1 <A Song of the going up.> Lord, give thought to David, and to all his troubles;
2 How he made an oath to the Lord, and gave his word to the great God of Jacob, saying,
3 Truly, I will not come into my house, or go to my bed,
4 I will not give sleep to my eyes, or rest to my eyeballs,
5 Till I have got a place for the Lord, a resting-place for the great God of Jacob.
6 We had news of it at Ephrathah: we came to it in the fields of the wood.
7 Let us go into his tent; let us give worship at his feet.
8 Come back, O Lord, to your resting-place; you and the ark of your strength.
9 Let your priests be clothed with righteousness; and let your saints give cries of joy.
10 Because of your servant David, do not give up your king.
11 The Lord gave a true oath to David, which he will not take back, saying, I will give your kingdom to the fruit of your body.
12 If your children keep my word, and the teachings which I will give them, their children will be rulers of your kingdom for ever.
13 For the Lord's heart is on Zion, desiring it for his resting-place.
14 This is my rest for ever: here will I ever be; for this is my desire.
15 My blessing will be on her food; and her poor will be full of bread.
16 Her priests will be clothed with salvation; and her saints will give cries of joy.
17 There I will make the horn of David fertile: I have made ready a light for my king.
18 His haters will be clothed with shame; but I will make his crown shining.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on Psalms 132
Commentary on Psalms 132 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
PSALM 132
Ps 132:1-18. The writer, perhaps Solomon (compare Ps 132:8, 9), after relating David's pious zeal for God's service, pleads for the fulfilment of the promise (2Sa 7:16), which, providing for a perpetuation of David's kingdom, involved that of God's right worship and the establishment of the greater and spiritual kingdom of David's greater Son. Of Him and His kingdom both the temple and its worship, and the kings and kingdom of Judah, were types. The congruity of such a topic with the tenor of this series of Psalms is obvious.
1-5. This vow is not elsewhere recorded. It expresses, in strong language, David's intense desire to see the establishment of God's worship as well as of His kingdom.
remember David—literally, "remember for David," that is, all his troubles and anxieties on the matter.
5. habitation—literally, "dwellings," generally used to denote the sanctuary.
6. These may be the "words of David" and his pious friends, who,
at Ephratah—or Beth-lehem (Ge 48:7), where he once lived, may have heard of the ark, which he found for the first time
in the fields of the wood—or, Jair, or Kirjath-jearim ("City of woods") (1Sa 7:1; 2Sa 6:3, 4), whence it was brought to Zion.
7. The purpose of engaging in God's worship is avowed.
8, 9. The solemn entry of the ark, symbolical of God's presence and power, with the attending priests, into the sanctuary, is proclaimed in the words used by Solomon (2Ch 6:41).
10-12. For thy servant David's sake—that is, On account of the promise made to him.
turn … anointed—Repulse not him who, as David's descendant, pleads the promise to perpetuate his royal line. After reciting the promise, substantially from 2Sa 7:12-16 (compare Ac 2:30, &c.), an additional plea,
13. is made on the ground of God's choice of Zion (here used for Jerusalem) as His dwelling, inasmuch as the prosperity of the kingdom was connected with that of the Church (Ps 122:8, 9).
14-18. That choice is expressed in God's words, "I will sit" or "dwell," or sit enthroned. The joy of the people springs from the blessings of His grace, conferred through the medium of the priesthood.
17. make the horn … to bud—enlarge his power.
a lamp—the figure of prosperity (Ps 18:10, 28; 89:17). With the confounding of his enemies is united his prosperity and the unceasing splendor of his crown.