of it; then will they be his joy
and crown of rejoicing: this is the joy that
was set before him
which made him go so cheerfully through his sufferings and
death for them
Hebrews 12:2; the reasons of this joy are
because of the great love he bears to them; the interest and property he has in
them; his undertakings for them
as their surety
to bring them safe to glory;
his purchase of them by his blood; his intercession for them
that they might
be with him to behold his glory; and
last of all
because of his Father's
glory
his own glory
and the glory of the blessed Spirit
which are concerned
in the salvation of these persons.
Psalm 21:2 2 You have given him his
heart’s desire
And have not withheld the request of his lips. Selah
YLT
2The desire of his heart
Thou gavest to him
And the request of his lips Thou hast not withheld. Selah.
Thou hast given him his heart's desire
.... Which the
church had prayed for in Psalm 20:4; whatever Christ's heart desired
or his lips requested
has been given him;
and hast not withholden the request of his lips. Whatever he
asked in the council and covenant of peace was granted; he asked for all the
elect
as his spouse and bride; these were the desire of his heart and eyes
and they were given him; he asked for all the blessings of grace for them
and
all grace was given to them in him; he asked for glory
for eternal life
and
it was promised him; and not only the promise of it was put into his hand
but
the thing itself; see Psalm 2:8
1 John 5:11; and Psalm 20:4; whatever he requested of his
Father
when here on earth
was granted; he always heard him; that memorable
prayer of his in John 17:1 is heard and answered
both in
what respects himself
his own glorification
and the conversion
sanctification
union
preservation
and glorification of his people; whatever
he now desires and requests in heaven
as the advocate and intercessor for his
saints
is ever fulfilled; which is an instance of the great regard Jehovah has
unto him
and may be considered as a reason of his joy in him.
Selah; on this word; see Gill on Psalm 3:2.
Psalm 21:3 3 For You meet him with the
blessings of goodness; You set a crown of pure gold upon his head.
YLT
3For Thou puttest before him
blessings of goodness
Thou settest on his head a crown of fine gold.
For thou preventest him with the blessings of goodness
.... Not
temporal
but spiritual blessings
which spring from the grace and goodness of
God
and consist of it; and relate to the spiritual and eternal welfare of
those for whose sake he receives them
and who are blessed with them in him:
his being "prevented" with them denotes the freeness of the donation
of them; that before he could well ask for them
or before he had done
requesting them
they were given him; and also the earliness of the gift of
them
they were put into his hands before his incarnation
before he was
manifest in the flesh
even from the foundation of the world
and before the
world began
Ephesians 1:3
2 Timothy 1:9
and likewise the order in
which they were given; first to Christ
and then to his people in him
as the
passages referred to show;
thou settest a crown of pure gold on his head; which is
expressive of his victory over all enemies
sin
Satan
and the world
death
and hell; and of his being possessed of his throne and kingdom; and has respect
to his exaltation at the right hand of God
where he is crowned with glory and
honour: and this crown being of "pure gold" denotes the purity
glory
solidity
and perpetuity of his kingdom; this is a crown
not which
believers put upon him by believing in him
and ascribing the glory of their
salvation to him
or what the church
called his mother
has crowned him with
Song of Solomon 3:11
but which his father
put upon him
who has set him King over his holy hill of Zion
Psalm 2:6; compare with this Revelation 14:14. The Septuagint and
Vulgate Latin versions read "a crown of a precious stone"; and so
Apollinarius; and seem to refer to the crown set on David's head
which had
precious stones in it
2 Samuel 12:30; JosephusF24Antiqu.
l. 7. c. 7. s. 5. says it had a sardonyx. Fortunatus ScacchusF25Elaeochrism.
Sacr. l. 3. c. 40. p. 1003. fancies the topaz is meant
and that the Hebrew
text should be read "a crown of topaz"; mistaking the sense of the
word "phaz"
which never signifies a topaz
but the best gold
pure
solid gold.
