The ornaments and privileges of the church.
0 A 1Song and Psalm for the 2sons of Korah.
1 As contrariwise you have it in Psalm 30 title: A Psalm and Song. The difference of this was, as some conjecture, that A Psalm and Song was to begin first with playing of the instruments, the song following after; and A Song and Psalm to begin with singing or voices, the instruments of music following. Nevertheless, many hold it to be one and the same thing.
2 See the third annotation at Psalm 42 in the title.
1GREAT is the LORD, and greatly 3to be praised in the 4city of our God, in the mountain of his holiness.
3 Or, laudable, praiseworthy, as 2 Sam. 22:4; Psalm 18:3; 145:3.
4 Jerusalem, typifying the church of God and the heavenly Jerusalem, as also did Zion, Heb. 12:22; Rev. 14:1.
2Beautiful for 5situation, the joy of the 6whole earth, is mount Zion, on the sides of the 7north, thea city of the great 8King.
5 Or, elevation, region. Some understand this as a description of the city in this sense: Beautiful for situation, the glory and joy of all the earth, namely, is this city; and so on the side of the north is the hill of Zion.
6 Not only of the land of Judah or Israel in regard of the enjoying so many deliverances, but even of the whole world; for, from there the light and salvation was to go forth into all the world, and thereunto the Gentiles were to repair cheerfully, Isa. 2:2, 3; Micah 4:1; Acts 1:8.
7 Where the temple was built, Isa. 14:13. Compare Ezek. 40:2.
a Mat. 5:35.
8 Namely, of God, as verse 9; Mal. 1:14, wherein God dwells, Zech. 8:3.
3God is known in her 9palaces for a refuge.
9 That is, great stately buildings, resembling mighty towers and castles or citadels, in which carnal men use to put their trust and confidence, but amongst the people of God, God only (even in these very palaces) is acknowledged to be the most assured Refuge and Protection.
4For, lo, the 10kings were assembled, they passed by together.
10 As it occurred in the time of Jehoshaphat, 2 Chronicles 20. Some apply it to the history of Sennacherib, 2 Kings 18.
5They 11saw it, and so they marvelled; they were troubled, and hasted away.
11 That is, the more they looked on, the more they were amazed. Thus may this kind of speaking be completed out of Exod. 1:12; Hosea 4:7. The letter caph, or caascher (that is, like as) is likewise left out thus in the Hebrew text, Hosea 11:2. See there.
6Fear took hold upon them there, and pain, as of a woman in travail.
7Thou 12breakest the ships of 13Tarshish with an east wind.
12 The meaning is: Thou, O LORD, hast so broken and discomfited all their power and pride of these kings as Thou canst easily break and batter in pieces the great and pompous ships upon the ocean by the east wind in a moment.
13 See 1 Kings 10 on verse 22.
8As we have heard, so have we seen in the city of the LORD of 14hosts, in the city of our God: God will establish it 15for ever. 16Selah.
14 See 1 Kings 18 on verse 15.
15 Compare Gen. 17 on verse 7.
16 See Psalm 3 on verse 2.
9We have 17thought of thy lovingkindness, O God, in the midst of thy 18temple.
17 Or, we have in stillness considered or meditated, waiting for Thy help.
18 Compare 2 Kings 19:14, 15, etc.; 2 Chron. 20:5, 6, etc.
10According to thy 19name, O God, so is thy praise unto the ends of the earth: 20thy right hand is full of righteousness.
19 Even as Thy Being and majesty is infinite, so also is Thy fame and praise; or, Thou dost show and manifest Thyself the very same; Thou shalt revealed Thyself in Thy Word by those works of Thine, which are praised to, etc.
20 Thy power is abundantly sufficient to preserve Thy people and to subdue the enemies, according to Thy righteousness which Thou hast so often put in execution; (it is) no different than if one would pour out things with a full hand, showing thereby that there is no shortage.
11Let 21mount Zion rejoice, let the 22daughters of Judah be glad, because of thy 23judgments.
21 That is, the inhabitants of Jerusalem, God’s people.
22 That is, other cities and places with their inhabitants, they being as the daughters of Jerusalem, the mother of them all, as the Scripture speaks.
23 Which Thou executests upon Thine enemies for the protection of the people.
12Walk about Zion, and go round about her: 24tell the towers thereof.
24 To see that there is nothing wanting or amiss, that the enemy has done no hurt, and consequently, from the beauty and strength of the whole city, to consider of and celebrate for your posterity, the great love God bears unto her and unto His whole church.
1325Mark ye well her bulwarks, 26consider her palaces; that ye may tell it to the generation 27following.
25 That is, mark with attention.
26 Or, lift up your eyes, etc. The Hebrew word is only found here and therefore variously translated. It seems that from this has derived the name of the mountain or (as others would have it) of the little hill of Pisgah, Num. 21:20; 23:14; Deut. 3:17; 34:1. In the Chaldean language the same word signifies to part, divide, share, lay out in pieces.
27 Hebr. the hindmost and last generation, from which words some do gather the prophet implied and intimated that Jerusalem was not to continue always, but to be destroyed and laid waste; notwithstanding the church of God remains established, having been typified by it. Compare Mat. 24:1, 2, etc.
14For this God 28is our God for ever and ever: he will be our 29guide even 30unto death.
28 See Gen. 17 on verse 7.
29 As a shepherd does his flock, Psalm 78:52, 72; 80:1.
30 That is, all our life long.