89:1(Maschil of Ethan the Ezrahite.) I will a sing of the
mercies of the LORD for ever: with my mouth will I make
known thy faithfulness to all generations.
(a) Though the horrible confusion of things might cause
them to despair of God's favour, yet the manifold
examples of his mercies cause them to trust in God
though to man's judgment they saw no reason to.
89:2 For I have b said, Mercy shall be built up for ever: thy
faithfulness shalt thou c establish in the very heavens.
(b) As he who surely believed in heart.
(c) As your invisible heaven is not subject to any
alteration and change: so shall the truth of your
promise be unchangeable.
89:3d I have made a covenant with my chosen, I have sworn
unto David my servant,
(d) The prophet shows what the promise of God was, on which
he grounded his faith.
89:5 And the e heavens shall praise thy wonders, O LORD: thy
faithfulness also in the congregation of the saints.
(e) The angels will praise your power and faithfulness in
delivering your Church.
89:6 For who in the heaven can be compared unto the LORD? [who]
among the g sons of the mighty can be likened unto the
LORD?
(g) Meaning, the angels.
89:7 God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of the h
saints, and to be had in reverence of all [them that are]
about him.
(h) If the angels tremble before God's majesty and infinite
justice, what earthly creature by oppressing the Church
dares to set himself against God?
89:9i Thou rulest the raging of the sea: when the waves
thereof arise, thou stillest them.
(i) For as he delivered the Church by the Red sea, and by
destroying Rahab, that is, the Egyptians, so will he
deliver it, when the dangers are great.
89:12 The north and the south thou hast created them: k Tabor
and Hermon shall rejoice in thy name.
(k) Tabor is a mountain west from Jerusalem, and Hermon to
the East, so the prophet signifies that all parts and
places of the world will obey God's power for the
deliverance of his Church.
89:14l Justice and judgment [are] the habitation of thy
throne: mercy and truth shall go before thy face.
(l) For by this he judges the world and shows himself to
be a merciful father and faithful protector to his.
89:15 Blessed [is] the people that m know the joyful sound:
they shall walk, O LORD, in the light of thy n
countenance.
(m) Feeling in their conscience that God is their father.
(n) They will be preserved by your fatherly providence.
89:17 For thou [art] the o glory of their strength: and in thy
favour our horn shall be exalted.
(o) In that they are preserved and continue, they should
give the praise and glory to you alone.
89:18 For the LORD [is] our p defence; and the Holy One of
Israel [is] our king.
(p) In that our King has power to defend us, it is the
gift of God.
89:19 Then thou spakest in vision to q thy holy one, and
saidst, I have laid help upon [one that is] r mighty; I
have exalted [one] chosen out of the people.
(q) To Samuel and to others, to assure that David was the
chosen one.
(r) Whom I have both chosen and given strength to execute
his office, as in (Ps 89:21).
89:23 And I will s beat down his foes before his face, and
plague them that hate him.
(s) Though there will always be enemies against God's
kingdom yet he promises to overcome them.
89:24 But my faithfulness and my t mercy [shall be] with him:
and in my name shall his u horn be exalted.
(t) I will mercifully perform my promise to him despite
his infirmities and offences.
(u) His power, glory and estate.
89:25 I will set his hand also in the sea, and his right hand in
the x rivers.
(x) He will enjoy the land around him.
89:26 He shall cry unto me, Thou [art] my y father, my God,
and the rock of my salvation.
(y) His excellent dignity will appear in this, that he
will be named the son of God and the firstborn in
which he is a figure of Christ.
89:29 His seed also will I make [to endure] z for ever, and
his throne as the days of heaven.
(z) Though for the sins of the people the state of the
kingdom decayed, yet God reserved still a root till he
had accomplished this promise in Christ.
89:33a Nevertheless my lovingkindness will I not utterly take
from him, nor suffer my faithfulness to fail.
(a) Though the faithful answer not in all points to their
profession, yet God will not break his covenant with
them.
89:34 My covenant will I not break, nor b alter the thing that
is gone out of my lips.
(b) For God in promising has respect to his mercy, and not
to man's power in performing.
89:37 It shall be established for ever as the moon, and [as] a
faithful c witness in heaven. Selah.
(c) As long as the Sun and Moon endure, they will be
witnesses to me of this promise.
89:39 Thou hast d made void the covenant of thy servant: thou
hast profaned his e crown [by casting it] to the ground.
(d) Because of the horrible confusion of things, the
prophet complains to God, as though he did not see
the performance of his promise and thus discharging
his cares on God, he resists doubt and impatience.
(e) By this he means the horrible dissipation and tearing
of the kingdom which was under Jeroboam, or else by
the Spirit of prophecy Ethan speaks of those great
miseries which came to pass soon after at the
captivity of Babylon.
89:45 The days of his f youth hast thou shortened: thou hast
covered him with shame. Selah.
(f) He shows that the kingdom fell before it came to
perfection or was ripe.
89:46 How long, g LORD? wilt thou hide thyself for ever?
shall thy wrath burn like fire?
(g) The prophet in joining prayer with his complaint,
shows that his faith never failed.
89:47 Remember h how short my time is: wherefore hast thou
made all men in vain?
(h) Seeing man's life is short, and you have created man
to bestow your benefits on him, unless you hasten to
help, death will prevent you.
89:50 Remember, Lord, the reproach of thy servants; [how] I do
bear in my i bosom [the reproach of] all the mighty
people;
(i) He means that God's enemies not only slandered him
behind his back, but also mocked him to his face and
as it were cast their injuries in his bosom.
89:51 Wherewith k thine enemies have reproached, O LORD;
wherewith they have reproached the l footsteps of thine
anointed.
(k) So he calls them who persecute the Church.
(l) They laugh at us who patiently wait for the coming of
your Christ.
