Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Psalms 102:12
But thou, O LORD, shalt endure forever; and thy remembrance unto all generations.
12. But thou, Jehovah, shalt sit enthroned for ever;
And thy memorial shall be for generation after generation.
The verse is taken from Lam 5:19, with the substitution of memorial for throne. The thought in which the Psalmist takes refuge is not merely Jehovah’s eternity (‘shalt abide’), but Jehovah’s eternal sovereignty (Psa 9:7). The name which is His memorial to one generation after another (Exo 3:15) is the pledge and expression of that sovereign rule. “I will be that I will be,” ever revealing Myself as the Living God, working out My plan in the history of the world. Such as He revealed Himself to be in the Exodus, He must continue to be for all time.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
12 22. From the thought of his own frailty and transitoriness he turns to the eternal sovereignty of Jehovah, which is the sure pledge for Zion’s restoration.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
But thou, O Lord, shalt endure for ever – Though my condition has been changed, though I have been cast down from an exalted position, though kingdoms rise and fall, yet thou art unchanged. Thy purposes will abide. Thy promises will be fulfilled. Thy character is the same. As thou hast been the hearer of prayer in past times, so thou art now. As thou hast interposed in behalf of thy people in other ages, so thou wilt now. As thy people in affliction have been permitted to come to thee, so they may come to thee now. The psalmist here brings to his own mind, as an encouragement in trouble, as we may at all times, the fact that God is an unchanging God; that he always lives; that he is ever the same. We could have no ground of hope if God changed; if he formed purposes only to abandon them; if he made promises only to disregard them; if today he were a Being of mercy and goodness, and tomorrow would be merely a Being of justice and wrath. This argument is enlarged upon in Psa 102:25-28.
And thy remembrance unto all generations – Thy memory; or, the remembrance of thee. My days are like a shadow. I shall pass away, and be forgotten. No one will recollect me; no one will feel any interest in remembering that I have ever lived (see the notes at Psa 31:12). But while one knows that this must be so in regard to himself and to all other people – that he and they are alike to be forgotten – he may also feel that there is One who will never be forgotten. God will never pass away. He will be always the same. All the hopes of the church – of the world – are based on this. It is not on man – on any one individual – on any number of people – for they will all alike pass away and be forgotten; but one generation of people after another, to the end of time, may call on God, and find him an ever-living, an unchanged and unchangeable protector and friend.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 12. But thou, O Lord, shalt endure for ever] Our life is a shadow; we can scarcely be called beings when compared with thee, for thou art eternal. Have mercy upon us, creatures of a day, and thy kindness shall be a memorial in all our generations.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
But this is my comfort, although we die and our hopes vanish, yet our God is everlasting and unchangeable, and therefore invincible by all his and our enemies, constant in his counsels and purposes of mercy to his church, stedfast and faithful in the performance of all his promises; and therefore he both can and will deliver his people.
Thy remembrance; either,
1. The fame and memory of thy wonderful works. Or rather,
2. Thy name, Jehovah, mentioned in the former clause, which is called by this very word, Gods
remembrance or memorial, and that unto all generations, Exo 3:15. Thus this clause exactly answers to the former; and both of them describe the eternity of Gods existence, whereby the psalmist relieves and supports himself under the consideration of his own and his peoples frailty and vanity.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