Psalm 21:4 4 He asked life from You
and
You gave it to him—Length of days forever and ever.
YLT
4Life he hath asked from
Thee
Thou hast given to him -- length of days
Age-during -- and for ever.
He asked life of thee
and thou gavest it him
.... Both for
himself
as man
when he was about to die
that he might be raised to life
again
which was granted him; and for his people
that they might live
spiritually and eternally
and accordingly life is given to him for them; and
he has power to give it to as many as the Father has given him
John 17:2;
even length of days
for ever and ever; the life he has for himself as man is what will ever continue;
he will die no more
death will have no more dominion over him; he will live
for evermore
and that to make intercession for his members
Romans 6:9; and the life which is granted
them at his request is an everlasting one
both as to body and soul; for though
they die as other men
they shall live again in the resurrection of the just
and never die more
but shall be like the angels in heaven; and as for the
second death
that shall not harm them
nor have any power over them; they will
live and reign with Christ for ever.
Psalm 21:5 5 His glory is great
in Your salvation; Honor and majesty You have placed upon him.
YLT
5Great [is] his honour in
Thy salvation
Honour and majesty Thou placest on him.
His glory is great in thy salvation
.... That is
the glory of the King Messiah is great in the Lord's salvation of him;
delivering him from all his troubles and sorrows
and out of the hands of all
his enemies
when he was raised from the dead
and was set at the right hand of
God
and crowned with glory and honour: or the sense is
that his glory is
great in the salvation of his people by him; it was his glory as Mediator to be
appointed to be the Lord's salvation to them; and it being effected by him
declares the glory and greatness of his person; and the nature of it is such as
cannot fast of bringing glory to him; and such is the sense his people have of
it
that it obliges them to ascribe the glory of it alone to him;
honour and majesty hast thou laid upon him; which is to
be understood not of the honour and majesty of his divine nature
which are
essential to him
and not laid upon him by any; nor of the glory which the
saints attribute to him on account of their salvation by him; but of that which
his Father has put upon him
and lies in the introduction of him into his glory
after his sufferings and death
and resurrection from the dead; in exalting him
at his right hand above all creatures and things; in giving him all power in
heaven and in earth; in putting all the gifts of the Spirit into his hands
which he receiving gave to men
and in ordaining him Judge of quick and dead.
Psalm 21:6 6 For You have made him most
blessed forever; You have made him exceedingly glad with Your presence.
YLT
6For Thou makest him
blessings for ever
Thou dost cause him to rejoice with joy
By Thy
countenance.
For thou hast made him most blessed for ever
.... Not as
God
for as such he is over all blessed for ever
and not made so; but as man
and Mediator; the words may be rendered
"thou hast set him to be
blessings for ever"F26תשיתהו ברכות "posuisti vel pones eum benedictiones"
Pagninus
Montanus
Vatablus; so Ainsworth
Cocceius
Gejerus. ; which design
the blessings which are laid up in Christ for his people
and which he imparts
unto
them
and they are blessed with in him; so that he is made a blessing
or
rather blessings to them; such as redemption to free them from
bondage
righteousness to justify them
sanctification to make them holy
wisdom to
direct and guide them
and strength to assist and support them; through whom
they have the forgiveness of sins
by whom they have peace with God
and from
whom they receive all their joy and comfort
and at last eternal life and
happiness; and all these are for ever
they are irreversible blessings
are
never repented of
nor taken away: or this blessedness may be understood of
that which Christ himself enjoys as man; which lies in his human nature being
exalted to union with the Son of God; in being heard and helped in the day of
salvation; in being raised from the dead
and glory given him; in being set at
God's right hand
angels
authorities
and powers
being subject to him; and in
seeing the travail of his soul with satisfaction: the particular instance of
his blessedness follows;
thou hast made him exceeding glad with thy countenance; the glorious
presence of God in heaven; Christ having done his work on earth ascended to
heaven
where he was received by his Father with a cheerful countenance
was
made to sit down on the same throne with him
being well pleased with his obedience
righteousness
and sacrifice; and being now in the presence of God
in which is
fulness of joy
and at his right hand
where are pleasures for evermore
the
human nature of Christ is filled with an excess of joy; the words may be
rendered
"thou hast made" or "wilt make him glad with joyF1תחדהו בשמחה "laetificabis
eum in laetitia"
Pagninus
Montanus
Michaelis; so Junius &
Tremellius
Gejerus.
with thy countenance"; see Psalm 16:11.
