Psalm 89 commentary

PSALM 89 COMME TARY
EDITED BY GLE PEASE
A maskil[b] of Ethan the Ezrahite.
I TRODUCTIO
SPURGEO , "TITLE. â€”Maschil. This is most fitly called a Maschil, for it is most
instructive. o subject is more important or is so fully the key to all theology as that
of the covenant. He who is taught by the Holy Spirit to be clear upon the covenant of
grace will be a scribe well instructed in the things of the kingdom; he whose
doctrinal theory is a mingle mangle of works and grace is scarcely fit to be teacher
of babes. Of Ethan the Ezrahite: perhaps the same person as Jeduthun, who was a
musician in David's reign; was noted for his wisdom in Solomon's days, and
probably survived till the troubles of Rehoboam's period. If this be the man, he
must have written this Psalm in his old age, when troubles were coming thick and
heavy upon the dynasty of David and the land of Judah; this is not at all
improbable, and there is much in the Psalm which looks that way.
DIVISIO S. â€”The sacred poet commences by affirming his belief in the
faithfulness of the Lord to his covenant with the house of David, and makes his first
pause at Psalms 89:4. He then praises and magnifies the name of the Lord for his
power, justice, and mercy, Psalms 89:5-14. This leads him to sing of the happiness of
the people who have such a God to be their glory and defence, Psalms 89:15-18. He
rehearses the terms if the covenant at full length with evident delight, Psalms 89:19-
37, and then mournfully pours out his complaint and petition, Psalms 89:38-51,
closing the whole with a hearty benediction and a double Amen. May the Holy Spirit
greatly bless to us the reading of this most precious Psalm of instruction.
COKE, "Title. ‫משׂכיל‬ ‫לאיתן‬ ‫האזרחי‬ maskiil leeithan haezrachii.— The author of this
psalm lived either in the time of Jehoiachin or Zedekiah, whose misfortunes he
laments very pathetically. It appears, says Mudge, by the conclusion from Psalms
89:38, to be written in some great distress of one of the kings of the line of David; in
which the author reminds God of his gracious promises to David and his posterity.
It is conducted with great skill. The Jewish interpreters themselves apply several
passages of it to the Messiah.
ELLICOTT, "This long psalm comes evidently from a time of great national
depression and trouble. The idolatries that led to the Captivity, and the Captivity
itself, are already in the past, and the poet can think only of the splendid promises of
God to the race, and the paradox that while made by a God of truth and

faithfulness, they have yet been broken; for Israel lies prostrate, a prey to cruel and
rapacious foes, and the cry, “How long?” goes up in despair to heaven. The
“servant” and “anointed” (Psalms 89:38-39) need not necessarily be a prince of the
house of David—Rehoboam or Jehoiachim, or another; but the whole nation
individualised and presented in the person of one of the Davidic princes, as in that
of David himself (Psalms 132:17). The time of the persecution of Antiochus
Epiphanes suits best all the conditions presented by the psalm. The poetical form is
nearly regular, and the parallelism well marked.
Title.—For “Maschil” see title, Psalms 32.
Ethan the Ezrahite.—Probably to be identified with the man mentioned (1 Kings
4:31) as among the celebrated sages surpassed by Solomon, and called Ezrahites, as
being of the family of Zerah (1 Chronicles 2:6; see ote to title to last psalm).
Probably when the titles were prefixed this sage had become confused with Ethan
(or Jeduthun), the singer.
1 I will sing of the Lord’s great love forever;
with my mouth I will make your faithfulness
known
through all generations.
BAR ES, "I will sing of the mercies of the Lord for ever - Particularly how the
“mercy” was manifested in the promise made to David; the solemn covenant made with
him in respect to the perpetuity of his throne. The appointment of David to the throne
was an act of mere mercy or favor, since he was not in the royal line, and had no claim to
the crown. It will be seen, also, that if it be supposed that the covenant with David, and
the promise therein made to him, was intended to include the Messiah as descending
from him, there was a still higher reason for celebrating the “mercies” of God, inasmuch
as all mercy to our world comes through him.
With my mouth - Not merely in my heart, but with words. The meaning here is that
he would make a record which might be used evermore as the language of praise.
Will I make known thy faithfulness - In the fulfillment of these promises. He felt
assured that they would be fulfilled. Whatever appearances there might be to the
contrary, the psalmist had no doubt that God would prove himself to be faithful and
true. See the notes at Isa_55:3, on the expression, “the sure mercies of David.”
To all generations - Margin, as in Hebrew, generation and generation. He would

make a record which would carry down the remembrance of this faithfulness to all
future ages.
CLARKE, "I will sing of the mercies of the Lord - I will celebrate the mercy of
God to the house of Jacob; the mercy that has been shown to our fathers from time
immemorial.
To all generations - What I say concerning thy mercy and goodness, being inspired
by thy Spirit, is not only true, but shall be preserved by the Divine providence for ever.
GILL, "Psalms 89:1
I will sing of the mercies of the Lord for ever,.... Both temporal and spiritual,
especially the latter, in which there is a large display of the rich and abundant mercy of
God, from whence they are so called; as in the choice of men to everlasting life, who are
said to be vessels of mercy; in the covenant of grace made with them, the blessings of
which are the sure mercies of David; in the mission of Christ, whose coming, as the
dayspring from on high, is owing to the tender mercy of our God; in redemption by him,
in which mercy and truth have met together; in regeneration, which is according to
abundant mercy; in the forgiveness of sins, which is according to the multitude of his
tender mercies; and in the whole of salvation, which is not by works of righteousness,
but by the mercy of God through Christ: the word may be rendered "graces, kindnesses,
goodnesses" (l), and designs the abundance of grace; as in the heart of God, in the
covenant, in the hands of Christ, as displayed through him, and in the several parts of
salvation, and the whole of it: and these are a proper subject for a song; and a truly
gracious soul, sensible of these things, thankful for them, cheerful on account of them,
and seeing his interest in them, cannot but "sing" of them; and will determine to do it
"for ever", every day, and all the day long, as long as he lives, and while he has any being,
and which he will do to all eternity:
with my mouth will I make known thy faithfulness to all generations; God is
faithful to himself, to all the perfections of his nature, to his truth, holiness, and justice,
he cannot deny himself; he is so to his Son, and to all engagements with him, and
promises to him; to all his counsels, purposes, and decrees; all which are faithfulness
and truth, or faithfully and truly performed; and to his covenant and promises made to
his people in Christ, in whom they are all yea and amen: and that this glorious perfection
of God might be made known to the saints in all successive generations, and be taken
notice of by them, the psalmist spoke and sung this psalm with his mouth, and penned it
with his hand; in which there is more mention made of the faithfulness of God than
perhaps in any other passage of Scripture besides; see Psa_89:2.
HE RY 1-4, "The psalmist has a very sad complaint to make of the deplorable
condition of the family of David at this time, and yet he begins the psalm with songs of
praise; for we must, in every thing, in every state, give thanks; thus we must glorify the
Lord in the fire. We think, when we are in trouble, that we get ease by complaining; but
we do more - we get joy, by praising. Let our complaints therefore be turned into
thanksgivings; and in these verses we find that which will be matter of praise and
thanksgiving for us in the worst of times, whether upon a personal or a public account, 1.
However it be, the everlasting God is good and true, Psa_89:1. Though we may find it

hard to reconcile present dark providences with the goodness and truth of God, yet we
must abide by this principle, That God's mercies are inexhaustible and his truth is
inviolable; and these must be the matter of our joy and praise: “I will sing of the mercies
of the Lord for ever, sing a praising song to God's honour, a pleasant song for my own
solace, and Maschil, an instructive song, for the edification of others.” We may be for
ever singing God's mercies, and yet the subject will not be drawn dry. We must sing of
God's mercies as long as we live, train up others to sing of them when we are gone, and
hope to be singing them in heaven world without end; and this is singing of the mercies
of the Lord for ever. With my mouth, and with my pen (for by that also do we speak),
will I make known thy faithfulness to all generations, assuring posterity, from my own
observation and experience, that God is true to every word that he has spoken, that they
may learn to put their trust in God, Psa_78:6. 2. However it be, the everlasting covenant
is firm and sure, Psa_89:2-4. Here we have, (1.) The psalmist's faith and hope: “Things
now look black, and threaten the utter extirpation of the house of David; but I have said,
and I have warrant from the word of God to say it, that mercy shall be built up for ever.”
As the goodness of God's nature is to be the matter of our song (Psa_89:1), so much
more the mercy that is built for us in the covenant; it is still increasing, like a house in
the building up, and shall still continue our rest for ever, like a house built up. It shall be
built up for ever; for the everlasting habitations we hope for in the new Jerusalem are of
this building. If mercy shall be built for ever, then the tabernacle of David, which has
fallen down, shall be raised out of its ruins, and built up as in the days of old, Amo_9:11.
Therefore mercy shall be built up for ever, because thy faithfulness shalt thou establish
in the very heavens. Though our expectations are in some particular instances
disappointed, yet God's promises are not disannulled; they are established in the very
heavens (that is, in his eternal counsels); they are above the changes of this lower region
and out of the reach of the opposition of hell and earth. The stability of the material
heavens is an emblem of the truth of God's word; the heavens may be clouded by
vapours arising out of the earth, but they cannot be touched, they cannot be changed.
(2.) An abstract of the covenant upon which this faith and hope are built: I have said it,
says the psalmist, for God hath sworn it, that the heirs of promise might be entirely
satisfied of the immutability of his counsel. He brings in God speaking (Psa_89:3),
owning, to the comfort of his people, “I have made a covenant, and therefore will make
it good.” The covenant is made with David; the covenant of royalty is made with him, as
the father of his family, and with his seed through him and for his sake, representing the
covenant of grace made with Christ as head of the church and with all believers as his
spiritual seed. David is here called God's chosen and his servant; and, as God is not
changeable to recede from his own choice, so he is not unrighteous to cast off one that
served him. Two things encourage the psalmist to build his faith on this covenant: - [1.]
The ratification of it; it was confirmed with an oath: The Lord has sworn, and he will not
repent. [2.] The perpetuity of it; the blessings of the covenant were not only secured to
David himself, but were entailed on his family; it was promised that his family should
continue - Thy seed will I establish for ever, so that David shall not want a son to reign
(Jer_33:20, Jer_33:21); and that it should continue a royal family - I will build up thy
throne to all generations, to all the generations of time. This has its accomplishment
only in Christ, of the seed of David, who lives for ever, to whom God has given the throne
of his father David, and of the increase of whose government and peace there shall be no
end. Of this covenant the psalmist will return to speak more largely, Psa_89:19, etc.
JAMISO , "Psa_89:1-52. Of Ethan - (See on Psa_88:1, title). This Psalm was
composed during some season of great national distress, perhaps Absalom’s rebellion. It
contrasts the promised prosperity and perpetuity of David’s throne (with reference to

