TITLE. A Psalm of David. Of the
correctness of this title there can be no doubt, since our Lord
in Mt 22:1 says, "How then doth David in spirit call him
Lord." Yet some critics are so fond of finding new authors
for the psalms that they dare to fly in the face of the Lord
Jesus himself. To escape from finding Jesus here, they read the
title, "Psalm of (or concerning) David, "as though it
teas not so much written by him as of him, but he that reads
with understanding will see little enough of David here except
as the writer. He is not the subject of it even in the smallest
degree, but Christ is all. How much was revealed to the
patriarch David! How blind are some modern wise men, even amid
the present blaze of light, as compared with this poet prophet
of the darker dispensation. May the Spirit who spoke by the man
after God's own heart give us eyes to see the hidden mysteries
of this marvellous Psalm, in which every word has an infinity of
meaning.
SUBJECT AND DIVISION. The subject is
THE PRIEST KING. None of the kings of Israel united these two
offices, though some endeavoured to do so. Although David
performed some acts which appeared to verge upon the priestly,
yet he was no priest, but of the tribe of Judah, "of which
tribe Moses spake nothing concerning the priesthood"; and
he was far too devout a man to thrust himself into that office
uncalled. The Priest King here spoken of is David's Lord, a
mysterious personage typified by Melchizedek, and looked for by
the Jews as the Messiah. He is none other than the apostle and
high priest of our profession, Jesus of Nazareth, the King of
the Jews. The Psalm describes the appointment of the kingly
priest, his followers, his battles, and his victory. Its centre
is verse 4, and so it may be divided, as Alexander suggests,
into the introduction, verses Ps 106:1-3; the central thought,
verse 4; and the supplementary verses, Ps 106:5-7.
EXPOSITION
Verse 2. The LORD shall send the rod of thy
strength out of Zion. It is in and through the church that
for the present the power of the Messiah is known. Jehovah has
given to Jesus all authority in the midst of his people, whom he
rules with his royal sceptre, and this power goes forth with
divine energy from the church for the ingathering of the elect,
and the subduing of all evil. We have need to pray for the
sending out of the rod of divine strength. It was by his rod
that Moses smote the Egyptians, and wrought wonders for Israel,
and even so whenever the Lord Jesus sends forth the rod of his
strength, our spiritual enemies are overcome. There may be an
allusion here to Aaron's rod which budded and so proved his
power; this was laid up in the ark, but our Lord's rod is sent
forth to subdue his foes. This promise began to be fulfilled at
Pentecost, and it continues even to this day, and shall yet have
a grander fulfilment. O God of eternal might, let the strength
of our Lord Jesus be more clearly seen, and let the nations see
it as coming forth out of the midst of thy feeble people, even
from Zion, the place of thine abode. Rule thou in the midst of
thine enemies as he does whenever his mighty sceptre of grace is
stretched forth to renew and save them. Moses' rod brought water
out of the flinty rock, and the gospel of Jesus soon causes
repentance to flow in rivers from the once hardened heart of
man. Or the text may mean that though the church is situated in
the midst of a hostile world, yet it exerts a great influence,
it continues to manifest an inward majesty, and is after all the
ruling power among the nations because the shout of a king is in
her midst. Jesus, however hated by men, is still the King of
kings. His rule is over even the most unwilling, so as to
overrule their fiercest opposition to the advancement of Iris
cause. Jesus, it appears from this text, is not inactive during
his session at Jehovah's right hand, but in his own way proves
the abiding nature of his kingdom both in Zion and from Zion,
both among his friends and his foes. We look for the clearer
manifestation of his almighty power in the latter days; but even
in these waiting times we rejoice that to the Lord all power is
given in heaven and in earth.
Verse 3. Thy people shall be willing in the day of
thy power, in the beauties of holiness from the womb of the
morning: thou hast the dew of thy youth. In consequence of
the sending forth of the rod of strength, namely, the power of
the gospel, out of Zion, converts will come forward in great
numbers to enlist under the banner of the Priest King. Given to
him of old, they are his people, and when his power is revealed,
these hasten with cheerfulness to own his sway, appearing at the
gospel call as it were spontaneously, even as the dew comes
forth in the morning. This metaphor is further enlarged upon,
for as the dew has a sparkling beauty, so these willing armies
of converts have a holy excellence and charm about them; and as
the dew is the lively emblem of freshness, so are these converts
full of vivacity and youthful vigour, and the church is
refreshed by them and made to flourish exceedingly. Let but the
gospel be preached with divine unction, and the chosen of the
Lord respond to it like troops in the day of the mustering of
armies; they come arrayed by grace in shining uniforms of
holiness, and for number, freshness, beauty, and purity, they
are as the dewdrops which come mysteriously from the tooming's
womb. Some refer this passage to the resurrection, but even if
it be so, the work of grace in regeneration is equally well
described by it, for it is a spiritual resurrection. Even as the
holy dead rise gladly into the lovely image of their Lord, so do
quickened souls put on the glorious righteousness of Christ, and
stand forth to behold their Lord and serve him. How truly
beautiful is holiness! God himself admires it. How wonderful
also is the eternal youth of the mystical body of Christ! As the
dew is new every morning, so is there a constant succession of
converts to give to the church perpetual juvenility. Her young
men have a dew from the Lord upon them, and arouse in her armies
an undying enthusiasm for him whose "locks are bushy and
black as a raven" with unfailing youth. Since Jesus ever
lives, so shall his church ever flourish. As his strength never
faileth, so shall the vigour of his true people be renewed day
by day. As he is a Priest King, so are his people all priests
and kings, and the beauties of holiness are their priestly
dress, their garments for glory and for beauty; of these priests
unto God there shall be an unbroken succession. The realization
of this day of power during the time of the Lord's tarrying is
that which we should constantly pray for; and we may
legitimately expect it since he ever sits in the seat of honour
and power, and puts forth his strength, according to his own
word, "My Father worketh hitherto, and I work."
Verse 4. We have now reached the heart of the psalm,
which is also the very centre and soul of our faith. Our Lord
Jesus is a Priest King by the ancient oath of Jehovah: "he
glorified not himself to be made an high priest, "but was
ordained there unto from of old, and was called of God an high
priest after the order of Melchizedek. It must be a solemn and a
sure matter which leads the Eternal to swear, and with him an
oath fixes and settles the decree for ever; but in this case, as
if to make assurance a thousand times sure, it is added, "
and will mot repent." It is done, and done for ever and
ever; Jesus is sworn in to be the priest of his people, and he
must abide so even to the end, because his commission is sealed
by the unchanging oath of the immutable Jehovah. If his
priesthood could be revoked, and his authority removed, it would
be the end of all]lope and life for the people whom he loves;
but this sure rock is the basis of our security—the oath of
God establishes our glorious Lord both in his priesthood and in
his throne. It is the Lord who has constituted him a priest for
ever, he has done it by oath, that oath is without repentance,
is taking effect now, and will stand throughout all ages: hence
our security in him is placed beyond all question.
The declaration runs in the present tense as being the only
time with the Lord, and comprehending all other times.
"Thou art, "i.e., thou wast and art and art to come,
in all ages a priestly King. The order of Melchizedek's
priesthood was the most ancient and primitive, the most free
from ritual and ceremony, the most natural and simple, and at
the same time the most honourable. That ancient patriarch was
the father of his people, and at the same time ruled and taught
them; he swayed both the sceptre and the censer, reigned in
righteousness, and offered sacrifice before the Lord. There has
never arisen another like to him since his days, for whenever
the kings of Judah attempted to seize the sacerdotal office they
were driven back to their confusion: God would have no king
priest save Iris son. Melchizedek's office was exceptional none
preceded or succeeded him; he comes upon the page of history
mysteriously; no pedigree is given, no date of birth, or mention
of death; he blesses Abraham, receives tithe and vanishes from
the scene amid honours which show that he was greater than the
founder of the chosen nation. He is seen but once, and that once
suffices. Aaron and his seed came and went; their imperfect
sacrifice continued for many generations, because it had no
finality in it, and could never make the comers thereunto
perfect. Our Lord Jesus, like Melchizedek, stands forth before
us as a priest of divine ordaining; not made a priest by fleshly
birth, as the sons of Aaron: he mentions neither father, mother,
nor descent, as his right to the sacred office; he stands upon
his personal merits, by himself alone; as no man came before him
in his work, so none can follow after; his order begins and ends
in his own person, and in himself it is eternal, "having
neither beginning of days nor end of years The King Priest has
been here and left his blessing upon the believing, and now he
sits in glory in his complete character, stoning for us by the
merit of his blood, and exercising all power on our
behalf."
"O may we ever hear thy voice
In mercy to us speak,
And in our Priest we will rejoice,
Thou great Melchizedek."
The last verses of this psalm we understand to refer to the
future victories of the Priest King. He shall not forever sit in
waiting posture, but shall come into the fight to end the weary
war by his own victorious presence. He will lead the final
charge in person; his own right hand and his holy arm shall get
unto him the victory.
Verse 5. The Lord at thy right hand shall strike
through kings in the day of his wrath. Now that he has come
into the field of action, the infinite Jehovah comes with him as
the strength of his right hand. Eternal power attends the coming
of the Lord, and earthly power dies before it as though smitten
through with a sword. In the last days all the kingdoms of the
earth shall be overcome by the kingdom of heaven, and those who
dare oppose shall meet with swift and overwhelming ruin. What
are kings when they dare oppose the Son of God? A single stroke
shall suffice for their destruction. When the angel of the Lord
smote Herod there was no need of a second blow; he was eaten of
worms and gave up the ghost. Concerning the last days, we read
of the Faithful and True, who shall ride upon a white horse, and
in righteousness judge and make war: "Out of his mouth
goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations:
and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the
winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God."
