Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Psalms 7:7
So shall the congregation of the people compass thee about: for their sakes therefore return thou on high.
7. Render:
And let the assembly of peoples come round about thee:
And over it return thou on high.
The judgement scene. The Psalmist prays that ‘the peoples’ may be summoned to stand round the tribunal. It is a general summons. No distinction is made between Israel and other nations. Jehovah is exercising His judicial functions in their fullest extent as the Judge of all the earth.
The second line is difficult. There is much authority in favour of the interpretation, ‘Return to heaven, when the judgement is finished, soaring away above the vast throng and vanishing to Thy abode on high, thus proving that Thou art the supreme Judge of all.’
This explanation no doubt presents a grand poetic picture; but it is clearly untenable, for no mention has yet been made of the judgement, and Psa 7:8 goes on to speak of it as in progress. It is best (if the Massoretic text is retained) to explain: ‘once more occupy the throne of judgement above the assembly, resume the judicial functions which seem for a time to have been abandoned.’ But it is doubtful if the word ‘return’ fairly yields this sense, and it is probable that we should change the vowel points, and read sit instead of return. ‘Over it take Thy seat on high’ upon the throne of judgement, gives precisely the sense needed by the context. Comp. the parallels in the closely related Psalms 9, vv4, 7.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
So shall the congregation of the people compass thee about – That is, as the result of thy gracious interposition in defending the righteous, and in bringing just judgment on the wicked. The meaning is, that such an act would inspire confidence in him as a just and holy God, and that, as the result, his people would gather round him to express their gratitude, and to render him praise. In other words, every act of justice on the part of God – all hls interpositions to defend his people, and to maintain the principles of righteousness and truth – tend to inspire confidence in him, and to increase the number of his friends. The phrase the congregation of the people, here, does not necessarily refer to any congregation, or assembly as such, then existing; but it means that a great congregation – a great multitude – would thus encompass him, or that great numbers would worship him the result of his interposition. This the psalmist urges as a motive, or as a reason why God should interpose, that in this way the number of his worshippers would be greatly increased.
For their sakes – On their account; or to secure this result in regard to them.
Return thou on high – The most probable meaning of this is ascend thy throne of justice, or thy judgment-seat; spoken here either as a king ascending his elevated throne (compare Isa 6:1), or as ascending to heaven, the place where he dispensed justice. The language is as if he had come down from his throne – as if he had not been engaged in dispensing justice; and David now calls on him to reascend the throne, and to execute righteous judgment among men. The effect of this, he says, would be to secure the confidence of his people, and to increase the number of those who would worship him. Of course, this is not to be understood literally, but in a manner appropriate to the divine majesty. It is language, in this respect, similar to that which is elsewhere used, when the psalmist calls on God to awake, to arise, to lift up himself. See Psa 7:6. Such language is easily understood; and language drawn from the common modes of speaking among men must be used when we speak of God. The whole idea in this passage is that God seemed to delay in the execution of his judgment, and the psalmist entreats him to hasten it.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Psa 7:7
For their sakes, therefore, return Thou on high.
Davids strong language
David had no difficulty in invoking a tremendous punishment upon his enemies. But the language must be judged by the times in which it was employed. Not only so, but every man has his own language. In a sense there is a private and individual tongue. You must know the speaker before you can understand the speech. The man explains the mystery that is round about him. Davids language was very strong; but David was a poet, and a Hebrew poet, a poet of poets. All the poetry that had gone before him was but as a pedestal, on which he stood to lift himself and his art into a nobler elevation. We must not, therefore, judge Davids language, especially when it is imprecatory, with our critical notions of propriety and measure. No other terms would have expressed his then feeling. Were he with us now, none would be so sweet in song, none so tender in prayer. (Joseph Parker, D. D.)
Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell
Verse 7. For their sakes therefore return thou on high.] Thy own people who compass thy altar, the faithful of the land, are full of gloomy apprehensions. They hear the charges against me; and see how I am persecuted. Their minds are divided; they know not what to think. For their sakes, return thou on high – ascend the judgment-seat; and let them see, by the dispensations of thy providence, who is innocent and who is guilty. David feared not to make this appeal to God; for the consciousness of his innocence showed him at once how the discrimination would be made.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
The congregation of the people; either,
1. A great number of all sorts of people, who shall observe thy justice, and holiness, and goodness, in pleading my righteous cause against my cruel and implacable oppressor. Or rather,
2. The whole body of thy people Israel, to whom both these Hebrew words are commonly ascribed in Holy Scripture.
Compass thee about; they will, and I as their king and ruler in thy stead will, take care that they shall come from all parts and meet together to worship thee, which in Sauls time they have grossly neglected, and been permitted to neglect, and to offer to thee praises and sacrifices for thy favour to me, and for the manifold benefits which they shall enjoy by my means, and under any government.
For their sakes; or, for its sake, i.e. for the sake of thy congregation, which now is woefully dissipated and oppressed, and have in a great measure lost all administration of justice, and exercise of religion.
Return thou on high; or, return to thy high place, i.e. to thy tribunal, to sit there and judge my cause. An allusion to earthly tribunals, which generally are set up on high above the people, 1Ki 10:19.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
7. compass theeas thoseseeking justice.
return thou on highassumethe judgment seat, to be honored as a just Ruler by them.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
So shall the congregation of the people compass thee about,…. By “the congregation of the people” are meant the nation of the Jews, the twelve tribes of Israel, called an assembly of people, and a company of nations, Ge 28:3; and this is to be understood not of their gathering together in an hostile manner about David to take him, which might be interpreted compassing God himself about, David being as dear to him as the apple of his eye, which is the sense of several Jewish commentators b; but rather of their encompassing and surrounding the altar of God with songs of deliverance, upon David’s being rid of his enemies and advanced to the throne of the kingdom; see
Ps 26:6; unless it should have regard to the pure worship of God by David, which was greatly neglected in Saul’s time; and then the sense is, that the psalmist prays that he might be established in his kingdom, as God had appointed and commanded, when he would fetch up the ark of God, and encourage the worship of God, and rectify all disorders in it; that so the several tribes might come up to Jerusalem and encompass the ark, the symbol of the divine Presence, and worship in his holy mountain;
for their sakes therefore return thou on high; take, the throne of justice, high and lifted up, vindicate the cause of the oppressed, deliver me from all my troubles, put me into the peaceable possession of my kingdom; if not for my, sake, yet for the sake of thy church and people, and for the sake of thy worship and thy glory; the Targum paraphrases it, “return thou to the house of thy Shechinah”.
b Kimchi & Aben Ezra in loc.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
7 And a congregation of peoples Some limit this sentence exclusively to the people of Israel, as if David promised that, as soon as he should ascend the throne, he would endeavour to reunite together, in the pure worship of God, the people who before had been as it were in a state of dispersion. Under the reign of Saul, religion had been neglected, or such an unrestrained license in wickedness had prevailed, that few paid any regard to God. The meaning, therefore, according to these expositors, is this: Lord, when thou shalt have constituted me king, the whole people, who have so basely gone astray from thee, (106) shall return from their wanderings and disorderly courses to thee and to thy service, so that all shall know that thou rulest in the midst of them, and shall worship thee as their only King. But I am rather inclined to view this as language which has a respect in common to many nations. David here speaks in high terms of the effects resulting from his deliverance, the report of which would be spread far and wide, and his words are, as if he had said, “Lord, when thou shalt have put me in peaceable possession of the kingdom, this will not only be a benefit conferred on me personally, but it will be a common lesson to many nations, teaching them to acknowledge thy just judgment, so that they shall turn their eyes to thy judgment-seat.” (107) David here alludes to the practice of a people who surround their king, as in a circle, when he holds a solemn assembly. In the same sense, he adds immediately after, that God, who, for a time, lay still and kept silence, would raise himself on high that not only one or two, but whole nations, might behold his glory: And on account of this return thou on high (108) There is in these words, a tacit comparison, that although it might not be necessary to have a regard to one man alone, it is requisite that God should keep the world in the fear and reverence of his judgment.
(106) “ Tout le peuple qui s’estoit ainsi vilenement destourne de toy.”— Fr.
(107) “ Mais ce sera un enseignement commun a plusieurs peuples, pour recognoistre ton juste jugement, tellement qu’ils dresseront les yeux vers ton siege judicial.”— Fr.
