Psalms 21 commentary

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.

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.

PSALM 21.

This psalm contains a public and solemn thanksgiving for the prosperous and happy condition of the king. Its subject is almost the same with that of the preceding. “What was anticipated in the preceding psalm, the present poem appears to celebrate as having been achieved.” — Drake’s Harp of Judah. In the former there was set forth a common form of prayer, which was designed to excite in the whole people earnest concern for the preservation of their head. In this it is shown that the safety and prosperity of the king ought to produce public and general rejoicing through the whole realm, inasmuch as God by this means intended to preserve the whole body in safety. But, above all, it was the design of the Holy Spirit here to direct the minds of the faithful to Christ, who was the end and perfection of this kingdom, and to teach them that they could not be saved except under the head which God himself had appointed over them.

To the chief musician. A psalm of David.

Psalm 21:1-3

1. The king will rejoice in thy strength, O Yehovah! and in thy salvation how greatly will he rejoice! 2. Thou hast given him the desire of his heart, and hast not denied him the request of his lips. Selah. 3. For thou wilt prevent him with blessings of good, thou wilt set a crown of gold upon his head. The Hebrew word is פז, paz, denoting fine gold, the purest gold, the same word which is used in Psalm 19:10

1. The king will rejoice in thy strength, O Jehovah! David could have given thanks to God in private for the victories and other signal favors which he had received from him; but it was his intention to testify not only that it was God who elevated him to the throne, but also that whatever blessings God had conferred upon him redounded to the public good, and the advantage of all the faithful. In the beginning of the psalm the believing Israelites express their firm persuasion that God, who had created David to be king, had undertaken to defend and maintain him. It therefore appears that this psalm, as well as the preceding, was composed for the purpose of assuring the faithful that the goodness of God in this respect towards David would be of long duration, and permanent; and it was necessary, in order to their being established in a well-grounded confidence of their safety; to hope well of their king, whose countenance was as it were a mirror of the merciful and reconciled countenance of God. The sense of the words is: Lord, in putting forth thy power to sustain and protect the king, thou wilt preserve him safe; and, ascribing his safety to thy power, he will greatly rejoice in thee. The Psalmist has doubtless put strength and salvation for strong and powerful succor; intimating, that the power of God in defending the king would be such as would preserve and protect him against all dangers.

In the second verse there is pointed out the cause of this joy. The cause was this: that God had heard the prayers of the king, and had liberally granted him whatever he desired. It was important to be known, and that the faithful should have it deeply impressed on their minds, that all David’s successes were so many benefits conferred upon him by God, and at the same time testimonies of his lawful calling. And David, there is no doubt, in speaking thus, testifies that he did not give loose reins to the desires of the flesh, and follow the mere impulse of his appetites like worldly men, who set their minds at one time upon this thing, and at another time upon that, without any consideration, and just as they are led by their sensual lusts; but that he had so bridled his affections as to desire nothing save what was good and lawful. According to the infirmity which is natural to men, he was, it is true, chargeable with some vices, and even fell shamefully on two occasions; but the habitual administration of his kingdom was such that it was easy to see that the Holy Spirit presided over it. But as by the Spirit of prophecy the Psalmist had principally an eye to Christ, who does not reign for his own advantage, but for ours, and whose desire is directed only to our salvation, we may gather hence the very profitable doctrine, that we need entertain no apprehension that God will reject our prayers in behalf of the church, since our heavenly King has gone before us in making intercession for her, so that in praying for her we are only endeavoring to follow his example.

PSALM 21

Psa 21:1-13. The pious are led by the Psalmist to celebrate God's favor to the king in the already conferred and in prospective victories. The doxology added may relate to both Psalms; the preceding of petition, chiefly this of thanksgiving, ascribing honor to God for His display of grace and power to His Church in all ages, not only under David, but also under his last greatest successor, "the King of the Jews."

1. thy strength ... thy salvation--as supplied by Thee.

2. The sentiment affirmed in the first clause is reaffirmed by the negation of its opposite in the second.

3. preventest--literally, "to meet here in good sense," or "friendship" (Psa 59:10; compare opposite, Psa 17:13).

blessings of goodness--which confer happiness.

crown of pure gold--a figure for the highest royal prosperity.

4-6. (Compare 2Sa 7:13-16). The glory and blessedness of the king as head of his line, including Christ, as well as in being God's specially selected servant, exceeded that of all others.

7. The mediate cause is the king's faith, the efficient, God's mercy.

8. The address is now made to the king.

hand--denotes power, and

right hand--a more active and efficient degree of its exercise.

find out--reach, lay hold of, indicating success in pursuit of his enemies.

9. The king is only God's agent.

anger--literally, "face," as appearing against them.

as a fiery oven--as in it.

10. fruit--children (Psa 37:25; Ho 9:16).

11. This terrible overthrow, reaching to posterity, is due to their crimes (Ex 20:5, 6).

12. turn their back--literally, "place them [as to the] shoulder."

against the face of them--The shooting against their faces would cause them to turn their backs in flight.

13. The glory of all is ascribable to God alone.

The king shall joy - מלך משיחא melech Meshicha, "the King Messiah." - Targum. What a difference between ancient and modern heroes! The former acknowledged all to be of God, because they took care to have their quarrel rightly founded; the latter sing a Te Deum, pro forma, because they well know that their battle is not of the Lord. Their own vicious conduct sufficiently proves that they looked no higher than the arm of human strength. God suffers such for a time, but in the end he confounds and brings them to naught.

Thou hast given him his heart's desire - This seems to refer to the prayers offered in the preceding Psalm; see especially Psa 21:1-4.

Thou preventest him - To prevent, from prcevenio, literally signifies to go before. Hence that prayer in the communion service of our public Liturgy, "Prevent us, O Lord, in all our doings, with thy most gracious favor!" That is, "Go before us in thy mercy, make our way plain, and enable us to perform what is right in thy sight!" And this sense of prevent is a literal version of the original word תקדמנו tekademennu. "For thou shalt go before him with the blessings of goodness."

Our ancestors used God before in this sense. So in Henry V.'s speech to the French herald previously to the battle of Agincourt: - "Go therefore; tell thy master, here I am.

My ransom is this frail and worthless trunk;

My army, but a weak and sickly guard:

Yet, God before, tell him we will come on,

Though France himself, and such another neighbor,

Stand in our way."

