Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Psalms 22:28
For the kingdom [is] the LORD’s: and he [is] the governor among the nations.
28. The reason for this homage. It is but the recognition of the present fact of Jehovah’s universal sovereignty. Cp. Oba 1:21; Psa 93:1; Psa 96:10; Psa 97:1; Zec 14:16-17.
and he is the governor &c.] R.V., and he is the ruler over the nations. Cp. Psa 66:7; Psa 103:19.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
For the kingdom is the Lords – The dominion belongs of right to Yahweh, the true God. See Mat 6:13; Psa 47:7-8.
And he is the governor among the nations – He is the rightful governor or ruler among the nations. This is an assertion of the absolute right of Yahweh to reign over the nations of the earth, and the expression of an assurance on the part of the Messiah that, as the consequence of his work, this empire of Yahweh over the nations would be actually established. Compare Dan 7:13-14, note; Dan 7:27, note; and 1Co 15:24-28, notes.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Psa 22:28
The kingdom is the Lords.
An universal religion
The law of Moses was confined, by the terms of its promulgation, to the land of Judaea: and other systems which have been embraced as Divine attempted to ensure their success In some quarters of the globe by an accommodation to local manners which prevented them from spreading to distant regions. But the religion of Christ has all the internal characters of an universal religion. The manner in which the Gospel was introduced corresponds to these characters of an universal religion. Before He ascended to heaven the Founder constituted His apostles witnesses to Him unto the uttermost parts of the earth, and sent them forth to make disciples of all nations . . . We readily recognise in Jesus that illustrious descendant promised to Abraham, in whom all the families of the earth were to be blessed; that Prince of Peace whose universal dominion the prophets have painted by various imagery, in whose reign the righteous were to flourish, and the knowledge of the Lord was to cover the earth. But when we look beyond the destruction of Jerusalem these bright views seem to vanish, and we mark, with wonder and regret a striking inconsistency between the earlier and later history of the Christian Church: This religion was, for many ages, persecuted and despised by the powers of the earth. For a long time it was involved in the superstition and barbarism of the dark ages. The fact is, that, after seventeen hundred years have passed, the religion of Jesus is established in less than a fifth part of the globe. The faith of Mahomet, which has been permitted to overspread a larger portion of the earth, retains undisputed possession of its conquests. What can be said as an answer to the presumption, drawn from present appearances, against the fulfilment of the promise of universality for Christianity?
1. Though the Almighty may do all His pleasure by the word of His mouth, He generally chooses to employ means in accomplishing His purposes, and the operation of those means is so gradual as to admit of a progress ill which one thing not only paves the way for another, but gives notice of its approach. We are not warranted, by the analogy of any part of Divine providence, to expect, in the communication of religious instruction, that haste which to our imaginations may appear desirable.
2. As in natural productions there is a time of maturity to which all the preparation has tended, so the season destined for the appearance of the Gospel, which is called in Scripture the fulness of the time, was produced by a preparation of four thousand years.
3. The partial propagation of Christianity has already diffused a large measure of religious knowledge, which concurs with other circumstances in preparing the world for its being universally received.
4. The partiality, the delay, and the imperfection in the propagation of Christianity are fully accounted for by the nature of those human means which, without a succession of miracles, it was necessary to employ . . . Presumption against the universal propagation of Christianity, which has been drawn from present appearances, is contradicted by the general analogy of the Divine government, by the effects already produced, and the forward tendency of things. (G. Hill, D. D.)
The oldest kingdom and the best government
What can be a more consoling fact, in times of national convulsion, than the one declared here? The Lords kingdom is distinct from all others.
I. The greatest kingdom ever. Known. My text says the Lord is the governor. I much question if He has a kingdom for His own upon the face of the whole earth now. There was a time when He appeared signally to recognise our own dear old England distinctly above all other nations; but now it has gone down, in some instances, to downright infidelity, or, in others, perverted to gross idolatry. Whatever He may please to do with the land of my nativity, I shall rejoice to know we have in it yet more of His own kingdom than any other nation upon earth. Of the Lords kingdom we note–
(1) It is a chosen one: men enter it through a broken and contrite spirit; others who have not known this are not in the kingdom.
(2) Hence it is His by conquest over human hearts. He has subdued them unto Himself.
