Psalm 140

To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.

1 Deliver me, O Lord, from evil men;
Preserve me from violent men,

2 Who plan evil things in their hearts;
They continually gather together for war.

3 They sharpen their tongues like a serpent;
The poison of asps is under their lips. Selah

Keep me, O Lord, from the hands of the wicked;
Preserve me from violent men,
Who have purposed to make my steps stumble.

5 The proud have hidden a snare for me, and cords;
They have spread a net by the wayside;
They have set traps for me. Selah

I said to the Lord: “You are my God;
Hear the voice of my supplications, O Lord.

7 O God the Lord, the strength of my salvation,
You have covered my head in the day of battle.

8 Do not grant, O Lord, the desires of the wicked;
Do not further his wicked scheme,
Lest they be exalted. Selah

“As for the head of those who surround me,
Let the evil of their lips cover them;

10 Let burning coals fall upon them;
Let them be cast into the fire,
Into deep pits, that they rise not up again.

11 Let not a slanderer be established in the earth;
Let evil hunt the violent man to overthrow him.”

12 I know that the Lord will maintain
The cause of the afflicted,
And justice for the poor.

13 Surely the righteous shall give thanks to Your name;
The upright shall dwell in Your presence.

A Paradigm of Prayer when Oppressed by the Wicked — Imploring God’s Protection (vs.1-7). David’s petition that God preserve him from violent men might seem strange at best, if not outright hypocritical, seeing that he himself was a quite violent man; the crucial difference, however, is that the term here translated “violent” specifically signifies violence characterized by wickedness. [The Hebrew word is] hamasim, the plural (here used for emphasis) of hamas … The men whom David has in view here, though unspecified, includes both Israelites as well as Gentiles, as indicated by the citation of v.3b in Romans 3:13 to underscore the notion that “both Jews and Greeks are all under sin.” — Wechsler, page 336.

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A Paradigm of Prayer when Oppressed by the Wicked — Exhorting God’s Justice (vs.8-11). David appeals to God not to grant the desires of the wicked … lest they be exalted (or “become lofty/high”), not only so that the wicked themselves are not exalted (since exaltation properly belongs only to God and the righteous who walk in His ways), but also so that wickedness in general is not promoted and rendered more alluring to others as a means of attaining exaltation. Insofar as the phraseology of this statement also hearkens back to the account of Babel (Genesis 11:1-9)—the goal of which was to erect a tower reaching high “into heaven” as a monument to human independence from God—one may also infer the additional, restorative motivation from David’s appeal that by preventing the wicked from fulfilling their ungodly desires they might be dissuaded from continuing to pursue such and turn instead to pursuing the things of God. — Wechsler, page 337.

I have so say I see little evidence for Wechsler’s interpretation in verses 8-11. It seems to me to be a straightforward call for justice. I posted it because I’m willing to be wrong.

A Paradigm of Prayer when Oppressed by the Wicked — Affirming God’s Victory (vs.12-13). As typically in David’s psalms of lament, complaint, imprecation, and petition, he ends on a positive, confident note, characterized not by a look back at what God has done to resolve his situation (which in several instances, as in that reflected in Psalm 142, remains unresolved for some time afterward), but rather by a look forward to what God will do—if not in this life, then unquestionably in the next, when the upright will dwell in God’s presence (v.13b). — Wechsler, page 337.

Williams’ take:

Messiah when on earth suffered the hatred foretold in verses 1-5. The Gospels record the mischiefs (v.2), the hostility (v.2), the stinging slanders (v.3), the cruelty (v.4) and the snares planned in secret and skillfully set in public (v.5) in order to cause him to swerve from the Law of Moses (v.4). …

The Divine protection sheltering Messiah’s head (v.7) contrasts with the mischief that is to overwhelm the head of His enemies (v.9).

The future tense is used in the original text in verses 9-11. These verses predict that the evils planned by the False Messiah and the False Prophet shall fall upon their own heads as burning coals; that they shall be cast into the fire of the bottomless pit; that they shall be eternally shut up there-in; that they shall have no place in the redeemed earth; and that the Divine wrath shall pursue them to their destruction. Their followers will share their doom. The glorious predictions of verses 12 and 13 will also be fulfilled by the same faithfulness that will judge the oppressor. — Williams, pages 409-410.

Again I think this Psalm can be read was a paradigm of prayer for believers (Wechler’s view) or as the prayer of the Messiah (Williams’ view).

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Psalm 139

For the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.

1 O Lord, You have searched me and known me.

2 You know my sitting down and my rising up;
You understand my thought afar off.

3 You comprehend my path and my lying down,
And are acquainted with all my ways.

4 For there is not a word on my tongue,
But behold, O Lord, You know it altogether.

5 You have hedged me behind and before,
And laid Your hand upon me.

6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;
It is high, I cannot attain it.

Where can I go from Your Spirit?
Or where can I flee from Your presence?

8 If I ascend into heaven, You are there;
If I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there.

9 If I take the wings of the morning,
And dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,

10 Even there Your hand shall lead me,
And Your right hand shall hold me.

11 If I say, “Surely the darkness shall fall on me,”
Even the night shall be light about me;

12 Indeed, the darkness shall not hide from You,
But the night shines as the day;
The darkness and the light are both alike to You.

