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Psalm Twenty-one
Psalm 21
Chapter Contents
Thanksgiving for victory. (1-6) Confidence of further
success. (7-13)
Commentary on Psalm 21:1-6
(Read Psalm 21:1-6)
Happy the people whose king makes God's strength his
confidence
and God's salvation his joy; who is pleased with all the
advancements of God kingdom
and trusts God to support him in all he does for
the service of it. All our blessings are blessings of goodness
and are owing
not to any merit of ours
but only to God's goodness. But when God's blessings
come sooner
and prove richer than we imagine; when they are given before we
prayed for them
before we were ready for them
nay
when we feared the
contrary; then it may be truly said that he prevented
or went before us
with
them. Nothing indeed prevented
or went before Christ
but to mankind never was
any favour more preventing than our redemption by Christ. Thou hast made him to
be a universal
everlasting blessing to the world
in whom the families of the
earth are
and shall be blessed; and so thou hast made him exceeding glad with
the countenance thou hast given to his undertaking
and to him in the
prosecution of it. The Spirit of prophecy rises from what related to the king
to that which is peculiar to Christ; none other is blessed for ever
much less
a blessing for ever.
Commentary on Psalm 21:7-13
(Read Psalm 21:7-13)
The psalmist teaches to look forward with faith
and
hope
and prayer upon what God would further do. The success with which God
blessed David
was a type of the total overthrow of all Christ's enemies. Those
who might have had Christ to rule and save them
but rejected him and fought
against him
shall find the remembrance of it a worm that dies not. God makes
sinners willing by his grace
receives them to his favour
and delivers them
from the wrath to come. May he exalt himself
by his all-powerful grace
in our
hearts
destroying all the strong-holds of sin and Satan. How great should be
our joy and praise to behold our Brother and Friend upon the throne
and for
all the blessings we may expect from him! yet he delights in his exalted state
as enabling him to confer happiness and glory on poor sinners
who are taught
to love and trust in him.
── Matthew Henry《Concise Commentary on Psalms》
Psalm 21
Verse 3
[3] For
thou preventest him with the blessings of goodness: thou settest a crown of
pure gold on his head.
Prevent —
Crowning him with manifold blessings
both more and sooner than he expected.
With —
With excellent blessings.
Verse 4
[4] He asked life of thee
and thou gavest it him
even length of days for
ever and ever.
For ever —
Thou gavest him a long life and reign here
and after that didst translate him
to live with thee for ever. But this was more eminently fulfilled in Christ
who asked of his father
life
or to be saved from death
Hebrews 5:7
though with submission to his will:
but his father
though he saw it necessary to take away his temporal life
yet
instantly gave him another
far more noble
even the perfect possession of an
everlasting life both in his soul and body
at his right hand.
Verse 5
[5] His
glory is great in thy salvation: honour and majesty hast thou laid upon him.
Glory —
His fame or renown.
Salvation — By
reason of those great and glorious deliverances which thou hast wrought both
for him
and by him.
Verse 6
[6] For
thou hast made him most blessed for ever: thou hast made him exceeding glad
with thy countenance.
Countenance —
Smiling upon him
by thy grace and favour.
Verse 9
[9] Thou shalt make them as a fiery oven in the time of thine anger: the LORD
shall swallow them up in his wrath
and the fire shall devour them.
Oven —
Like wood
which when it is cast in there
is quickly consumed.
Verse 10
[10]
Their fruit shalt thou destroy from the earth
and their seed from among the
children of men.
Fruit —
Their children. God will take away both root and branch
the parents and all
that wicked race.
Verse 11
[11] For
they intended evil against thee: they imagined a mischievous device
which they
are not able to perform.
Thee —
Against God
not directly
but by consequence
because it was against David
whom God had anointed
and against the Lord's people
whose injuries God takes
as done to himself.
Verse 13
[13] Be
thou exalted
LORD
in thine own strength: so will we sing and praise thy
power.
Exalted — By
thy own power
or by the manifestation thereof.
── John Wesley《Explanatory Notes on Psalms》
Psalm 21
Exposition
Explanatory Notes and Quaint Sayings
Hints to the Village Preacher
SUBJECT. The
title gives us but little information; it is simply
To the chief Musician
a Psalm of David. Probably written by David
sung by David
relating to
David
and intended by David to refer in its fullest reach of meaning to
David's Lord. It is evidently the fit companion of Psalm Twenty
and is in its
proper position next to it. Psalm Twenty anticipates what this regards as
realized. If we pray to-day for a benefit and receive it
we must
ere the sun
goes down
praise God for that mercy
or we deserve to be denied the next time.
It has been called David's triumphant song
and we may remember it as The
Royal Triumphal Ode. "The king" is most prominent throughout
and
we shall read it to true profit if our meditation of him shall be sweet while
perusing it. We must crown him with the glory of our salvation; singing of his
love
and praising his power
The next psalm will take us to the foot of the
cross
this introduces us to the steps of the throne.
DIVISION.
The division of the translators will answer every purpose. A thanksgiving
for victory
verses 1 to 6. Confidence of further success
verses 7 to 13.
EXPOSITION
Verse
1. "The king shall joy in thy strength
O Lord." Jesus is a
Royal Personage. The question
"Art thou a King then?" received a
full answer from the Saviour's lips: "Thou sayest that I am a King. To
this end was I born
and for this purpose came I into the world
that I might
bear witness unto the truth." He is not merely a King
but the
King; King over minds and hearts
reigning with a dominion of love
before
which all other rule is but mere brute force. He was proclaimed King even on
the cross
for there
indeed
to the eye of faith
he reigned as on a throne
blessing with more than imperial munificence the needy sons of earth. Jesus has
wrought out the salvation of his people
but as a man he found his strength in
Jehovah his God
to whom he addressed himself in prayer upon the lonely mountain's
side
and in the garden's solitary gloom. That strength so abundantly given is
here gratefully acknowledged
and made the subject of joy. The Man of Sorrows
is now anointed with the oil of gladness above his fellows. Returned in triumph
from the overthrow of all his foes
he offers his own rapturous Te Deum
in the temple above
and joys in the power of the Lord. Herein let every
subject of King Jesus imitate the King; let us lean upon Jehovah's strength
let us joy in it by unstaggering faith
let us exult in it in our thankful
songs. Jesus not only has thus rejoiced
but he shall do so as he sees
the power of divine grace bringing out from their sinful hiding-places the
purchase of his soul's travail; we also shall rejoice more and more as we learn
by experience more and more fully the strength of the arm of our covenant God.
