Psalms · Chapter 72

V. 1. Judgments-He saith judgments in the plural number, because though the office of judging and ruling was but one, yet there were divers parts and branches, of it; in all which he begs that Solomon may be directed to do as God would have him to do.

Verse 1. Give the king thy judgments] Let Solomon receive thy law, as the civil and ecclesiastical code by which he is to govern the kingdom. And thy righteousness unto the king’s son.] Righteousness may signify equity. Let him not only rule according to the strict letter of thy law, that being the base on which all his decisions shall be founded; but let him rule also according to equity, that rigorous justice may never become oppressive. Solomon is called here the king, because now set upon the Jewish throne; and he is called the king’s son, to signify his right to that throne on which he now sat.

1:39, &c.,) that David might have the satisfaction to see all the great men of his kingdom do homage to Solomon, and acknowledge him for their succeeding sovereign before he died. Upon this, it is probable, the spirit of the holy man was so transported with an extraordinary joy, that he endited this hymn, wherein he first recommends Solomon to the divine benediction, and then instructs him how to make his people happy, by describing the qualities of a good king, and the prosperous state of the kingdom under his government. This he began to behold before he died, (1 Chronicles 29:25,) and he hoped others would behold it when he was gone, to the example and admiration of all following generations. Divers passages of this Psalm, however, do not agree to Solomon, nor to any other king but the Messiah, as is confessed by the Jewish doctors themselves, who so understand it. It must therefore be acknowledged, that this, like many others, is a mixed Psalm, belonging to Solomon imperfectly, but to Christ clearly and fully: divers expressions being designedly so ordered, that the reader might be led by them to the contemplation of Christ and his kingdom on this occasion. Which was the more necessary for the support of God’s true Israel, because the Spirit of God foresaw Solomon’s dreadful apostacy, and the great misconduct and calamities of his successors, and the miserable state of the kingdom under their hands, and therefore was pleased to fortify their hearts with views of that glorious condition which they should enjoy under the Messiah, who should certainly come. After a short prayer for his successor, he foretels the glory of his reign, 1-17. And concludes with prayer to the God of Israel, 18-20. NOTES ON PSALM 72.

Verse 1. Give the king — Namely, Solomon, who was now anointed king, although his father was yet living, 1 Kings 1:39; thy judgments — Either, 1st, Thy statutes and precepts, often called God’s judgments; as thou hast already given them to him in thy book, so give them to him in another and better way, by writing them upon his heart, or by giving him a perfect knowledge of them, and a hearty love to them, that he may obey and walk according to them. Or, 2d, Give him a thorough acquaintance with thy manner of governing and judging, that he may follow thy example in ruling thy people, as thou rulest them, namely, in righteousness, as it follows. He says judgments, in the plural number, because, though the office of ruling and judging was but one, yet there were divers parts and branches of it; in all which he prays that Solomon might be directed to do as God would have him do in such cases.

Verse 1. Give the king thy judgments. The priest was required to furnish the king with a copy of the law; but here the sire prays that the son might be divinely taught, that God would endow him with wisdom from above.

1. Judgments… righteousness—The latter the principle, the former the act or sentence, of justice. The one implies the discernment of the will of God, or wisdom to govern; the other, the executive energy to adjust the administration of government to that standard. This was partially fulfilled in the early part of Solomon’s reign, (see 1 Kings 3:28, and 10:9,) but the state of society here described is realized fully only under King Messiah’s government, and is represented (Revelation 20:4) as belonging to the millennium: “I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them.” The king… the king’s son—The one a designation of office, the other of royal descent, and hence of hereditary right to reign.

V. 2. Thy afflicted ones-For such are thine in a special manner, thou art their judge and patron.

Verse 2. He shall judge thy people with righteousness] With justice and mercy mixed, or according to equity.

And thy poor with judgment.] Every one according to the law which thou hast appointed; but with especial tenderness to the poor and afflicted.

Verse 2. He shall judge thy people with righteousness — Namely, if thou givest him what I have desired. And by this prediction he tacitly admonishes him of, and obliges him to, the performance of his duty. Or the words may be rendered, Let him judge, the future being put for the imperative, as is often the case; and so it is a prayer. And thy poor — Or, thy afflicted, or oppressed ones; for such are thine in a special manner; thou art their judge and patron, Psalm 68:5, and hast commanded all thy people, and especially kings and magistrates, to take a singular care of them, because they have few or no friends.

V. 3. The mountains-Which are so dangerous to passengers, in regard of robbers and wild beasts. Hereby it is implied, that other places should do so too, and that it should be common and universal.

Verse 3. The mountains shall bring peace] Perhaps mountains and hills are here taken in their figurative sense, to signify princes and petty governors; and it is a prediction that all governors of provinces and magistrates should administer equal justice in their several departments and jurisdictions; so that universal peace should be preserved, and the people be every where prosperous; for שלום shalom signifies both peace and prosperity, for without the former the latter never existed. But what is the meaning of “the little hills by righteousness?” Why, it has no meaning: and it has none, because it is a false division of the verse. The word hqdxb bitsedakah, in righteousness, at the end of verse 3, should begin verse 4, and then the sense will be plain. Ver. 3: “The mountains and the hills shall bring prosperity to the people.” Ver. 4: “In righteousness he shall judge the poor of the people: he shall save the children of the needy, and shall break in pieces the oppressor.”

The effects, mentioned in the fourth verse, show that King Solomon should act according to the law of his God; and that all officers, magistrates, and governors, should minister equal rights through every part of the land. The Septuagint has the true division: Analabetw ta orh eirhnhn tw law sou, kai oi bounoi, En dikaiosunh krinei touv ptwcouv tou laou, k. t. l. “The mountains shall bring peace to thy people, and the hills: In righteousness shall he judge the poor of thy people,” &c.

