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Psalm 48:1-14
1 Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised
2 Beautiful in elevation,
3 God is in her palaces;
4 For behold, the kings assembled,
5 They saw it, and so they marveled;
6 Fear took hold of them there,
7 As when You break the ships of Tarshish
8 As we have heard,
9 We have thought, O God, on Your lovingkindness,
10 According to Your name, O God,
11 Let Mount Zion rejoice,
12 Walk about Zion,
13 Mark well her bulwarks;
14 For this is God,
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Psalm 47:1-9
To the choirmaster. A Psalm of the Sons of Korah.
1 Clap your hands, all peoples!
Shout to God with loud songs of joy!
2 For the Lord, the Most High, is to be feared,
a great king over all the earth.
3 He subdued peoples under us,
and nations under our feet.
4 He chose our heritage for us,
the pride of Jacob whom he loves. Selah
5 God has gone up with a shout,
the Lord with the sound of a trumpet.
6 Sing praises to God, sing praises!
Sing praises to our King, sing praises!
7 For God is the King of all the earth;
sing praises with a psalm!
8 God reigns over the nations;
God sits on his holy throne.
9 The princes of the peoples gather
as the people of the God of Abraham.
For the shields of the earth belong to God;
he is highly exalted!
The 46th Psalm celebrates King Messiah coming in judgment, in which He conquers the whole earth. The 47th Psalm presents the Messiah in an anticipative way as King, not only over the faithful remnant of Israel, but over the whole world. — Phillips, page 131.
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Thematically and structurally this psalm and the following one are closely linked: both take up the theme of divine kingship, in the present psalm focusing on the person of the divine king, and in the following psalm focusing on the seat (i.e., city) of the divine king; in both psalms the same three aspects of the person (Psalm 47) and the seat (Psalm 48) are considered, reinforcing each other by their chiastic (i.e., inverted, or “mirror-image”) organization — to wit: challenge, praise, preeminence; preeminence, praise, challenge. — Wechsler, page 134.
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Clapping of the hands and the verb here translated “shout” (v.1) are elsewhere employed in Scripture in specific connection with the crowning and recognition of a king (2 Kings 11:12; 1 Samuel 10:24). The expression “Most High” (v.2) is one of the many biblical titles of God and underscores His sublimity and transcendence over all Creation (cf. Deuteronomy 28:1; Psalm 83:18) — and hence His prerogative to both (1) choose Israel’s inheritance — i.e., the Promised Land of Canaan (see Genesis 13:15; 17:8; Psalm 105:11; 135:12) — despite the claims of anyone else thereto, and (2) bestow His irrevocable love, by sovereign grace, on Jacob (i.e., Israel, the Jewish people; cf. Psalm 105:8-10; Romans 9:11-13; 11:29). — Wechsler, page 134.
under us/under our feet (v.3) — under Israel, which will reign over all the other nations in the Millennial Kingdom
the pride of Jacob (v.4) — The Hebrew word for “pride” can, and probably here should be translated “excellence,” “glory” or “honor.”
“The excellency [pride] of Jacob” means the supremacy of Jacob over the nations. This was involved in the birthright which he valued and which Esau despised. He was given this double promise, the inheritance of Canaan and the Lordship of the nations. — Williams, page 335.
And behold, the Lord stood above it and said, “I am the Lord, the God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac. The land on which you lie I will give to you and to your offspring. Your offspring shall be like the dust of the earth, and you shall spread abroad to the west and to the east and to the north and to the south, and in you and your offspring shall all the families of the earth be blessed. Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land. For I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you” (Genesis 28:13-15).
gone up (v.5) = exalted (as the same Hebrew word is translated in v.9) — it can also mean “ascended” and is so translated many times in other portions of Scripture.
psalm (v.7) = Hebrew maskil — a type of psalm focusing specifically on instruction in practical wisdom
princes (v.9) = willing ones, volunteers — from the same root as the term “freewill offering” — indicating that the submission of the nations to God will be willing (because of faith)
people (v.9) — singular, because it’s speaking of Israel. Three times in this psalm the word “peoples” is used to describe the other nations.
shields (v.9) — probably a reference to the rulers of the earth — the shields of office (referred to as “princes of the people” earlier in the verse) in the sense of protectors, defenders (see Revelation 21:24).
In the concluding section (vs. 8-9) the psalmist looks forward to that future time when God’s sovereign kingship will be recognized not by part of humanity, but by all humanity — employing past tense (i.e., perfect) verbs (i.e., v.8a, lit: “has taken His reign”; v.8b: “has taken His seat”; v.9: “have assembled themselves”) to underscore the inevitability and permanence of that “situation.” — Wechsler, page 135.
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Psalm 46:1-11
To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of the sons of Korah. A Song for Alamoth.
1 God is our refuge and strength,
A very present help in trouble.
2 Therefore we will not fear,
Even though the earth be removed,
And though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea;
3 Though its waters roar and be troubled,
Though the mountains shake with its swelling. Selah
4 There is a river whose streams shall make glad the city of God,
The holy place of the tabernacle of the Most High.
5 God is in the midst of her, she shall not be moved;
God shall help her, just at the break of dawn.
6 The nations raged, the kingdoms were moved;
He uttered His voice, the earth melted.
7 The Lord of hosts is with us;
The God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah
8 Come, behold the works of the Lord,
Who has made desolations in the earth.
9 He makes wars cease to the end of the earth;
He breaks the bow and cuts the spear in two;
He burns the chariot in the fire.
