1I will sing of the mercies of Jehovah forever; with my mouth will I make known Your faithfulness from generation to generation. 2For I have said, Mercy shall be built up forever; Your faithfulness You shall establish in the heavens. 3I have made a covenant with My elect, I have sworn unto David My servant: 4Your seed I will establish forever, and build up your throne from generation to generation. Selah 5And the heavens shall confess Your wonders, O Jehovah; Your faithfulness also in the assembly of the saints. 6For who in the clouds can be compared to Jehovah? Who among the sons of the gods can be likened unto Jehovah? 7The Mighty God is greatly to be feared in the council of the saints, and to be held in reverence by all those around Him. 8O Jehovah the God of Hosts, who is mighty like You, O YAH? Your faithfulness is round about You. 9You rule the raging of the sea; when its waves rise, You still them. 10You have broken Rahab in pieces, as one who is slain; You have scattered Your enemies with Your mighty arm. 11The heavens are Yours, the earth also is Yours; You have founded the world and all its fullness. 12The north and the south, You have created them; Tabor and Hermon rejoice in Your name. 13You have a mighty arm; strong is Your hand, and exalted is Your right hand. 14Righteousness and justice are the foundation of Your throne; mercy and truth go before Your face. 15Blessed are the people who know the shouts of joy! They walk, O Jehovah, in the light of Your countenance. 16In Your name they rejoice all day long, and in Your righteousness they are exalted. 17For You are the glory of their strength, and in Your favor our horn is exalted. 18For Jehovah is our shield, and our King, the Holy One of Israel. 19Then You spoke in a vision to Your holy one, and said: I have placed help upon a mighty one; I have exalted a chosen one out of the people. 20I have found David, My servant; with My holy oil I have anointed him; 21with whom My hand shall be established; My arm also shall strengthen him. 22The enemy shall not exact usury upon him, nor the son of injustice afflict him. 23I will beat down his foes before his face, and plague those who hate him. 24But My faithfulness and My mercy shall be with him, and in My name his horn shall be exalted. 25I will also set his hand over the sea, and his right hand over the rivers. 26He shall call unto Me, You are my Father, my Mighty God, and the Rock of my salvation. 27And I will make him My firstborn, the highest of the kings of the earth. 28My mercy I will keep for him forever, and My covenant shall be established with him. 29His seed also I have ordained eternally, and His throne as the days of Heaven. 30If his sons forsake My Law and do not walk in My justice, 31if they break My Statutes and do not keep My Commandments, 32then I will punish their transgression with the rod, and their perversities with strokes. 33Nevertheless in My lovingkindness I will not crush him, nor deal falsely in My faithfulness. 34My covenant I will not break, nor alter what has gone forth out of My lips. 35Once I have sworn by My holiness; I will not lie to David: 36His seed is forever, and his throne as the sun before Me; 37it shall be established forever like the moon, a faithful witness in the clouds. Selah 38But You have cast off and rejected, You have passed over Your anointed. 39You have spurned the covenant of Your servant; You have dishonored his crown on the ground. 40You have broken down all his hedges; You have brought his strongholds to ruin. 41All who pass by the way plunder him; he is a reproach to his neighbors. 42You have exalted the right hand of his oppressors; You have made all his enemies rejoice. 43You have also turned back the edge of his sword, and have not sustained him in the battle. 44You have made his glory to cease, and hurled his throne down to the ground. 45The days of his youth You have shortened; You have covered him with shame. Selah 46How long, Jehovah? Will You hide Yourself forever? Will Your fury burn like fire? 47Remember the time of life; why have you created the sons of men for vanity? 48What strong man can live and not see death? Can he deliver his soul from the power of Sheol? Selah 49O Lord, where are Your former lovingkindnesses which You swore unto David in Your faithfulness? 50Remember, O Lord, the reproaches of Your Servant, which I bear in My bosom, of all the many peoples, 51with which Your enemies have reproached, O Jehovah, with which they have reproached the heel of Your Anointed. 52Blessed is Jehovah forevermore! Amen and Amen.
Jamieson Fausset Brown Bible Commentary 1 Of Ethan--(See on
Ps 88:1, title). This Psalm was composed during some season of great national distress, perhaps Absalom's rebellion. It contrasts the promised prosperity and perpetuity of David's throne (with reference to the great promise of
2Sam 7:12-17), with a time when God appeared to have forgotten His covenant. The picture thus drawn may typify the promises and the adversities of Christ's kingdom, and the terms of confiding appeal to God provided appropriate prayers for the divine aid and promised blessing. (Psa. 89:1-52)
mercies--those promised (
Isa 55:3;
Acts 13:34), and--
faithfulness--that is, in fulfilling them.