Verses 3, 4. The mountains, &c. — Which are so dangerous to passengers, on account of robbers or wild beasts, which commonly abide there; shall bring forth peace — Shall be travelled over, or inhabited, with perfect security and safety. Or peace is here put for that prosperity, ease, and plenty, which is the fruit of peace; when the mountains and hills are cultivated and tilled, and so are capable of producing abundance of grain, though naturally full of stones and barren. He shall judge the poor of the people — That is, vindicate them from their potent oppressors, as judging often means. He shall save the children of the needy — Whom the rich had, or would have seized upon, for bond-men, upon some pretence or other.

Ver. 3. The mountains shall bring peace, all kinds of plenty to the land; the feet of evangelists shall be beautiful on the hills. And the little hills by righteousness. The last word belongs to the next verse. The LXX correct the transposition thus: ver. 3, the mountains and the hills shall bring peace to thy people: ver. 4, in righteousness shall he judge the poor.

3. Mountains shall bring peace—The verb may be taken in the sense of to elevate, lift up, as a signal, and hence the ensigns of war upon the tops of the mountains shall give place to peace-signals and publishers of good tidings. See Isaiah 40:9, and 52:7, 8; or, it may be taken in the sense of bring forth, and allude to the fact that cities and villages were generally built upon mountains or hills for better military defence, and here, naturally, would be the centres of war. But those, being now at peace, would bring peace to the nation. Anciently nations were composed of municipalities. Country life was little known.

V. 4. Judge-Vindicate them from their oppressors.

Verses 3, 4. The mountains, &c. — Which are so dangerous to passengers, on account of robbers or wild beasts, which commonly abide there; shall bring forth peace — Shall be travelled over, or inhabited, with perfect security and safety. Or peace is here put for that prosperity, ease, and plenty, which is the fruit of peace; when the mountains and hills are cultivated and tilled, and so are capable of producing abundance of grain, though naturally full of stones and barren. He shall judge the poor of the people — That is, vindicate them from their potent oppressors, as judging often means. He shall save the children of the needy — Whom the rich had, or would have seized upon, for bond-men, upon some pretence or other.

4. Children of the needy—The phrase specially signifies those who are born to poverty, and is an intensive advance in the sense of poor, in the former line of the verse. In the absolute monarchies of the East these were treated as though they had little claim to justice and protection—a horrible sin in the sight of God! Jeremiah 5:28, 29; Amos 4:1, and 8:4, 6. Compare, under Messiah’s government, Matthew 5:3, and 11:4, 5.

V. 5. Thee-Thee, O God, this shall be another blessed fruit of this righteous government, that together with peace, true religion shall be established, and that throughout all generations, which was begun in Solomon’s days, but not fully accomplished ‘till Christ came.

Verse 5. They shall fear thee] There is no sense in which this can be spoken of Solomon, nor indeed of any other man: it belongs to Jesus Christ, and to him alone. He is the Prince of peace, who shall be feared and reverenced “through all generations, and as long as the sun and moon endure.”

Verse 5. They shall fear thee, &c. — Most commentators consider the psalmist as suddenly turning his speech to Solomon here, and signifying that his wisdom and righteous administration of his government should redound to his everlasting honour, so that all posterity should continually esteem and revere him as the wisest and best of princes. They acknowledge, however, that in this he was a type of Christ, and that the words ultimately, and in their most sublime sense, are to be explained of him. But as fear or reverence is frequently put for strict and proper divine worship, (as Isaiah 29:13, compared with Matthew 15:9, and frequently elsewhere,) which certainly was not due to Solomon, and could not be paid to him without idolatry; and as the psalmist never elsewhere, in any part of the Psalm, speaks of Solomon in the second person, but always in the third; many others consider him as addressing God in these words, to whom he had spoken before in the second person, verses 1, 2, as it is here. Thus Mr. Samuel Clark: “They shall worship and serve thee, O God, so that, with peace, true religion shall flourish.” “The sense is,” says Poole, “This shall be another blessed fruit of his righteous government, that, together with peace, true religion shall be established, and that throughout all generations, as it here follows. Which was begun in Solomon’s days, and continued, though not without much interruption, in the time of his successors, the kings of Judah, and afterward, until the coming of Christ, in and by whom this prediction and promise was,” in part, and shall, in the end, be “most fully accomplished.” And Henry interprets the words to the same purpose. As long as the sun and moon endure — Hebrew, With the sun, and before the moon, that is, while they continue in the heavens; or, as others expound it, Both day and night, as the twelve tribes are said to serve God, Acts 26:7.

5. They shall fear thee—On account of thy righteous judgments. See Revelation 15:4. As long as the sun and moon endure—Literally, With the sun and before the moon: a proverbial expression for stability and perpetuity, equal to Isaiah 51:6, and 54:10; Matthew 5:18. Throughout all generations—Literally, generation of generations. The repetition of the same word is a Hebraic form for suggesting the idea of uninterrupted continuance and boundless duration, (Ewald,) here applicable only in the prophetic sense to Messiah’s kingdom, as in Daniel 7:13, 14; Psalm 33:11; Deuteronomy 3:15.

V. 6. He shall come-Christ did come down from heaven, and brought or sent down from heaven his doctrine, (which is often compared to rain) and the sweet and powerful influences of his spirit.

Verse 6. He shall come down like rain upon the mown grass] The word zg gez, which we translate mown grass, more properly means pastured grass or pastured land; for the dew of the night is intended to restore the grass which has been eaten in the course of the day. This very idea the Chaldee has seized, and renders the place thus: “He shall descend gently, like rain upon the grass which has been eaten by the locust.” But there seems to be a reference to the thick night dews which in summer fall on the pasturages, and become the means of restoring the grass consumed in the day-time by the cattle. This is finely expressed by the most accomplished of all poets and agriculturists:—

Et quantum longis carpent armenta diebus,

Exigua tantum gelidus ros nocte reponet.

VIRG. Geor. ii., ver. 201.