12. Contrast with man’s frailty(compare Ps 90:1-7).
thy remembrancethat bywhich Thou art remembered, Thy promise.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
But thou, O Lord, shalt endure for ever,…. This address is made to Christ, as is clear from Ps 102:25, compared with Heb 1:10, who is a divine Person, endures for ever, is from everlasting to everlasting, unchangeably the same in his love, power, wisdom, faithfulness, c. and though he died as man, he will die no more he is alive, and lives for evermore; and because he lives, his people shall live also; and he will come again to take them to himself: and, as Mediator, he is King for ever; always continues, as such, to rule over, protect, and defend his people; and is a Priest for ever, and ever lives to make intercession for them; and his blood, righteousness, and sacrifice, have a constant virtue in them, to take away sin, and secure from it: the consideration of the perpetuity of Christ, in his person and offices, was a comfort to the psalmist under his troubles, and in a view of his own declining state: the Targum is,
“but thou, O Lord, thy habitation continues for ever in heaven:”
and thy remembrance to all generations; the remembrance of his name Jehovah, or Jesus, or Immanuel, or any other, is sweet and precious to his saints in all ages; and so the remembrance of his works, of what he has done and suffered, especially the great work of redemption; for the remembrance of which the ordinance of the Lord’s supper is appointed to be continued till his second coming; and his Gospel is an everlasting one, which will transmit the memory of him to men in every age, to the end of the world; and though all flesh is as grass, and every man dies, even the ministers of the word, yet that itself lives for ever. Aben Ezra reads “thy throne”, as agreeing with Lam 5:19, but Kimchi observes that this reading is owing to a bad copy.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
When the church in its individual members dies off on a foreign soil, still its God, the unchangeable One, remains, and therein the promise has the guarantee of its fulfilment. Faith lays hold upon this guarantee as in Ps 90. It becomes clear from Psa 9:8 and Lam 5:19 how is to be understood. The Name which Jahve makes Himself by self-attestation never falls a prey to the dead past, it is His ever-living memorial ( , Exo 3:15). Thus, too, will He restore Jerusalem; the limit, or appointed time, to which the promise points is, as his longing tells the poet, now come. , according to Psa 75:3; Hab 2:3, is the juncture, when the redemption by means of the judgment on the enemies of Israel shall dawn. , from the infinitive , has e , flattened from a , in an entirely closed syllable. seq. acc. signifies to have pleasure in anything, to cling to it with delight; and , according to Pro 14:21, affirms a compassionate, tender love of the object. The servants of God do not feel at home in Babylon, but their loving yearning lingers over the ruins, the stones and the heaps of the rubbish (Neh 4:2), of Jerusalem.
Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament
| The Future Glory of Zion. | |
12 But thou, O LORD, shalt endure for ever; and thy remembrance unto all generations. 13 Thou shalt arise, and have mercy upon Zion: for the time to favour her, yea, the set time, is come. 14 For thy servants take pleasure in her stones, and favour the dust thereof. 15 So the heathen shall fear the name of the LORD, and all the kings of the earth thy glory. 16 When the LORD shall build up Zion, he shall appear in his glory. 17 He will regard the prayer of the destitute, and not despise their prayer. 18 This shall be written for the generation to come: and the people which shall be created shall praise the LORD. 19 For he hath looked down from the height of his sanctuary; from heaven did the LORD behold the earth; 20 To hear the groaning of the prisoner; to loose those that are appointed to death; 21 To declare the name of the LORD in Zion, and his praise in Jerusalem; 22 When the people are gathered together, and the kingdoms, to serve the LORD.
Many exceedingly great and precious comforts are here thought of, and mustered up, to balance the foregoing complaints; for unto the upright there arises light in the darkness, so that, though they are cast down, they are not in despair. It is bad with the psalmist himself, bad with the people of God; but he has many considerations to revive himself with.
I. We are dying creatures, and our interests and comforts are dying, but God is an everliving everlasting God (v. 12): “My days are like a shadow; there is no remedy; night is coming upon me; but, thou, O Lord! shalt endure for ever. Our life is transient, but thine is permanent; our friends die, but thou our God diest not; what threatened us cannot touch thee; our names will be written in the dust and buried in oblivion, but thy remembrance shall be unto all generations; to the end of time, nay, to eternity, thou shalt be known and honoured.” A good man loves God better than himself, and therefore can balance his own sorrow and death with the pleasing thought of the unchangeable blessedness of the Eternal Mind. God endures forever, his church’s faithful patron and protector; and, his honour and perpetual remembrance being very much bound up in her interests, we may be confident that they shall not be neglected.