A crown of pure gold - Probably alluding to the crown of the king of Rabbah, which, on the taking of the city, David took and put on his own head. See the history, 2Sam 12:26-30 (note).

He asked life of thee - This verse has caused some interpreters to understand the Psalm of Hezekiah's sickness, recovery, and the promised addition to his life of fifteen years; but it may be more literally understood of the Messiah, of whom David was the type, and in several respects the representative.

His glory is great - But great as his glory was, it had its greatness from God's salvation. There is no true nobility but of the soul, and the soul has none but what it receives from the grace and salvation of God.

Thou hast made him most blessed for ever - Literally, "Thou hast set him for blessings for ever." Thou hast made the Messiah the Source whence all blessings for time and for eternity shall be derived. He is the Mediator between God and man.

Thou hast made him exceeding glad - Jesus, as Messiah, for the joy that was set before him, of redeeming a lost world by his death, endured the cross, and despised the shame, and is for ever set down on the right hand of God.

The king trusteth in the Lord - It was not by my skill or valor that I have gained this victory, but by faith in the strong protecting, and conquering arm of Jehovah.

He shall not be moved - Perhaps this may be best understood of him who was David's prototype. His throne, kingdom, and government, shall remain for ever.

Thine hand shall find out - Thy uncontrollable power shall find out all thine enemies, wheresoever hidden or howsoever secret. God knows the secret sinner, and where the workers of iniquity hide themselves.

Thou shalt make them as a fiery oven - By thy wrath they shall be burnt up, and they shall be the means of consuming others. One class of sinners shall, in God's judgments, be the means of destroying another class; and at last themselves shall be destroyed.

Their fruit shalt thou destroy - Even their posterity shall be cut off, and thus their memorial shall perish.

For they intended evil - Sinners shall not be permitted to do all that is in their power against the godly; much less shall they be able to perform all that they wish.

Therefore shalt thou make them turn their back - God can in a moment strike the most powerful and numerous army, even in the moment of victory, with panic; and then even the lame, the army which they had nearly routed, shall take the prey, and divide the spoil.

Against the face of them - Thou shalt cause them to turn their backs and fly, as if a volley of arrows had been discharged in their faces. This seems to be the sense of this difficult verse.

Be thou exalted - Exalt thyself. O Lord - thy creatures cannot exalt thee. Lift thyself up, and discomfit thy foes by thine own strength! Thou canst give a victory to thy people over the most formidable enemies, though they strike not one blow in their own defense. God's right hand has often given the victory to his followers, while they stood still to see the salvation of God. How little can the strength of man avail when the Lord raiseth up himself to the battle! His children, therefore, may safely trust in him, for the name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous flee into it, and are safe.

Praise thy power - God is to receive praise in reference to that attribute which he has exhibited most in the defense or salvation of his followers. Sometimes he manifests his power, his mercy, his wisdom, his longsuffering, his fatherly care, his good providence, his holiness, his justice, his truth, etc. Whatever attribute or perfection he exhibits most, that should be the chief subject of his children's praise. One wants teaching, prays for it, and is deeply instructed: he will naturally celebrate the wisdom of God. Another feels himself beset with the most powerful adversaries, with the weakest of whom he is not able to cope: he cries to the Almighty God for strength; he is heard, and strengthened with strength in his soul. He therefore will naturally magnify the all-conquering power of the Lord. Another feels himself lost, condemned, on the brink of hell; he calls for mercy, is heard and saved: mercy, therefore, will be the chief subject of his praise, and the burden of his song.

The old Anglo-Scottish Psalter says, We sal make knowen thi wordes in gude wil and gude werk, for he synges well that wirkes well. For thi, sais he twise, we sal syng; ane tyme for the luf of hert; another, for the schewyng of ryghtwisness, til ensampil.

Prevent - Crowning him with manifold blessings, both more and sooner than he expected. With - With excellent blessings.

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, Heb 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.

Glory - His fame or renown. Salvation - By reason of those great and glorious deliverances which thou hast wrought both for him, and by him.

Countenance - Smiling upon him, by thy grace and favour.

Oven - Like wood, which when it is cast in there, is quickly consumed.

Fruit - Their children. God will take away both root and branch, the parents and all that wicked race.

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.

Exalted - By thy own power, or by the manifestation thereof.

2. Thou hast given him his hearts desire, and hast not withheld the request of his lips. Selah.

b Conferred upon him, and put forth by thee, on his behalf against his Enemies.

3. For thou preventest him with the blessings of goodness ; thou settest a crown of pure gold on his head.

Or, didst prevent him, Crowning him with manifold blessings, both more and sooner, than he either desired or expected, surprizing him with the Gift of the Kingdom, and with many happy Successes.

(i. e.) With excellent Blessings. Or with abundance (as this Word both in Hebrew and Greek is sometimes used, as Psal. 84. 6. Rom. 15. 29. 2 Cor. 9. 5, 6.) of Good.

Either, 1. in token of Victory. Or rather 2. As an Ensign of Royal Majesty conferred upon him.

4. He asked life of thee , and thou gavest it him, even length of days for ever and ever .

He asked only the Preservation of that short and mortal Life, which was oft exposed to utmost Perils.

Either, 1. In his Posterity, in whom Parents are commonly said to Live. Thou gavest the Kingdom not only to himself for a season, as thou didst to Saul, but to him, and to his seed for ever. Or rather, 2. In his Person; For this giving Answers to David's asking. And the thing which David asked of God, was not the Kingdom (wherein God had prevented his Prayers, and granted what David durst not have presumed to ask) but only Life, or the saving and prolonging of his Life, which his Enemies designed to take away. Thou gavest him a long Life and Reign here, and after that thou didst translate him to thy Heavenly Kingdom, to live with thee for ever. But this was more eminently fulfilled in Christ, who asked of his Fathers Life, or to be saved from Death, Heb, 5. 7. though with Submission to his Will: But his Father, though he saw it fit and necessary to take away his temporal Life, yet he instantly gave him another, and that far more noble instead of it, even the perfect Possession of an everlasting and most glorious Life, both in his Soul and Body, at his right hand.

Marginal references: Psal. 61. [illegible: 1+ letters].

5. His glory is great in thy salvation : honour and majesty hast thou laid upon him

His same or renown in the World.

By reason of those great and glorious Deliverances, which thou hast wrought both for him, and by him.

