Verse by Verse

¹⁹ Bless the Lord, O house of Israel!
Bless the Lord, O house of Aaron!

²⁰ Bless the Lord, O house of Levi!
You who fear the Lord, bless the Lord!

²¹ Blessed be the Lord out of Zion,
Who dwells in Jerusalem!

This first section (vs.1-7)focuses on the expression of God’s solicitude for Israel which stands at the foundation of their identity as His people—to wit, His sovereign and umerited choice (cf. Romans 9:11). — Wechsler, page 323.

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Having “chosen Jacob (i.e., the people of Israel) for Himself” (v.4) based on His grace and not their worth (which was/is neither worse nor better than that of any other group), God maintains His choice—that is, their existence as a people—on the same basis, “For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable” (Romans 11:29). Despite their predominant hardness and sinfulness (extending from their depravity, not as Jews, but as humans, God thus expresses His solicitude for Israel by (1) defeating their enemies, from Egypt (vs.8-9), the Amorites, and the people of Bashan (v.11; cf. Numbers 21:21-35) to all the kingdoms of Canaan (v.11b); (2) giving them the land of Canaan (and all it contained for their sustenance) as a heritage (or “inheritance”) forever (cf. Genesis 17:8; Psalm 105:8-11); and (3) vindicating and having compassion on His people—i.e., manifesting His personal love in chastisement. — Wechsler, page 323.

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The psalmist focuses in this concluding section (vs.15-21) on the manner (and hence depth) of God’s expressed solicitude for Israel by contrasting it with the manner (i.e., the utter lack thereof in which other “gods” relate to those who trust in them (v.18). — Wechsler, page 324.

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This Psalm and the following … are prophetic, and will be sung by redeemed Israel at the coronation of the Great King in Zion. This is made clear by verse 21, and by comparing verses 13 and 14 with Exodus 3:15 [which] declares God’s election of Israel and His uniting the memorial of His name with her, and Deuteronomy 32:36 [which] predicts her apostasy to idolatry, her rejection of Messiah, the Divine indignation that should justly follow, and her final restoration and pardon. — Williams, page 406.

³ The Lord who made heaven and earth
Bless you from Zion!

The theme of complete or “utmost” blessing—both to and from the Lord and His people—is structurally reinforced by the three-fold repetition (i.e., once in each verse) of the verb “bless.” — Wechsler, page 320.

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Picking on the specific notion—in this case “blessing”—with which the previous psalm ended, this psalm begins with the exhortation to respond in like kind—i.e., that those who have been blessed by the Lord with the guarantee of “eternal life” (Psalm 133:3b) respond in worship by themselves blessing the LORD. Thous the expression “those who stand in the house of the Lord” certainly includes the Levites who would minister in the temple, considering the context and culminating place of this psalm, it also unquestionably includes reference to all Israelite worshipers and pilgrims to the Temple who seek to worship God in gratitude and praise. The reference to this worship taking place by night (lit., “in the nights”) is intended to underscore the unbroken continuity of this worship … especially during the pilgrimage festivals (i.e., Passover, Pentecost, and Tabernacles). — Wechsler, pages 320-321.

Sanctuary (v.2) = Holy of Holies

The worshiper’s focus on the Temple is motivated not by the “house” itself, but by the presence of God Himself therein. To lift up one’s hands to Him, moreover, highlights that important relational facet of worship characterized by the worshiper’s utter submission to and dependence on God as the One who is not only able, but willing to meet His child’s deepest and most pressing needs (cf. the parallelism between “I lift up my hands” and “My supplications”/”I cry … for help” in Psalm 28:2; this is also the likely signification in 1 Timothy 2:8). — Wechsler, page 322.

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This psalm—and hence the Songs of Ascent—concludes, most fittingly, on the note of blessing going forth from the LORD Himself, the Source of all blessing, from His “place” in Zion—the reference being not just to what was in the days of the First and Second Temples, but also to what will always be, from the days of Christ’s advent to the Third Temple and beyond. — Wechsler, page 322.