Verse 6. He shall judge among the heathen, or,
among the nations. All nations shall feel his power, and either
yield to it joyfully or be crushed before it. He shall fill the
places with the dead bodies. In the terrible battles of his
gospel all opponents shall fall till the field of fight is
heaped high with the slain. This need not be understood
literally, but as a poetical description of the overthrow of all
rebellious powers and the defeat of all unholy principles. Yet
should kings oppose the Lord with weapons of war, the result
would be their overwhelming defeat and the entire destruction of
their forces. Read in connection with this prophecy the passage
which begins at the seventeenth verse of Re 19:1 and runs on to
the end of the chapter. Terrible things in righteousness will be
seen ere the history of this world comes to an end. He shall
wound the heads over many countries. He will strike at the
greatest powers which resist him, and wound not merely common
men, but those who rule and reign. If the nations will not have
Christ for their Head, they shall find their political heads to
be powerless to protect them. Or the passage may be read,
"he has smitten the head over the wide earth." The
monarch of the greatest nation shall not be able to escape the
sword of the Lord; nor shall that dread spiritual prince who
rules over the children of disobedience be able to escape
without a deadly wound. Pope and priest must fall, with Mahomet
and other deceivers who are now heads of the people. Jesus must
reign and they must perish.
Verse 7. He shall drink of the brook in the way.
So swiftly shall he march to conquest that he shall not stay for
refreshment, but drink as he hastens on. Like Gideon's men that
lapped, he shall throw his heart into the fray and cut it short
in righteousness, because a short work will the Lord make in the
earth. "Therefore shall he lift up the head." His own
head shall be lifted high in victory, and his people, in him,
shall be upraised also. When he passed this way before, he was
burdened and had stern work laid upon him; but in his second
advent he will win an easy victory; aforetime he was the man of
sorrows, but when he comes a second time his head will be lifted
in triumph. Let his saints rejoice with him. "Lift up your
heads, for your redemption draweth nigh." In the latter
days we look for terrible conflicts and for a final victory.
Long has Jesus borne with our rebellious race, but at length he
wilt rise to end the warfare of longsuffering, by the blows of
justice. God has fought with men's sins for their good, but he
will not always by his Spirit strive with men; he will cease
from that struggle of long suffering love, and begin another
which shall soon end in the final destruction of his
adversaries. O King priest, we who are, in a minor degree, king
priests too, are full of gladness because thou reignest even
now, and wilt come ere long to vindicate thy cause and establish
thine empire for ever. Even so, come quickly. Amen.
EXPLANATORY NOTES AND QUAINT SAYINGS
Whole Psalm. The preceding Psalm is a Passion Psalm,
and it is now followed by a Psalm of Christ's Resurrection,
Ascension, and Session in glory. We have seen the same
connection in Ps. 22-24, and in Ps. 45-47. The present psalm
grows up from the former Psalm, as the Hill of Olivet, the Hill
of Ascension, rises up from the Vale of Gethsemane below it. Christopher
Wordsworth.
Whole Psalm. This psalm has been well designated the
crown of all the Psalms, of which Luther saith that it is worthy
to be overlaid with precious jewels. More especially does the
Reformer call verse 5 a well spring,—nay, a treasury of all
Christian doctrines, understanding, wisdom, and comfort, richer
and fuller than any other passage of Holy Writ. In his own
peculiar manner, he styles Christ the Sheblimini (`Sit on my
right hand').`Full sure, the devil must let alone my Sheblimini,
and cannot bring him down either by his scorn or by his wrath.'
Christ still liveth and reigneth, and his title is Sheblimini.
On his stirrup is engraven, "I will make thine enemies' thy
footstool, "and upon his diadem, "Thou art a priest
for ever."—Alfred Edersheim, 1873.
Whole Psalm. The ancients (by Cassiodorus' collection)
term this psalm the sun of our faith, the treasure of holy writ:
"verbis brevis, sensu infinitus", (saith
Augustine,)short in words, but in sense infinite. Theodoret
notes how it is connected with the psalm going before:
"there (saith he) we have his cross and sufferings, here
his conquest and trophies." For he cometh forth as the heir
apparent of the Almighty, the brightness of his glory, and the
express image of his person, graced with,
1. Title, "My Lord."
2. Place, "Sit thou on my right hand."
3. Power, "Until I make thine enemies thy footstool."
—John Prideaux, in a Sermon entitled, "The
Draught of the Brooke," 1636.
Whole Psalm. This psalm is one of the fullest and most
compendious prophecies of the person and offices of Christ in
the whole Old Testament, and so full of fundamental truth, that
I shall not shun to call it Symbolum Davidicum, the prophet
David's creed. And indeed there are very few, if any, of the
articles of that creed which we all generally profess, which are
not either plainly expressed, or by most evident implication
couched in this little model. First, the Doctrine of the Trinity
is in the first words; "The Lord said unto my Lord."
There is Jehovah the Father, and my Lord, the Son, and the
consecrating of him to be David's Lord which was by the Holy
Ghost, by whose fulness he was anointed unto the offices of king
and priest; for so our Saviour himself expounds this word
"said, "by the scaling and sanctification of him to
his office, Joh 10:34,35,36. Then we have the Incarnation of
Christ, in the words, "my Lord, "together with his
dignity and honour above David (as our Saviour himself expounds
it, Mt 22:42,45). Mine, that is, my Son by descent and genealogy
after the flesh, and yet my Lord too, in regard of his higher
son ship. We have also the Sufferings of Christ, in that he was
consecrated a priest (Ps 110:4) to offer up himself once for
all, and so to drink of the brook in the way. We have his
Completed Work and conquest over all his enemies and sufferings;
his Resurrection, "he shalt lift up his head"; his
Ascension and Intercession, "Sit thou on my right
hand." We have here also a Holy Catholic Church gathered
together by the sceptre of his kingdom, and holding in the parts
thereof a blessed and beautiful Communion of Saints; "The
LORD shall send the rod of thy strength out of Zion: rule thou
in the midst of thine enemies. Thy people shall be willing in
the day of thy power, in the beauties of holiness from the womb
of the morning: thou hast the dew of thy youth.". We have
the Last Judgment, for all his enemies must be put under his
feet, (which is the Apostle's argument to prove the end of all
things, 1Co 15:25); and there is the day of his wrath, wherein
he shall accomplish that judgment over the heathen, and that
victory over the kings of the earth (who take counsel and band
themselves together against him), which he doth here in his word
begin. We have the Remission of sins, comprised in his
priesthood, for he was to offer sacrifices for the remission of
sins, and "to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself,
"Eph 1:7 Heb 9:26. We have the Resurrection of the body,
because he must "subdue all enemies under his feet, and the
last enemy to be destroyed is death, "as the Apostle argues
out of this psalm, 1Co 15:25,26. And lastly, we have life
everlasting, in the everlasting merit and virtue of his
priesthood, "Thou art a priest for ever after the order of
Melchizedek, "and in his sitting at the right hand of God,
whither he is gone as our forerunner, and to prepare a place for
us, Heb 6:20 Joh 14:2; and therefore the apostle from his
sitting there, and living ever, infers the perfection and
certainty of our salvation, Ro 6:8,11 8:17 Eph 2:16 Col 3:1-4
1Co 15:49; Php 3:20,21 1Th 4:14 Heb 7:25 1Jo 3:2. Edward
Reynolds, 1599-1676.
Whole Psalm. Although the Jews of later times have
gone about to wrest it to another meaning, yet this Psalm is so
approved and undoubted a prophecy of Christ, that the Pharisees
durst not deny it, when being questioned by our Saviour (Mt
22:42,43) how it should be, seeing Christ is the son of David,
that David not with standing should call him Lord, saying,
"The Lord said unto my Lord, " they could not answer
him a word, whereas the answer had been very easy and ready if
they could have denied this psalm to be meant of Christ. But
they knew it could not be otherwise understood, and it was
commonly taken amongst them to be a prophecy of their Messias,
according to the very evidence of the text itself, which cannot
be fitted to any other, but only to Christ our Saviour, the Son
of God. For whereas some of them since then have construed all
these things as spoken in the name of the people of Judah
concerning David their king, the text itself refuseth that
construction, when in those words, "Sit thou at my right
hand, "it mentions an honour done to him of whom it
speaketh, greater than can be fitted to the angels, and
therefore much less to be applied unto David. Again, that which
is spoken in the fourth verse of the priesthood, cannot be
understood of David, who was indeed a king, but never had
anything spoken as touching the priesthood to appertain unto
him, and of whom it cannot be conceived how it should be said,
"Thou art a priest for ever, "etc. Yea, there is
nothing here spoken whereof we may see in David any more but
some little shadow in comparison of that which hath come to pass
in Jesus Christ. Robert Abbot (1560-1617) in "The
Exaltation of the Kingdom and Priesthood of Christ."