“For what the day devours, the nightly dew

Shall to the morn by pearly drops renew.”

DRYDEN.

Or to leave poetry, which always says too much or too little, the plain prose is:—

“And as much as the flocks crop in the long days,

So much shall the cold dew restore in one short night.”

As showers that water the earth.] The influence of the doctrine and Spirit of Christ on the soul of man shall be as grateful, as refreshing, and as fructifying, as the nightly dews on the cropped fields, and the vernal showers on the cultivated lands. Without his influence all tillage is vain; without him there can neither be seed nor fruit.

Verse 6. He shall come down, &c. — To wit, by the influences of his government upon his people, the administration of which shall be so gentle and easy, that it shall refresh and revive the hearts of his subjects, and render them a flourishing people. But this phrase much better agrees to Christ, who was yet to come, and who did come down from heaven, and brought or sent down from thence his refreshing and fertilizing doctrine, often compared to rain, and the sweet and powerful influences of his Spirit. Like rain upon the mown grass — Which it both refreshes and causes to grow and flourish, and therefore was very acceptable, especially in Canaan. where rain was more scarce, and more necessary than in many other places, because of the scorching heat, and the natural dryness of the soil, and the want of rivers to overflow or water the land.

6. He shall come down like rain—Giving life to vegetation and beauty to the earth. See Deuteronomy 32:2. Elsewhere David uses the same figure, which fully applies only to Christ. 2 Samuel 23:4.

Verse 7. In his days shall the righteous flourish] There was nothing but peace and prosperity all the days of Solomon: for, “In his days Judah and Israel dwelt safely; every man under his vine and under his fig-tree, from Dan even to Beersheba;” 1 Kings 4:25.

So long as the moon endureth] jry ylb d[ ad beli yareach, “Till there be no more moon.”

Verse 7. In his days shall the righteous flourish — As the wicked shall be discountenanced and punished, so good men shall be encouraged, advanced, and multiplied. And abundance of peace as long as the moon endureth — That is, as long as time and the world shall last. Which neither was nor could be the case under the reign of Solomon, which was not of very long duration, and the peace of whose kingdom was sadly disturbed, and almost wholly lost after his death; but which was, and more especially hereafter will be, undoubtedly and eminently accomplished in Christ, who came to bring peace on earth, Luke 2:14, and left it as a legacy to his disciples, John 14:27.

Ver. 7. So long as the moon endureth, or till the moon shall be removed. This is the Hebrew idiom for designating the eternity of the Messiah’s kingdom. By the moon, the allegorizing fathers, understood the cessation of all changes and wanings in the church.

7. Shall the righteous flourish—The highest proof of a righteous government and of a prosperous people. Moon endureth—See verse 5.

V. 8. Dominion-From one sea to another, or in all the parts of the habitable world. This was accomplished in Christ, and in him only. The river-Euphrates: which was the eastern border of the kingdom of Canaan, allotted by God, but enjoyed only by David, Solomon, and Christ. Of whose kingdom this may be mentioned, as one of the borders; because the kingdom of Christ is described under the shadow of Solomon’s kingdom.

Verse 8. He shall have dominion also from sea to sea] The best comment on this, as it refers to Solomon, may be found in 1 Kings 4:21, 24: “And Solomon reigned over all kingdoms, from the river unto the land of the Philistines, and unto the border of Egypt; for he had dominion over all on this side the river, from Tiphsah even to Azzah, over all the kings on this side the river; and he had peace on all sides round about him.” Solomon, it appears, reigned over all the provinces from the river Euphrates to the land of the Philistines, even to the frontiers of Egypt. The Euphrates was on the east of Solomon’s dominions; the Philistines were westward, on the Mediterranean sea; and Egypt was on the south. Solomon had therefore, as tributaries, the kingdoms of Syria, Damascus, Moab, and Ammon, which lay between the Euphrates and the Mediterranean. Thus he appears to have possessed all the land which God covenanted with Abraham to give to his posterity.

Unto the ends of the earth.] Or land, must mean the tract of country along the Mediterranean sea, which was the boundary of the land on that side: but, as the words may refer to Christ, every thing may be taken in its utmost latitude and extent.

Verse 8. He shall have dominion from sea to sea — Either, 1st, From the Sinus Arabicus, or Red sea, to the Mediterranean sea, for so far Solomon’s dominion extended; but so did David’s also; and, therefore, in that respect Solomon has not that pre-eminence, which this promise plainly seems to give him, above his predecessors. Or, rather, 2d, More generally from one sea to another, or in all parts of the habitable world. In which sense it is truly and fully accomplished in Christ, and in him only. And from the river — Namely, Euphrates: which was the eastern border of the kingdom of Canaan, allotted by God, (Exodus 23:31; Numbers 34:3,) but possessed only by David and Solomon; unto the ends of the earth — To the border of Egypt, or the tract of country along the Mediterranean sea, the end of the land of Canaan. But if understood of the kingdom of Christ, the expression means literally to the remotest parts of the earth, or throughout the whole world. Thus, Psalm 2:8, I will give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession.

8. In the preceding verses are set forth the character and duration of Messiah’s kingdom; verses 8-11 chiefly describe the extent of his dominion. The words from sea to sea, and from the river unto the ends of the earth, are nowhere used to describe Palestine, or the political dominion of David or Solomon. Outside of Palestine the Hebrews, at this period, were acquainted with no seas but the Mediterranean and Red Seas. These are specifically named in bounding the Hebrew dominion. Thus, in Exodus 23:31, God says: “I will set thy bounds from the Red Sea, even unto the Sea of the Philistines, [Mediterranean,] and from the Desert [of Arabia] unto the River” [Euphrates]. These are definite geographical limits, and this extent of dominion was literally attained and enjoyed under both David and Solomon. But very different from this is the language of the text. “From the Red Sea to the Sea of the Philistines,” is not the same as “from sea to sea;” and “from the Desert [of Arabia] to the River [Euphrates,]” bears no comparison with the all-comprehensive language, “from the River [Euphrates] to the ends of the earth.” No allowance for the oriental imagination can make them equal, or interpret the latter as less than universal, beginning, as it does, at the utmost limit of Solomon’s dominion, and carrying that of Messiah “to the ends of the earth.” And to this sense the connexion agrees. Verses 9, 10, 11, 15. These words of the psalmist are quoted (Zechariah 9:10) in a passage confessedly Messianic, to describe the extent of the dominion of “Zion’s king.”