Psalm 21:7 7 For the king trusts in the
Lord
And through
the mercy of the Most High he shall not be moved.
YLT
7For the king is trusting in
Jehovah
And in the kindness of the Most High He is not moved.
For the King trusteth in the Lord
.... That is
the King
Messiah
as the Targum paraphrases it; he trusted in the Lord for his support
and sustenance as man
for assistance and help in his time of trouble
and for
deliverance out of it; he trusted in the Lord that he would hear him for
himself
and for his people; and that he would glorify him with all glory
honour
majesty
and blessedness
before spoken of; see Psalm 22:8;
and through the mercy of the most High he shall not be moved; God the
Father is the most High; Christ is called the Son of the Highest
and the
Spirit the power of the Highest
Luke 1:32; there is mercy with him
which
is a ground of hope and trust
in his people
and also in the Messiah; see Psalm 89:28; and some versions make the
mercy of the most High to be what the King Messiah trusts in
reading the wordsF2So
Genebrard
Muis
"for the King trusteth in the Lord
and in the mercy of
the most High"; but the accent "athnach"
which distinguishes
the propositions
will not admit of it; but the sense is
that because of the
mercy
grace
goodness
and faithfulness of God in making and keeping his
promises
Christ would not be and was not moved from his trust and confidence
in the Lord; nor shall he even be removed from his throne of glory on which he
sits; nor from the glorious and happy state in which he is: nor will it ever be
in the power of his enemies to displace him; for these in time will be
destroyed by him
as the following words show.
Psalm 21:8 8 Your hand will find all
Your enemies; Your right hand will find those who hate You.
YLT
8Thy hand cometh to all
Thine enemies
Thy right hand doth find Thy haters.
Thine hand shall find out all thine enemies
.... The Jews
that would not have him to reign over them
who crucified him and persecuted
his apostles; the Gentiles
who were also concerned in his death; the Roman
emperors
who persecuted the Christians
and are signified by the red dragon
that waited to devour the man child when brought forth by the woman
the church
Revelation 12:3; and also the Papists
the
followers of the man of sin
who oppose Christ in his offices and grace
and
are the enemies of his witnesses
and of his interest; and besides these there
are many professors of religion who are enemies of Christ
either doctrinally
or practically; to whom may be added
the devil and his angels
and all those
who are the children of him and are influenced by him: these the hand of Christ
will find out sooner or later; for the words are an address to the King
Messiah
who being omniscient knows where all his enemies are
and where to
find them; and being omnipotent he will lay hold upon them
and hold them
and
none shall escape from him; his hand of vengeance shall fall upon them
and he
shall inflict righteous and deserved punishment on them; and this shall be the
case of "all" of them
none will be able to hide themselves in secret
places from him. This has been in part verified in the Jewish nation at the
destruction of Jerusalem
when wrath came upon that people to the uttermost for
their treatment of the Messiah; and in the Pagan empire
when it was
demolished
and kings and great men in vain called to the rocks and mountains
to hide them from the wrath of the Lamb
Revelation 6:15; and will have a further
accomplishment in the antichristian states and kingdoms
when the vials of
God's wrath shall be poured out upon them; and especially at the battle of
Armageddon
when Christ will avenge himself
and get rid of all his enemies at
once; and will have its final accomplishment in all wicked men and devils at
the day of judgment
when all Christ's enemies will be found out by him
whether open or secret
and receive their just punishment;
thy right hand shall find out those that hate thee; this is the
same with the former clause
and is repeated for the further certainty and
greater confirmation of the thing; and "the right hand" is mentioned
as expressive of the mighty power of the Lord. The Chaldee paraphrase renders
it
"the vengeance of thy right hand".