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This is the last of the Songs of the Ascents, and all is sunshine and blessing. It is a scene of millennial peace and glory. Messiah as Creator of the heavens and of the earth, is enthroned in Zion (v.3), and from thence, as a source, blessing flows forth. Men will then lift their eyes to Zion (v.2) and from thence expect the supply of all their needs. …

“By night” may mean at the time of the evening sacrifice; or it may  mean the praise which faith renders during the “night” that precedes the millennial dawn. — Williams, page 406.

² It is like the precious oil upon the head,
Running down on the beard,
The beard of Aaron,
Running down on the edge of his garments.

³ It is like the dew of Hermon,
Descending upon the mountains of Zion;
For there the Lord commanded the blessing—
Life forevermore.

Considering the pilgrimage venue of these Songs of Ascent, the “unity” of “brothers” here in view should be specifically construed with reference to the spiritual unity of the various Israelite pilgrims who have come together to worship their One Lord and Father at the Temple in Jerusalem. The spiritual-theological nuance of this unity is further affirmed by the observation that the adjectives “good” and “pleasant” are elsewhere employed in poetic parallelism with reference to what God is, what He gives, or the worship that He receives from His people. — Wechsler, page 318.

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The comparison of the aforementioned “unity” to the precious oil … coming down upon … Aaron’s beard is specifically intended to highlight the holiness of that unity—or, more precisely, the priestly holiness of the people who “dwell” in that unity. The oil, which in connection to Aaron can only be the “anointing oil” described in Leviticus 8:10-13 which, after being applied to “the tabernacle and all that was in it,” was poured “on Aaron’s head … to consecrate him.” — Wechsler, page 319.

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The comparison to Mt. Hermon reinforces the image of abundant life, since Hermon is the tallest mountain in the biblical land of Israel and, being always covered by snow, is consistently characterized in its lower parts by an abundance of dew— which bears the specific symbolism of fresh and vigorous life. The reference to Zion as the source of this eternal blessing alludes specifically to the presence of God therein as the eternal King and source of all that is best for His people. — Wechsler, page 320.

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This song looks forward to the happy day when the Holy Spirit will be poured out upon the whole House of Israel, and, no longer broken into two nations, they will become one family dwelling together in unity. Ezekiel 37:15-28 predicts this future unity, and makes it synchronize with the second coming of Messiah. — Williams, page 405.

¹³ For the Lord has chosen Zion;
He has desired it for His dwelling place:

¹⁴ “This is My resting place forever;
Here I will dwell, for I have desired it.

¹⁵ I will abundantly bless her provision;
I will satisfy her poor with bread.

¹⁶ I will also clothe her priests with salvation,
And her saints shall shout aloud for joy.

¹⁷ There I will make the horn of David grow;
I will prepare a lamp for My Anointed.

¹⁸ His enemies I will clothe with shame,
But upon Himself His crown shall flourish.”

Some commentaries believe this psalm was sung at the dedication of Solomon’s temple. Williams believes it was written by Hezekiah when he (and the ark) was besieged in Jerusalem by the Assyrians, and the king was childless.

Seeing that the content of this psalm is generally parallel to that of Solomon’s prayer at the dedication of the Temple in 2 Chronicles 6, with an especially close (and clearly intentional) similarity in the language of vs.9-10 of this psalm and the closing two verses (41-42) of Solomon’s prayer, it has long been suggested by various interpreters that this psalm was originally composed and sung during the “bringing up” of the ark from its tent in the city of David to its place in the inner sanctuary of Solomon’s Temple (see 1 Kings 8:4-6). — Wechsler, page 315.

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In addition to affirming David’s determination to find—i.e., to both find a suitable location (the threshing floor of Araunah/Ornan the Jebusite [2 Chronicles 3:1]) and built thereon (which his son, Solomon, did), this section (vs.1-5) also supplies new information by describing the personal vow that David made that until he found the Lord a “place” he would neither enter his house nor lie on his bed (a euphemism for sexual relations). — Wechsler, page 315.

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Israel’s role (vs.6-10) is that of responding by going into God’s dwelling place and worshiping at His footstool (i.e., before the Ark). The people’s petition in v.10 that God not turn away the face of His anointed (Messiah), while alluding, on the one hand, to God’s promise in 2 Samuel 7:14-15 not to remove His grant of royal status to the successive sinful kings in the Davidic line, also serves as a segue to the following verse introducing God’s role in the covenant and His ultimate acceptance of the “face” (i.e., of the intercession, the expression “not to turn away the face of” meaning to accept another’s request of petition) of the Anointed One par excellence. — Wechsler, page 316.