13 For You formed my inward parts;
You covered me in my mother’s womb.

14 I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
Marvelous are Your works,
And that my soul knows very well.

15 My frame was not hidden from You,
When I was made in secret,
And skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.

16 Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed.
And in Your book they all were written,
The days fashioned for me,
When as yet there were none of them.

17 How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God!
How great is the sum of them!

18 If I should count them, they would be more in number than the sand;
When I awake, I am still with You.

19 Oh, that You would slay the wicked, O God!
Depart from me, therefore, you bloodthirsty men.

20 For they speak against You wickedly;
Your enemies take Your name in vain.

21 Do I not hate them, O Lord, who hate You?
And do I not loathe those who rise up against You?

22 I hate them with perfect hatred;
I count them my enemies.

23 Search me, O God, and know my heart;
Try me, and know my anxieties;

24 And see if there is any wicked way in me,
And lead me in the way everlasting.

The psalm could be said to teach God’s omniscience (vs.1-6), omnipresence (vs.7-12), sovereignty (vs.13-16), and holiness (vs.17-24), yet in the truest sense nothing could less exactly express the psalmist’s mind than these four great abstractions. To the psalmist, omniscience is “God’s complete knowledge of me,” omnipresence is that “God is with me no matter where I am,” and so forth. The “I-Thou” relationship is basic to the poem. — Guthrie, page 537.

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The Personal Depth of God’s Knowledge in Sharing One’s Everyday Experiences (vs.1-12). David underscores God’s omniscience and omnipresence, not in a general theological sense but rather with specific and personal reference to himself—which is to say, the individual believer. This focus is immediately indicated by David’s opening affirmation that God has searched him and known him, meaning not only that God has full knowledge of every fiber of his being, both physical and immaterial, but also that God experiences it with him. For this reason David goes on to affirm that God’s involvement in his active life (i.e., his waking hours, as indicated by the merism in v.2 “when I sit down and when I rise up”), not as an interested observer, but as an active participant, protecting him (v.5), seeking him out in patient love and parental chastisement when he tries to flee from His presence (v.7, clearly hearkening to Jonah 1:3; cf. also Jonah’s references in 2:2-3 to Sheol and the sea, as in vs.8-9 of this psalm), and guiding and leading him in all situations (v.10). — Wechsler, page 334.

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The Personal Depth of God’s Knowledge in Planning One’s Existence (vs.13-16). David intensifies his focus on God’s minute involvement in all aspects of his life by affirming that that involvement “began” not with his actual existence, but with his preexistence in the mind of God. He begins by considering the point at which he came into his individual existence (prior to which he existed only as part of the physical and spiritual “stuff” [i.e., the “unformed substance”] of his parents), attributing that individual creation exclusively to the work of God. With the creation as an individual physical being he was also give a soul, which, as the “image” of God, contains within the implicit knowledge that both it and the being in which it resides is wonderfully (or “divinely”) made. From here David moves backward in time to affirm not only God’s awareness, but also His determination of the precise number of days that he would live, when as yet there was not one of them. — Wechsler, pages 334-335.

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The Personal Depth of God’s Knowledge in Guiding One’s Walk in the Everlasting Way (vs.17-24). David concludes by affirming how precious [God’s intimate concern and thoughts] are to him, for those thoughts are indicative not only of God’s intrinsic omniscience, but also of His immeasurable lovingkindness. This love for the thoughts of God impels David in turn to hate and call imprecation upon all who stand opposed to the Originator of these thoughts (vs.19-22). At the same time, however, recognizing that he himself is far from perfect, and to guard against his hatred for God’s enemies being overtaken by the sinful goal of causing them hurt (rather than promoting God’s glory), David concludes by asking that God see if there be any hurtful way in him and, if so, to lead him therefrom (as in v.10, from a state of sin) in the everlasting way—i.e., the “upright” way of God (Psalm 27:11) on which He walks together with the righteous (Psalm 1:6). — Wechsler, pages 335-336.

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Can anyone have complete self-knowledge? (v.23). Only God knows all that there is to be known (cf. v.1), therefore let God search and expose any remaining wickedness and lead him in the way. — Guthrie, page 539.

Williams’ take:

The closing words of the prior Psalm introduce the sinless tabernacle of clay prepared by God for His Beloved Son. This Psalm develops the subject, and sets out the moral and physical perfections of that perfect human body. The Singer is Messiah. He here exposes His whole nature, emotional and physical, as man, together with His action, His inaction, His thoughts, His words and His ways to the scrutiny of God’s eye, and nothing but perfection is found. There is here absolute harmony between the Incarnate Word of God and the written Word of God. The Psalm … reveals the perfect submission and obedience of Christ’s human nature to the Word of God. — Williams, page 408.

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To “possess” and to “cover” (v.13) here mean to collect and to knit together; and “reins” is a comprehensive term embracing the human body both physical and emotional. The verse may be illustrated by the action of an able manufacturer in first assembling the parts of a machine and then putting them together. The mystery of the incarnation is, therefore, the subject of verses 13-16. The members of Christ’s sinless body existed continually in the secrecy of the Divine Wisdom; and when the time came they were woven together in the body of the Lord’s mother (vs.13-14). The miraculous nature of that birth, and Christ’s full testimony to it, form the subjects for praise in verse 14. — Williams, page 409.