(3) It is under His own special care. And
(4) He peopled it with the precious souls that He had ordained from everlasting.
(5) And He dwells and abides there.
(6) Its constitution is righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit. It is a sacred kingdom and no unclean thing shall enter it.
(7) How vast are its treasures–grace and glory.
II. It has the wisest, holiest, and best of governors.
(1) His sovereignty is absolute over all nations for His own people as well as in them.
(2) It is exercised in the hearts of His subjects. Who ever heard of any other governor who reigned in the heart of every one of his subjects?
(3) He never revokes any of His decrees. My covenant will I not alter. His statutes stand forever, those in His secret statute book and those in the Scripture, the inspired abstract of His will. (Joseph Irons.)
On providence
I. Prove the doctrine. That God presides in every department of nature, and exercises a superintending care over the works of His hand, has been believed in every nation and in every age. The cavils of sceptical men are not to be considered as detracting from its universality. What is providence but the exercise of the Divine attributes? Sound philosophy never supported the atheistical system which would exclude the Almighty from His kingdom, and surrender to blind chance the government of the universe. The Divine government is recognised in the material system, but it is not confined to that. In the moral as in the natural world His pervading energy appears. What are the annals of nations but a continued detail of its operation? The world is a great scene, where from age to age a series of providential interpositions has been displayed. Some invisible power is employed in overruling human affairs. An infinite mind must have access, though we cannot perceive it, in many different ways, to the human heart. But man is conscious all the while that no violence is offered to his will, that he is acting as a moral agent, without any infringement of his freedom.
II. Recommend a becoming trust in divine providence. His perfections demand our veneration and justify our confidence. Infinite goodness, added to Almighty power, constitutes the very character which claims our dependence. (T. Lawrie, D. D.)
Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell
Verse 28. The kingdom is the Lord’s] That universal sway of the Gospel which in the New Testament is called the kingdom of God; in which all men shall be God’s subjects; and righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost, be universally diffused.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
This is added as a reason why the Gentiles should be converted, because God is not only the God and Lord of the Jews, but also of the Gentiles, and of all nations, Rom 3:29,30. And therefore though for a time he thought fit to confine his kingdom to Israel, yet he had resolved in due time to enlarge his kingdom, and to set up his throne and government in the Gentile world, which were no less created and redeemed by him than the Jews. Compare Zec 13:2; 14:9.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
For the kingdom [is] the Lord’s,…. Not the kingdom of nature and providence, though that is the Lord Christ’s; but the kingdom of grace, the mediatorial kingdom: this was Christ’s by the designation and constitution of his Father from eternity; the government of the church was always upon his shoulders during the Old Testament dispensation; when he came into this world, he came as a King; though his kingdom being not of this world, it came not with observation; but upon his ascension to heaven, whither he went to receive a kingdom and return, he was made or declared Lord and Christ, and was exalted as a Prince, as well as a Saviour; and in consequence of his being set down at the right hand of God, he sent forth the rod of his strength, his Gospel, into the Gentile world, which was succeeded to the conversion of multitudes of them, among whom he has had a visible kingdom and interest ever since; and which will more abundantly appear in the latter day, when he shall be King over all the earth; and now this is a reason why so many, in the distant parts of the world, and among all the kindreds of the nations, shall remember, turn to him, and worship him;
and he [is] the Governor among the nations; he rules in the hearts of some by his Spirit and grace, and over others with a rod of iron.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
This sense is more fully confirmed by the reason (524) which is added in the following verse, (28) The kingdom is Jehovah’s, that he may rule over the nations Some explain these words thus:- It is not to be wondered at if the Gentiles should be constrained to yield honor to God, by whom they were created, and by whose hand they are governed, although he has not entered into a covenant of life with them. But I reject this as a meagre and unsatisfactory interpretation. This passage, I have no doubt, agrees with many other prophecies which represent the throne of God as erected, on which Christ may sit to superintend and govern the world. Although, therefore, the providence of God is extended to the whole world, without any part of it being excepted; yet let us remember that he then, in very deed, exercises his authority, when having dispelled the darkness of ignorance, and diffused the light of his word, he appears conspicuous on his throne. We have such a description of his kingdom by the prophet Isaiah,
“
He shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people.” (Isa 2:4)
Moreover, as God had not subdued the world to himself, prior to the time when those who before were unconquerable were subdued to a willing obedience by the preaching of the gospel, we may conclude that this conversion was effected only under the management and government of Christ. If it is objected, that the whole world has never yet been converted, the solution is easy. A comparison is here made between that remarkable period in which God suddenly became known every where, by the preaching of the gospel, and the ancient dispensation, when he kept the knowledge of himself shut up within the limits of Judea. Christ, we know, penetrated with amazing speed, from the east to the west, like the lightning’s flash, in order to bring into the Church the Gentiles from all parts of the world.