Or, fitted to him, or upon him, as the Hebrew Verb signifies, or made it adequate to him. Thou hast given him a large and noble Soul, very capable of and fit for that high and Honourable estate, to which thou hast advanced him, and thou hast given him Honour and Power, suitable to so excellent a Person, and to such rich Endowments▪

6. For thou hast made him most blessed for ever : thou hast made him exceeding glad with thy countenance .

Heb. thou hast set (or, made, as this Verb is used, Psal. 40. 5. and 89. 42. and 91. 9. Lam. 3. 45.) him Blessings, (e. i.) Either, 1. The Author or Instrument of manifold Blessings to the World, and especially to thy People: which David was in a good measure, but Christ much more truly and eminently. Although this may not seem very suitable to the Context, which only speaks of the Blessing conferred by God upon this King, and not at all of the Blessings flowing from him to others. Or 2. The great example of all Blessings, whom the Israelites in all Ages shall propound to themselves, in all their Forms and Pronunciations of Blessings, They shall say, God make thee as blessed as this King▪ Either David or the Messias. Compare Gen. 12. 2 and 48. 20. or rather most Blessed, as we translate it, the abstract Form, and the plural Number being here used emphatically, as they commonly are, as Ezek. 34. 26. Psal. 5. 10. and 19. 10. and 35. 6. to Note a man in whom all sorts of Blessings are united and met together, filled with Blessings, and as it were a man of Blessings, made up altogether of Blessings, as Christ upon a like Reason was called a man of Sorrows, Isa. 53. 3. And possibly the Word Man, may be understood here, as it is in many other places, as I have shewed before, and the place rendred thus, Thou hast made him a Man of Blessings.

Of which see on v. 4.

To wit, smiling upon him, as it must necessarily be understood from the foregoing Words, (i. e.) By thy Grace and Favour manifested, and imparted to his Soul, and by the Effects of it, in saving him from all his Enemies and Calamities.

Marginal references: Heb. s[illegible: 1+ letters]t him to be Blessings.; Heb. gladded him with joys.

7. For the king trusteth in the LORD: and through the mercy of the most High, he shall not be moved .

Or removed from his Kingdom, as Saul was.

8. Thine hand shall find out all thine Enemies , thy right hand shall find out those that hate thee.

When they seek to hide themselves or flee away from thee, should discover and overtake and destroy them, Or, shall be sufficient (as this Verb sometimes signifies, as Numb. 11. 22. Iudg. 21. 14.) for all thi[illegible: 1+ letters]e Fnemies, To wit, to Conquer them; thou shall need no forreign Succours to help thee.

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.

Or, Thou shalt put them, (as the Hebrew word Properly signifies) as it were into (So there is only an Ellipsis of the Preposition Beth, which is most frequent) a fiery Oven, (i. e.) Like Wood, which when it is cast in there, is quickly consurned.

(i. e.) Destroy them, as this Phrase is oft used, as 2 Sam. 20. 19, 20. Psal. 56. 1, 2. Prov. 1. 12.

Marginal references: Heb. [illegible: 1 word]. [illegible: 1 word]. 34. 16.

10. Their fruit shalt thou destroy from the earth, and their seed from among the children of men.

Either, 1. The fruit of their Labours. Or rather, 2. Their seed or Children, as it is explained in the next Branch, oft called a Man's Fruit, as Deut. 28. 4. Psal. 127. 3. and 132. 11. Lament. 2. 20. God will take away both Root and Branch, the Parents and all that wicked Race.

Marginal references: Job. 18. 16▪ 19.

11. For they intended evil against thee : they imagined a mischievous device, which they are not able to perform .

(i. e.) Against God, not directly but by Consequence, because it was against David, whom God had anointed, and against the Lords people, whose injuries God takes as done to himself, Zech. 2. 8.

Such Supplements are usual after this Verb, as Exod. 8. 18. Psal. 101. 5. an[illegible: 1+ letters] 139. 6. Isa. 1. 13. Or, for which they were unable or insufficient. Or, but they did not prevail, as this Verb signifies, Psal. 13. 4. and 129. 2. This Glause seems to be added to teach us this great and necessary Lesson, that men are justly punished by God for their wicked Intentions, although they be hindred from the Execution of them, contrary to what some Jewish Doctors, and others have taught.

12. Therefore shalt thou make them turn their back , when thou shalt make ready thine arrows upon thy strings, against the face of them ?

(i. e.) Flee away at the first sight of thee, whereby also they will be a fit mark for thine Arrows. Or, Thou shalt set them, as a Butt to shoot at, as the like Phrase is used, Deut. 7. 10. Iob. 7 20. and 16. 12.

Or, against them, the word Face being oft redundant.

Marginal references: Or, thou shalt set them as a B[illegible: 1+ letters]tt.; Heb. Shoulder.; Psal. 7. 13.

13. Be thou exalted, LORD, in thine own strength : so will we sing and praise thy Power.

By thy own Power, or by the manifestation thereof, whereby thou wiltst have the whole Glory of the work.

Thanksgiving for the King in Time of Warning

“Jahve fulfil all thy desires” cried the people in the preceding Psalm, as they interceded on behalf of their king; and in this Psalm they are able thankfully to say to God “the desire of his heart hast Thou granted.” In both Psalms the people come before God with matters that concern the welfare of their king; in the former, with their wishes and prayers, in the latter, their thanksgivings and hopes in the latter as in the former when in the midst of war, but in the latter after the recovery of the king, in the certainty of a victorious termination of the war.

The Targum and the Talmud, B. Succa 52 a, understand this Psa 21:1 of the king Messiah. Rashi remarks that this Messianic interpretation ought rather to be given up for the sake of the Christians. But even the Christian exposition cannot surely mean to hold fast this interpretation so directly and rigidly as formerly. This pair of Psalm treats of David; David’s cause, however, in its course towards a triumphant issue - a course leading through suffering - is certainly figuratively the cause of Christ.

