1The majesty of God in the church: 5his command to gather his saints. 7God delighteth not in sacrifice, 14but in a pious heart. 16The hypocrite rebuked: 23salvation promised to the upright.
0A Psalm 1of Asaph.
1 Or, for Asaph, that is, put into the hands of him or his posterity, for the use in the church of God; as Jacob and Israel are frequently taken for the Israelites or the posterity of Jacob, and Aaron for Aaron’s posterity, 1 Chron. 12:27. Also by Asaph there may be sometimes understood his posterity. Asaph was a chief musician and also a seer or prophet. See 1 Chron. 25:1, etc.; 2 Chron. 29:30.
1THE mighty 2God, even the LORD, hath spoken, and called the 3earth from the rising of the sun unto the going down thereof.
2 See Deut. 10 on verse 17; Psalm 82:1. Some understand it that there are three distinct names of God here joined together, El, Elohim. Jehovah. Compare Joshua 22:22.
3 That is, the inhabitants of the earth.
2Out of Zion, the 4perfection of beauty, God 5hath shined.
4 That is, which is perfectly beautiful in regard of the pure worship of God, the holy assemblies, the ark of the covenant, etc. and all the typified spiritual matters. Compare Psalm 48:2; Lam. 2:15; 1 Peter 1:10, 11, 12.
5 Or, God hath appeared to shine. Compare Deut. 33:2. Some take it thus: God hath made the perfection of beauty to shine forth out of Zion.
3Our God shall 6come, and shall not keep 7silence: a 8fire shall devour before him, and it shall be very tempestuous round about him.
6 Compare Rev. 22:20.
7 Or, be still. See Judges 18 on verse 9.
8 Compare Deut. 4:24; 2 Sam. 22:9; Psalm 18:8.
4He shall call to the 9heavens from above, and to the earth, that he may judge his people.
9 Taking them as witnesses. See Deut. 4 on verse 26.
510Gather my saints together unto me; those that have made a 11covenant with me by sacrifice.
10 Compare Mat. 24:31. These are the words God, whereby He is introduced, as by His messengers, inviting and summoning His people (who in general are called His saints), to pronounce His judgment upon their worship of God.
11 That is to say, who offer to seal thereby the covenant that is between Me and them, and to show that they are My faithful confederates by covenant. Of the ceremonies that were usual in making of covenants, see Gen. 15 on verses 17, 18, and an example of a covenant-making between God and His people by offering sacrifices, Exod. 24:4, 5, 6, 7, 8. All this had a regard to the blood of the New Testament and the Mediator of the same, our Lord Jesus Christ, in Whom alone the covenant of God is established with all His true saints, Hebrews 7; 8; 9; 10.
612And the heavens shall declare his righteousness: for God is judge himself. 13Selah.
12 These are the words of the prophet again, which he (before he proceeds in the account of God’s own words to His people) inserts here to show the justice of God’s judgment, whereof all creatures must bear witness, especially the celestial hosts of the blessed angels, who do assist and honor Him in the execution of the judgment, together with His saints, of whom it is said that they shall judge the world, Mat. 19:28; 1 Cor. 6:2. Compare Dan. 7:10; Mat. 25:31.
13 See Psalm 3 on verse 2.
7Hear, O my people, and I will speak; O Israel, and I will 14testify against thee: I am God, even 15thy God.
14 I will earnestly declare and remonstrate unto you the true contents and requisites of My covenant that I have made with you. Or, I will testify among thee, that is, seriously convince thee, that thou dost transgress My covenant. Both God does this in this psalm, partly exciting and stirring up the godly, and partly convincing the wicked hypocrites and severely threatening them as covenant-breakers; and the Hebrew manner of speech is used in both significations.
15 Or, I am God, thy God. See Gen. 17 on verse 7. This is the sum of the covenant on God’s part; of the people’s duty God speaks in the sequel.
8I will not reprove thee 16for thy sacrifices or thy burnt offerings, to have been continually before me.
16 Namely, in what concerns the outward performance only. You are continually busied with offerings, there is no want of that, would the Lord say to them, but the spiritual and the most important part are missing, as follows. Some do understand it further of the abrogation of the ceremonies of the Old Testament, and the institution of the spiritual worship in the New Testament.