the great promise of 2Sa_7:12-17), with a time when God appeared to have forgotten His
covenant. The picture thus drawn may typify the promises and the adversities of Christ’s
kingdom, and the terms of confiding appeal to God provided appropriate prayers for the
divine aid and promised blessing.
mercies — those promised (Isa_55:3; Act_13:34), and -
faithfulness — that is, in fulfilling them.
CALVI , "1I will sing of the mercies of Jehovah for ever. It must be borne in mind,
as I have just now observed, that the Psalmist opens with the praises of God, and
with calling to mind the Divine covenant, to encourage the faithful to strengthen
their faith against the formidable assaults of temptation. If when we set about the
duty of prayer some despairing thought, at the very outset, presents itself to us, we
must forcibly and resolutely break through it, lest our hearts faint and utterly fail.
The design of the prophet, therefore, was to fortify the minds of the godly at the
very commencement, with stable and substantial supports, that, relying on the
Divine promise, which, to outward appearance, had almost fallen to the ground, and
repelling all the assaults of temptation with which their faith was severely shaken,
they might with confidence hope for the re-establishment of the kingdom, and
continue perseveringly to pray for this blessing. From the sad spectacle of begun
decay, (522) which Ethan beheld, listening to the dictates of carnal reason, he might
have thought that both himself and the rest of God’s believing people were deceived;
but he expresses his determination to celebrate the mercies of God which at that
time were hidden from his view. And as it was no easy matter for him to apprehend
and acknowledge the merciful character of God, of whose severity he had actual
experience, he uses the plural number, the Mercies of God, that by reflecting on the
abundance and variety of the blessings of Divine grace he might overcome this
temptation.
SPURGEO , "Ver. 1. I will sing of the mercies of the Lord for ever. A devout
resolve, and very commendable when a man is exercised with great trouble on
account of an apparent departure of the Lord from his covenant and promise.
Whatever we may observe abroad or experience in our own persons, we ought still
to praise God for his mercies, since they most certainly remain the same, whether we
can perceive them or not. Sense sings but now and then, but faith is an eternal
songster. Whether others sing or not, believers must never give over; in them should
be constancy of praise, since God's love to them cannot by any possibility have
changed, however providence may seem to frown. We are not only to believe the
Lord's goodness, but to rejoice in it evermore; it is the source of all our joy, and as it
cannot be dried up, so the stream ought never to fail to flow, or cease to flash in
sparkling crystal of song. We have not one, but many mercies to rejoice in, and
should therefore multiply the expressions of our thankfulness. It is Jehovah who
deigns to deal out to us our daily benefits, and he is the all sufficient and immutable
God; therefore our rejoicing in him must never suffer diminution. By no means let
his exchequer of glory be deprived of the continual revenue which we owe to it.
Even time itself must not bound our praisesâ€”they must leap into eternity; he
blesses us with eternal merciesâ€”let us sing unto him forever.

With my mouth will I make known thy faithfulness to all generations. The
utterances of the present will instruct future generations. What Ethan sung is now a
text book for Christians, and will be so as long as this dispensation shall last. We
ought to have an eye to posterity in all that we write, for we are the schoolmasters of
succeeding ages. Ethan first spoke with his mouth that which he recorded with his
penâ€”a worthy example of using both means of communication; the mouth has a
warmer manner than the pen, but the pen's speech lives longest, and is heard
farther and wider. While reading this Psalm, such in the freshness of the style, that
one seems to hear it gushing from the poet's mouth; he makes the letters live and
talk, or, rather, sing to us. ote, that in this second sentence he speaks of
faithfulness, which is the mercy of God's merciesâ€” the brightest jewel in the crown
of goodness. The grace of an unfaithful God would be a poor subject for music, but
unchangeable love and immutable promises demand everlasting songs. In times of
trouble it is the divine faithfulness which the soul hangs upon; this is the bower
anchor of the soul, its hold fast, and its stay. Because God is, and ever will be,
faithful, we have a theme for song which will not be out of date for future
generations; it will never be worn out, never be disproved, never be unnecessary,
never be an idle subject, valueless to mankind. It will also be always desirable to
make it known, for men are too apt to forget it, or to doubt it, when hard times press
upon them. We cannot too much multiply testimonies to the Lord's faithful mercyâ
€”if our own generation should not need them others will: sceptics are so ready to
repeat old doubts and invent new ones that believers should be equally prompt to
bring forth evidences both old and new. Whoever may neglect this duty, those who
are highly favoured, as Ethan was, should not be backward.
EXPLA ATORY OTES A D QUAI T SAYI GS.
Whole Psalm. The present Psalm makes a pair with the preceding one. It is a
spiritual Allegro to that Penseroso...That Psalm was a dirge of Passion Tide, this
Psalm is a carol of Christmas. â€”Christopher Wordsworth.
Whole Psalm. â€”There are many passages in this Psalm which do clearly evidence
that it is to be interpreted of Christ; yea, there are many things in this Psalm that
can never be clearly, pertinently, and appositely applied to any but Jesus Christ. For
a taste, see Psalms 89:19 "I have laid help upon one that is mighty", mighty to
pardon, reconcile, to justify, to save, to bring to glory; suitable to that of the Apostle,
Hebrews 7:25, "He is able to save to the uttermost" â€”that is, to all ends and
purposes, perfectly, completely, fully, continually, perpetually. Christ is a thorough
Saviour, a mighty Saviour: Isaiah 63:1, "Mighty to save." There needs none to come
after him to finish the work which he hath begun: Psalms 89:19, I have exalted one
chosen out of the people, which is the very title given to our Lord Jesus: Isaiah 62:1,
"Behold my servant, whom I uphold; mine elect", or chosen one, "in whom my soul
delighteth": Psalms 89:20, I have fouled David my servant. Christ is very frequently
called by that name, as being most dearly beloved of God, and most highly esteemed
and valued by God, and as being typified by him both as king and prophet of his
church: Psalms 89:20, With my holy oil have I anointed him; suitable to that of
Christ; Lu 4:18, "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to
preach the gospel to the poor"; and therefore we need not doubt of the excellency,
authority, certainty, and sufficiency of the gospel: Psalms 89:27, I will make him my
firstborn, higher than the kings of the earth. Christ is the firstborn of every

creature, and in all things hath the preeminence: Psalms 89:29, His seed also will I
make to endure for ever, and his throne as the days of heaven. This is chiefly spoken
of Christ and his kingdom. The aspectable heaven is corruptible, but the kingdom of
heaven is eternal; and such shall be Christ's seed, throne and kingdom: Psalms
89:36, His seed shall endure for ever, and his throne as the sun before me. "Christ
shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall
prosper in his hand", Isaiah 53:10. And his throne as the sun before me; that is,
perpetual and glorious, as the Chaldee explains it, shall shine as the sun. Other
kingdoms and thrones have their times and their turns, their rise and their ruins,
but so hath not the kingdom and throne of Jesus Christ. Christ's dominion is "an
everlasting dominion", which shall not pass away; "and his kingdom that which
shall not be destroyed", Daniel 7:13-14. I might give further instances out of this
Psalm, but enough is as good as a feast. ew saith God, "I have made a covenant
with him; "so then there is a covenant that God the Father hath made with Christ
the Mediator; which covenant, the Father engages to the Son, shall stand fast, there
shall be no cancelling or disannulling of it. God the Father hath not only made a
covenant of grace with the saints in Christ, but he has also made a covenant of
redemption, as we call it for distinction sake, with Jesus Christ himself: "My
covenant shall stand fast with him; " that is, with Christ, as we have fully
demonstrated. â€”Thomas Brooks.
Ver. 1. This one short verse contains the summary, pith, and argument of the whole
long Psalm; wherein observe The Song's Ditty, the lovingkindness and truth of the
Lord, manifested unto the whole world generally, to David's house (that is, the
church) especially. The Singer's Duty, magnifying the mercies of God always, even
from one generation to another. And by all means; with his mouth, for that is
expressed in this verse; with his mind, for that is implied in the nextâ€”I have said,
etc., that is, believed in my heart, and therefore spake it with my tongue, Psalms
116:10. "For out of the heart's abundance the mouth speaketh", Matthew 12:34. â€”
John Boys.
Ver. 1. I will sing. It is to be observed that he does not say, I will speak of the
goodness of the Lord; but, I will sing. The celebration of the divine goodness has
joined with itself the joy and exultation of a pious mind, which cannot be poured
forth better than in song. That pleasantness and exuberance of a happy spirit, which
by singing is instilled into the ears of the listeners, has a certain wonderful power of
moving the affections; so that not in vain were pious minds taught by the Holy Spirit
to inculcate the wonderful work of God in songs composed for this purpose, to
commit them to memory and to appoint them to be sung. â€”Musculus.
Ver. 1. I will sing. The Psalmist has a very sad complaint to make of the deplorable
condition of the family of David at this time, and yet he begins the Psalm with songs
of praise; for we must in every thing, in every state, give thanks. We think when we
are in trouble we get ease by complaining: but we do more, we get joy, by praising.
Let our complaints therefore be turned into thanksgiving; and in these verses we
find that which will be in matter of praise and thanksgiving for us in the worst of
times, whether upon a personal or public account. â€”Matthew Henry.
Ver. 1. Sing of the mercies of the Lord for ever. S. Gregory the Great raises the
question here as to how a perpetual singing of the mercies of God is compatible with
unalloyed bliss in heaven, inasmuch as the thought of mercy connotes the memory of

