89 1 With many words doth the Prophet praise the goodness of God, 23 For his testament and covenant, that he had made between him and his elect by Jesus Christ the son of David. 38 Then doth he complain of the great ruin, and desolation of the kingdom of David, so that to the outward appearance the promise was broken. 46 Finally, he prayeth to be delivered from his afflictions, making mention of the shortness of man’s life, and confirming himself by God’s promise.
A Psalm to give instruction, of Ethan the Ezrahite.
1 I will [a]sing the mercies of the Lord forever: with my mouth will I declare thy truth from generation to generation.
2 For I [b]said, Mercy shall be set up forever: thy truth shalt thou [c]stablish in the very heavens.
3 [d]I have made a covenant with my chosen: I have sworn to David my servant,
4 Thy seed will I stablish forever, and set up thy throne from generation to generation. Selah.
5 O Lord, even the [e]heavens shall praise thy wondrous work: yea, thy truth in the [f]Congregation of the Saints.
6 For who is equal to the Lord in the heaven? and who is like the Lord among the [g]sons of the gods?
7 God is very terrible in the assembly of the [h]Saints, and to be reverenced above all that are about him.
8 O Lord God of hosts, who is like unto thee, which art a mighty Lord, and thy truth is about thee?
9 [i]Thou rulest the raging of the Sea: when the waves thereof arise, thou stillest them.
10 Thou hast beaten down Rahab as a man slain: thou hast scattered thine enemies with thy mighty arm.
11 The heavens are thine, the earth also is thine: thou hast laid the foundation of the world, and all that therein is.
12 Thou hast created the North and the South: [j]Tabor and Hermon shall rejoice in thy Name.
13 Thou hast a mighty arm: strong is thy hand, and high is thy right hand.
14 [k]Righteousness and equity are the stablishment of thy throne: mercy and truth go before thy face.
15 Blessed is the people that can [l]rejoice in thee: they shall walk in the light of thy [m]countenance, O Lord.
16 They shall rejoice continually in thy Name, and in thy righteousness shall they exalt themselves.
17 For thou art the [n]glory of their strength, and by thy favor our horns shall be exalted.
18 For our [o]shield appertaineth to the Lord, and our King to the Holy one of Israel.
19 Thou spakest then in a vision unto [p]thine Holy one, and saidest, I have laid help upon one that is [q]mighty: I have exalted one chosen out of the people.
20 I have found David my servant: with mine holy oil have I anointed him.
21 Therefore mine hand shall be established with him, and mine arm shall strengthen him.
22 The enemy shall not oppress him, neither shall the wicked hurt him.
23 But I will [r]destroy his foes before his face, and plague them that hate him.
24 My truth also and my [s]mercy shall be with him, and in my Name shall his [t]horn be exalted.
25 I will set his hand also in the sea, and his right hand in the [u]floods.
26 He shall cry unto me, Thou art my [v]Father, my God, and the rock of my salvation.
27 Also I will make him my firstborn, higher than the kings of the earth.
28 My mercy will I keep for him for evermore, and my Covenant shall stand fast with him.
29 His seed also will I make to endure [w]forever, and his throne as the days of heaven.
30 But if his children forsake my Law, and walk not in my judgments:
31 (A)If they break my statutes, and keep not my commandments:
32 Then will I visit their transgression with the rod, and their iniquity with strokes.
33 [x]Yet my loving kindness will I not take from him, neither will I falsify my truth.
34 My Covenant will I not break, nor [y]alter the thing that is gone out of my lips.
35 I have sworn once by mine holiness, [z]that I will not fail David, saying,
36 His seed shall endure forever, and his throne shall be as the sun before me.
37 He shall be established for evermore as the moon, and as a faithful [aa]witness in the heaven. Selah.
38 But thou hast rejected and abhorred, thou hast been angry with thine anointed.
39 Thou hast [ab]broken the Covenant of thy servant, and profaned his [ac]crown, casting it on the ground.
40 Thou hast broken down all his walls: thou hast laid his fortresses in ruin.
41 All that go by the way, spoil him: he is a rebuke unto his neighbors.
42 Thou hast set up the right hand of his enemies, and made all his adversaries to rejoice.
43 Thou hast also turned the edge of his sword, and hast not made him to stand in the battle.
44 Thou hast caused his dignity to decay, and cast his throne to the ground.
45 The days of his [ad]youth hast thou shortened, and covered him with shame. Selah.
46 [ae]Lord, how long wilt thou hide thyself, forever? shall thy wrath burn like fire?