10 Be still, and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth!
11 The Lord of hosts is with us;
The God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah
Alamoth (intro) = “with virgins” or “maidens’ voices” — This could also refer to the name of the melody.
refuge and strength (v.1) — God is a source of refuge (i.e., defense) and strength (i.e., offense) for His people, enabling them to hold their ground both physically, against enemy forces that would seek to push them off the Promised Land, as well as spiritually, against the accusations of the enemy that their sins have disqualified them to be God’s “special treasure.” The depth of God’s solicitude is stressed by the further description of Him as being a very present (i.e., always available) help (a variant form of the same word applied to Eve — often translated “helpmate” — in Genesis 2:18 and 20) in trouble. — Wechsler, pages 131-132
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The river (v.4) whose divisions (or “streams”) make glad … the holy dwelling places (i.e., the Temple compound and all its compartments, as in Psalm 43:3) of the Most High parallels both the phraseology and specific concepts surrounding (1) the Garden of Eden, from which a river flowed out and was divided, and where God and man were meant for glad communion in each others’ presence (see Genesis 2:10; 3:8); (2) the reestablishment of God’s (i.e., Jesus’) presence in the Holy Place, where He will dwell among the sons of Israel and at which time a river will open up just below the altar and bring the gladness of life and healing to all along its course (Ezekiel 47:1-12); and (3) the renewal of Creation, all of which will become God’s holy “tabernacle,” where man will at last commune in the unfettered presence of God — from whose throne, secured forever on Mount Moriah in the New Jerusalem, will flow a river of life and healing for all (see Revelation 21:3, 22; 22:1-2). — Wechsler, page 132-133.
makes wars cease (v.9) — Isaiah 2:4
be still (v.10) = cease striving, relax
know (v.10) = experiential knowledge, which requires a relationship with God
The interpretation that makes the most sense to me is that this psalm looks forward to the Tribulation when God will defeat the nations and His faithful remnant will be saved and enter His rest. Even if it was written in reference to some historical event, I think there can be no doubt it will be sung and have its greatest application in the future.
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Psalm 45:1-17
To the Chief Musician. Set to “The Lilies.” A Contemplation of the sons of Korah. A Song of Love.
1 My heart is overflowing with a good theme;
I recite my composition concerning the King;
My tongue is the pen of a ready writer.
2 You are fairer than the sons of men;
Grace is poured upon Your lips;
Therefore God has blessed You forever.
3 Gird Your sword upon Your thigh, O Mighty One,
With Your glory and Your majesty.
4 And in Your majesty ride prosperously because of truth, humility, and righteousness;
And Your right hand shall teach You awesome things.
5 Your arrows are sharp in the heart of the King’s enemies;
The peoples fall under You.
6 Your throne, O God, is forever and ever;
A scepter of righteousness is the scepter of Your kingdom.
7 You love righteousness and hate wickedness;
Therefore God, Your God, has anointed You
With the oil of gladness more than Your companions.
8 All Your garments are scented with myrrh and aloes and cassia,
Out of the ivory palaces, by which they have made You glad.
9 Kings’ daughters are among Your honorable women;
At Your right hand stands the queen in gold from Ophir.
10 Listen, O daughter,
Consider and incline your ear;
Forget your own people also, and your father’s house;
11 So the King will greatly desire your beauty;
Because He is your Lord, worship Him.
12 And the daughter of Tyre will come with a gift;
The rich among the people will seek your favor.
13 The royal daughter is all glorious within the palace;
Her clothing is woven with gold.
14 She shall be brought to the King in robes of many colors;
The virgins, her companions who follow her, shall be brought to You.
15 With gladness and rejoicing they shall be brought;
They shall enter the King’s palace.
16 Instead of Your fathers shall be Your sons,
Whom You shall make princes in all the earth.
17 I will make Your name to be remembered in all generations;
Therefore the people shall praise You forever and ever.
Set to “The Lilies” (Intro) — Most likely designating the melody according to which this psalm was to be sung.
For the rest of the intro, see the post on Psalms 42 and 43.
Some commentaries suggest that this Psalm was composed on the occasion of the marriage of one of the kings of Israel (for example, Hezekiah to Hephzibah). Wechsler, however, argues otherwise:
The marriage described in the psalm is not that of the Davidic king, as some scholars suppose, but rather that of the Son of God (the ‘bridegroom”) and His people (the “bride”). That this is so is evident from (1) the direct and exclusive application of vs. 6-7 (and hence the rest of the psalm, which is contextually inseparable from these verses) to Jesus in Hebrews 1:8-9, (2) the piling up of messianic terminology, and (3) the fact that certain expressions in the psalm far transcend what can be applied to any previous Davidic king — or mere human, for that matter (e.g., v.7: the designation of the bridegroom as “God”; v.11: the exhortation to the bride to “worship” the bridegroom; v.16: the affirmation that the bridegroom will “make (His sons) princes in all the earth”). — Wechsler, page 128.
overflowing (v.1) = bubbling up
This first section (vs.2-9) focuses on the preeminence of the Son of God to all others — whether men or angels — which is precisely the intended point in Hebrews 1:8-9, where the culminating thought of this section, in verses 6-7, is cited. In leading up to this culminating point, the psalmist affirms that the divine king is fairer than anyone else (v.2; cf. Psalm 27:4) — as He will one day be affirmed by all (Isaiah 33:17), in marked contrast to the initial assessment of His people (Isaiah 53:2) — and that grace is poured out by [not “poured upon”] His lips — i.e., His speech is imbued with grace and purity throughout (see the similar phraseology in Proverbs 22:11, as well as the clear application of this notion to Jesus in Luke 4:22). He is also affirmed (in v.3) as being a Mighty One (lit. “hero,” “valiant warrior”) — an important divine-messianic title, as elsewhere employed, e.g., Psalm 24:8 and Isaiah 9:6 — and clothed in splendor and majesty (see Psalm 110:3). He is further qualified by the messianic combination of truth (cf. John 1:14), meekness (i.e., non-arrogance; cf. Zechariah 9:9), and righteousness (cf. Isaiah 9:7). He is also attributed the exclusively messianic attributes of receiving the obedience of the peoples (v.5; i.e., all human ethnic groups, as in Genesis 49:10 — which allusion is strengthened by the reference to the royal scepter in v.6b) and reigning forever (v.6a; see 2 Samuel 7:13; Luke 1:33) — Wechsler, pages 128-129.
oil of gladness (v.7) — the Holy Spirit (1 John 2:20-27)
Verses 6 and 7 are quoted in Hebrews 1:8-9.