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The psalmist introduces the final section (vs.11-18) by immediately emphasizing (in v.11) that the fulfillment of the covenant depends exclusively on God. Hence we are told that the Lord has sworn and will not turn back from His statement to David that He would seat one of the fruit of his body upon the throne, which statement is applied directly to Jesus in Acts 2:30 as the final and ideal realization of this promise. The conditional language of v.12 does not introduce a condition into the fulfillment of the Davidic Covenant, but rather the extent to which the successive sons of David would also sit on the throne in their own lifetimes (as opposed to being removed therefrom in chastisement) until there would come that ideal Son of David who, by virtue of His perfect obedience, would take up that throne forever. … The messianic nature of this covenant’s fulfillment is further intimated by the expression “My resting place” as well as by God’s declaration in v.17: “I will cause to branch forth a horn of David”—hearkening unmistakably to the messianic prophecies concerning the “Branch” of David in Isaiah 4:2; Jeremiah 23:5; 33:15; Zechariah 3:8; and 6:12. — Wechsler, pages 316-318.

³ O Israel, hope in the Lord
From this time forth and forever.

This psalm though short, highlights the underlying qualification of David as “a man after God’s own heart” (1 Samuel 13:14)—to wit: that, despite his sins and imperfections, he understood clearly and accurately who he was in relation (and contrast) to God, and how he was therefore to relate to God. — Wechsler, page 312.

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The biblical concept of “pride” … simply entails recognizing (and affirming) what is true of oneself.  The second part of verse 1 not only continues this honest self-assessment, but also implies the contrasting assessment of God (and hence qualifies as worship)—i.e., that what is too great (i.e., incomprehensible, not more important) or too difficult (lit., “too wonderful”—i.e., unattainable) for David, as a created being, is not too great or too difficult (i.e., it is exclusively comprehensible and attainable) for God. — Wechsler, page 313.

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By comparing his soul to a weaned child upon (i.e., resting upon) his mother, David underscores not only his humility and contentment with what is given to him (just as a weaned child is content with the more solid food given to it in place of the mother’s milk), but also his relationship with God, of which one of the most poignant images in any culture is that of a mother and her child. By this imagery is thus portrayed a faith that has matured beyond infancy and which therefore ceases to “cry out” for “great things” and “wonders/signs” and rests content with the more mature “food” of God’s Word. It is this same notion—if not this very psalm—that underlies the comparison of the immature church of Corinth to “babes in Christ” who are not yet ready (i.e., weaned) to receive “solid food” (1 Corinthians 3:1-3; note also that the spiritual gifts emphasized in this church include all the “sign” gifts, whereas those of the more mature Roman church include none of them [Romans 12:6-8]). — Wechsler, pages 313-314.

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Just as in the concluding section of the previous psalm (Psalm 130) the psalmist widens the scope of his personal hope to include Israel as a while, so too her—with the shift from the personal to the collective scope signaled by the same opening words (“O Israel, hope in the LORD”)— David exhorts his people to share with him in the privilege of experiencing the same filial relationship to their Heavenly Father, fraternally reinforced by the same childlike (as opposed to childish) faith. David’s closing qualification serves to compensate for the limitations of the simile in the previous verse, for though a weaned child eventually grows up and leaves his mother, Israel’s filial trust and dependence on God is to (and will) endure from this time forth and forever, commensurate with God’s own paternal solicitude and love. — Wechsler, page 314.

Williams’ take:

The Spirit here paints [Messiah] in beauteous colors. Neither haughty nor proud, neither self-confident nor willful but gentle, submissive, and resigned, He is subject to God’s will and government as a weaned child accepts and submits to the wise and loving action of its mothers in changing its food. …

In Psalm 130:7 the nation is encouraged to set her hope on Jehovah because He was about to redeem her (v.8). In this Psalm she is invited to continue setting her hope upon Him “from henceforth and for ever,” because the promised redemption shall have then become a reality. — Williams, page 404.