II. Poor Zion is now in distress, but there will come a time for her relief and succour (v. 13): Thou shalt arise and have mercy upon Zion. The hope of deliverance is built upon the goodness of God–“Thou wilt have mercy upon Zion, for she has become an object of thy pity;” and upon the power of God–“Thou shalt arise and have mercy, shalt stir up thyself to do it, shalt do it in contempt of all the opposition made by the church’s enemies.” The zeal of the Lord of hosts shall do this. That which is very encouraging is that there is a time set for the deliverance of the church, which not only will come some time, but will come at the time appointed, the time which Infinite Wisdom has appointed (and therefore it is the best time) and which Eternal Truth has fixed it to, and therefore it is a certain time, and shall not be forgotten nor further adjourned. At the end of seventy years, the time to favour Zion, by delivering her from the daughter of Babylon, was to come, and at length it did come. Zion was now in ruins, that is, the temple that was built in the city of David: the favouring of Zion is the building of the temple up again, as it is explained, v. 16. This is expected from the favour of God; that will set all to rights, and nothing but that, and therefore Daniel prays (Dan. ix. 17), Cause thy face to shine upon thy sanctuary, which is desolate. The building up of Zion is as great a favour to any people as they can desire. No blessing more desirable to a ruined state than the restoring and re-establishing of their church-privileges. Now this is here wished for and longed for, 1. Because it would be a great rejoicing to Zion’s friends (v. 14): Thy servants take pleasure even in the stones of the temple, though they were thrown down and scattered, and favour the dust, the very rubbish and ruins of it. Observe here, When the temple was ruined, yet the stones of it were to be had for a new building, and there were those who encouraged themselves with that, for they had a favour even for the dust of it. Those who truly love the church of God love it when it is in affliction as well as when it is in prosperity; and it is a good ground to hope that God will favour the ruins of Zion when he puts it into the heart of his people to favour them, and to show that they do so by their prayers and by their endeavours; as it is also a good plea with God for mercy for Zion that there are those who are so affectionately concerned for her, and are waiting for the salvation of the Lord. 2. Because it would have a good influence upon Zion’s neighbours, v. 15. It will be a happy means perhaps of their conversion, at least of their conviction; for so the heathen shall fear the name of the Lord, shall have high thoughts of him and his people, and even the kings of the earth shall be affected with his glory. They shall have better thoughts of the church of God than they have had, when God by his providence thus puts an honour upon it; they shall be afraid of doing any thing against it when they see God taking its part; nay, they shall say, We will go with you, for we have seen that God is with you, Zech. viii. 23. Thus it is said (Esth. viii. 17) that many of the people of the land became Jews, for the fear of the Jews fell upon them. 3. Because it would redound to the honour of Zion’s God (v. 16): When the Lord shall build up Zion. They take it for granted it will be done, for God himself has undertaken it, and he shall then appear in his glory; and for that reason all that have made his glory their highest end desire it and pray for it. Note, The edifying of the church will be the glorifying of God, and therefore we may be assured it will be done in the set time. Those that pray in faith, Father, glorify thy name, may receive the same answer to that prayer which was given to Christ himself by a voice from heaven, I have both glorified it and I will glorify it yet again, though now for a time it may be eclipsed.
III. The prayers of God’s people now seem to be slighted and no notice taken of them, but they will be reviewed and greatly encouraged (v. 17): He will regard the prayer of the destitute. It was said (v. 16) that God will appear in his glory, such a glory as kings themselves shall stand in awe of, v. 15. When great men appear in their glory they are apt to look with disdain upon the poor that apply to them; but the great God will not do so. Observe, 1. The meanness of the petitioners; they are the destitute. It is an elegant word that is here used, which signifies the heath in the wilderness, a low shrub, or bush, like the hyssop of the wall. They are supposed to be in a low and broken state, enriched with spiritual blessings, but destitute of temporal good things–the poor, the weak, the desolate, the stripped; thus variously is the word rendered; or it may signify that low and broken spirit which God looks for in all that draw nigh to him and which he will graciously look upon. This will bring them to their knees. Destitute people should be praying people, 1 Tim. v. 5. 2. The favour of God to them, notwithstanding their meanness: He will regard their prayer, and will look at it, will peruse their petition (2 Chron. vi. 40), and he will not despise their prayer. More is implied than is expressed: he will value it and be well pleased with it, and will return an answer of peace to it, which is the greatest honour that can be put upon it. But it is thus expressed because others despise their praying, they themselves fear God will despise it, and he was thought to despise it while their affliction was prolonged and their prayers lay unanswered. When we consider our own meanness and vileness, our darkness and deadness, and the manifold defects in our prayers, we have cause to suspect that our prayers will be received with disdain in heaven; but we are here assured of the contrary, for we have an advocate with the Father, and are under grace, not under the law. This instance of God’s favour to his praying people, though they are destitute, will be a lasting encouragement to prayer (v. 18): This shall be written for the generation to come, that none may despair, though they be destitute, nor think their prayers forgotten because they have not an answer to them immediately. The experiences of others should be our encouragements to seek unto God and trust in him. And, if we have the comfort of the experiences of others, it is fit that we should give God the glory of them: The people who shall be created shall praise the Lord for what he has done both for them and for their predecessors. Many that are now unborn shall, by reading the history of the church, be wrought upon to turn proselytes. The people that shall be created anew by divine grace, that are a kind of first-fruits of his creatures, shall praise the Lord for his answers to their prayers when they were more destitute.