sin and sorrow, which needed mercy, whereas Isaiah saith that "the former troubles
are forgotten", and "the former things shall not be remembered, nor come upon the
heart" (Isaiah 65:16-17). And he replies that it will be like the memory of past
sickness in time of health, without stain, without grief, and serving only to heighten
the felicity of the redeemed, by the contrast with the past, and to increase their love
and gratitude towards God. And so sings the Cluniac: (Bernard of Clairvaux.)
"Their breasts are filled with gladness,
Their mouths are tuned to praise,
What time, now safe for ever,
On former sins they gaze:
The fouler was the error,
The sadder was the fall,
The ampler are the praises
Of him who pardoned all."
ote, too, that he says, "with my mouth", not with that of any deputy; I will make
known, not secretly or timidly, not in a whisper, but boldly preach, Thy faithfulness,
or truth, not my own opinion, far less my own falsehood, but Thy Truth, which is,
Thine Only begotten Son. â€”Gregory, Bernard, Hugo, and Augustine: quoted by
eale and Littledale.
Ver. 1. Mercies. The word may be rendered graces, kindnesses, goodnesses, and
designs the abundance of grace. â€”John Gill.
Ver. 1. The mercies. His manifold and sundry mercies: as if he should say, we have
tasted of more than one, yea, we have felt all his mercies; I will therefore praise the
same for ever. I will sing his mercy for creating this universe, which is macrocosmos,
a great world; and for making man, which is microcosmos, a little world.
1. My song shall set forth his kindness, for that he gave me being.
2. For adding to my being, life, which he denieth unto stones.
3. To life, sense, which he denieth unto plants.
4. To sense, speech and understanding, which he denieth unto brute beasts...
I am exceeding much bound unto God for creating me when I was not; and for
preserving me under his wings ever since I was: yet I am more bound to his mercy
for redeeming me, for blessing me with all spiritual blessings in heavenly things in
Christ his Son (Eph 1:1-23 3:1-21), for his electing of me, for his calling of me, for
his justifying of me, for his sanctifying of me. These graces are the riches of his
goodness and glory, misericordioe in oeternum, everlasting mercies, as reaching
from everlasting predestination to everlasting glorification. O Lord, I will always
sing thy mercies in promising, and ever shew thy truth in performing thy promise
made to David, thy chosen servant, concerning thy Son, my Saviour, saying, "Thy
seed will I establish for ever." So the fathers expound our text: I will ever sing thy
mercies, in vouchsafing to send thy Son to visit thy servants, sick to death in sin.
First, I will ever sing of thy mercifulness, and then will ever be shewing thy
faithfulness. eque enim exhiberetur veritas in impletione promissorum nisi
proecederet misericordia in remissione peccatorum. (For truth, in the fulfilment of
the promises, would not be shown forth; unless mercy, in the forgiveness of sins,
should precede it.) And what is God's mercy set up for ever, and his truth
established in the heavens, but that which Isaiah terms, "the sure mercies of
David": that is, as Paul construes Isaiah, the holy promise made to David and the

promise made to David, is briefly this, "Thy seed will I establish for ever, and set up
thy throne from generation to generation." â€”John Boys.
Ver. 1. For ever. I know some join in oeternum to the noun misercordias, and not to
the verb cantabo, making the sense to be this: I will always sing thy mercies which
endure for ever. But always is referred as well, if not better, unto the verb, I will
sing: as who would say, Lord, thy mercies are so manifest, and so manifold, so great
in their number, and so good in their nature, that I will alway, so long as I have any
being, sing praises unto thee Haply some will object, "All flesh is grass, and the
goodliness thereof is as the flower of the field: the grass withereth, the flower
fadeth", (Isaiah 40:6-7). David being persecuted by Saul, said, "There is but a step
between me and death", (1 Samuel 20:3). ay, David, thy life is shorter than a
stride, but "a span long", as thyself witnesseth, Psalms 39:5. How can he then that
begs his bread but for a day promise to spend his breath in magnifying the Lord for
ever? Answer is made, that the prophet will not only commend the mercies of the
Lord in word, but also commit them unto writing. Ut sciat hoec oetas, posteritasque
legat (Eobanus Hessus.) (that this age may know, and that posterity may read.) As
the tongue of the prophet is termed elsewhere "the pen of a writer"; so the writing
of the Prophet is here termed his mouth, as Euthymeus upon the place (Acts 4:25),
Liber Psalmorum os David (The Book of Psalms is the mouth of David). He doth
intend to note the mercies of God, and to set forth his truth in a book, the which he
will leave behind him (as an instrument) to convey the same from generation to
generations, from the generation of Jews to the generation of Christians. Or from
the Old Testament to the ew: for the blessed Apostles in their sermons usually cite
sentences out of the Psalms. S. Peter telleth us that the gospel was preached unto the
dead (1 Peter 4:6); so may we say, that the gospel is preached by the dead. For the
most ancient fathers, and other judicious authors, who have spent their days in
writing learned expositions and godly meditations upon the Holy Scriptures,
although they be dead, yet they "sing all the mercies of the Lord, and shew the truth
of his word from one generation to another." It is reported in our chronicles of
Athelstan, parum oetati vixit, multum glorioe (he lived but little of time, but much of
glory). So many zealous and industrious doctors have lived (in respect of their age)
but a little, yet in respect of their acts, a great while, shining still in their works and
writings, as lights of the world.
Or the prophet may be said to sing ever intentionally, though not actually. For as
the wicked, if he could live alway, would sin alway, so the good man (if God should
suffer him alway to breathe on earth) would sing alway the mercies of the Lord. â€”
John Boys.
Ver. 1. With my mouth. The author has heard continual praises from a tongue half
eaten away with cancer. What use, beloved reader, are you making of your tongue?
â€”Philip Bennett Power.
BE SO , "Psalms 89:1-2. I will sing of the mercies of the Lord — He speaks this by
way of preface, lest the following complaints of present miseries should argue
ingratitude for former mercies. I will make known thy faithfulness — Assuring
posterity, from my own observation and experience, that thou art true to every word
that thou hast spoken, and that whatsoever hath befallen us, it proceeded not from
thy unfaithfulness. For I have said — That is, within myself. I have been assured in

my own mind; Mercy shall be built up for ever — As thou hast laid a sure
foundation of mercy to David’s family, by that everlasting covenant which thou hast
made with it; so I concluded that thou wouldest carry on the same project of mercy
toward it; that thou wouldest build it up, and not destroy it. Thy faithfulness shalt
thou establish in the very heavens — That is, in thy eternal counsels, which are
above the changes of this lower region, and out of the reach of the opposition of
earth and hell. Or, as the Hebrew may be rendered, with the very heavens; that is,
as firmly and durably as the heavens themselves, as with the sun, in the Hebrew
text, Psalms 72:5, is by most interpreters rendered, As long as the sun endureth, as it
is in our translation. And so this phrase, in this last branch of the verse, answers to
for ever in the former.
COFFMA , "Verse 1
PSALM 89
THE E D OF THE DAVIDIC DY ASTY WAS OT U DERSTOOD BY
ISRAEL
The occasion for this psalm was the conquest of Jerusalem, the capture of king
Jehoiachin, his deportation to Babylon along with Daniel and many other able
Hebrews, and the enthronement of the puppet king Zedekiah, a vassal of
ebuchadnezzar. A number of able scholars agree on this.
The statement in Psalms 89:45 that God had shortened the days of the youth of the
king and covered him with shame may refer to Jehoiachin who was only 18 years
old when carried away captive,[1] - The whole tone of the psalm suggests that it was
written when the kingdom was toppling to ruin, or perhaps even after its fall.[2] -
The days of ... Zedekiah, just before the fall of Jerusalem seem to fit the situation.[3]
- The humiliation Of a king was probably that of Jehoiachin.[4] - The occasion is the
defeat and deposition of a Judean king ... many think Jehoiachin, probably in the
early sixth century B.C.[5]
The psalm starts off like a song of praise to God (Psalms 89:1-18), after which there
follows a rehearsal of God's marvelous promises to David regarding the kingdom to
be established "forever" (Psalms 89:19-37); but quite abruptly in Psalms 89:38 the
psalm changes into a lament, in terminology that borders on the nature of a
reproach against God and a charge that he has failed to keep his promises to Israel.
That attitude of vigorous complaint prevails throughout Psalms 89:38-45. Then
there comes an urgent plea for God to intervene and restore to Israel the glories to
which they believed themselves entitled by the ancient promises of God.
Psalms 89:52 is no part of this psalm but forms the doxology concluding Book III of
the Psalter.
By far, the most important verse in the whole psalm is Psalms 89:37 which indicates
that the everlasting "throne of David" is not an earthly throne at all. The promises
to the Davidic dynasty upon which Israel had so enthusiastically rested their
expectations were never to be fulfilled in the literal earthly dynasty of David, the

whole institution of the Davidic kingdom being merely typical in a very feeble way
of the glorious kingdom of the Messiah, even Jesus Christ, who today is sitting upon
the "spiritual throne of David" in heaven itself. See full discussion of all this under
Psalms 89:37.
Psalms 89:1-4
I TRODUCTIO
"I will sing of the lovingkindness of Jehovah forever:
With my mouth will I make known thy faithfulness to all generations.
For I have said, Mercy shall be built up forever;
Thy faithfulness wilt thou establish in the very heavens.
I have made a covenant with my chosen,
I have sworn unto David my servant:
Thy seed will I establish forever,
And build up thy throne to all generations."
The first two verses here are the pledge of the psalmist to sing the praises of God
forever; and Psalms 89:2-4 are a summary of 2 Samuel 7, the key passage of the
Scriptures in which God through the prophet athan made the glorying promises
presented here. The entire psalm is related to God's promise of an everlasting
kingdom, through the posterity of David.
Apparently, the thought never entered either the mind of David himself, or that of
any other Israelite, that the kingdom God promised was not a kingdom of this
world, but a SPIRITUAL kingdom. The entire conception of an earthly kingdom of
Israel was sinful in its inception, absolutely contrary to God's will, and constituting,
through Israel's demand that they should have such a kingdom, Israel's rejection of
God Himself (1 Samuel 8:7).
In this light it appears to us as wholly the fault of Israel that they should have
believed that "the everlasting kingdom" which God promised them would be any
kind of a literal earthly monarchy. God told them at the very beginning of that
earthly kingdom they so much desired just exactly what such a kingdom would be
like. See 1 Samuel 8:10-18.
The tragic blindness of the chosen people to this one great epic truth is one of the
most incredible mistakes any people ever made. Their refusal to believe God's Word
about this was the root cause of their rejection of the true Messiah when he finally