Whole Psalm. The sixty-eighth psalm hails the ascent
of the Messiah, prefigured by the translation of the ark, and
gives a rapid and obscure view of the glories and the blessings
consequent upon that event. The twenty-fourth exhibits to us the
Messiah ascending to his redemption throne borne up by the wings
of angels and archangels, and hosannahed by the whole
intelligent creation; it marks in the most glowing colours the
triumphant entry of Messiah into the heavenly regions, and the
tone of authority and power with which he commands that
entrance—it sends him attended by the angelic host to his
Father's throne, there to claim that preeminence which was his
by inheritance and by conquest. At this point the Psalm before
us "takes up the wondrous tale"; it exhibits to us the
awful solemnities of his reception, it represents the Father
bestowing on his well beloved Son the kingdom which he had
earned, exalting him to the throne, and putting all things under
his feet; receiving him in his office of prophet, and promising
universality and permanence to "the rod of his
strength"; receiving him in the office of priesthood, his
own peculiar priesthood, and confirming its efficacy and
duration by an oath; thus perfecting the redemption scheme, and
completing the conquest over sin and death, and him who had the
power of death. Man united with God was raised to the throne of
being: man united with God perfected the sacrifice which was
demanded, and the angelic host is represented by the Psalmist as
taking up the strain, and hymning the future triumphs of the
King of Glory—triumphs over his foes, whom he will visit in
the day of his wrath, and triumphs with his willing people, whom
he will assist with his Spirit, refine by his grace, and exalt
into his glory. Such do I conceive to be the occasion, the
object, and the tendency of this sacred song: to me it appears
to be eminently an epinicion, or song of victory: it celebrates
the triumph of the conqueror, it presents him with the rewards
of victory, and it predicts future conquests as crowning his
glory; while elsewhere we see the Captain of our salvation
militant, here we sec him triumphant; while elsewhere we see his
offices inchoate, here they are perfected by the approval of the
Godhead, and the promise of eternity: here we have instruction
consolidating empire, and the atonement completed by the
everlasting priesthood. J.H. Singer, in "The
Irish Pulpit," 1839.
Verse 1. In this one verse we have a description of
Christ's person, his wars and his victory; so that we may say of
it, (and so indeed of the whole psalm, which is an epitome of
the Gospel), as Tully did of Brutus in his laconical epistle,
"Quam multa, guam paucis!" How much in a little. John
Trapp.
Verse 1. The LORD said unto my Lord, sit thou at my
right hand. An oft quoted passage—because it contains a
memorable truth. We find it quoted by Messiah himself to lead
Israel to own him as greater than David, Mt 22:44. It is quoted
in Heb 1:13, to prove him higher far than angels. It is brought
forward by Peter, Ac 2:34, to show him Lord as well as Christ.
It is referred to in Heb 10:12,13, as declaring that Jesus has
satisfactorily finished what he undertook to accomplish on earth
"the one sacrifice for ever", and is henceforth on
that seat of divine honour "expecting till his enemies be
made his footstool" in the day of Iris Second Coming. Andrew
A. Behar.
Verse 1. The Lord said. Albeit the
understanding of Christ's person and office be necessary unto
the church, yet none know the Son save the Father, and they to
whom he will reveal him: for David knew Christ only by the
Father's teaching: "The Lord said", said he. David
Dickson.
Verse 1. My Lord. From hence we learn that
though Christ was man, yet he was more than a bare man, since he
is Lord to his father David. For jure naturae, no son is
lord to his father; domination doth never ascend. There must be
something above nature in him to make him his father's
sovereign, as our Savour himself argues from these words, Mt
22:42,45. Edward Reynolds.
Verse 1. My Lord. It was a higher honour to
have Christ for his son, than to be a king; yet David does not
say that Christ is his son, but rejoices that Christ is his
Lord, and he Christ's servant. But this joy has also been
procured for it: see Lu 1:43; Joh 20:28 Php 3:3,8. They who
regard the Messiah only as the son of David, regard the lesser
part of the conception of him. A dominion to which David himself
is subject, shows the heavenly majesty of the King, and the
heavenly character of his kingdom. John Albert Bengel.
Verse 1. Until I make thine emimies thy footstool.
Every word is full of weight. For though ordinarily subdivisions
of holy Scripture and crumbling of the bread of life be rather a
loosing than an expounding of it; yet in such parts of it as
were of purpose intended for models and summaries of fundamental
doctrines, (of which sort this psalm is one of the fullest and
briefest in the whole Scriptures), as in little maps of large
countries, there is no word whereupon some point of weighty
consequence may not depend. Here then is to be considered the
term of duration or measure off Christ's kingdom:
"until." The author of subduing Christ's enemies under
him: "I, the Lord." The mariner thereof; ponam
and ponam scabellum put thy foes as a stool under thy
feet. Victory is a relative word, and presupposes enemies, and
they are expressed in the text... Enmity shows itself against
Christ in all the offices of his mediation. There is enmity
against him as a prophet. Enmity against his truth,—in opinion
by adulterating it with human mixtures and superinducement,
teaching for doctrines the traditions of men; in affection, by
wishing many divine truths were razed out of the Scriptures, as
being manifestly contrary to those pleasures which they love
rather than God; in conversation, by keeping down the truth in
unrighteousness, and in those things which they know, as brute
beasts, corrupting themselves. Enmity against his teaching, by
quenching the motions, and resisting the evidence of his Spirit
in the Word, refusing to hear his voice, and rejecting the
counsel of God against themselves. There is enmity against him
as a priest, by undervaluing his person, sufferings,
righteousness, or merits. And as a king; enmity to his worship,
by profaneness neglecting it, by idolatry misappropriating it,
by superstition corrupting it. Enmity to his ways and service,
by ungrounded prejudices, misjudging them as grievous,
unprofitable, or unequal ways; and by wilful disobedience
forsaking them to walk in the ways of our own heart. Edward
Reynolds.
Verse 1. Make thine enemies thy footstool! This
expression, that the conquest of Christ's enemies shall be but
as the removing of a stool into its place, notes unto us two
things: first, the easiness of God's victory over the enemies of
Christ. They are before him as nothing, less than nothing, the
drop of a bucket, the dust of the balance, a very little
thing...Secondly, as this putting of Christ's enemies like a
stool under the feet notes easiness, so also it notes order or
beauty too. When Christ's enemies shall be under his foot, then
there shall be a right order in things; then it shall indeed
appear that God is a God of order, and therefore the day wherein
that shall be done, is called "the times of the restitution
of all things, "Ac 3:21. The putting of Christ's enemies
under his feet is an act of justice; and of all others, justice
is the most orderly virtue, that which keepeth beauty upon the
face of a people, as consisting itself in symmetry and
proportion. This putting of Christ's enemies as a stool under
his feet, also denotes unto us two things in reference to
Christ: first, his rest, and secondly, his triumph. To stand, in
the Scripture phrase, denotes ministry, and to sit, rest; and
there is no posture so easy as to sit with a stool under one's
feet. Till Christ's enemies then be all under his feet, he is
not fully in his rest. Furthermore, this "footstool"
under Christ's feet, in reference to his enemies, denotes unto
us four things. First, the extreme shame and confusion which
they shall everlastingly suffer, the utter abasing and bringing
down of all that exalteth itself against Christ. Secondly,
hereby is noted the burden which wicked men must bear: the
footstool beareth the weight of the body, so must the enemies of
Christ bear the weight of his heavy and everlasting wrath upon
their souls. Thirdly, herein is noted the relation which the
just recompense of God bears unto the sins of ungodly men. Thus
will Christ deal with his enemies at the last day. Here they
trample upon Christ in his word, in his ways, in his members;
they make the saints bow down for them to go over, and make them
as the pavements on the ground; they tread under foot the blood
of the covenant, and the sanctuary of the Lord, and put Christ
to shame; but there their own measure shall be returned into
their bosoms, they shall be constrained to confess as Adonibezek,
"As I have done, so God hath requited me." Lastly,
herein we may note the great power and wisdom of Christ in
turning the malice and mischief of his enemies unto his own use
and advantage; and so ordering wicked men that though they
intend nothing but extirpation and ruin to his kingdom, yet they
shall be useful unto him, and, against their own wills,
serviceable to those glorious ends, in the accomplishing whereof
he shall be admired by all those that believe. As in a great
house there is necessary use of vessels of dishonour, destined
unto sordid and mean, but yet daily, services: so in the great
house of God, wicked men are his utensils and household
instruments, as footstools and staves, and vessels wherein there
is no pleasure, though of them there may be good use. Condensed
from Reynolds.
Verse 1. Thy foot stool. As this our king has a
glorious throne, so has he also a wonderful footstool; and as
his royal throne imparts to us comfort in the highest degree, so
his footstool also imparts to us joy. How joyful shall his poor
subjects be when they hear that their prince and king has slain
their enemies and delivered them out of their hands! How did
their poor subjects go forward to meet Saul and Jonathan when
those kings had slain the Philistines! ...Moreover, because our
King has his enemies under his feet, thus shall he also bring
all our enemies under our feet, for his victory is ours, God be
thanked, who has given us the victory through Christ our Lord. Joshua
Arnd, 1626-1685.
Verse 2. The rod of thy strength, or rather,
"The sceptre of thy might", i.e., of "Thy kingly
majesty, "as in Jer 48:17; Eze 19:14. Chrysostom plays upon
the word rabdov (LXX) as a rod of strength and consolation, as
in Ps 23:4; a rod of chastisement, as in Ps 2:9, 1Co 4:21;
a symbol of kingly rule, as in Isa 11:1, Ps 45:6. It was by this
rod, he says, that the disciples wrought when they subdued the
world, in obedience to the command, "Go and make disciples
of all nations"; a rod far more powerful than that of
Moses, "for that divided rivers, this brake in pieces the
ungodliness of the world." And then with profound truth he
adds, "Nor would one err who should call the Cross the rod
of power; for this rod converted sea and land, and filled them
with a vast power. Armed with this rod, the Apostles went forth
throughout the world, and accomplished ali that they did,
beginning at Jerusalem." The Cross, which to men seemed the
very emblem of shame and weakness, was, in truth, the power of
God. J.J. Stewart Perowne.