Our weakness unstrings our harps
but his strength tunes them anew. If we
cannot sing a note in honour of our own strength
we can at any rate rejoice in
our omnipotent God.
"And
in thy salvation how greatly shall he rejoice!" Everything is ascribed
to God; the source is thy strength and the stream is thy salvation.
Jehovah planned and ordained it
works it and crowns it
and therefore it is
his salvation. The joy here spoken of is described by a note of exclamation and
a word of wonder: "how greatly!" The rejoicing of our risen
Lord must
like his agony
be unutterable. If the mountains of his joy rise in
proportion to the depth of the valleys of his grief
then his sacred bliss is
high as the seventh heaven. For the joy which was set before him as he endured
the cross
despising the shame
and now that joy daily grows
for he rests in
his love and rejoices over his redeemed with singing
as in due order they are
brought to find their salvation in his blood. Let us with our Lord rejoice in
salvation
as coming from God
as coming to us
as extending itself to others
and as soon to encompass all lands. We need not be afraid of too much rejoicing
in this respect; this solid foundation will well sustain the loftiest edifice
of joy. The shoutings of the early methodists in the excitement of the joy were
far more pardonable than our own lukewarmness. Our joy should have some sort of
inexpressibleness in it.
Verse
2. "Thou hast given him his heart's desire." That desire he
ardently pursued when he was on earth
both by his prayer
his actions
and his
suffering; he manifested that his heart longed to redeem his people
and now in
heaven he has his desire granted him
for he sees his beloved coming to be with
him where he is. The desires of the Lord Jesus were from his heart
and the
Lord heard them; if our hearts are right with God
he will in our case also "fulfil
the desires of them that fear him."
"And
hast not withholden the request of his lips." What is in the well of
the heart is sure to come up in the bucket of the lips
and those are the only
true prayers where the heart's desire is first
and the lip's request follows
after. Jesus prayed vocally as well as mentally; speech is a great assistance
to thought. Some of us feel that even when alone we find it easier to collect our
thoughts when we can pray aloud. The requests of the Saviour were not withheld.
He was and still is a prevailing Pleader. Our Advocate on high returns not
empty from the throne of grace. He asked for his elect in the eternal
council-chamber
he asked for blessings for them here
he asked for glory for
them hereafter
and his requests have speeded. He is ready to ask for us at the
mercy-seat. Have we not at this hour some desire to send up to his Father by
him? Let us not be slack to use our willing
loving
all-prevailing
Intercessor.
"Selah."
Here a pause is very properly inserted that we may admire the blessed success
of the king's prayers
and that we may prepare our own requests which may be
presented through him. If we had a few more quiet rests
a few more Selahs in
our public worship
it might be profitable.
Verse
3. "For thou preventest him with the blessings of goodness."
The word prevent formerly signified to precede or go before
and
assuredly Jehovah preceded his Son with blessings. Before he died saints were
saved by the anticipated merit of his death
before he came believers saw his
day and were glad
and he himself had his delights with the sons of men. The Father
is so willing to give blessings through his Son
that instead of his being
constrained to bestow his grace
he outstrips the Mediatorial march of mercy.
"I say not that I will pray the Father for you
for the Father himself
loveth you." Before Jesus calls the Father answers
and while he is yet
speaking he hears. Mercies may be bought with blood
but they are also freely
given. The love of Jehovah is not caused by the Redeemer's sacrifice
but that
love
with its blessings of goodness
preceded the great atonement
and
provided it for our salvation. Reader
it will be a happy thing for thee if
like thy Lord
thou canst see both providence and grace preceding thee
forestalling thy needs
and preparing thy path. Mercy
in the case of many of
us
ran before our desires and prayers
and it ever outruns our endeavours and
expectancies
and even our hopes are left to lag behind. Prevenient grace
deserves a song; we may make one out of this sentence; let us try. All our
mercies are to be viewed as "blessings;" gifts of a blessed
God
meant to make us blessed; they are "blessings of goodness
"
not of merit
but of free favour; and they come to us in a preventing way
a way of prudent foresight
such as only preventing love could have arranged.
In this light the verse is itself a sonnet!
"Thou
settest a crown of pure gold on his head." Jesus wore the thorn-crown
but now wears the glory-crown. It is a "crown
" indicating
royal nature
imperial power
deserved honour
glorious conquest
and divine
government. The crown is of the richest
rarest
most resplendent
and most
lasting order—"gold
" and that gold of the most refined and
valuable sort
"pure gold
" to indicate the excellence of his
dominion. This crown is set upon his head most firmly
and whereas other
monarchs find their diadems fitting loosely
his is fixed so that no power can
move it
for Jehovah himself has set it upon his brow. Napoleon crowned
himself
but Jehovah crowned the Lord Jesus; the empire of the one melted in an
hour
but the other has an abiding dominion. Some versions read
"a crown
of precious stones;" this may remind us of those beloved ones who shall be
as jewels in his crown
of whom he has said
"They shall be mine in the
day when I make up my jewels." May we be set in the golden circlet of the
Redeemer's glory
and adorn his head for ever!
Verse
4. "He asked life of thee
and thou gavest it him
even length of days
for ever and ever." The first words may suit King David
but the
length of days for ever and ever can only refer to the King Messiah. Jesus
as
man
prayed for resurrection and he received it
and now possesses it in
immortality. He died once
but being raised from the dead he dieth no more.
"Because I live
ye shall live also
" is the delightful intimation
which the Saviour gives us
that we are partakers of his eternal life. We had
never found this jewel
if he had not rolled away the stone which covered it.
Verse
5. "His glory is great in thy salvation." Immanuel bears the
palm; he once bore the cross. The Father has glorified the Son
so that there
is no glory like unto that which surroundeth him. See his person as it is
described by John in the Revelation; see his dominion as it stretches from sea
to sea; see his splendour as he is revealed in flaming fire. Lord
who is like
unto thee? Solomon in all his glory could not be compared with thee
thou once
despised Man of Nazareth! Mark
reader: salvation is ascribed to God; and thus
the Son
as our Saviour
magnifies his Father; but the Son's glory is also
greatly seen
for the Father glorifies his Son.