Verse 9. They that dwell in the wilderness] The µyyx tsiyim, termed Ethiopians by the Vulgate, Septuagint, Æthiopic, and Arabic. The Syriac terms them the islands. But it is likely that those who dwell by the sea-coasts, and support themselves by navigation and fishing, are here intended.

His enemies shall lick the dust.] Shall be so completely subdued, that they shall be reduced to the most abject state of vassalage, till they shall become proselytes to the Jewish faith.

Verse 9. They that dwell in the wilderness shall bow before him — That is, that inhabit solitary places. The Hebrew word, µyyx, tziim, here used, (from hyx, tziah siccitas, dryness, or a dry place,) is applied to barren grounds or deserts, parched up for want of springs and rains, and it here signifies the inhabitants of such countries, and particularly the people and kings of Arabia Deserta. These were tributary to Solomon, 1 Kings 10:15, and great numbers of them submitted to Christ, and received his gospel. And his enemies shall lick the dust — Shall prostrate themselves to the ground in token of reverence and subjection to him, as was the custom of the eastern people.

Ver. 9. His enemies shall lick the dust. Referring to the convulsions of the body in some cases, as when a soldier has received a mortal wound. Solomon had no war; but the true Solomon caused the Hebrew figtree to wither; and the Roman figtree he shook till it cast its untimely fruit, as when shaken of a violent gale. Revelation 6:13.

9. Wilderness—Of Arabia, as in Psalm 74:14. The Arabian tribes, from immemorial ages, have been a wild, independent, and unconquerable people, and their willing submission is here a notable feature.

V. 10. The sea-Of remote countries, to which they used to go from Canaan by sea; which are frequently called isles in scripture; the kings that rule by sea or by land.

Verse 10. The kings of Tarshish and of the isles shalt bring presents] Though Solomon did not reign over Cilicia, of which Tarsus was the capital, yet he might receive gifts, not in the sense of tribute; for hjnm minchah, the word here used, signifies a gratitude or friendly offering. The kings of Sheba and Seba] Both countries of Arabia. From the former came the queen of Sheba, to hear the wisdom of Solomon. And she brought exceeding great presents or gifts, but not in the way of tribute, for Solomon had no jurisdiction in her country. And certainly many sovereigns, to obtain his friendship, sent him various presents of the choicest produce of their respective countries; and no doubt he did with them as with the queen of Sheba, gave them gifts in return. Hence the word rkva eshcar is used, which signifies “a compensative present, made on account of benefits received.”

Verses 10, 11. The kings of Tarshish and of the isles — That is, of remote countries, to which they used to go from Canaan by sea, all which are frequently called isles in Scripture. The kings that ruled by sea or by land. The kings of Sheba and Seba — Two countries of Arabia; unless the one be a part of Arabia and the other of Ethiopia, beyond Egypt. Yea, all nations shall serve him — This cannot be affirmed, with any shadow of truth, of Solomon, but was, or will be, unquestionably verified in Christ, who is, and will show himself to be, King of kings, and Lord of lords, and will be universally acknowledged, obeyed, and worshipped by all the kings and nations of the earth.

Ver. 10. The kings of Tarshish, the coasts of Europe. 1 Kings 10:22. Sheba, Ethiopia; Seba, Arabia. This form of speech is to be understood in unison with all the prophecies, that all nations shall receive the gospel, and every knee bow to Christ.

10. Tarshish—Its location is not known, but is supposed to be the same as Tartessus, a colony and trading point of the Phoenicians, situated in the south of Spain, the most distant point west of Palestine known to the ancients. The isles—The countries lying beyond the sea with regard to Palestine, particularly the countries bordering the Mediterranean on the north. Sheba—Same as Arabia Felix, or Yemen, on the southern coast of Arabia. The Septuagint reads, “The kings of the Arabians.” Seba— Ethiopia, strictly the old and rich kingdom of Meroe. If the description of verse 8, “From the river to the ends of the earth,” is to be understood of all the world lying east of the Euphrates, then “Tartessus” and “the isles” may represent all nations west of Palestine and the “wilderness,” (Arabia,) (verse 9,) as “Sheba” and “Seba” may those lying south and south-west; the whole constituting a description as comprehensive of the whole world as the Hebrew knowledge of geography could poetically give.

V. 11. All nations-Which cannot be said of Solomon with any truth or colour, but was unquestionably verified in Christ,

Verse 11. All kings shall fall down before] They shall reverence him on account of his great wisdom, riches, &c.

All nations shalt serve him.] All the surrounding nations. This and the preceding verses are fully explained by 1 Kings 10:23-25: “King Solomon exceeded all the kings of the earth for riches and for wisdom. And all the earth sought unto Solomon to hear his wisdom. And they brought every man his present, vessels of silver, and vessels of gold, and garments and armour, and spices, horses and mules, a rate year by year.” If we take these expressions to mean literally all the habitable globe, then they cannot be applied to Solomon; but if we take them as they are most evidently used by the sacred writer, then they are literally true. When all the earth shall be brought to receive the Gospel of Christ, then they may be applied to him.