47 Remember [af]of what time I am: wherefore shouldest thou create in vain all the children of men?
48 What man liveth, and shall not see death? shall he deliver his soul from the hand of the grave? Selah.
49 Lord, where are thy former mercies, which thou swarest unto David in thy truth?
50 Remember, O Lord, the rebuke of thy servants, which I bear in my [ag]bosom of all the mighty people.
51 For [ah]thine enemies have reproached thee, O Lord, because they have reproached the [ai]footsteps of thine Anointed.
52 Praised be the Lord for evermore. So be it, even so be it.
Footnotes
- Psalm 89:1 Though the horrible confusion of things might cause them to despair of God’s favor, yet the manifold examples of his mercies cause them to trust in God, though to man’s judgment they saw none occasion.
- Psalm 89:2 As he that surely believed in heart.
- Psalm 89:2 As thine invisible heaven is not subject to any alteration and change: so shall the truth of thy promise be unchangeable.
- Psalm 89:3 The Prophet showeth what was the promise of God, whereon he grounded his faith.
- Psalm 89:5 The Angels shall praise thy power and faithfulness in delivering thy Church.
- Psalm 89:5 That is, in the heavens.
- Psalm 89:6 Meaning, the Angels.
- Psalm 89:7 If the Angels tremble before God’s majesty and infinite justice, what earthly creature by oppressing the Church, dare set himself against God?
- Psalm 89:9 For as he delivered the Church by the red Sea, and by destroying Rahab, that is, the Egyptians: so will he eftsoons deliver it, when the dangers be great.
- Psalm 89:12 Tabor is a mountain Westward from Jerusalem, and Hermon Eastward: so the Prophet signifieth that all parts and places of the world shall obey God’s power for the deliverance of his Church.
- Psalm 89:14 For hereby he judgeth the world, and showeth himself a merciful Father, and faithful protector unto his.
- Psalm 89:15 Feeling in their conscience that God is their Father.
- Psalm 89:15 They shall be preserved by thy Fatherly providence.
- Psalm 89:17 In that they are preserved and continue, they ought to give the praise and glory only to thee.
- Psalm 89:18 In that that our King hath power to defend us, it is the gift of God.
- Psalm 89:19 To Samuel and to others, to assure that David was thy chosen one.
- Psalm 89:19 Whom I have both chosen and given him strength to execute his office, as verse 21.
- Psalm 89:23 Though there shall be evermore enemies against God’s kingdom, yet he promiseth to overcome them.
- Psalm 89:24 I will mercifully perform my promises to him, notwithstanding his infirmities and offences.
- Psalm 89:24 His power, glory and estate.
- Psalm 89:25 He shall enjoy the land round about.
- Psalm 89:26 His excellent dignity shall appear herein, that he shall be named the son of God, and the firstborn wherein he is a figure of Christ.
- Psalm 89:29 Though for the sins of the people the state of this kingdom decayed: yet God reserved still a root, till he had accomplished this promise in Christ.
- Psalm 89:33 Though the faithful answer not in all points to their profession, yet God will not break his Covenant with them.
- Psalm 89:34 For God in promising hath respect to his mercy, and not to man’s power in performing.
- Psalm 89:35 Hebrew, If I lie unto David, which is a manner of oath.
- Psalm 89:37 As long as the Sun and Moon endure, they shall be witnesses to me of this promise.
- Psalm 89:39 Because of the horrible confusion of things, the Prophet complaineth to God, as though he saw not the performance of his promise. And thus discharging his cares on God, he resisteth doubt and impatience.
- Psalm 89:39 By this he meaneth the horrible dissipation and renting of the kingdom, which was under Jeroboam: or else by the Spirit of prophecy Ethan speaketh of those great miseries, which came soon afterward to pass at the captivity of Babylon.
- Psalm 89:45 He showeth that the kingdom fell before it came to perfection, or was ripe.
- Psalm 89:46 The Prophet in joining prayer with his complaint, showeth that his faith never failed.
- Psalm 89:47 Seeing man’s life is short, and thou hast created man to bestow thy benefits upon him, except thou haste to help, death will prevent thee.
- Psalm 89:50 He meaneth that God’s enemies did not only slander him behind his back: but also mocked him to his face, and as it were cast their injuries in his bosom.
- Psalm 89:51 So he calleth them that persecute the Church.
- Psalm 89:51 They laugh at us which patiently wait for the coming of thy Christ.