appeared.
CO STABLE, "Verses 1-4
1. God"s character and covenant with David89:1-4
Ethan announced two major themes of this psalm in Psalm 89:1-2. These are the
loyal love (Heb. hesed) and faithfulness of Yahweh. References to God"s loyal love
occur in Psalm 89:1-2; Psalm 89:14; Psalm 89:24; Psalm 89:28; Psalm 89:33; Psalm
89:49. He referred to God"s faithfulness in Psalm 89:1-2; Psalm 89:5; Psalm 89:8;
Psalm 89:24; Psalm 89:33; Psalm 89:49. He proceeded to appeal to God to honor His
promises to David on the basis of these qualities.
The psalmist restated the Davidic Covenant promises in Psalm 89:3-4. Interestingly
the word "covenant" does not occur in either2Samuel7 or1Chronicles17 , the two
places in the Old Testament where God recorded the giving of that covenant. Three
key terms used in these two verses also recur throughout this psalm. These are
"covenant" ( Psalm 89:3; Psalm 89:28; Psalm 89:34; Psalm 89:39), "David My
servant" ( Psalm 89:3; Psalm 89:20; Psalm 89:50 where it is just "My servant"), and
"throne" ( Psalm 89:4; Psalm 89:14; Psalm 89:29; Psalm 89:36; Psalm 89:44).
Obviously the Davidic Covenant was central in the writer"s thinking in this psalm.
"The background for the Davidic Covenant and the sonship imagery associated
with it is the ancient ear Eastern covenant of grant, whereby a king would reward
a faithful servant by elevating him to the position of "sonship" and granting him
special gifts, usually related to land and dynasty. Unlike the conditional suzerain-
vassal treaty, after which the Mosaic Covenant was patterned, the covenant of grant
was an unconditional, promissory grant which could not be taken away from the
recipient. [ ote: Footnote18: "See [Moshe] Weinfeld, "The Covenant of Grant in
the Old Testament and in the Ancient ear East," [Journal of the American
Oriental Society90 (1970):] pp184-203 , for a thorough study of this type of covenant
and its biblical parallels, including the Davidic Covenant. ..."] Consequently God"s
covenantal promises to David were guaranteed by an irrevocable divine oath (
Psalm 89:3; Psalm 89:28-37; Psalm 132:11)." [ ote: Chisholm, "A Theology . . .,"
p267.]
EBC, "THE foundation of this psalm is the promise in 2 Samuel 7:1-29 which
guaranteed the perpetuity of the Davidic kingdom. Many of the characteristic
phrases of the prophecy recur here-e.g., the promises that the children of
wickedness shall not afflict, and that the transgressions of David’s descendants
should be followed by chastisement only, not by rejection. The contents of athan’s
oracle are first given in brief in Psalms 89:3-4 -" like a text," as Hupfeld says-and
again in detail and with poetic embellishments in Psalms 89:19-37. But these
glorious promises are set in sharpest contrast with a doleful present, which seems to
contradict them. They not only embitter it, but they bewilder faith, and the
psalmist’s lament is made almost a reproach of God, whose faithfulness seems
imperilled by the disasters which had fallen on the monarchy and on Israel. The

complaint and petitions of the latter part are the true burden of the psalm, to which
the celebration of Divine attributes in Psalms 89:1-18, and the expansion of the
fundamental promise in Psalms 89:19-37, are meant to lead up. The attributes
specified are those of Faithfulness (Psalms 89:1, Psalms 89:2, Psalms 89:5, Psalms
89:8, Psalms 89:14) and of Power, which render the fulfilment of God’s promises
certain. By such contemplations the psalmist would fortify himself against the
whispers of doubt, which were beginning to make themselves heard in his mind, and
would find in the character of God both assurance that His promise shall not fail,
and a powerful plea for his prayer that it may not fail.
The whole tone of the psalm suggests that it was written when the kingdom was
toppling to ruin, or perhaps even after its fall. Delitzsch improbably supposes that
the young king, whom loss and shame make an old man (Psalms 89:45), is
Rehoboam, and that the disasters which gave occasion to the psalm were those
inflicted by the Egyptian king Shishak. Others see in that youthful prince
Jehoiachin, who reigned for three months, and was then deposed by
ebuchadnezzar, and whom Jeremiah has bewailed. [Jeremiah 22:24-29] But all
such conjectures are precarious.
The structure of the psalm can scarcely be called strophical. There are three well-
marked turns in the flow of thought, -first, the hymn to the Divine attributes
(Psalms 89:1-18); second, the expansion of the promise, which is the basis of the
monarchy (Psalms 89:19-37); and, finally, the lament and prayer, in view of present
afflictions, that God would be true to His attributes and promises (Psalms 89:38-51).
For the most part the verses are grouped in pairs, which are occasionally lengthened
into triplets.
The psalmist begins with announcing the theme of his song-the Lovingkindness and
Faithfulness of God. Surrounded by disasters, which seem in violent contradiction
to God’s promise to David, he falls back on thoughts of the Mercy which gave it and
the Faithfulness which will surely accomplish it. The resolve to celebrate these in
such circumstances argues a faith victorious over doubts, and putting forth
energetic efforts to maintain itself. This bird can sing in midwinter. True, the song
has other notes than joyous ones, but they, too, extol God’s Lovingkindness and
Faithfulness, even while they seem to question them. Self-command, which insists on
a man’s averting his thoughts from a gloomy outward present to gaze on God’s
loving purpose and unalterable veracity, is no small part of practical religion. The
psalmist will sing, because he said that these two attributes were ever in operation,
and lasting as the heavens. "Lovingkindness shall be built up forever," its various
manifestations being conceived as each being a stone in the stately building which is
in continual course of progress through all ages, and can never be completed, since
fresh stones will continually be laid as long as God lives and pours forth His
blessings. Much less can it ever fall into ruin, as impatient sense would persuade the
psalmist that it is doing in his day. The parallel declaration as to God’s Faithfulness
takes the heavens as the type of duration and immobility, and conceives that
attribute to be eternal and fixed, as they are. These convictions could not burn in the
psalmist’s heart without forcing him to speak. Lover, poet, and devout man, in their

several ways, feel the same necessity of utterance. ot every Christian can "sing,"
but all can and should speak. They will, if their faith is strong.
PULPIT, "At first sight, a psalm of praise; but, in reality, one of expostulation and
complaint. The praises of God are sung in the opening section (Psalms 89:1-37); they
culminated in the Davidical covenant. But this covenant has been "made void,"
annulled. The existing state of things is directly contrary to all its promises (Psalms
89:38-45). How long is this to continue? Does not God's faithfulness require the
deliverance of Israel and of the Davidical house from their calamities, and their
speedy restoration to his favour (Psalms 89:46-51)?
Psalms 89:52 is no part of the psalm, but the doxology which concludes the Book.
Psalms 89:1-4
are introductory to the first section (Psalms 89:1-37). They strike the keynote, which
is, first, praise of God's faithfulness generally (Psalms 89:1, Psalms 89:2), and
secondly, praise of him in respect of the Davidical covenant (Psalms 89:3, Psalms
89:4).
Psalms 89:1
I will sing of the mercies of the Lord forever. "Forever" is the emphatic phrase. The
psalmist will commemorate God's mercies, not only when they are continuing, but
always. With my mouth will I make known thy faithfulness to all generations;
literally, to generation and generation.
K&D 1-4, "The poet, who, as one soon observes, is a ‫חכם‬ (for the very beginning of
the Psalm is remarkable and ingenious), begins with the confession of the inviolability of
the mercies promised to the house of David, i.e., of the ‫ים‬ִ‫נ‬ ָ‫מ‬ ֱ‫ֽא‬ֶ ַ‫ה‬ ‫ד‬ִ‫ו‬ ָ‫ד‬ ‫י‬ ֵ‫ד‬ ְ‫ס‬ ַ‫,ה‬ Isa_55:3.
(Note: The Vulgate renders: Misericordias Domini in aeternum cantabo. The
second Sunday after Easter takes its name from this rendering.)
God's faithful love towards the house of David, a love faithful to His promises, will he
sing without ceasing, and make it known with his mouth, i.e., audibly and publicly (cf.
Job_19:16), to the distant posterity. Instead of ‫י‬ ֵ‫ד‬ ְ‫ס‬ ַ‫,ח‬ we find here, and also in Lam_3:22,
‫י‬ ֵ‫ד‬ ְ‫ס‬ ַ‫ח‬ with a not merely slightly closed syllable. The Lamed of ‫ּר‬‫ד‬ָ‫ו‬ ‫ּר‬‫ד‬ ְ‫ל‬ is, according to Psa_
103:7; Psa_145:12, the datival Lamed. With ‫י‬ ִ ְ‫ר‬ ַ‫מ‬ፎ‫י־‬ ִⅴ (lxx, Jerome, contrary to Psa_89:3,
ᆋτι εᅼπας) the poet bases his resolve upon his conviction. ‫ה‬ֶ‫נ‬ ְ‫ב‬ִ‫נ‬ means not so much to be
upheld in building, as to be in the course of continuous building (e.g., Job_22:23; Mal_
3:15, of an increasingly prosperous condition). Loving-kindness is for ever (accusative of
duration) in the course of continuous building, viz., upon the unshakeable foundation of
the promise of grace, inasmuch as it is fulfilled in accordance therewith. It is a building
with a most solid foundation, which will not only not fall into ruins, but, adding one
stone of fulfilment upon another, will rise ever higher and higher. ‫ם‬ִ‫י‬ ַ‫מ‬ ָ‫שׁ‬ then stands first

as casus absol., and ‫ם‬ ֶ‫ה‬ ָ is, as in Psa_19:5, a pronoun having a backward reference to it.
In the heavens, which are exalted above the rise and fall of things here below, God
establishes His faithfulness, so that it stands fast as the sun above the earth, although
the condition of things here below seems sometimes to contradict it (cf. Psa_119:89).
Now follow in Psa_89:4-5 the direct words of God, the sum of the promises given to
David and to his seed in 2 Sam. 7, at which the poet arrives more naturally in Psa_89:20.
Here they are strikingly devoid of connection. It is the special substance of the promises
that is associated in thought with the “loving-kindness” and “truth” of Psa_89:3, which
is expanded as it were appositionally therein. Hence also ‫ין‬ ִ‫כ‬ፎ and ‫ין‬ ִ‫כ‬ ָ , ‫י‬ ִ‫ית‬ִ‫נ‬ ָ‫וּב‬ and ‫ה‬ֶ‫נ‬ ָ ִ‫י‬
correspond to one another. David's seed, by virtue of divine faithfulness, has an eternally
sure existence; Jahve builds up David's throne “into generation and generation,”
inasmuch as He causes it to rise ever fresh and vigorous, never as that which is growing
old and feeble.
BI 1-52, "I will sing of the mercies of the Lord for ever.
A majestic song
This psalm is one of the very choicest songs in the night. Midst a stream of troubled
thoughts there stands a fair island of rescue and redemption, which supplies standing-
room for wonder and worship; while the music of the words, like the murmuring of a
river, sounds sweetly in our ears. The writer was bearing bitter reproach, and was almost
broken-hearted by the grievous calamities of his nation. Yet his faith was strong in the
faithfulness of God, and so he sang of the stability of the Divine covenant when the
outlook of circumstances was dark and cheerless. Nor did he ever sing more sweetly than
he sang in that night of his sorrow.
I. The eternal builder, and His wonderful work (Psa_89:2). I can see a vast mass of
ruins. Heaps upon heaps they lie around me. A stately edifice has tottered to the ground.
Some terrible disaster has occurred. There it lies—cornice, pillar, pinnacle, everything of
ornament and of utility, broken, scattered, dislocated. The world is strewn with the
debris. Journey where you will the desolation is before your eyes. Who has done this?
Who has cast down this temple? What hand has ruined this magnificent structure?
Manhood, manhood it is which has been destroyed, and sin was the agent that effected
the fall. Alas for manhood that it should be thus fallen and destroyed! But what else do I
see? I behold the great original Builder coming forth from the ivory palaces to undo this
mischief; and He cometh not with implements of destruction, that He may cast down
and destroy every vestige, but I see Him advancing with plummet and line, that He may
rear, set up, and establish on a sure foundation a noble pile that shall not crumble with
time, but endure throughout all ages. He cometh forth with mercy. So “I said” as I saw
the vision, “Mercy shall be built up for ever.” The psalmist has the idea of God’s mercy
being manifest in building, because a great breach has to be repaired, and the ruins of
mankind are to be restored. As for building, it is a very substantial operation. A building
is something which is palpable and tangible to our senses. We may have plans and
schemes which are only visionary, but when it comes to building there is something real
being done, something more than surveying the ground and drawing the model. And oh,
what real work God has done for men! What real work in the gift of His dear Son! The
product of His infinite purpose now becomes evident. He is working out His great
designs after the counsel of His own will. A building is an orderly thing as well as a fixed
thing. There is a scheme and design about it. Mercy shall be built. I see that it shall. This
is no load of bricks shot out. It is polished stones builded one upon another. God’s grace