Psa 21:1-2 (Hebrew_Bible_21:2-3) The Psalm begins with thanksgiving for the bodily and spiritual blessings which Jahve has bestowed and still continues to bestow upon the king, in answer to his prayer. This occupies the three opening tetrastichs, of which these verses form the first. עז (whence עזּך, as in Psa 74:13, together with עזּך, Psa 63:3, and frequently) is the power that has been made manifest in the king, which has turned away his affliction; ישׁוּעה is the help from above which has freed him out of his distress. The יגיל, which follows the מה of the exclamation, is naturally shortened by the Kerî into יגל (with the retreat of the tone); cf. on the contrary Pro 20:24, where מה is interrogative and, according to the sense, negative). The ἁπ. λεγ. ארשׁת has the signification eager desire, according to the connection, the lxx δέηεσιν, and the perhaps also cognate רוּשׁ, to be poor; the Arabic Arab. wrš , avidum esse, must be left out of consideration according to the laws of the interchange of consonants, whereas ירשׁ, Arab. wrṯ , capere, captare (cf. Arab. irṯ = wirṯ an inheritance), but not רוּשׁ (vid., Psa 34:11), belongs apparently to the same root. Observe the strong negation בּל: no, thou hast not denied, but done the very opposite. The fact of the music having to strike up here favours the supposition, that the occasion of the Psalm is the fulfilment of some public, well-known prayer.

Psa 21:3-4 (Hebrew_Bible_21:4-5) “Blessings of good” (Pro 24:25) are those which consist of good, i.e., true good fortune. The verb קדּם, because used of the favour which meets and presents one with some blessing, is construed with a double accusative, after the manner of verbs of putting on and bestowing (Ges. §139). Since Psa 21:4 cannot be intended to refer to David’s first coronation, but to the preservation and increase of the honour of his kingship, this particularisation of Psa 21:4 sounds like a prediction of what is recorded in 2Sa 22:30 : after the conquest of the Ammonitish royal city Rabbah David set the Ammonitish crown (עטרת), which is renowned for the weight of its gold and its ornamentation with precious stones, upon his head. David was then advanced in years, and in consequence of heavy guilt, which, however, he had overcome by penitence and laying hold on the mercy of God, was come to the brink of the grave. He, worthy of death, still lived; and the victory over the Syro-Ammonitish power was a pledge to him of God’s faithfulness in fulfilling his promises. It is contrary to the tenour of the words to say that Psa 21:5 does not refer to length of life, but to hereditary succession to the throne. To wish any one that he may live לעולם, and especially a king, is a usual thing, 1Ki 1:31, and frequently. The meaning is, may the life of the king be prolonged to an indefinitely distant day. What the people have desired elsewhere, they here acknowledge as bestowed upon the king.

Psa 21:5-6 (Hebrew_Bible_21:6-7) The help of God turns to his honour, and paves the way for him to honour, it enables him-this is the meaning of. Psa 21:6 - to maintain and strengthen his kingship with fame and glory. שׁוּה על used, as in Psa 89:20, of divine investiture and endowment. To make blessings, or a fulness of blessing, is a stronger form of expressing God’s words to Abram, Gen 12:2 : thou shalt be a blessing i.e., a possessor of blessing thyself, and a medium of blessing to others. Joy in connection with (את as in Psa 16:11) the countenance of God, is joy in delightful and most intimate fellowship with Him. חדּה, from חדה, which occurs once in Exo 18:9, has in Arabic, with reference to nomad life, the meaning “to cheer the beasts of burden with a song and urge them on to a quicker pace,” and in Hebrew, as in Aramaic, the general signification “to cheer, enliven.”

Psa 21:7-8 (Hebrew_Bible_21:8-9) With this strophe the second half of the Psalm commences. The address to God is now changed into an address to the king; not, however, expressive of the wishes, but of the confident expectation, of the speakers. Hengstenberg rightly regards Psa 21:8 as the transition to the second half; for by its objective utterance concerning the king and God, it separates the language hitherto addressed to God, from the address to the king, which follows. We do not render Psa 21:8: and trusting in the favour of the Most High - he shall not be moved; the mercy is the response of the trust, which (trust) does not suffer him to be moved; on the expression, cf. Pro 10:30. This inference is now expanded in respect to the enemies who desire to cause him to totter and fall. So far from any tottering, he, on the contrary, makes a victorious assault upon his foes. If the words had been addressed to Jahve, it ought, in order to keep up the connection between Psa 21:9 and Psa 21:8, at least to have been איביו and שׁנאיו (his, i.e., the king’s, enemies). What the people now hope on behalf of their king, they here express beforehand in the form of a prophecy. מצא ל (as in Isa 10:10) and מצא seq. acc. (as in 1Sa 23:17) are distinguished as: to reach towards, or up to anything, and to reach anything, attain it. Supposing ל to represent the accusative, as e.g., in Psa 69:6, Psa 21:9 would be a useless repetition.

Psa 21:9-10 (Hebrew_Bible_21:10-11) Hitherto the Psalm has moved uniformly in synonymous dipodia, now it becomes agitated; and one feels from its excitement that the foes of the king are also the people’s foes. True as it is, as Hupfeld takes it, that לעת פּניך sounds like a direct address to Jahve, Psa 21:10 nevertheless as truly teaches us quite another rendering. The destructive effect, which in other passages is said to proceed from the face of Jahve, Psa 34:17; Lev 20:6; Lam 4:16 (cf. ἔχει θεὸς ἔκδικον ὄμμα), is here ascribed to the face, i.e., the personal appearing (2Sa 17:11) of the king. David’s arrival did actually decide the fall of Rabbath Ammon, of whose inhabitants some died under instruments of torture and others were cast into brick-kilns, 2Sa 12:26. The prospect here moulds itself according to this fate of the Ammonites. כּתנּוּר אשׁ is a second accusative to תּשׁיתנו, thou wilt make them like a furnace of fire, i.e., a burning furnace, so that like its contents they shall entirely consume by fire (synecdoche continentis pro contento). The figure is only hinted at, and is differently applied to what it is in Lam 5:10, Mal 4:1. Psa 21:10 and Psa 21:10 are intentionally two long rising and falling wave-like lines, to which succeed, in Psa 21:11, two short lines; the latter describe the peaceful gleaning after the fiery judgment of God that has been executed by the hand of David. פּרימו, as in Lam 2:20; Hos 9:16, is to be understood after the analogy of the expression פּרי הבּטן. It is the fate of the Amalekites (cf. Psa 9:6.), which is here predicted of the enemies of the king.