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The statement that He was made of the same material as the first Adam (v.15), emphasizes the fact that His body was human and not angelic. — Williams, page 409.

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The sinlessness of Messiah’s humanity is expressed positively and negatively in verses 19-22 and 23-24. He rejoices that all wicked and bloodthirsty men will be destroyed by God; He gives a satisfactory reason for the justice of their doom (v.20); He abhors them (v.21); and He hates them with a perfect hatred—not a sinful hatred, but a perfect hatred (v.22). This demands a sinless nature. — Williams, page 409.

Wow. Wechsler’s and Guthrie’s takes are the traditional ones, and I think they have merit. God certainly knows all and is involved in all aspects of our lives. But Williams’ take is also compelling, and in some ways seems to hold together more consistently. But since Christ was in fact human, there is no actual tension between the two views—they just express two depths of truth.

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Psalm 138

A Psalm of David.

1 I will praise You with my whole heart;
Before the gods I will sing praises to You.

2 I will worship toward Your holy temple,
And praise Your name
For Your lovingkindness and Your truth;
For You have magnified Your word above all Your name.

3 In the day when I cried out, You answered me,
And made me bold with strength in my soul.

All the kings of the earth shall praise You, O Lord,
When they hear the words of Your mouth.

5 Yes, they shall sing of the ways of the Lord,
For great is the glory of the Lord.

6 Though the Lord is on high,
Yet He regards the lowly;
But the proud He knows from afar.

Though I walk in the midst of trouble, You will revive me;
You will stretch out Your hand
Against the wrath of my enemies,
And Your right hand will save me.

8 The Lord will perfect that which concerns me;
Your mercy, O Lord, endures forever;
Do not forsake the works of Your hands.

The Old Testament … strenuously denies the existence of “other gods” as beings (Psalm 115:4-7) but ever recognizes their reality as objects of somebody’s worship and their potential to seduce Israel away from the Lord. The psalmist’s purpose here (v.1) is simply to assert the absolute supremacy of the Lord against all such claimants to his worship (1 Corinthians 8:5-6). — Guthrie, page 537.

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Implicit in David’s assertion that he will give thanks with all his heart … before the gods is the contrary assertion that these other “gods” (i.e., the gods of “all the (Gentile) kings of the land” mentioned in v.4) deserve none of his worship, since they are in fact no gods at all (Psalm 135:15-18). The worshiper’s focus on the Temple is motivated not by the “house” itself, but by the presence of God Himself therein. God’s name here represents a summary reference to all the past deeds for which He is known—specifically those deeds expressive of His lovingkindness and truth, as when He redeemed David from Saul in the episode described in Psalm 57, where David employs the same parallelism (57:3; suggesting that the present psalm may have been specifically intended as a follow-up to the former). — Wechsler, page 332.

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One of the many reasons for the description of David as having a heart after God’s own (1 Samuel 13:14) was, as demonstrated here, his recognition of the underlying motivation tying together all of God’s dealings, both in word and in deed, with His people Israel—to wit: that by means of such the Gentiles might also come to know and worship Him as one people with Israel (cf. Isaiah 19:24-25). Such is clearly the meaning of vs.4-5, the very wording of which hearkens to David’s anticipation of the same in Psalm 22:27-31 and 68:32. — Wechsler, page 332.

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David concludes with the confident assertion (as opposed to a wish) that God will revive him—literally, “give me life,” referring not just to preservation of his mortal life, but also, if not more so, to the granting of eternal and incorruptible life in God’s presence, as in Psalm 30:3 and 80:18—as also intended by his parallel assertion that God will save him. — Wechsler, page 333.

Williams’ take:

The praise of the first three verses of this Psalm, the predictions of the next three, and the persuasion of the last two are based upon the trustworthiness of the Word of God. The first six verses will have their fulfillment in the future day of Messiah’s glory, and the last two express His faith while waiting for that glory. As Israel’s High Priest He sings the song for, and with, His people.

The prediction in verses 4-6 relate to the time when all the kings of the earth—the gods of verse 1—will become subject to the words of Messiah’s mouth (v.4); they will applaud His ways, and great will be His glory (v.5). He as the self-humbled One (Philippians 2:8) will be enthroned (v.6); but the proud one (Isaiah 10:13, Daniel 11:36) will be afar off in the lake of fire (Revelation 19:20). — Williams, page 408

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Psalm 137

1 By the rivers of Babylon,
There we sat down, yea, we wept
When we remembered Zion.

2 We hung our harps
Upon the willows in the midst of it.

3 For there those who carried us away captive asked of us a song,
And those who plundered us requested mirth,
Saying, “Sing us one of the songs of Zion!”

How shall we sing the Lord’s song
In a foreign land?