and goodness toward me have not come to me by chance, or as the blind distribution of a
God who cared for all alike, and for none with any special purpose. No, but there has
been as much a specialty of purpose to me as if I were the only one He loved, though,
praised be His name, He has blessed and is blessing multitudes of others beside me.
Now, think upon these words—“built up.” It is not merely a long, low wall of mercy that
is formed, to make an inclosure or to define a boundary, but it is a magnificent pile of
mercy, whose lofty heights shall draw admiring gaze, that is being built up. God puts
mercy on the top of mercy, and He gives us one favour that we may be ready to receive
another. Once again would I read this verse with very great emphasis, and ask you to
notice how it rebukes the proud and the haughty, and how it encourages the meek and
lowly in spirit. “I have said mercy shall be built up for ever.” In the edification of the
saints there is nothing else but mercy. I wish I had an imagination bold and clear,
uncramped by all ideas of the masonry of men, free to expand, and still to cry,
“Excelsior.” Palaces, methinks, are paltry, and castles and cathedrals are only grand in
comparison with the little cots that nestle on the plain. Even mountains, high as the
Himalaya range or broad as the Andes, though their peaks be so lofty to our reckoning,
are mere specks on the surface of the great globe itself, and our earth is small among the
celestial orbs, a little sister of the larger planets. Figures fail me quite: my description
must take another turn. I try, and try again, to realize the gradual rising of this temple of
mercy which shall be built up for ever. Within the bounds of my feeble vision I can
discern that it has risen above death, above sin, above fear, above all danger; it has risen
above the terrors of the judgment day; it has outsoared the “wreck of matter and the
crash of worlds”; it towers above all our thoughts. Our bliss ascends above an angel’s
enjoyments, and he has pleasures that were never checked by a pang; but he does not
know the ineffable delight of free grace and dying love. The building-up will go on
throughout eternity.
II. An everlasting singer (Psa_89:1). Here is a good and godly resolution: “I will sing.”
The singing of the heart is intended, and the singing of the voice is expressed, for he
mentions his mouth; and equally true is it that the singing of his pen is implied, since the
psalms that he wrote were for others to sing in generations that should follow. “I will
sing.” We cannot impart anything to the great temple which He is building; yet we can
sit down and sing. This singing praise to God is a spiritual passion. The saved soul
delights itself in the Lord, and sings on, and on, and on unwearily. “I will sing for ever,”
saith he. Not, “I will get others to perform, and then I will retire from the service”; but
rather, “I will myself sing: my own tongue shall take the solo, whoever may refuse to join
in the chorus. I will sing, and with my mouth will I make known Thy faithfulness.” Now,
note his subject. “I will sing of the mercies of the Lord.” What, not of anything else? Are
the mercies of the Lord his exclusive theme? “Arma virumque cano”—“Arms and the
man, I sing,” says the Latin poet. “Mercies and my God, I sing,” says the Hebrew seer. “I
will sing of mercies,” says the devout Christian. This is the fount of mercy, whereof if a
man doth drink he shall sing far better than he that drinketh of the Castalian fount, and
on Parnassus begins to tune his harp. This singing of Ethan was intended to be
instructive. How large a class did he want to teach? He intended to make known God’s
mercy to all generations. Modern thought does not adventure beyond the tithe of a
century, and it gets tame and tasteless before half that tiny span of sensationalism has
given it time to evaporate. But the echoes of truth are not so transient; they endure, and
by means of the printing press we can teach generation after generation, leaving books
behind us as this good man has bequeathed this psalm, which is teaching us to-night,
perhaps more largely than it taught any generation nearer to him. Will you transmit
blessed testimonies to your children’s children? It should be your desire to do something

in the present life that will live after you are gone. We instinctively long for a sort of
immortality here. Let us strive to get it, not by carving our names on some stone, or
writing our epitaphs upon a pillar, as Absalom did when he had nothing else by which to
commemorate himself; but get to work to do something which shall be a testimony to
the mercy of God, that others shall see when you are gone. (C. H. Spurgeon.)
The uncovenanted mercies of God
Ethan was the author of this psalm. It belongs to the early reign of Rehoboam, and to the
invasion of Shishak. As Ethan recalled and weighed the clauses of the covenant, and
compared them with the political facts of this distressful year, his mind was tossed into
an agitation and distress from which he could find no relief, save in the large adventure
and conclusion of faith, that the calamities which had fallen on David’s kingdom and
seed were, after all, only the loving corrections by which God was chastening them for
their transgressions; and that, therefore, so far from breaking, God was fulfilling His
covenant with them. Even God’s covenants with men are but particular instances of His
general ways, of His dealings with humanity at large; so that, in the very fullest sense
which the words can be made to bear, it is true that His mercy endures for ever, that His
faithfulness extends to all generations. There is a general impression abroad that a
radical and vast difference obtains between what are called the covenanted and the un-
covenanted mercies of God; that but for certain promises which He has made, and
certain engagements into which He has entered, we should have little to hope for from
Him. The doctrine of covenants plays, and must play, a large part in every system of
theology. But every Divine promise is but a limited expression of a general principle.
Every Divine covenant, even if it be made with a few, is nevertheless made for the benefit
of the many, and can only be an instance of His ways, an illustration of a mercy as wide
as the heavens, and of a faithfulness which extends to all generations of mankind. God
can make no promise inconsistent with His character. Any momentary glimpse we can
catch of God’s attitude towards men reveals His constant and unchanging attitude. To
every man who loves and trusts and serves Him He will be all that He was to David . . .
Who can deny the mercy of that high Will which made the law of retribution the law—or
rather, one of the laws—of human life? As for the inexorable severity with which this law
of retribution is administered, how can we but acknowledge that it needs to be
administered with an invariable and constant severity? Take all the facts of human
experience, then, and you will feel that there is mercy even in that law of retribution
which seems most opposed to the rule of an Infinite Compassion and Love. If you believe
in a work of redemption as well as in a law of retribution, there is absolutely no reason
why you should not sing, with Ethan, of a mercy which is being built up for ever, and of a
faithfulness which is establishing itself in the all-embracing heavens. (Samuel Cox, D.D.)
2 I will declare that your love stands firm forever,
that you have established your faithfulness in
heaven itself.

BAR ES, "For I have said - The Septuagint and the Latin Vulgate render this,
“Thou hast said,” which is more in accordance with what the connection seems to
demand; but the Hebrew will not admit of this construction. The true meaning seems to
be, that the psalmist had said; that is, he had said in his mind; he had firmly believed; he
had so received it as a truth that it might be spoken of as firmly settled, or as an
indisputable reality. It was in his mind one of the things whose truthfulness did not
admit of a doubt.
Mercy shall be built up for ever - The mercy referred to; the mercy manifested in
the promise made to David. The idea is, that the promise would be fully carried out or
verified. It would not be like the foundation of a building, which, after being laid, was
abandoned; it would be as if the building, for which the foundation was designed, were
carried up and completed. It would not be a forsaken, half-finished edifice, but an edifice
fully erected.
Thy faithfulness shalt thou establish - In the matter referred to - the promise
made to David.
In the very heavens - literally, “The heavens - thou wilt establish thy faithfulness in
them.” That is the heavens - the heavenly bodies - so regular, so fixed, so enduring, are
looked upon as the emblem of stability. The psalmist brings them thus before his mind,
and he says that God had, as it were, made his promise a part of the very heavens; he had
given to his faithfulness a place among the most secure, and fixed, and settled objects in
nature. The sun in its regular rising; the stars in their certain course; the constellations,
the same from age to age, were an emblem of the stability and security of the promises of
God. Compare Jer_33:20-21.
CLARKE, "Mercy shall be built up for ever - God’s goodness is the foundation
on which his mercy rests; and from that source, and on that foundation, acts of mercy
shall flow and be built up for ever and ever.
Thy faithfulness shalt thou establish - What thou hast promised to do to the
children of men on earth, thou dost register in heaven, and thy promise shall never fail.
GILL, "For I have said,.... That is, in his heart he had said, he had thought of it, was
assured of it, strongly concluded it, from the Spirit and word of God; he believed it, and
therefore he spoke it; having it from the Lord, it was all one as if he had spoke it:
JAMISO , "I have said — expressed, as well as felt, my convictions (2Co_4:13).
CALVI , "2For I have said, Mercy shall be built up for ever. He assigns the reason
why he perseveres in singing the Divine praises in the midst of adversities; which is,
that he does not despair of the manifestation of God’s loving-kindness towards his

