Psalms 72 commentary

This psalm belongs to Solomon in part, but to Christ more fully and clearly. Solomon was both the king and the king's son, and his pious father desired that the wisdom of God might be in him, that his reign might be a remembrance of the kingdom of the Messiah. It is the prayer of a father for his child; a dying blessing. The best we can ask of God for our children is, that God would give them wisdom and grace to know and to do their duty.

This is a prophecy of the kingdom of Christ; many passages in it cannot be applied to the reign of Solomon. There were righteousness and peace at first in the administration of his government; but, before the end of his reign, there were troubles and unrighteousness. The kingdom here spoken of is to last as long as the sun, but Solomon's was soon at an end. Even the Jewish expositors understood it of the kingdom of the Messiah. Observe many great and precious promises here made, which were to have full accomplishment only in the kingdom of Christ. As far as his kingdom is set up, discord and contentions cease, in families, churches, and nations. The law of Christ, written in the heart, disposes men to be honest and just, and to render to all their due; it likewise disposes men to live in love, and so produces abundance of peace. Holiness and love shall be lasting in Christ's kingdom. Through all the changes of the world, and all the changes of life, Christ's kingdom will support itself. And he shall, by the graces and comforts of his Spirit, come down like rain upon the mown grass; not on that cut down, but that which is left growing, that it may spring again. His gospel has been, or shall be, preached to all nations. Though he needs not the services of any, yet he must be served with the best. Those that have the wealth of this world, must serve Christ with it, do good with it. Prayer shall be made through him, or for his sake; whatever we ask of the Father, should be in his name. Praises shall be offered to him: we are under the highest obligations to him. Christ only shall be feared throughout all generations. To the end of time, and to eternity, his name shall be praised. All nations shall call HIM blessed.

We are taught to bless God in Christ, for all he has done for us by him. David is earnest in prayer for the fulfilment of this prophecy and promise. It is sad to think how empty the earth is of the glory of God, how little service and honour he has from a world to which he is so bountiful. May we, like David, submit to Christ's authority, and partake of his righteousness and peace. May we bless him for the wonders of redeeming love. May we spend our days, and end our lives, praying for the spread of his gospel.

PSALM 72

David in this psalm prays to God, in the name of the whole Church, for the continual prosperity of the kingdom which was promised him, and teaches us at the same time, that the true happiness of the godly consists in their being placed under the government of a king who was raised to the throne by the appointment of heaven.

¶ Of Solomon. “Ou, pour Solomon.” — Fr marg “Or, for Solomon.” The prefix ל, lamed, may be rendered either of or for

From the inscription of this psalm we cannot determine who was its author. As it is expressly said at the close to be the last of David’s prayers, it is more probable that it was composed by him than by Solomon, his successor. To this it may be added, as Dathe observes, that “Solomon could not, without the imputation of vanity, have predicted in such strains the glory of his reign, the admiration with which he would be regarded by other nations, and the happiness of his subjects, arising from his prudence and virtue.” The same writer adds, “But while David, or the inspired author, whoever he was, predicted the prosperity of Solomon’s reign, the promise given (2 Samuel 7) of that greatest and best of kings, who was afterwards to arise in the family of David, seems to have been brought before his mind. This is the reason that the description given is, in various respects, more suited to the reign of the Messiah than to the reign of Solomon.” It may, however, be conjectured that Solomon reduced the prayer of his father into poetical measure, to make it more generally known, and to bring it more extensively into use among the people, — a conjecture which is not improbable. But as the letter ל, lamed, has many significations in Hebrew, it may be explained as denoting that this psalm was composed for or in behalf of Solomon. If this is admitted, it is to be observed, that under the person of one man there is comprehended the state of the kingdom through successive ages. After having carefully weighed the whole matter, I am disposed to acquiesce in the conjecture, that the prayers to which David gave utterance on his death-bed were reduced by his son into the form of a psalm, with the view of their being kept in everlasting remembrance. To indicate the great importance of this prayer, and to induce the faithful with the greater earnestness to unite their prayers with the memorable prayer of this holy king, it is expressly added, that this is the last which he poured forth. As Solomon did nothing more than throw into the style of poetry the matter to which his father gave expression, David is to be considered as the principal author of this inspired composition. Those who would interpret it simply as a prophecy of the kingdom of Christ, seem to put a construction upon the words which does violence to them; and then we must always beware of giving the Jews occasion of making an outcry, as if it were our purpose, sophistically, to apply to Christ those things which do not directly refer to him. But as David, who was anointed king by the commandment of God, knew that the terms upon which he and his posterity possessed the kingdom were, that the power and dominion should at length come to Christ; and as he farther knew that the temporal well-being of the people was, for the time, comprehended in this kingdom, as held by him and his posterity, and that from it, which was only a type or shadow, there should at length proceed something far superior — that is, spiritual and everlasting felicity; knowing, as he did, all this, he justly made the perpetual duration of this kingdom the object of his most intense solicitude, and prayed with the deepest earnestness in its behalf, — reiterating his prayer in his last moments, with the view of distinctly testifying, that of all his cares this was the greatest. What is here spoken of everlasting dominion cannot be limited to one man, or to a few, nor even to twenty ages; but there is pointed out the succession which had its end and its complete accomplishment in Christ.

Psalm 72:1-6

1. O God! give thy judgments to the king, and thy righteousness to the king’s son. 2. He shall judge thy people in righteousness, and thy poor ones in judgment. 3. The mountains shall bring forth peace to the people, and the hills in righteousness. In the Septuagint, in righteousness is connected with the following verse — In righteousness he shall judge the poor of the people,” Dr Adam Clarke considers this to be the true division. 4. He shall judge the poor of the people; he shall save the children of the afflicted; and shall break in pieces the calumniator. 5. They shall fear thee with the sun; and generation of generations shall fear thee “Te craindra,” “shall fear thee,” is a supplement in the French version. There is no supplement in the Latin version. in the presence of the moon. 6. He shall descend as rain upon the mown grass; as the showers “Comme les pluyes drues et longues.” — Fr. “As the plenteous and prolonged showers.” which water the earth.

1. O God! give thy judgments to the king. “In other places, those events which God himself brings to pass in defending the righteous, and in punishing the wicked, are called his judgments, as in Psalm 36:7; but the statutes promulgated by God for the regulation of human conduct are also styled his judgments. In this sense, the judgments and laws of God may be considered as synonymous terms, Psalm 119. 20, 30, 39, 52, 75. The clause is justly explained by Jarchi: ‘Knowledge of the judgments — to wit, of the particular rules of right — which thou hast commanded in the law.’ The explication given by Kimchi is suitable also: ‘That he may not err in giving forth sentences, give him knowledge and understanding, that he may judge with judgment and justice.’” — Rosenmüller on the Messianic Psalms, Biblical Cabinet, volume 32, pp. 232, 233. While David, to whom the promise had been made, at his death affectionately recommended to God his son, who was to succeed him in his kingdom, he doubtless endited to the Church a common form of prayer, that the faithful, convinced of the impossibility of being prosperous and happy, except under one head, should show all respect, and yield all obedience to this legitimate order of things, and also that from this typical kingdom they might be conducted to Christ. In short, this is a prayer that God would furnish the king whom he had chosen with the spirit of uprightness and wisdom. By the terms righteousness and judgment, the Psalmist means a due and well-regulated administration of government, which he opposes to the tyrannical and unbridled license of heathen kings, who, despising God, rule according to the dictates of their own will; and thus the holy king of Israel, who was anointed to his office by divine appointment, is distinguished from other earthly kings. From the words we learn by the way, that no government in the world can be rightly managed but under the conduct of God, and by the guidance of the Holy Spirit. If kings possessed in themselves resources sufficiently ample, it would have been to no purpose for David to have sought by prayer from another, that with which they were of themselves already provided. But in requesting that the righteousness and judgment of God may be given to kings, he reminds them that none are fit for occupying that exalted station, except in so far as they are formed for it by the hand of God. Accordingly, in the Proverbs of Solomon, (Proverbs 8:15,) Wisdom proclaims that kings reign by her. Nor is this to be wondered at, when we consider that civil government is so excellent an institution, that God would have us to acknowledge him as its author, and claims to himself the whole praise of it. But it is proper for us to descend from the general to the particular; for since it is the peculiar work of God to set up and to maintain a rightful government in the world, it was much more necessary for him to communicate the special grace of his Spirit for the maintenance and preservation of that sacred kingdom which he had chosen in preference to all others. By the king’s son David no doubt means his successors. At the same time, he has an eye to this promise:

“Of the fruit of thy body will I set upon thy throne,” (Psalm 132:11.)

But no such stability as is indicated in that passage is to be found in the successors of David, till we come to Christ. We know that after the death of Solomon, the dignity of the kingdom decayed, and from that time its wealth became impaired, until, by the carrying of the people into captivity, and the ignominious death inflicted upon their king, the kingdom was involved in total ruin. And even after their return from Babylon, their restoration was not such as to inspire them with any great hope, until at length Christ sprung forth from the withered stock of Jesse. He therefore holds the first rank among the children of David.

PSALM 72

Psa 72:1-19. For, or literally, "of Solomon." The closing verse rather relates to the second book of Psalms, of which this is the last, and was perhaps added by some collector, to intimate that the collection, to which, as chief author, David's name was appended, was closed. In this view, these may consistently be the productions of others included, as of Asaph, sons of Korah, and Solomon; and a few of David's may be placed in the latter series. The fact that here the usual mode of denoting authorship is used, is strongly conclusive that Solomon was the author, especially as no stronger objection appears than what has been now set aside. The Psalm, in highly wrought figurative style, describes the reign of a king as "righteous, universal, beneficent, and perpetual." By the older Jewish and most modern Christian interpreters, it has been referred to Christ, whose reign, present and prospective, alone corresponds with its statements. As the imagery of the second Psalm was drawn from the martial character of David's reign, that of this is from the peaceful and prosperous state of Solomon's.

1. Give the king, &c.--a prayer which is equivalent to a prediction.

judgments--the acts, and (figuratively) the principles of a right government (Joh 5:22; 9:39).

righteousness--qualifications for conducting such a government.

king's son--same person as a king--a very proper title for Christ, as such in both natures.

2, &c. The effects of such a government by one thus endowed are detailed.

thy people ... and thy poor--or, "meek," the pious subjects of his government.

3. As mountains and hills are not usually productive, they are here selected to show the abundance of peace, being represented as

bringing--or, literally, "bearing" it as a produce.

by righteousness--that is, by means of his eminently just and good methods of ruling.

4. That peace, including prosperity, as an eminent characteristic of Christ's reign (Is 2:4; Is 9:6; 11:9), will be illustrated in the security provided for the helpless and needy, and the punishment inflicted on oppressors, whose power to injure or mar the peace of others will be destroyed (compare Is 65:25; Zec 9:10).

children of the needy--for the needy (compare sons of strangers, Psa 18:45 [Margin]).

5. as long as ... endure--literally, "with the sun," coeval with its existence, and before, or, in presence of the moon, while it lasts (compare Ge 11:28, "before Terah," literally, "in presence of," while he lived).

6. A beautiful figure expresses the grateful nature of His influence;

7, and, carrying out the figure, the results are described in an abundant production.

the righteous--literally, "righteousness."

flourish--literally, "sprout," or, "spring forth."

8. The foreign nations mentioned (Psa 72:9, 10) could not be included in the limits, if designed to indicate the boundaries of Solomon's kingdom. The terms, though derived from those used (Ex 23:31; De 11:24) to denote the possessions of Israel, must have a wider sense. Thus, "ends of the earth" is never used of Palestine, but always of the world (compare Margin).

9-11. The extent of the conquests.

They that dwell in the wilderness--the wild, untutored tribes of deserts.

bow ... dust--in profound submission. The remotest and wealthiest nations shall acknowledge Him (compare Psa 45:12).

12-14. They are not the conquests of arms, but the influences of humane and peaceful principles (compare Is 9:7; 11:1-9; Zec 9:9, 10).

15. In his prolonged life he will continue to receive the honorable gifts of the rich, and the prayers of his people shall be made for him, and their praises given to him.

16. The spiritual blessings, as often in Scripture, are set forth by material, the abundance of which is described by a figure, in which a "handful" (or literally, "a piece," or small portion) of corn in the most unpropitious locality, shall produce a crop, waving in the wind in its luxuriant growth, like the forests of Lebanon.

they of the city ... earth--This clause denotes the rapid and abundant increase of population--

of--or, "from"

the city--Jerusalem, the center and seat of the typical kingdom.

flourish--or, glitter as new grass--that is, bloom. This increase corresponds with the increased productiveness. So, as the gospel blessings are diffused, there shall arise increasing recipients of them, out of the Church in which Christ resides as head.

17. His name--or, "glorious perfections."

as long as the sun--(Compare Psa 72:5).

men shall be blessed--(Ge 12:3; 18:18).

18-19. These words close the Psalm in terms consistent with the style of the context, while Psa 72:20 is evidently, from its prosaic style, an addition for the purpose above explained [see on Psa 72:1].

20. ended--literally, "finished," or completed; the word never denotes fulfilment, except in a very late usage, as in Ezr 1:1; Da 12:7.

Give the king thy judgments - Let Solomon receive thy law, as the civil and ecclesiastical code by which he is to govern the kingdom.

And thy righteousness unto the king's son - Righteousness may signify equity. Let him not only rule according to the strict letter of thy law, that being the base on which all his decisions shall be founded; but let him rule also according to equity, that rigorous justice may never become oppressive. Solomon is called here the king, because now set upon the Jewish throne; and he is called the king's son, to signify his right to that throne on which he now sat.

He shall judge thy people with righteousness - With justice and mercy mixed, or according to equity.

And thy poor with judgment - Every one according to the law which thou hast appointed; but with especial tenderness to the poor and afflicted.

The mountains shall bring peace - Perhaps mountains and hills are here taken in their figurative sense, to signify princes and petty governors; and it is a prediction that all governors of provinces and magistrates should administer equal justice in their several departments and jurisdictions; so that universal peace should be preserved, and the people be every where prosperous; for שלום shalom signifies both peace and prosperity, for without the former the latter never existed.

But what is the meaning of "the little hills by righteousness?" Why, it has no meaning: and it has none, because it is a false division of the verse. The word בצדקה bitsedakah, in righteousness, at the end of Psa 72:3, should begin Psa 72:4, and then the sense will be plain. Psa 72:3 : "The mountains and the hills shall bring prosperity to the people." Psa 72:4 : "In righteousness he shall judge the poor of the people: he shall save the children of the needy, and shall break in pieces the oppressor."

The effects, mentioned in the fourth verse, show that King Solomon should act according to the law of his God; and that all officers, magistrates, and governors, should minister equal rights through every part of the land. The Septuagint has the true division: Αναλαβετω τα ορη ειρηνην τῳ λαῳ σου, και οἱ βουνοι· Εν δικαιοσυνῃ κρινει τους πτωχους του λαου, κ. τ. λ. "The mountains shall bring peace to thy people, and the hills: In righteousness shall he judge the poor of thy people," etc.