5 If I forget you, O Jerusalem,
Let my right hand forget its skill!

6 If I do not remember you,
Let my tongue cling to the roof of my mouth—
If I do not exalt Jerusalem
Above my chief joy.

Remember, O Lord, against the sons of Edom
The day of Jerusalem,
Who said, “Raze it, raze it,
To its very foundation!”

O daughter of Babylon, who are to be destroyed,
Happy the one who repays you as you have served us!

9 Happy the one who takes and dashes
Your little ones against the rock!

Though the Hebrew text of this psalm has no heading, early Jewish tradition identifies it alternately as the composition of David (per the Midrash on Psalms, which explains that God gave David a prophetic vision of the Temple’s destruction and Israel’s exile) or as the joint composition of David and (later adding to it) Jeremiah. — Wechsler, page 328.

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Thous the imagery of [verses 1-3] is highly picturesque, it is colored throughout by the somber hues of sorrow—which sorrow is specifically occasioned by (1) their remembrance of Zion (i.e., of what it was before the conquest, not only in its material splendor, but even more so as the site of God’s presence on earth—in the now-destroyed Temple); and (2) their being under the dominion of pagan captors who demanded that they exiles express mirth and sing songs of Zion against their will. — Wechsler, pages 328-329.

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The exiles here (vs.4-6) affirm by their subtle response that their expression of joy over Zion is based not in the prosperity of the city per se, but in their worship of the God who chose Zion as the seat of His earthly rule, as Israel’s true King. The affirmation in turn bears out the reason for the exile, which, though accomplished by means of an ungodly people, was intended by God as chastisement for Israel’s failure to recognize Him as their ultimate authority—a failure epitomized by their idolatry (Ezekiel 20:27-32) and failure to observe God’s command concerning the land’s sabbatical rest (2 Chronicles 36:21). — Wechsler, page 329.

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Though the exile was intended by God for the good purpose of chastising Israel, the agent by which He brought about that chastisement—i.e., the Babylonians, supported by Israel’s neighbor Edom was nonetheless an ungodly agent, motivated for their own part by the very bad purpose of conquering God’s people and dishonoring their God, hence placing themselves under the inevitable, just judgment (i.e., wrath) of God. It is for this expression of divine justice that the psalmist appeals in this last section, which he concludes with [an] admittedly shocking statement. This statement, however, is meant to be shocking. —Wechsler, page 330.

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In response to those critics who see this concluding statement (v.9) as [unfitting], we would point out the following: (1) the distinction between “innocent” and “guilty” that fuels much of our modern shock at this verse is typically divorced from any spiritual nuance (i.e., “innocence” is equated with young age rather than sinlessness), in contrast to the biblical notion of “innocence” as a spiritual category that applies to no one per se, even from conception (Psalm 51:5)—hence the drawing of even one breath represents a gift of grace and mercy on God’s part; (2) [the New Testament depicts] Christ’s second advent, at which time more people will be put to death than at any other single period in prior history (cf. Revelation 19:18; Matthew 24:19ff.); (3) the Abrahamic Covenant required that God “curse those who curse” Israel in like fashion—as the psalmist himself specifically states in v.8 …; (4) implicit in the “devastation” of Israel’s captors, the Babylonians, is the release of Israel herself from captivity … hence the psalmist’s reference to the one who repays Babylon as “blessed” (as is evident in what God says to Cyrus in Isaiah 45:1-7) … It should also be borne in mind that this last statement is not presented as an exhortation or command, nor is it directed to any human individual in particular, implying that—in the depth of their grief over having their own little ones dashed against the rock—the Israelite exiles are yeet leaving the recompense their captors deserve to God, who more often than not does show mercy, even in judgment. — Wechsler, pages 330-331.

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The word “happy” is from a Hebrew root meaning to be upright. The happiness of a true moral relationship to God is a right happiness whether it results from receiving God’s pardon or executing God’s wrath. The former happiness belongs to the present day of grace; the latter, to the future day of judgment. God’s action, whether in grace or judgment, is perfect and in harmony with His being and nature, and awakens praise in every Spirit-taught heart.

That a tyrant should suffer the same misery that he inflicted on others is not injustice but justice. There is, therefore, nothing unrighteous in verses 8 and 9.— Williams, pages 407-408.

I agree with what Wechsler and Williams said about verse 9. But more than that, all of the evil done throughout history to God’s people is the result of Satan’s attempt to thwart the plans of God. The attacks on Israel before the Incarnation were an attempt to destroy the line that brought forth the Messiah. If God allowed Israel to be destroyed, there could have been no Messiah and, therefore, no salvation. It’s popular to say that God is love. It’s not very popular these days to say that He is also righteous and just.

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Psalm 136

1 Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good!
For His mercy endures forever.