2 I have said--expressed, as well as felt, my convictions (
2Cor 4:13).
3 The object of this faith expressed in God's words (
2Sam 7:11-16).
with--or literally, "to"
my chosen--as the covenant is in the form of a promise.
6 This is worthy of our belief, for His faithfulness (is praised) by the congregation of saints or holy ones; that is, angels (compare
Deut 33:2;
Dan 8:13).
sons of the mighty--(compare
Ps 29:1). So is He to be admired on earth.
8 To illustrate His power and faithfulness examples are cited from history. His control of the sea (the most mighty and unstable object in nature), and of Egypt (
Ps 87:4), the first great foe of Israel (subjected to utter helplessness from pride and insolence), are specimens. At the same time, the whole frame of nature founded and sustained by Him, Tabor and Hermon for "east and west," and "north and south," together representing the whole world, declare the same truth as to His attributes.
12 rejoice in thy name--praise Thy perfections by their very existence.
15 His government of righteousness is served by "mercy" and "truth" as ministers (
Ps 85:10-
Ps 85:13).
know the joyful sound--understand and appreciate the spiritual blessings symbolized by the feasts to which the people were called by the trumpet (
Lev 25:9, &c.).
walk . . . countenance--live in His favor (
Ps 4:6;
Ps 44:3).
16 in--or, "by"
thy righteousness--Thy faithful just rule.
glory--or, "beauty."
of their strength--They shall be adorned as well as protected.
our horn--exalt our power (
Ps 75:10;
Luke 1:69).
18 (Margin). Thus is introduced the promise to "our shield," "our king," David.
19 Then--when the covenant was established, of whose execution the exalted views of God now given furnish assurance.
thou . . . to thy holy one--or godly saint, object of favor (
Ps 4:3). Nathan is meant (
2Sam 7:17;
1Chr 17:3-15).
laid help--literally, "given help." David was chosen and then exalted.
20 I have found--having sought and then selected him (
1Sam 16:1-6).
21 will protect and sustain (
Isa 41:10),
22 by restraining and conquering his enemies, and performing My gracious purpose of extending his dominion--
25 hand [and] right hand--power (
Ps 17:7;
Ps 60:5).
sea, and . . . rivers--limits of his empire (
Ps 72:8).
26 first-born--one who is chief, most beloved or distinguished (
Exod 4:22;
Col 1:15). In God's sight and purposes he was the first among all monarchs, and specially so in his typical relation to Christ.
28 This relation is perpetual with David's descendants, as a whole typical in official position of his last greatest descendant. Hence though in personal relations any of them might be faithless and so punished, their typical relation shall continue. His oath confirms His promise, and the most enduring objects of earth and heaven illustrate its perpetual force (
Ps 72:5,
Ps 72:7,
Ps 72:17).
35 Once--one thing (
Ps 27:4).
by my holiness--as a holy God.
that I will not lie--literally, "if I lie"--part of the form of swearing (
1Sam 24:6;
2Sam 3:35).
37 It shall . . . moon . . . heaven--literally, "As the moon, and the witness in the sky is sure, that is, the moon."
38 present a striking contrast to these glowing promises, in mournful evidences of a loss of God's favor.
cast off--and rejected (compare
Ps 15:4;
Ps 43:2;
Ps 44:9).
39 An insult to the "crown," as of divine origin, was a profanation.
40 The ruin is depicted under several figures--a vineyard whose broken "hedges," and "strongholds," whose ruins invite spoilers and invaders; a warrior, whose enemies are aided by God, and whose sword's "edge"--literally, "rock" or "strength" (
Josh 5:2) is useless; and a youth prematurely old.
45 days of his youth--or, "youthful vigor," that is, of the royal line, or promised perpetual kingdom, under the figure of a man.
46 How long, &c.--(Compare
Ps 13:1;
Ps 88:14;
Jer 4:4).
47 These expostulations are excited in view of the identity of the prosperity of this kingdom with the welfare of all mankind (
Gen 22:18;
Ps 72:17;
Isa 9:7;
Isa 11:1-
Isa 11:10); for if such is the fate of this chosen royal line.
48 What man--literally, "strong man--shall live?" and, indeed, have not all men been made in vain, as to glorifying God?
49 The terms of expostulation are used in view of the actual appearance that God had forsaken His people and forgotten His promise, and the plea for aid is urged in view of the reproaches of His and His people's enemies (compare Isa. 37:17-35).
50 bear in my bosom--as feeling the affliction of the people (
Ps 69:9).
footsteps--ways (
Ps 56:6).
52 Blessed, &c.--denotes returning confidence (
Ps 34:1-
Ps 34:3).
Amen, and Amen--closes the third book of Psalms.