Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Psalms 98:3
He hath remembered his mercy and his truth toward the house of Israel: all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.
3. He hath remembered ] Though Israel in its despair said, “Jehovah hath forsaken me, and the Lord hath forgotten me” (Isa 49:14), the confidence of the earlier prophet (Mic 7:20) was not misplaced.
his mercy and his truth ] His lovingkindness and his faithfulness. Cp. Psa 89:1 ff.; Psa 92:2; Luk 1:54.
all the ends &c.] The prediction of Isa 52:10 has been fulfilled.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
He hath remembered his mercy – Compare the notes at Luk 1:54-55 (note), Luk 1:72 (note), where this passage in the Psalms was not improbably referred to by Mary and Zacharias. The idea is, that God had called to mind his promise of mercy to his people; that he had not suffered it to pass out of his recollection; that he had kept his word.
And his truth – He has kept his promise; he has shown that he is a God of truth.
Toward the house of Israel – Toward his people.
All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God – This appears to have been quoted from Isa 52:10. See the notes at that passage. The resemblance in the language is so strong as to make it probable that the psalm was composed after the times of Isaiah, and not improbably to be used (as remarked above) in the dedication of the temple after the captivity. The whole psalm would be appropriate to celebrate that deliverance; while, at the same time, like the language in Isaiah, it would be adapted to celebrate a higher deliverance – under the Messiah – of which that was an emblem.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 3. He hath remembered his mercy] His gracious promises to their forefathers.
And his truth] Faithfully accomplishing what he had promised. All this was fulfilled under the Gospel.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
He hath now actually given that mercy which he had promised to the Israelites.
All the ends of the earth; all the inhabitants of the earth, from one end to another.
Have seen, i.e. enjoyed it, as this word is oft used, as hath been proved again and again.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
3. The union of mercy andtruth (Psa 57:3; Psa 85:10)secure the blessings of the promise (Gen 12:3;Gen 18:18) to all the world (Isa52:10).
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
He hath remembered his mercy and his truth toward the house of Israel,…. His mercy promised them, in raising up a Saviour to them, one that should be the glory of them; and his truth, in fulfilling that and every other promise concerning him; see Lu 1:72,
all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God; either Christ himself, who is the salvation or Saviour of God’s appointing, providing, and sending; or the salvation which he has wrought out, the Gospel declaring it; which has been sent throughout the world; and many in all parts of it, even in the most distant parts of it, in the very ends of it, have been made to see the nature, want, worth, and value of it; not every individual person in the world, but some in the several parts, and in the remote corners of it, whither the Gospel has been or will be sent; see Isa 52:10.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
3 He hath remembered his goodness Having spoken of the general manifestation of his salvation, he now celebrates his goodness more particularly to his own chosen people. God exhibited himself as a Father to Gentiles as well as Jews; but to the Jews first, who were, so to speak, the first-born. (109) The glory of the Gentiles lay in their being adopted and in-grafted into the holy family of Abraham, and the salvation of the whole world sprung from the promise made to Abraham, as Christ said, “Salvation is of the Jews,” (Joh 4:22) The Psalmist therefore very properly observes, that God in redeeming the world remembered his truth, which he had given to Israel his people — language, too, which implies that he was influenced by no other motive than that of faithfully performing what he had himself promised. (110) The more clearly to show that the promise was not grounded at all on the merit or righteousness of man, he mentions the goodness of God first, and afterwards his faithfulness, which stood connected with it. The cause, in short, was not to be found out of God himself, (to use a common expression,) but in his mere good pleasure, which had been testified long before to Abraham and his posterity. The word remembered is used in accommodation to man’s apprehension; for what has been long suspended seems to have been forgotten. Upwards of two thousand years elapsed from the time of giving the promise to the appearance of Christ, and as the people of God were subjected to many afflictions and calamities, we need not wonder that they should have sighed, and given way to ominous fears regarding the fulfillment of this redemption. When it is added, all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of God, this is not merely commendatory of the greatness of the salvation, meaning that it should be so illustrious that the report of it would reach the ends of the earth; but it signifies that the nations formerly immersed in delusions and superstitions would participate in it.
