THE *BOOK OF
PSALMS.

Psalm 102

1The prophet complaineth bitterly of his afflicted case: 12he taketh comfort in the eternity and mercy of God. 18The mercies of God are worthy to be recorded. 23The prophet, sensible of his own weakness, resteth his hope on the unchangeable nature of God.


0A Prayer1of the afflicted, when he is 2overwhelmed, and 3poureth out his complaint before the LORD.

1 Or, for the afflicted. Understand here the oppressed and afflicted captives in Babylon.

2 Namely, with fears and terror. In this sense is the word overwhelmed likewise taken Psalm 61:2; 77:3; 107:5; 142:3; 143:4.

3 That is, making it known freely and abundantly from the bottom of his heart.

1HEAR my prayer, O LORD, and let my cry come unto thee.

24Hide not thy face from me in the day when I am in trouble; incline thine ear unto me: in the day when I call 5answer me speedily.

4 That is, withdraw not Thy help from me. See the annotation Job 13 on verse 24.

5 Hebr. make haste, hear me.

3For 6my days are consumed 7likea smoke, and my bones are burned 8as an hearth.

6 Namely, the days of my life.

7 Other, in or into smoke.

a Psalm 37:20.

8 Other, as a fire-brand on the hearth. See Job 21 on verse 24.

4My heart is smitten, and withered 9like grass; 10so that I forget to eat my bread.

9 Which, being cut down, withers and turns into hay.

10 As if he said: I had no mind or pleasure to take my necessary refreshment or to use any means of sustenance.

511By reason of the voice of my groaning my bones cleave 12to my skin.

11 That is, by reason of my sighing this comes daily from me with loud groans and crying.

12 Or, to my flesh. He wants to say: I am so wasted that I have nothing left me but skin and bones. See Job 19 on verse 20; Lam. 4:8.

6 I 13am like a pelican of the wilderness: I am like an owl of the desert.

13 That is, I am pressed to abide all alone and solitary, being forsaken by all people, I make a strange noise and sound, much like the pelican and the owls, Job 30:29.

714I watch, and am 15as a sparrow alone upon the house top.

14 I cannot sleep.

15 That is, as a sparrow that has lost its mate or companion.

816Mine enemies reproach me all the day; and they that 17are mad against me 18are sworn against me.

16 Namely, the Babylonians or Chaldeans.

17 See the annotation on Psalm 5 on verse 5.

18 That is, when they swear to do somebody a mischief, they threaten as such that they shall mistreat him in a manner that he shall become equal unto me. Or, they use my name for a formula of cursing. Compare Num. 5:21; Isa. 65:15; Jer. 29:22, together with the annotations. Other, they swear against me.

9For 19I have eaten ashes like bread, and mingled 20my drink with weeping,

19 He wants to say: While I, mourning, lie in ashes, it happens often that I eat ashes with my food. Other, I am so cast down and troubled that I find no more desire nor relish in my bread or other meat, than if I were eating ashes.

20 Hebr. my drinks, that is, whatever I drink.

1021Because of thine indignation and thy wrath: for thou hast lifted me up, and cast me down.

21 Hebr. from the face of thine fury.

1122My days are 23like a shadow that declineth; and I am withered 24like grass.

22 The days of my life.

23 Namely, at the going down of the sun.; then the shadow is indeed stretched out to a great length, but it is of no durance, the night presently intercepting it. Psalm 109:23; 144:4.

24 See verse 4.

12But thou, O LORD, shalt endure for ever; and 25thy remembrance unto all generations.

25 That is, the remembrance of Thy glorious acts and benefits formerly achieved and shown unto Thy people. See Exod. 3:15; Psalm 135:13.

13Thou shalt arise, and have mercy 26upon Zion: for the time to favour her, yea, the 27set time, is come.

26 That is, over Thy people and over the city of Jerusalem.

27 Namely, the time of the seventy years of our captivity, foretold by Thy prophets. See 2 Chron. 36:21; Jer. 25:12; 29:10; Dan. 9:2, 24, 25. For, it appears plainly by the last words of this verse that this psalm was made about the latter end of the Babylonian captivity.