2 Oh, give thanks to the God of gods!
For His mercy endures forever.

3 Oh, give thanks to the Lord of lords!
For His mercy endures forever:

To Him who alone does great wonders,
For His mercy endures forever;

5 To Him who by wisdom made the heavens,
For His mercy endures forever;

6 To Him who laid out the earth above the waters,
For His mercy endures forever;

7 To Him who made great lights,
For His mercy endures forever—

8 The sun to rule by day,
For His mercy endures forever;

9 The moon and stars to rule by night,
For His mercy endures forever.

10 To Him who struck Egypt in their firstborn,
For His mercy endures forever;

11 And brought out Israel from among them,
For His mercy endures forever;

12 With a strong hand, and with an outstretched arm,
For His mercy endures forever;

13 To Him who divided the Red Sea in two,
For His mercy endures forever;

14 And made Israel pass through the midst of it,
For His mercy endures forever;

15 But overthrew Pharaoh and his army in the Red Sea,
For His mercy endures forever;

16 To Him who led His people through the wilderness,
For His mercy endures forever;

17 To Him who struck down great kings,
For His mercy endures forever;

18 And slew famous kings,
For His mercy endures forever—

19 Sihon king of the Amorites,
For His mercy endures forever;

20 And Og king of Bashan,
For His mercy endures forever—

21 And gave their land as a heritage,
For His mercy endures forever;

22 A heritage to Israel His servant,
For His mercy endures forever.

23 Who remembered us in our lowly state,
For His mercy endures forever;

24 And rescued us from our enemies,
For His mercy endures forever;

25 Who gives food to all flesh,
For His mercy endures forever.

26 Oh, give thanks to the God of heaven!
For His mercy endures forever.

This psalm (sometimes in combination with Psalm 135) is known in Jewish tradition as “The Great Hallel,” i.e.,the Giving of Praise par excellence) because of its comprehensive focus on the reasons for praising God—from His Creation of the Universe and general solicitude for humanity to His special, paternal solicitude for His people—and because of its unique repetition/emphasis (more so than in any other biblical [passage]) on that divine attribute that most epitomizes (i.e., sums up) any and all good that God has ever done for man—His lovingkindnesss. For this reason also this psalm is recited after the “Egyptian Hallel” on Passover, in connection with the Fourth Cup that symbolizes “Redemption” in connection with God’s fourth and final promise in Exodus 6:7: “I will take you for My people, and I will be your God”—a promise whose fulfillment is ultimately linked by Scripture to God’s final historical act of paternal redemption, when He brings His people Israel (together with the “grafted-in” branches of righteous Gentiles: cf, Romans 11:17), renewed in imperishable purity, into their home of renewed creation (Revelation 21:3). — Wechsler, pages 324-325.

In the opening call (vs.1-3) the three great names or titles of God—Jehovah, Elohim, Adonai—are used.

In the opening section (vs.1-3) the psalmist focuses not on any specific manifestation of God’s expressed attributes (attributes that becomes “active” in what God does), but rather on the essential attributes (attributes that are “active” in what God is) of His goodness and transcendence (His being “above” or greater than all other authorities and powers, whether human or divine, in every respect). — Wechsler, page 325.

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God’s transcendence over creation is stressed [in vs.4-9] by focusing on His role as Creator—specifically, His creation of the more “awe-inspiring” parts of the universe on the second through fourth days of the creation week, i.e.: the sky (heavens, v.5), the earth (dry land, v.6), and the great lights—that is, the sun and the moon and the stars. … In addition to the obvious benefit of these things to humanity, the “goodness” component of God’s lovingkindness manifest in His creation of these things is intimated by the psalmist’s initial reference, in v.4, to God doing (or “making”) great wonders, which term specifically signifies God’s manifest acts of deliverance. — Wechsler, page 326.

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God’s attribute in its most intimate or “relational” manner is the explicit focus of [vs.10-22], which briefly surveys the various ways in which God, having sovereignly chosen Israel, preserved them from destruction and delivered them from affliction. The arrangement of this survey follows the same essential pattern as in vs.8-14 of Psalm 135. — Wechsler, page 326.

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[Verses 23-24 reiterate in abbreviated fashion the entire spectrum of God’s [attributes] in the Hebrew Bible as expressed in Israel’s deliverance, from Egypt (to which the expression “who remembered us” alludes; cf. Exodus 2:24) to the post-exilic period (to which the expression “He has rescued us” alludes. — Wechsler, page 327.

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By concluding the psalm with the same exhortation to give thanks employed thrice at the beginning we are reminded that, though “The Great Praise” itself here draws to a close, our obligation to continue giving thanks to God does not. … This continuous, or “pan-temporal” perspective on thanksgiving is reinforced not only by its obvious correlation to everlasting expression of God’s [attributes], but also by the closing epithet “the God of heaven,” which is a fairly rare divine title that, considering where it does occur, recalls the expression of God’s transcendent [attributes] throughout the Old Testament history of Israel … — Wechsler, pages 327-328.

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This Psalm is Israel’s response to the call of the prior Psalm to worship and praise Messiah. … It will yet be sung by the tribes of Israel in the future day of their deliverance, when Messiah will appear in majesty and destroy all their adversaries. In the first twenty-two verses His glory as Creator and Sustainer of the heavens and the earth (Colossians 1:16-17), and His grace and power on behalf of His ancient people in the past, are set out. The remaining verses apply to their future deliverance from Anti-Christ—Israel’s greatest enemy—and from the misery of their low estate, and that of the flesh under his oppression. — Williams, pages 406-407.

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Psalm 135

1 Praise the Lord
Praise the name of the Lord;

Praise Him, O you servants of the Lord!