They shall fear thee - There is no sense in which this can be spoken of Solomon, nor indeed of any other man: it belongs to Jesus Christ, and to him alone. He is the Prance of peace, who shall be feared and reverenced "through all generations, and as long as the sun and moon endure."

He shall come down like rain upon the mown grass - The word גז gez, which we translate mown grass, more properly means pastured grass or pastured land; for the dew of the night is intended to restore the grass which has been eaten in the course of the day. This very idea the Chaldee has seized, and renders the place thus: "He shall descend gently, like rain upon the grass which has been eaten by the locust." But there seems to be a reference to the thick night dews which in summer fall on the pasturages, and become the means of restoring the grass consumed in the day-time by the cattle. This is finely expressed by the most accomplished of all poets and agriculturists: -

Et quantum longis carpent armenta diebus,

Exigua tantum gelidus ros nocte reponet.

Virg. Geor. ii., ver. 201. "For what the day devours, the nightly dew

Shall to the morn by pearly drops renew."

Dryden.

Or to leave poetry, which always says too much or too little, the plain prose is: - "And as much as the flocks crop in the long days,

So much shall the cold dew restore in one short night."

As showers that water the earth - The influence of the doctrine and Spirit of Christ on the soul of man shall be as grateful, as refreshing, and as fructifying, as the nightly dews on the cropped fields, and the vernal showers on the cultivated lands. Without his influence all tillage is vain; without him there can neither be seed nor fruit.

In his days shall the righteous flourish - There was nothing but peace and prosperity all the days of Solomon: for, "In his days Judah and Israel dwelt safely; every man under his vine and under his fig-tree, from Dan even to Beersheba;" 1Kgs 4:25.

So long as the moon endureth - עד בלי ירח ad beli yareach, "Till there be no more moon."

He shall have dominion also from sea to sea - The best comment on this, as it refers to Solomon, may be found in 1Kgs 4:21, 1Kgs 4:24 : "And Solomon reigned over all kingdoms, from the river unto the land of the Philistines, and unto the border of Egypt; for he had dominion over all on this side the river, from Tiphsah even to Azzah, over all the kings on this side the river; and he had peace on all sides round about him."

Solomon, it appears, reigned over all the provinces from the river Euphrates to the land of the Philistines, even to the frontiers of Egypt. The Euphrates was on the east of Solomon's dominions; the Philistines were westward, on the Mediterranean sea; and Egypt was on the south. Solomon had therefore, as tributaries, the kingdoms of Syria, Damascus, Moab, and Ammon, which lay between the Euphrates and the Mediterranean. Thus he appears to have possessed all the land which God covenanted with Abraham to give to his posterity.

Unto the ends of the earth - Or land, must mean the tract of country along the Mediterranean sea, which was the boundary of the land on that side: but, as the words may refer to Christ, every thing may be taken in its utmost latitude and extent.

They that dwell in the wilderness - The ציים tsiyim, termed Ethiopians by the Vulgate, Septuagint, Ethiopic, and Arabic. The Syriac terms them the islands. But it is likely that those who dwell by the sea-coasts, and support themselves by navigation and fishing, are here intended.

His enemies shall lick the dust - Shall be so completely subdued, that they shall be reduced to the most abject state of vassalage, till they shall become proselytes to the Jewish faith.

The kings of Tarshish and of the isles shalt bring presents - Though Solomon did not reign over Cilicia, of which Tarsus was the capital, yet he might receive gifts, not in the sense of tribute; for מנחה minchah, the word here used, signifies a gratitude or friendly offering.

The kings of Sheba and Seba - Both countries of Arabia. From the former came the queen of Sheba, to hear the wisdom of Solomon. And she brought exceeding great presents or gifts, but not in the way of tribute, for Solomon had no jurisdiction in her country. And certainly many sovereigns, to obtain his friendship, sent him various presents of the choicest produce of their respective countries; and no doubt he did with them as with the queen of Sheba, gave them gifts in return. Hence the word אשכר eshcar is used, which signifies "a compensative present, made on account of benefits received."

All kings shall fall down before - They shall reverence him on account of his great wisdom, riches, etc.

All nations shalt serve him - All the surrounding nations. This and the preceding verses are fully explained by 1Kgs 10:23-25 : "King Solomon exceeded all the kings of the earth for riches and for wisdom. And all the earth sought unto Solomon to hear his wisdom. And they brought every man his present, vessels of silver, and vessels of gold, and garments and armor, and spices, horses and mules a rate year by year." If we take these expressions to mean literally all the habitable globe, then they cannot be applied to Solomon; but if we take them as they are most evidently used by the sacred writer, then they are literally true. When all the earth shall be brought to receive the Gospel of Christ, then they may be applied to him.

He shall deliver the needy when he crieth - The poor and the rich shall, in the administration of justice, be equally respected; and the strong shall not be permitted to oppress the weak.

From deceit and violence - Because they are poor and uneducated, they are liable to be deceived; and because they are helpless, they are liable to oppression; but his equal justice shall duly consider these cases; and no man shall suffer because he is deceived, though the letter of the law may be against him.

And precious shall their blood be - If the blood or life of such a person shall have been spilt by the hand of violence, he shall seek it out, and visit it on the murderer, though he were the chief in the land. He shall not be screened, though he were of the blood royal, if he have willfully taken away the life of a man.

To him shall be given of the gold of Sheba - The Arabians shall pay him tribute.

Prayer also shall be made for him continually - In all conquered countries two things marked the subjection of the people:

1. Their money was stamped with the name of the conqueror.

2. They were obliged to pray for him in their acts of public worship.

Daily shall he be praised - He shall not act by the conquered like conquerors in general: he shall treat them with benignity; and shall give them the same laws and privileges as his natural subjects, and therefore "he shall be daily praised." All shall speak well of him.

There shall be a handful of corn - The earth shall be exceedingly fruitful. Even a handful of corn sown on the top of a mountain shall grow up strong and vigorous; and it shall be, in reference to crops in other times as the cedars of Lebanon are to common trees or shrubs: and as the earth will bring forth in handfuls, so the people shall be multiplied who are to consume this great produce.

And they of the city shall flourish like grass of the earth - There have been many puzzling criticisms concerning this verse. What I have given I believe to be the sense.

His name shall endure for ever - Hitherto this has been literally fulfilled. Solomon is celebrated in the east and in the west, in the north and in the south; his writings still remain, and are received, both by Jews and by Gentiles, as a revelation from God; and it is not likely that the name of the author shall ever perish out of the records of the world.

All nations shall call him blessed - Because of the extraordinary manner in which he was favored by the Most High. I well know that all these things are thought to belong properly to Jesus Christ; and, in reference to him, they are all true, and ten thousand times more than these. But I believe they are all properly applicable to Solomon: and it is the business of the commentator to find out the literal sense, and historical fact, and not seek for allegories and mysteries where there is no certain evidence of their presence. Where the sacred writers of the New Testament quote passages from the Old, and apply them to our Lord, we not only may but should follow them. And I am ready to grant there may be many other passages equally applicable to him with those they have quoted, which are not thus applied. Indeed, He is the sum and substance of the whole Scripture. His spoke by his Spirit in the prophets; and himself was the subject of their declarations. See our Lord's saying, Luk 24:44.

Blessed be the Lord God - David foresaw all Solomon's grandeur; his justice equity, and the happiness of the subjects under his government; and his soul has, in consequence, sensations of pleasure and gratitude to God, which even his own wondrous pen cannot describe. But it is worthy of remark, that God did not reveal to him the apostasy of this beloved son. He did not foresee that this once holy, happy, wise, and prosperous man would be the means of debasing the Divine worship, and establishing the grossest idolatry in Israel. God hid this from his eyes, that his heart might not be grieved, and that he might die in peace. Besides, there was still much contingency in the business. God would not predict a thing as absolutely certain, which was still poised between a possibility of being and not being; the scale of which he had left, as he does all contingencies, to the free-will of his creature to turn.

Who only doeth wondrous things - God alone works miracles: wherever there is a miracle there is God. No creature can invert or suspend the course and laws of nature; this is properly the work of God. Jesus Christ, most incontrovertibly, wrought such miracles; therefore, most demonstrably, Jesus Christ is God.

Let the whole earth be filled with his glory - Let the Gospel - the light, the Spirit, and power of Christ, fill the world.

Amen - So let it be.

And Amen - So it shall be. Hallelujah!

The prayers of David the son of Jesse are ended - This was most probably the last Psalm he ever wrote. There may be several in the after part of this book which were written by him; but they were probably composed in a former period of his life, for this was the end of the poetic prayers of David the son of Jesse. Those that were found afterwards have got out of their proper connection.

Judgments - He saith judgments in the plural number, because though the office of judging and ruling was but one, yet there were divers parts and branches, of it; in all which he begs that Solomon may be directed to do as God would have him to do.

Thy afflicted ones - For such are thine in a special manner, thou art their judge and patron.

The mountains - Which are so dangerous to passengers, in regard of robbers and wild beasts. Hereby it is implied, that other places should do so too, and that it should be common and universal.

Judge - Vindicate them from their oppressors.

Thee - Thee, O God, this shall be another blessed fruit of this righteous government, that together with peace, true religion shall be established, and that throughout all generations, which was begun in Solomon's days, but not fully accomplished 'till Christ came.

He shall come - Christ did come down from heaven, and brought or sent down from heaven his doctrine, (which is often compared to rain) and the sweet and powerful influences of his spirit.

Dominion - From one sea to another, or in all the parts of the habitable world. This was accomplished in Christ, and in him only. The river - Euphrates: which was the eastern border of the kingdom of Canaan, allotted by God, but enjoyed only by David, Solomon, and Christ. Of whose kingdom this may be mentioned, as one of the borders; because the kingdom of Christ is described under the shadow of Solomon's kingdom.

The sea - Of remote countries, to which they used to go from Canaan by sea; which are frequently called isles in scripture; the kings that rule by sea or by land.

All nations - Which cannot be said of Solomon with any truth or colour, but was unquestionably verified in Christ,

Deceit and violence - The two ways whereby the lives of men are usually destroyed. Precious - He will not be prodigal of the lives of his subjects, but like a true father of his people, will tenderly preserve them, and severely avenge their blood upon those who shall shed it.

Live - Long and prosperous, as Solomon: yea, eternally as Christ. Gold - This was done to Solomon, 1Kings 10:15, and to Christ, Matt 2:11. But such expressions as these being used of Christ and his kingdom, are commonly understood in a spiritual sense.

A handful - This intimates the small beginnings of his kingdom; and therefore does not agree to Solomon, whose kingdom was in a manner as large at the beginning of his reign, as at the end, but it exactly agrees to Christ. The earth - Sown in the earth. Mountains - In the most barren grounds. Shake - It shall yield such abundance of corn, that the ears being thick and high, shall, when they are shaken with the wind, make a noise not unlike that which the tops of the trees of Lebanon, sometimes make. Of the city - The citizens of Jerusalem, which are here put for the subjects of this kingdom.

The prayer - This psalm is the last which David composed: for this was wrote but a little before his death.

1 GIve the king thy judgments , O God, and thy righteousness unto the kings son.

Solomon, who was now anointed King, his Father yet Living, 1 Kings 1. [illegible: 1+ letters]9. And this Psalm may seem to be made for that great and solemn Occasion.

(i. e.) Either, 1. Thy Statutes and Precepts, which are oft called God's Iudgments; which as thou hast given already in thy Book, so give them to him a second, and a better way, by writing them upon his Heart, or by giving him a solid knowledge of them, and an hearty Love and Obedience to them. Or rather, 2. Thy manner of Government or Administration, [illegible: 1+ letters]which is oft called Iudgment, as Psal. 94. 15. Isa. 28. 6. &c. that he may follow thy Example in governing thy People, as thou governest them, to wit, in Righteousness, as it follows. He saith Iudgments in the plural Number, because though the Office of judging and ruling was but one, yet there were divers parts and Branches, and Acts of it; as to acquit the Innocent, to Condemn the Guilty, &c. in all which he begs that Solomon may be directed to do as God doth, or would have him to do in such Cases.

That Grace of Righteousness, which is a part of thine Image, and is absolutely necessary for good Government.

2 He shall judge thy people with righteousness, and thy poor with judgment.

To wit, if thou givest him what I have desired. And by this prediction he doth [illegible: 1+ letters]acitly admonish him of, and oblige him to the performance of his Duty herein. Or, Let him Iudge▪ the Future being put for the Imperative, as hath been oft observed. So it is a Prayer.

For they are thine more than his; and therefore he must not govern them according to his own Will and Pleasure, but according to the Rules of thy Word▪ and for thy Service and Glory.

Or, thy aflicted, or oppressed ones; for such are thine in a special manner, thou art their Judge and Patron, Psal. 68. 5. and hast Commanded all thy People, and especially Kings and Magistrates, to take a singular Care of them, because they have few or no Friends.

3 The mountains shall bring peace to the people, and the little hills by righteousness.

He mentioneth the Mountains and Hills, as bringing forth this blessed Fruit: Either, because such places are usually Barren, and therefore this was an Evidence of extraordinary Fruitfulness, and a special blessing of God: Or, because they are dangerous to Passengers, in Regard of the Robbers and Wild beasts, which commonly abide there. Whereby it is implyed, that other places should do so to, and that it should be common and universal.

All manner of Prosperity and Felicity, which the Hebrews frequently express by that word.

Marginal references: See ver. 16. Jer. 3. 23.

4 He shall judge the poor of the people, he shall save the children of the needy and shall break in pieces the oppressour.

(i. e.) Vindicate them from their Potent oppressours, as judging is used, Psal. 43. 1. and oft elsewhere.

Whom the Rich peradventure did seize upon for Bond-men, upon some Pretence or other.

5 They shall fear thee as long as the sun and moon endure, throughout all generations.

Or Reverence, or Worship, as this Word is used, Isa. 29. 13. Compared with Mat. 15. 9. and elsewere.

Either, 1. Thee, O King, to whom he suddenly turneth his Speech. And so this is Hyperbolically true of Solomon▪ but truly and litterally of Christ. Or rather, 2. Thee, O God, of whom he had spoken before, and that in the second Person, v. 1, 2. as it is here; whereas he never speaks of the King in the whole Psalm, in the second Person, but constantly in the third. And [illegible: 1+ letters]o the Sence is, This shall be another blessed Fruit of this righteous Government, that together with Peace true Religion shall be established, and that throughout all Generations, as it here follows. Which was begun in Solomon's days and continued, though not without Interruption, in the time of his Successors, the Kings of Iudah, and afterwards until Christ, in and by whom this Prediction and Promise was most fully accomplished. Heb. With the Sun and before the Moon, (i. e.) Whilst they continue in the Heavens. Others expound it thus, both Day and Night▪ as the twelve Tribes are said to serve God, Act. 26. 7. But the former Interpretation seems more probable, by Comparing this Verse with v. 17.

Marginal references: Psal. 89. 36, 37.