But to the Son He says:
“Your throne, O God, is forever and ever;
A scepter of righteousness is the scepter of Your kingdom.
You have loved righteousness and hated lawlessness;
Therefore God, Your God, has anointed You
With the oil of gladness more than Your companions.”
Your garments are scented with myrrh and aloes and cassia (v.8) — Garments when spoken of symbolically in the Word of God are a type of conduct or behavior. All the actions, the conduct, the behavior of the Lord Jesus Christ smelt of heaven.
Myrrh was among the gifts brought by the wise men of the east to the infant Christ, and myrrh was among the spices in which His dead body was wrapped after Calvary. Thus from His birth to His death He was dedicated unto the sacrifice of Golgotha as the Lamb of God to take away the sin of the world.
Aloes is a bitter herb, and here may signify to us the sufferings through which He passed on the way to Calvary and including Gethsemane and Calvary.
Cassia is a beautiful fragrance, speaking of the glory which is to follow the sufferings, and with which the sufferings may not be compared. — Pettingill, pages 104-105.
Ophir (v.9) — the name of a son of Joktan, and of a gold region in the East
daughter of Tyre (v.12) — Tyre was a rich commercial city on the northeastern shores of the Mediterranean Sea, lying north of Palestine. Here it represents the Gentile nations (perhaps because Tyre once did send gifts to Israel (1 Kings 5). The “daughter” is thought to represent the people, as the “royal daughter” in v. 13 represents the people of Israel.
royal daughter (v.13) — In the East the bride, in her wedding dress, receives in her father’s house her visitors, and then at the appointed time, accompanied by the bridesmaids, her companions, is conducted to the palace of her husband, who, attended by the most distinguished women of his court (v.9), receives her and conducts her alone into the nuptial chamber (v.14). Such is the touching and beautiful figure by which Jerusalem is here portrayed. That city is the bride; her companions are the cities of Palestine; the daughter of Tyre and the Kings’ daughters represent the Gentile nations. All these will be brought into relationship with the Messiah, and all will be blessed. — Williams, page 334.
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We may interpret verses 9 to 17 as follows: All saved Israel living at the time will return to her home land, when the Messiah returns. She will be known as the restored wife of Adonai, God the Father, She will be known as the queen and her offspring will be appointed princes in the earth. The daughter of Tyre may be thought of as saved Gentiles who will be under the blessings of God the Father and Messiah the Son, during the Kingdom Age. According to the Psalms and scores of other Old Testament passages of Scripture, the land will be exceedingly wealthy during the Kingdom Age, and the Messiah will rule over all the earth. The Old Testament does not reveal the length of His reign, but the New Testament reveals that it will be for one thousand years. — Phillips, page 126.
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Psalm 44:1-26
To the Chief Musician. A Contemplation of the sons of Korah.
1 We have heard with our ears, O God,
Our fathers have told us,
The deeds You did in their days,
In days of old:
2 You drove out the nations with Your hand,
But them You planted;
You afflicted the peoples, and cast them out.
3 For they did not gain possession of the land by their own sword,
Nor did their own arm save them;
But it was Your right hand, Your arm, and the light of Your countenance,
Because You favored them.
4 You are my King, O God;
Command victories for Jacob.
5 Through You we will push down our enemies;
Through Your name we will trample those who rise up against us.
6 For I will not trust in my bow,
Nor shall my sword save me.
7 But You have saved us from our enemies,
And have put to shame those who hated us.
8 In God we boast all day long,
And praise Your name forever. Selah
9 But You have cast us off and put us to shame,
And You do not go out with our armies.
10 You make us turn back from the enemy,
And those who hate us have taken spoil for themselves.
11 You have given us up like sheep intended for food,
And have scattered us among the nations.
12 You sell Your people for next to nothing,
And are not enriched by selling them.
13 You make us a reproach to our neighbors,
A scorn and a derision to those all around us.
14 You make us a byword among the nations,
A shaking of the head among the peoples.
15 My dishonor is continually before me,
And the shame of my face has covered me,
16 Because of the voice of him who reproaches and reviles,
Because of the enemy and the avenger.
17 All this has come upon us;
But we have not forgotten You,
Nor have we dealt falsely with Your covenant.
18 Our heart has not turned back,
Nor have our steps departed from Your way;
19 But You have severely broken us in the place of jackals,
And covered us with the shadow of death.
20 If we had forgotten the name of our God,
Or stretched out our hands to a foreign god,
21 Would not God search this out?
For He knows the secrets of the heart.
22 Yet for Your sake we are killed all day long;
We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.
23 Awake! Why do You sleep, O Lord?
Arise! Do not cast us off forever.
24 Why do You hide Your face,
And forget our affliction and our oppression?
25 For our soul is bowed down to the dust;
Our body clings to the ground.
26 Arise for our help,
And redeem us for Your mercies’ sake.
For the intro, see the previous post on Psalms 42 and 43.
our fathers have told us (v.1) — about the deliverance from Egypt, God’s care for the people in the wilderness and His “planting” them in Canaan. Exodus 12:26-27; Psalm 78:3.
them You planted (v.2) — referring to the people of Israel
You afflicted the peoples (v.2) — referring to the Gentile inhabitants of the land
did not gain possession (v.3) — Deuteronomy 8:11-17; Joshua 24:12
You favored them (v.3) — The Lord did not set His love on you nor choose you because you were more in number than any other people, for you were the least of all peoples; but because the Lord loves you, and because He would keep the oath which He swore to your fathers, the Lord has brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you from the house of bondage, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt (Deuteronomy 7:7-8).
