Psa 89:3-15 | Clarke | e4.org | Verse 3. I have made a covenant with my chosen ] I have made a covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; and renewed it with Moses and Joshua in reference to the Israelites in general: but I have made one with David in especial relation to himself and posterity, of whom, according to the flesh, the Christ is to come. And this is the covenant with David:-

‏ Psalms 89:3-15

Verse 3. I have made a covenant with my chosen] I have made a covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; and renewed it with Moses and Joshua in reference to the Israelites in general: but I have made one with David in especial relation to himself and posterity, of whom, according to the flesh, the Christ is to come. And this is the covenant with David:-

Verse 4. Thy seed will I establish for ever, and build up thy throne to all generations.] And this covenant had most incontestably Jesus Christ in view. This is the seed, or posterity, that should sit on the throne, and reign for ever and ever. David and his family are long since become extinct; none of his race has sat on the Jewish throne for more than two thousand years: but the Christ has reigned invariably since that time, and will reign till all his enemies are put under his feet; and to this the psalmist says Selah. It will be so, it is so; and it cannot be otherwise; for the Lord hath sworn that he shall have an everlasting kingdom, as he has an everlasting priesthood.

Verse 5. The heavens shall praise thy wonders] The works that shall be wrought by this descendant of David shall be so plainly miraculous as shall prove their origin to be Divine: and both saints and angels shall join to celebrate his praises.

Thy faithfulness also] All thy promises shall be fulfilled; and particularly and supereminently those which respect the congregation of the saints-the assemblies of Christian believers.

Verse 6. For who in the heaven] shachak signifies the ethereal regions, all visible or unbounded space; the universe. Who is like Jesus? given in his human nature none of the sons of the mighty can be compared with him. He atones for the sin of the world, and saves to the uttermost all who come unto God through him.

This may also be considered a reproof to idolaters. Is there any among the heavenly hosts like to God? Even the most glorious of them were made by his hands. Can the stars, or the more distant planets, or the moon, or the sun, be likened unto God most high?

Who among the sons of the mighty] Instead of elim, mighty ones, four of Kennicott's and De Rossi's MSS. have eil, strength:-sons of strength, strong persons. Several of the Versions seem to have read Elohim, GOD, instead of elim, strong ones. So my old Psalter, following the Vulgate.-For wha in the clowdes sal be evened to Lorde; like sal be to God in sons of God! which it paraphrases thus: "Emang al haly men nane may be evened to Ihu Crist: and nane may be like to hym in God's sons: for he is God's son be kynde, and thai thrugh grace."

Verse 7. God is greatly to be feared] In all religious assemblies the deepest reverence for God should rest upon the people. Where this does not prevail, there is no true worship. While some come with a proper Scriptural boldness to the throne of grace, there are others who come into the presence of God with a reprehensible, if not sinful, boldness.

Verse 8. O Lord God of hosts] Thou who hast all armies at thy command, and canst serve thyself by every part of thy creation, whether animate or inanimate.

Who is a strong Lord] See Ps 89:6.

Thy faithfulness round about thee?] Or, more properly, thy faithfulness is round about thee. Thou still keepest thy promises in view. God's truth leads him to fulfil his promises: they stand round his throne as the faithful servants of an eastern monarch stand round their master, waiting for the moment of their dismission to perform his will.

Verse 9. Thou rulest the raging of the sea] Whoever has seen the sea in a storm, when its waves run what is called mountain high, must acknowledge that nothing but omnipotent power could rule its raging.

When the waves thereof arise, thou stillest them.] Thou governest both its flux and reflux. Thou art the Author of storms and calms. There may be a reference here to the passage of the Red Sea, and the strong wind that agitated its waves at that time; as the next verse seems to indicate.

Verse 10. Thou hast broken Rahab] Thou hast destroyed the power of Egypt, having overthrown the king and its people when they endeavoured to prevent thy people from regaining their liberty.

As one that is slain] The whole clause in the original is, attah dikkitha kechalal Rahab, "Thou, like a hero, hast broken down Egypt." Dr. Kennicott has largely proved that chalal, which we render wounded, slain, &c., means a soldier, warrior, hero; and it is certain that this sense agrees better with it than the other in a great number of places. Mr. Berlin translates, Tu contrivisti ut cadaver AEgyptum; "Thou hast bruised down Egypt like a dead carcass." The whole strength of Egypt could avail nothing against thee. Thou didst trample them down as easily as if they had all been dead carcasses.

Verse 11. The heavens are thine] Thou art the Governor of all things, and the Disposer of all events.

The world] The terraqueous globe.

And the fullness] All the generations of men. Thou hast founded them-thou hast made them, and dost sustain them.

After this verse, the Editio Princeps of the Hebrew Bible, printed at Soncini, 1488, adds:-

lailah lecha aph yom lecha

vashamesh maor hachinotha attah

To thee is the day; also to thee is the night:

Thou hast prepared the light and the sun.

But these same words are found in Ps 74:16.

Verse 12. The north and the south] It is generally supposed that by these four terms all the four quarters of the globe are intended. Tabor, a mountain of Galilee, was on the west of Mount Hermon, which was beyond Jordan, to the east of the source of that river.

Verse 14. Justice and judgment are the habitation of thy throne] The throne-the government, of God, is founded in righteousness and judgment. He knows what is right; he sees what is right; he does what is right; and his judgments are ever according to righteousness. His decisions are all oracles, no one of them is ever reversed.

Mercy and truth shall go before thy face.] These shall be the heralds that shall announce the coming of the Judge. His truth binds him to fulfil all his declarations; and his mercy shall be shown to all those who have fled for refuge to the hope that is set before them in the Gospel. See Clarke on Ps 85:10; "Ps 85:11".

Verse 15. Blessed is the people] "O the blessednesses of that people ( ashrey haam) that know the joyful sound;" that are spared to hear the sound of the trumpet on the morning of the jubilee, which proclaims deliverance to the captives, and the restoration of all their forfeited estates. "They shall walk vigorously ( yehallechun) in the light of thy countenance" ( beor paneycha)-the full persuasion of the approbation of God their Father, Redeemer, and Sanctifier.