Verses 10, 11. The kings of Tarshish and of the isles — That is, of remote countries, to which they used to go from Canaan by sea, all which are frequently called isles in Scripture. The kings that ruled by sea or by land. The kings of Sheba and Seba — Two countries of Arabia; unless the one be a part of Arabia and the other of Ethiopia, beyond Egypt. Yea, all nations shall serve him — This cannot be affirmed, with any shadow of truth, of Solomon, but was, or will be, unquestionably verified in Christ, who is, and will show himself to be, King of kings, and Lord of lords, and will be universally acknowledged, obeyed, and worshipped by all the kings and nations of the earth.

11. All kings… all nations—This is a summing up of all that has been said, and clearly fixes the world-dominion of the “king” here prophetically extolled.

Verse 12. He shall deliver the needy when he crieth] The poor and the rich shall, in the administration of justice, be equally respected; and the strong shall not be permitted to oppress the weak.

Verses 12-14. For he shall deliver the needy, &c. — The fame of his just and merciful government shall induce multitudes either to put themselves under his rule and protection, or to show great respect and reverence for him. He shall spare the poor and needy — He shall take pity on them, and add no heavier burden unto that of their lamentable poverty. And shall save the souls — That is, the lives, of the needy. He shall not be prodigal of their lives, but as tenderly careful to spare and preserve them as those of his greatest subjects. If applied to Christ it means, that he shall save their souls, properly so called, namely, from the guilt and power of sin, into the favour and image of God, and a state of communion with him here, and the everlasting enjoyment of him hereafter, it being Christ’s proper work to save men’s souls. He shall redeem their soul from deceit and violence — The two ways whereby the lives and souls of men are usually destroyed. And precious shall their blood be in his sight — He shall set so high a value upon their lives, and love them so dearly, as never to expose them to imminent danger, much less to cast them away, merely to gratify his own revenge, covetousness, or insatiable desire of enlarging his empire, as earthly kings commonly do; but, like a true father of his people, will tenderly preserve them, and severely avenge their blood upon those that shall shed it.

12. For—Again in this and the two following verses the reasons are assigned for this majesty and dominion. (See verses 2-4.) “He has merited such submission by the exercise of every royal virtue, by the justice and the mercy of his sway. The majesty of righteousness enthroned in his person compels all to bow before him.”—Perowne. And him that hath no helper—Phillips reads, “When he has no helper,” giving vauv (w) the adverbial sense.

Verses 12-14. For he shall deliver the needy, &c. — The fame of his just and merciful government shall induce multitudes either to put themselves under his rule and protection, or to show great respect and reverence for him. He shall spare the poor and needy — He shall take pity on them, and add no heavier burden unto that of their lamentable poverty. And shall save the souls — That is, the lives, of the needy. He shall not be prodigal of their lives, but as tenderly careful to spare and preserve them as those of his greatest subjects. If applied to Christ it means, that he shall save their souls, properly so called, namely, from the guilt and power of sin, into the favour and image of God, and a state of communion with him here, and the everlasting enjoyment of him hereafter, it being Christ’s proper work to save men’s souls. He shall redeem their soul from deceit and violence — The two ways whereby the lives and souls of men are usually destroyed. And precious shall their blood be in his sight — He shall set so high a value upon their lives, and love them so dearly, as never to expose them to imminent danger, much less to cast them away, merely to gratify his own revenge, covetousness, or insatiable desire of enlarging his empire, as earthly kings commonly do; but, like a true father of his people, will tenderly preserve them, and severely avenge their blood upon those that shall shed it.

V. 14. Deceit and violence-The two ways whereby the lives of men are usually destroyed. Precious-He will not be prodigal of the lives of his subjects, but like a true father of his people, will tenderly preserve them, and severely avenge their blood upon those who shall shed it.

Verse 14. From deceit and violence] Because they are poor and uneducated, they are liable to be deceived; and because they are helpless, they are liable to oppression; but his equal justice shall duly consider these cases; and no man shall suffer because he is deceived, though the letter of the law may be against him.

And precious shall their blood be] If the blood or life of such a person shall have been spilt by the hand of violence, he shall seek it out, and visit it on the murderer, though he were the chief in the land. He shall not be screened, though he were of the blood royal, if he have wilfully taken away the life of a man.

Verses 12-14. For he shall deliver the needy, &c. — The fame of his just and merciful government shall induce multitudes either to put themselves under his rule and protection, or to show great respect and reverence for him. He shall spare the poor and needy — He shall take pity on them, and add no heavier burden unto that of their lamentable poverty. And shall save the souls — That is, the lives, of the needy. He shall not be prodigal of their lives, but as tenderly careful to spare and preserve them as those of his greatest subjects. If applied to Christ it means, that he shall save their souls, properly so called, namely, from the guilt and power of sin, into the favour and image of God, and a state of communion with him here, and the everlasting enjoyment of him hereafter, it being Christ’s proper work to save men’s souls. He shall redeem their soul from deceit and violence — The two ways whereby the lives and souls of men are usually destroyed. And precious shall their blood be in his sight — He shall set so high a value upon their lives, and love them so dearly, as never to expose them to imminent danger, much less to cast them away, merely to gratify his own revenge, covetousness, or insatiable desire of enlarging his empire, as earthly kings commonly do; but, like a true father of his people, will tenderly preserve them, and severely avenge their blood upon those that shall shed it.

14. Deceit and violence— “Under the terms craft and violence the psalmist comprehends all kinds of misdealing; for a man in doing harm is either a lion or a fox: for some rage with open force, and others creep to misdealing insidiously and by stealthy arts.”—Calvin. Precious shall their blood be—How true of the reign of Christ, our king and avenger! See Psalm 116:15. He will requite innocent blood. Matthew 23:34-36; Revelation 18:20, 24; 19:2. Christ is identified with his saints in joy or suffering. Matthew 10:40; Acts 9:4, 5.

V. 15. Live-Long and prosperous, as Solomon: yea, eternally as Christ. Gold-This was done to Solomon, 1 Kings 10:15, and to Christ, Matthew 2:11. But such expressions as these being used of Christ and his kingdom, are commonly understood in a spiritual sense.