6 He shall come down like rain upon the mown grass : as showers that water the earth.

To wit, by the influences of his Government upon his People under him. But this Phrase doth much better agree to Christ, who was yet to come, and who did come down from Heaven, and brought or sent down from Heaven his Doctrine. which is oft Compared to Rain, and the sweet and powerful influences of his Spirit.

Which it both refresheth and improveth, or causeth to grow and flourish, and therefore was very acceptable, especially in Canaan, where Rain was more scarce, and more necessary than in many other places, because of the scorching Heat, and the natural dryness of the Soyl, and the want of Rivers to overflow, or water the Land.

Marginal references: Hos. 6. 3.

7 In his days shall the righteous flourish , and abundance of peace so long as the moon endureth .

As the wicked shall be discountenanced and punished, so good men shall be encouraged and advanced, and multiplyed.

(i. e.) As long as time and the World shall last. Which neither was nor could be true of Solomon, who lived not long, and the Peace of whose Kingdom was sadly disturbed, and in a manner wholly lost presently after his Death, but was undoubtedly and Eminently accomplished in Christ, who brought Peace upon Earth, Luk. 2. 14. and left it as his Legacy to his Disciples, Ioh. 14. 27.

Marginal references: Heb. till there be no Moon.

8 He shall have dominion also from sea to sea , and from the river unto the ends of the earth .

Either, 1. From the Dead Sea, or the Lake of Sodom, or from the Red Sea, to the Midland Sea. For so far did Solomon's Dominion extend: but so did David's also; and therefore in that Respect Solomon hath not that Pre-eminence, which this Promise plainly seems to give him above his Predecessours. Or, 2. More generally from one Sea to another, or in all the parts of the habitable World. So it was truly and fully accomplished in Christ, and in him onely.

To wit, Enphrates: which was the Eastern border of the Kingdom of Canaan allotted by God, Exod. 23. 31. Numb. [illegible: 1+ letters]4. 3. but enjoyed onely by David and Solomon, and afterwards by Christ. Of whose Kingdom this may be here mentioned, as one of the Borders; Partly, because the Kingdom of Christ is here described under the Type, and shadow of Solomon's Kingdom, whose bound this was: and Partly, because though Christ's Kingdom did for a time extend it self beyond Euphrates, yet the chief part, and almost the whole Body of it, both did and doth lye on this side of it: and things do generally receive their Denomination from the greatest part.

Either, 1. Of the Land of Canaan. Or, 2. Of the World.

9 They that dwell in the wilderness shall bow before him: and his enemies shall lick the dust .

In solitary places: Even rude and barbarous People, who lived without Order and Government among themselves: Of which sort great numbers submitted to Christ, and received the Gospel.

(i. e.) Shall prostrate themselves to the ground, in token of Reverence and Subjection, as the Custome of the Eastern People was. See Isa. 49. 23. Mich. 7. 17.

10 The kings of Tarshish and of the isles shall bring presents: the kings of Sheba and Seba shall offer gifts.

Or, of the Sea (as Tarshish is understood, 1 Kings 22. 48. Psal. 48. 7.) and, (Or, that is: for that Conjunction is oft used Exegetically) of the Isles. (i. e.) Of remote Countries, to which they used to go from Canaan by Sea; all which are frequently called Isles in Scripture, as hath been noted before. The Kings that Rule by Sea (where Solomon had no great Power) or by Land.

Two Arabia[illegible: 1+ letters] Countries: unless the one be Arabia, and the other Ethiopia beyond Egypt.

Marginal references: [illegible: 1 word]. 45. 12. [illegible: 1 word]. 29.

11 Yea, all kings shall fall down before him: all nations shall serve him .

Which cannot be said of Solomon with any Truth or Colour, but was unquestionably verified in Christ; of whom therefore this must be understood. For what is said, 1 Kings 4. 21. that Solomon Reigned over all Kingdoms, is there limit [illegible: 1+ letters]ed to them that Reigned from the River unto—Egypt: Whereas the Expressions here are unlimitted and universal.

12 For he shall deliver the needy when he cryeth: the poor also, and him that hath no helper .

The Fame of his just and merciful Government shall induce multitudes; Either, to put themselves under him, or to shew great Respect and Reverence to him.

Marginal references: [illegible: 1 word] [illegible: 1+ letters]9. 12.

13 He shall spare the poor and needy, and shall save the souls of the needy.

Properly so called; this being Christ's proper Work to save Souls: Or, the Lives, which Oppressours shall indeavour to take away.

14 He shall redeem their soul from deceit and violence : and precious shall their blood be in his sight .

The two ways whereby the Souls or Lives of Men are usually destroyed.

He will not be Prodigal of the Lives of his Subjects, casting them away meerly to gratifie his own Revenge, or Covetousness, or in[illegible: 1+ letters]atiable Desire, of enlarging his Empire, as earthly Kings commonly do, but like a true Father of his People, will tenderly preserve them, and severely avenge their Blood upon those who shall shed it.

Marginal references: Psal. 116. 15.

15 And he shall live , and to him shall be given of the gold of Sheba , prayer also shall be made for him continually, and daily shall he be praised.

To wit, long and Prosperously, as Solomon did; yea Eternally, as Christ did. Other Kings must lose both their Lives and Kingdoms: but this King, whom Solomon typified, shall Live for ever, and his Kingdom shall have no end.

As a Present, or Tribute. This was done to Solomon, 1 Kings 10. 15. and to Christ, Mat. 2. 11. and afterwards as need required. Although such Expressions as these being used of Christ and his Kingdom, are commonly understood in a spiritual Sence.

h His Subjects shall be obliged and excited by his righteous and happy Government, to pray heartily and frequently for him; Either, 1. For Solomon. Or, 2. For Christ, not so much for his Person, which needed not their Prayers, as for the Protection and Propagation of his Kingdom and Gospel, and Interest in the World.

Marginal references: Heb. one shall [illegible: 1 word] ▪ [illegible: 1+ letters].

16 There shall be an handful of corn in the earth upon the top of the mountains , the fruit thereof shall shake like Lebanon , and they of the city shall flourish like grass of the earth ▪

Which intimates the small beginnings of this Kingdom[illegible: 1+ letters] and therefore doth not agree to S[illegible: 1+ letters], whose Kingdom was in a manner as large at the beginning of his Reign, as at the End; but it exactly agrees to Christ and hi[illegible: 1+ letters] Kingdom, [illegible: 1 word]. 13. 31, 32.

Sown in the Earth.

In the most Barr[illegible: 1+ letters]n grounds; and therefore this was an Evidence of extraordinary and prodigious Fertility.

It shall [illegible: 1+ letters]ield such abundance of Corn, that the Ears being thick and high and full of Corn, shall, when they are shaken with the Wind, make a noise not unlike that which the tops of the Trees of [illegible: 1 word] sometimes make upon the like occasion. Which Expressions, as well as many others of the like Nature in the Prophets, being applied to Christ, are to be understood in a spiritual Sence, of the great and happy Success of the Preaching of the Gospel.

The Citizens of Ierusalem, which are here Synedochically put for the Subjects of this Kingdom.

Shall both encrease in number, that there may be mouths to receive the Meat provided, and enjoy great Prosperity and Happiness.

17 His Name shall endure for ever: his Name shall be continued , as long as the Sun , and men shall be blessed in him , all nations shall call him blessed.

The Honour and Renown of his eminent Wisdom, and Justice, and Goodness. Which agrees but very obscurely, and imperfectly to Solomon, who s[illegible: 1+ letters]ained the Glory of his Reign, by his prodigious Luxury and Oppression, and Apostacy from God, into which he [illegible: 1+ letters]ell in the latter part of his days.

Or, shall be Propagated, or Transmitted to his Chil[illegible: 1+ letters] ▪ Which suits much better to Christ, from whom we are called Christians than to Solomon.

Heb. [illegible: 1 word] the S[illegible: 1+ letters]; Either, 1. Publickly, and in the Face of the Sun. Or. 2. Perpetually; as a constant and inseparable Companion of the Sun, as long as the Sun it self shall continue. See before on v. 5.

Either, 1. As a Pattern of Blessedness. When any man shall with well to a King, he shall say: The Lord make thee like Solomon. See on Gen. 22. 18. Or rather, 2. As the Cause of it, by and through his Merits and Mediation.

Marginal references: Heb. [illegible: 1 word] [illegible: 1 word].; [illegible: 1 span].; Gen. 12 3. & 22. 1[illegible: 1+ letters].

18 Blessed be the LORD God, the God of Israel, who onely doth wondrous things .

Who hath given to his People such a Glorious and excellent King and Governour, and such wonderful Blessings as they do, and shall enjoy under his Government.

19 And blessed be his glorious name for ever, and let the whole earth be filled with his glory , Amen and amen.

Heb. The whole Earth shall be filled with his Glory. For this may be either a Prayer for, or a Prophecy of the spreading of the true Religion, in the Gentile-World. Which evidently relates to Christ and his Kingdom.

20 The prayers of David the son of Jesse are ended .

This Psalm is called the last of David's Psalms (which are called Prayers, because they consist very much of Prayers) Either, 1. The last of that part, or Book of the Psalms, which reacheth from the beginning of the Psalms hitherto, whereof the far greatest number were Composed by David, and all of them digested into this Order; the rest of which follow, being Collected by some other holy Man, or Men of God after David's Death, and Composed part by David, and part by other Prophets. Or rather, 2. The last Psalm which David Composed: For this was done but a little before his Death, of which see the first Note on this Psalm.

Psa 72:1-4

The name of God, occurring only once, is Elohim; and this is sufficient to stamp the Psalm as an Elohimic Psalm. מלך (cf. Psa 21:2) and בּן־מלך are only used without the article according to a poetical usage of the language. The petition itself, and even the position of the words, show that the king’s son is present, and that he is king; God is implored to bestow upon him His משׁפּטים, i.e., the rights or legal powers belonging to Him, the God of Israel, and צדקה, i.e., the official gift in order that he may exercise those rights in accordance with divine righteousness. After the supplicatory teen the futures which now follow, without the Waw apodoseos, are manifestly optatives. Mountains and hills describe synecdochically the whole land of which they are the high points visible afar off. נשׂא is used in the sense of נשׂא פּרי Eze 17:8 : may שׁלום be the fruit which ripens upon every mountain and hill; universal prosperity satisfied and contented within itself. The predicate for Psa 72:3 is to be taken from Psa 72:3, just as, on the other hand, בּצדקה, “in or by righteousness,” the fruit of which is indeed peace (Isa 32:17), belongs also to Psa 72:3; so that consequently both members supplement one another. The wish of the poet is this: By righteousness, may there in due season be such peaceful fruit adorning all the heights of the land. Psa 72:3, however, always makes one feel as though a verb were wanting, like תּפרחנה suggested by Böttcher. In Psa 72:4 the wishes are continued in plain unfigurative language. הושׁיע in the signification to save, to obtain salvation for, has, as is frequently the case, a dative of the object. בּני־אביון are those who are born to poverty, just like בּן־מלך, one who is born a king. Those who are born to poverty are more or less regarded, by an unrighteous government, as having no rights.

Psa 72:5-8

The invocation of Psa 72:1 is continued in the form of a wish: may they fear Thee, Elohim, עם־שׁמשׁ, with the sun, i.e., during its whole duration (עם in the sense of contemporary existence, as in Dan. 3:33). לפני־ירח, in the moonlight (cf. Job 8:16, לפני־שׁמשׁ, in the sunshine), i.e., so long as the moon shines. דּור דּורים (accusative of the duration of time, cf. Psa 102:25), into the uttermost generation which outlasts the other generations (like שׁמי השּׁמים of the furthest heavens which surround the other heavens). The first two periphrastic expressions for unlimited time recur in Psa 89:37., a Psalm composed after the time of Solomon; cf. the unfigurative expression in Solomon’s prayer at the dedication of the Temple in 1Ki 8:40. The continuance of the kingship, from the operation of which such continuance of the fear of God is expected, is not asserted until Psa 72:17. It is capricious to refer the language of address in Psa 72:5 to the king (as Hupfeld and Hitzig do), who is not directly addressed either in Psa 72:4, or in Psa 72:6, or anywhere in the Psalm. With respect to God the desire is expressed that the righteous and benign rule of the king may result in the extension of the fear of God from generation to generation into endless ages. The poet in Psa 72:6 delights in a heaping up of synonyms in order to give intensity to the expression of the thoughts, just as in Psa 72:5; the last two expressions stand side by side one another without any bond of connection as in Psa 72:5. רביבים (from רבב, Arab. rbb , densum , spissum esse, and then, starting from this signification, sometimes multum and sometimes magnum esse) is the shower of rain pouring down in drops that are close together; nor is זרזיף a synonym of גּז, but (formed from זרף, Arab. ḏrf, to flow, by means of a rare reduplication of the first two letters of the root, Ew. §157, d) properly the water running from a roof (cf. B. Joma 87 a: “when the maid above poured out water, זרזיפי דמיא came upon his head”). גּז, however, is not the meadow-shearing, equivalent to a shorn, mown meadow, any more than גּז, גּזּה, Arabic ǵizza, signifies a shorn hide, but, on the contrary, a hide with the wool or feathers (e.g., ostrich feathers) still upon it, rather a meadow, i.e., grassy plain, that is intended to be mown. The closing word ארץ (accus. loci as in Psa 147:15) unites itself with the opening word ירד: descendat in terram. In his last words (2 Sam. 23) David had compared the effects of the dominion of his successor, whom he beheld as by vision, to the fertilizing effects of the sun and of the rain upon the earth. The idea of Psa 72:6 is that Solomon’s rule may prove itself thus beneficial for the country. The figure of the rain in Psa 72:7 gives birth to another: under his rule may the righteous blossom (expanding himself unhindered and under the most favourable circumsntaces), and (may there arise) salvation in all fulness עד־בּלי ירח, until there is no more moon (cf. the similar expression in Job 14:12). To this desire for the uninterrupted prosperity and happiness of the righteous under the reign of this king succeeds the desire for an unlimited extension of his dominion, Psa 72:8. The sea (the Mediterranean) and the river (the Euphrates) are geographically defined points of issue, whence the definition of boundary is extended into the unbounded. Solomon even at his accession ruled over all kingdoms from the Euphrates as far as the borders of Egypt; the wishes expressed here are of wider compass, and Zechariah repeats them predictively (Psa 9:10) with reference to the King Messiah.