9I will take no bullock out of thy house, nor he goats out of thy folds.
10For every beast of the forest is mine, and the cattle upon a 17thousand hills.
17 Hebr. mountains of a thousand; which some do render: on mountains by thousands, understanding that of beasts or cattle.
11I know all the fowls of the mountains: and the wild beasts of the field are 18mine.
18 Or, at, with me, that is, they are in My power, ready for Me. Or, it belongs all to Me, I can have it when I please, it is all at My service and disposal; insomuch that you do strangely err, to think to pacify Me only with your outward sacrifices or to perform My covenant by such outward performances.
12If I were hungry, I would not tell thee: for the world is mine,a and the 19fulness thereof.
a Exod. 19:5; Deut. 10:14; Job 41:2; Psalm 24:1; 1 Cor. 10:26, 28.
19 That is, whatsoever there is in it, wherewith it is filled and beautified by Me, as Psalm 24:1; 89:11.
13Will I eat the 20flesh of bulls, or drink the blood of goats?
20 Of the Hebrew word see Psalm 22 on verse 12.
14Offer unto God 21thanksgiving; and payb thy vows unto the most High:
21 Or, praise. Of the ceremonial praise offering see Lev. 7:12, but here is spoken of the spiritual offerings which God’s covenanted people are bound to perform unto God. Compare Heb. 13:15.
bDeut. 23:23; Job 22:27; Psalm 76:11; Eccl. 5:3, 4, 5.
15And call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me.
16But unto the wicked God saith, What hast thou to do to declare my statutes, or that thou shouldest take my covenant in thy mouth?
17Seeing thou hatest 22instruction, and castest my words 23behind thee.
22 Or, discipline, chastisement, reproof in words or works, serving to instruct and reform a sinner. The Hebrew properly signifies a binding, restraint, and is further taken for discipline and chastisement, being the way of life and wisdom, Prov. 6:23; 12:1.
23 As men use to do when they despise a thing and do not value it at all, what their eyes may not see. Compare 1 Kings 14 on verse 9.
18When thou sawest a thief, then thou 24consentedst with him, and hast been 25partaker with adulterers.
24 Or, thou assentest to, takest pleasure in him. The meaning is: Thou art presently on fire and ready to agree and consent to his evil doing and to join heart, tongue and practice with him. The Hebrew word seems to participate of both significations to run and to take pleasure therein.
25 Compare Prov. 29:24, whereupon follows, that such partake likewise of the same punishment with them. See Job 20:29, with the annotation.
19Thou 26givest thy mouth to evil, and thy tongue 27frameth deceit.
26 Hebr. properly, sendest, that is, you use, apply, employ the same in evil things.
27 Or, forgeth together.
20Thou sittest and speakest 28against thy brother; thou slanderest thine own mother’s 29son.
28 To his hurt.
29 See Deut. 13 on verse 6.
21These things hast thou done, and I kept 30silence; thou thoughtest that I was 31altogether such an one as thyself: but I will reprove thee, and set them 32in order before thine eyes.
30 Or, quiet, still, not punishing thee right away, but affording thee time for repentance according to My long-suffering, which yet thou dost misuse. Compare Rom. 2:4, 5.
31 Hebr. that being I am, or shall be.
32 As in a row or in order, I shall count before thee and make thee sensible about all your covenant-breaking.
22Now consider this, ye that forget God, lest I 33tear you in pieces, and there be none to deliver.
33 As a lion or some other wild beast. See of the Hebrew word in this signification Gen. 31:39; 37:33; Exod. 22:13. Other, plunder, snatch away, namely, to tear in pieces.
23Whoso offereth praise glorifieth me: and to him that ordereth his 34conversation aright will I 35shew the salvation of God.
34 That is, conduct in life as Psalm 1 on verse 1. Other, who so puts it into a custom or makes a custom of it, namely, to give God praise and thanks.
35 That is, to enjoy, partake of, as Psalm 4:6, and elsewhere frequently. See Job 7 on verse 7.