Annotations Upon the Books of Poetry, Psalms · Psalm 92
PSALM XCII.
The Title. A Pſalm or Song for the ſabbath day.] See the Note on the Title Pſal. 30.
Verſ. 1. It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord, &c.] To wit, eſpecially on the ſabbath, this being one of the chief holy ſervices of that day.
Verſ. 2. To shew forth thy loving kindneſſe in the morning, and thy faithfulneſſe every night.] That is, To praiſe thee night and day, even continually without ceaſing. Yet theſe words may alſo have reſpect to the ſet times that were appointed in thoſe daies for the ſervice of God.
Verſ. 3. VponUpon the harp with a ſolemn ſound.] It is in the Hebrew, Higgaion: for which ſee the Note Pſal. 9.16.
Verſ. 4. For thou, Lord, haſt made me glad through thy work, &c.] To wit, in that by thy works thou doſt clearly diſcover all thy glorious excellencies, and eſpecially thy fatherly providence over thy poor children. And this may be meant, both of the work of creation, (for the remembrance whereof the ſabbath was inſtituted, when on the ſeventh day God reſted from all the work that he had made, Gen. 2.2.) and likewiſe of Gods works of providence towards his Church and people.
Verſ. 5. O Lord, how great are thy works! &c.] That is, how wonderfull and unſearchable! It may be meant of Gods works, both of creation and providence, in generall. But I conceive that this is prefixed particularly with reſpect to that which follows, concerning the flouriſhing of the wicked for a time, that they may be deſtroyed for ever, and the miſery of the righteous for a while followed with great proſperity and glory. And thy thoughts are very deep; that is, incomprehenſible: ſee the Note Pſal. 36.6.
Verſ. 6. A brutiſh man knoweth not, neither doth a fool underſtand this.] To wit, this which was ſaid before, concerning the greatneſſe and unſearchableneſſe of Gods works and counſels, and of the delight which may be taken therein, verſ. 4; or elſe rather this which followeth verſ. 7.
Verſ. 7. When the wicked ſpring as the graſse, and when all the workers of iniquity do flouriſh; it is that they shall be deſtroyed for ever.] That is, As the graſſe, the faſter it grows & the more it flouriſheth, the ſooner it is cut down; ſo the more the wicked proſper, the nearer they are to their ruine. But then in this their condition is worſe, becauſe they ſhall never ſpring again, as the graſſe doth, but shall be destroyed for ever. See alſo the Note Pſal. 37.2.
Verſ. 8. But thou, Lord, art moſt high for evermore.] This is added to imply that though wicked men might flouriſh for a time, & ſeem to carry all before them; yet theſe things came not by chance, but were ordered juſtly & wiſely, though in waies which are far above our reach: for all this may be clearly inferred from this, that the Lord is moſt high for evermore; & that becauſe being ſuch, he ſees all & orders all that is done in the world, & being the ſupreme judge & not ſubject to change, as all things here below are, he muſt needs be conſtantly alwaies alike an enemy to the wicked, and ſure therefore to repay them according to their ways: neither is it any wonder, though he deferres a while the puniſhment of the wicked here in this world, ſeeing he hath eternity before him wherein to doe it hereafter; nor that we cannot underſtand how all things tend to theſe holy ends, ſeeing his waies are farre above our waies, yea farre above our underſtanding.
Verſ. 9. For lo, thine enemies, O Lord, for lo, thine enemies shall perish, &c.] The Pſalmiſt repeats this again and again, to imply that ſo it ſhall certainly be; and for the greater aſſurance of this, he alſo ſpeaks of it, as of a thing which men might behold even done already.
Verſ. 10. But my horn shalt thou exalt like the horn of an Vnicorn, &c.] A beaſt which cannot be ſubdued and taken, ſee Job 39.9, 10. And therefore moſt Expoſitours conceive that this was ſpoken of the great glory and invincible power of Davids kingdome, ſee the Note Deut. 33.17. 1 Sam. 2.1, 10. Numb. 23.22. and Pſal. 75.10: I shall be anointed with fresh oyl; that is, I ſhall be cheared with Gods favour, endued with the graces of Gods ſpirit, and ſhall abound with all outward bleſſings: ſee the Notes Pſal. 23.5, and 45.7. And it is like it was ſpoken with reference to Davids being anointed king.
Verſ. 11. Mine eye also shall ſee my deſire on mine enemies, &c.] As if he ſhould have ſaid, They ſhall be certainly and ſoon deſtroyed. But ſee alſo the Notes Job 22.19. Pſal. 22.17, and 37.34, and 91.8.
Verſ. 12. The righteous shall flourish like the palm-tree, &c.] To wit, whereas the wicked ſhall be as the graſs, as was ſaid before v. 7. And I conceive that the righteous are compared to this tree, becauſe it is always green & flouriſhing, & lives very long; as for the ſame reaſons they are alſo compared to cedars in the following clauſe, he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon, ſee the Notes Numb. 24.6. and Pſal. 1.3. Yet ſome conceive that they are compared to the palm-tree likewiſe, becauſe this tree yields moſt ſweet fruit, and though it have never ſo great weight laid upon it, yet it will thrive and proſper, and as it were raiſe up it ſelf the higher (whence it was that the branches of this tree uſed to be worn in garlands, and carried in mens hands, as ſigns of victory, ſee Rev. 7.9.) and ſo the righteous proſper under afflictions and oppreſſions; and that they are compared to cedars, becauſe the wood of theſe trees is of a ſweet favour, and not ſubject to rot or decay with age, and uſed much in the building and adorning of princes palaces. However, doubtleſſe the chief drift of the words is, to ſignify that though the righteous may be brought very low, yet they ſhall riſe and grow up & flouriſh again exceedingly.
Verſ. 13. Thoſe that be planted in the houſe of the Lord, shall flourish in the courts of our God.] The reaſon is here given, why the righteous are ſure thus to flouriſh; to wit, becauſe they not only live in the Church, where they enjoy the means of grace, but alſo are by a lively faith rooted in Chriſt, of whom the Temple was a type: ſee the Notes Numb. 24.6. and Pſal. 1.3. Why the courts of Gods houſe are expreſly here mentioned, ſee in the Note Pſal. 84.2.
Verſ. 14. They shall ſtill bring forth fruit in old age, &c.] To wit, the fruit of holineſſe and righteouſneſſe; and ſo likewiſe they ſhall be bleſſed of God, and ſhall be as a flouriſhing tree that decays not with age: yea old age ſhall be to them but a renewing of their vigour, in that they ſhall live for ever in Gods houſe in heaven, even in his kingdome of glory; ſee Iſa. 65.20.
Verſ. 15. To shew that the Lord is upright, &c.] As if he had ſaid, And thus, by deſtroying the wicked in the concluſion, and bleſſing the righteous, he ſheweth forth clearly, that he is juſt and faithfull in all that he doeth, whatever men may think to the contrary, becauſe they ſee that it is but for a time that God proſpers the wicked, and afflicts the righteous; or, this ſhall be the fruit mentioned in the foregoing verſe, which the righteous ſhall bring forth in their old age, to wit, that they ſhall declare and ſet forth that the Lord is juſt and upright, and that there is no iniquity in him.