(108) Fry reads, “And over it resume thy high tribunal.” He supposes that the word עליה, aleha, which Calvin has rendered on account of this, may be understood, “concerning this affair,” and gives the following paraphrase: ”Resume thy judgment-seat, in order to investigate the cause in which I have been prejudged by the adversary.”
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(7) So shall.This clause is also in the optative: let the communities of peoples be gathered round thee.
For their sakes.Rather, over or above it, as in LXX. The poet has a vision of judgment. Jehovah summons the nations, arranges them at His tribunal, and then returns to His high throne to preside. This explanation is more consonant with the context (see next verse) than to suppose the judgment to have taken place between the two causes of the verse, and the departure of God into the height as a victor after battle (Delitzsch), or in proof of His supremacy as judge (Ewald). This picture of arraigned nations is certainly in favour of the view which makes the psalm the expression of the feelings of the community rather than of an individual.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
7. So shall the congregation of the people “People,” here, is in the plural peoples, and refers not to Israel only, but the nations, probably those tributary to David. The effect of divine judicial intervention in this individual case should be salutary to the nations, as illustrating the character of the divine administration.
Compass thee about Surround thy throne, as having confidence in thy judgments.
Return thou on high That is, return to thy throne of judgment, which, by the temporary triumph of the wicked, he had seemed to vacate. The Hebrew word for throne, means an elevated seat. Solomon’s throne was ascended by six steps, (1Ki 10:19,) and Jehovah’s throne is described as “high and lifted up,” (Isa 6:1,) “in heaven.” Psa 11:4. The text is a poetical allusion to the custom of kings in ascending their thrones whenever they would give public audience or administer justice.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Psa 7:7. For their sakes therefore For that [cause] therefore. The words, compass thee about, allude to the Jewish rite of going round the temple and altar in time of divine worship. So that to compass about, in a triumphant and joyful procession, means, to adore, worship, and praise God. So Psa 26:6. I will wash mine hands in innocency, and so will I compass, or go round thine altar. See Spencer de Leg. Heb. tom. 2:
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Psa 7:7 So shall the congregation of the people compass thee about: for their sakes therefore return thou on high.
Ver. 7. So shall the congregation of the people compass thee about ] As people love to flock to assizes, or such places of judicature, where sentence is passed upon great ones that have offended. Or thus, then shall the public sincere service of God be set up, and people shall fly to it, as the doves do to their windows.
For their sakes therefore return thou on high
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
people = peoples.
compass Thee about = gather round Thee: i.e. to hear Thy judgment.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
So: Psa 48:11, Psa 58:10, Psa 58:11, Rev 11:17, Rev 11:18, Rev 16:5-7, Rev 18:20, Rev 19:2
return: Psa 93:4, Psa 113:5, Psa 113:6, Psa 138:6, Isa 57:15
Reciprocal: Psa 68:1 – God arise Psa 69:6 – Let not Psa 80:14 – Return Psa 95:2 – Let us Psa 119:79 – Let those Psa 142:7 – the righteous
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Psa 7:7. So shall the congregation of the people compass thee about Such a visible display of thy righteous judgment in thus pleading my cause against my cruel and implacable oppressor will induce multitudes of people, who shall behold or hear of it, to adore and glorify thee. For, observing thy justice, and holiness, and goodness, which will be hereby manifested, they will come from all parts to worship thee and to offer thee praises and sacrifices. For their sakes therefore For the sake of thy congregation, which is now wofully scattered and oppressed, and has, in a great measure, lost all administration of justice and exercise of religion; return thou on high Or, return to thy high place, that is, to thy tribunal, to sit there and judge my cause: an allusion to earthly tribunals, which generally are set upon high above the people, 1Ki 10:19. The ark, and tabernacle, and worship of God, had been greatly neglected in Sauls days, 1Ch 13:3; his neglect of duty, impiety, and persecution, having driven his subjects from Gods ordinances, and seduced them into many crimes. The words compass about, says Dr. Dodd, after Spencer, allude to the Jewish rite of going round the altar in time of divine worship. So that, to compass about, in a triumphant and joyful procession, means to adore, worship, and praise God. So Psa 26:6, I will wash my hands in innocence, and so will I compass, or go round, thine altar.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
7:7 So shall the congregation of the people compass thee about: for their sakes therefore {f} return thou on high.
(f) Not only for mine, but for your Church’s sake declare your power.