Psa 72:9-11

This third strophe contains prospects, the ground of which is laid down in the fourth. The position of the futures here becomes a different one. The contemplation passes from the home relations of the new government to its foreign relations, and at the same time the wishes are changed into hopes. The awe-commanding dominion of the king shall stretch even into the most distant corners of the desert. ציּים is used both for the animals and the men who inhabit the desert, to be determined in each instance by the context; here they are men beyond all dispute, but in Psa 74:14; Isa 23:13, it is matter of controversy whether men or beasts are meant. Since the lxx, Aquila, Symmachus, and Jerome here, and the lxx and Jerome in Psa 74:14, render Αἰθίοπες, the nomadic tribes right and left of the Arabian Gulf seem traditionally to have been associated in the mind with this word, more particularly the so-called Ichthyophagi. These shall bend the knee reverentially before him, and those who contend against him shall be compelled at last to veil their face before him in the dust. The remotest west and south become subject and tributary to him, viz., the kings of Tartessus in the south of Spain, rich in silver, and of the islands of the Mediterranean and the countries on its coasts, that is to say, the kings of the Polynesian portion of Europe, and the kings of the Cushitish or of the Joktanitish שׁבא and of the Cushitish סבא, as, according to Josephus, the chief city of Meroë was called (vid., Genesis, S. 206). It was a queen of that Joktanitish, and therefore South Arabian Sheba, - perhaps, however, more correctly (vid., Wetzstein in my Isaiah, ii. 529) of the Cushitish (Nubian) Sheba, - whom the fame of Solomon’s wisdom drew towards him, 1 Kings 10. The idea of their wealth in gold and in other precious things is associated with both peoples. In the expression השׁיב מנחה (to pay tribute, 2Ki 17:3, cf. Psa 3:4) the tribute is not conceived of as rendered in return for protection afforded (Maurer, Hengstenberg, and Olshausen), nor as an act repeated periodically (Rödiger, who refers to 2Ch 27:5), but as a bringing back, i.e., repayment of a debt, referre s . reddere debitum (Hupfeld), after the same idea according to which obligatory incomings are called reditus (revenues). In the synonymous expression הקריב אשׁכּר the presentation appears as an act of sacrifice. אשׁכּר signifies in Eze 27:15 a payment made in merchandise, here a rent or tribute due, from שׂכר, which in blending with the Aleph prostheticum has passed over into שׂכר by means of a shifting of the sound after the Arabic manner, just as in אשׁכּל the verb שׂכל, to interweave, passes over into שׂכל (Rödiger in Gesenius’ Thesaurus). In Psa 72:11 hope breaks through every bound: everything shall submit to his world-subduing sceptre.

Psa 72:12-15

The confirmation of these prospects is now given. Voluntative forms are intermingled because the prospect extending into the future is nevertheless more lyrical than prophetic in its character. The elevation of the king to the dominion of the world is the reward of his condescension; he shows himself to be the helper and protecting lord of the poor and the oppressed, who are the especial object upon which God’s eye is set. He looks upon it as his task to deal most sympathizingly and most considerately (יחס) just with those of reduced circumstances and with the poor, and their blood is precious in his eyes. Psa 72:12 is re-echoed in Job 29:12. The meaning of Psa 72:14 is the same as Psa 116:15. Instead of יקר, by a retention of the Jod of the stem it is written ייקר. Just as in Psa 49:10, ייקר here also is followed by ויחי. The assertion is individualized: and he (who was threatened with death) shall live (voluntative, having reference to the will of the king). But who is now the subject to ויתּן-? Not the rescued one (Hitzig), for after the foregoing designations (Psa 72:11.) we cannot expect to find “the gold of Sheba” (gold from Jeman or Aethiopia) in his possession. Therefore it is the king, and in fact Solomon, of whom the disposal of the gold of Sheba (Saba) is characteristic. The king’s thought and endeavour are directed to this, that the poor man who has almost fallen a victim shall live or revive, and not only will he maintain his cause, he will also bestow gifts upon him with a liberal hand, and he (the poor one who has been rescued and endowed from the riches of the king) shall pray unceasingly for him (the king) and bless him at all times. The poor one is he who is restored to life and endowed with gifts, and who intercedes and blesses; the king, however, is the beneficent giver. It is left for the reader to supply the right subjects in thought to the separate verbs. That clearly marked precision which we require in rhetorical recital is alien to the Oriental style (vid., my Geschichte der jüdischen Poesie, S. 189). Maurer and Hofmann also give the same interpretation as we have done.

Psa 72:16-17

Here, where the futures again stand at the head of the clauses, they are also again to be understood as optatives. As the blessing of such a dominion after God’s heart, not merely fertility but extraordinary fruitfulness may be confidently desired for the land פּסּה (ἁπ. λεγ..), rendered by the Syriac version sugo, abundance, is correctly derived by the Jewish lexicographers from פּסס = פּשׂה (in the law relating to leprosy), Mishnic פּסה, Aramaic פּסא, Arabic fšâ, but also fšš (vid., Job, at Psa 35:14-16), to extend, expandere; so that it signifies an abundance that occupies a broad space. בּראשׁ, unto the summit, as in Psa 36:6; Psa 19:5. The idea thus obtained is the same as when Hofmann (Weissagung und Erfüllung, i. 180f.) takes פסּה (from פּסס = אפס) in the signification of a boundary line: “close upon the summit of the mountain shall the last corn stand,” with reference to the terrace-like structure of the heights. פּריו does not refer back to בארץ (Hitzig, who misleads one by referring to Joe 2:3), but to בּר: may the corn stand so high and thick that the fields, being moved by the wind, shall shake, i.e., wave up and down, like the lofty thick forest of Lebanon. The lxx, which renders huperarthee'setai, takes ירעשׁ for יראשׁ, as Ewald does: may its fruit rise to a summit, i.e., rise high, like Lebanon. But a verb ראשׁ is unknown; and how bombastic is this figure in comparison with that grand, but beautiful figure, which we would not willingly exchange even for the conjecture יעשׁר (may it be rich)! The other wish refers to a rapid, joyful increase of the population: may men blossom out of this city and out of that city as the herb of the earth (cf. Job 5:25, where צאצאיך also accords in sound with יציצוּ), i.e., fresh, beautiful, and abundant as it. Israel actually became under Solomon’s sceptre as numerous “as the sand by the sea” (1Ki 4:20), but increase of population is also a settled feature in the picture of the Messianic time (Psa 110:3, Isa 9:2; Isa 49:20, Zec 2:8 [4]; cf. Sir. 44:21). If, however, under the just and benign rule of the king, both land and people are thus blessed, eternal duration may be desired for his name. May this name, is the wish of the poet, ever send forth new shoots (ינין Chethib), or receive new shoots (ינּון Kerî, from Niph. ננון), as long as the sun turns its face towards us, inasmuch as the happy and blessed results of the dominion of the king ever afford new occasion for glorifying his name. May they bless themselves in him, may all nations call him blessed, and that, as ויתבּרכוּ בוPronounce wejithbārchu, because the tone rests on the first letter of the root; whereas in Psa 72:15 it is jebārachenu with Chateph. vid., the rule in the Luther. Zeitschrift, 1863, S. 412. implies, so blessed that his abundance of blessing appears to them to be the highest that they can desire for themselves. To et benedicant sibi in eo we have to supply in thought the most universal, as yet undefined subject, which is then more exactly defined as omnes gentes with the second synonymous predicate. The accentuation (Athnach, Mugrash, Silluk) is blameless.

Psa 72:18-19

Closing Beracha of the Second Book of the Psalter. It is more full-toned than that of the First Book, and God is intentionally here called Jahve Elohim the God of Israel because the Second Book contains none but Elohim-Psalms, and not, as there, Jahve the God of Israel. “Who alone doeth wonders” is a customary praise of God, Psa 86:10; Psa 136:4, cf. Job 9:8. שׁם כּבודו is a favourite word in the language of divine worship in the period after the Exile (Neh 9:5); it is equivalent to the שׁם כּבוד מלכוּתו in the liturgical Beracha, God’s glorious name, the name that bears the impress of His glory. The closing words: and let the whole earth be full, etc., are taken from Num 14:21. Here, as there, the construction of the active with a double accusative of that which fills and that which is to be filled is retained in connection with the passive; for כבודו is also accusative: let be filled with His glory the whole earth (let one make it full of it). The אמן coupled by means of Waw is, in the Old Testament, exclusively peculiar to these doxologies of the Psalter.

Psa 72:20

Superscription of the primary collection. The origin of this superscription cannot be the same as that of the doxology, which is only inserted between it and the Psalm, because it was intended to be read with the Psalm at the reading in the course of the service (Symbolae, p. 19). כּלוּ = כּלּוּ, like דּחוּ in Ps 36:13, כּסּוּ, Psa 80:11, all being Pual forms, as is manifest in the accented ultima. A parallel with this verse is the superscription “are ended the words of Job” in Job 31:40, which separates the controversial speeches and Job’s monologue from the speeches of God. No one taking a survey of the whole Psalter, with the many Psalms of David that follow beyond Ps 72, could possibly have placed this key-stone here. If, however, it is more ancient than the doxological division into five books, it is a significant indication in relation to the history of the rise of the collection. It proves that the collection of the whole as it now lies before us was at least preceded by one smaller collection, of which we may say that it extended to Ps 72, without thereby meaning to maintain that it contained all the Psalms up to that one, since several of them may have been inserted into it when the redaction of the whole took place. But it is possible for it to have contained Ps 72, wince at the earliest it was only compiled in the time of Solomon. The fact that the superscription following directly upon a Psalm of Solomon is thus worded, is based on the same ground as the fact that the whole Psalter is quoted in the New Testament as Davidic. David is the father of the שׁיר ה, 2Ch 29:27, and hence all Psalms may be called Davidic, just as all משׁלים may be called Salomonic, without meaning thereby that they are all composed by David himself. Temptation to Apostasy Overcome

After the one Asaph Psalm of the Second Book, Ps 50, follow eleven more of them from Psalms 73-83. They are all Elohimic, whereas the Korah Psalms divide into an Elohimic and a Jehovic group. Psa 84:1-12 forms the transition from the one to the other. The Elohim-Psalms extend from Psalms 42-84, and are fenced in on both sides by Jahve-Psalms.

In contents Psalms 73 is the counterpart of pendant of Ps 50. As in that Psalm the semblance of a sanctity based upon works is traced back to its nothingness, so here the seeming good fortune of the ungodly, by which the poet felt himself tempted to fall away, not into heathenism (Hitzig), but into that free-thinking which in the heathen world does not less cast off the deisidaimoni'a than it does the belief in Jahve within the pale of Israel. Nowhere does there come to light in the national history any back ground that should contradict the לאסף, and the doubts respecting the moral order of the world are set at rest in exactly the same way as in Ps 37; Ps 49, and in the Book of Job. Theodicy, or the vindication of God’s ways, does not as yet rise from the indication of the retribution in this present time which the ungodly do not escape, to a future solution of all the contradictions of this present world; and the transcendent glory which infinitely outweighs the suffering of this present time, still remains outside the range of vision. The stedfast faith which, gladly renouncing everything, holds fast to God, and the pure love to which this possession is more than heaven and earth, is all the more worthy of admiration in connection with such defective knowledge.

The strophe schema of the Psalm is predominantly octastichic: 4. 8. 8. 8; 8. 8. 5. Its two halves are Psa 73:1, Psa 73:15.

Prayer for Solomon.

1 Give the king thy judgments, O God, and thy righteousness unto the king's son.

This verse is a prayer for the king, even the king's son.

I. We may apply it to Solomon: Give him thy judgments, O God! and thy righteousness; make him a man, a king; make him a good man, a good king. 1. It is the prayer of a father for his child, a dying blessing, such as the patriarchs bequeathed to their children. The best thing we can ask of God for our children is that God will give them wisdom and grace to know and do their duty; that is better than gold. Solomon learned to pray for himself as his father had prayed for him, not that God would give him riches and honour, but a wise and understanding heart. It was a comfort to David that his own son was to be his successor, but more so that he was likely to be both judicious and righteous. David had given him a good education (Prov. iv. 3), had taught him good judgment and righteous, yet that would not do unless God gave him his judgments. Parents cannot give grace to their children, but may by prayer bring them to the God of grace, and shall not seek him in vain, for their prayer shall either be answered or it shall return with comfort into their own bosom. 2. It is the prayer of a king for his successor. David had executed judgment and justice during his reign, and now he prays that his son might do so too. Such a concern as this we should have for posterity, desiring and endeavouring that those who come after us may do God more and better service in their day than we have done in ours. Those have little love either to God or man, and are of a very narrow selfish spirit, who care not what becomes of the world and the church when they are gone. 3. It is the prayer of subjects for their king. It should seem, David penned this psalm for the use of the people, that they, in singing, might pray for Solomon. Those who would live quiet and peaceable lives must pray for kings and all in authority, that God would give them his judgments and righteousness.

II. We may apply it to Christ; not that he who intercedes for us needs us to intercede for him; but, 1. It is a prayer of the Old-Testament church for sending the Messiah, as the church's King, King on the holy hill of Zion, of whom the King of kings had said, Thou art my Son, Ps. ii. 6, 7. "Hasten his coming to whom all judgment is committed;" and we must thus hasten the second coming of Christ, when he shall judge the world in righteousness. 2. It is an expression of the satisfaction which all true believers take in the authority which the Lord Jesus has received from the Father: "Let him have all power both in heaven and earth, and be the Lord our righteousness; let him be the great trustee of divine grace for all that are his; give it to him, that he may give it to us."

The Kingdom of Messiah.

2 He shall judge thy people with righteousness, and thy poor with judgment. 3 The mountains shall bring peace to the people, and the little hills, by righteousness. 4 He shall judge the poor of the people, he shall save the children of the needy, and shall break in pieces the oppressor. 5 They shall fear thee as long as the sun and moon endure, throughout all generations. 6 He shall come down like rain upon the mown grass: as showers that water the earth. 7 In his days shall the righteous flourish; and abundance of peace so long as the moon endureth. 8 He shall have dominion also from sea to sea, and from the river unto the ends of the earth. 9 They that dwell in the wilderness shall bow before him; and his enemies shall lick the dust. 10 The kings of Tarshish and of the isles shall bring presents: the kings of Sheba and Seba shall offer gifts. 11 Yea, all kings shall fall down before him: all nations shall serve him. 12 For he shall deliver the needy when he crieth; the poor also, and him that hath no helper. 13 He shall spare the poor and needy, and shall save the souls of the needy. 14 He shall redeem their soul from deceit and violence: and precious shall their blood be in his sight. 15 And he shall live, and to him shall be given of the gold of Sheba: prayer also shall be made for him continually; and daily shall he be praised. 16 There shall be a handful of corn in the earth upon the top of the mountains; the fruit thereof shall shake like Lebanon: and they of the city shall flourish like grass of the earth. 17 His name shall endure for ever: his name shall be continued as long as the sun: and men shall be blessed in him: all nations shall call him blessed.

This is a prophecy of the prosperity and perpetuity of the kingdom of Christ under the shadow of the reign of Solomon. It comes in, 1. As a plea to enforce the prayer: "Lord, give him thy judgments and thy righteousness, and then he shall judge thy people with righteousness, and so shall answer the end of his elevation, v. 2. Give him thy grace, and then thy people, committed to his charge, will have the benefit of it." Because God loved Israel, he made him king over them to do judgment and justice, 2 Chron. ix. 8. We may in faith wrestle with God for that grace which we have reason to think will be of common advantage to his church. 2. As an answer of peace to the prayer. As by the prayer of faith we return answers to God's promises of mercy, so by the promises of mercy God returns answers to our prayers of faith. That this prophecy must refer to the kingdom of the Messiah is plain, because there are many passages in it which cannot be applied to the reign of Solomon. There was indeed a great deal of righteousness and peace, at first, in the administration of his government; but, before the end of his reign, there were both trouble and unrighteousness. The kingdom here spoken of is to last as long as the sun, but Solomon's was soon extinct. Therefore even the Jewish expositors understand it of the kingdom of the Messiah.