Psalm 21:9 9 You shall make them as a
fiery oven in the time of Your anger; The Lord shall swallow them up in
His wrath
And the fire shall devour them.
YLT
9Thou makest them as a
furnace of fire
At the time of Thy presence. Jehovah in His anger doth swallow
them
And fire doth devour them.
Thou shalt make them as a fiery oven
.... Some
think the allusion is to David's causing the Ammonites to pass through the
brick kiln
2 Samuel 12:31; others to the burning of
Sodom and Gomorrah: it represents what a severe punishment shall be inflicted
on the enemies of Christ; they shall be cast into a fiery oven
or furnace of
fire
as Shadrach
Meshach
and Abednego
were by the order of Nebuchadnezzar;
so some render the words
"thou shalt put them into a fiery oven"
כ
"as"
being put for ב
"into"F3Vide Aben Ezram in loc. : wicked men are as dry
trees
as stubble
as thorns or briers
and are fit fuel for a fiery oven or
furnace; by which is meant the wrath and fury of God
which is poured forth as
fire; and this has had its fulfilment in part in the Jews at Jerusalem's
destruction; when that day of the Lord burned like an oven
and the proud and
haughty Jews
and who dealt wickedly by Christ
were burned up in it
Malachi 4:1; and will have an additional
accomplishment when the whore of Babylon shall be burnt with fire
and when the
beast and false prophet shall be cast alive into a lake of fire burning with
brimstone; and still more fully at the general conflagration
when will be the
perdition of ungodly men
and the earth and all that is therein shall be burnt
up; and especially when all wicked men and devils shall be cast into the lake
and furnace of fire
where will be weeping
wailing
and gnashing of teeth; see
Revelation 17:16. This will be
in the time of thine anger
or "of thy countenance"F4פניך "vultus tui"
V. L. so Sept. Aethiop.
Gejerus
Muis
Ainsworth; "faciei iratae tuae"
Junius &
Tremellius; so Michaelis. ; not his gracious
but his angry countenance; when
he shall put on a fierce look
and appear as the Lion of the tribe of Judah
and stir up all his wrath;
the Lord shall swallow them up in his wrath; not that they
shall be annihilated; their souls remain after death
and their bodies after
the resurrection; and will be tormented with the fire of God's wrath for ever
and ever; the phrase is expressive of utter ruin
of the destruction of soul
and body in hell; see Psalm 35:25; Jarchi takes it to be a
prayer
"may the Lord swallow them up"
&c.
and the fire shall devour them; that is
as the Targum
paraphrases it
the fire of hell; or
however
it designs the wrath of God
who
is a consuming fire; or that fiery indignation of his
which shall devour the
adversaries; which comes down upon them either in temporal judgments here
or
in their everlasting destruction hereafter.
Psalm 21:10 10 Their offspring You shall
destroy from the earth
And their descendants from among the sons of men.
YLT
10Their fruit from earth Thou
destroyest
And their seed from the sons of men.
Their fruit shall thou destroy from the earth
.... Meaning
the offspring of wicked men; the fruit of the womb
Psalm 127:3; the same with their seed in
the next clause:
and their seed from among the children of men; see Psalm 37:28; which must be understood of
such of their seed
and offspring as are as they were when born; are never
renewed and sanctified
but are like their parents; as the Jews were
their
parents were vipers
and they were serpents
the generation of them; and were
the children of the devil
and did his works: now these passages had their
accomplishment in the Jews
when the day of God's wrath burnt them up
and left
them neither root nor branch
Malachi 4:1; and in the Pagan empire
when
every mountain and island were moved out of their places
and the Heathen
perished out of the land
Revelation 6:14; and will be further accomplished
when the Lord shall punish the wicked woman Jezebel
the antichristian harlot
and kill her children with death
Revelation 2:23; see Psalm 104:35.