⁵ Let all those who hate Zion
Be put to shame and turned back.

⁶ Let them be as the grass on the housetops,
Which withers before it grows up,

⁷ With which the reaper does not fill his hand,
Nor he who binds sheaves, his arms.

⁸ Neither let those who pass by them say,
“The blessing of the Lord be upon you;
We bless you in the name of the Lord!”

⁵ The Lord bless you out of Zion,
And may you see the good of Jerusalem
All the days of your life.

⁶ Yes, may you see your children’s children.
Peace be upon Israel!

Following naturally upon the point emphasized in the last section of the previous psalm that children are “an inheritance of the LORD” and should be reared in a “God-fearing” fashion, this psalm elaborates on the prosperity (i.e., the “goodness” [v.5] and “peace” [v.6]) that accrues to the parents who do so (here presented from the perspective of the father, as head of the family.— Wechsler, page 306.

fear (vs.1 and 4) = worship

If a man truly fears the LORD then he will find satisfaction and joy in (1) his wife, who will certainly be affected by the godliness of her husband, and will be to him like a fruitful vine, and (2) his children, who, being reared in the fear of the Lord, will be to their parents like olive plants that evidence the promise of full growth and fruitfulness on their own part. — Wechsler, page 307.

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In verses 5-6, the psalmist is expressing the wish that those who fear the Lord would live to see the advent of the Messiah and God’s kingdom established on earth, for it is only then that one will see Jerusalem’s prosperity and true peace. — Wechsler, pages 307-308.

³ Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord,
The fruit of the womb is a reward.

⁴ Like arrows in the hand of a warrior,
So are the children of one’s youth.

⁵ Happy is the man who has his quiver full of them;
They shall not be ashamed,
But shall speak with their enemies in the gate.

Some people believe this psalm was originally written as two separate poems (vs.1-2 and vs.3-5) that were stuck together at a later date. I don’t have any reason to think that’s true, but it does read that way. The connection, as I see it, is that three endeavors—building a house/family, working for a living, and raising children—will be unfruitful and unsatisfying if not done according to God’s will.

The notion of the utter vanity of living life apart from God is emphasized by the three-fold repetition of the key Hebrew term sh?v’ (“in vain,” “vanity”) in verses 1-2a, the notion of “three” signifying utmost degree or emphasis). — Wechsler, pages 303-305.

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While this opening section [v.1] clearly affirms, on the one hand, the general principle of “including” God in one’s decision of when, where and how to build one’s “house” (the structure and the family that fills it), it should also be taken as referring specifically to God’s involvement in the establishment and building of the Temple and Jerusalem considering (1) the attribution of this psalm to Solomon, who both built the Temple and established Jerusalem (uniquely in his time) as the greatest capital city of any kingdom on earth (to which “all the earth” came to seek Solomon’s presence: 1 Kings 10:23), (2) the exilic and/or pilgrimage venue of this psalm, which implies a natural focus on Jerusalem and the Temple, and (3) that in fact the only “house” and the only “city” of which Scripture emphasizes God’s direct involvement in their establishment and building is the Temple and Jerusalem. — Wechsler, page 304.

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In this verse [v.2] Solomon affirms the same principle as in Proverbs 10:22—that any labor undertaken to meet one’s needs, no matter how industrious, if undertaken in a manner and for a purpose inconsistent with God’s Word, will in the end be unsatisfying (i.e., vanity), whereas any work undertaken with God continually in view (i.e., consistent with His Word and with a view to His glory), will be satisfying to the worker and pleasing to God. The specific application of this principle to Solomon himself is implied by the reference to “His beloved,” alluding to the name given to Solomon at birth by God (i.e., Jedediah; see 2 Samuel 12:25). — Wechsler, pages 304-305.

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The point of this section [vs.3-5] is that, if God does give one children, they are to be viewed first and foremost as the inheritance (or “property”0 of the Lord, which inheritance He has in turn entrusted to human parents for proper care and nurture, both physical as well as spiritual. Quite apropos is the following comparison of children (generic, adopted, or even “parenting” immature Christians, see 1 Corinthians 7:7), to arrows in the hand of a warrior—for like arrows, depending on how they are shaped, drawn, and aimed, they may either miss the intending target (the Hebrew word for an arrow “missing” being the same as the common word for “sinning”) or hit it on the bullseye. — Wechsler, pages 305-306.