"Honour
and majesty hast thou laid upon him." Parkhurst reads
"splendour
and beauty." These are put upon Jesus as chains of gold
and stars and
tokens of honour are placed upon princes and great men. As the wood of the
tabernacle was overlaid with pure gold
so is Jesus covered with glory and
honour. If there be a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory for his
humble followers
what must there be for our Lord himself? The whole weight of
sin was laid upon him; it is but meet that the full measure of the glory of
bearing it away should be laid upon the same beloved person. A glory
commensurate with his shame he must and will receive
for well has he earned
it. It is not possible for us to honour Jesus too much; what our God delights
to do
we may certainly do to our utmost. Oh for new crowns for the lofty brow
which once was marred with thorns!
"Let him
be crowned with majesty
Who bowed his head to death
And be his honours sounded high
By all things that have breath."
Verse
6. "For thou hast made him most blessed for ever." He is most
blessed in himself
for he is God over all
blessed for ever; but this relates
to him as our Mediator
in which capacity blessedness is given to him as a
reward. The margin has it
thou hast set him to be blessings; he is an
overflowing wellspring of blessings to others
a sun filling the universe with
light. According as the Lord sware unto Abraham
the promised seed is an
everlasting source of blessings to all the nations of the earth. He is set for
this
ordained
appointed
made incarnate with this very design
that he may bless
the sons of men. Oh that sinners had sense enough to use the Saviour for that
end to which he is ordained
viz.
to be a Saviour to lost and guilty souls.
"Thou
hast made him exceeding glad with thy countenance." He who is a
blessing to others cannot but be glad himself; the unbounded good-doing of
Jesus ensures him unlimited joy. The loving favour of his Father
the
countenance of God
gives Jesus exceeding joy. This is the purest stream to
drink of
and Jesus chooses no other. His joy is full. Its source is divine.
Its continuance is eternal. Its degree exceeding all bounds. The countenance of
God makes the Prince of Heaven glad; how ought we to seek it
and how careful
should we be lest we should provoke him by our sins to hide his face from us!
Our anticipations may cheerfully fly forward to the hour when the joy of our
Lord shall be shed abroad on all the saints
and the countenance of Jehovah
shall shine upon all the blood-bought. So shall we "enter into the joy of
our Lord."
So
far all has been "the shout of them that triumph
the song of them that
feast." Let us shout and sing with them
for Jesus is our King
and in his
triumphs we share a part.
Verse
7. "For the king trusteth in the Lord." Our Lord
like a true
King and leader
was a master in the use of the weapons
and could handle well
the shield of faith
for he has set us a brilliant example of unwavering
confidence in God. He felt himself safe in his Father's care until his hour was
come
he knew that he was always heard in heaven; he committed his cause to him
that judgeth right
and in his last moments he committed his spirit into the
same hands. The joy expressed in the former verses was the joy of faith
and
the victory achieved was due to the same precious grace. A holy confidence in
Jehovah is the true mother of victories. This psalm of triumph was composed
long before our Lord's conflict began
but faith overleaps the boundaries of
time
and chants her "Io triumphe
" while yet she sings her battle
song.
"Through
the mercy of the Most High he shall not be moved." Eternal mercy
secures the mediatorial throne of Jesus. He who is Most High in every sense
engages all his infinite perfections to maintain the throne of grace upon which
our King in Zion reigns. He was not moved from his purpose
nor in
his sufferings
nor by his enemies
nor shall he be moved from
the completion of his designs. He is the same yesterday
to-day
and for ever.
Other empires are dissolved by the lapse of years
but eternal mercy maintains
his growing dominion evermore; other kings fail because they rest upon an arm
of flesh
but our monarch reigns on in splendour because he trusteth in
Jehovah. It is a great display of divine mercy to men that the throne of King
Jesus is still among them: nothing but divine mercy could sustain it
for human
malice would overturn it to-morrow if it could. We ought to trust in God for
the promotion of the Redeemer's kingdom
for in Jehovah the King himself
trusts: all unbelieving methods of action
and especially all reliance upon
mere human ability
should be for ever discarded from a kingdom where the
monarch sets the examples of walking by faith in God.
Verse
8. "Thine hand shall find out all thine enemies: thy right hand shall
find out those that hate thee." The destruction of the wicked is a
fitting subject for joy to the friends of righteousness; hence here
and in
most scriptural songs
it is noted with calm thanksgiving. "Thou hast put
down the mighty from their seats
" is a note of the same song which sings
"and hast exalted them of low degree." We pity the lost for they are
men
but we cannot pity them as enemies of Christ. None can escape from the
wrath of the victorious King
nor is it desirable that they should. Without
looking for his flying foes he will find them with his hand
for his presence
is about and around them. In vain shall any hope for escape
he will find out
all
and be able to punish all
and that too with the ease and rapidity which
belong to the warrior's right hand. The finding out relates
we think
not only
to the discovery of the hiding places of the haters of God
but to the touching
of them in their tenderest parts
so as to cause the severest suffering. When
he appears to judge the world hard hearts will be subdued into terror
and
proud spirits humbled into shame. He who has the key of human nature can touch
all its springs at his will
and find out the means of bringing the utmost
confusion and terror upon those who aforetime boastfully expressed their hatred
of him.
Verse
9. "Thou shalt make them as a fiery oven in the time of thine
anger." They themselves shall be an oven to themselves
and so their
own tormentors. Those who burned with anger against thee shall be burned by
thine anger. The fire of sin will be followed by the fire of wrath. Even as the
smoke of Sodom and Gomorrah went up to heaven
so shall the enemies of the Lord
Jesus be utterly and terribly consumed. Some read it
"thou shalt put them
as it were into a furnace of fire." Like faggots cast into an oven they
shall burn furiously beneath the anger of the Lord; "they shall be cast
into a furnace of fire
there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth."