Verse 2. The rod of thy strength. The power of
this sceptre and word of Christ appeareth greatly in the saving
of his elect... So mightily hath it prevailed and overruled the
minds of men against nature, and reason, and learning, and
wisdom, and custom, and whatsoever else is strong to hold men in
the liking of those things which they have once received and
followed, as that they have been content to renounce the
devotions which their forefathers had so long embraced; to cast
away the gods which themselves had devoutly served; to stop
their ears against the contrary motives and persuasions of
father and mother; to harden their hearts against the kneeling
and weeping and embracing of wife and children; to forego their
honours, and inheritances, yea, and their lives also, rather
than lose that peace and joy of heart which the same word of
Christ had ministered unto them. Yea, how strange is it, and how
greatly doth it commend the power of this word, to see weakness
hereby prevailing against strength, simplicity against policy;
to see the lamb standing without fear before the lion, the
gentle turtle before the devouring kite; women and children and
weaklings before the great monarchs and potentates of the world,
not fearing their threatening words, nor dreading their
tormenting hands, but boldly uttering the word of their
testimony (Re 12:11), in despite of all their fury, and never
yielding to shrink from it, by anything that could be devised
against them. The word of God in their hearts gave them courage
and resolution and strength to go through fire and water, to
bear all adventures of wind and weather, and howsoever they
seemed to be beaten against the rocks, yet they escaped
shipwreck, and arrived safe at the haven of their desire. Robert
Abbot.
Verse 2. Out of Zion. We need not say much
about how the omniscience of God is displayed in the wonderful
fact, that in the very land of the covenant—in the very midst
of that people who rejected and crucified the Saviour, the first
church of Christ on earth was established. What would cavillers
and blasphemers have said, had it been otherwise? had the
Christian community been formed in any of the heathen countries?
Would it not have been considered as a fiction of the idolatrous
priests? Israel scattered among the nations, and the Church of
Christ having begun in Zion at Jerusalem, are the most wonderful
and enduring monuments, and incontestable witnesses of the truth
of Christianity. Benjamin Weiss.
Verse 2. From his ruling in the midst of enemies we
learn that the kingdom of Christ in this life is the kingdom of
the Cross, of persecutions, and of dangers. Enemies are never
wanting, not only external adversaries, but also spiritual and
eternal; and therefore great sorrow is always awaiting the
godly. In this most terrible conflict, however, their minds are
lifted up by this consolation, viz., that the rod of the kingdom
is strong, and cannot be overcome by any force or power; yea,
more, albeit assailed with contendings and all kinds of storms,
it will continue stable, firm, and perpetual: and there will
always be a Church among men, which will fear and worship this
King; because the experience of all the ages teaches, that this
kingdom has the more grown and increased the more it has been
opposed, according to that saying of Basil, en taiv yliqesi
mallon yallei h ekklhsia, the Church flourishes more by
tribulation. Rivetus.
Verse 2. Rule thou in the midst of thine enemies.
Set up thy power over them and reign in them. This is a
commission to set up a kingdom in the very midst of those who
were his enemies; in the hearts of those who had been and were
rebellious. His kingdom is set up not by destroying them, but by
subduing them, so that they become his willing servants. They
yield to him, and he rules over them. It is not here a
commission to cut them off, but one much more difficult of
execution,—to make them his friends, and to dispose them to
submit to his authority. Mere power may crush men; It requires
more than that to make rebels willingly submissive, and to
dispose them voluntarily to obey. Albert Barnes.
Verse 3. Thy people. That is, those whom thou
dost receive from thy Father, and, by setting up the standard
and ensign of the Gospel, gather to thyself. "Shall be
willing." The word is willingness, that is, a people of
great willingness and devotion, or (as the original word is
elsewhere used, Ps 119:108), shall be freewill offerings unto
thee. The abstract being put for the concrete, and the plural
for the singular, notes how exceeding forward and free they
should be; as the Lord, to signify that his people were most
rebellious, saith, that they were rebellion itself, Eze 2:8. So
then the meaning is, thy people shall, with most ready and
forward cheerfulness, devote, consecrate, and render up
themselves to thy government as a reasonable sacrifice, shall be
of a most liberal, free, noble, and unconstrained spirit in thy
service, and shall be voluntaries in the wars of thy kingdom. Edward
Reynolds.
Verse 3. Thy people, O Jesus Christ, which were
given thee by the Father, purchased and redeemed by thee, who
acknowledged thee for their Lord, and are bound to thee by a
military oath, are extremely willing, being devoted to thy
service with the greatest readiness of soul, alacrity,
inclination, and voluntary obedience. Nor are they willing only,
but willingness itself in the abstract; nay, willingness in the
plural number, the highest and most excellent willingness, all
which add an emphasis. This is seen to be so Plyh Mwyb "in
the day of thy valour power, "in which thy generous
spirit laying hold of them, animates them to grand and bold
enterprises. Then they go forth in the beauties of holiness, by
which they are a terror to the devil, a delight to God and
angels, and a mutual edification to one another. Herman
Witsius, 1636-1708.
Verse 3. Thy people shall be willing. Willing
to do what? They shall be willing while others are unwilling.
The simple term "willing, "is very expressive. It
denotes the beautiful condition of creatures who suffer
themselves to be wrought upon, and moved, according to the will
of God. They suffer God to work in them to will and to do. They
are willing to die unto all sin, they are willing to crucify the
old man, or self, in order that the new man, or Christ, may be
formed in them. They are willing to be weaned from their own
thoughts and purposes, that the thoughts and purposes of God may
be fulfilled in them. They are willing to be transferred from
nature's steps of human descent to God's steps of human ascent.
Or, to abide by the simplicity of our text, God is Will, and
they are "willing." God will beautify them with
salvation, because there is nothing in them to hinder his
working. They will be wise, they will be good, they will be
lovely, they will be like God, for they are "willing";
and there proceeds from God a mighty spirit, the whole tendency
of which is to make his creatures like himself. John Pulsford,
in "Quiet Hours," 1857.
Verse 3. Thy people shall be willing. They are
willing in believing, loving, obeying, adhering, living piously
and justly in this world; so that they do not need the
constraints of laws or threats, because they are led by the
Spirit of God, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there, also,
is liberty. Wolfgang Musculus.
Verse 3. Thy people shall be willing. Am I one
of the "willing people"—not only my obedience and
allegiance secured from a conviction of the truth, but my heart
inclined, and my will renewed? To do the will of God, to bear
the will of God, to coincide with the will of God—and that
with calm if not cheerful consent of the heart, as seeing him
who is invisible, and holding fast my living apprehensions of
his person and character? All unwillingness, whether practical
or lurking in the heart, springs from unbelief—from a failure
to realise him or his purposes. Were Jesus, as God become
incarnate, and as giving himself for me, and his counsel of
grace towards me, ever or even in any measure before my heart,
how could I hesitate to yield myself, absolutely and implicitly,
to him and his guidance? Again, this "willingness" is
the essence of holiness; it constitutes "the beauties of
holiness"—the beauty of Christ cast over the soul. The
cure, therefore, for all my misery and sin is more faith, more
of Christ, and nearer to him. This let me seek and ask with ever
increasing earnestness. Alfred Edersheim.
Verse 3. Thy people shall be willing in the day of
thy power, etc. The prophet here notes three things
respecting the subjects of the kingdom of the Messiah:
1. Their prompt obedience.
2. Their attire or vesture.
3. Their abundance, or multitude.
This representation admirably agrees with what precedes. He
had said that the Messiah should reign in the midst of his
enemies, but lest any one should think that he would reign only
over enemies, unwilling and opposing, as the devils are made
subject to Christ, now he lets us know that he will have a loyal
people, and obedient subjects, for else there would be wanting
that same glory of which Solomon speaks in Pr 14:28, "In
the multitude of people is the king's honour." He affirms
also, that he would have his own people, who would recognise,
receive, and serve him as King, with true obedience, nor would
it be a small company, but like the dew, which waters the face
of the whole earth. Rivetus.
Verse 3. Thy people shall be willing in the day of
thy power. It is power acted and executed with all
sweetness, mildness, and gentleness. Here is "leading, but
no force; conduct, but no compulsion, "vehemence,
inclination, non coactio: {1} the will is determined, but not
the least violence is done to it, to the infringing of its
liberty. How spontaneously does the person led follow him that
leads him! So it is here. This and all other workings of the
Spirit are admirably suited to the nature of reasonable and free
agents. Efficacious grace does not at all destroy natural
liberty. Where the spirit does not find sinners willing, by his
sweet method he makes them willing: "Thy people shall be
willing in the day of thy power." A "day of power,
"yet "willing" Even the Spirit's drawing is
managed with all consistency to the freedom of the will; elknei
o yeost, alla bonlomenon elknei {2}. He draws; "but it is
one that he makes willing to follow." "Behold, I will
allure her" (Ho 2:14): aye, there is the Spirit's leading!
this being the constant and avowed doctrine of the Protestants,
and particularly their explication of the Spirit's leading in
the text Ro 8:14; how injurious and invidious are the
Popish writers in their traducing and calumniating of them, as
if they asserted the Spirit, in this or any other act, to work
with compulsion, or in a way destructive to man's essential
liberty! It is a vile scandal!
