1 > I will sing of the loving kindness of Yahweh forever. With my mouth, I will make known your faithfulness to all generations.
2 I indeed declare, "Love stands firm forever. You established the heavens. Your faithfulness is in them."
3 "I have made a covenant with my chosen one, I have sworn to David, my servant,
4 'I will establish your seed forever, And build up your throne to all generations.'" Selah.
5 The heavens will praise your wonders, Yahweh; Your faithfulness also in the assembly of the holy ones.
6 For who in the skies can be compared to Yahweh? Who among the sons of the heavenly beings is like Yahweh,
7 A very awesome God in the council of the holy ones, To be feared above all those who are around him?
8 Yahweh, God of hosts, who is a mighty one, like you? Yah, your faithfulness is around you.
9 You rule the pride of the sea. When its waves rise up, you calm them.
10 You have broken Rahab in pieces, like one of the slain. You have scattered your enemies with your mighty arm.
11 The heavens are yours. The earth also is yours; The world and its fullness. You have founded them.
12 The north and the south, you have created them. Tabor and Hermon rejoice in your name.
13 You have a mighty arm. Your hand is strong, and your right hand is exalted.
14 Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne. Loving kindness and truth go before your face.
15 Blessed are the people who learn to acclaim you. They walk in the light of your presence, Yahweh.
16 In your name they rejoice all day. In your righteousness, they are exalted.
17 For you are the glory of their strength. In your favor, our horn will be exalted.
18 For our shield belongs to Yahweh; Our king to the Holy One of Israel.
19 Then you spoke in vision to your saints, And said, "I have bestowed strength on the warrior. I have exalted a young man from the people.
20 I have found David, my servant. I have anointed him with my holy oil,
21 With whom my hand shall be established. My arm will also strengthen him.
22 No enemy will tax him. No wicked man will oppress him.
23 I will beat down his adversaries before him, And strike those who hate him.
24 But my faithfulness and my loving kindness will be with him. In my name, his horn will be exalted.
25 I will set his hand also on the sea, And his right hand on the rivers.
26 He will call to me, 'You are my Father, My God, and the rock of my salvation!'
27 I will also appoint him my firstborn, The highest of the kings of the earth.
28 I will keep my loving kindness for him forevermore. My covenant will stand firm with him.
29 I will also make his seed endure forever, And his throne as the days of heaven.
30 If his children forsake my law, And don't walk in my ordinances;
31 If they break my statutes, And don't keep my commandments;
32 Then I will punish their sin with the rod, And their iniquity with stripes.
33 But I will not completely take my loving kindness from him, Nor allow my faithfulness to fail.
34 I will not break my covenant, Nor alter what my lips have uttered.
35 Once have I sworn by my holiness, I will not lie to David.
36 His seed will endure forever, His throne like the sun before me.
37 It will be established forever like the moon, The faithful witness in the sky." Selah.
38 But you have rejected and spurned. You have been angry with your anointed.
39 You have renounced the covenant of your servant. You have defiled his crown in the dust.
40 You have broken down all his hedges. You have brought his strongholds to ruin.
41 All who pass by the way rob him. He has become a reproach to his neighbors.
42 You have exalted the right hand of his adversaries. You have made all of his enemies rejoice.
43 Yes, you turn back the edge of his sword, And haven't supported him in battle.
44 You have ended his splendor, And thrown his throne down to the ground.
45 You have shortened the days of his youth. You have covered him with shame. Selah.
46 How long, Yahweh? Will you hide yourself forever? Will your wrath burn like fire?
47 Remember how short my time is! For what vanity have you created all the children of men!
48 What man is he who shall live and not see death, Who shall deliver his soul from the power of Sheol? Selah.
49 Lord, where are your former loving kindnesses, Which you swore to David in your faithfulness?
50 Remember, Lord, the reproach of your servants, How I bear in my heart the taunts of all the mighty peoples,
51 With which your enemies have mocked, Yahweh, With which they have mocked the footsteps of your anointed one.
52 Blessed be Yahweh forevermore. Amen, and Amen.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on Psalms 89
Commentary on Psalms 89 Matthew Henry Commentary
Psalm 89
Many psalms that begin with complaint and prayer end with joy and praise, but this begins with joy and praise and ends with sad complaints and petitions; for the psalmist first recounts God's former favours, and then with the consideration of them aggravates the present grievances. It is uncertain when it was penned; only, in general, that it was at a time when the house of David was woefully eclipsed; some think it was at the time of the captivity of Babylon, when king Zedekiah was insulted over, and abused, by Nebuchadnezzar, and then they make the title to signify no more than that the psalm was set to the tune of a song of Ethan the son of Zerah, called Maschil; others suppose it to be penned by Ethan, who is mentioned in the story of Solomon, who, outliving that glorious prince, thus lamented the great disgrace done to the house of David in the next reign by the revolt of the ten tribes.
In singing this psalm we must have high thoughts of God, a lively faith in his covenant with the Redeemer, and a sympathy with the afflicted parts of the church.
Maschil of Ethan the Ezrahite.
Psa 89:1-4
The psalmist has a very sad complaint to make of the deplorable condition of the family of David at this time, and yet he begins the psalm with songs of praise; for we must, in every thing, in every state, give thanks; thus we must glorify the Lord in the fire. We think, when we are in trouble, that we get ease by complaining; but we do more-we get joy, by praising. Let our complaints therefore be turned into thanksgivings; and in these verses we find that which will be matter of praise and thanksgiving for us in the worst of times, whether upon a personal or a public account,
Psa 89:5-14
These verses are full of the praises of God. Observe,
Psa 89:15-18
The psalmist, having largely shown the blessedness of the God of Israel, here shows the blessedness of the Israel of God. As there is none like unto the God of Jeshurun, so, happy art thou, O Israel! there is none like unto thee, O people! especially as a type of the gospel-Israel, consisting of all true believers, whose happiness is here described.
Psa 89:19-37
The covenant God made with David and his seed was mentioned before (v. 3, 4); but in these verses it is enlarged upon, and pleaded with God, for favour to the royal family, now almost sunk and ruined; yet certainly it looks at Christ, and has its accomplishment in him much more than in David; nay, some passages here are scarcely applicable at all to David, but must be understood of Christ only (who is therefore called David our king, Hos. 3:5), and very great and precious promises they are which are here made to the Redeemer, which are strong foundations for the faith and hope of the redeemed to build upon. The comforts of our redemption flow from the covenant of redemption; all our springs are in that, Isa. 55:3. I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David, Acts 13:34. Now here we have an account of those sure mercies. Observe,
Psa 89:38-52
In these verses we have,