These are terrible words
and those teachers do not well who endeavour by their
sophistical reasonings to weaken their force. Reader
never tolerate slight
thoughts of hell
or you will soon have low thoughts of sin. The hell of
sinners must be fearful beyond all conception
or such language as the present
would not be used. Who would have the Son of God to be his enemy when such an
overthrow awaits his foes? The expression
"the time of thine anger
"
reminds us that as now is the time of his grace
so there will be a set time
for his wrath. The judge goes upon assize at an appointed time. There is a day
of vengeance of our God; let those who despise the day of grace remember this
day of wrath.
"The
Lord shall swallow them up in his wrath
and the fire shall devour them."
Jehovah will himself visit with his anger the enemies of his Son. The Lord
Jesus will
as it were
judge by commission from God
whose solemn assent and
co-operation shall be with him in his sentences upon impenitent sinners. An
utter destruction of soul and body
so that both shall be swallowed up with
misery
and be devoured with anguish
is here intended. Oh
the wrath to come!
The wrath to come! Who can endure it? Lord
save us from it
for Jesu's sake.
Verse
10. "Their fruit shalt thou destroy from the earth." Their
life's work shall be a failure
and the result of their toil shall be
disappointment. That in which they prided themselves shall be forgotten; their
very names shall be wiped out as abominable
"and their seed from among
the children of men." Their posterity following in their footsteps
shall meet with a similar overthrow
till at last the race shall come to an
end. Doubtless the blessing of God is often handed down by the righteous to
their sons
as almost a heirloom in the family
while the dying sinner
bequeaths a curse to his descendants. If men will hate the Son of God
they
must not wonder if their own sons meet with no favour.
Verse
11. "For they intended evil against thee." God takes notice of
intentions. He who would but could not is as guilty as he who did. Christ's
church and cause are not only attacked by those who do not understand it
but
there are many who have the light and yet hate it. Intentional evil has a virus
in it which is not found in sins of ignorance; now as ungodly men with malice
aforethought attack the gospel of Christ
their crime is great
and their
punishment will be proportionate. The words "against thee"
show us that he who intends evil against the poorest believer means ill to the
King himself: let persecutors beware.
"They
imagined a mischievous device
which they are not able to perform."
Want of power is the clog on the foot of the haters of the Lord Jesus. They
have the wickedness to imagine
and the cunning to devise
and
the malice to plot mischief
but blessed be God
they fail in ability;
yet they shall be judged as to their hearts
and the will shall be taken for
the deed in the great day of account. When we read the boastful threatenings of
the enemies of the gospel at the present day
we may close our reading by
cheerfully repeating
"which they are not able to perform."
The serpent may hiss
but his head is broken; the lion may worry
but he cannot
devour: the tempest may thunder
but cannot strike. Old Giant Pope bites his
nails at the pilgrims
but he cannot pick their bones as aforetime. Growling
forth a hideous "non possumus
" the devil and all his allies retire
in dismay from the walls of Zion
for the Lord is there.
Verse
12. "Therefore shalt thou make them turn their back
when thou shalt
make ready thine arrows upon thy strings against the face of them."
For a time the foes of God may make bold advances
and threaten to overthrow
everything
but a few ticks of the clock will alter the face of their affairs.
At first they advance impudently enough
but Jehovah meets them to their teeth
and a taste of the sharp judgment of God speedily makes them flee in dismay.
The original has in it the thought of the wicked being set as a butt for God to
shoot at
a target for his wrath to aim at. What a dreadful situation! As an
illustration upon a large scale
remember Jerusalem during the siege; and for a
specimen in an individual
read the story of the death-bed of Francis Spira.
God takes sure aim; who would be his target? His arrows are sharp and transfix
the heart; who would wish to be wounded by them? Ah
ye enemies of God
your
boastings will soon be over when once the shafts begin to fly!
Verse
13. "Be thou exalted
Lord
in thine own strength." A sweet
concluding verse. Our hearts shall join in it. It is always right to praise the
Lord when we call to remembrance his goodness to his Son
and the overthrow of
his foes. The exaltation of the name of God should be the business of every
Christian; but since such poor things as we fail to honour him as he deserves
we may invoke his own power to aid us. Be high
O God
but do thou maintain thy
loftiness by thine own almightiness
for no other power can worthily do it.
"So
will we sing and praise thy power." For a time the saints may mourn
but the glorious appearance of their divine Helper awakens their joy. Joy
should always flow in the channel of praise. All the attributes of God are fitting
subjects to be celebrated by the music of our hearts and voices
and when we
observe a display of his power
we must extol it. He wrought our
deliverance alone
and he alone shall have the praise.
EXPLANATORY
NOTES AND QUAINT SAYINGS
Whole
Psalm. The last Psalm was a litany before the king went forth to battle.
This is apparently a Te Deum on his return.—J. J. Stewart Perowne
B.D.
in the "Book of Psalms: a New Translation
with Introduction and
Notes
" 1864.
Whole
Psalm. The prayer which the church offers up at the conclusion of the
preceding Psalm now issues in a hymn of praise
the result of a believing view
of the glory which is to follow
when Messiah's sufferings are ended. This is
one of the beautiful songs of which we find many in Scripture
prepared by the
Holy Spirit to awaken and enliven the hopes and expectations of the church
while she waits for the Lord
and to give utterance to her joy at the time of
his arrival. The theme is Messiah's exaltation and glory
and the time chosen
for its delivery is just the moment when darkness covered the earth
and all
nature seemed about to die with its expiring Lord. Scripture deals largely in
contrasts. It seems to be suitable to the human mind to turn from one extreme
to another. Man can endure any change
however violent and contradictory
but a
long continuance
a sameness either of joy or sorrow
has a debilitating and
depressing effect.—R. H. Ryland.
Whole
Psalm. "After this I looked. . . . and behold a throne was set in
heaven
and one sat on the throne." Revelation 4:1
2. Such may be
considered as the description of this Psalm
after the foregoing prayer.
"He who in the preceding Psalm
" says St. Jerome
"was prayed
for as having taken the form of a servant
in this is King of kings
and Lord
of lords."—Isaac Williams.