Verse 15. To him shall be given of the gold of Sheba] The Arabians shall pay him tribute.

Prayer also shall be made for him continually] In all conquered countries two things marked the subjection of the people: 1. Their money was stamped with the name of the conqueror. 2. They were obliged to pray for him in their acts of public worship.

Daily shall he be praised.] He shall not act by the conquered like conquerors in general: he shall treat them with benignity; and shall give them the same laws and privileges as his natural subjects, and therefore “he shall be daily praised.” All shall speak well of him.

Verse 15. And he shall live — Solomon’s life and reign shall be long and prosperous: and He whom Solomon typified shall live for ever, and his kingdom shall have no end. And to him shall be given of the gold of Sheba, &c. — The longer he shall live and reign, the richer presents shall be brought unto him, as there shall be to Christ from the eastern countries, Matthew 2:11; although such expressions as these, used of Christ and his kingdom, are commonly to be understood in a spiritual sense. Prayer also shall be made for him — His subjects shall be obliged and excited by his righteous and happy government to pray heartily and frequently for him. Hebrew, dymt wd[b llpty, jithpallel bagnado tamid, intercession shall be made on his account incessantly: 1st, On account of Solomon, that his life might be preserved, and the prosperity of his reign continued and established. And, 2d, For Christ; not indeed personally considered, in which sense he did not need the intercessions or prayers of his subjects, but for the protection of his truth, cause, and people, and for the increase and consummation of his kingdom. And daily shall he be praised — The highest praises and commendations of Solomon’s just and gracious government shall continually fill men’s months; and daily shall Christ be “praised by his people for the riches of his grace, for all the comforts of his Spirit, and for all the hopes of glory, which they possess through him.”

15. And he shall live— “Live,” here, should be referred to the king, not to the poor, as some suppose. “Let the king live!” (of which the English “God save the king!” is no translation,) was the common salutation to kings. See 1 Samuel 10:24; 2 Samuel 16:16; Daniel 2:4, and 3:9, et al. Here, also, the optative form of the verb may be adopted, “and may he live,” instead of, “and he shall live.” The gold of Sheba—The “gifts” of Sheba have already been mentioned in verge 10. Why is gold here mentioned as coming from thence? We know from Scripture (Genesis 2:11, 12) and from ancient authorities that Arabia, in early times, produced gold. which the kingdom of Sheba enjoyed in great abundance. 1 Kings 10:1, 2, 10. The mention of “Sheba” instead of Ophir, as a place of gold, is a strong internal indication that this psalm was written by David, not by Solomon, in whose reign the chief receipts of gold were from the latter place. 1 Kings 9:26-28.

V. 16. A handful-This intimates the small beginnings of his kingdom; and therefore does not agree to Solomon, whose kingdom was in a manner as large at the beginning of his reign, as at the end, but it exactly agrees to Christ. The earth-Sown in the earth. Mountains-In the most barren grounds. Shake-It shall yield such abundance of corn, that the ears being thick and high, shall, when they are shaken with the wind, make a noise not unlike that which the tops of the trees of Lebanon, sometimes make. Of the city-The citizens of Jerusalem, which are here put for the subjects of this kingdom.

Verse 16. There shall be a handful of corn] The earth shall be exceedingly fruitful. Even a handful of corn sown on the top of a mountain shall grow up strong and vigorous; and it shall be, in reference to crops in other times, as the cedars of Lebanon are to common trees or shrubs: and as the earth will bring forth in handfuls, so the people shall be multiplied who are to consume this great produce.

And they of the city shall flourish like grass of the earth.] There have been many puzzling criticisms concerning this verse. What I have given I believe to be the sense.

Verse 16. There shall be a handful of corn — Which intimates the small beginnings of this kingdom, and therefore does not agree to that of Solomon, which was, in a manner, as large at the beginning of his reign as at the end of it; but it exactly agrees to Christ and his kingdom, Matthew 13:31-33. In the earth — That is, sown in the earth. The seed is the word of God. That on good ground are they, who, in an honest and good heart, a heart made honest and good by grace, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience, Luke 8:11, &c.; bring forth first the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear, Mark 4:26-28. Such, reader, is the progress of this handful of seed cast into the ground; though upon the top of the mountains — That is, in the most barren soil. It produces a number of converts, all born again of incorruptible seed by the word, 1 Peter 1:23; and in each convert the fruit of genuine repentance, of living faith, and of true holiness. The fruit thereof shall shake like Lebanon — It shall yield such an abundant increase, that the ears, being thick and high, and full of corn, shall, when they are shaken by the wind, make a noise not unlike that which the tops of the trees of Lebanon sometimes make, upon the like occasion. Which expressions, as well as many others of the like nature, in the prophets, being applied to Christ and his kingdom, are to be understood in a spiritual sense, of the great and happy success of the preaching of the gospel. And they of the city — That is, the citizens of Jerusalem, which are here put for the subjects of this kingdom. Shall flourish like the grass of the earth — Shall both increase in number and in grace, being fruitful in every good word and work.

16. There shall be a handful of corn—Hebrew, There shall be a diffusion, or superabundance, of corn, etc., deriving hsp, translated handful, from ssp, to diffuse, (as Gesenius, Furst,) which is more in accordance with the connexion. Upon the top of the mountains—Dr. Moll translates, Even to the top of the mountains, as if the allusion were to the terracing, which should extend to the summit. The mountains of Palestine were terraced for more perfect tillage, and, viewed from the summit, they presented an almost unbroken forest of grain fields and vineyards. The “mountains” are here specified, instead of the plains, perhaps either because the Israelites were forced to occupy chiefly the mountainous districts, being unable to expel the inhabitants of the great plains, who fought with war-chariots, (see Joshua 17:16; Judges 1:19, 34,) or, because the mountains were of more difficult tillage, and more exposed to the depredations of wild beasts and the casualties of the season, especially the want of moisture. But even here should be plenty and thrift under the vigorous reign of this theocratic king. The fruit thereof shall shake like Lebanon—Shall wave in the wind like the cedars of Lebanon. They of the city shall flourish—The population shall spring up as grass. Thus the two great elements of national strength, a flourishing population and bountiful subsistence, should be realized. See verse 3. But this external prosperity would spring from the righteousness of the people responsive to that of the government.

