1The Psalmist, having acknowledged God's returning favour to his people, humbly prayeth for the completion of it: 8he promiseth to wait God's answer in confidence of his manifold blessings.
0To the chief Musician, A Psalm for the sons of Korah.
1LORD, thou hast 1been favourable unto 2thy land: thou hast brought back 3the captivity 4of Jacob.
1 Namely, of old, in former times, when Thou didst recover the same from the enemies which had taken it.
2 Or, thou hast delighted, had pleasure in thy land, namely, the land of Canaan, which thou hast given to Thy people to inhabit.
3 That is, Thou hast delivered the captive Jews out of their Babylonian captivity, to which they were carried away. Captivity for captives is likewise used Psalm 14:7; 68:18 and elsewhere.
4 That is, the posterity of Jacob.
2Thou hast forgiven the iniquity of thy people, thou hast covered all their sin. Selah.
3Thou hast 5taken away all thy 6wrath: thou hast turned thyself from the fierceness of thine anger.
5 Or, made to cease. Hebr. thou hast gathered.
6 That is, the chastisements and punishments which Thou was wanted to pour upon people in Thy wrath. See the annotation Job 21 on verse 30.
47Turn us, O God of our salvation, and cause thine anger toward us to cease.
7 To our previous state and condition. Other, convert us.
5Wilt thou be angry with us for ever? wilt thou draw out thine anger 8to all generations?
8 Hebr. upon generation and generation.
69Wilt thou not revive us again:a that thy people may rejoice 10in thee?
9 Hebr. wilt thou not turn us again, revive us? Namely, fully restoring us, whereas now we are like unto a dead people in this miserable captivity?
a Psalm 71:20.
10 Namely, for Thy goodness and kindness shown unto them.
711Shew us thy mercy, O LORD, and grant us 12thy salvation.
11 Or, Let us see, that is, let us partake of and enjoy Thy favor and goodness, as Psalm 50:23.
12 That is, Thy saving deliverance.
813I will hear what God the LORD will speak: for he will speak peace unto his people, and to his saints: but let them not turn again 14to folly.
13 That is, I will attentively mark what God testifies unto us of His grace and favor to His church, as well by His Word as by the manifold works of His power.
14 That is, to sin and to transgress against God’s holy law, whereby they have incurred God’s just wrath upon themselves, not listening unto nor obeying admonitions and instructions of the prophets as they ought to have done. See Psalm 125:3.
9Surely his salvation is nigh them that fear him; 15that glory may dwell in our land.
15 That is, in order that our land may be brought again into that glorious and happy condition, which it enjoyed in former times.
10Mercy and 16truth 17are met together; righteousnessb and peace 18have kissed 19each other.
16 Or, faithfulness. And so likewise verse 11.
17 Or, have met each other.
bHeb. 7:2.
18 By these and the following proverbs, which are partly delivered by way of similes or comparisons, the prophet describes the blessed estate of the Kingdom of Christ, Whose coming and glorious benefits are here referred to.
19 Namely, as friends do when they meet each other, Exod. 4:27; 18:7.
11Truth 20shall spring out of the earth; and righteousness 21shall look down from heaven.
20 That is, it shall be enlarged and spread abroad to the conversion of many to God and their obedience to the Gospel.
21 That is, it shall be given and imparted unto men by God.
12Yea, the LORD shall give that which is 22good; and our landc shall yield her increase.
22 Understand here the good and perfect gift which comes from above from the Father of lights, James 1:17.
cPsalm 67:6.
1323Righteousness shall go before him; and 24shall set us in the way of his steps.
23 The psalmist gives to understand by these words that Christ shall bring with Him to all places, where He comes with the preaching of the Holy Gospel, the righteousness of faith, spoken of in verse 10.
24 Namely, that same righteousness. Or, he shall set us upon the way of his footsteps.