Psalm 21:11 11 For they intended evil
against You; They devised a plot which they are not able to perform.
YLT
11For they stretched out
against Thee evil
They devised a wicked device
they prevail not
For they intended evil against thee
.... All evil
whether in
thought or deed
if not immediately and directly
yet is ultimately against the
Lord
whose law is transgressed
and who is despised and reflected upon as a
lawgiver; all sin is an hostility committed against God
or against Christ
against the Lord and his Anointed
or against his people
who are all one as
himself: the intention of evil is evil
and is cognizable by the Lord
and
punishable by him:
they imagined a mischievous device
which they are not able
to perform; not the death of Christ; that was indeed in itself a mischievous
device of theirs
but that they performed
though they had not their end in it;
they expected his name would then perish
and they should hear no more of him:
but rather it respects his resurrection from the dead
they could not prevent
though they took all imaginable care that them might be no show of it; and when
they found he was really raised from the dead
they contrived a wicked scheme
to stop the credit of it
but in vain
Matthew 27:63; and Jews and Gentiles
and
Papists
have formed schemes and done all they can to root the Gospel
cause
and interest of Christ
out of the world
but have not been able to perform it.
Psalm 21:12 12 Therefore You will make
them turn their back; You will make ready Your arrows on Your string
toward their faces.
YLT
12For Thou makest them a
butt
When Thy strings Thou preparest against their faces.
Therefore shall thou make them turn their back
.... Or flee
and run away to private places
to hide themselves from the wrath of God and of
the Lamb
though to no purpose; or "make them turn behind thy
back": God will turn his back upon them
and be negligent and careless of
them
and not regard them when they cry in their misery and destruction. Some
Jewish interpretersF5Kimchi & Ben Melech in loc. understand it
of their being put together on one side
in one corner
and be separate from
the people of God; to which sense the Targum inclines
rendering the word for
"back" the "shoulder"
which sometimes signifies unanimity
and union
Zephaniah 3:9; and thus
being all together
by themselves
the wrath of God shall be poured forth upon them
and they shall
be destroyed at once: so the Christians were
by the providence of God
brought
out of Jerusalem before its destruction; and the saints will be called out of
Babylon before its fall; and the goats
the wicked
will be separated from the
righteous
and set together at Christ's left hand; for they shall not stand in
the congregation of the righteous: but the best sense of the words is
"thou shalt set them for a butt" orF6תשיתמו שכם "ponis eos
metam"
Cocceius; "humerum"
Pagninus
Montanus
Gejerus;
"velut tumulum"
Junius & Tremellius
Piscator. "heap";
or
as it is in the Hebrew text
a shoulder; a butt to shoot at being so
called
because it is earth heaped up like a shoulder; see Job 16:12; and to this agrees what follows:
when thou shalt
make ready thine arrows upon thy strings against the face of them; that is
direct the arrows of his wrath and vengeance right against them; see Psalm 7:11.
Psalm 21:13 13 Be exalted
O Lord
in Your own
strength! We will sing and praise Your power.
YLT
13Be Thou exalted
O Jehovah
in
Thy strength
We sing and we praise Thy might!
Be thou exalted
Lord
in thine own strength
.... Exert thy
strength
display thy power in such manner
that thou mayest be exalted and
magnified on account of it. This was fulfilled at the destruction of Jerusalem
when the kingdom of God came with power
Mark 9:1; and will be again when Babylon
shall be utterly destroyed
because the Lord is strong who judgeth her
Revelation 18:8; and finally at the day of
judgment
when the wicked will be punished with everlasting destruction from
the presence of the Lord
and the glory of his power
2 Thessalonians 1:9;
so will we sing and praise
thy power; forms of such songs of praise may be seen
as Cocceius observes
in Revelation 11:15; at the sounding of the
seventh trumpet
at the victory over the beast
and his image
and at the
destruction of Babylon.
──《John Gill’s
Exposition of the Bible》