Verse 17. His name shall endure for ever] Hitherto this has been literally fulfilled. Solomon is celebrated in the east and in the west, in the north and in the south; his writings still remain, and are received, both by Jews and by Gentiles, as a revelation from God; and it is not likely that the name of the author shall ever perish out of the records of the world. All nations shall call him blessed.] Because of the extraordinary manner in which he was favoured by the Most High. I well know that all these things are thought to belong properly to Jesus Christ; and, in reference to him, they are all true, and ten thousand times more than these. But I believe they are all properly applicable to Solomon: and it is the business of the commentator to find out the literal sense, and historical fact, and not seek for allegories and mysteries where there is no certain evidence of their presence. Where the sacred writers of the New Testament quote passages from the Old, and apply them to our Lord, we not only may but should follow them. And I am ready to grant there may be many other passages equally applicable to him with those they have quoted, which are not thus applied. Indeed, HE is the sum and substance of the whole Scripture. HE spoke by his Spirit in the prophets; and himself was the subject of their declarations. See our Lord’s saying, Luke 24:44.

Verse 17. His name shall endure for ever — Namely, the honour and renown of his eminent wisdom, and justice, and goodness. This agrees but very obscurely and imperfectly to Solomon, who stained the glory of his reign by his prodigious luxury, and oppression, and apostacy from God, into which he fell in the latter part of his days. His name shall be continued — Hebrew, ˆwny, jinnon, shall be propagated, or transmitted, to his children; as long as the sun — Hebrew, vmv ynpl, liphnee shemesh, before the sun; meaning, either, 1st, Publicly, and in the face of the sun: or, 2d, Perpetually; as a constant and inseparable companion of the sun; as long as the sun itself shall continue. Men shall be blessed in him — In him, as it was promised to Abraham, shall all the true children of Abraham be blessed with the blessings of grace and glory, and that by and through his merits and Spirit. Hebrew, wkrbty, jithbarechu, shall bless themselves. All nations shall call him blessed — They shall bless God for him, shall continually extol and magnify him, and think themselves happy in him. To the end of time and to eternity, his name shall be celebrated; every tongue shall confess it, and every knee shall bow before it. And the happiness shall also be universal, complete, and everlasting; men shall be blessed in him truly and for ever.

Ver. 17. His name shall be continued. In the old testament Christ is frequently called the name, the name of the Lord. Leviticus 24:11, 16. This seems to be a prophetic intimation, that the gospel of the kingdom should be preached in his name, and that in his name should the gentiles trust. Matthew 12:21. Romans 15:12.

17. His name shall endure—Shall live, as in verse 15. The verb takes the form of prayer, “may he live,” etc. His name shall be continued—The verb here translated “continued,” has the sense of sprout, increase, growth, as if his name should be reproduced, or propagated, in successive generations, as the name of the father in the son. This is the idea given in the margin of our English Bibles. The Jewish rabbins took it as a proper name for Messiah,” His name is Yinnon before the sun,” Yinnon, (he shall propagate,) being the rabbinical name for Messiah. See Perowne. But the idea is that of continuance. The verb occur’s nowhere else, but the noun always means progeny, offspring. Dr. Pusey renders it, “His name shall propagate, gaining, generation after generation, a flesh accession of offspring.” And men shall be blessed in him—Probably, in the sense of the covenant, (Genesis 22:18, and 26:4,) that is, in Christ, as being the cause of blessing. But another form of blessing in or by any one is that of taking him as a model, or standard, by which to measure a wished-for blessing upon another, as Genesis 48:20, “God make thee as Ephraim,” etc. The former is undoubtedly the sense here.

Verse 18. Blessed be the Lord God] David foresaw all Solomon’s grandeur; his justice, equity, and the happiness of the subjects under his government; and his soul has, in consequence, sensations of pleasure and gratitude to God, which even his own wondrous pen cannot describe. But it is worthy of remark, that God did not reveal to him the apostasy of this beloved son. He did not foresee that this once holy, happy, wise, and prosperous man would be the means of debasing the Divine worship, and establishing the grossest idolatry in Israel. God hid this from his eyes, that his heart might not be grieved, and that he might die in peace. Besides, there was still much contingency in the business. God would not predict a thing as absolutely certain, which was still poised between a possibility of being and not being; the scale of which he had left, as he does all contingencies, to the free-will of his creature to turn. Who only doeth wondrous things.] God alone works miracles: wherever there is a miracle, there is God. No creature can invert or suspend the course and laws of nature; this is properly the work of God. Jesus Christ, most incontrovertibly, wrought such miracles; therefore, most demonstrably, Jesus Christ is GOD.