{1} Gorranus
{2} Chrysostom
—Thomas Jacomb, in "The Morning
Exercises."
Verse 3. In the day of thy power. In the day of
thy strength, saith the Vulgate: of thy force and valour, say
Tremellius and Junius: of the assemblies, say they of Geneva: of
the armies, saith Munster; "at such times as thou shalt
bring thy bands and join battle, "so Vatablus, Castalio,
and the Chaldee Paraphrase have it. All which the original Plyh
mryp may bear without straining. John Prideaux,
1578-1650.
Verse 3. The subjects of the Priest King are willing
soldiers. In accordance with the warlike tone of the whole
Psalm, our text describes the subjects as an army. That military
metaphor comes out more closely when we attach the true meaning
of the words, "in the day of thy power." The word
rendered, and rightly rendered, "power, "has the same
ambiguity which that word has in the English of the date of our
translation, and for a century later, as you may find in
Shakespeare and Milton, who both used it in the sense of
"army". Singularly enough we do not employ
"powers" in that meaning, but we do another word which
means the same thing—and talk of "forces", meaning
thereby "troops" ..."The day of thy power"
is not a mere synonym for "the time of thy might", but
means specifically "the day of thine army", that is,
"the day when thou dost muster thy forces and set them in
array for the war". The King is going forth to conquest.
But he goes not alone. Behind him come his faithful followers,
all pressing on with willing hearts and high courage. Alexander
McLaren, 1871.
Verse 3. In the day of thy power. This refers
in a general way to the gospel dispensation, and in particular
to the period of conversion. To the perishing sinner the gospel
comes, "not in word only, but also in power, and in the
Holy Ghost, and in much assurance." It is an arresting
power; it meets the sinner, and stays his mad career, as in the
case of Saul of Tarsus. It is a convincing power, it teaches the
sinner that he is ruined in every respect, and leads him to cry
out, "What shall I do to be saved?" ... It is a life
giving power; it quickens dead souls, and will eventually bring
the dead bodies from their graves; "all that are in the
graves shall hear the voice of the Son of God and shall
live." This is the style of Jehovah, "it will, they
shall"; none other dare speak thus. It is also liberating
power; "if the Son shall make you free, ye shall be free
indeed."—Theophilus Jones, in a Sermon preached at
Surrey Chapel, 1823.
Verse 3. Thy people, etc. In homage, they shall
be like a company of priests in sacred vestments, for they shall
appear "in the beauties of holiness". In number, they
shall be like the countless dewdrops "from the womb of the
morning", sparkling in the rays of the rising sun, and
reflecting his radiance. In glory they shall bear the likeness
of Christ's resurrection in all its vernal freshness: "Thou
hast the dew of thy youth". Benjamin Wildon Cart.
Verse 3. In the beauties of holiness. In holy
vestments as priests. They are at once warriors and priests;
meet for the service of Him who was King and Priest. Neander (Mem.
of Chr. Life, ch. 4) remarks on the connection between these two
sides of the Christian character. God's soldiers can only
maintain their war by priestly self-consecration. Conversely:
God's priests can only preserve their purity by unintermitted
conflict. William Kay.
Verse 3. In the beauties of holiness. This
expression is usually read as if it belonged either to the words
immediately preceding, or to those immediately following. But in
either case the connection is somewhat difficult and obscure. It
seems better regarded as a distinct and separate clause, adding
a fresh trait to the description of the army. And what that is
we need not find any difficulty in ascertaining. "The
beauties of holiness" is a frequent phrase for the
sacerdotal garments, the holy festal attire of the priests of
the Lord. So considered, how beautifully it comes in here. The
conquering King whom the psalm hymns is a Priest for ever; and
he is followed by an army of priests. The soldiers are gathered
in the day of the muster, with high courage and willing
devotion, ready to fling away their lives; but they are clad not
in mail, but in priestly robes; like those who wait before the
altar rather than like those who plunge into the fight, like
those who compassed Jericho with the ark for their standard and
the trumpets tor all their weapons. We can scarcely fail to
remember the words which echo these and interpret them.
"The armies which were in heaven followed him on white
horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean"—a strange
armour against sword cut and spear thrust. Alexander McLaren.
Verse 3. The beauties of holiness. Godliness is
our spiritual beauty. Godliness is to the soul as the light to
the world, to illustrate and adorn it. It is not greatness that
sets us off in God's eye, but goodness: what is the beauty of
the angels but their sanctity? Godliness is the curious
embroidery and workmanship of the Holy Ghost: a soul furnished
with godliness is damasked with beauty, and enamelled with
purity: this is the "clothing of wrought gold" which
makes the King of heaven fall in love with us. Were there not an
excellency in holiness, the hypocrite would never go about to
paint it. Godliness sheds a glory and lustre upon the saints:
what are the graces but the golden feathers in which Christ's
dove shines? Ps 68:13. Thomas Watson.
Verse 3. Thou hast the dew of thy youth. These
words are often misunderstood, and taken to be a description of
the fresh, youthful energy attributed by the Psalm to the Priest
King of this nation of soldier priests. The misunderstanding, I
suppose, has led to the common phrase, "the dew of one's
youth". But the reference of the expression is to the army,
not to its leader. "Youth" here is a collective noun,
equivalent to "young men". The host of his soldier
subjects is described as a band of young warriors, whom he
leads, in their fresh strength and countless numbers and
gleaming beauty like the dew of the morning... It is as a symbol
of the refreshing which a weary world will receive from the
conquests and presence of the King and his host, that they are
likened to the glittering morning dew. Another prophetic
Scripture gives us the same emblem when it speaks of Israel
being "in the midst of many people as a dew from the
Lord". Such ought to be the effect of our presence. We are
meant to gladden, to adorn, to refresh this parched, prosaic
world, with a freshness brought from the chambers of the
sunrise. The dew, formed, in the silence of the darkness while
men sleep, falling as willingly on a bit of dead wood as
anywhere, hanging its pearls on every poor spike of grass, and
dressing everything on which it lies with strange beauty, each
separate globule tiny and evanescent, but each flashing back the
light, and each a perfect sphere: feeble one by one, but united
mighty to make the pastures of the wilderness rejoice—so,
created in silence by an unseen influence, feeble when taken in
detail, but strong in their myriads, glad to occupy the lowliest
place, and each "bright with something of celestial
light", Christian men and women are to be in the midst of
many people as a dew from the Lord. Alexander McLaren.
Verse 3. The dew of thy youth. There does not,
indeed, appear to me any reason to doubt that, in this place,
David extols the divine favour displayed in increasing the
number of Christ's people; and hence, in consequence of their
extraordinary increase, he compares the youth or race which
would be born to him to the dew. As men are struck with
astonishment at seeing the earth moistened and refreshed with
dew, though its descent be imperceptible, even so, David
declares that an innumerable offspring shall be born to Christ,
who shall be spread over the whole earth. The youth, therefore,
which, like the dewdrops, are innumerable, are here designated
the dew of childhood, or of youth. John Calvin.
Verse 3. From the womb of the morning is, with
the utmost pertinency, applied to the conception and production
of dews; agreeably to a delicate line in that great master of
just description and lively painting, Mr. Thomson: "The
meek eyed morn appears, mother of dews." We meet with a
fine expression in the book of Job, which may serve to confirm
this remark; and may illustrate the propriety of the phrase used
in this connection: "Hath the rain a father, or who hath
begot ten the drops of dew?" It seems, the oriental writers
delighted to represent the dew as a kind of birth, as the
offspring of the morning. And if so, surely there could be no
image in the whole compass of the universe better adapted to the
psalmist's purpose, or more strongly significant of those
multitudes of proselytes, which were born, not of blood, nor of
the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God; by
the powerful energy of his word and Spirit. Upon this
supposition, the whole verse describes the willing subjection,
the gracious accomplishments, and the vast number of Christ's
converts. James Hervey (1713-14—1758), in "Meditations
and contemplations."
Verse 3. The dew of thy youth. The most
apparent reference is to multitude. Compare Ps 72:16, and the
proverbial use of the dew together with the sand of the sea
shore to express a vast number. The people of the Messiah are a
great number that no man can number: Re 7:9. But this is only
the common enwraping veil of a further sense. We must further
note, First, THE ORIGIN OF THE DEW. From what comes it? From
earthly matter, vapour and mist, as the new born soldier of
Christ comes from the confused, dark substance of the old
nature. By what is it produced? Through the influence of the
heavenly warmth of the beams of the morning sun: so the people
of God owe themselves to the light from above. In the vivifying
light of heaven, the dewdrops are begotten, and from it they
come more properly than from the earth water. How are they
produced? Invisibly, wonderfully, by the secret,
incomprehensible influence of the divine power. We have by no
means exhausted the figure, for we notice, Secondly, THE DESIGN
OF THE DEW. It is for the fertilizing and refreshing of the
earth. The spiritual Israel are a fructifying, quickening dew
among men. It is also for the ornament of the earth, which the
dew bestrews as with precious stones; and this beauty is caused
because each little drop of dew reflects the morning sun and is
an earthly reflection of the heavenly light. Condensed from Rudolph
Stier.