Whole
Psalm. I am persuaded that there is not one who consents to the
application of the preceding Psalm to Christ in his trouble
who will fail to
recognise in this
Christ in his triumph. There he was in the dark valley—the
valley of Achor; now he is on the mount of Zion; there he was enduring sorrow
and travail; now he remembers no more the anguish
for joy that a spiritual
seed is born into the world; there he was beset with deadly enemies
who
encompassed him on every side; but here he has entered upon that which is
written in Psalm 78:65
66
"Then the Lord awaked as one out of sleep
and
like a mighty man that shouteth by reason of wine. And he smote his enemies in
the hinder parts: he put them to a perpetual reproach."—Hamilton
Verschoyle.
Whole
Psalm. As you have already observed in the heading of this Psalm
it is
said to have been composed by David. He wrote of himself in the third person
and as "the king." He penned the Psalm
not so much for his
own use
as for his people's. It is
in fact
a national anthem
celebrating
the majesty and glory of David
but ascribing both to God—expressing confidence
in David's future
but building that confidence upon God alone.—Samuel
Martin
in "Westminster Chapel Pulpit
" 1860.
Verse 1. "Thy
strength. . . . thy salvation." So you have two words
"virtus
and salus
" strength and salvation. Note them well; for not virtus
without salus
not salus without virtus
neither without
the other is full
nor both without Tua Domine. In virtute is
well
so it have in salute after it. For not in strength alone is there
matter of joy
every way considered. No
not in God's strength
if it
have not salvation behind it. Strength
not to smite us down
but
strength to deliver; this is the joyful side. Now turn it the other way. As
strength
if it end in salvation
is just cause for joy
so salvation
if it go
with strength
makes joy yet more joyful; for it becomes a strong salvation
a
mighty deliverance.—Launcelot Andrews (Bishop)
1555-1626
in
"Conspiracie of the Goweries."
Verse 1. "In
thy salvation how greatly shall he rejoice." Oh
it is good rejoicing
in the strength of that arm which shall never wither
and in the shadow of
those wings which shall never cast their feathers! In him that is not there
yesterday and here to-day
but the same yesterday
to-day
and for ever! For as
he is
so shall the joy be.—Launcelot Andrews.
Verse 2. "Thou
hast given him the desire of his soul." He desired to eat the
passover
and to lay down his life when he would
and again when he would to
take it; and thou hast given it to him. "And hast not deprived him of
the good pleasure of his lips." "My peace
" saith he
"I leave with you;" and it was done.—Augustine
in loc.
Verse 2 (first
clause). Good men are sure to have out their prayers either in money
or in
money's worth
as they say—in that very thing
or a better.—John Trapp.
Verse 2. "Selah."
See pages 25
29
38
345.
Verse 3. "For
thou preventest him with the blessings of goodness: thou settest a crown of
pure gold on his head." The Son of God could not be more ready to ask
for the blessings of the divine goodness
than the Father was to give them; and
his disposition is the same towards all his adopted sons. Christ
as King and
Priest
weareth a crown of glory
represented by the purest and most
resplendent of metals—gold. He is pleased to esteem his saints
excelling in
different virtues
as the rubies
the sapphires
and the emeralds
which grace
and adorn that crown. Who would not be ambitious of obtaining a place therein?—George
Horne.
Verse 3. "Thou
hast prevented him with the blessings of goodness." As if he should
say
"Lord
I never asked for a kingdom
I never thought of a kingdom
but
thou hast prevented me with the blessings of thy goodness." . . . . . From
whence I take up this note or doctrine
that it is a sweet thing and worthy of
all our thankful acknowledgments
to be prevented with the blessings of God's
goodness
or God's good blessings. . . . It is no new thing for God to walk in
a way of preventing love and mercy with the children of men. Thus he hath
always dealt
doth deal
and will deal; thus he hath always dealt with the
world
with the nations of the world
with great towns and places
with
families
and with particular souls. . . . As for particular souls
you know
how it was with Matthew the publican
sitting at the receipt of custom.
"Come and follow me
" says Christ; preventing of him. And you know
how it was with Paul: "I was a blasphemer
and I was a persecutor
but I
obtained mercy." How so? Did he seek it first? "No
" says he
"I went breathing out threatenings against the people of God
and God met
me
and unhorsed me; God prevented me with his grace and mercy." Thus
Paul. And pray tell me what do you think of that whole chapter of Luke—the
fifteenth? There are three parables: the parable of the lost groat
of the lost
sheep
and of the lost son. The woman lost her groat
and swept to find it; but
did the groat make first toward the woman
or the woman make after the groat
first? The shepherd lost his sheep
but did the sheep make first after the
shepherd
or the shepherd after the sheep? Indeed
it is said concerning the
lost son
that he first takes up a resolution
"I will return home to my
father
" but when his father saw him afar off
he ran and met him
and
embraced him
and welcomed him home. Why? But to show that the work of grace
and mercy shall be all along carried on in a way of preventing love.—Condensed
from William Bridge
1600-1670.
Verse 3. "For
thou hast prevented him with the blessings of sweetness." Because he
had first quaffed the blessings of thy sweetness
the gall of our sins did not
hurt him.—Augustine.
Verse 3. "Thou
preventest him." The word "prevent" is now generally
used to represent the idea of hindrance. "Thou preventest him
"
would mean commonly
"Thou hinderest him." But here the word
"prevent" means to go before. Thou goest before him with the
blessings of thy goodness as a pioneer
to make crooked ways straight
and
rough places smooth; or
as one who strews flowers in the path of another
to
render the way beautiful to the eye and pleasant to the tread.—Samuel
Martin.
Verse 3 (first
clause). The text is an acknowledgment of God's goodness. God has
anticipated David's wants; and he writes
"Thou preventest—thou
goest before him—with goodness." The words "blessings of
goodness" suggest that God's gifts are God's love embodied and
expressed. And this greatly enhances the value of our blessings— that they are
cups as full of God and of God's kindness as of happiness and blessedness.—Samuel
Martin.
Verse 3 (first
clause). A large portion of our blessing is given us before our asking or
seeking. Existence
reason
intellect
a birth in a Christian land
the calling
of our nation to the knowledge of Christ
and Christ himself
with many other
things
are unsought bestowed on men
as was David's right to the throne on
him. No one ever asked for a Saviour till God of his own motion promised
"the seed of the woman."—William S. Plumer.
Verse 3. "Thou
settest a crown of pure gold on his head." Christ may be said to have
a fourfold glory
or crown. 1. As God co-essential with the Father; "the
brightness of the Father's glory
and the express image of his person."