Let us observe the many great and precious promises here made, which were to have their full accomplishment only in the kingdom of Christ; and yet some of them were in part fulfilled in Solomon's reign.

I. That it should be a righteous government (v. 2): He shall judge thy people with righteousness. Compare Isa. xi. 4. All the laws of Christ's kingdom are consonant to the eternal rules of equity; the chancery it erects to relieve against the rigours of the broken law is indeed a court of equity; and against the sentence of his last judgment there will lie no exception. The peace of his kingdom shall be supported by righteousness (v. 3); for then only is the peace like a river, when the righteousness is as the waves of the sea. The world will be judged in righteousness, Acts xvii. 31.

II. That it should be a peaceable government: The mountains shall bring peace, and the little hills (v. 3); that is (says Dr. Hammond), both the superior and the inferior courts of judicature in Solomon's kingdom. There shall be abundance of peace, v. 7. Solomon's name signifies peaceable, and such was his reign; for in it Israel enjoyed the victories of the foregoing reign and preserved the tranquillity and repose of that reign. But peace is, in a special manner, the glory of Christ's kingdom; for, as far as it prevails, it reconciles men to God, to themselves, and to one another, and slays all enmities; for he is our peace.

III. That the poor and needy should be, in a particular manner, taken under the protection of this government: He shall judge thy poor, v. 2. Those are God's poor that are impoverished by keeping a good conscience, and those shall be provided for with a distinguishing care, shall be judged for with judgment, with a particular cognizance taken of their case and a particular vengeance taken for their wrongs. The poor of the people, and the children of the needy, he will be sure so to judge as to save, v. 4. This is insisted upon again (v. 12, 13), intimating that Christ will be sure to carry his cause on behalf of his injured poor. He will deliver the needy that lie at the mercy of their oppressors, the poor also, both because they have no helper and it is for his honour to help them and because they cry unto him and he has promised, in answer to their prayers, to help them; they by prayer commit themselves unto him, Ps. x. 14. He will spare the needy that throw themselves on his mercy, and will not be rigorous and severe with them; he will save their souls, and that is all they desire. Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Christ is the poor man's King.

IV. That proud oppressors shall be reckoned with: He shall break them in pieces (v. 4), shall take away their power to hurt, and punish them for all the mischief they have done. This is the office of a good king, Parcere subjectis, et debellare superbos—To spare the vanquished and debase the proud. The devil is the great oppressor, whom Christ will break in pieces and of whose kingdom he will be the destruction. With the breath of his mouth shall he slay that wicked one (Isa. xi. 4), and shall deliver the souls of his people from deceit and violence, v. 14. He shall save from the power of Satan, both as an old serpent working by deceit to ensnare them and as a roaring lion working by violence to terrify and devour them. So precious shall their blood be unto him that not a drop of it shall be shed, by the deceit or violence of Satan or his instruments, without being reckoned for. Christ is a King, who, though he calls his subjects sometimes to resist unto blood for him, yet is not prodigal of their blood, nor will ever have it parted with but upon a valuable consideration to his glory and theirs, and the filling up of the measure of their enemies' iniquity.

V. That religion shall flourish under Christ's government (v. 5): They shall fear thee as long as the sun and moon endure. Solomon indeed built the temple, and the fear and worship of God were well kept up, for some time, under his government, but it did not last long; this therefore must point at Christ's kingdom, all the subjects of which are brought to and kept in the fear of God; for the Christian religion has a direct tendency to, and a powerful influence upon, the support and advancement of natural religion. Faith in Christ will set up, and keep up, the fear of God; and therefore this is the everlasting gospel that is preached, Fear God, and give honour to him, Rev. xiv. 7. And, as Christ's government promotes devotion towards God, so it promotes both justice and charity among men (v. 7): In his days shall the righteous flourish; righteousness shall be practised, and those that practise righteousness shall be preferred. Righteousness shall abound and be in reputation, shall command and be in power. The law of Christ, written in the heart, disposes men to be honest and just, and to render to all their due; it likewise disposes men to live in love, and so it produces abundance of peace and beats swords into ploughshares. Both holiness and love shall be perpetual in Christ's kingdom, and shall never go to decay, for the subjects of it shall fear God as long as the sun and moon endure; Christianity, in the profession of it, having got footing in the world, shall keep its ground till the end of time, and having, in the power of it, got footing in the heart, it will continue there till, by death, the sun, and the moon, and the stars (that is, the bodily senses) are darkened. Through all the changes of the world, and all the changes of life, Christ's kingdom will support itself; and, if the fear of God continue as long as the sun and moon, abundance of peace will. The peace of the church, the peace of the soul, shall run parallel with its purity and piety, and last as long as these last.

VI. That Christ's government shall be very comfortable to all his faithful loving subjects (v. 6): He shall, by the graces and comforts of his Spirit, come down like rain upon the mown grass; not on that which is cut down, but that which is left growing, that it may spring again, though it was beheaded. The gospel of Christ distils as the rain, which softens the ground that was hard, moistens that which was dry, and so makes it green and fruitful, Isa. lv. 10. Let our hearts drink in the rain, Heb. vi. 7.

VII. That Christ's kingdom shall be extended very far, and greatly enlarged; considering,

1. The extent of his territories (v. 8): He shall have dominion from sea to sea (from the South Sea to the North, or from the Red Sea to the Mediterranean) and from the river Euphrates, or Nile, to the ends of the earth. Solomon's dominion was very large (1 Kings iv. 21), according to the promise, Gen. xv. 18. But no sea, no river, is named, that it might, by these proverbial expressions, intimate the universal monarchy of the Lord Jesus. His gospel has been, or shall be, preached to all nations (Matt. xxiv. 14), and the kingdoms of the world shall become his kingdoms (Rev. xi. 15) when the fulness of the Gentiles shall be brought in. His territories shall be extended to those countries, (1.) That were strangers to him: Those that dwell in the wilderness, out of all high roads, that seldom hear news, shall hear the glad tidings of the Redeemer and redemption by him, shall bow before him, shall believe in him, accept of him, worship him, and take his yoke upon them. Before the Lord Jesus we must all either bow or break; if we break, we are ruined—if we bow, we are certainly made for ever. (2.) That were enemies to him, and had fought against him: They shall lick the dust; they shall be brought down and laid in the dust, shall bite the ground for vexation, and be so hunger-bitten that they shall be glad of dust, the serpent's meat (Gen. iii. 15), for of his seed they are; and over whom shall not he rule, when his enemies themselves are thus humbled and brought low?

2. The dignity of his tributaries. He shall not only reign over those that dwell in the wilderness, the peasants and cottagers, but over those that dwell in the palaces (v. 10): The kings of Tarshish, and of the isles, that lie most remote from Israel and are the isles of the Gentiles (Gen. x. 5), shall bring presents to him as their sovereign Lord, by and under whom they hold their crowns and all their crown lands. They shall court his favour, and make an interest in him, that they may hear his wisdom. This was literally fulfilled in Solomon (for all the kings of the earth sought the wisdom of Solomon, and brought every man his present, 2 Chron. ix. 23, 24), and in Christ too, when the wise men of the east, who probably were men of the first rank in their own country, came to worship him and brought him presents, Matt. ii. 11. They shall present themselves to him; that is the best present we can bring to Christ, and without that no other present is acceptable, Rom. xii. 1. They shall offer gifts, spiritual sacrifices of prayer and praise, offer them to Christ as their God, on Christ as their altar, which sanctifies every gift. Their conversion to God is called the offering up, or sacrificing, of the Gentiles, Rom. xv. 16. Yea, all kings shall, sooner or later, fall down before him, either to do their duty to him or to receive their doom from him, v. 11. They shall fall before him, either as his willing subjects or as his conquered captives, as suppliants for his mercy or expectants of his judgment. And, when the kings submit, the people come in of course: All nations shall serve him; all shall be invited into his service; some of all nations shall come into it, and in every nation incense shall be offered to him and a pure offering, Mal. i. 11; Rev. vii. 9.

VIII. That he shall be honoured and beloved by all his subjects (v. 15): He shall live; his subjects shall desire his life (O king! live for ever) and with good reason; for he has said, Because I live, you shall live also; and of him it is witnessed that he liveth, ever liveth, making intercession, Heb. vii. 8, 25. He shall live, and live prosperously; and, 1. Presents shall be made to him. Though he shall be able to live without them, for he needs neither the gifts nor the services of any, yet to him shall be given of the gold of Sheba—gold, the best of metals, gold of Sheba, which probably was the finest gold; for he that is best must be served with the best. Those that have abundance of the wealth of this world, that have gold at command, must give it to Christ, must serve him with it, do good with it. Honour the Lord with thy substance. 2. Prayers shall be made for him, and that continually. The people prayed for Solomon, and that helped to make him and his reign so great a blessing to them. It is the duty of subjects to make prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, for kings and all in authority, not in compliment to them, as is too often done, but in concern for the public welfare. But how is this applied to Christ? He needs not our prayers, nor can have any benefit by them. But the Old-Testament saints prayed for his coming, prayed continually for it; for they called him, He that should come. And now that he has come we must pray for the success of his gospel and the advancement of his kingdom, which he calls praying for him (Hosanna to the Son of David, prosperity to his reign), and we must pray for his second coming. It may be read, Prayer shall be made through him, or for his sake; whatsoever we ask of the Father shall be in his name and in dependence upon his intercession. 3. Praises shall be made of him, and high encomiums given of his wisdom, justice, and goodness: Daily shall he be praised. By praying daily in his name we give him honour. Subjects ought to speak well of the government that is a blessing to them; and much more ought all Christians to praise Jesus Christ, daily to praise him; for they owe their all to him, and to him they lie under the highest obligations.

IX. That under his government there shall be a wonderful increase both of meat and mouths, both of the fruits of the earth in the country and of the people inhabiting the cities, v. 16. 1. The country shall grow rich. Sow but a handful of corn on the top of the mountains, whence one would expect but little, and yet the fruit of it shall shake like Lebanon; it shall come up like a wood, so thick, and tall, and strong, like the cedars of Lebanon. Even upon the tops of the mountains the earth shall bring forth by handfuls; that is an expression of great plenty (Gen. xli. 47), as the grass upon the house top is said to be that wherewith the mower fills not his hand. This is applicable to the wonderful productions of the seed of the gospel in the days of the Messiah. A handful of that seed, sown in the mountainous and barren soil of the Gentile world, produced a wonderful harvest gathered in to Christ, fruit that shook like Lebanon. The fields were white to the harvest, John iv. 35; Matt. ix. 37. The grain of mustard-seed grew up to a great tree. 2. The towns shall grow populous: Those of the city shall flourish like grass, for number, for verdure. The gospel church, the city of God among men, shall have all the marks of prosperity, many shall be added to it, and those that are shall be happy in it.

X. That his government shall be perpetual, both to his honour and to the happiness of his subjects. The Lord Jesus shall reign for ever, and of him only this must be understood, and not at all of Solomon. It is Christ only that shall be feared throughout all generations (v. 5) and as long as the sun and moon endure, v. 7. 1. The honour of the princes is immortal and shall never be sullied (v. 17): His name shall endure for ever, in spite of all the malicious attempts and endeavours of the powers of darkness to eclipse the lustre of it and to cut off the line of it; it shall be preserved; it shall be perpetuated; it shall be propagated. As the names of earthly princes are continued in their posterity, so Christ's in himself. Filiabitur nomen ejus—His name shall descend to posterity. All nations, while the world stands, shall call him blessed, shall bless God for him, continually speak well of him, and think themselves happy in him. To the end of time, and to eternity, his name shall be celebrated, shall be made use of; every tongue shall confess it and every knee shall bow before it. 2. The happiness of the people if universal too; it is complete and everlasting: Men shall be blessed, truly and for ever blessed, in him. This plainly refers to the promise made unto the fathers that in the Messiah all the nations of the earth should be blessed. Gen. xii. 3.

Thanksgiving and Prayer.

18 Blessed be the Lord God, the God of Israel, who only doeth wondrous things. 19 And blessed be his glorious name for ever: and let the whole earth be filled with his glory; Amen, and Amen. 20 The prayers of David the son of Jesse are ended.

Such an illustrious prophecy as is in the foregoing verses of the Messiah and his kingdom may fitly be concluded, as it is here, with hearty prayers and praises.

I. The psalmist is here enlarged in thanksgivings for the prophecy and promise, v. 18, 19. So sure is every word of God, and with so much satisfaction may we rely upon it, that we have reason enough to give thanks for what he has said, though it be not yet done. We must own that for all the great things he has done for the world, for the church, for the children of men, for his own children, in the kingdom of providence, in the kingdom of grace, for all the power and trust lodged in the hands of the Redeemer, God is worthy to be praised; we must stir up ourselves and all that is within us to praise him after the best manner, and desire that all others may do it. Blessed be the Lord, that is, blessed be his glorious name; for it is only in his name that we can contribute any thing to his glory and blessedness, and yet that is also exalted above all blessing and praise. Let it be blessed for ever, it shall be blessed for ever, it deserves to be blessed for ever, and we hope to be forever blessing it. We are here taught to bless the name of Christ, and to bless God in Christ, for all that which he has done for us by him. We must bless him, 1. As the Lord God, as a self-existent self-sufficient Being, and our sovereign Lord. 2. As the God of Israel, in covenant with that people and worshipped by them, and who does this in performance of the truth unto Jacob and the mercy to Abraham, 3. As the God who only does wondrous things, in creation and providence, and especially this work of redemption, which excels them all. Men's works are little, common, trifling things, and even these they could not do without him. But God does all by his own power, and they are wondrous things which he does, and such as will be the eternal admiration of saints and angels.

II. He is earnest in prayer for the accomplishment of this prophecy and promise: Let the whole earth be filled with his glory, as it will be when the kings of Tarshish, and the isles, shall bring presents to him. It is sad to think how empty the earth is of the glory of God, how little service and honour he has from a world to which he is such a bountiful benefactor. All those, therefore, that wish well to the honour of God and the welfare of mankind, cannot but desire that the earth may be filled with the discoveries of his glory, suitably returned in thankful acknowledgments of his glory. Let every heart, and every mouth, and every assembly, be filled with the high praises of God. We shall see how earnest David is in this prayer, and how much his heart is in it, if we observe, 1. How he shuts up the prayer with a double seal: "Amen and amen; again and again I say, I say it and let all others say the same, so be it. Amen to my prayer; Amen to the prayers of all the saints to this purport—Hallowed be thy name; thy kingdom come." 2. How he ever shuts up his life with this prayer, v. 20. This was the last psalm that ever he penned, though not placed last in this collection; he penned it when he lay on his death-bed, and with this he breathes his last: "Let God be glorified, let the kingdom of the Messiah be set up, and kept up, in the world, and I have enough, I desire no more. With this let the prayers of David the son of Jesse be ended. Even so, come, Lord Jesus, come quickly."