Verse 3 (last clause). With singular beauty and
propriety does the psalmist compare the first preachers of the
gospel to dew. In the first place, they may be compared to the
drops of dew on account of their multitude. But, in order to
judge of the correctness of the comparison in this respect, we
must consider, that, in the Holy Land, the dews are remarkably
abundant. A French traveller, {1} has observed of Judea, that in
the morning the ground is as much moistened by dew, as if it had
rained. We are informed in the sacred history, that, when the
Dayspring from on high visited the earth, many were the
followers of Christ; and that very soon after his ascension into
heaven, "multitudes both of men and women were added to the
Lord". Justly then may those who hastened to the blessed
Jesus, when the glorious light of his gospel first dawned upon
the world, or immediately on the commencement of his mediatorial
kingdom, be compared in number to the drops of dew, which at the
dawn of day fall to the earth. It is mentioned also in this
verse, that the first subjects of the Messiah were to present
themselves adorned "with the beauties of holiness";
vrq yddhk in the splendours of holiness. In brightness, then, as
well as in multitude, did they resemble the glittering drops of
the morning dew. Our great poet has combined these two ideas in
his beautiful comparison of an host innumerable to the
"Stars of morning, dewdrops which the sun impearls".
{2} The formation of the dew is represented in Scripture as the
work of God, and not of man: and its descending to refresh and
fertilize the earth is mentioned as his peculiar gift and in
opposition to human means of rendering the earth more fruitful.
"Who, "saith Job, "hath begotten the drops of
dew?" (ch. 38. 28) And the prophet Micah declares, that
"the remnant of Jacob shall be in the midst of many people
as a dew from the LORD, as the showers upon the grass, that
tarrieth not for man, nor waiteth for the sons of men"
{1} Eugene Rogers.
{2} Milton's" Paradise Lost, "Book v., line 745.
(ch. 5. 7). Well, then, might the term be applied by the
Psalmist to those whom "God of his own will begat with the
word of truth"; and who were his appointed instruments, by
their preaching, to cause "the desert to rejoice and to
blossom abundantly"; and "the wilderness to become a
fruitful field." Let it also be remembered, that those whom
the Psalmist compares to dew are described under the image of
young soldiers, going forth to fight the battles of a victorious
prince. Now this comparison is used in 2Sa 17:11,12: "I
counsel, "said Hushai to Ahithophel, "that all Israel
be generally gathered unto thee, from Dan even to Beersheba, as
the sand that is by the sea for multitude; and that thou go to
battle in thine own person. So shall we come upon him in some
place where he shall be found, and we will light upon him as the
dew falleth upon the ground". It is perhaps not undeserving
of notice, that amongst the Romans those troops who first
attacked the enemy, and who were composed of young men, were,
from a supposed resemblance to dew, called Rorarii. It is not
incumbent upon me to investigate the reason of their receiving
that name; it is sufficient to point out its similarity with the
expression of the psalmist, which is applied to those who were
first to engage in the conflict with the enemies of the Gospel
of Christ. Richard Dixon, 1811.
Verse 3.
Thee, in thy power's triumphant day,
The willing nations shall obey;
And, when thy rising beams they view,
Shall all (redeemed from error's night)
Appear as numberless and bright
As crystal drops of morning dew.
—N. Brady and N. Tate.
Verse 3.
Lord, let thy day of power be known,
Thy people be confessed;
Eager and valiant—priests each one,
In holy garments dressed.
Countless they shine, as dews from heaven
When eastern skies grow bright—
More glorious than those dews are given,
Sparkling in morning light.
—George Rawson, in "Hymns, Verses, and
Chants," 1876.
Verse 4. The LORD hath sworn, and will not repent,
etc. It should be diligently considered, that God has
consecrated Christ, priest by an oath, and that this was done
for our sakes; First, That we might know how exceedingly
momentous was this transaction, and the more reverently and with
the stronger faith believe it. Secondly, That we might
acknowledge the goodness of God, who, being most truthful in
himself, and concerning whose faithfulness it is the greatest
crime to doubt, nevertheless has been pleased to speak to us not
only with a bare word, but also, after the manner of men, to
confirm his decree by an oath. Rivetus.
Verse 4. Sworn, and will not repent, Thou art a
priest for ever. God might have made the levitical priest by
oath, and yet he might have been changed, but if he had made him
by oath to be a priest for ever, then he could not have
repented, that is, changed; but he must of necessity have been a
priest for ever. Therefore you must take special notice, that
God did not only swear that Christ should be a priest, or that
he should be a priest for a long time, but a priest "for
ever; "so that there should never be any priest joined with
him, or come after him. So that if we consider the oath, and the
thing confirmed by this oath, two things will be manifest:
1. That Christ's priesthood is personal, and settled in one
single person for ever; so that he can have no fellow nor
copartner, nor any successor in his priesthood.
2. That, by this oath, God did limit his own supreme and
absolute power in this particular; and took away the use and
exercise of it, and that for ever.
For now he hath no power to make Christ no priest, or take
away his priesthood at will and pleasure: and in this God
discovered his unspeakable love unto Christ, in that he did so
much honour him, and so highly reward him. By this he also
displayed his abundant mercy to man; for by this oath known unto
man, he signifies that man shall never be destitute of a
powerful and effectual priest, able for ever to save; and this
doth minister unto sinful man most sweet and heavenly comfort. George
Lawson, 1662.
Verse 4. The form and manner of our Saviour's
investiture or consecration was most honourable and glorious,
God the Father performing the rites; which were not imposition
of hands, and breathing on him the Holy Ghost, but a solemn
testimony, with a protestation, "Thou art a priest":
ceremonies never used by any but God, nor in the investiture of
any but Christ, nor in his investiture into any office but the
priesthood. At his coronation we hear nothing, but the Lord
said, "Sit thou on my right hand": the rule of the
whole world is imposed upon our Saviour by command; and even in
this did Christ show his obedience to his Father, that he took
upon him the government of his church. But at the consecration
of Christ we have a great deal more of ceremony and solemnity,
God his Father taketh an oath, and particularly expresses the
nature and condition of his office, a priesthood for ever after
the order of Melchizedek: and he confirmeth it unto him for
ever, saying, "Thou art a priest for ever."—Daniel
Featley, in "Claris Mystica." 1636.
Verse 4. What doctrine doth the Scripture afford more
comfortable to a drooping soul than this, that God hath sworn
his Son a priest for ever, to sanctify our persons, and purge
our sins, and tender all our petitions to his Father? What sin
is so heinous, for which such a priest cannot satisfy by the
oblation of himself? what cause so desperate, in which such an
advocate if he will plead, may not prevail? We may be sure God
will not be hard to be intreated of us, who himself hath
appointed us such an intercessor, to whom he can deny nothing;
and to that end hath appointed him to sit at his right hand to
make intercession for us. Abraham Wright.
Verse 4. And will not repent. The meaning of
this phrase is, that the priesthood of Christ is not like that
of Aaron, which was after a time to expire, and is now actually
with all the ceremonial law abolished, but a priesthood never to
be altered or changed. Daniel Featley.
Verse 4. Thou art a priest. The reasons which
moved our Lord to take upon him the office of priest are
conceived to be these.
1. Because the salvation and redemption of mankind, wrought
by the sacrifice of his priesthood., being a most noble work,
and not inferior to the creation, it was not fit that any should
have the honour of it, but the Son of God.
2. Neither was it agreeable that any should offer him, who
was the only sacrifice that could expiate the sins of the whole
world, but himself: therefore by offering himself he added
infinite worth to the sacrifice, and great honour to the
priesthood of the Gospel.
For, as the gold sanctifieth not the altar, but the altar the
gold; so it may be truly said without impeachment to the dignity
of that calling, that Christ was rather an honour to the
priesthood, than the priesthood an addition to him. For what got
he by the priesthood which cost him his life? What preferment
could it be to him, to take upon him an office, whereby he was
to abase himself below himself, and be put to an ignominious and
accursed death? What were we vile miscreants, conceived and born
in original sin, and soiled with the filth of numberless actual
transgressions, that to purge and cleanse our polluted souls and
defiled consciences, the second person in the Trinity should be
made a Priest? It was wonderful humility in him to wash his
disciples feet; but in his divine person to wash our unclean
souls, is as far above human conceit, as it seemeth below divine
majesty. There is nothing so impure as a foul conscience; no
matter so filthy, no corruption so rotten and unsavoury as is
found in the sores of an exulcerated mind: yet the Son of God
vouchsafed to wash and bathe them in his own blood. O bottomless
depth of humility and mercy! Other priests were appointed by men
for the service of God, but he the blood of beasts to save men,
but he shed his own blood to save us, more like beasts than men:
other priests offered sacrifice for themselves, he offered
himself for a sacrifice: other priests were fed by the
sacrifices which the people brought, but he feeds us with the
sacrifice of his own body and blood: lastly, others were
appointed priests but for a time, he was ordained a priest for
ever. Daniel Featley.
Verse 4. Thou art a priest. This word,
"Thou art," is "verbum constitutivum", a
"constituting word", whereon the priesthood of Christ
was founded. And it may be considered,
1. As declarative of God's eternal decree, with the covenant
between the Father and the Son, whereby he was designed unto
this office.
2. As demonstrative of his mission, or his actual sending to
the discharge of his office. These words are the symbol and
solemn sign of God's conferring that honour upon him, which gave
him his instalment.
3. As predictive, for there is included in them a supposition
that God would prepare a body for him, wherein he might exercise
his priesthood, and which he might offer up unto him. John
Owen.