Psa 21:11-12 (Hebrew_Bible_21:12-13) And this fate is the merited frustration of their evil project. The construction of the sentences in Psa 21:12 is like Psa 27:10; Psa 119:83; Ew. §362, b. נטה רעה is not to be understood according to the phrase נטה רשׁת (= פּרשׁ), for this phrase is not actually found; we have rather, with Hitzig, to compare Psa 55:4, 2Sa 15:14 : to incline evil down upon any one is equivalent to: to put it over him, so that it may fall in upon him. נטה signifies “to extend lengthwise,” to unfold, but also to bend by drawing tight. שׁית שׁכם to make into a back, i.e., to make them into such as turn the back to you, is a more choice expression than נתן ערף, Psa 18:41, cf. 1Sa 10:9; the half segolate form שׁכם, (= שׁכם) becomes here, in pause, the full segolate form שׁכם. חצּים must be supplied as the object to תּכונן, as it is in other instances after הורה, השׁליך, ידה; כּונן חץ, Psa 11:2, cf. Psa 7:14, signifies to set the swift arrow upon the bow-string (מיתר = יתר) = to aim. The arrows hit the front of the enemy, as the pursuer overtakes them.

Psa 21:13 (Hebrew_Bible_21:14) After the song has spread abroad its wings in twice three tetrastichs, it closes by, as it were, soaring aloft and thus losing itself in a distich. It is a cry to God for victory in battle, on behalf of the king. “Be Thou exalted,” i.e., manifest Thyself in Thy supernal (Psa 57:6, 12) and judicial (Psa 7:7.) sovereignty. What these closing words long to see realised is that Jahve should reveal for world-wide conquest this גּבוּרה, to which everything that opposes Him must yield, and it is for this they promise beforehand a joyous gratitude.

The Subject's Thanksgiving.

1 The king shall joy in thy strength, O Lord ; and in thy salvation how greatly shall he rejoice! 2 Thou hast given him his heart's desire, and hast not withholden the request of his lips. Selah. 3 For thou preventest him with the blessings of goodness: thou settest a crown of pure gold on his head. 4 He asked life of thee, and thou gavest it him, even length of days for ever and ever. 5 His glory is great in thy salvation: honour and majesty hast thou laid upon him. 6 For thou hast made him most blessed for ever: thou hast made him exceeding glad with thy countenance.

David here speaks for himself in the first place, professing that his joy was in God's strength and in his salvation, and not in the strength or success of his armies. He also directs his subjects herein to rejoice with him, and to give God all the glory of the victories he had obtained; and all with an eye to Christ, of whose triumphs over the powers of darkness David's victories were but shadows. 1. They here congratulate the king on his joys and concur with him in them (v. 1): "The king rejoices, he uses to rejoice in thy strength, and so do we; what pleases the king pleases us," 2 Sam. iii. 36. Happy the people the character of whose king it is that he makes God's strength his confidence and God's salvation his joy, that is pleased with all the advancements of God's kingdom and trusts God to bear him out in all he does for the service of it. Our Lord Jesus, in his great undertaking, relied upon help from heaven, and pleased himself with the prospect of that great salvation which he was thereby to work out. 2. They gave God all the praise of those things which were the matter of their king's rejoicing. (1.) That God had heard his prayers (v. 2): Thou hast given him his heart's desire (and there is no prayer accepted but what is the heart's desire), the very thing they begged of God for him, Ps. xx. 4. Note, God's gracious returns of prayer do, in a special manner, require our humble returns of praise. When God gives to Christ the heathen for his inheritance, gives him to see his seed, and accepts his intercession for all believers, he give him his heart's desire. (2.) That God had surprised him with favours, and much outdone his expectations (v. 3): Thou preventest him with the blessings of goodness. All our blessings are blessings of goodness, and are owing, not at all to any merit of ours, but purely and only to God's goodness. But the psalmist here reckons it in a special manner obliging that these blessings were given in a preventing way; this fixed his eye, enlarged his soul, and endeared his God, as one expresses it. 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 us with them. Nothing indeed prevented Christ, but to mankind never was any favour more preventing than our redemption by Christ and all the blessed fruits of his mediation. (3.) That God had advanced him to the highest honour and the most extensive power: "Thou hast set a crown of pure gold upon his head and kept it there, when his enemies attempted to throw it off." Note, Crowns are at God's disposal; no head wears them but God sets them there, whether in judgment to his land or for mercy the event will show. On the head of Christ God never set a crown of gold, but of thorns first, and then of glory. (4.) That God had assured him of the perpetuity of his kingdom, and therein had done more for him than he was able either to ask or think (v. 4): "When he went forth upon a perilous expedition he asked his life of thee, which he then put into his hand, and thou not only gavest him that, but withal gavest him length of days for ever and ever, didst not only prolong his life far beyond his expectation, but didst assure him of a blessed immortality in a future state and of the continuance of his kingdom in the Messiah that should come of his loins." See how God's grants often exceed our petitions and hopes, and infer thence how rich he is in mercy to those that call upon him. See also and rejoice in the length of the days of Christ's kingdom. He was dead, indeed, that we might live through him; but he is alive, and lives for evermore, and of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end; and because he thus lives we shall thus live also. (5.) That God had advanced him to the highest honour and dignity (v. 5): "His glory is great, far transcending that of all the neighbouring princes, in the salvation thou hast wrought for him and by him." The glory which every good man is ambitious of is to see the salvation of the Lord. Honour and majesty hast thou laid upon him, as a burden which he must bear, as a charge which he must account for. Jesus Christ received from God the Father honour and glory (2 Pet. i. 17), the glory which he had with him before the worlds were, John xvii. 5. And on him is laid the charge of universal government and to him all power in heaven and earth is committed. (6.) That God had given him the satisfaction of being the channel of all bliss to mankind (v. 6): "Thou hast set him to be blessings for ever" (so the margin reads it), "thou hast made him to be a universal blessing to the world, in whom the families of the earth are, and shall be blessed; and so thou hast made him exceedingly glad with the countenance thou hast given to his undertaking and to him in the prosecution of it." See how the spirit of prophecy gradually rises here to that which is peculiar to Christ, for none besides is blessed for ever, much less a blessing for ever to that eminency that the expression denotes: and of him it is said that God made him full of joy with his countenance.

In singing this we should rejoice in his joy and triumph in his exaltation.

The Subject's Hope.