2 You who stand in the house of the Lord,
In the courts of the house of our God,

3 Praise the Lord, for the Lord is good;
Sing praises to His name, for it is pleasant.

4 For the Lord has chosen Jacob for Himself,
Israel for His special treasure.

For I know that the Lord is great,
And our Lord is above all gods.

6 Whatever the Lord pleases He does,
In heaven and in earth,
In the seas and in all deep places.

7 He causes the vapors to ascend from the ends of the earth;
He makes lightning for the rain;
He brings the wind out of His treasuries.

He destroyed the firstborn of Egypt,
Both of man and beast.

9 He sent signs and wonders into the midst of you, O Egypt,
Upon Pharaoh and all his servants.

10 He defeated many nations
And slew mighty kings—

11 Sihon king of the Amorites,
Og king of Bashan,
And all the kingdoms of Canaan—

12 And gave their land as a heritage,
A heritage to Israel His people.

13 Your name, O Lord, endures forever,
Your fame, O Lord, throughout all generations.

14 For the Lord will judge His people,
And He will have compassion on His servants.

15 The idols of the nations are silver and gold,
The work of men’s hands.

16 They have mouths, but they do not speak;
Eyes they have, but they do not see;

17 They have ears, but they do not hear;
Nor is there any breath in their mouths.

18 Those who make them are like them;
So is everyone who trusts in them.

19 Bless the Lord, O house of Israel!
Bless the Lord, O house of Aaron!

20 Bless the Lord, O house of Levi!
You who fear the Lord, bless the Lord!

21 Blessed be the Lord out of Zion,
Who dwells in Jerusalem!

This first section (vs.1-7)focuses on the expression of God’s solicitude for Israel which stands at the foundation of their identity as His people—to wit, His sovereign and umerited choice (cf. Romans 9:11). — Wechsler, page 323.

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Having “chosen Jacob (i.e., the people of Israel) for Himself” (v.4) based on His grace and not their worth (which was/is neither worse nor better than that of any other group), God maintains His choice—that is, their existence as a people—on the same basis, “For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable” (Romans 11:29). Despite their predominant hardness and sinfulness (extending from their depravity, not as Jews, but as humans, God thus expresses His solicitude for Israel by (1) defeating their enemies, from Egypt (vs.8-9), the Amorites, and the people of Bashan (v.11; cf. Numbers 21:21-35) to all the kingdoms of Canaan (v.11b); (2) giving them the land of Canaan (and all it contained for their sustenance) as a heritage (or “inheritance”) forever (cf. Genesis 17:8; Psalm 105:8-11); and (3) vindicating and having compassion on His people—i.e., manifesting His personal love in chastisement. — Wechsler, page 323.

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The psalmist focuses in this concluding section (vs.15-21) on the manner (and hence depth) of God’s expressed solicitude for Israel by contrasting it with the manner (i.e., the utter lack thereof in which other “gods” relate to those who trust in them (v.18). — Wechsler, page 324.

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This Psalm and the following … are prophetic, and will be sung by redeemed Israel at the coronation of the Great King in Zion. This is made clear by verse 21, and by comparing verses 13 and 14 with Exodus 3:15 [which] declares God’s election of Israel and His uniting the memorial of His name with her, and Deuteronomy 32:36 [which] predicts her apostasy to idolatry, her rejection of Messiah, the Divine indignation that should justly follow, and her final restoration and pardon. — Williams, page 406.

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Psalm 134

A Song of Ascents.

1 Behold, bless the Lord,
All you servants of the Lord,
Who by night stand in the house of the Lord!

Lift up your hands in the sanctuary,
And bless the Lord.

The Lord who made heaven and earth
Bless you from Zion!

The theme of complete or “utmost” blessing—both to and from the Lord and His people—is structurally reinforced by the three-fold repetition (i.e., once in each verse) of the verb “bless.” — Wechsler, page 320.

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Picking on the specific notion—in this case “blessing”—with which the previous psalm ended, this psalm begins with the exhortation to respond in like kind—i.e., that those who have been blessed by the Lord with the guarantee of “eternal life” (Psalm 133:3b) respond in worship by themselves blessing the LORD. Thous the expression “those who stand in the house of the Lord” certainly includes the Levites who would minister in the temple, considering the context and culminating place of this psalm, it also unquestionably includes reference to all Israelite worshipers and pilgrims to the Temple who seek to worship God in gratitude and praise. The reference to this worship taking place by night (lit., “in the nights”) is intended to underscore the unbroken continuity of this worship … especially during the pilgrimage festivals (i.e., Passover, Pentecost, and Tabernacles). — Wechsler, pages 320-321.

Sanctuary (v.2) = Holy of Holies

The worshiper’s focus on the Temple is motivated not by the “house” itself, but by the presence of God Himself therein. To lift up one’s hands to Him, moreover, highlights that important relational facet of worship characterized by the worshiper’s utter submission to and dependence on God as the One who is not only able, but willing to meet His child’s deepest and most pressing needs (cf. the parallelism between “I lift up my hands” and “My supplications”/”I cry … for help” in Psalm 28:2; this is also the likely signification in 1 Timothy 2:8). — Wechsler, page 322.