(524) The reason why the Gentiles shall remember, and turn to the Lord.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
‘For the Kingly Rules is YHWH’s, and He is the ruler over the nations.’
For they will recognise that the Kingly Rule over all things is YHWH’s and that it is He Who rules over the nations. Thus will they ‘enter under the Kingly Rule of God’ at His behest.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
Here is a beautiful variety of terms and descriptions, to point out the glories of the Lord Jesus, in the fulness and greatness of his salvation, and the felicity and happiness of his church, saved and accepted, and everlastingly made happy, in him. So that without making further division of these precious words, and the glorious things contained in them, the whole scope and tendency of the Psalm, taken in one collected point of view, is exactly corresponding to the whole tendency of prophecy, and comes up to what the apostle Peter had it in command to tell the church, by the direction of God the Holy Ghost, that the Spirit of Christ, which was in the ancient prophets of God, taught them by all their ministrations to signify, first, the sufferings of Christ, and then the glory which should follow. 1Pe 1:11 . And here we have an epitome of both, in this most blessed Psalm. The sufferings of our adorable Redeemer fill up the subject of relation to the close of the 21st verse; and from thence to the end, the Lord Jesus is introduced, as declaring to his church, whom he is not ashamed to call brethren, that the covenant engagements of his Father must and will be fulfilled. He must have a church, where his name shall be known, where his praise shall be heard, as long as the sun and moon endure, from one generation to another. He shall have a seed to serve him; and this seed shall be as incalculable as the dew drops of the morning. There shall be a constant succession of them, declaring, from father to son, his righteousness, unto a people, even his own precious people, which shall be born. And when he writeth them up, it shall be said in Zion, that this and that man was born in her. Oh! precious God and Saviour, thou who now rulest in Zion, show the people of thy doings. Psa 87:5-6 .
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Psa 22:28 For the kingdom [is] the LORD’S: and he [is] the governor among the nations.
Ver. 28. For the kingdom is the Lord’s] The spiritual kingdom over the Church, and the universal kingdom over all the world, belongeth unto Christ, the eternal God.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
For, &c. Compare Mat 6:13.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
For the kingdom is
CF. Psa 22:30. The kingdom is Jehovah’s. In Psa 22:30 Adonai is in view as ruling on behalf of Jehovah. See Psalms 110, with Mat 22:42-45. The great end and object of the rule of Adonai (Lord) is the restoration of the kingdom to Jehovah (Lord).
See 1Co 15:23; 1Co 15:24. See “Names of Deity,”
1Co 15:23; 1Co 15:24 (See Scofield “Gen 2:4”), See Scofield “Gen 15:2”.
Fuente: Scofield Reference Bible Notes
Psa 47:7, Psa 47:8, Dan 7:14, Oba 1:21, Zec 14:9, Mat 6:13, Rev 11:15
Reciprocal: Psa 18:43 – made Psa 66:3 – through Psa 72:8 – the ends Psa 82:8 – thou Psa 110:2 – rule Psa 110:3 – Thy Jer 10:7 – O King Mat 28:19 – ye therefore Rom 15:12 – and he Rev 12:10 – the kingdom
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Psa 22:28. For the kingdom is the Lords This is added as a reason why the Gentiles should be converted, because God is not only the God and Lord of the Jews, but also of the Gentiles, and of all nations. And, therefore, though for a time he thought fit to confine his kingdom or visible church to Israel, yet he had resolved, in due time, to enlarge it, and to set up his throne and government in the Gentile world, which were no less created and redeemed by him than the Jews, Rom 3:29-30; Zec 14:9.