7 For the king trusteth in the Lord , and through the mercy of the most High he shall not be moved. 8 Thine hand shall find out all thine enemies: thy right hand shall find out those that hate thee. 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. 10 Their fruit shalt thou destroy from the earth, and their seed from among the children of men. 11 For they intended evil against thee: they imagined a mischievous device, which they are not able to perform. 12 Therefore shalt thou make them turn their back, when thou shalt make ready thine arrows upon thy strings against the face of them. 13 Be thou exalted, Lord , in thine own strength: so will we sing and praise thy power.

The psalmist, having taught his people to look back with joy and praise on what God had done for him and them, here teaches them to look forward with faith, and hope, and prayer, upon what God would further do for them: The king rejoices in God (v. 1), and therefore we will be thankful; the king trusteth in God (v. 7), therefore will we be encouraged. The joy and confidence of Christ our King is the ground of all our joy and confidence.

I. They are confident of the stability of David's kingdom. Through the mercy of the Most High, and not through his own merit or strength, he shall not be moved. His prosperous state shall not be disturbed; his faith and hope in God, which are the stay of his spirit, shall not be shaken. The mercy of the Most High (the divine goodness, power, and dominion) is enough to secure our happiness, and therefore our trust in that mercy should be enough to silence all our fears. God being at Christ's right hand in his sufferings (Ps. xvi. 8) and he being at God's right hand in his glory, we may be sure he shall not, he cannot, be moved, but continues ever.

II. They are confident of the destruction of all the impenitent implacable enemies of David's kingdom. The success with which God had blessed David's arms hitherto was an earnest of the rest which God would give him from all his enemies round about, and a type of the total overthrow of all Christ's enemies who would not have him to reign over them. Observe, 1. The description of his enemies. They are such as hate him, v. 8. They hated David because God had set him apart for himself, hated Christ because they hated the light; but both were hated without any just cause, and in both God was hated, John xv. 23, 25. 2. The designs of his enemies (v. 11): They intended evil against thee, and imagined a mischievous device; they pretended to fight against David only, but their enmity was against God himself. Those that aimed to un-king David aimed, in effect, to un-God Jehovah. What is devised and designed against religion, and against the instruments God raises up to support and advance it, is very evil and mischievous, and God takes it as devised and designed against himself and will so reckon for it. (3.) The disappointment of them: "They devise what they are not able to perform," v. 11. Their malice is impotent, and they imagine a vain thing, Ps. ii. 1. (4.) The discovery of them (v. 8): "Thy hand shall find them out. Though ever so artfully disguised by the pretences and professions of friendship, though mingled with the faithful subjects of this kingdom and hardly to be distinguished from them, though flying from justice and absconding in their close places, yet thy hand shall find them out wherever they are." There is no escaping God's avenging eye, no going out of the reach of his hand; rocks and mountains will be no better shelter at last than fig-leaves were at first. (5.) The destruction of them; it will be an utter destruction (Luke xix. 27); they shall be swallowed up and devoured, v. 9. Hell, the portion of all Christ's enemies, is the complete misery both of body and soul. Their fruit and their seed shall be destroyed, v. 10. The enemies of God's kingdom, in every age, shall fall under the same doom, and the whole generation of them will at last be rooted out, and all opposing rule, principality, and power, shall be put down. The arrows of God's wrath shall confound them and put them to flight, being levelled at the face of them, v. 12. That will be the lot of daring enemies that face God. The fire of God's wrath will consume them (v. 9); they shall not only be cast into a furnace of fire (Matt. xiii. 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, shall find that even the remembrance of that will be enough to make them, to eternity, a fiery oven to themselves: it is the worm that dies not.

III. In this confidence they beg of God that he would still appear for his anointed (v. 13), that he would act for him in his own strength, by the immediate operations of his power as Lord of hosts and Father of spirits, making little use of means and instruments. And, 1. Hereby he would exalt himself and glorify his own name. "We have but little strength, and are not so active for thee as we should be, which is our shame; Lord, take the work into thy own hands, do it, without us, and it will be thy glory." 2. Hereupon they would exalt him: "So will we sing, and praise thy power, the more triumphantly." The less God has of our service when a deliverance is in the working the more he must have of our praises when it is wrought without us.

PSAL. XXI.

To the master of the musicke, a Psalme of David.

IEhovah, in thy strength the King shall rejoyce, and in thy salvation how vehement glad shall he be! Thou hast given to him his hearts desire, and the earnest request of his lips thou hast not kept backe Selah. For thou preventest him with blessings of goodnesse, thou settest on his head a crowne of fine gold. Life he asked of thee, thou gavest it him; length of dayes, ever and aye.

Great is his honour in thy salvation; glorious Majestie and comely honour hast thou put upon him. For thou hast set him to bee blessings to perpetuall aye; thou hast made him chearefull with joy, with thy face. For the King trusteth in Iehovah, and through the mercy of the most high he shall not be moved. Thy hand shall find out all thine enemies; thy right hand shall find out them that hate thee. Thou wilt set them as an oven of fire at the time of thy face; Iehovah in his anger wil swallow them up, & fire shal eat them. Their fruit from the earth thou wilt destroy, and their seed from the sonnes of Adam. For they have intended evill against thee: they have thought a craftie purpose, but they shall not be able. For thou wilt set them as a Butt, with thy strings thou wilt make ready against their faces. Be thou exalted Iehovah in thy strength, we will sing and praise with Psalme thy power.