The interrelated notions of Israel’s relationship with and dependence on God is vividly emphasized in verse 3 by the piling up of biblically-theologically charged expressions — in the first half of the verse focusing on Israel’s inability “by their own sword … and their own arm” (i.e., by their military strength alone) to take possession of the land (recalling the phraseology of Joshua in Joshua 24:12), and in the second half of the verse focusing, by contrast, on God’s right hand and His arm (synonyms denoting His majestic and redemptive power; cf. Psalm 77:15; Exodus 15:6, 16; Isaiah 53:1), the light of His presence (signifying privileged position [i.e., relationship] as the recipient of God’s “enlightening” salvation and love), and His favor (i.e., God’s unconditional, love-motivated and merciful blessing) — Wechsler, page 125.
in God we boast (v.8) — Psalm 34:2; Jeremiah 9:24; Romans 2:17
You have cast us off (v.9) — This is intended not as a statement of actual fact (which would contradict a host of other biblical passages), but rather as a description of the psalmist’s feelings at that time, in the midst of Israel’s distressing situation. Wechsler, page 125-126.
cast us off (v.9) — Psalm 43:2; 60:1; 74:1; 89:38; 108:11
The scoffing and scorn and laughing in verses 13 and 14 is due to the supposed failure of Israel’s God to care for His people.
we have not forgotten You (v.17) — Unlike the circumstances in many psalms, the suffering here does not appear to be the result of sin. Wechsler suggests the context may be just before the nation was taken into captivity by Sennacherib. He also discusses whether the circumstances are due to chastisement for disobedience or testing for refinement.
jackals (v.19) — The Hebrew word can be translated jackal, whale, sea-monster or dragon.
Verse 22 is quoted in Romans 8:36. The same theme appears in Psalm 44:11.
why do You sleep (v.23) — Further affirmation that the psalmist’s reference in verse 9 to God “rejecting” His people is intended as a figure of speech, and not literally, is evident in his use of the same phrase here in verse 23 in parallel to the clearly figurative expression “Why dost Thou sleep, O Lord?” — for, in point of fact, the Lord, who keeps Israel, “neither slumbers nor sleeps” (Psalm 121:4; cf. also Isaiah 27:3). Whether the distress experienced by the psalmist and his people is intended as chastisement or refinement — or a mixture of both — their relationship with God is an existent reality, grounded not in the obedience (or lack thereof) of Israel, but in the Lord’s faithful love, or lovingkindness. Hence it is fundamentally for the sake of (i.e., to maintain the integrity of) the Lord’s lovingkindness, and not his or his people’s own comfort or reputation, that the psalmist makes his appeal. — Wechsler, page 127.
our soul is bowed down (v.25) — Psalm 119:25
As with so many of these psalms, some commentaries see the application in the sufferings of Israel during the Tribulation. I’m not certain if that is the primary intended application, but I an absolutely certain that the believing remnant during that time will use these psalms in that context.
We do not know the date when this psalm was written, but we know from the contents and from the setting in which it is located that it is a prophecy of the final experience of the faithful remnant of Israel before King Messiah will appear to deliver them and restore them as His earthly people to the land promised to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
Like Job of old, the faithful remnant cry, “Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him.” Though they are looking ahead for approaching victory through the Messiah, their present state or circumstances are sill among their own ungodly nation, Israel, who reject God and the Messiah. God is no longer with the nation, as He was in the wilderness, and some of the time when they were in the land of promise. They are a reproach, a scorn and rejected. The remnant bewail themselves and their situation, but acknowledge they are of Israel, similar to that of Daniel when he was in Babylon (Daniel 9).
The deepest cry of the remnant arises from their deepest emotions for the Messiah to come to their rescue. The answer to their cry is found in the 45th Psalm. — Phillips, pages 113, 116, 119.
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Psalm 42:1-11 and Psalm 43:1-5
To the Chief Musician. A Contemplation of the sons of Korah.
1 As the deer pants for the water brooks,
So pants my soul for You, O God.
2 My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.
When shall I come and appear before God?
3 My tears have been my food day and night,
While they continually say to me,
“Where is your God?”
4 When I remember these things,
I pour out my soul within me.
For I used to go with the multitude;
I went with them to the house of God,
With the voice of joy and praise,
With a multitude that kept a pilgrim feast.
5 Why are you cast down, O my soul?
And why are you disquieted within me?
Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him
For the help of His countenance.
6 O my God, my soul is cast down within me;
Therefore I will remember You from the land of the Jordan,
And from the heights of Hermon,
From the Hill Mizar.
7 Deep calls unto deep at the noise of Your waterfalls;
All Your waves and billows have gone over me.
8 The Lord will command His lovingkindness in the daytime,
And in the night His song shall be with me—
A prayer to the God of my life.
9 I will say to God my Rock,
“Why have You forgotten me?
Why do I go mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?”
10 As with a breaking of my bones,
My enemies reproach me,
While they say to me all day long,
“Where is your God?”
11 Why are you cast down, O my soul?
And why are you disquieted within me?
Hope in God;
For I shall yet praise Him,
The help of my countenance and my God.
1 Vindicate me, O God,
And plead my cause against an ungodly nation;
Oh, deliver me from the deceitful and unjust man!
2 For You are the God of my strength;
Why do You cast me off?
Why do I go mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?
3 Oh, send out Your light and Your truth!
Let them lead me;
Let them bring me to Your holy hill
And to Your tabernacle.
4 Then I will go to the altar of God,
To God my exceeding joy;
And on the harp I will praise You,
O God, my God.
5 Why are you cast down, O my soul?
And why are you disquieted within me?
Hope in God;
For I shall yet praise Him,
The help of my countenance and my God.