Hebrews 1:1
2
3. 2. He hath a crown and glory as Mediator
in respect of the
power
authority
and glory wherewith he is invested as God's great deputy
and
anointed upon the hill of Zion
having power
and a rod of iron
even in
reference to enemies. 3. He hath a crown and glory in respect of the
manifestation of his glory in the executing of his offices
when he makes his
mediatory power and glory apparent in particular steps: thus sometimes he is
said to take his power to him (Revelation 11:17); and is said to be
crowned when the white horse of the gospel rides in triumph. Revelation
6:2. The last step of this glory will be in the day of judgment; in short
this
consists in his exercising his former power committed to him as Mediator. 4.
There is a crown and glory which is in a manner put on him by particular
believers
when he is glorified by them
not by adding anything to his infinite
glory
but by their acknowledging of him to be so.—James Durham
1622-1658.
Verse 3. "The
crown of pure gold" 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.—John Gill.
Verse 4. "He
asked life of thee
and thou gavest it him
even length of days for ever and
ever." The glory of God is concerned in Christ's living for ever—1.
The glory of his faithfulness: for eternal life and blessedness were
pledged to Immanuel in covenant as the reward of his work (Psalm 110:1-4;
Isaiah 9:6
7
etc.); and it was in the anticipation and confident hope of
this
that he "endured the cross
despising the shame." Hebrews 12:2;
Psalm 16:8-11. 2. The glory of his justice. The justice of God was
honoured and fully satisfied in all its righteous demands by the death of
Christ. His subsequent life is the expression on the part of God of that
satisfaction. His perpetual life is a permanent declaration that in him and his
finished work the everlasting righteousness of Jehovah rests for ever
satisfied. Death can "never more have dominion over him:" for to
inflict the penalty again would be a violation of justice. 3. The glory of his grace.
The glory of this grace he now lives actively to promote. John 17:2. By living "ever"
at God's right hand
he appears as an eternal memorial of God's love in making
him our Mediator and Substitute—our Saviour from sin and wrath; and his
permanent appearance there will keep all heaven perpetually in mind that
"by the grace of God they are what they are
" owing all to the
sovereign mercy of God through Jesus Christ. He shall appear as the blessed
medium through which all the gifts and joys of salvation shall flow to the
guilty for evermore. Thus the power of God and all his moral attributes secure
the perpetuity of the life of the risen and exalted Saviour.—Ralph Wardlaw
D.D.
Verse 4. "He
asked life of thee
and thou gavest it him." He asked a resurrection
saying
"Father
glorify thy Son;" and thou gavest it him. "Length
of days for ever and ever." The prolonged ages of this world which the
church was to have
and after them an eternity
world without end.—Augustine.
Verse 4. "He
asked life of thee
" etc. Thus God is better to his people than their
prayers; and when they ask but one blessing
he answereth them as Naaman did
Gehazi
with
Nay
take two. Hezekiah asked but one life
and God gave him
fifteen years
which we reckon at two lives and more. He giveth liberally and
like himself; as great Alexander did when he gave the poor beggar a city; and
when he sent his schoolmaster a ship full of frankincense
and bade him
sacrifice freely.—John Trapp.
Verses 4-8. If David
had before been without the symbol of his royal dignity
namely
the diadem
he
was the more justified in praising the goodness of God
which had now
transferred it from the head of an enemy to his own.—Augustus F. Tholuck.
Verse 5. "His
glory is great in thy salvation." I remember one dying
and hearing
some discourse of Jesus Christ; "Oh
" said she
"speak more of
this—let me hear more of this—be not weary of telling his praise; I long to see
him
how should I but long to hear of him?" Surely I cannot say too much
of Jesus Christ. On this blessed subject no man can possibly hyperbolise. Had I
the tongues of men and angels
I could never fully set forth Christ. It
involves an eternal contradiction
that the creature can see to the bottom of
the Creator. Suppose all the sands on the sea-shore
all the flowers
herbs
leaves
twigs of trees in woods and forests
all the stars of heaven
were all
rational creatures; and had they that wisdom and tongues of angels to speak of
the loveliness
beauty
glory
and excellency of Christ
as gone to heaven
and
sitting at the right hand of his Father
they would
in all their expressions
stay millions of miles on this side Jesus Christ. Oh
the loveliness
beauty
and glory of his countenance! Can I speak
or you hear of such a Christ? And
are we not all in a burning love
in a seraphical love
or at least in a
conjugal love? O my heart
how is it thou art not love sick? How is it thou
dost not charge the daughters of Jerusalem as the spouse did: "I charge
you
O daughters of Jerusalem
if ye find my beloved
that ye shall tell him
that I am sick of love." Canticles 5:8.—Isaac Ambrose.
Verse 5. "Honour
and majesty hast thou laid upon him." If it be demanded whether Christ
were exalted unto his glory and dignity
according to both his natures
both
his Godhead and his manhood
I answer
according to both. According to his
Godhead
not as it is considered in itself
but inasmuch as his Godhead
which from
his birth unto his death did little show itself
after his resurrection was
made manifest in his manhood; for
as the apostle saith (Romans 1:4)
"He
was declared mightily to be the Son of God by the resurrection from the
dead
" even by the resurrection and after his resurrection from the dead
he which was thought only to be man
was most plainly manifested likewise to be
God. Now
as touching his manhood
he was therein exalted unto highest majesty
in the heavenly places
not only shaking off all infirmities of man's nature
but also being beautified and adorned with all qualities of glory
both in his
soul and in his body
yet so that he still retaineth the properties of a true
body
for even as he was man
he was set at the right hand of the Father
to
rule and reign over all
till all his enemies be destroyed
and put under his
feet. To knit up all in a word
Christ
God and man
after his resurrection
was crowned with glory and honour
even such as plainly showed him to be God
and was set on the throne of God
there to rule and reign as sovereign Lord and
King
till he come in the clouds to judge both quick and dead. Here
then
is
both matter of comfort and consolation unto the godly
and likewise for fear
and astonishment unto the wicked and ungodly.—Henry Airway
1560-1616.