people, although at present they were under severe chastisement. ever will a man
freely open his mouth to praise God, unless he is fully persuaded that God, even
when he is angry with his people, never lays aside his fatherly affection towards
them. The words I have said, imply that the truth which the inspired writer
propounds was deeply fixed in his heart. (523) Whatever, as if he had said, has
hitherto happened, it has never had the effect of effacing from my heart the
undoubted hope of experiencing the Divine favor as to the future, and I will always
continue steadfastly to cherish the same feeling. It is to be observed, that it was not
without a painful and arduous conflict that he succeeded in embracing by faith the
goodness of God, which at that time had entirely vanished out of sight; — this we
say is to be particularly noticed, in order that when God at any time withdraws
from us all the tokens of his love, we may nevertheless learn to erect in our hearts
that everlasting building of mercy, which is here spoken of, — a metaphor, by which
is meant that the Divine mercy shall be extended, or shall continue till it reach its
end or consummation. In the second clause of the verse something must be supplied.
The sense, in short, is, that the Divine promise is no less stable than the settled
course of the heavens, which is eternal and exempt from all change. By the word
heavens I understand not only the visible skies, but the heavens which are above the
whole frame of the world; for the truth of God, in the heavenly glory of his
kingdom, is placed above all the elements of the world.
SPURGEO , "Ver. 2. For I have said, Mercy shall be built up for ever. His heart
was persuaded of it, and he had affirmed it as an indisputable truth. He was certain
that upon a sure foundation the Lord intended to pile up a glorious palace of
goodnessâ€”a house of refuge for all people, wherein the Son of David should for
ever be glorified as the dispenser of heavenly grace.
Thy faithfulness shalt thou establish in the very heavens. This divine edifice, he felt
assured, would tower into the skies, and would be turreted with divine faithfulness
even as its foundations were laid in eternal love. God's faithfulness is no thing of
earth, for here nothing is firm, and all things savour of the changes of the moon and
the fickleness of the sea: heaven is the birthplace of truth, and there it dwells in
eternal vigour. As the blue arch above us remains unimpaired by age, so does the
Lord's truth; as in the firmament he hangs his covenant bow, so in the upper
heavens the faithfulness of God is enthroned in immutable glory. This Ethan said,
and this we may say; come what will, mercy and faithfulness are built up by "the
Eternal Builder", and his own nature is the guarantee for their perpetuity. This is to
be called to mind whenever the church is in trouble, or our own spirits bowed down
with grief.
Ver. 2. I have said. The word ytrma, "I have said", is used, in the Book of Psalms, to
express two things; either a fixed purpose, or a settled opinion of the person
speaking. The Psalmist, therefore, delivers the whole of this second verse in his own
person, and introduces not God speaking till the next verse. â€”Samuel Horsley.
Ver. 2. I have said, etc. The perpetuity of mercy is one eminent piece of this Psalm,
for with that he begins: Mercy shall be built up for ever, etc. And they are the sure
mercies of our spiritual David (Christ), he means. ow, to set forth the perpetuity

hereof, he first useth words that express firmitude, as established, built up for ever,
Psalms 89:2; Psalms 89:4. Then he uses such similitudes as are taken from things
which are held most firm and inviolable amongst men, as Psalms 89:4, foedus incidi,
I have cut or engraven my covenant (so in the Hebrew), alluding to what was then in
use, when covenants were mutually to be made, such as they intended to be
inviolate, and never to be broken; to signify so much, they did engrave and cut them
into the most durable lasting matter, as marble, or brass, or the like. You may see
this to have been the way of writing in use, as what was to last for ever: as Job
19:23-24. "Oh, that my words were now written! oh that they were printed in a
book! That they were graven with an iron pen and lead in the rock for ever!" And
what is that rock or marble here? o other than the heart itself of our gracious and
most merciful Jehovah, and his most unalterable and immovable purposes, truth
and faithfulness. This is that foundation in the heavens, whereon mercy is built up
for ever, as Psalms 89:2, which (as the Apostle says) "remains for ever"; and so they
become "the sure mercies of David", Isaiah 60:3. Again, solemn oaths amongst men
serve to ratify and make things sworn to perpetual. This also is there specified as
having been taken by God: "Once have I sworn by my holiness", etc., and sworn by
him that cannot lie, and sworn to that end, "to show the immutability of his
counsel", Hebrews 6:17. And not only is the immutability of his mercy illustrated by
these things taken from what is firm on earth, but he ascends up to the heavens, and
first into the very highest heavens: Psalms 89:2, For I have said, Mercy shall be built
up for ever; thy faithfulness shalt thou establish in the very heavens: comparing
them to an house built not on earth, or upon a foundation of earth, which thieves
break through, and violence destroys, but in heaven, whither they cannot reach. â€”
Thomas Goodwin.
Ver. 2. Mercy shall be built up for ever. What is this "mercy" that is "built up for
ever"? but the glorious and the gracious scheme, the glorious and the gracious
fabric, of our salvation, founded in the eternal purpose of Godâ€”carried into
execution by the labours and the death of Jesus Christâ€” and then applied and
brought home to the heart by the illuminating and converting power of the Holy
Ghost? This is that "mercy" which is "built up for ever." It was planned from
everlasting, and will know no ruin or decay, through the illimitable line of eternity
itself. Who is the builder of this fabric? ot man's free will. ot man's own
righteousness or wisdom. ot human power nor human skill. Every true believer
will here join issue with David, that it is God, and God alone, who builds up the
temple of his Church; and who, as the builder of it, is alone entitled to all the glory.
The elect constitute and form one grand house of mercy: an house, erected to
display and to perpetuate the riches of the Father's free grace, of the Son's atoning
merit, and of the Holy Ghost's efficacious agency. This house, contrary to the fate of
all sublunary buildings, will never fall down, nor ever be taken down. As nothing
can be added to it, so nothing can be diminished from it. Fire cannot injure it;
storms cannot overthrow it; age cannot impair it. It stands on a rock, and is
immovable as the rock on which it standsâ€”the threefold rock of God's inviolable
decree, of Christ's finished redemption, and of the Spirit's never failing faithfulness.
â€”Augustus Montague Toplady, 1740-1778.
Ver. 2. Built up. Mention of a building of mercy, presupposes miserable ruins, and
denotes that this building is intended for the benefit of an elect world ruined by

Adam's fall. Free grace and love set on foot this building for them, every stone in
which, from the lowest to the highest, is mercy to them; from top to bottom, from
the foundation stone to the top stone, all is free and rich mercy to thrum. And the
ground of this glorious building is God's covenant with his chosen: I have made a
covenant with my chosen. â€”Thomas Boston.
Ver. 2. Built up. Former mercies are fundamental to later ones. The mercies that we
enjoy this day are founded upon the mercies of former days, such as we ought
joyfully and thankfully to recount with delight and praise; remembering the years
of the right hand of the Most High. â€”John Howe.
Ver. 2. (last clause). The meaning of this passage appears to be, that the constancy of
the celestial motions, the regular vicissitudes of day and night, and alternations of
the seasons, were emblems of God's own immutability. â€”R. Warner, 1828.
Ver. 2.
For I have said, Thy mercies rise,
A deathless structure, to the skies:
The heavens were planted by thy hand,
And, as the heavens, Thy truth shall stand. â€”Richard Mant.
WHEDO , "2. For I… said—Faith said, on the authority of the word of promise.
The Septuagint changes to the second person: “For thou [Lord] hast said.”
Mercy shall be built up—The work of mercy shall go steadily forward, though much
may appear to hinder.
Establish in the… heavens—Or, As to the heavens, thou wilt establish thy
faithfulness in them. The “heavens” may be mentioned as the seat of authority, and
for settling the divine counsels, or as illustrating the faithfulness of God by the order
and harmony of the celestial bodies. Psalms 119:89-91; Psalms 36:5
3 You said, “I have made a covenant with my
chosen one,
I have sworn to David my servant,
BAR ES, "I have made a covenant with my chosen - With my chosen one; that
is, with David. The original is in the singular number, though by the Septuagint, and the
Vulgate, and by Luther, it is rendered in the plural - chosen ones - elect. This is
undoubtedly the language of God himself, though it is not expressly ascribed to him. The

design is to describe the solemn promise which God had made to David and to his
posterity. Compare Psa_78:70-71. See also, on the use of the phrase “made a covenant,”
see Psa_50:5, note; Psa_83:5, note.
I have sworn unto David my servant - I have taken a solemn oath in regard to
him. The substance of the oath is stated in the next verse. The promise referred to is
found in 2Sa_7:11-16.
CLARKE, "I have made a covenant with my chosen - I have made a covenant
with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; and renewed it with Moses and Joshua in reference to
the Israelites in general: but I have made one with David in especial relation to himself
and posterity, of whom, according to the flesh, the Christ is to come. And this is the
covenant with David: -
GILL, "I have made a covenant with my chosen,.... Not with Abraham, as the
Targum expresses it: but with David, as in the following clause; not David, literally
understood, though he was chosen of the Lord to be his servant, and a covenant was
made with him, and a promise made to him of the perpetuity of his throne and kingdom
in his family, Psa_78:70 but mystical David, the Messiah, David's son and antitype;
after, on this account, called David in Scripture, Eze_34:23 and who is the Lord's
"chosen" One, foreordained to be the Redeemer of lost sinners, chosen to be the
Mediator between God and them, to be the head of the church, and Saviour of the body;
and his human nature was chosen to the grace of union to the Son of God, Psa_89:19,
hence he is called God's elect, Isa_43:1 and with him the covenant of grace was made
from all eternity, and all the blessings and promises of it were put into his hands; he is
the Mediator, surety, and messenger of it, and by his blood it is ratified and confirmed:
the Septuagint render it, in the plural number, "with mine elect ones"; and it is a truth,
that the covenant of grace is made with all the elect, considered in Christ, and is made
with them as such, and not as believers, converted persons, &c. election is the
foundation of the covenant, and the source of all covenant blessings:
I have sworn unto David my servant: to the Messiah, called David, as before
observed, and who is the Lord's servant, as man and Mediator, of his choosing, calling,
sending, and supporting, Isa_42:1, to whom he swore, and he will not repent; and which
oath of his, joined to his covenant and promise, makes for the strong consolation of the
heirs of promise; see Psa_89:35, the sum and substance of which covenant and oath
follow.
JAMISO , "The object of this faith expressed in God’s words (2Sa_7:11-16).
with — or literally, “to”
my chosen — as the covenant is in the form of a promise.
CALVI , "3I have made a covenant with my chosen. (524) The more effectually to
confirm himself and all the godly in the faith of the Divine promise, he introduces
God himself as speaking and sanctioning, by his authority, what had been said in
the preceding verse. As faith ought to depend on the Divine promise, this manner of
speaking, by which God is represented as coming forward and alluring us to himself