PSAL. LXXII.

For Solomon.

O God, give thy judgements to the King, and thy justice to the Kings sonne. That he may judge thy people with justice, and thy poore afflicted ones with judgement. The mountains shall bring forth peace to the people, and the hills with justice. He shall judge the poore afflicted of the people, he shall save the sonnes of the needy, and shall breake downe the fraudulent oppressour. They shall feare thee with the Sunne, and before the Moone, to generation of generations. Hee shall come downe like the raine upon the mowen grasse; as the showers, the dispersed moisture of the earth.

In his dayes shall the just man flourish, and multitude of peace, untill the Moone be not.

And he shall have dominion from sea unto sea, and from the river unto the ends of the land. They that dwell in dry places shall kneele before him, and his enemies shall licke the dust. The kings of Tharshish and of the Iles shal render an oblation; the kings of Sheba & Seba shall offer a present. And all kings shall worship him, all nations shall serve him.

For he shall deliver the needy that cryeth out, and the poore afflicted, and him that hath no helper. He shall mercifully spare the poore and needy, and shall save the soules of the needy. He shall redeeme their soule from fraud and violent wrong, and precious shall their bloud be in his eyes. And he shall live, and he shall give to him of the gold of Sheba, and shall pray for him continually, shall blesse him all the day. There shall bee a parcell of Corne in the land, in the top of the mountaines; the fruit thereof shall shake like Lebanon, and flourish shall they of the City as the herbe out of the earth. His name shall be for ever, his name shall be continued before the Sunne, and they shall blesse themselves in him; all Nations shall call him blessed. Blessed be Iehovah God, the God of Israel, which doth marvellous things himselfe alone. And blessed be the name of his glory for ever; and let all the earth be filled with his glory; Amen, and Amen.

Ended are the prayers of David sonne of Iesse.

Annotations. FOr Solomon] the Greeke addeth, a Psalme of David for Solomon; and the last verse sheweth it to be made by David, and it concerneth Christ and his Kingdome, figured by Solomon, Song 3. 11. and therfore called by his name, as elsewhere he is called David, Hos. 3. 5. Such also is the title of the 127. Psalme. Kings sonne] to whom the right of the Kingdome belongeth by birth and inheritance. So Christ was King Davids sonne, and borne King of the Iewes, Mar. 11. 10. Mat. 2. 2. and 22. 42. to him the Father gave all judgement, Iohn 5. 22. The Chaldee expoundeth the King to bee Christ, and the Kings sonne to be King Davids son. Vers. 2. That he may] or, Let him judge, that is, governe thy people in justice, that is, justly, wherefore he is named Melchizedek, that is, King [illegible: 1 word] justico, Heb. 7. 2. of whom it was prophesied, behold a King shall reigne in justice, Isa. 32. 1. Vers. 3. The mountaines shall bring forth] or, shall beare, to wit, as their fruit; for so this phrase importeth, Iob 40. 15. This and the rest that follow, may also bee read prayer-wise, let the mountaines beare, &c. The Chaldee paraphraseth, The dwellers on the mountaines shall bring peace to the people of the house of Israel. peace] that is, prosperitie, plenty of fruits which should be injoyed with peace, as all Solomons dayes Israel dwelt without feare, every man under his vine and figtree, 1 King. 4. 25. And under Christ, the worke and effect of justice, is peace, quietnesse, and assurance for ever, Isa. 32. 17. Rom. 5. 1. the mountaines drop downe new wine, and the hils flow with milke, Ioel 3. 18. Amos 9. 13. hils with justice] that is, the hils also shall beare peace with justice; both peace and justice, as these two are said to kisse each other, Psal. 85. 11. and Christ is King both of justice and peace, Heb. 7. 2. his Kingdome is justice, peace, and joy, Rom. 14. 17. It may also be read for justice. Vers. 4. shall judge] that is, shall deliver; see the notes on Psal. 43. 1. save the sonnes of the needy] that is, the needy persons; in Chaldee, shall redeeme the sonnes of miserie, that is, such as are in wretched case. the fraudulent oppressor] whom the Greeke here calleth sycophant; which word is used for injurying by forged cavillation, Luk. 19. 8. and 3. 14. See before in Psal. 62. 11. Vers. 5. They shall feare] men shall reverence, that is, worship and serve thee. So feare is used for worship, Isa. 29. 13. Mat. 15. 9. with the sun] or before the sun, as is after expressed, vers. 17. & as the Hebrew ghnim, with, is elsewhere used for before, Est. 7. 8. and before the sun and moone, meaneth continually, so long as they shine on the earth, which is, so long as the world endureth, Gen. 8. 22. Psal. 89. 37, 38. The Chaldee intrepreteth it, with the rising of the sunne, and in the light of the moone, that is, at morning and evening, day and night; as the twelve Tribes are said so instantly to serve, Act. 26. 7. Vers. 6. the mowen grasse] the medow, which being mowen in the beginning of Summer, craveth raine that it may grow againe. The orginall word signifieth also a shorne fleece of wooll; which sense some keepe here, and referre it to the deaw that fell on Gedeons fleece, when the land was dry, and againe on the land when the fleece was dry, Iudg. 6. 37,—40. Solomon and Christ are here said to come downe as raine, in respect of the doctrine and administration of judgement by them. So Moses said, My doctrine shall drop as the raine, &c. Deut. 32. 2. and Iob said, they waited for me as for the raine, &c. Iob 29. 23. and the Lord shall come unto us as the raine, &c. Hos. 6. 3. the dispersed moisture] understand, which are the moisture, that is, which showres doe moisten the earth. Zarziph, the Hebrew word used only in this place, hath the signification of dispersing moisture or water, as is by showers, God having divided spouts for the raine, whereby it is strowed abroad upon the earth, Iob 38. 25. Wherefore the former word showers, implieth raine that falleth with manifold (or millions of) drops, as Psal. 65. 11. Vers. 7. multitude of peace] to wit, shall be, or, shall flourish: and this Shalom, peace, may respect the name of Shelomoh or Solomon, which signifieth peaceable, as was promised to David, Behold, a son is borne to thee which shall be a man of rest, for I will give him rest from all his enemies round about, therefore his name is Solomon, and I will send (Salom) peace and quietnesse upon Israel in his daies, 1 Chron. 22. 9. moone be not] or be taken away, as the Greeke explaineth it, that is, till the worlds end, as before, vers. 5. Vers. 8. from sea to sea] from the salt Sea, (the lake of Sodome, Gen. 14. 3.) to the maine sea. See Numb. 34. 3,—6, &c. where the limits of the land are described. from the river] the great river Euphrates, Gen. 15. 18. Deut. 11. 24. In Solomon this was accomplished, when hee reigned over all kingdomes, from the river to the land of the Philistims, and to the border of Aegypt, 1 King. 4. 21. in Christ, when all Nations were brought into his subjection by the Gospell, as Mat. 28. 18, 19. Act. 1. 8. Col. 1. 5, 6. Rev. 11. 15. Vers. 9. in dry places] or, in desarts, which the Greeke explaineth, the Aethiopians. The Hebrew Tsijim signifieth here, and Psal. 74. 14. people that dwell in dry desart places: sometime it is used for wilde beasts that haunt such desarts, as Esa. 34. 14. and 13. 21. Ier. 50. 39. lick the dust] like a Serpent, as is expressed in Mic. 7. 16. noting hereby great feare and subjection, testified by bowing downe their faces to the ground, as is the manner in the Easterne countries. In Esa. 49. 23. a like promise is made to the Church of Christ. Vers. 10. Of Tharshish] or of the Ocean, that dwell by the maine sea. See the Note on Psal. 48. 8. Sheba and Seba] that is, of Aethiopia and Arabia, far southerne Countries, inhabited by the posterity of Sheba and Seba, the Nephew & son of Cush, the son of Cham, the son of Noah, Gen. 10. 7. The Queen of Sheba (or of the South) came from the utmost parts of the earth to heare the wisdome of Solomon, & gave him much gold, sweet odours, and precious stones, 1 King. 10. 1,—10. Mat. 12. 42. Vers. 12. hath no helper] or, to whom no helper. See the like by Iob, Iob 29. 12. Vers. 14. precious shall their bloud be] that is, their death, meaning, that hee regardeth their life, and will not easily suffer them to be killed, for that it is precious and deare unto him: as on the contrary Paul said, his life was not deare unto himselfe, when hee was willing and ready to lose it for Christs cause, Act. 20. 24. See Psal. 116. 15. Vers. 15. he shall give] meaning man in generall, or each one brought in subjection, as the Greeke saith, to him shall be given, meaning to Salomon. gold of Sheba] the Greeke saith, of Arabia: see vers. 10. all the day] or daily. Vers. 16. There shall be a parcell, &c.] where a handfull of corne shall be sowne on the top of the mounts (the most barren places) there shall be such increase that the fruit shall shake and make a noise like the trees of Lebanon. shake] or stirre with noise, rustle. Lebanon] that is, trees of Lebanon; as the earth, for the inhabitants of the earth, Psal. 66. 1. of this mount see the Note on Psal. 29. 5. they of the City] that is, the citizens, as, they of the world are worldlings, Psal. 17. 14. ye of the heavens, Psal. 148. 1. are the inhabitants there. The Chaldee addeth, of the City Ierusalem. Compare herewith Isa. 27. 6. Vers. 17. continued] to wit, as a sonne continueth his fathers name, for the originall jinnon (or janin) commeth of Nin, which is a Sonne: the Greeke also turneth it, his name continueth; and Christs name is continued in us that beleeve in him, called Christians, Act. 11. 26. and his children, Heb. 2. 13, 14. before the sun] that is, so long as it endureth, as vers. 5. So Psal. 102. 29. they shall blesse] to wit, men of all nations shall count and speake of their blessednesse in him. So Gen. 22. 18. call him blessed] or happy, shall beautifie him. Vers. 19. name of his glory] that is, his glorious (or honourable) name. So Lord of glory, Iam. 2. 1. for glorious Lord. filled with his glory] that is, with the manifestation of his glorious workes, and praising him for the same. See the like speeches, Numb. 14. 21. Isa. 6. 3. Rev. 18. 1. Ezek. 43. 2. Amen] So beat. This second booke of Psalmes is concluded with twise Amen, as was the former: see Psal. 41. 14. Vers. 20. Ended] or Compleat are, meaning that this Psalme was the last of Davids prayers or hymnes (as the Greeke translateth it) howsoever it is not set last in order as neither other bee. Or, that this matter touching Christs Kingdome is the last thing whereof David prophesied, and for which he prayed, as 1 Pet. 1. 10, 11. Iesse] or Iishai, as the Hebrew soundeth it, and sometime Ishai, 1 Chro. 2. 12, 13. which name signifieth strength and manhood, as David, amiable.

PSAL. LXXII.

A Pſalm for Salomon] Whom his Father David had crowned whilſt yet alive; and now, at point of death, leaveth him this his laſt bequeath as a Baſilicondoron, a direction in point of Government, and a prediction of a moſt flouriſhing reign thereupon; This laſt he ſo deſcribeth, that by a ſpirit of Prophecy, attributing eternity thereunto, he riſeth up from Salomon to Chriſt, of whom hee was a type; like as alſo the Promiſe made to David concerning Salomon and Chriſt, was conceived in ſuch terms by God himſelf, as if they had been almoſt one and the ſame perſon, 2 Sam. 7.13, 14. 1 Chron. 22.10.

Verſ. 1. Give the King thy Judgements, O God] i. e. Give me for that little time I have here to live, and reign, skill and will to do it aright, and as thy Law requireth.

And thy righteouſneſs unto the Kings Son] To Salomon, and his Succeſſors; for Davids great care was the welfare of Gods people after his deceaſe, for which end he both prayeth, and principleth his Son Salomon; and herein his great piety to the end appeareth. I could not but love the man (ſaid Theodoſius the Emperour concerning Ambroſe) who, as whiles he lived, he heartily wiſhed that the contentions that were in the Church might be quenched, though it were with his bloud; ſo when he dyed, he was more ſollicitous of the Churches welfare than of his own.

Verſ. 2. He ſhall judge thy people with righteouſneſs] ſc. If thou pleaſe to remember thy promiſe to me, and to anſwer this my prayer of faith founded thereupon.

And thy poor] Or, thine afflicted. The people (the poor afflicted eſpecially) are the Lords; and therefore not to bee tyrannized over, and trampled on by their Governours.

Verſ. 3. The mountain ſhall bring peace] i. e. They ſhall not be ſo peſtered and infeſted by Theeves and Robbers, who uſually [illegible: 1 word] and hide themeſelves in hills and hollow places.

By righteouſneſs]. By right adminiſtration of Juſtice, as it was here in King Alfreds days, who ordained that his [illegible: 1 word] ſhould be divided into T[illegible: 2 letters]s. or Tythings, every of which ſeverally ſhould give Bond for the good abearing of each other; and he who was of that [illegible: 1 word] behaviour, that he could [illegible: 1 word] be admitted to theſe Tythings, was forth wich conveyed to the Houſe of Correction. The ancienteſt of theſe men were called by a ſpecialty the Tything men.

Verſ. 4. He ſhall judge the [illegible: 1 word] of the people.] Indeed all, indifferently, without reſpect of perſons; but a poor mans Tale ſhall be heard and his Cauſe judged, as well as a rich mans. Under Chriſts Government it ſhall be ſo howſoever; I know thy poverty, but thou art rich, ſaith he. Rev. 3.9. Amongſt men both in ſures of Love, and of Law, Money maketh Miſtery Not ſo here.

And ſhall break in peeces the oppreſſour] The Sycey[illegible: 2 letters]nt, ſaith the Creek; the Slanderer, ſaith the Latine; the Devil, ſay ſome. Over theſe He ſhall, turn the wheel.

Verſ. 5. They ſhall fear this] Who haſt bleſſed them with ſo good a King; ſuch as maketh it his main care to ſet up God, where-ever he hath to do.

As long as the Sun and Moon [illegible: 1 span] ] The Lacedonians publickly profeſſed, Quoad ſol codem it itenire maebit, quo [illegible: 1 word] meet, [illegible: 1 span] ſociat cum Xerxe [illegible: 1 word], whiles the Sun ſhall hold on his courſe, we will never make a League with Xerxes.

Verſ. 6. He ſhall come down like rain upon the [illegible: 1 word] graſs] That is, he ſhall bee very dear to us, and much delighted in. See Job 29.23. with the Note.

As ſhowers that water the earth] This is chiefly fulfilled in Chriſt, who by raining down righteouſneſs, maketh his Church to grow and flouriſh.

Verſ. 7. In his days ſhall the righteous flouriſh] As watered Gardens, Jar. 31.12. or as the Willows by the water courſes. Iſa. 44.4. [non-Latin text not transcribed]

And abundance of peace] The work of righteouſneſs ſhall be peace, and the effect of righteouſneſs quietneſs, and affurance for ever, Iſa. 32.17. Chriſts ſubjects have peace, [illegible: 1 word] Iſa. 25.3 a multiplied peace, a multiplied pardon, Iſa. 55.7. where ſin aboundeth, grace ſuperaboundeth; neither can they commit more than God will remit unto them.