Psalms 42 and 43 in fact constitute one cohesive psalm, as indicated by (1) their use of the same refrain (42:5, 11; 43:5); (2) their focus on the same theme (yearning for God’s protective-paternal nurture); (3) their clear structural division, when taken together, into three parts, consistent with the typically attested psalmic structure: (4) their being treated as a single psalmic unit in early rabbinic sources and presented as such in most Hebrew manuscripts and printed Hebrew editions of the psalms; and (5) their being recited as a single unit in long-standing eastern Jewish tradition on the Feast of Tabernacles (which likewise commemorates God’s nurture of the Israelites). Consistent with its placement at the beginning of the second of the five “books” of Psalms, this psalmic unit focuses on — and hence introduces — the main theme of the Second Book, which, parallel to the second book of the Pentateuch (Exodus), is the theme of God’s paternal-protective nurture, both material and spiritual. — Wechsler, pages 121-122
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a contemplation (introduction) — Considering the etymology of this term (conveying the basic notion of “imparting or expressing wisdom”) as well as it’s usage in the Psalms (14:2; 53:2; 41:1) and elsewhere (e.g., Proverbs 10:19; 16:20; 17:2; 21:12), it may be reasonably deduced that a maskil is a type of psalm focusing specifically on instruction in practical wisdom, based on the revelation and unchanging character of God. — Wechsler, page 97
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sons of Korah (intro) — the descendants of those who were not “swallowed up” by the earth for rebelling against Moses (Numbers 26:10-11) and who, from the days of David onward, were among the Levitical singers in the Temple (see 1 Chronicles 6:22-31; 2 Chronicles 20:19) — Wechsler, page 122
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the deer pants for the water brooks (v.42:1) — underscores the depth, or vitality, of God’s nurture — i.e., that it is essential to life, just like water to the deer, and not simply a secondary desire or benefit. The psalmist’s specific comparison of the deer to “my soul” (rather than the general pronoun “I”) also indicates that the vitality of God’s nurture extends not merely to our physical need, but also t0 our spiritual need — a point clearly emphasized by the three additional references to “my soul” in this section (vs. 2a, 4a, 5a). The phrase “living God” (v.2) also carries with it the specific connotation of God’s nurture and provision, since the first (and hence defining/paradigmatic) instance in which the adjective “living” is applied to God in the Bible is in Geneses 16:14, in commemoration of His “seeing” and “hearing” (i.e., supplying) Hagar’s need in the desert. So too, the wording of verse four (viz. “procession,” “thanksgiving,” “keeping festival”) is suggestive of the Feast of Tabernacles, which was one of Israel’s three processional/pilgrimage festivals (the other two being Passover and Pentecost) and specifically intended as a time of thanksgiving for God’s protective-paternal nurture of the Israelites during their 40-year sojourn in the desert (see Leviticus 23:34-43). — Wechsler, pages 122-123
So pants my soul for You (v.42:1) — Psalm 63:1; 84:2; John 7:37
When shall I come and appear before God? (v.42:2) — Exodus 23:17
tears (v.42:3) — Psalm 80:5; 102:9
Where is your God? (v.42:3 and 10) — Psalm 79:10; 115:2; Joel 2:17; Micah 7:10
cast down (v.42:5) = bowed down
remember (v.42:6) = call to mind, invoke
land of the Jordan (v.42:6) — on Israel’s eastern border
heights of Hermon (v.42:6) — in the north of Israel — the mountain has three peaks. Hill Mizar is, apparently, a small hill near Hermon
command (v.42:8) = dispense, apply — Deuteronomy 28:8; Leviticus 25:21
It is the Lord’s lovingkindness (v.42:8) as grounded in His covenant with Abraham (Genesis 12:1-3; Galatians 3:16-18; etc.) that underlies His paternal nurture and, hence, serves as the focus of the psalmist’s appeal. — Wechsler, page 123.
with a breaking of my bones (v.42:10) — the thought here, I think, is that the taunts of his enemies feel as if his bones were breaking
All of this provision (v.43:1-5) is ultimately intended to bring the psalmist (and those of like mind) to God’s holy hill (i.e., the Temple Mount), which is the dwelling places of God’s glory — not only in times past, but also, once His glory returns, for all of eternity — as He reveals to Ezekiel, “This is the place … where I will dwell among the sons of Israel forever” (Ezekiel 43:7). The goal of God’s provision is thus clarified: to lead us permanently into the presence and joyful praise of our God (v.4). — Wechsler, page 124.
Both Phillips and Williams see the ultimate fulfillment of these psalms to be in the Tribulation when the remnant of believing Israel will be persecuted by an ungodly nation and a deceitful and unjust man (v.43:1 — the Anti-Christ) and the believer looks back to the time when he could worship with the faithful (v.42:4).
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Psalm 41:1-13
To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.
1 Blessed is he who considers the poor;
The Lord will deliver him in time of trouble.
2 The Lord will preserve him and keep him alive,
And he will be blessed on the earth;
You will not deliver him to the will of his enemies.
3 The Lord will strengthen him on his bed of illness;
You will sustain him on his sickbed.
4 I said, “Lord, be merciful to me;
Heal my soul, for I have sinned against You.”
5 My enemies speak evil of me:
“When will he die, and his name perish?”
6 And if he comes to see me, he speaks lies;
His heart gathers iniquity to itself;
When he goes out, he tells it.
7 All who hate me whisper together against me;
Against me they devise my hurt.
8 “An evil disease,” they say, “clings to him.
And now that he lies down, he will rise up no more.”
9 Even my own familiar friend in whom I trusted,
Who ate my bread,
Has lifted up his heel against me.
10 But You, O Lord, be merciful to me, and raise me up,
That I may repay them.
11 By this I know that You are well pleased with me,
Because my enemy does not triumph over me.
12 As for me, You uphold me in my integrity,
And set me before Your face forever.
13 Blessed be the Lord God of Israel
From everlasting to everlasting!
Amen and Amen.