by his own voice, is more forcible than if the prophet himself had simply stated the
fact. And when God in this way anticipates us, we cannot be charged with rashness
in coming familiarly to him; even as, on the contrary, without His word we have no
ground to presume that he will be gracious to us, or to hope, at the mere suggestion
of our own fancy, for what he has not promised. Moreover, the truth of the promise
is rendered still more irrefragable, when God declares that he had made a covenant
with his servant David, ratified by his own solemn oath. It having been customary in
ancient times to engrave leagues and covenants on tables of brass, a metaphor is
here used borrowed from this practice. God applies to David two titles of
distinction, calling him both his chosen and his servant. Those who would refer the
former appellation to Abraham do not sufficiently attend to the style of the Book of
Psalms, in which it is quite common for one thing to be repeated twice. David is
called the chosen of God, because God of his own good pleasure, and from no other
cause, preferred him not only to the posterity of Saul, and many distinguished
personages, but even to his own brethren. If, therefore, the cause or origin of this
covenant is sought for, we must necessarily fall back upon the Divine election.
The name of servant, which follows immediately after, is not to be understood as
implying that David by his services merited any thing at the hand of God. He is
called God’s servant in respect of the royal dignity, into which he had not rashly
thrust himself, having been invested with the government by God, and having
undertaken it in obedience to his lawful call. When, however, we consider what the
covenant summarily contains, we conclude that the prophet has not improperly
applied it to his own use, and to the use of the whole people; for God did not enter
into it with David individually, but had an eye to the whole body of the Church,
which would exist from age to age. The sentence, I will establish thy throne for ever,
is partly to be understood of Solomon, and the rest of David’s successors; but the
prophet well knew that perpetuity or everlasting duration, in the strict and proper
sense, could be verified only in Christ. In ordaining one man to be king, God
assuredly did not have a respect to one house alone, while he forgot and neglected
the people with whom he had before made his covenant in the person of Abraham;
but he conferred the sovereign power upon David and his children, that they might
rule for the common good of all the rest, until the throne might be truly established
by the advent of Christ.
SPURGEO , "Ver. 3. I have made a covenant with my chosen, I have sworn unto
David my servant. This was the ground of the Psalmist's confidence in God's mercy
and truth, for he knew that the Lord had made a covenant of grace with David and
his seed, and confirmed it by an oath. Here he quotes the very words of God, which
were revealed to him by the Holy Spirit, and are a condensation of the original
covenant in 2 Samuel 7:1-29. Well might he write in the former verse, "I have said",
when he knew that Jehovah had said, "I have sworn." David was the Lord's elect,
and with him a covenant was made, which ran along in the line of his seed until it
received a final and never ending fulfilment in "the Son of David." David's house
must be royal: as long as there was a sceptre in Judah, David's seed must be the only
rightful dynasty; the great "King of the Jews" died with that title above his head in
the three current languages of the then known world, and at this day he is owned as

king by men of every tongue. The oath sworn to David has not been broken, though
the temporal crown is no longer worn, for in the covenant itself his kingdom was
spoken of as enduring for ever. In Christ Jesus there is a covenant established with
all the Lord's chosen, and they are by grace led to be the Lord's servants, and then
are ordained kings and priests by Christ Jesus. How sweet it is to see the Lord, not
only making a covenant, but owning to it in after days, and bearing witness to his
own oath; this ought to be solid ground for faith, and Ethan, the Ezrahite, evidently
thought it so. Let the reader and writer both pause over such glorious lines, and sing
of the mercies of the Lord, who thus avows the bonds of the covenant, and, in so
doing, gives a renewed pledge of his faithfulness to it. "I have", says the Lord, and
yet again "I have", as though he himself was nothing loath to dwell upon the theme.
We also would lovingly linger over the ipsissima verba of the covenant made with
David, reading them carefully and with joy. There are thus recorded in 2 Samuel
7:12-16 : "And when thy days be fulfilled, and thou shall sleep with thy fathers, I
will set up thy seed after thee, which shall proceed out of thy bowels, and I will
establish his kingdom. He shall build an house for my name, and I will stablish the
throne of his kingdom for ever. I will be his father, and he shall be my son. If he
commit iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men, and with the stripes of the
children of men: But my mercy shall not depart away from him, as I took it from
Saul, whom I put away before thee. And thine house and thy kingdom shall be
established for ever before thee: thy throne shall be established for ever." After
reading this, let us remember that the Lord has said to us by his servant Isaiah, "I
will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David."
Ver. 3. I have made a covenant with my chosen. We must ponder here with pious
wonder how God has deigned to enter into a covenant with man, the immortal with
the mortal, the most powerful with the weakest, the most just with the most unjust,
the richest with the poorest, the most blessed with the most wretched. The prophet
wonders that God is mindful of man, and visits the son of man. Of how much
greater admiration, I say is it worthy, that they are also joined together, and that
not after a simple fashion, but by the ties of a covenant? If man had affirmed this of
himself, that God was united and bound to him by a covenant, who is there that
would not have condemned him of temerity? ow God himself is introduced
affirming this very thing of himself, that he had made a covenant with man. What
saint does not see in this thing, how great the filanyrwpia of God is! â€”Musculus.
Ver. 3. I have made a covenant with my chosen. On heaven's side is God himself, the
party proposer. Though he was the party offended, yet the motion for a covenant
comes from him...The Father of mercies saith, "The lost creatures cannot contract
for themselves; and if another undertake not for them, they must perish; they
cannot choose an undertaker for themselves. I will choose one for them, and I will
make a covenant with my chosen." On man's side is God's chosen, or chosen One,
for the word of God is singular; the Son, the last Adam. Who else as fit to be
undertaker on man's side? Who else could have been the Father's choice for this
vast undertaking? o angel nor man was capable of it, but the Mighty One (Psalms
89:19) whom the Father points out to us as his chosen, Isaiah 13:1. â€”Thomas
Boston.
Ver. 3-4. I made a covenant with my chosen, etc. Do you suppose that this was

spoken to David, in his own person only? o, indeed; but to David as the antitype,
figure, and forerunner of Jesus Christ. Hence, the Septuagint version renders it, I
have covenanted tois eklektois mou with my elect people, or with my chosen ones:
i.e. with them in Christ, and with Christ in their name. I have sworn unto David my
servant, unto the Messiah, who was typified by David; unto my coeternal Son, who
stipulated to take on himself "the form of a servant"; thy seed, i.e. all those whom I
have given to thee in the decree of election, all those whom thou shalt live and die to
redeem, these will I establish for ever, so as to render their salvation irreversible
and inadmissible: and build up thy throne, thy mediatorial throne, as King of saints
and covenant Head of the elect, to all generations: there shall always be a succession
of favoured sinners to be called and sanctified, in consequence of thy federal
obedience unto death; and every period of time shall recompense thy covenant
sufferings with an increasing revenue of converted souls, until as many as are
ordained to eternal life are gathered in.
Observe, here, that when Christ received the promise from the Father concerning
the establishment of his (i.e. of Christ's) throne to all generations, the plain meaning
is, that his people shall be thus established; for, consider Christ in his divine
capacity as the Son of God, and his throne was already established, and had been
from everlasting, and would have continued to be established without end, even if he
had never been incarnate at all. Therefore, the promise imports that Christ shall
reign, not simply as a person in the Godhead (which he ever did, ever will, and ever
must); but relatively, mediatorially, and in his office character, as the deliverer and
king of Zion. Hence it follows, that his people cannot be lost: for he would be a poor
sort of a king who had or might have no subjects to reign over. Consequently, that
"throne" of glory on which Christ sits is already encircled in part, and will at last be
completely surrounded and made still more glorious, by that innumerable company,
that general assembly and church of the firstborn who are written in heaven. â€”
Augustus Montague Toplady.
BE SO , "Verses 3-5
Psalms 89:3-5. I have made a covenant with my chosen — With David, whom I have
chosen to the kingdom. Thy seed will I establish for ever, &c. — I will perpetuate
the kingdom to thy posterity; which was promised upon condition, and was literally
accomplished in Christ, who was of the seed of David. And the heavens shall praise
thy wonders — That is, the inhabitants of heaven, the holy angels, who clearly
discern and constantly adore thy mercy and faithfulness; when men upon earth are
filled with doubts and perplexities about it. Thy faithfulness also — Understand,
shall be praised; (which supplements are usual in Scripture;) in the congregation of
the saints — Either, 1st, Of thy saints on earth in their public assemblies; who
always acknowledge and celebrate thy truth, though they cannot always discern the
footsteps of it: or, rather, 2d, Of the angels in heaven, of whom he speaks in the
foregoing clause; and who are often called saints, or holy ones.
COKE, "Psalms 89:3. I have made a covenant with my chosen— Mudge reads this
and the following verse in a parenthesis, and supposes the sense of the 2nd to be
continued to the 5th. Thy faithfulness shalt thou establish in the heavens, is
explained by the 36th and 37th verses. Houbigant prefixes to the 3rd verse, For thou

hast said. It is very evident, that these words can be understood of David but in a
limited sense: they refer principally to the Messiah.
EBC, "The Divine promise, on which the Davidic throne rests, is summed up in the
abruptly introduced pair of verses (Psalms 89:3-4). That promise is the second
theme of the psalm; and just as, in some great musical composition, the overture
sounds for the first time phrases which are to be recurrent and elaborated in the
sequel, so, in the four first verses of the psalm, its ruling thoughts are briefly put.
Psalms 89:1-2, stand first, but are second in time to Psalms 89:3-4. God’s oracle
preceded the singer’s praise. The language of these two verses echoes the original
passage in 2 Samuel 7:1-29, as in "David My servant, establish, forever, build, " the
last three of which expressions were used in Psalms 89:2, with a view to their
recurrence in Psalms 89:4. The music keeps before the mind the perpetual duration
of David’s throne.
4 ‘I will establish your line forever
and make your throne firm through all
generations.’”[c]
BAR ES, "Thy seed will I establish for ever - Thy children; thy posterity. The
reference is to his successors on the throne. The promise was that there should not fail
to be one on his throne; that is, that his dynasty should never become extinct. See 2Sa_
7:16 : “And thy house and thy kingdom shall be established forever before thee: thy
throne shall be established forever.” Compare also 1Ki_2:4. The word rendered
“establish” means properly to fit; then, to make firm; to put on a solid basis.
And build up thy throne - It shall be kept up; it shall be like a building that is
constantly progressing toward completion. The meaning is, that it would not fail. He
would not begin the work, and then abandon it. The dynasty, the kingdom, the throne,
would be complete and perpetual.
To all generations - As long as the world should stand. This can have been
accomplished only by the Messiah occupying in a spiritual sense the throne of “his father
David.” Compare Luk_1:32-33.
CLARKE, "Thy seed will I establish for ever, and build up thy throne to all
generations - And this covenant had most incontestably Jesus Christ in view. This is
the seed, or posterity, that should sit on the throne, and reign for ever and ever. David