Verſ. 8. He ſhall have dominion alſo from Sea to Sea] Salomon ſhall from the Mediterranean in the Weſt, to the Perſian Sea or Indian Ocean in the Eaſt.

And from the river unto the ends of the earth] i.e. From Euphrates, and the Northern Countries, to Aegypt, and the utmoſt pares of all Africa. This was a Type of Chriſts univerſal dominion thoroughout the whole World, Zech. 9.9. Pſal. 110.1.

Verſ. 9. They that dwell in the Wildereneſs] Wild, Barbarous, rude people; ſuch as were the ancient Britains our Progenitours, till Chriſt the Sun of righteouſneſs ſhone upon them till they were brought to the obedience of faith:Bond in Hors[illegible: 1 letter]. Tun[illegible: 1 letter] enim ſensin[illegible: 1 letter] evannit ferit as, indias ezulavit immanit as, corruit crudelites, &c. for then it was otherwiſe.

And his enemies ſhad lick the duſt] A Ceremony much in uſe among the Eaſterlings, Proſtrani adorant hi[illegible: 1 letter]rationem[illegible: 1 letter] ſaith Herodotus of the Perſians; Lib. 1. they worſhip their betters, by falling to the ground before them: and how Tridetes King of Parthians worſhipped Nero. is to be read in Die Caſſius. Chriſts foes ſhall all bee made his footſtool.

Verſ. 10. The Kings of Tarſhiſh, and of the Iſles] i.e. All the Kings of the earth, which being encompaſſed with the Ocean, is therefore by the old Geographers called, a great Iſland. Judes, though part of the Con[illegible: 1 letter]i[illegible: 3 letters]at, is called, an Iſle, Iſa. 20.6. becauſe ſeparated from other Countries: with whom God would have his people to have as little to do as might be that they might not be corrupted with forein faſhion. This was a [illegible: 1 span] in Salomon See 1 King. 4.21. 24 & chap. 10.25. perfectly it is, and ſhall be in Chriſt; De [illegible: 1 span] of the Chriſt a certain ſaith Kimchi; all the Kingdom of the earth ſhall one day but his Kingdoms: he ſhall be the [illegible: 1 span] and be alone.

Ver. 11. [illegible: 1 word] King [illegible: 1 span]

Verſ. 12. For [illegible: 1 span] If the people complained of] See on verſ. 9. If the people complained of Salomon [illegible: 1 span], and [illegible: 1 span] yoke [illegible: 1 word] as by thy Father, it was but of a ſinful [illegible: 1 span], ſaith [illegible: 1 span] people [illegible: 1 word] know when they are well, but quarrelling at, and complaining of the preſent Government; you even [illegible: 1 word] Chriſts [illegible: 1 word] yoke, and light burden, as if importable.

Verſ. 13. He ſhall ſpare the poor an [illegible: 1 word] ] Hereby David ſheweth his Son and all his Succeſſours, Qua[illegible: 2 letters] debent [illegible: 1 span], what manner of man a King ought to be. Regiment without Righteouſneſs turneth into tyranny: it is but Robbery with authority. O. Scipio Naſtra, for his good Government was [illegible: 3 letters] med Optimus by the Senate, and had an houſe gived him at the P[illegible: 2 letters]lick charge; in [illegible: 1 word] ſaira, that the poor might repair to him.

Verſ. 14. He ſhall redeem their ſoul from decent and violence] Thoſe two noted Engines of all miſchief to the poor, viz. privy deceit (Ufury, the Septuagint and Vulgar render it) and open violence, [non-Latin text not transcribed] fraud and force, craft and cruelty.

And precious ſhall their bloud be in his ſight] He ſhall be very tender of their lives, that they bee not cauſeleſly caſt away; either in times of Peace or War. Precious alſo in the ſight of the Lord Chriſt, is the death of his [illegible: 1 word], his Martyrs, Pſal. 116 15.

Verſ. 15. And he ſhall live] The King ſhall, according to the poor mans prayer when releeved, or the poor ſhall, and the King ſhall give him gold brought from Sheon, or [illegible: 1 word] the happy. Whereupon

Prayer ſhall be [illegible: 1 word] &c.] By the poor for him, or though [illegible: 1 word] applying it to Chriſt) and for the increaſe of his Kingdom, and for his coming.

Verſ. 16. There ſhall be an handful of Corn, [illegible: 1 letter]amp;c.] [illegible: 1 word] The batr[illegible: 2 letters] mountain ſhall yeeld Corn abundantly, and alſo by handfuls: as [illegible: 1 word] in thoſe ſeven years of plenty, Gen. 41.47.

The fruit thereof ſhall [illegible: 1 word] ] The Corn ſhall [illegible: 1 word] and [illegible: 1 word], like the Trees in Lebanon, ſhaken by the Wind.

And they of the city ſhall flouriſh] Men alſo increaſe and multiply. Jerem. 31.27. to a very great number, as piles of Graſs Chriſts subjects ſhall.

Verſ. 17. [illegible: 1 span] for ever] i. e. His Kingdom, for it ſhall not bee nomen inane. Other Kingdoms have their times, and their turns, their riſe, and their ruines; not ſo Chriſts, and this is great comfort.

His name ſhall be continued] Fil[illegible: 4 letters] nomini [illegible: 1 word] it ſhall be begotten as one Generation is begotten of another. Heb. His name ſhall be childed; that is, ſo continued as Families are continued; there ſhall bee a conſtant ſucceſſion of Chriſts Name to the end of the World there will ſtill be Chriſtians who are his Children. Heb. 2.13, 14. The old Hebrews tell us, that J[illegible: 1 letter]nn[illegible: 1 letter]n (the Hebrew word [illegible: 1 letter]ere uſed) is one of Chriſts Names:

And men ſhall be bleſſed in him] Or, they ſhall bleſs themſelves in him, viz. in Salomon, but eſpecially in Chriſt of whom Salomon was but a ſhadow.

All Nations ſhall call him bleſſed] If all Generations ſhall call the Mother of Chriſt bleſſed, Luke 3.48. how much were Chriſt himſelf:

Verſ.Sunt verba leribae, ut hodit, Aben-Ezra, ex R. Jehudah. 18. Bleſſed be the Lord God] [illegible: 1 span], theſe are the words of the Pſalmiſt ſay the Rabines, bleſſing God, who had given Le[illegible: 2 letters]gneph church, ſtrength to him fainting to finiſh the Second Book of the Pſalms as he had done the Firſst or rather praiſing God for all the [illegible: 1 span] the Lord Chriſt.

Verſ. 19. And bleſſed [illegible: 1 span]; ſo unſatisfiable, and unweareable are the [illegible: 1 span] a Chriſt, And [illegible: 1 word] God expecteth that [illegible: 1 span] by all his, at all [illegible: 1 span]

Verſ. 20. The Prayer [illegible: 1 span]

Give the king thy judgments, O God. The right to reign was transmitted by descent from David to Solomon, but not by that means alone: Israel was a theocracy, and the kings were but the viceroys of the greater King; hence the prayer that the new king might be enthroned by divine right, and then endowed with divine wisdom. Our glorious King in Zion hath all judgment committed unto him. He rules in the name of God over all lands. He is king "Dei Gratia" as well as by right of inheritance. And thy righteousness unto the king's son. Solomon was both king and king's son; so also is our Lord. He has power and authority in himself, and also royal dignity given of his Father. He is the righteous king; in a word, he is "the Lord our righteousness." We are waiting till he shall be manifested among men as the ever righteous Judge. May the Lord hasten on his own time the long looked for day. Now wars and fightings are even in Israel itself, but soon the dispensation will change, and David, the type of Jesus warring with our enemies, shall be displaced by Solomon the prince of peace.

He shall judge thy people with righteousness. Clothed with divine authority, he shall use it on the behalf of the favoured nation, for whom he shall show himself strong, that they be not misjudged, slandered, or in any way treated maliciously. His sentence shall put their accusers to silence, and award the saints their true position as the accepted of the Lord. What a consolation to feel that none can suffer wrong in Christ's kingdom: he sits upon the great white throne, unspotted by a single deed of injustice, or even mistake of judgment: reputations are safe enough with him. And thy poor with judgment. True wisdom is manifest in all the decisions of Zion's King. We do not always understand his doings, but they are always right. Partiality has been too often shown to rich and great men, but the King of the last and best of monarchies deals out even handed justice, to the delight of the poor and despised. Here we have the poor mentioned side by side with the king. The sovereignty of God is a delightful theme to the poor in spirit; they love to see the Lord exalted, and have no quarrel with him for exercising the prerogatives of his crown. It is the fictitious wealth which labours to conceal real poverty, which makes men cavil at the reigning Lord, but a deep sense of spiritual need prepares the heart loyally to worship the Redeemer King. On the other hand, the King has a special delight in the humbled hearts of his contrite ones, and exercises all his power and wisdom on their behalf, even as Joseph in Egypt ruled for the welfare of his brethren.

The mountains shall bring peace to the people. Thence, aforetime, rushed the robber bands which infested the country; but now the forts there erected are the guardians of the land, and the watchmen publish far and near the tidings that no foe is to be seen. Where Jesus is there is peace, lasting, deep, eternal. Even those things which were once our dread, lose all terror when Jesus is owned as monarch of the heart: death itself, that dark mountain, loses all its gloom. Trials and afflictions, when the Lord is with us, bring us an increase rather than a diminution of peace. And the little hills, by righteousness. Seeing that the rule of the monarch was just, every little hill seemed clothed with peace. Injustice has made Palestine a desert; if the Turk and Bedouin were gone, the land would smile again; for even in the most literal sense, justice is the fertilizer of lands, and men are diligent to plough and raise harvests when they have the prospect of eating the fruit of their labours. In a spiritual sense, peace is given to the heart by the righteousness of Christ; and all the powers and passions of the soul are filled with a holy calm, when the way of salvation, by a divine righteousness, is revealed. Then do we go forth with joy, and are led forth with peace; the mountains and the hills break forth before us into singing.

He shall judge the poor of the people. He will do them justice, yea, and blessed be his name, more than justice, for he will delight to do them good. He shall save the children of the needy. Poor, helpless things, they were packhorses for others, and paupers themselves, but their King would be their protector. Happy are God's poor and needy ones; they are safe under the wing of the Prince of Peace, for he will save them from all their enemies. And shall break in pieces the oppressor. He is strong to smite the foes of his people. Oppressors have been great breakers, but their time of retribution shall come, and they shall be broken themselves. Sin, Satan, and all our enemies must be crushed by the iron rod of King Jesus. We have, therefore, no cause to fear; but abundant reason to sing —

"All hail the power of Jesus' name!

Let angels prostrate fall,

Bring forth the royal diadem,

And crown him lord of all."

It is much better to be poor than to be an oppressor; for both the needy and their children find an advocate in the heavenly Solomon, who aims all his blows at haughty ones, and rests not till they are utterly destroyed.

They shall fear thee as long as the sun and moon endure. And well they may. Such righteousness wins the cheerful homage of the poor and the godly, and strikes dismay into the souls of unrighteous oppressors; so that all through the lands, both good and bad are filled with awe. Where Jesus reigns in power men must render obeisance of some sort. His kingdom, moreover, is no house of cards, or dynasty of days; it is as lasting as the lights of heaven; days and nights will cease before he abdicates his throne. Neither sun nor moon as yet manifest any failure in their radiance, nor are there any signs of decrepitude in the kingdom of Jesus; on the contrary, it is but in its youth, and is evidently the coming power, the rising sun. Would to God that fresh vigour were imparted to all its citizens to push at once the conquests of Immanuel to the uttermost ends of the earth. Throughout all generations shall the throne of the Redeemer stand. Humanity shall not wear out the religion of the Incarnate God. No infidelity shall wither it away, nor superstition smother it; it shall rise immortal from what seemed its grave; as the true phoenix, it shall revive from its ashes! As long as there are men on earth Christ shall have a throne among them. Instead of the fathers shall be the children. Each generation shall have a regeneration in its midst, let Pope and Devil do what they may. Even at this hour we have before us the tokens of his eternal power; since he ascended to his throne, eighteen hundred years ago, his dominion has not been overturned, though the mightiest of empires have gone like visions of the night. We see on the shore of time the wrecks of the Caesars, the relics of the Moguls, and the last remnants of the Ottomans. Charlemagne, Maximilian, Napoleon, how they flit like shadows before us! They were and are not; but Jesus for ever is. As for the houses of Hohenzollern, Guelph, or Hapsburg, they have their hour; but the Son of David has all hours and ages as his own.

He shall come down like rain upon the mown grass. Blessings upon his gentle sway! Those great conquerors who have been the scourges of mankind have fallen like the fiery hail of Sodom, transforming fruitful lands into deserts; but he with mild, benignant influence softly refreshes the weary and wounded among men, and makes them spring up into newness of life. Pastures mown with the scythe, or shorn by the teeth of cattle, present, as it were, so many bleeding stems of grass, but when the rain falls it is balm to all these wounds, and it renews the verdure and beauty of the field; fit image of the visits and benedictions of "the consolation of Israel." My soul, how well it is for thee to be brought low, and to be even as the meadows eaten bare and trodden down by cattle, for then to thee shall the Lord have respect; he shall remember thy misery, and with his own most precious love restore thee to more than thy former glory. Welcome Jesus, thou true Bien-aime, the Well beloved, thou art far more than Titus ever was —the Delight of Mankind. As showers that water the earth. Each crystal drop of rain tells of heavenly mercy, which forgets not the parched plains: Jesus is all grace, all that he does is love, and his presence among men is joy. We need to preach him more, for no shower can so refresh the nations. Philosophic preaching mocks men as with a dust shower, but the gospel meets the case of fallen humanity, and happiness flourishes beneath its genial power. Come down, O Lord, upon my soul, and my heart shall blossom with thy praise: —

"He shall come down as still and light

As scattered drops on genial field;

And in his time who loves the right,

Freely shall bloom, sweet peace her harvest yield."

In his days shall the righteous flourish. Beneath the deadly Upas of unrighteous rule no honest principles can be developed, and good men can scarcely live; but where truth and uprightness are on the throne, the best of men prosper most. A righteous king is the patron and producer of righteous subjects. None flourish under Nero but those who are monsters like himself: like will to like; and under the gentle Jesus the godly find a happy shelter. And abundance of peace so long as the moon endureth. Where Jesus reigns he is known as the true Melchizedek, king both of righteousness and peace. Peace based upon right is sure to be lasting, but no other will be. Many a so called Holy Alliance has come to the ground ere many moons have filled their horns, because craft formed the league, perjury established it, and oppression was the design of it; but when Jesus shall proclaim the great Truce of God, he will ordain perpetual peace, and men shall learn war no more. The peace which Jesus brings is not superficial or short lived; it is abundant in its depth and duration. Let all hearts and voices welcome the King of nations; Jesus the Good, the Great, the Just, the Ever blessed.

