1 A Song of the Ascents. Remember, Jehovah, for David, all his afflictions.
2 Who hath sworn to Jehovah. He hath vowed to the Mighty One of Jacob:
3 `If I enter into the tent of my house, If I go up on the couch of my bed,
4 If I give sleep to mine eyes, To mine eyelids -- slumber,
5 Till I do find a place for Jehovah, Tabernacles for the Mighty One of Jacob.
6 `Lo, we have heard it in Ephratah, We have found it in the fields of the forest.
7 We come in to His tabernacles, We bow ourselves at His footstool.
8 Arise, O Jehovah, to Thy rest, Thou, and the ark of Thy strength,
9 Thy priests do put on righteousness, And Thy pious ones cry aloud.
10 For the sake of David Thy servant, Turn not back the face of Thine anointed.
11 Jehovah hath sworn truth to David, He turneth not back from it: Of the fruit of thy body, I set on the throne for thee.
12 If thy sons keep My covenant, And My testimonies that I teach them, Their sons also for ever and ever, Do sit on the throne for thee.
13 For Jehovah hath fixed on Zion, He hath desired `it' for a seat to Himself,
14 This `is' My rest for ever and ever, Here do I sit, for I have desired it.
15 Her provision I greatly bless, Her needy ones I satisfy `with' bread,
16 And her priests I clothe `with' salvation, And her pious ones do sing aloud.
17 There I cause to spring up a horn for David, I have arranged a lamp for Mine anointed.
18 His enemies I do clothe `with' shame, And upon him doth his crown flourish!
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.