Williams’ take (which here seems like maybe a reach …):

The argument of verse 2 is that God gives to His loved-one, in sleep, treasures that men toil for early and late in vain. Thus He gave to Adam, when sleeping, a bride, to Abraham a covenant, to Jacob a promise, to Solomon wisdom, and to Daniel the substance and interpretation of the dream which the Chaldean magicians toiled in vain to discover. “His Beloved” is singular in the Hebrew text. Solomon’s name was Jedediah, i.e., Beloved of Jehovah. This song is “for Solomon” i.e., relating to Solomon, that is, the true Solomon, Messiah. He is God’s Beloved One; and to Him when sleeping in death He gave a “House” even sons, a seed that will satisfy Him (Isaiah 53:10 and Hebrews 3:6). …

God is building a spiritual house of sons. These sons, loved and energized by Him. In Hebrew the words “house” and “sons” are related; for a son is regarded as the builder of a house, i.e., of a family. — Williams, page 402.

⁵ Those who sow in tears
Shall reap in joy.

⁶ He who continually goes forth weeping,
Bearing seed for sowing,
Shall doubtless come again with rejoicing,
Bringing his sheaves with him.

The return of Israel from seventy years of captivity in Babylon is the background of this Psalm of thanksgiving. But it was not a complete return, for only a remnant returned to the land of their fathers … This Psalm has more than a historical value, because Zion’s restoration, and Israel’s redemption are in view when King Messiah appears the second time.  … At the time of this writing, Israel is making great progress toward restoring the country and the city. Hence the fulfillment of this prophecy appears to be in the near future. … This Psalm finds application with the Jewish Remnant of faithful believers of the Tribulation period. — Phillips, pages 308-310.

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In [this psalm] Israel’s High Priest prays fro His people’s restoration to Divine relationships (v.4). He compares their present condition to pain-burdened husbandmen in the hot southern desert sowing their scanty store of seed in a time of famine. It is a day of trouble; and He animates His people’s faith by recalling the joy that their fore-fathers felt when delivered from the Assyrian. — Williams, page 402.

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The psalmist begins (vs.1-3) by joyful reflecting on the past event of God’s “restoring” the returning ones of Zion, referring to those deported by Nebuchadnezzar from the southern kingdom of Judah who, at the decree of Cyrus, returned after 70 years of exile to Jerusalem (see 2 Chronicles 36:22-23; Jeremiah 25:11; 29:10; Daniel 9:2). — Wechsler, page 302.

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In [v.4] the psalmist entreats God to restore (i.e., bring back) the exiled ones of Israel. … The reason for this entreaty becomes evident when one considers that much—if not most—of the Jewish population did not in fact return to the promised land, and to live outside of the land is, biblically-speaking, to be “in exile.” God, speaking through Jeremiah, points out that there is also a spiritual component to the exile, from which Israel will only be fully restored when they search for Him with all their heart (Jeremiah 29:13-14). An allusion to this final restoration is suggested by the image of “streams in the south (lit., “Negev”—i.e., the dry southern region of Israel), referring … to permanently fruitful transformation of that land from the waters that emerge with the Messiah’s advent as the worldwide king (see Ezekiel 47:1-12). — Wechsler, page 303.

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In verses 5-6 the psalmist expands the allusion at the end of the previous section into a full-blown and emotionally-laden portrayal of final restoration—specifically, the restoration of (1) the people of Israel, not only from their geographical exile from the promised land, but also from their more general “exile” from the pre-Fall ideal of perfection untinged by depravity or sorrow (so per. v.5, the phraseology of which hearkens to the similar portrayal of final/messianic restoration in, for example, Isaiah 25:8-9; 35:10; 51:11; Revelation 21:4; cf. also Matthew 5:4); and (2) the land (i.e., creation) itself, from its own “exile” and “enslavement to corruption” (Romans 8:21) following the fall of man (so per v.6 to which compare the description of the land’s permanently restored fruitfulness, concurrent with Israel’s permanent return from exile, in Amos 9:13-15). — Wechsler, page 303.