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This psalm—and hence the Songs of Ascent—concludes, most fittingly, on the note of blessing going forth from the LORD Himself, the Source of all blessing, from His “place” in Zion—the reference being not just to what was in the days of the First and Second Temples, but also to what will always be, from the days of Christ’s advent to the Third Temple and beyond. — Wechsler, page 322.

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This is the last of the Songs of the Ascents, and all is sunshine and blessing. It is a scene of millennial peace and glory. Messiah as Creator of the heavens and of the earth, is enthroned in Zion (v.3), and from thence, as a source, blessing flows forth. Men will then lift their eyes to Zion (v.2) and from thence expect the supply of all their needs. …

“By night” may mean at the time of the evening sacrifice; or it may  mean the praise which faith renders during the “night” that precedes the millennial dawn. — Williams, page 406.

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Psalm 133

A Song of Ascents. Of David.

1 Behold, how good and how pleasant it is
For brethren to dwell together in unity!

It is like the precious oil upon the head,
Running down on the beard,
The beard of Aaron,
Running down on the edge of his garments.

3 It is like the dew of Hermon,
Descending upon the mountains of Zion;
For there the Lord commanded the blessing—
Life forevermore.

Considering the pilgrimage venue of these Songs of Ascent, the “unity” of “brothers” here in view should be specifically construed with reference to the spiritual unity of the various Israelite pilgrims who have come together to worship their One Lord and Father at the Temple in Jerusalem. The spiritual-theological nuance of this unity is further affirmed by the observation that the adjectives “good” and “pleasant” are elsewhere employed in poetic parallelism with reference to what God is, what He gives, or the worship that He receives from His people. — Wechsler, page 318.

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The comparison of the aforementioned “unity” to the precious oil … coming down upon … Aaron’s beard is specifically intended to highlight the holiness of that unity—or, more precisely, the priestly holiness of the people who “dwell” in that unity. The oil, which in connection to Aaron can only be the “anointing oil” described in Leviticus 8:10-13 which, after being applied to “the tabernacle and all that was in it,” was poured “on Aaron’s head … to consecrate him.” — Wechsler, page 319.

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The comparison to Mt. Hermon reinforces the image of abundant life, since Hermon is the tallest mountain in the biblical land of Israel and, being always covered by snow, is consistently characterized in its lower parts by an abundance of dew— which bears the specific symbolism of fresh and vigorous life. The reference to Zion as the source of this eternal blessing alludes specifically to the presence of God therein as the eternal King and source of all that is best for His people. — Wechsler, page 320.

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This song looks forward to the happy day when the Holy Spirit will be poured out upon the whole House of Israel, and, no longer broken into two nations, they will become one family dwelling together in unity. Ezekiel 37:15-28 predicts this future unity, and makes it synchronize with the second coming of Messiah. — Williams, page 405.

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Psalm 132

A Song of Ascents.

1 Lord, remember David
And all his afflictions;

2 How he swore to the Lord,
And vowed to the Mighty One of Jacob:

3 “Surely I will not go into the chamber of my house,
Or go up to the comfort of my bed;

4 I will not give sleep to my eyes
Or slumber to my eyelids,

5 Until I find a place for the Lord,
A dwelling place for the Mighty One of Jacob.”

Behold, we heard of it in Ephrathah;
We found it in the fields of the woods.

7 Let us go into His tabernacle;
Let us worship at His footstool.

8 Arise, O Lord, to Your resting place,
You and the ark of Your strength.

Let Your priests be clothed with righteousness,
And let Your saints shout for joy.

10 For Your servant David’s sake,
Do not turn away the face of Your Anointed.

11 The Lord has sworn in truth to David;
He will not turn from it:
“I will set upon your throne the fruit of your body.

12 If your sons will keep My covenant
And My testimony which I shall teach them,
Their sons also shall sit upon your throne forevermore.”

13 For the Lord has chosen Zion;
He has desired it for His dwelling place:

14 “This is My resting place forever;
Here I will dwell, for I have desired it.

15 I will abundantly bless her provision;
I will satisfy her poor with bread.

16 I will also clothe her priests with salvation,
And her saints shall shout aloud for joy.

17 There I will make the horn of David grow;
I will prepare a lamp for My Anointed.

18 His enemies I will clothe with shame,
But upon Himself His crown shall flourish.”

Some commentaries believe this psalm was sung at the dedication of Solomon’s temple. Williams believes it was written by Hezekiah when he (and the ark) was besieged in Jerusalem by the Assyrians, and the king was childless.

Seeing that the content of this psalm is generally parallel to that of Solomon’s prayer at the dedication of the Temple in 2 Chronicles 6, with an especially close (and clearly intentional) similarity in the language of vs.9-10 of this psalm and the closing two verses (41-42) of Solomon’s prayer, it has long been suggested by various interpreters that this psalm was originally composed and sung during the “bringing up” of the ark from its tent in the city of David to its place in the inner sanctuary of Solomon’s Temple (see 1 Kings 8:4-6). — Wechsler, page 315.