He shall have dominion also from sea to sea. Wide spread shall be the rule of Messiah; only the Land's End shall end his territory: to the Ultima Thule shall his sceptre be extended. From Pacific to Atlantic, and from Atlantic to Pacific, he shall be Lord, and the oceans which surround each pole shall be beneath his sway. All other power shall be subordinate to his; no rival nor antagonist shall he know. Men speak of the Emperor of all the Russias, but Jesus shall be Ruler of all mankind. And from the river unto the ends of the earth. Start where you will, by any river you choose, and Messiah's kingdom shall reach on to the utmost bounds of the round world. As Solomon's realm embraced all the land of promise, and left no unconquered margin; so shall the Son of David rule all lands given him in the better covenant, and leave no nation to pine beneath the tyranny of the prince of darkness. We are encouraged by such a passage as this to look for the Saviour's universal reign; whether before or after his personal advent we leave for the discussion of others. In this Psalm, at least, we see a personal monarch, and he is the central figure, the focus of all the glory; not his servant, but himself do we see possessing the dominion and dispensing the government. Personal pronouns referring to our great King are constantly occurring in this Psalm; he has dominion kings fall down before him, and serve him; for he delivers, he spares, he saves, he lives, and daily is he praised.

They that dwell in the wilderness shall bow before him. Unconquered by arms, they shall be subdued by love. Wild and lawless as they have been, they shall gladly wear his easy yoke; then shall their deserts be made glad, yea, they shall rejoice and blossom as the rose. And his enemies shall lick the dust. If they will not be his friends, they shall be utterly broken and humbled. Dust shall be the serpent's meat; the seed of the serpent shall be filled therewith. Homage among Orientals is often rendered in the most abject manner, and truly no sign is too humiliating to denote the utter discomfiture and subjugation of Messiah's foes. Tongues which rail at the Redeemer deserve to lick the dust. Those who will not joyfully bow to such a prince richly merit to be hurled down and laid prostrate; the dust is too good for them, since they trampled on the blood of Christ.

The kings of Tarshish and of the isles shall bring presents. Trade shall be made subservient to the purposes of mediatorial rule; merchant princes, both far and near, shall joyfully contribute of their wealth to his throne. Seafaring places are good centres from which to spread the gospel; and seafaring men often make earnest heralds of the cross. Tarshish of old was so far away, that to the eastern mind it was lost in its remoteness, and seemed to be upon the verge of the universe; even so far as imagination itself can travel, shall the Son of David rule; across the blue sea shall his sceptre be stretched; the white cliffs of Britain already own him, the gems of the Southern Sea glitter for him, even Iceland's heart is warm with his love. Madagascar leaps to receive him; and if there be isles of the equatorial seas whose spices have as yet not been presented to him, even there shall he receive a revenue of glory. He has made many an islet to become a Holy Isle, and hence, a true Formosa. The kings of Sheba and Seba shall offer gifts. Agriculture and pasturage shall contribute their share. Foreign princes from inland regions, as yet unexplored, shall own the all embracing monarchy of the King of kings; they shall be prompt to pay their reverential tribute. Religious offerings shall they bring, for their King is their God. Then shall Arabia Felix be happy indeed, and the Fortunate Isles be more than fortunate. Observe, that true religion leads to generous giving; we are not taxed in Christ's dominions, but we are delighted to offer freely to him. It will be a great day when kings will do this: the poor widow has long ago been before them, it is time that they followed; their subjects would be sure to imitate the royal example. This free will offering is all Christ and his church desire; they want no forced levies and distraints, let all men give of their own free will, kings as well as commoners; alas! the rule has been for kings to give their subjects' property to the church, and a wretched church has received this robbery for a burnt offering; it shall not be thus when Jesus more openly assumes the throne.

Yea, all kings shall fall down before him. Personally shall they pay their reverence, however mighty they may be. No matter how high their state, how ancient their dynasty, or far off their realms, they shall willingly accept him as their Imperial Lord. All nations shall serve him. The people shall be as obedient as the governors. The extent of the mediatorial rule is set forth by the two far reaching alls, all kings, and all nations: we see not as yet all things put under him, but since we see Jesus crowned with glory and honour in heaven, we are altogether without doubt as to his universal monarchy on earth. It is not to be imagined that an Alexander or a Caesar shall have wider sway than the Son of God. "Every knee shall bow to him, and every tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." Hasten it, O Lord, in thine own time.

For he shall deliver the needy. Here is an excellent reason for man's submission to the Lord Christ; it is not because they dread his overwhelming power, but because they are won over by his just and condescending rule. Who would not fear so good a Prince, who makes the needy his peculiar care, and pledges himself to be their deliverer in times of need? When he crieth. He permits them to be so needy as to be driven to cry bitterly for help, but then he hears them, and comes to their aid. A child's cry touches a father's heart, and our King is the Father of his people. If we can do no more than cry it will bring omnipotence to our aid. A cry is the native language of a spiritually needy soul; it has done with fine phrases and long orations, and it takes to sobs and moans; and so, indeed, it grasps the most potent of all weapons, for heaven always yields to such artillery. The poor also, and him that hath no helper. The proverb says, "God helps those that help themselves; "but it is yet more true that Jesus helps those who cannot help themselves, nor find help in others. All helpless ones are under the especial care of Zion's compassionate King; let them hasten to put themselves in fellowship with him. Let them look to him, for he is looking for them.

He shall spare the poor and needy. His pity shall be manifested to them; he will not allow their trials to overwhelm them; his rod of correction shall fall lightly; he will be sparing of his rebukes, and not sparing in his consolations. And shall save the souls of the needy. His is the dominion of souls, a spiritual and not a worldly empire; and the needy, that is to say, the consciously unworthy and weak, shall find that he will give them his salvation. Jesus calls not the righteous, but sinners to repentance. He does not attempt the superfluous work of aiding proud Pharisees to air their vanity; but he is careful of poor Publicans whose eyes dare not look up to heaven by reason of their sense of sin. We ought to be anxious to be among these needy ones whom the Great King so highly favours.

He shall redeem their soul from deceit and violence. These two things are the weapons with which the poor are assailed: both law and no law are employed to fleece them. The fox and the lion are combined against Christ's lambs, but the Shepherd will defeat them, and rescue the defenceless from their teeth. A soul hunted by the temptations of Satanic craft, and the insinuations of diabolical malice, will do well to fly to the throne of Jesus for shelter. And precious shall their blood be in his sight. He will not throw away his subjects in needless wars as tyrants have done, but will take every means for preserving the humblest of them. Conquerors have reckoned thousands of lives as small items; they have reddened fields with gore, as if blood were water, and flesh but manure for harvests; but Jesus, though he gave his own blood, is very chary of the blood of his servants, and if they must die for him as martyrs, he loves their memory, and counts their lives as his precious things.

And he shall live. Vive le Roi! O King! live for ever! He was slain, but is risen and ever liveth. And to him shall be given of the gold of Sheba. These are coronation gifts of the richest kind, cheerfully presented at his throne. How gladly would we give him all that we have and are, and count the tribute far too small. We may rejoice that Christ's cause will not stand still for want of funds; the silver and the gold are his, and if they are not to be found at home, far off lands shall hasten to make up the deficit. Would to God we had more faith and more generosity. Prayer also shall be made for him continually. May all blessings be upon his head; all his people desire that his cause may prosper, therefore do they hourly cry, "Thy kingdom come." Prayer for Jesus is a very sweet idea, and one which should be for evermore lovingly carried out; for the church is Christ's body, and the truth is his sceptre; therefore we pray for him when we plead for these. The verse may, however, be read as "through him, "for it is by Christ as our Mediator that prayer enters heaven and prevails. "Continue in prayer" is the standing precept of Messiah's reign, and it implies that the Lord will continue to bless. And daily shall he be praised. As he will perpetually show himself to be worthy of honour, so shall he be incessantly praised: —

"For him shall constant prayer be made,

And praises throng to crown his head;

His name, like sweet perfume, shall rise

With every morning's sacrifice."

There shall be an handful of corn in the earth upon the top of the mountains. From small beginnings great results shall spring. A mere handful in a place naturally ungenial shall produce a matchless harvest. What a blessing that there is a handful; "except the Lord of hosts had left unto us a very small remnant we should have been as Sodom, and we should have been like unto Gomorrah:" but now the faithful are a living seed, and shall multiply in the land. The fruit thereof shall shake like Lebanon. The harvest shall be so great that the wind shall rustle through it, and sound like the cedars upon Lebanon: —

"Like Lebanon, by soft winds fanned,

Rustles the golden harvest far and wide."

God's church is no mean thing; its beginnings are small, but its increase is of the most astonishing kind. As Lebanon is conspicuous and celebrated, so shall the church be. And they of the city shall flourish like grass of the earth. Another figure. Christ's subjects shall be as plentiful as blades of grass, and shall as suddenly appear as eastern verdure after a heavy shower. We need not fear for the cause of truth in the land; it is in good hands, where the pleasure of the Lord is sure to prosper. "Fear not, little flock, it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom." When shall these words, which open up such a vista of delight, be fulfilled in the midst of the earth?

His name shall endure for ever. In its saving power, as the rallying point of believers, and as renowned and glorified, his name shall remain for ever the same. His name shall be continued as long as the sun. While time is measured out by days, Jesus shall be glorious among men. And men shall be blessed in him. There shall be cause for all this honour, for he shall really and truly be a benefactor to the race. He himself shall be earth's greatest blessing; when men wish to bless others they shall bless in his name. All nations shall call him blessed. The grateful nations shall echo his benedictions, and wish him happy who has made them happy. Not only shall some glorify the Lord, but all; no land shall remain in heathenism; all nations shall delight to do him honour.

Verses 18-19. As Quesnel well observes, these verses explain themselves. They call rather for profound gratitude, and emotion of heart, than for an exercise of the understanding; they are rather to be used for adoration than for exposition. It is, and ever will be, the acme of our desires, and the climax of our prayers, to behold Jesus exalted King of kings and Lord of lords. He has done great wonders such as none else can match, leaving all others so far behind, that he remains the sole and only wonder worker; but equal marvels yet remain, for which we look with joyful expectation. He is the Blessed God, and his name shall be blessed; his name is glorious, and that glory shall fill the whole earth. For so bright a consummation our heart yearns daily, and we cry Amen, and Amen.

The prayers of David the son of Jesse are ended. What more could he ask? He has climbed the summit of the mount of God; he desires nothing more. With this upon his lip, he is content to die. He strips himself of his own royalty and becomes only the "son of Jesse, "thrice happy to subside into nothing before the crowned Messiah. Before his believing eye the reign of Jesus, like the sun, filled all around with light, and the holy soul of the man after God's own heart exulted in it, and sung his "Nunc dimittis:" "Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, for mine eyes have seen thy salvation!" We, too, will cease from all petitioning if it be granted to us to see the day of the Lord. Our blissful spirits will then have nothing further to do but for ever to praise the Lord our God.

Whole Psalm.

1. He shall.

2. They shall. Ring the changes on these, as the Psalm does.

The prayer of the ancient church now fulfilled.

1. Our Lord's titles.

(a) King, by divine nature.

(b) King's Son, in both natures. Thus we see his power innate and derived.

2. Our Lord's authority: "Judgments."

(a) To rule his people.

(b) To rule the world for his people's benefit.

(c) To judge mankind.

(d) To judge devils.

3. Our Lord's character. He is righteous in rewarding and punishing, righteous towards God and man.

4. Our loyal prayer. This asks for his rule over ourselves and the universe.

The rule of Christ in his church.

1. The subjects.

(a) Thy people, the elect, called, etc.

(b) Thy poor, through conviction and consciousness of sin.

2. The ruler. He, only, truly, constantly, etc.

3. The rule. —Righteous, impartial, gentle, prudent, etc. Lesson. Desire this rule.

Mountains of divine decree, of immutable truth, of almighty power, of eternal grace, etc. These mountains of God are securities of peace.

The poor man's King, or the benefits derived by the poor from the reign of Jesus.

The perpetuity of the gospel, reasons for it, things which threaten it, and lessons derived from it.

The field, the shower, the result. This verse is easily enough handled in a variety of ways.

1. The righteous flourish more at one season than another.

2. They flourish most when Jesus is with them: in his days, etc.

3. The fruit of their growth is proportionately abundant: and abundance, etc. G. Rogers.

Abundance of peace. Abundant overtures of peace, abundant redemption making peace, abundant pardon conferring peace, abundant influences of the Spirit sealing peace, abundant promises guaranteeing peace, abundant love spreading peace, etc.

The universal spread of the gospel. Other theories as to the future overturned, and their evil influence exposed; while the benefit and certainty of this truth is vindicated.

Verse 9 (last clause). The ignoble end of Christ's enemies.

Christian finance; voluntary but abundant are the gifts presented to Jesus.

Christ's peculiar care of the poor.

1. Pitiable characters.

2. Abject conditions: "cry; ""no helper."

3. Natural resort: "crieth."

4. Glorious interposition. G. Rogers.

The martyr's hope in life and comfort in death. G. Rogers.

Verse 14 (last clause). The martyr's blood.

1. Seen of God when shed.

2. Remembered by him.

3. Honoured by being a benefit to the church.

4. Rewarded especially in heaven.

Prayer shall be made for him. We are to pray for Jesus Christ. Owing to the interest he has in certain objects, what is done for them is done for himself and so he esteems it. We, therefore, pray for him when we pray for his ministers, his ordinances, his gospel, his church —in a word, his cause. But what should we pray for on his behalf?

1. The degree of its resources; that there be always a sufficiency of suitable and able instruments to carry on the work.

2. The freedom of its administration; that whatever opposes or hinders its progress may be removed.

3. The diffusion of its principles; that they may become general and universal.

4. The increase of its glory, as well as its extent. W. Jay.

Prayer for Jesus, a suggestive topic. Daily praise, a Christian duty.

A living Saviour, a giving people; the connection between the two. Or, Christ in the church fills the exchequer, fosters the prayer meeting, and sanctifies the service of song.

1. A happy description of the gospel: it is a handful of corn.

2. The places where it is sown.

3. The blessed effects which this gospel, when thus sown, will produce in the world. J. Sherman.

1. Commencement.

2. Publicity.

3. Growth.

4. Result.

1. What? Corn.

2. How much? A handful.

3. Where? In the earth upon the top of the mountains.

4. Will it grow? The fruits, etc.

5. What then? They of the city, etc.

1. Christ glorified in the Church: men shall be blessed, etc.

2. Glorified in the world: all nations, etc.

3. Glorified in worlds to come: endure, be continued, etc.

4. Glorified for ever. G. Rogers.

Verses 17-19. The Four Blesseds, their meaning and order.

1. Prayer should be frequent: The prayers.

2. Should be individual: Of David.

3. Should be early commenced: the son of Jesse.

4. Should be continued till they are no more needed.

HERE ENDETH THE SECOND BOOK OF THE PSALMS.

WORK UPON THE SEVENTY-SECOND PSALM

In CHANDLER'S Life of David, Vol. 2, pp. 440-44, there is an Exposition of this Psalm.