Annotations. IN thy strength] or, for thy strength, thy kingdome, strong helpe and deliverance. This Psalm, as the former, gratulateth the victory and salvation of Christ, and is by the Chaldee Paraphrast applied to the reigne of King Messias. Also the Hebrew Iismach, (Shall rejoyce,) hath the letters (being transplaced,) of the name Mashiach, Christ. shall rejoyce] or rejoyceth continually. Vers. 4. a crowne] a signe of glorious victorie, and of the Kingdome. V. 5. length of dayes] that is, a long continued life time, Isa. 53. 10. Iob 12. 12. So Ps. 23. 6. & 93. 5. and 91. 16. On the contrary, short of dayes, is short lived, Iob 14. 1. ever and aie] to eternall and perpetuall aie. Christ being raised from death, dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him, Rom. 6. 9 But behold he is alive for evermore, Amen, Rev. 1. 18. and ever liveth to make intercession for them that come to God by him, Hebr. 7. 25. Vers. 7. hast set him blessings] that is, made him to abound with all manner blessings himselfe, & to be an example of, or to impart blessings unto others. So to Abram it was said, be thou a blessing, Gen. 12. 2. the like promise is to his children, Ezek. 24. 36. Isa. 19. 20. with thy face] or before thy face, in thy presence as Psal. 16. 11. Vers. 9. shall find out all thy enemies] to wit, to punish them, as [illegible: 1 word] like phrase importeth, Isa. 10. 10. or, shall find for all, that is, shall be enough for all thy foes, that is, sufficiently able to overcome them: so finding is used for sufficiencie, Num. 11. 22. Iudg. 21. 14. For hand, the Chaldee saith, the stroke of thine hand. Vers. 10. [illegible: 1 word] set them] or put them all and every one, [illegible: 1 word] is noted on Psal. 2. 3. So also after in vers. 11. and 13. [illegible: 1 word] of fire] a fierie furnace; meaning in [illegible: 1 word] affliction, Lam. 5. 10. the time of thy face] that is of thine anger, as the Chaldee Paraphrast explaineth it; for the face sheweth forth pleasure or displeasure, favour or wrath: so face is used for anger, Psal. 34 17. Lev. 20. 6. Gen. 32. 20. Lam. 4. [illegible: 1 word]. [illegible: 1 letter]er. 3. 12. swallow them] that is, destroy or d[illegible: 1 span]sh, them: so Psal. 35. 25. and 52. 6. and 55. [illegible: 1 word] [illegible: 1 word]] the Chaldee expoundeth it, the fire of Ge[illegible: 1 span] (or of H[illegible: 1 letter]ll.) Vers. 11. Their fruit] that is, their children, called the fruit of the body and wombe, Psal. 127. 3. and 132. 11. Deut. 28. 4. or their labour and that which comes thereof; as Prov. 31. 16. 31. their seed] that is, children, or posteritie, Psal. 22. 24. 31. and [illegible: 1 letter]7. 25. Gen. [illegible: 1 letter]7. 7. 10. Vers. 12. shall not be able] to wit, to stablish, (as the Greeke explaineth) or, to effect it. After this word can, or able, there often wanteth a word to be understood: see Psal. 101. 5. Vers. 13. a Butt] to shoot at; Hebr. a shoulder; because the earth is heaped up like shoulders. The Chaldee paraphraseth, thou hast set them to thy people as one shoulder. make ready] or fit, namely thine arrowes against their faces. The Chaldee otherwise, in the cords of thy Tent thou wilt order thy law before them.

PSAL. XXI.

VErſ. 1. The King ſhall joy in thy ſtrength] This Pſalm dependeth upon the former; and is therefore fitly ſet next unto it. Some call it Davids Triumphant Song of praiſe, for victory gotten over the Ammonites and Syrians. For that Victory it was certainly, which he and the people had begged ſo fervently, Pſal. 20. and promiſed ſolemnly to rejoyce in Gods Salvation, &c. verſ. 5. as here is done accordingly. Vow and perform unto the Lord your God: bring preſents, &c. Pſal. 76.11.

And in thy ſalvation] All is Gods. As Joab once ſent to David to come, and take the honour of the Victory over Rabbah of the Ammonites: ſo dealeth David by the Lord. His Poſie was, Non nobis Domine; his practiſe was to drive an holy trade between Earth and Heaven, receiving and returning, importing one commodity, and tranſporting another: Prayers and Praiſes were his whole life▪

Verſ. 2. Thom haſt given him his hearts deſire] Good m[illegible: 1 letter]n are ſure to have out their prayers either in mony, or in monies worth, as they ſay; in that very thing they deſire, or a better. If God croſs them, it is in faithfulneſs to their Souls: when the wicked boaſteth of his hearts deſire, Pſal. 10.3. which yet he hath for a miſchief. Deus ſaepe dat iratus, quod neg at propitius. See the Note on Pſal. 20.4.

And hath not with-holden, &c. Selah] Ac ſi dicat, O magnam & admirabilem Dei benevolentiam erga Davidem! ſaith Vatablus. This Selah is added here, to ſet forth the very great and wonderful love of God to David, in hearing his Sutes after that ſort.

Verſ. 3. For thou preventeſt him with the bleſſings of goodneſs] Not ſtaying till he asked them of thee. He had but a thought of building thee an houſe, and thou ſenteſt Nathan to tell him, that thou wouldſt build him an everlaſting houſe, and ſtabliſh his Throne to all perpetuity, 2 Sam. 7.16. So Iſa. 65.1. Before they call, I will anſwer, &c.

Thou ſetteſt a Crown of pure gold upon his head] Hebrai dicunt per hoc intelligi favorem Dei, the Jew-Doctors by this Crown underſtand the favour of God; confer Pſal. 103.4. God had ſet a Crown of loving kindneſs, and tender mercies upon his head, by pardoning all his iniquities, as it is there; and he bleſſeth God for this as a farre better Crown, than that which he took from off the head of the King of Ammon, and ſet upon his own, 2 Sam. 12.30.

Verſ. 4. He asked life of thee] Quando fugiebat à Saule, ſaith R. Solomon, when he fled from Saul; rather when he went into the field againſt his enemies, carrying his life in his hand. His life we begged, Pſal. 20.1, 2. and thou haſt not only given him his life, but a long continued ſeries of lives in his Succeſſors, 2 Sam. 7.13. Pſal. 72.15. yea life everlaſting in Chriſt his Son, according to the fleſh. See Pſal. 61.6. Thus God is better to his people than their prayers; and when they ask but one Bleſſing, he anſwereth them as Naaman did Gehezi, 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 Begger a City; and when hee ſent his School-maſter a ſhip full of Frankincenſe, and bade him ſacrifice freely.

Verſ. 5. His glory is great in thy ſalvation] He was at firſt ſlighted even by his own, as a petty Prince; and the Philiſtines came up to ſeek him, that they might ſuppreſs him, before he grew too ſtrong for them; in ſo much as he for fear of them went down to the Hold, 2 Sam. 5.17. but ſoon after he became formidable to them, and the reſt of the neighbour-Nations, whom he ſubdued, and reigned over. The like hereunto befell our Queen Elizabeth, who how low ſoever at firſt, became at length, as her enemies confeſſed, the moſt glorious Woman that ever ſwayed Scepter, becauſe Poſuit Deum adjutorem ſuum.