Verse 5 (last
clause). Christ was "a man of sorrows" on earth
but he is full
of joy in heaven. He that "wipes away all tears from the eyes of his
people
" surely has none in his own. There was a joy set before him
before he suffered
and doubtless it was given him
when he sat down at God's
right hand. We may take the latter to be an actual donation of the former; the
joy he had in prospect when he suffered he had in possession when he came to
his throne. This is the time of his receiving the Father's public approbation
and the tokens of his love
before the whole heavenly assembly
which must be
matter of great joy to him who so much valued and delighted in his Father's
love.—John Hurrion
1675-1731.
Verse 5. Happy he
who hath a bone
or an arm
to put the crown upon the head of our highest King
whose chariot is paved with love. Were there ten thousand millions of heavens
created above these highest heavens
and again as many above them
and as many
above them
till angels were wearied with counting
it were but too low a seat
to fix the princely throne of that Lord Jesus (whose ye are) above them all.—Samuel
Rutherford.
Verse 6. "Thou
hast made him exceeding glad:" literally
"brightened him
"
possibly in allusion to the brightness of Moses' face. Dalman Hapstone
M.A.
in "The Ancient Psalms. . . . A Literal—Translation and Notes
"
etc.
1867.
Verse 6. "Thou
hast made him exceeding glad with thy countenance." Though this be
metamorphically used for favour
yet is the speech not all metaphor
and
that well-experienced Christians will tell you.—Zachary Bogan
in "The
Mirth of a Christian Life
" 1653.
Verse 6 (first
clause). Literally
as in the Bible marginal translation
"Thou hast
set him to be blessings for ever." Most truly said of the King in
whom all the nations of the earth were to be blessed.—Richard Mant.
Verse 8. "Thine
hand shall find out all thine enemies: thy right hand shall find out those that
hate thee." By a kind of climax in the form of expression
"hand
"
is followed by "right hand
" a still more emphatic sign of
active strength. To "find
" in this connection
includes the
ideas of detecting and reaching. Compare 1 Samuel 23:17; Isaiah 10:10; in the
latter of which places the verb is construed with a preposition (Heb.)
as it
is in the first clause of the verse before us
whereas in the other clause it
governs the noun directly. If any difference of meaning was intended
it is
probably not greater than that between find and find out in
English.—Joseph Addison Alexander.
Verse 8. "Thine
hand shall find out all thine enemies: thy right hand shall find out those that
hate thee." Saul killed himself
for fear of falling into the hands of
his enemies
and thought death less terrible than the shame that he would have
endured in seeing himself in their power. What will it be then "to fall
into the hands of the living God" (Hebrews 10:31)
of an offended God? of
God unchangeably determined to be avenged? "Who can stand before his
indignation?" says the prophet Nahum (chap. 1:6). Who will dare look on
him? Who will dare show himself? "Who may abide the day of his
coming" (Malachi 3:2) without shuddering and fainting for fear? If
Joseph's brethren were so terrified that they "could not answer him
"
when he said
"I am Joseph your brother
" how will it be with
sinners
when they shall hear the voice of the Son of God
when he shall
triumph over them in his wrath
and say unto them
"I am he" whom ye
despised; "I am he" whom ye have offended; "I am he" whom
ye have crucified? If these words
"I am he
" overthrew the soldiers
in the garden of Olives (John 18:6)
though spoken with extreme gentleness
how
will it be when his indignation bursts forth
when it falls upon his enemies
like a thunderbolt
and reduces them into dust? Then will they cry out in
terror
and say to the mountains
"Fall on us
and hide us from the
face of him that sitteth on the throne
and from the wrath of the Lamb."
Revelation 6:16.—James Nouet.
Verse 8. "Thine
hand shall find out
" etc. It is not meant only of a discovery of a
person (though it be a truth
that the Lord will discover all that are his
enemies)
but thine hand shall find them out
is
it shall take hold of
them
grasp them
and arrest them. "Thine hand shall find out" all
"thine enemies
" though close
though covert enemies; not only thy
above-ground enemies
but thy under-ground enemies; as well those that
undermine thee
as those that assault thee.—Joseph Caryl.
Verse 9. "Thou
shalt make them as a fiery oven in the time of thine anger: the Lord shall
swallow them up in his wrath
and the fire shall devour them." How
then shall it fare with sinners
when
after all
shall come that general fire
so often foretold
which shall either fall from heaven
or ascend out of hell
or (according to Albertus Magnus)
proceed from both
and shall devour and
consume all it meets with? Whither shall the miserable fly
when that river of
flames
or (to say better)
that inundation and deluge of fire shall so
encompass them
as no place of surety shall be left; where nothing can avail
but a holy life; when all besides shall perish
in that universal ruin of the
whole world? What lamentations were in Rome
when it burnt for seven days
together! What shrieks were heard in Troy
when it was wholly consumed with
flames! What howling and astonishment in Pentapolis
when those cities were
destroyed with fire from heaven! What weeping there was in Jerusalem
when they
beheld the house of God
the glory of their kingdom
the wonder of the world
involved in fire and smoke! Imagine what these people felt; they saw their
houses and goods on fire
and no possibility of saving them; when the husband
heard the shrieks and cries of his dying wife; the father
of his little
children; and
unawares
perceived himself so encompassed with flames
that he
could neither relieve them
nor free himself. What shall it then profit the
worldlings
to have rich vessels of gold and silver
curious embroideries
precious tapestries
pleasant gardens
sumptuous palaces
and all what the
world now esteems
when they shall with their own eyes
behold their costly
palaces burnt
their rich and curious pieces of gold melted
and their
flourishing and pleasant orchards consumed
without power to preserve them or
themselves? All shall burn
and with it the world
and all the memory and fame
of it shall die; and that which mortals thought to be immortal
shall then end
and perish.—Jeremy Taylor.
Verse 9. "Thou
shalt make them as a fiery oven in the time of thine anger." They
shall not only be cast into a furnace of fire (Matthew 13:42)
but he shall
make them themselves as a fiery oven or furnace
they shall be their own
tormentors
the reflections and terrors of their own consciences will be their
hell. Those that might have had Christ to rule and save them
but rejected him
and fought against him
even the remembrance of that will be enough to make
them to eternity a fiery oven to themselves.—Matthew Henry.