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In addition to affirming David’s determination to find—i.e., to both find a suitable location (the threshing floor of Araunah/Ornan the Jebusite [2 Chronicles 3:1]) and built thereon (which his son, Solomon, did), this section (vs.1-5) also supplies new information by describing the personal vow that David made that until he found the Lord a “place” he would neither enter his house nor lie on his bed (a euphemism for sexual relations). — Wechsler, page 315.

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Israel’s role (vs.6-10) is that of responding by going into God’s dwelling place and worshiping at His footstool (i.e., before the Ark). The people’s petition in v.10 that God not turn away the face of His anointed (Messiah), while alluding, on the one hand, to God’s promise in 2 Samuel 7:14-15 not to remove His grant of royal status to the successive sinful kings in the Davidic line, also serves as a segue to the following verse introducing God’s role in the covenant and His ultimate acceptance of the “face” (i.e., of the intercession, the expression “not to turn away the face of” meaning to accept another’s request of petition) of the Anointed One par excellence. — Wechsler, page 316.

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The psalmist introduces the final section (vs.11-18) by immediately emphasizing (in v.11) that the fulfillment of the covenant depends exclusively on God. Hence we are told that the Lord has sworn and will not turn back from His statement to David that He would seat one of the fruit of his body upon the throne, which statement is applied directly to Jesus in Acts 2:30 as the final and ideal realization of this promise. The conditional language of v.12 does not introduce a condition into the fulfillment of the Davidic Covenant, but rather the extent to which the successive sons of David would also sit on the throne in their own lifetimes (as opposed to being removed therefrom in chastisement) until there would come that ideal Son of David who, by virtue of His perfect obedience, would take up that throne forever. … The messianic nature of this covenant’s fulfillment is further intimated by the expression “My resting place” as well as by God’s declaration in v.17: “I will cause to branch forth a horn of David”—hearkening unmistakably to the messianic prophecies concerning the “Branch” of David in Isaiah 4:2; Jeremiah 23:5; 33:15; Zechariah 3:8; and 6:12. — Wechsler, pages 316-318.

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Psalm 131

A Song of Ascents. Of David.

1 Lord, my heart is not haughty,
Nor my eyes lofty.
Neither do I concern myself with great matters,
Nor with things too profound for me.

Surely I have calmed and quieted my soul,
Like a weaned child with his mother;
Like a weaned child is my soul within me.

O Israel, hope in the Lord
From this time forth and forever.

This psalm though short, highlights the underlying qualification of David as “a man after God’s own heart” (1 Samuel 13:14)—to wit: that, despite his sins and imperfections, he understood clearly and accurately who he was in relation (and contrast) to God, and how he was therefore to relate to God. — Wechsler, page 312.

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The biblical concept of “pride” … simply entails recognizing (and affirming) what is true of oneself.  The second part of verse 1 not only continues this honest self-assessment, but also implies the contrasting assessment of God (and hence qualifies as worship)—i.e., that what is too great (i.e., incomprehensible, not more important) or too difficult (lit., “too wonderful”—i.e., unattainable) for David, as a created being, is not too great or too difficult (i.e., it is exclusively comprehensible and attainable) for God. — Wechsler, page 313.

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By comparing his soul to a weaned child upon (i.e., resting upon) his mother, David underscores not only his humility and contentment with what is given to him (just as a weaned child is content with the more solid food given to it in place of the mother’s milk), but also his relationship with God, of which one of the most poignant images in any culture is that of a mother and her child. By this imagery is thus portrayed a faith that has matured beyond infancy and which therefore ceases to “cry out” for “great things” and “wonders/signs” and rests content with the more mature “food” of God’s Word. It is this same notion—if not this very psalm—that underlies the comparison of the immature church of Corinth to “babes in Christ” who are not yet ready (i.e., weaned) to receive “solid food” (1 Corinthians 3:1-3; note also that the spiritual gifts emphasized in this church include all the “sign” gifts, whereas those of the more mature Roman church include none of them [Romans 12:6-8]). — Wechsler, pages 313-314.

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Just as in the concluding section of the previous psalm (Psalm 130) the psalmist widens the scope of his personal hope to include Israel as a while, so too her—with the shift from the personal to the collective scope signaled by the same opening words (“O Israel, hope in the LORD”)— David exhorts his people to share with him in the privilege of experiencing the same filial relationship to their Heavenly Father, fraternally reinforced by the same childlike (as opposed to childish) faith. David’s closing qualification serves to compensate for the limitations of the simile in the previous verse, for though a weaned child eventually grows up and leaves his mother, Israel’s filial trust and dependence on God is to (and will) endure from this time forth and forever, commensurate with God’s own paternal solicitude and love. — Wechsler, page 314.

Williams’ take:

The Spirit here paints [Messiah] in beauteous colors. Neither haughty nor proud, neither self-confident nor willful but gentle, submissive, and resigned, He is subject to God’s will and government as a weaned child accepts and submits to the wise and loving action of its mothers in changing its food. …

In Psalm 130:7 the nation is encouraged to set her hope on Jehovah because He was about to redeem her (v.8). In this Psalm she is invited to continue setting her hope upon Him “from henceforth and for ever,” because the promised redemption shall have then become a reality. — Williams, page 404.

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