(109) “ Afin qu’ils fussent comme les aisnez.” — Fr.
(110) “ Qu’il n’a point este induit par autre raison, sinon afin que fidelement il accomplist ce qu’il avoit promis.” — Fr.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
3. He hath remembered That is, to fulfil and make good his promise. Here is a recognition of covenant promise and relation toward the house of Israel.
Ends of the earth A clear anticipation of the subjection of the Gentile nations to Christ. The judgments of Jehovah, like the miracles of Egypt, of the Red Sea, and of the wilderness, in Moses’s time, should cause the distant nations to tremble and submit.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Psa 98:3. He hath remembered his mercy That this is prophetically spoken of the redemption of mankind by Christ, appears from Luk 1:54; Luk 1:72.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Psa 98:3 He hath remembered his mercy and his truth toward the house of Israel: all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.
Ver. 3. He hath remembered his mercy, and his truth ] His mercy moving him to promise, and his truth binding him to perform, 2Sa 7:18 ; 2Sa 7:21 , and hence all our happiness.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
mercy = lovingkindness, or grace.
God. Hebrew. Elohim.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Psa 98:3
Psa 98:3
“He hath remembered his lovingkindness and his faithfulness toward the house of Israel:
All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.”
The psalmist, who was an Israelite, naturally stressed the marvelous things God had done on behalf of Israel. The deliverance from Egypt, the Red Sea crossing, the wilderness wonders, the pillar of cloud, the pillar of fire, the manna, and the water from the smitten rock were among those wonders; and the conquest of Canaan and the eviction of the pagan nations by the conquest – all these marvelous doings upon Israel’s behalf were continually brought before the minds of the chosen people.
“All the ends of the earth have seen.” Indeed, this was true. One of the constellations in the heavens was believed to represent Israel; all the nations were aware that none other than God himself had delivered Israel from Egypt, cast the pagan nations out of Canaan and settled Israel therein. Even in the times when the Saviour was born, all the kings of the earth were expecting the birth of the Mighty One.
E.M. Zerr:
Psa 98:3. God never forgets anything in the sense we commonly use the word. Remembered means that God considered his past favorable treatment of the house of Israel and decreed to continue the same. That treatment of his people was so evident that the people of the earth had been made to recognize and acknowledge it.
Fuente: Old and New Testaments Restoration Commentary
remembered: Psa 106:45, Lev 26:42, Deu 4:31, Mic 7:20, Luk 1:54, Luk 1:55, Luk 1:72, Rom 15:8, Rom 15:9
all the ends: Psa 98:2, Psa 22:27, Psa 67:7, Isa 45:22, Isa 49:6, Isa 52:10, Luk 2:30, Luk 2:31, Luk 3:6, Act 13:47, Act 28:28, Rom 10:12, Rom 10:18, Rev 5:9
Reciprocal: Gen 24:27 – of his Lev 26:45 – in the sight Deu 32:4 – a God Psa 19:4 – Their Psa 25:6 – Remember Psa 25:10 – mercy Psa 67:2 – That Psa 69:13 – in the Psa 71:22 – even Psa 76:1 – his Psa 86:15 – mercy Psa 97:6 – all the Psa 111:7 – works Psa 145:6 – And men Psa 145:10 – All thy Psa 146:6 – keepeth truth Isa 11:9 – for the Isa 14:1 – the Lord Isa 19:21 – Lord shall Isa 24:16 – uttermost part Isa 42:4 – and the isles Isa 54:1 – break Isa 60:3 – the Gentiles Jer 31:8 – the coasts Mic 5:4 – shall he be great Mat 8:11 – That Mat 26:13 – Wheresoever Mat 28:19 – ye therefore Mar 16:15 – into Luk 2:10 – to Luk 14:23 – Go Joh 1:17 – grace Joh 7:35 – teach Joh 10:16 – other Act 1:8 – unto Rom 15:10 – General Col 1:6 – is come Rev 7:9 – a great
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
98:3 He hath {d} remembered his mercy and his truth toward the house of Israel: all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.
(d) God was moved by no other means to gather his Church from the Jews and Gentiles, but because he would perform his promise.