Verse 4. Melchizedek. Some heretics of old
affirmed that he was the Holy Ghost. Others, that he was an
angel. Others, that he was Shem, the son of Noah. Others, that
he was a Canaanite, extraordinarily raised up by God to be a
priest of the Gentiles. Others, that he was Christ himself,
manifested by a special dispensation and privilege unto Abraham
in the flesh, who is said to have seen his day, and rejoiced,
Joh 8:56. Difference there is also about Salem, the place of
which he was king. Some take it for Jerusalem, as Josephus and
most of the ancients. Others for a city in the half tribe of
Manasseh, within the river Jordan, where Hierom reports that
some ruins of the palace of Melchizedek were in his days
conceived to remain. Tedious I might be in insisting on this
point who Melchizedek was. But when I find the Holy Ghost
purposely concealing his name, genealogy, beginning, ending, and
descent, and that to special purpose, I cannot but wonder that
men should toil themselves in the dark to find out that of which
they have not the least ground of solid conjecture, and the
inevidence whereof is expressly recorded, to make Melchizedek
thereby the fitter type of Christ's everlasting priesthood. Edward
Reynolds.
Verse 4. Melchizedek. These things concerning
are certain:
First, That he was a mere man, and no more; for,
1. "Every high priest" was to be "taken from
among men," Heb 5:1;—so that the Son of God himself could
not have been a priest had he not assumed our nature:
2. That if he were more than a man, there would be no mystery
in his being introduced in Scripture as," without father,
without mother, without pedigree," for none but men have
such:
3. Without this conception of him there is no force in the
apostle's argument against the Jews.
Secondly, That he came not to his office by the right of
primogeniture (which includes a genealogy) or by any way of
succession, but was raised up and immediately called of God
thereunto; for in that respect Christ is said to be a priest
after his order. Thirdly, That he had no successor on the earth,
nor could have; for there was no law to constitute an order of
succession, and he was a priest only after an extraordinary
call. These things belong unto faith in this matter, and no
more... The first personal instituted type of Christ was a
priest; this was Melchizedek. There were before real instituted
types of his work, as sacrifices; and there were moral types of
his person, as Adam, Abel, and Noah, which represented him in
sundry things; but the first person who was solemnly designed to
teach and represent him, by what he was and did, was a priest.
And that which God taught herein was, that the foundation of all
that the Lord Christ had to do in and for the church was laid in
his priestly office, whereby he made atonement and
reconciliation for sin. Everything else that he doth is built on
the supposition of his priesthood. And we must begin in the
application where God begins in the exhibition. An interest in
the effects of the priestly office of Christ is that which in
the first place we ought to look after. This being attained, we
shall be willing to be taught and ruled by him. It may not be
amiss to observe the likeness between Melchizedek and Christ. As
for our Lord;
1. He was said to be, and he really was, and he only, first
the king of righteousness, and then the king of peace, seeing he
alone brought in everlasting righteousness and made peace with
God for sinners. In his kingdom alone are these things to be
found.
2. He was really and truly the priest of the most high God;
and properly he was so alone. He offered that sacrifice, and
made that atonement, which was signified by all the sacrifices
offered by holy men from the foundation of the world.
3. He blesseth all the faithful, as Abraham, the father of
the faithful, was blessed by Melchizedek. In him were they to be
blessed, by him are they blessed,—through him delivered from
the curse, and all the fruits of it; nor are they partakers of
any blessing but from him.
4. He receive, all the homage of his people, all their
grateful acknowledgments of the love and favour of God, in the
conquest of their spiritual adversaries, and deliverance from
them, as Melchizedek received the tenth of the spoils from
Abraham.
5. He was really without progenitors or predecessors in his
office; nor would I exclude that mystical sense from the
intention of the place, that he was without father as to his
human nature, and without mother as to his divine.
6. He was a priest without genealogy, or derivation of his
pedigree from the loins of Aaron, or any other that ever was a
priest in the world, and moreover, mysteriously, was of a
generation which none can declare.
7. He had, in his divine person, as the high priest of the
church, neither beginning of days nor end of life, as no such
thing is reported of Melchizedek; for the death which he
underwent, in the discharge of his office, being not the death
of his whole person, but of his human nature only, no
interruption of his endless office did ensue thereon. For
although the person of the Son of God died, whence God is said
to "redeem his church with his own blood, "Ac 20:28;
yet he died not in his whole person: but in his divine nature
was still alive. Absolutely, therefore, and in respect of his
office, he had neither beginning of days nor end of life.
8. He was really the Son of God, as Melchizedek in many
circumstances was made like to the Son of God.
9. He alone abideth a priest forever; whereof we must
particularly treat afterwards. Condensed from John Owen.
Verse 5. The Lord...shall strike through kings,
etc. He really threatens such great heads in an awful manner,
that if they will not hear, and cannot obey, they shall be
terrified to death. And assuredly he would willingly, by these
means, allure them to repentance, and persuade them to turn, and
to cease from raging against the Lord. But if they will not,
they shall know against whom it is that they go on... This is
our consolation which upholds us, and makes our heart joyful and
glad against the persecution and rage of the world, that we have
such a Lord, who not only delivers us from sin and eternal
death, but also protects us, and delivers us in sufferings and
temptations, so that we do not sink under them. And though men
rage in a most savage manner against Christians, yet neither the
gospel nor Christianity shall perish; but their heads shall be
destroyed against it. If their persecutions were to go on
unceasingly Christianity could not remain, wherefore he gives
them a time, and says he will connive at them for a while, but
not longer than till the hour comes which he here calls the
"day of his wrath" And if they will not now cease in
the name of God, they must then cease in the name of the devil. Martin
Luther.
Verse 5. Shall strike through kings. To strike
through notes a complete victory and full confusion of the
enemy, all incurable wound, that they may stagger, and fall, and
rise up no more, and that affliction may not arise a second
time, Na 1:9; 1Sa 26:8. The only difficulty is what is
meant by "kings". For which we must note that the
kingdom of Christ is spiritual, and his war spiritual, and
therefore his enemies for the most part spiritual. Edward
Reynolds.
Verse 5. ln the day of his wrath. Note that it
is not simply said, he will strike through kings in his wrath,
but in the day of his wrath. Therefore as there is a time of
grace and patience, so there is also an appointed time of wrath
and vengeance of God. Frequent mention is made of this in the
sacred Scriptures, that we may be admonished that the wicked
will not be left always unpunished, because they contemn the
patience of God, aye, provoke his anger; but that there will be
a time when they will experience the wrath of God. Thus, armed
with patience, we should persevere in the practice of piety, nor
be turned aside from it, either by the example of the wicked, or
from fear of them. Wolfgang Museulus.
Verses 5, 6, 7.
The sentenced heathen he shall slay,
And fill with carcasses his way,
Till he hath struck earth's tyrants dead;
But in the highway brooks shall first,
Like a poor pilgrim, slake his thirst,
And then in triumph raise his head.
—N. Brady and N. Tate.
Verse 6. He shall fill the places with the dead
bodies. This notes the greatness of the victory, that none
should be left to bury the dead. There shall be an universal
destruction of wicked men together in the day of God's wrath,
they shall be bound up in bundles, and heaped for damnation, Mt
13:30; Ps 37:38; Isa 1:28; Ps 66:17. And it notes the shame and
dishonour of the enemy, they shall be like dung upon the face of
the earth, and shall be beholden to their victors for a base and
dishonourable burial, as we see in the great battle with Gog and
Magog, Eze 39:11-16. Edward Reynolds.
Verse 6. Dead bodies. Either the corpses of the
vanquished enemy; or (possibly) the living bodies of men in a
state of servitude, as in Ge 47:18; Ne 9:37. (The construction
as in Ex 15:9) In the latter case, the meaning may be: that the
bodies of those who had been enslaved by the Usurper, Death,
were now claimed back by their rightful Lord. The full number is
claimed back. The "last enemy" being destroyed,
"all things" are brought beneath Christ's sway. William
Kay.
Verse 6. The heads. Rather, the head;
doubtless, the head of the Old Serpent (according to the
prophecy in Ge 3:15), who acts in all who resist Christ. The
verb "machats", which is used here, is employed to
describe the prophetical and typical act of Jael, smiting the
head of God's enemy, Sisera (Jud 5:26 4:22); and it is used in
Ps 68:21, which describes Christ's victory, "God shall
wound the head of his enemies"; and also by Hab 3:13,
"Thou woundest the head out of the house of the
wicked."—Christopher Wordsworth.
Verse 7. He shall drink of the brook, etc. He
describeth the passion of Christ and his glory. "In the
way", saith he, that is, in his life while he is in this
misery, "he shall drink out of the brook, "that is, he
shall suffer and be overcome. For to drink out of the cup is to
suffer: but to drink out of the brook, is to be altogether full
of trouble, to be vexed and tormented and utterly to be
overwhelmed with a strong stream of troubles. Thus was it in
David's mind to declare the passion of Christ. Afterward he
saith, "therefore shall he lift up the head". After
the passion followeth the glory, with the resurrection and
ascension. Paul, (Php 2:8) speaketh of both, and saith:
"Christ humbled himself, and became obedient unto death,
even the death of the cross. Wherefore God hath exalted him, and
given him a name which is above every name", etc. Myles
Coverdale, 1487-1568.