David concludes this first of the five “books” of Psalms in the same way that he began it — with specific reference to individual blessing (“How blessed” — lit., “O, the blessedness of …”). Indeed, the intentional “bookending” of this key phrase serves not only to emphasize the motif of individual blessing, but also to clarify that the relatively generalized notion of “worship” that leads to individual blessing, as introduced in Psalm 1, includes, among other things, the specific demonstration of compassion and grace (per 41:1: “he who considers the helpless…”). To put it otherwise, the worship resulting in personal blessing (Psalm 1) is worship entailing acts of compassion and grace (Psalm 41) — i.e., that worship expressed in our obedience to the second greatest commandment, in the fulfillment of which we inevitably also fulfill the first, “which is identical to it” (Matthew 22:39). — Wechsler, pages 119-120.
poor (v.1) = weak, sick, needy — In Psalm 22, the Messiah Himself is shown to be in this condition.
preserve (v.2) = lit. “to hedge about with thorns,” guard, protect
sustain (v.3) = lit. “to turn over his bed” — to take care of during an illness, to make his bed
he speaks lies (v.6) — his enemies wished him well to his face while desiring his death behind his back
evil (v.8) = of Belial — ungodly, wicked, worthless — an accusation that his illness is because of his wickedness
my own familiar friend (v.9) — Here is a reference to the betrayal of the Son of Man, as Jesus Himself taught (John 13:18-19 — see also Psalm 55:12-14; Matthew 26:14-16, 21-25; Acts 1:16-17). —Scofield, page 620
This could also be a reference to Ahithophel, who was a counselor to David, but betrayed him when he sided with Absalom in his rebellion against his father. He finally committed suicide by hanging himself (2 Samuel 17:23).
The 13th verse is not, strictly speaking, a part of the 41st Psalm. It is rather a doxology to mark the end of the first book in the five books of the Psalter. Compare Psalm 72:19-20 at the end of Book Two; Psalm 89:52 at the end of Book Three; and Psalm 106:48 at the end of Book Four. — Pettingill, page 96.
As is generally the case, Williams has a different interpretation. And, as is generally the case, I see his point but don’t know whether to take it that far.
The psalm is prophetic: and, whilst having a general application, it mainly concerns the future suffering of Israel under anti-Christ — sufferings permitted by God in just punishment of their sins (v.4).
Messiah confesses their sins, thereby admitting the justice 0f their punishment (v.4): He defines the conduct of their enemies as hatred against Himself, which indeed it was in its fullness and malignity (vs. 5-9); associating them with Himself, He prays that God would raise them up from their couch of afflictions, so that He could execute a just judgment upon their oppressors (v.10), as He did upon Pharaoh and the Egyptians; He predicts victory for them over their enemies because God tenderly loved both Him and them (v.11). — Williams, page 329.
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Psalm 40:1-17
To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.
1 I waited patiently for the Lord;
And He inclined to me,
And heard my cry.
2 He also brought me up out of a horrible pit,
Out of the miry clay,
And set my feet upon a rock,
And established my steps.
3 He has put a new song in my mouth—
Praise to our God;
Many will see it and fear,
And will trust in the Lord.
4 Blessed is that man who makes the Lord his trust,
And does not respect the proud, nor such as turn aside to lies.
5 Many, O Lord my God, are Your wonderful works
Which You have done;
And Your thoughts toward us
Cannot be recounted to You in order;
If I would declare and speak of them,
They are more than can be numbered.
6 Sacrifice and offering You did not desire;
My ears You have opened.
Burnt offering and sin offering You did not require.
7 Then I said, “Behold, I come;
In the scroll of the book it is written of me.
8 I delight to do Your will, O my God,
And Your law is within my heart.”
9 I have proclaimed the good news of righteousness
In the great assembly;
Indeed, I do not restrain my lips,
O Lord, You Yourself know.
10 I have not hidden Your righteousness within my heart;
I have declared Your faithfulness and Your salvation;
I have not concealed Your lovingkindness and Your truth
From the great assembly.
11 Do not withhold Your tender mercies from me, O Lord;
Let Your lovingkindness and Your truth continually preserve me.
12 For innumerable evils have surrounded me;
My iniquities have overtaken me, so that I am not able to look up;
They are more than the hairs of my head;
Therefore my heart fails me.
13 Be pleased, O Lord, to deliver me;
O Lord, make haste to help me!
14 Let them be ashamed and brought to mutual confusion
Who seek to destroy my life;
Let them be driven backward and brought to dishonor
Who wish me evil.
15 Let them be confounded because of their shame,
Who say to me, “Aha, aha!”
16 Let all those who seek You rejoice and be glad in You;
Let such as love Your salvation say continually,
“The Lord be magnified!”
17 But I am poor and needy;
Yet the Lord thinks upon me.
You are my help and my deliverer;
Do not delay, O my God.
There is a great contrast between the 22nd Psalm and the 40th one: In the 22nd Psalm we see the crucifixion of the Messiah in all of it’s detail and suffering. It is presented in such a way that there can be no doubt of it; one can stand at the cross of Calvary and read the details.
But when we come to the 40th Psalm, we find in it a submission to the cruel crucifixion that is missing in the 22nd Psalm. God seems to gradually unfold these great truths to David and to all who read. — Phillips, page 93.