and his family are long since become extinct; none of his race has sat on the Jewish
throne for more than two thousand years: but the Christ has reigned invariably since
that time, and will reign till all his enemies are put under his feet; and to this the
psalmist says Selah. It will be so, it is so; and it cannot be otherwise; for the Lord hath
sworn that he shall have an euerlasting kingdom, as he has an everlasting priesthood.
GILL, "Thy seed will I establish for ever,.... Meaning not the natural seed of
David, at least not only them; whose family was indeed preserved, though in very low
circumstances, until the Messiah came, who sprung from thence, Luk_1:27, but the
spiritual seed of Christ, to whom it was promised that he should have a seed, and should
see and enjoy it, and which should endure for ever; see Psa_89:29, and so he always has
had a seed to serve him in all generations, in the worst of times, and will; and who are
established in him, and will be kept and preserved by him, and whom he will present to
his Father, saying, "Lo, I and the children whom thou hast given me", Heb_2:13.
and build up thy throne to all generations; and this shows that the passage is not
to be understood literally of David, and of his temporal throne and kingdom, which did
not last many generations; but of the spiritual throne and kingdom of the Messiah, who
sprung from him, called the throne of his father David, whose throne is for ever and
ever, and whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, Luk_1:32, Psa_45:6, his throne is
in the heavens, where he will reign until all enemies are put under his feet; and it is also
in the midst of his church, and in the hearts of his people, where he reigns as King of
saints; and he is on the same throne with his Father; it is the same with his, as to glory,
power, and authority; on this he will sit, and judge the world at the last day; and on it he
will reign with his people a thousand years, in the New Jerusalem state, and after that to
all eternity, Rev_3:21.
SPURGEO , "Ver. 4. Thy seed will I establish for ever. David must always have a
seed, and truly in Jesus this is fulfilled beyond his hopes. What a seed David has in
the multitude which have sprung from him who was both his Son and his Lord. The
Son of David is the Great Progenitor, the second Adam, the Everlasting Father, he
sees his seed, and in them beholds of the travail of his soul.
And build up thy throne to all generations. David's dynasty never decays, but on the
contrary, is evermore consolidated by the great Architect of heaven and earth. Jesus
is a king as well as a progenitor and his throne is ever being built upâ€”his kingdom
comes â€”his power extends.
Thus runs the covenant; and when the church declines, it is ours to plead it before
the ever faithful God, as the Psalmist does in the latter verses of this sacred song.
Christ must reign, but why is his name blasphemed and his gospel so despised? The
more gracious Christians are, the more will they be moved to jealousy by the sad
estate of the Redeemer's cause, and the more will they argue the case with the great
Covenant maker, crying day and night before him, "Thy kingdom come."
Selah. It would not be meet to hurry on. Rest, O reader, at the bidding of this Selah,
and let each syllable of the covenant ring in thine cars; and then lift up the heart
and proceed with the sacred poet to tell forth the praises of the Lord.

PULPIT, "Thy seed will I establish forever (see 2 Samuel 7:12, 2 Samuel 7:13;
Psalms 130:1-8 :12). And build up thy throne to all generations. The promises to
David were not fulfilled in the letter. After Zerubbabel, no prince of the Davidic
house sat on the throne of David, or had temporal sway over Israel. The descendants
of David sank into obscurity, and so remained for five centuries. Still, however,
God's faithfulness was sure. In Jesus Christ, of the seed of David, the true King of
the everlasting kingdom was raised up—every pledge made to David was fulfilled.
"Messiah the Prince," eternal King of an eternal kingdom, appeared as the true
"Seed' intended, and began his spiritual reign over the spiritual Israel, which still
continues, and will continue forever.
5 The heavens praise your wonders, Lord,
your faithfulness too, in the assembly of the
holy ones.
BAR ES, "And the heavens shall praise thy wonders, O Lord - That is, the
inhabitants of heaven shall find new occasion for praise in the faithfulness evinced in
carrying out the promise to David, and in the marvelous things which will occur under
that promise, and in its accomplishment. If we suppose that this promise embraced the
Messiah and his reign, then we shall see what new occasions the angels would find for
praise - in the incarnation of the Redeemer, and in all that would be accomplished by
him.
Thy faithfulness also in the congregation of the saints - In the assembly of the
holy ones; that is, the angels. In their songs of praise, this will be among the things
which will fill them with joy. The idea is, that the inhabitants of the heavens - the holy
angels - would take a deep interest in the fulfillment of this promise, as it would furnish
new manifestations of the character of God. Compare Rev_5:11-14; 1Pe_1:12.
CLARKE, "The heavens shall praise thy wonders - The works that shall be
wrought by this descendant of David shall be so plainly miraculous as shall prove their
origin to be Divine: and both saints and angels shall join to celebrate his praises.
Thy faithfulness also - All thy promises shall be fulfilled; and particularly and
supereminently those which respect the congregation of the saints - the assemblies of
Christian believers.

GILL, "And the heavens shall praise thy wonders, O Lord,.... Which, by a
prosopopceia, may be understood of the heavens literally, in the same sense as other
inanimate creatures praise the Lord, Psa_148:3, or mystically of the church, consisting
of heaven born souls, and whose doctrines and ordinances are from heaven; or of the
apostles, as Jerom, who had their ministry, mission, commission, and gifts, from thence;
or rather of the angels, the inhabitants of heaven, who praise the Lord for his wonderful
works of nature, providence, and grace, Psa_148:2, particularly they admire and praise
the wonderful work of redemption "that wonderful thing of thine" (m), as the word may
be rendered, being in the singular number: the person of the Redeemer is wonderful,
and that is his name; his incarnation is a most amazing thing, it is the great mystery of
godliness; and the redemption wrought out by him is the wonder of men and angels:
when he appeared in the world, the angels of God worshipped him; at his birth, they
sung glory to God in the highest; and the mysteries of his grace are what they look into
with wonder and praise, Heb_1:6,
thy faithfulness also in the congregation of the saints; i.e. is praised there;
which Aben Ezra and Kimchi interpret of the angels also, who are called saints, Deu_
33:2, of which there is a congregation, even an innumerable company, Rev_19:6, these
not only admire and praise the wonderful works of the Lord, but his perfections also;
and particularly his faithfulness in the execution of promises and threatenings, Rev_
7:11, but rather holy men are meant, such as are called to be saints, and are gathered
together in a Gospel church state, designed by a congregation of them, among and by
whom the truth and faithfulness of God, as well as his lovingkindness and mercy, are
spoken of with the highest commendation, Psa_40:9.
HE RY, "These verses are full of the praises of God. Observe,
I. Where, and by whom, God is to be praised. 1. God is praised by the angels above:
The heavens shall praise thy wonders, O Lord! Psa_89:5; that is, “the glorious
inhabitants of the upper world continually celebrate thy praises.” Bless the Lord, you his
angels, Psa_103:20. The works of God are wonders even to those that are best
acquainted and most intimately conversant with them; the more God's works are known
the more they are admired and praised. This should make us love heaven, and long to be
there, that there we shall have nothing else to do but to praise God and his wonders. 2.
God is praised by the assemblies of his saints on earth (praise waits for him in Zion);
and, though their praises fall so far short of the praises of angels, yet God is pleased to
take notice of them, and accept of them, and reckon himself honoured by them. “Thy
faithfulness and the truth of thy promise, that rock on which the church is built, shall be
praised in the congregation of the saints, who owe their all to that faithfulness, and
whose constant comfort it is that there is a promise, and that he is faithful who has
promised.” It is expected from God's saints on earth that they praise him; who should, if
they do not? Let every saint praise him, but especially the congregation of saints; when
they come together, let them join in praising God. The more the better; it is the more like
heaven. Of the honour done to God by the assembly of the saints he speaks again (Psa_
89:7): God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of the saints. Saints should assemble
for religious worship, that they may publicly own their relation to God and may stir up
one another to give honour to him, and, in keeping up communion with God, may
likewise maintain the communion of saints. In religious assemblies God has promised
the presence of his grace, but we must also, in them, have an eye to his glorious
presence, that the familiarity we are admitted to may not breed the least contempt; for
he is terrible in his holy places, and therefore greatly to be feared. A holy awe of God

must fall upon us, and fill us, in all our approaches to God, even in secret, to which
something may very well be added by the solemnity of public assemblies. God must be
had in reverence of all that are about him, that attend him continually as his servants or
approach him upon any particular errand. See Lev_10:3. Those only serve God
acceptably who serve him with reverence and godly fear, Heb_12:28.
CALVI , "5.And the heavens shall praise thy wondrous work. The prophet, having
spoken of God’s covenant, even as faith ought to begin at the word, now descends to
a general commendation of his works. It is, however, to be observed, that when he
treats of the wonderful power of God, he has no other end in view than to exalt and
magnify more highly the holiness of the covenant. He exclaims, that this is the God
who has rightful claims to be served and feared, who ought to be believed, and upon
whose power the most unhesitating confidence may be reposed. The words
wondrous work, in the first clause, I would therefore limit to the power which God
displays in preserving and maintaining his Church. The heavens, it is true, are most
excellent witnesses and preachers of God’s wonderful power; but from attending to
the scope of the passage, it will be still more evident, that the encomiums here
pronounced have all a special reference to the end of which I have spoken. Some
interpreters judiciously explain the word heavens, of the angels, among whom there
is a common joy and congratulation in the salvation of the Church. This
interpretation is confirmed from the last clause of the verse, in which it is asserted,
that God’s truth will be celebrated in the congregation of the saints There is no
doubt, that the same subject is here prosecuted, and that by the word truth, it is
intended to signalise the remarkable deliverances by which God had manifested his
faithfulness to the promises made to his servants.
SPURGEO , "Ver. 5. And the heavens shall praise thy wonders, O Lord. Looking
down upon what God had done, and was about to do, in connection with his
covenant of grace, all heaven would be filled with adoring wonder. The sun and
moon, which had been made tokens of the covenant, would praise God for such an
extraordinary display of mercy, and the angels and redeemed spirits would sing, "as
it were, a new song."
Thy faithfulness also in the congregation of the saints. By which is probably
intended the holy ones on earth. So that the "whole family in heaven and earth"
would join in the praise. Earth and heaven are one in admiring and adoring the
covenant God. Saints above see most clearly into the heights and depths of divine
love, therefore they praise its wonders; and saints below, being conscious of their
many sins and multiplied provocations of the Lord, admire his faithfulness. The
heavens broke forth with music at the wonders of mercy contained in the glad
tidings concerning Bethlehem, and the saints who came together in the temple
magnified the faithfulness of God at the birth of the Son of David. Since that
auspicious day, the general assembly on high and the sacred congregation below
have not ceased to sing unto Jehovah, the Lord that keepeth covenant with his elect.
Ver. 5. The Heavens, etc. ow, for this kingdom of his, the heavens are said to praise
his wonders, which is spoken of the angels, who are often called the heavens, from
their place; as in Job it is said, "The heavens are not clean in his sight." And these

Psalm 89 commentary

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Psalm 89 commentary