Verse 7. I conceive that the "brook" here
spoken of was not intended to give us the idea of a clear brook
of refreshing water, which was to afford the Redeemer strength
to endure the amazing conflict; as the drinking of the water
enabled Gideon's chosen band of men to go forth to battle
against the Midianites. No; in our Lord's case it was a polluted
and turbid stream. Like the water of Marsh, which the Israelites
could not drink, it was bitter; for sin had made it so. It bore
along with it, as it flowed, the curse of the broken law, and
the vengeance of offended justice, and the wrath of the eternal
God. It was pain, sorrow, suffering, death. This was the
"brook" of which he drank. The "cup" which
his Father gave him to drink was filled with the bitter water of
this "brook"; and he may be said to have first put his
lips to it, when he declared to his disciples, in his way to
Gethsemane, "My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even unto
death." But it is stated in the text that this
"brook" was "in the way." It is described
here as running by the path in which the Redeemer was going in
order to the accomplishment of his great work of man's
salvation; that work which he had engaged in the everlasting
covenant to perform; and by the performance of which, man could
alone be accepted of God. The sin of man was the source from
whence this water issued; and it flowed along in the Saviour's
"way, "through the wilderness of this world to his
kingdom of glory in the next; as the brook Kidron, red with the
blood of the typical sacrifices, flowed in his way to Calvary. Fountain
Elwin, 1842.
Verse 7. In the expositions of most of the ancients
and moderns, we are told that he drank of the brook,
(1) of mortality by his incarnation;
(2) of strictness and hardness in all his passage, by his
voluntary wants and poverty;
(3) of the strong potion of the law, by his exact obedience
and subjection;
(4) of the Jews' malice, by their continual indignities;
(5) of the floods of Belial, by apparent and unknown
temptations;
(6) of the heaviest wrath of his Father, by his unspeakable
agony and bloody sweat in the garden. And last of all, of death
itself on the cross, by his sad and extreme passion. John
Prideaux.
Verse 7. He shall drink of the brook in the way.
These words were understood by Junius and Tremellius long ago as
meaning, "He shall steadily press on to victory, as
generals of energy act, who in pursuing routed foes, stay not to
indulge themselves in meat or drink." Hengstenberg and
others substantially approve of this view. While a few hold that
allusion may be made to Samson at Ramath Lehi (as if the words
spoke of Christ having a secret spring of refreshment when
needful). Most seem inclined to take Gideon as the type that
best expresses the idea. Pressing on to victory, Messiah, like
Gideon, "faint yet pursuing" as he passed over Jordan,
shall not desist till all is won. "He shall not fail nor be
discouraged till he hath set judgment in the earth."
Perhaps the full idea is this:—His career was irresistibly
successful like that of Gideon; for he allowed nothing to detain
him, nor did he shrink in the enterprise from any fatigue, nor
did he stop to indulge the flesh. If we take it thus, there is
both the Humiliation and the Exaltation of the Son of Man
contained in the words; and Php 4:8,9 supplies a commentary. Andrew
A. Bonar.
Verse 7. Schnurrer, says Rosenmuller,
"seems to have perceived the meaning of the verse, which he
gives in the following words:—Though fatigued with the
slaughter of his enemies, yet he will not desist; but, having
refreshed himself with water from the nearest stream, will exert
his renovated strength in the pursuit of the routed
foe."—Messianic Psalms.
Verse 7. Christ shall "lift up the head" by
way of triumphing and rejoicing, when he shall have taken full
vengeance of his adversaries, and freed, not himself only, but
the whole body of his church from the assaults and dangers of
all enemies. We see now that oftentimes, though not in himself,
yet in his members, he is fain to hang down the head, and to
wear the badges of reproach and shame, whilst the ungodly vaunt
themselves (Job 31:2-6) and in their hearts despise the
righteous, accounting more vilely of them than of the dust of
their feet. Robert Abbot.
HINTS TO THE VILLAGE PREACHER
Verse 1. Here the Holy Ghost begins with the kingdom
of Christ, which he describeth and magnifieth,—
1. By his unction, and ordination, thereunto, by the word or
decree of his Father: "The Lord said".
2. By the greatness of his person in himself, while yet he is
nearly allied in blood and nature unto us; "My Lord".
3. By the glory, power, and heavenliness of his kingdom, for
in the administration thereof he sitteth at the right hand of
his Father: "Sit thou at my right hand".
4. By the continuance and victories thereof: "Until I
make thy foes thy footstool."—Edward Reynolds.
Verse 1. My Lord.
1. Christ's condescending nearness to us does not destroy our
reverence: he was David's son, and yet he calls him Lord; he is
our brother, bridegroom, and so on, and yet our Lord.
2. Christ's glory does not diminish his nearness to us, or
familiarity with us. Sitting on the throne as Lord, he is yet
"my Lord."
3. It is under the double aspect as Lord, and yet ours, that
Jehovah regards him and speaks with him, and ordains him to the
priesthood. Ever in these two lights let us regard him.
Verse 1. Sit, etc.
1. Our Lord's quiet amid passing events.
2. The abundance of his present power.
3. The working of all history towards the ultimate end, which
will be—
4. His easy victory: putting his foot on his foes as readily
as we tread on a footstool.
Verse 2.
1. What is that rod? The gospel (Illustrated by Moses' rod).
2. Who sends it? "The Lord."
3. Whence it comes? Out of the church of God.
4. What is the result? Jesus reigns.
Verse 3. A willing people and an immutable Leader.
1. The promise made to Christ concerning his people:
"Thy people shall be willing, "etc.
(a) A promise of time: "In the day," etc.
(b) Of persons: "Thy people."
(c) Of disposition: "Shall be willing."
(d) Of character: "In the beauties of holiness."
(e) The majestic figure employed: "From the womb of the
morning: thou hast the dew of thy youth."
2. The promise made to Christ concerning himself: "Thou
hast the dew of thy youth." Jesus Christ has the dew of his
youth personally, doctrinally, and mystically, being surrounded
by new converts, who are as the early dew. Spurgeon's Sermons,
No. 74.
Verse 3. This is a prophecy of the subjects of
Christ's kingdom.
1. Who they are; "Thy people."
(a) A people. This denotes distinction, separation,
similarity, organization. They are not a confused rabble, but a
united community.
(b) His people. By gift, by purchase, by effectual calling.
2. What they are.
(a) A loyal people: "willing."
(b) A conquered people: "in the day of thy power."
(c) A holy people: "in the beauties of holiness."
(d) A numerous people: "from the womb of the
morning," etc. The number of converts at the first
proclamation of Christ's gospel was but the dew of his youth. G.R.
Verse 3. First, the internal evidence of Christ's
kingdom is in his people's willingness: "Thy people shall
be willingness—thy people shall bc a people all
willing"—all volunteers, not pressed men. Secondly, the
external evidence of it lies in his people's holiness; "the
beauties of holiness; "or as it may be rendered—"in
the magnificence of his sanctuary, "for the ornaments of
the sanctuary and the dress of the priests were very splendid.
When you once give yourselves to God, you become temples of God;
and sanctity must adorn that heart which is a living temple of
the Holy Ghost. J. Bennett, in a Sermon, 1829.
Verse 3. All true followers of Jesus are
(1) priests—beauties of holiness are their sacerdotal
robes;
(2) soldiers—"in the day of thine armies";
(3) volunteers;
(4) benefactors—as the dew.
—Suggested by a paper in The Baptist Magazine.
Verse 3. Here we have a cluster of subjects:—the
willingness of the Lord's people, the beauty of holiness, young
converts the life and glory of the church, the mystery of
conversion, and so on.
Verse 4. The eternal priesthood of Christ. On what its
perpetuity is founded and the blessed results flowing therefrom.
Verse 4. These words offer three points of special
observation.
1. The ceremony used at the consecration of our Lord:
"The Lord sware."
2. The office conferred upon him by this rite or ceremony:
"Thou art a priest."
3. The prerogatives of his office; which office is here
declared to be,
(a) Perpetual, "for ever."
(b) Regular, "after the order."
(c) Royal, "of Melchizedek."
—Daniel Featley.
Verse 4. Melchizedek: a fruitful subject. See notes.
Verse 5. The certain overthrow of every power which
opposes the gospel.
Verse 6. The fearful calamities which have happened to
nations through their sinful rejection of the Lord Jesus.
Verse 7. Christ's alacrity, self denial, and
simplicity, the causes of his success. Example to be imitated.
Verse 7. Christ's humiliation and exaltation.
WORKS UPON THE HUNDRED AND TENTH PSALM
The Exaltation of the Kingdom and Priesthood
of Christ. In certaine Sermons upon the 110 Psalme: Preached in
the Cathedrall Church and city of Worcester, in the time of
Christmasse: anno Domini: 1590. By Rob. Abbot, doctor of
Diuinitie, sometime felow of Baliol Coiledge in Oxford. Londini,
Impensis G. Bishop. 1601. 4to.
An Explication of the Hundreth and Tenth
Psalme. . . . Being the Substance of several Sermons preached at
Lincolns Inne; by Edward Reynolds afterwards Bishop of
Norwich. 4to. 2nd edition. London, 1035. Also in
"Reynolds' Works."] In the works of John Boys,
160, folio, pp. 809-821, there is an Exposition of this Psalm.
An incorruptible Key Composed of the CX. Psalme, wherewith You
may open the rest of the holy Scriptures... By Samuel Gorton,
Gent. and at the time of the penning hereof, in the place of.
Judicature (upon Aquethneck, alias Road Island) of Providence
Plantations in the Nanhyganset Bay, New England. Printed in the
Yeere 1647. 4to. A new interpretation of the Sixty-eighth Psalm.
To which is added, an Exposition of the Hundred and tenth Psalm,
proposed in a Sermon, preached before the University of Oxford,
at St. Mary's, on Sunday, October 27, 1811. By the Rev. Richard
Dixon, A.M., F.R.S. . . . Oxford, 1811. 4to.
In "The Golden Diary of Heart Converse
with Jesus in the Book of Psalms," by the Rev. Dr.
Edersheim. . . . London: 1873, there is a short meditation on
this Psalm.