Honour and Majeſty haſt thou laid upon him] a growing weight of glory, a load of it, even before man. The Saints when they come to Heaven ſhall have an exceeding exceſſive eternal weight of glory, 2 Cor. 4.17. ſuch as if the body were not upheld by the mighty Power of God, it were impoſſible it ſhould ever bear it.

Verſ. 6. For thou haſt made him moſt bleſſed for ever] Heb. Thou haſt ſet him to be bleſſings. For as the wicked, when deſtroyed by ſome horrible Judgment, are examples to others of Gods curſe, Iſa. 65.15. Jer. 29.22. 2 Pet. 2.6. Judaeus ſim, ſi fallam, ſay the Turks at this day, when they would aſſure any thing for a certainty; ſo the godly when in a ſpeciall manner bleſſed, are Patterns of bleſſings to others, that in them they may bleſſe themſelves or others, Pſal. 72.17. Pſal. 1▪28. 4. Gen. 12.2. & 48.20. Ruth 4.11, 12. See Pſal. 37.26. So here they ſhall ſay, Tanto rerum ſucceſſu polleas, quanto David, Maiſt thou bee as ſucceſsfull as ever David was.

Thou haſt made him exceeding glad with thy countenance] One good caſt whereof David long ſince preferred before all the worlds good, Pſal. 4.6. See the Note there.

Verſ. 7. For the King truſteth in the Lord] So then, his joy was the joy of faith which is unſpeakable and full of glory; and hee muſt needs bee ſafe who relyeth upon God, Iſa. 26.4.

Hee ſhall not bee moved] ſc. from the proſperous ſucceſſe of his affaires and ſtate; the beauty and bulwark whereof is Gods never failing mercy.

Verſ. 8. Thine hand ſhall find out all thine enemies] Thine, becauſe ours; for thou art in a league with us both defenſive and offenſive: Now our enemies act as if they were out of the reach of thy rod, but thou wilt eaſily hunt them down, and root them out. Purſued they ſhall bee by thee, and overtaken, run they never ſo farre, never ſo faſt.

[non-Latin text not transcribed].

Verſ. 9. Thou ſhalt make them as a fiery Oven] i.e. Thou ſhalt lay upon them grievous and exquiſite miſeries, Lam. 5.10. Hee alludeth to the overthrow of Sodom, ſaith Vatablus.

The Lord ſhall ſwallow them up] As the fire doth the fuel. Some think the Prophet here alludeth to that direfull kind of puniſhment which David inflicted upon the Ammonites whom hee made to paſs thorow the brick-kiln, 2 Sam. 12.31. perhaps the furnace of their Idol Moloch or Milcholm, wherein they cauſed their Children to paſſe thorow the fire, 2 King. 16.3. & 23.10.

And the fire ſhall devour them] Hell-fire, ſaith the Chaldee Paraphraſt.

Verſ. 10.Nulla emolumenta laborum Juven. Their fruit ſhalt thou deſtroy] i.e. Their labour, and that which comes thereof, Prov. 21.16, 31. they ſhall toil to no purpoſe; the gains ſhall not pay for the paines.

And their ſeed] For as perſonall goodneſſe is profitable to poſterity; ſo on the contrary; as, in the ſecond Commandement: they are peremptores potius quam Parentes. Bern.

Verſ. 11. For they intended evill againſt thee] Becauſe againſt thy people. Hee that wrongeth a ſubject is arraigned for injury done to the King, his Crown and dignity. And as a certain Gentleman of Normandy was executed for but intending only to kill Francis the ſecond King of France, which he diſcovered to a Prieſt, ſub ſigillo confeſſionis, not thinking ever to hear further of it again; ſo here.

Verſ. 12. Therefore ſhalt thou make them turn their back] Who faced the very Heavens, and ran, as it were, full butt againſt thee; ſuch was their impudence and inſolence. But thy wrath ſhall ſo meet them in the teeth, whereſoever they turn, that they ſhall bee forced to give over their chaſe and purſute of thy people. Thou ſhalt make them turn their back, Heb. their ſhoulder; whence ſome ſenſe the words thus, Thou ſhalt bind them back to back, and caſt them into the Sea of perdition. Some read the words thus,Pones eos ut meram. Kimchi Thou ſhalt ſet them as a Butt or Mark to ſhoot at; and this agreeth beſt with that which followeth.

Againſt the face of them] Which is elegantly campared to the white; as their bodies to the whole mark or Butt.

Verſ. 13. Bee thou exalted, Lord, in thine own ſtrength] Finit Pſalmum cum laude, ſicut incaepit, ſaith Aben-Ezra, Hee cloſeth up the Pſalm, as hee began it, with praiſe and prayer that God would ariſe and deſtroy thereſt, as hee had allready done ſome of their enemies. Gods power and ſtrength is in it ſelf infinite, and cannot be exalted or amplified; but in reſpect of us it is ſaid to bee exalted, when exerted and put forth for the defence of his people.

So will we ſing and praiſe thy power] This they reſtipulate; as knowing that it would pleaſe the Lord better than an Ox or Bullock that hath hornes and hoofs, Pſal. 69.31.

"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.

"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.

"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!

"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.

"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."

"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.

"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.

"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.

"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.

"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.

"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.

"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!

"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.

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.

"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."

"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.

"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.

"Selah." See pages 25, 29, 38, 345.

"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.

"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.

"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.

"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.

"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.

"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.

"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.

"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.

"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.

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.

"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.

"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.

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.

"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.

"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.

"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.

"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.

"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.

"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.

"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.

"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.

"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.

"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.

The Chaldee reads: —"The fire of Gehenna, or hell." —John Morison.

"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.

"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.

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.

"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.

"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.

"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.

The joy of Jesus and of his people in the strength and salvation of God.

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.

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.

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.

Jesus ever living.

The glory of the Mediator.

The blessedness of Jesus.

Jesus, and example of faith and of its results.

The secret sinner unearthed, and deprived of all hope of concealment.

The certainty and terror of the punishment of the wicked.

The certainty and terror of the punishment of the wicked.

The guilt and punishment of evil intentions.

The guilt and punishment of evil intentions.

The retreat of the grand army of hell.

A devout Doxology.

I. God exalted.

II. God alone exalted.

III. God exalted by his own strength.

IV. His people singing his praise.