14For 28thy servants 29take pleasure in her stones, and 30favour the 31dust thereof.

28 That is, we Jews, Neh. 1:3; 2:3; 4:2.

29 That is, they longed and would be delighted to see that the city of Jerusalem were built up again, and were much grieved that it was made a heap of stones.

30 That is, it does them pain that the city and the temple remain destroyed as such.

31 Or, dust, or, rubbish.

15So the 32heathen shall fear the name of the LORD, and all the kings of the earth thy glory.

32 Namely, those who shall see the wonderful deliverance of Thy people and the fulfillment or accomplishment of Thy promises.

16When the LORD shall build up Zion, he shall appear in his glory.

17He will regard the prayer 33of the destitute, and not despise their prayer.

33 Understand hereby the poor Jews who were in the Babylonian captivity.

1834This shall be written for the generation to come: and the people 35which shall be created shall praise the LORD.

34 Namely, our deliverance out of the Babylonian captivity.

35 That is, the people that shall be born hereafter or long after; nevertheless it may likewise be understood of the people of Israel, who, being delivered out of the Babylonian captivity, were as raised up again out of the dust and, as it were, newly created. See Psalm 22:31; Ezekiel 37.

19For he hath looked down 36from the height of his sanctuary; from heaven did the LORD behold 37the earth;

36 This is taken from Deut. 26:15. Other, from his holy height, that is, from heaven.

37 That is, upon us, who dwell on earth.

20To hear the groaning 38of the prisoner; to loose those 39that are appointed to death;

38 Namely, those who were imprisoned in Babylon. Hebr. of the captive or of those that were bound.

39 That is, those who were appointed to die, as Psalm 44:22; 79:11.

21To declare the name of the LORD in Zion, and his praise in Jerusalem;

2240When the people are gathered together, and the kingdoms, to serve the LORD.

40 That is, when God shall make but one people of Jews and Gentiles, and gather a church unto Himself out of all the kingdoms of the earth. See Acts 2:5; Eph. 2:13, 14.

2341He weakened my strength 42in the way; he shortened 43my days.

41 Namely, God.

42 Namely, when I was carried away captive to Babylon, where I have continued in captivity thus far.

43 Namely, the days of my life, insomuch that many of us died and perished in grief and misery. See the similar speeches Job 21:21. See likewise Psalm 55 on verse 23.

2444I said, O my God, 45take me not away in the midst of my days: 46thy years are throughout 47all generations.

44 Namely, when the Lord afflicted me upon the way to Babylon, verse 23, setting such thoughts as these in opposition to the former temptation and fear of sudden death.

45 Hebr. take me not up, namely, out of this life. See the annotation Job 36 on verse 20.

46 The prophet wants to say: Lord, since Thou abidest forever, therefore shall Thy church thus also continue and none of all her enemies and persecutors shall ever be able to suppress her as he concludes in verse 28.

47 Hebr. from generation of generation.

2548Of 49old hast thou laid the foundation of the earth: and the heavens are the work of thy hands.

48 Hebr. before the face, it is meant to say here: formerly, in former times.

49 The apostle makes use of these words in Heb. 1:10, 11, 12 to prove the Godhead of Christ, for the reason that here the Lord Christ is not only to be declared Creator of all and eternal things, but also a Redeemer and Savior of His church. See verses 13, 15, 22, 28. Wherefore the apostle, having repeated from the quoted place (from verse 12 above) also the name LORD, he attributes this to Him.

2650They shall perish, but thou shalt endure: yea, 51all of them shall wax old like a garment; as a vestureb shalt thou change them, and they shall be changed:

50 Namely, heaven and earth, Heb. 1:10, 11.

51 Namely, all the heavens.

bHeb. 1:12.

27But 52thou art the same, and thy years shall have no end.

52 Namely, that Thou wast before from all eternity, and Thou abidest the Same likewise into eternity.

2853The children of thy servants shall 54continue, and their seed shall be established before thee.

53 That is, our children or posterity.

54 That is, have a permanent and abiding habitation with Thee, which shall never be changed. Or, they shall dwell in Zion, verse 21; Psalm 69:35, 36.