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In view of the fact that verses 6-7 are cited as the direct utterance of Christ in Hebrews 10:5-10, this entire psalm, which is clearly connected to these two verses as part of the same first-person utterance, should also be taken as the direct expression of Christ concerning His first advent — though at various points also applicable, in a paradigmatic sense, of circumstances in David’s own life. — Wechsler, page 117
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heard my cry (v.1) — The expression “(God) heard my cry” here signifies — as does every biblical reference to God “hearing” (or “seeing”) — God’s compassionate fulfillment of human need. In this case that need is that of Christ, in His humanity, being brought up out of the pit (v.2) — i.e., from Sheol (which is parallel to “pit” in Psalm 30:3), thus reiterating the point of Psalm 16:10 in which David explicitly affirms God’s resurrection of the Messiah from the dead before His body would undergo decay. Further evidence of God’s special solicitude is indicated in v.5, where, speaking now both for Himself and Israel corporately, Christ remarks God’s wonders (referring to His specific acts of deliverance, as in Exodus 34:10; Judges 6:13; Psalm 106:22, etc.) and His “thoughts toward us” — which latter phrase refers not only to God’s paternal “thoughts” of welfare, but, in light of the specific phraseology, to His greatest blessing of justification. — Wechsler, pages 117-118.
horrible pit (v.2) = noisy, rushing pit — a cavity through which waters rush
fear (v.3) = revere, reverentially trust
By saying that God has not desired sacrifice or required burnt offering (v.6) Christ is not repudiating the unchanging divine requirement of substitutionary (i.e., life-for-life) atonement, but rather affirming that (1) when sacrifice is offered, it must be accompanied by right heart attitude (e.g., faith-filled contrition, delight, gratitude) or else it means nothing (see especially Psalm 51:16-19), and (2), as explained by the writer of Hebrews, it was never in fact the animal sacrifices that satisfied God’s requirement for sin, “for it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sin” (Hebrews 10:4), but only the One sacrifice that was ever qualified by the spiritual purity (i.e., a soul untainted by sin and depravity) to do so — that of Christ Himself. — Wechsler, pages 118-119.
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My ears You have opened (v.6) — This is a unique expression in the Bible and for its meaning appeal can be made either to the custom of piercing the ear (consecration to perpetual service, Exodus 21:6; Deuteronomy 15:17) or to the idiom of opening the ear, signifying the imparting of a revelation from God (e.g., Isaiah 50:5). The common denominator of these two ideas is obedience and it is most likely that this is what the phrase is intended to stress. — Guthrie, page 477.
In the scroll of the book it is written of me. I delight to do Your will (vs. 7-8) — Matthew 26:39; John 4:34; 6:38.
my iniquities (v.13) — For the Messiah, these were the imputed sins of the world (Galatians 3:13)
Verses 13-17 are almost identical to Psalm 70.
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Psalm 39:1-13
To the Chief Musician. To Jeduthun. A Psalm of David.
1 I said, “I will guard my ways,
Lest I sin with my tongue;
I will restrain my mouth with a muzzle,
While the wicked are before me.”
2 I was mute with silence,
I held my peace even from good;
And my sorrow was stirred up.
3 My heart was hot within me;
While I was musing, the fire burned.
Then I spoke with my tongue:
4 “Lord, make me to know my end,
And what is the measure of my days,
That I may know how frail I am.
5 Indeed, You have made my days as handbreadths,
And my age is as nothing before You;
Certainly every man at his best state is but vapor. Selah
6 Surely every man walks about like a shadow;
Surely they busy themselves in vain;
He heaps up riches,
And does not know who will gather them.
7 “And now, Lord, what do I wait for?
My hope is in You.
8 Deliver me from all my transgressions;
Do not make me the reproach of the foolish.
9 I was mute, I did not open my mouth,
Because it was You who did it.
10 Remove Your plague from me;
I am consumed by the blow of Your hand.
11 When with rebukes You correct man for iniquity,
You make his beauty melt away like a moth;
Surely every man is vapor. Selah
12 “Hear my prayer, O Lord,
And give ear to my cry;
Do not be silent at my tears;
For I am a stranger with You,
A sojourner, as all my fathers were.
13 Remove Your gaze from me, that I may regain strength,
Before I go away and am no more.”
Jeduthun (Intro) — A Levite, chief singer and instructor, father of one of the three families of Levitical singers. See 1 Chronicles 9:16; 16:38-42; 25:1-6; 2 Chronicles 5:12; 35:15; Nehemiah 11:17. He is mentioned in the inscriptions of Psalms 39; 62; 77.
This psalm attests thematic and phraseological parallels both to the previous psalm (e.g., “I am like a dumb man”//”I have become dumb” [38:13; 39:2, 9]; “my plague”//”Thy plague” [38:11; 39:10; in both cases referring to God’s chastisement]; “O Lord, rebuke me not … chasten me not”//”with rebukes Thou dost chasten” [38:1; 39:11]) as well as to the words of Job (e.g., “Lord, make me to know my end, and what is the extend of my days”//”What is my end, that I should endure?” [Psalm 39:4a; Job 6:11]; “Turn Thy gaze away from me that I may have cheer before I go and am no more”//”Withdraw from me that I may have a little cheer before I go and am no more” [Psalm 39:11; Job 10:20b-21]). These latter parallels, together with the thematic focus of this psalm, suggests that Job’s repentance at the end of that book (42:6) is not for anything he said that was wrong (so Job 2:10: “In all this Job did not sin with his lips”), but rather for what he did not say — perhaps due to whispers of doubt in his hear — in correcting his companions’ erroneous portrayal of God. — Wechsler, pages 114-115.
the fire burned (v.3) — Jeremiah 20:9
David begins by reviewing his past determination not to sin with his tongue, and to guard his mouth while the wicked were in his presence (v.1) — i.e., knowing his own tendency to meet injustice with quick-tempered outbursts rather than more thoughtful and discerning responses, David determined to refrain from rash pronouncements that he might later regret as excessive, and hence sinful (as in 1 Samuel 25:21-22, 33). While this determination was, in and of itself, a good thing, consistent with biblical wisdom (see Proverbs 14:29; 17:27), David took it too far by remaining silent when he should have spoken and, in so doing, refrained even from good (v.2). That David’s silence at such a point was in fact sinful is underscored by the precept preceding — indeed, leading up to — the Second Greatest Commandment itself, in Leviticus 19:17: “You shall surely reprove your neighbor and not incur sin because of him” (i.e., if you do not reprove your neighbor when he sins, you will incur sin because you said nothing). — Wechsler, pages 115-116.