Verses 18, 19. Blessed be the Lord God of Israel — If the psalmist, in the name of the Jewish Church, had reason to bless God in this manner, for such a glorious and excellent king and governor as Solomon, and such great blessings as they did and should enjoy under his government, how much more reason has the Christian Church to bless him for that divine king, of whom Solomon was but a type, and for the infinitely greater and more lasting blessings of his righteous and beneficent reign. Surely such an illustrious prophecy of the Messiah and his kingdom as is contained in the foregoing verses, may well be concluded with thanksgivings and praises. For we cannot but own that for all the great things which he has done for the world, for the church, for the children of men, for his own children, in the kingdom of providence, in the kingdom of grace; for all the power and trust lodged in the hands of the Redeemer, God is worthy to be praised; and we ought to stir up ourselves and all that is within us to praise him after the best manner, and to desire that all others may do it. Who only doth wondrous things — In creation and providence, and especially in this work of redemption, which excelleth them all. Men’s works are little, common, trifling things, and things which, without him, they could not do. But God doth all by his own power, and they are wondrous things which he doth, and such as will be the eternal admiration of saints and angels. And blessed be his glorious name — For it is only in his name that we can contribute any thing to his glory and blessedness, and that is exalted above all blessing and praise. Let it be blessed for ever, for it deserves to be blessed for ever, and we hope to be for ever blessing it, and that with angels, and archangels, and all the company of heaven. And let the whole earth be filled with his glory — As it will be, when the kings of Tarshish and the isles shall bring presents to him, when to him every knee shall bow, and all shall know him, from the least to the greatest. It is lamentable to think how empty the earth is of the glory of God, how little honour and service he has from a world which he made and upholds, and to which he is such a bountiful benefactor. And, therefore, all that wish well to the honour of God and the welfare of mankind, cannot but desire that the earth may be filled with discoveries of his glory, suitably returned in thankful acknowledgments of it. Let every heart then, and every mouth, and every assembly, be filled with the high praises of God. We see how earnest David was in this prayer, and how much his heart was in it, by observing, 1st, How he shuts it up with a double seal, Amen, and amen: and, 2d, How he even shuts up his life with this prayer; for this, it appears verse 20, was the last Psalm that ever he composed, though not placed last in this collection: he penned it when he lay, on his death-bed, and with this he breathes his last. Let God be glorified; let the kingdom of the Messiah be set up and established in the world and I have enough, I desire no more. With this let our prayers, like the prayers of David the son of Jesse, be ended: and with our last breath let us say, Come, Lord Jesus, come quickly!

18, 19. Blessed be the Lord—This doxology, which closes the second book of the Hebrew Psalter, is more full and rich than that which closes the first book, (Psalm 41:13,) or, indeed, any other, befitting the solemnity and triumph of David’s closing life as king, and as “the sweet psalmist of Israel.”

Verse 19. Let the whole earth be filled with his glory] Let the Gospel— the light, the Spirit, and power of Christ, fill the world. Amen] So let it be.

And Amen.] So it shall be. Hallelujah!

Verses 18, 19. Blessed be the Lord God of Israel — If the psalmist, in the name of the Jewish Church, had reason to bless God in this manner, for such a glorious and excellent king and governor as Solomon, and such great blessings as they did and should enjoy under his government, how much more reason has the Christian Church to bless him for that divine king, of whom Solomon was but a type, and for the infinitely greater and more lasting blessings of his righteous and beneficent reign. Surely such an illustrious prophecy of the Messiah and his kingdom as is contained in the foregoing verses, may well be concluded with thanksgivings and praises. For we cannot but own that for all the great things which he has done for the world, for the church, for the children of men, for his own children, in the kingdom of providence, in the kingdom of grace; for all the power and trust lodged in the hands of the Redeemer, God is worthy to be praised; and we ought to stir up ourselves and all that is within us to praise him after the best manner, and to desire that all others may do it. Who only doth wondrous things — In creation and providence, and especially in this work of redemption, which excelleth them all. Men’s works are little, common, trifling things, and things which, without him, they could not do. But God doth all by his own power, and they are wondrous things which he doth, and such as will be the eternal admiration of saints and angels. And blessed be his glorious name — For it is only in his name that we can contribute any thing to his glory and blessedness, and that is exalted above all blessing and praise. Let it be blessed for ever, for it deserves to be blessed for ever, and we hope to be for ever blessing it, and that with angels, and archangels, and all the company of heaven. And let the whole earth be filled with his glory — As it will be, when the kings of Tarshish and the isles shall bring presents to him, when to him every knee shall bow, and all shall know him, from the least to the greatest. It is lamentable to think how empty the earth is of the glory of God, how little honour and service he has from a world which he made and upholds, and to which he is such a bountiful benefactor. And, therefore, all that wish well to the honour of God and the welfare of mankind, cannot but desire that the earth may be filled with discoveries of his glory, suitably returned in thankful acknowledgments of it. Let every heart then, and every mouth, and every assembly, be filled with the high praises of God. We see how earnest David was in this prayer, and how much his heart was in it, by observing, 1st, How he shuts it up with a double seal, Amen, and amen: and, 2d, How he even shuts up his life with this prayer; for this, it appears verse 20, was the last Psalm that ever he composed, though not placed last in this collection: he penned it when he lay, on his death-bed, and with this he breathes his last. Let God be glorified; let the kingdom of the Messiah be set up and established in the world and I have enough, I desire no more. With this let our prayers, like the prayers of David the son of Jesse, be ended: and with our last breath let us say, Come, Lord Jesus, come quickly!

18, 19. Blessed be the Lord—This doxology, which closes the second book of the Hebrew Psalter, is more full and rich than that which closes the first book, (Psalm 41:13,) or, indeed, any other, befitting the solemnity and triumph of David’s closing life as king, and as “the sweet psalmist of Israel.”

V. 20. The prayer-This psalm is the last which David composed: for this was wrote but a little before his death.

Verse 20. The prayers of David the son of Jesse are ended.] This was most probably the last Psalm he ever wrote. There may be several in the after part of this book which were written by him; but they were probably composed in a former period of his life, for this was the end of the poetic prayers of David the son of Jesse. Those that were found afterwards have got out of their proper connexion.

Ver. 20. The prayers of David—are ended. This is the end of the second book of psalms. The Jews divided the psalms into five books; but very many of the subsequent psalms were written by David, as the hundred and tenth, which our Saviour cites as David’s. Matthew 22:45.

20. Prayers of David… ended—For the import of this verse see introductory note. The psalmist has given his ideal of a theocratic king, partially realized in Solomon’s reign, but to be fully so only in that of Messiah.