Verse 9. "Thou
shalt make them as a fiery oven:" thou shalt make them on fire within
by the consciousness of their ungodliness: "In the time of thy
countenance;" in the time of thy manifestation.—Augustine.
Verse 9. "As
a fiery oven
" where the burning is extremely hot
the heat striking
upon what is in it from all sides
above
below
and about
on all hands
and
the door closed from going out
or from suffering any cool refreshment to come
in.—David Dickson.
Verse 9. "As
a fiery oven." Shall make them like a vault of fire
literally
"an
oven
" as in our translation
or "furnace of fire." Bishop
Horsley remarks
"It describes the smoke of the Messiah's enemies
perishing by fire
ascending like the smoke of a furnace. 'The smoke of their
torments shall ascend for ever and ever.'" How awfully grand is that
description of the ruins of the cities of the plain
as the prospect struck on
Abraham's eye on the fatal morning of their destruction! "And he looked
toward Sodom and Gomorrah
and toward all the land of the plain
and beheld
and
lo
the smoke of the country went up as the smoke of a furnace."
Milton puts it—
"Overhead
the dismal hiss
Of fiery darts in flaming volleys flew
And flying vaulted either host with fire."
Richard Mant.
Verse 9. The Chaldee
reads:—"The fire of Gehenna
or hell."—John Morison.
Verse 9. "The
time of thine anger." If God be willing to pour out his heavy
displeasure upon those that displease him
what can hinder his mighty arm from
performing? Creatures indeed may be angry
but oftentimes
like drones without
stings
cannot hurt; as cannons charged with powder without shot only make a
roaring; like the Pope's Bulls
threaten many
hurt none but those whose
conscience is enslaved. Saul may be angry at David
but cannot find him out;
but from God's all-piercing eye none can hide himself. Satan may desire to kill
Job
Jonah may be angry till death for Nineveh's preservation; yet God puts a
bit in both their mouths
who
if he be angry
nothing can be holden out of his
reach. Princes
if they take captives
may have them rescued from them again
as Lot was from the King of Sodom; bought with a price
as Joseph of the
Ishmaelites. But no power can rescue us from God's anger
no ransom but
Christ's blood redeem us. God's will being set afoot
all his attributes
follow; if his will say
Be angry
his eye seek out the object of his anger
and finds it; his wisdom tempers the cup
his hand whets the sword
his arm
strikes the blow. Thus you see there is a time of God's anger for sin
because
he will have it so.—John Cragge.
Verse 9. "The
fire shall devour them." Being troubled by the vengeance of the Lord
after the accusation of their conscience
they shall be given up to eternal
fire to be devoured.—Augustine.
Verse 9. I have read
that a frown of Queen Elizabeth killed Sir Christopher Hatton
the Lord
Chancellor of England. What then shall the frowns of the King of nations do? If
the rocks rend
the mountains melt
and the foundations of the earth tremble
under his wrath; how will the ungodly sinner appear when he comes in all his
royal glory to take vengeance on all that knew him not
and that obeyed not his
glorious gospel?—Charles Bradbury.
Verse 10. "Their
fruit shalt thou destroy from the earth
and their seed from among the children
of men." A day is coming when all the "fruits" of
sin
brought forth by sinners in their words
their writings
and their actions
shall be "destroyed;" yea
the tree itself
which had produced
them
shall be rooted up
and cast into the fire. The "seed"
and posterity of the wicked
if they continue in the way of their forefathers
will be punished like them. Let parents consider
that upon their principles
and practices may depend the salvation or destruction of multitudes after them.
The case of the Jews
daily before their eyes
should make them tremble.—George
Horne.
Verse 11. "They
intended
" or warped. Hebrew
have bent or stretched. A
similitude taken from weavers
who warp their yarn before they weave: or from
archers
who
when they have bent their bow and put in their arrow
do take
their aim.—John Diodati.
Verse 12. "Therefore
shalt thou make them turn their back
" or thou shalt set them as a
butt
"when thou shalt make ready thine arrows upon thy strings against
the face of them." The judgments of God are called his "arrows
"
being sharp
swift
sure and deadly. What a dreadful situation
to be set as a
mark and "butt" at which these arrows are directed! View
Jerusalem encompassed by the Roman armies without
and torn to pieces by the
animosity of desperate and bloody factions within! No farther commentary is
requisite upon this verse.—George Horne.
HINTS TO THE
VILLAGE PREACHER
Verse 1. The joy of
Jesus and of his people in the strength and salvation of God.
Verses 1
2. The
doctrine of the resurrection of Jesus Christ contained in the text
may be
considered under three heads:
I.
As an answer to prayer.
II.
His joy therein—even in the resurrection.
III.
As a necessary appendage to this—our own individual concern in his glory and
in his joy. Hamilton Verschoyle.
Verse 2. The
successful Advocate.
Verse 3 (first
clause). Preventing mercies.
Verse 3 (first
clause). GOD GOING BEFORE US
or God's anticipation of our necessities by
his merciful dispensations. God prevents us with the blessings of his goodness:
I.
When we come into the world.
II.
When we become personal transgressors.
III.
When we enter upon the duties and upon the cares of mature life.
IV.
When
in the general course of life
we enter upon new paths.
V.
In the dark "valley of the shadow of death."
VI.
By giving us many mercies without our asking for them; and thus creating
occasion
not for prayer
but for praise only.
VII.
By opening to us the gate of heaven
and by storing heaven with every provision
for our blessedness.—Samuel Martin.
Verse 3 (second
clause). Jesus crowned.
I.
His previous labours.
II.
The dominion bestowed.
III.
The character of the crown.
IV.
The divine coronant.
Verse 4. Jesus ever
living.
Verse 5. The glory
of the Mediator.
Verse 6. The
blessedness of Jesus.
Verse 7. Jesus
and
example of faith and of its results.
Verse 8. The secret
sinner unearthed
and deprived of all hope of concealment.
Verses 8
9. The
certainty and terror of the punishment of the wicked.
Verses 11
12. The
guilt and punishment of evil intentions.
Verse 12. The
retreat of the grand army of hell.
Verse 13. A
devout Doxology.
I.
God exalted.
II.
God alone exalted.
III.
God exalted by his own strength.
IV.
His people singing his praise.
── C.H. Spurgeon《The Treasury of David》