F3 U 1. Eternal praises.
V W 2-4. Ethan reminds Yahaveh of His covenant with David.
X 5-18. Ethan praises Yahaveh's faithfulness.
V W 19-37. Ethan reminds Yahaveh of His Covenant with David.
X 38-51. Ethan deplores Yahaveh's visitation.
U 52. Eternal praises.
(See Ps. 88 Title. He was a Merarite [1 Chron. 6:44; 15:17]. He seems to have another name, "Jeduthun" [1 Chron. 25:1,3,6; 16:41,42]. The only Psalm ascribed to Ethan.)
Psalm )
1 I will sing of the great loving-kindnesses of the LORD for ever:
With my mouth will I make known Your truth to all generations.
2 For You have said (Ethan reminding Yehovah of His covenant with David), "Loving-kindess (or grace) shall be built up for ever:
Your truth shall You establish in the very heavens."
3 I solemnized made a covenant with My chosen, (See 2 Sam. 7, where Yehovah, being the only party, the covenant is unconditional, and = a "promise" among "the sure mercies of David", &c. But it looks beyond David.)
I have sworn to David My servant,
4 Your seed will I establish for ever,
And build up your throne to all generations. Selah. (Connecting the recital of Yehovah's covenant with the praise offered for it.)
X q 5. Yahaveh addressed.
r 6,7. Reason. "For".
q 8-17. Yahaveh addressed.
r 18. Reason. "For".
5 And the heavens shall praise Your wonders, O LORD:
Your faithfulness also in the congregation of the holy ones (or angels).
6 For who in the sky can be compared to the LORD? (This is the cry of all His saints. See Ex. 15:11.)
Who among the angels can be likened to the LORD?
7 GOD (El) is greatly to be feared in the secret conclave of the saints,
And to be had in reverence of all them that are about Him.
8 O LORD God of hosts,
Who is a strong LORD like unto You?
Or to Your truth round about You?
9 You rule the raging of the sea:
When the waves thereof arise, You still them.
10 You have broken Egypt (see 87:4) in pieces, as one that is slain;
You have scattered Your enemies with Your strong arm.
11 The heavens are Yours, the earth also is Yours:
As for the world (as inhabited) and the fulness thereof, You have founded them.
12 The north and the south You have created them:
Tabor and Hermon (west and east of the Holy Land; and, with north and south, completing the 4 points of the compass) shall rejoice in Your name.
13 You have a mighty arm: strong is Your hand,
And high is Your right hand.
14 Righteousness and judgment are the foundation of Your throne:
Mercy and truth shall go before Your face.
15 Happy is the People that know the joyful sound: (Of the trumpet's assembling sound. Lev. 23.)
They shall walk, O LORD, in the light of Your face.
16 In Yourself shall they rejoice all the day:
And in Your righteousness shall they be exalted.
17 For You are the beauty of their strength:
And in Your favor our horn shall be exalted.
18 For the LORD is our shield (Heb. ganan, to cover, or protect);
And the Holy One of Israel is our king.
W s 19-27. David. "Truth".
t 28. Covenant.
u 29-32. Seed.
s 33. David. "Truth".
t 34,35. Covenant.
u 36,37. Seed.
19 Then You spoke in a vision to Your Holy One,
And said, I have laid help upon one that is mighty;
I have exalted one chosen out of the people.
20 I have found David my servant; (Quoted in Acts 13:33.)
With my holy oil have I anointed Him: (Thus Christ = The Anointed One)
21 With whom My hand shall be established:
My arm also shall strengthen Him.
22 The enemy shall not exact upon Him;
Nor the son of wickedness afflict Him.
23 And I will beat down His adversaries before His face,
And plague them that hate Him.
24 But My truth and My loving-kindness (or grace) shall be with Him:
And in Myself shall His horn be exalted.
25 I will set his hand also in the sea,
And his right hand in the rivers.
26 He shall cry to me, 'You are my father,
My God, and the rock of my salvation.'
27 Also I will make him My firstborn,
Most High (this looks forward to Immanuel [Isa. 7;13-15; 9:6,7. Mic. 5:2) than the kings of the earth.
28 My loving-kindness will I keep for him for evermore,
And my covenant shall stand fast with him.
29 His seed also will I make to endure for ever,
And his throne as the days of heaven.
30 If his sons forsake my law,
And walk not in My judgments; (Ethan refers to the very words of warning given to Solomon [1 Kings 9:6,7; cp. 11:11-13], which [we may suppose] outlived Solomon, and saw the breaking-up of the kingdom; and left this Psalm for instruction for all future time.)
31 If they profane My statutes,
And keep not My commandments;
32 Then will I (cp. 2 Sam.7:14) visit their revolt with the rod,
And their iniquity with stripes.
33 Nevertheless (cp. 2 Sam. 7:15) my grace will I not utterly take from him,
Nor suffer my faithfulness to fail.
34 My covenant will I not profane,
Nor violate the thing that is gone out of My lips.
35 Once have I sworn by My holiness
That I will not lie to David.
36 His seed shall endure for ever, (Cp. John 12:34.)
And his throne as the sun before me.
37 It shall be established for ever as the moon,
And as a faithful witness in heaven." (I.e. the sun [cp. v.36]. See "testimony" [Ps. 19:7]. Rev. 1:5; 3:14.) Selah. (Connecting the solemn warning with the fulfillment in the visitation of judgment in the next segment.)
38 But You have cast off and abhorred,
You have been wroth with Your own anointed.
X Y1 38-45. Visitation. Y2 46-51. Expostulation.
Y1 v 38. Rejection.
w 39. Degradation.
x 40. Desolation.
y 41. Enemies. Spoil.
y 42. Enemies. Rejoice.
x 43. Desolation.
w 44. Degredation.
v 45. Rejection.
39 You have disowned (only here and Lam. 2:7) the covenant of Your servant:
41 All that pass by the way spoil him:
42 You have set up the right hand of his adversaries;
43 You have also turned the edge of his sword,
44 You have made his glory to cease,
45 The days of his youth have You shortened:
46 How long, LORD? will You hide Yourself for ever?
47 Remember how short my lifetime is:
49 Lord, where are Your former loving-kindnesses,
50 Remember, Lord, the reproach of Your servants;
52 Blessed be the LORD for evermore. (Cp. Rom. 1:25; 9:5. Cor. 11:31.)
You have profaned his crown by casting it to the ground.
You have brought his strong holds to ruin.
He is a reproach to his neighbors.
You have made all his enemies to rejoice.
And have not made him to stand in the battle.
And cast his throne down to the ground.
You have covered him with shame. Selah. (Connecting the visitation with the prayer for its removal.)
Y2 z 46. Complaint.
a 47,48. "Remember". Frailty.
z 49. Complaint.
a 50,51. "Remember". Reproach
How long shall Your wrath burn like fire?
Wherefore have You made all sons of Adam in vain?
48 What strong man is he that lives, and shall not see death?
Shall he deliver his soul from the hand (put for the power exercised by it) of the grave (Sheol)? Selah. (Connecting the fact of man's frailty [even of the strongest] with the renewed fervor of his complaint)
Which You swore to David in Your truth? (See 2 Sam. 7)
How I do bear in my bosom the reproach of all the many peoples; (I.e. the enemies of Israel.)
51 Wherewith Your enemies have reproached, O LORD;
Wherewith they have reproached the footsteps of Your Messiah.
Amen, and Amen. (This closes the 3rd [or Leviticus book of the Psalms. Cp. the ending of the 1st book [Ps. 41], and the 2nd book [Ps. 72].)