vapor (v.5) — Psalm 62:9
shadow (v.6) = image, phantom, vain show
riches (v.6) — Luke 12:20
David affirms, in the concluding section, that the fact of human transience and the futility of his works does not, in the end, exonerate him from guilt as a responsible moral agent. Though every man is indeed a mere breath (v.11) and, whatever we do or don’t do, God’s purposes will be achieved, each of us is still fully responsible for — and God is still keenly concerned with — the way in which we conduct ourselves here and now. To put it differently, it is not the “ends” for which we, as believers, are responsible, but the “means” — it is in the means, or manner, by which we live our lives that our gratitude and obedience, and hence our love for God, is expressed, and for which we are held accountable by Him. It is in this respect that David now acknowledges his transgressions (v.8) — i.e., for his “manner” of having kept silent when he should have spoken — and affirms the justness and necessity of God’s chastisement. — Wechsler, pages 116-117.
stranger/sojourner (v.12) — Leviticus 25:23; 1 Chronicles 29:15; Hebrews 11:13
I’m not certain that I’ve grasped the meaning of this psalm. If Wechsler is correct, and I have no better solution to offer, David is writing about the importance of speaking up for the Lord and not worrying about what anyone says. Our lives are short. Our hope is in the Lord. It’s only what we do for Him that matters, so we shouldn’t hesitate to do it.
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Psalm 38:1-22
A Psalm of David. To bring to remembrance.
1 O Lord, do not rebuke me in Your wrath,
Nor chasten me in Your hot displeasure!
2 For Your arrows pierce me deeply,
And Your hand presses me down.
3 There is no soundness in my flesh
Because of Your anger,
Nor any health in my bones
Because of my sin.
4 For my iniquities have gone over my head;
Like a heavy burden they are too heavy for me.
5 My wounds are foul and festering
Because of my foolishness.
6 I am troubled, I am bowed down greatly;
I go mourning all the day long.
7 For my loins are full of inflammation,
And there is no soundness in my flesh.
8 I am feeble and severely broken;
I groan because of the turmoil of my heart.
9 Lord, all my desire is before You;
And my sighing is not hidden from You.
10 My heart pants, my strength fails me;
As for the light of my eyes, it also has gone from me.
11 My loved ones and my friends stand aloof from my plague,
And my relatives stand afar off.
12 Those also who seek my life lay snares for me;
Those who seek my hurt speak of destruction,
And plan deception all the day long.
13 But I, like a deaf man, do not hear;
And I am like a mute who does not open his mouth.
14 Thus I am like a man who does not hear,
And in whose mouth is no response.
15 For in You, O Lord, I hope;
You will hear, O Lord my God.
16 For I said, “Hear me, lest they rejoice over me,
Lest, when my foot slips, they exalt themselves against me.”
17 For I am ready to fall,
And my sorrow is continually before me.
18 For I will declare my iniquity;
I will be in anguish over my sin.
19 But my enemies are vigorous, and they are strong;
And those who hate me wrongfully have multiplied.
20 Those also who render evil for good,
They are my adversaries, because I follow what is good.
21 Do not forsake me, O Lord;
O my God, be not far from me!
22 Make haste to help me,
O Lord, my salvation!
To bring to remembrance (intro) — more literally, “for bringing to remembrance” — which suggests that it may have been recited in connection with the Feast of Trumpeting (known today as “Rosh ha-Shanah,” or the Jewish New Year festival), which is specifically described as “a memorial” (Leviticus 23:24). Further supporting this connection is parallel thematic focus between this psalm and the Feast of Trumpets — to wit, in the latter, on personal refinement (symbolized by the “fire offering” mentioned in Leviticus 23:25) — i.e., the intended outcome of divine chastisement — and, in this psalm, on the individual’s proper response to God’s chastisement. — Wechsler, pages 112-113
One of the penitential psalm. The others are 6, 32, 51, 102, 130 and 143.
rebuke and chasten (v.1) — primarily the responsibilities of a father — David is approaching God as his Father. (Psalm 6:1)
David believes that it is his sin that has brought on his troubles (v.3). He describes the effects of that sin on him physically (vs. 3 and 7) and emotionally (vs. 6 and 8).
feeble (v.8) = numb, faint, sluggish
It is important to note that David expresses this sense of overpowering distress and powerlessness within the context of relationship and proximity to God — as indicated not only by his very act of directly addressing God throughout this psalm, but also by his declaration in v.9 that all his desire is before God and his sighing is not hidden from Him — i.e., God knows David is aggrieved over his sins and desires restoration to a healthy relationship/communion with his Lord (cf. 2 Samuel 7:20). — Wechsler, pages 113-114
my loved ones and my friends stand aloof (v.11) — Psalm 31:11
response (v.14) = argument, refutation
for in You, O Lord, I hope (v.15) — David affirms his dependence on God
I will declare my iniquity (v.18) — Psalm 32:5
As is generally the case, Williams sees a Messianic theme in this psalm.
The psalm reveals the thoughts that filled the heart of Jesus up to, and upon the Cross. The statements of verse 13 link the psalm to Psalm 22, Isaiah 53, 2 Corinthians 5:21, 1 Peter 2:22-24, etc. It describes His sympathetic intercession for His people, justly suffering the wrath of God because of their sins; and it records the hatred and ingratitude of those who ought to have loved Him. He came unto His own but His own received Him not. Himself sinless, He here loads Himself with the believers’ sins; makes full confession of them; admits the justice of the Divine wrath against them; and utters no reproach against those members of His nation who sought to destroy Him. He does not excuse or belittle sin; nor does He murmur at the wrath of God against it. He magnifies that wrath, and reposes in the righteousness of that Judge of all the earth. — Williams, page 326.
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