IV. The prisoners under condemnation unjustly seem as sheep appointed for the slaughter, but care shall be taken for their discharge (Psa 102:19; Psa 102:20): God has looked down from the height of his sanctuary, from heaven, where he has prepared his throne, that high place, that holy place; thence did the Lord behold the earth, for it is a place of prospect, and nothing on this earth is or can be hidden from his all-seeing eye; he looks down, not to take a view of the kingdoms of the world and the glory of them, but to do acts of grace, to hear the groaning of the prisoners (which we desire to be out of the hearing of), and not only to hear them, but to help them, to loose those that are appointed to death, then when there is but a step between them and it. Some understand it of the release of the Jews out of their captivity in Babylon. God heard their groaning there as he did when they were in Egypt (Exo 3:7; Exo 3:9) and came down to deliver them. God takes notice not only of the prayers of his afflicted people, which are the language of grace, but even of their groans, which are the language of nature. See the divine pity in hearing the prisoner’s groans, and the divine power in loosing the prisoner’s bonds, even when they are appointed to death and are pinioned and double-shackled. We have an instance in Peter, Acts xii. 6. Such instances as these of the divine condescension and compassion will help, 1. To declare the name of the Lord in Zion, and to make it appear that he answers to his name, which he himself proclaimed, The Lord God, gracious and merciful; and this declaration of his name in Zion shall be the matter of his praise in Jerusalem, v. 21. If God by his providences declare his name, we must by our acknowledgments of them declare his praise, which ought to be the echo of his name. God will discharge his people that were prisoners and captives in Babylon, that they may declare his name in Zion, the place he has chosen to put his name there, and his praise in Jerusalem, at their return thither; in the land of their captivity they could not sing the songs of Zion (Psa 137:3; Psa 137:4), and God brought them again to Jerusalem in order that they might sing them there. For this end God gives liberty from bondage (Bring my soul out of prison, that I may praise thy name, Ps. cxlii. 7), and life from the dead. Let my soul live, and it shall praise thee, Ps. cxix. 175. 2. They will help to draw in others to the worship of God (v. 22): When the people of God are gathered together at Jerusalem (as they were after their return out of Babylon) many out of the kingdoms joined with them to serve the Lord. This was fulfilled Ezra vi. 21, where we find that not only the children of Israel that had come out of captivity, but many that had separated themselves from them among the heathen, did keep the feast of unleavened bread with joy. But it may look further, at the conversion of the Gentiles to the faith of Christ in the latter days. Christ has proclaimed liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those that were bound, that they may declare the name of the Lord in the gospel-church, in which Jews and Gentiles shall unite.
Fuente: Matthew Henry’s Whole Bible Commentary
12. And thou, O Jehovah! shalt dwell for ever When the prophet, for his own encouragement, sets before himself the eternity of God, it seems, at first sight, to be a far-fetched consolation; for what benefit will accrue to us from the fact that God sits immutable on his heavenly throne, when, at the same time, our frail and perishing condition does not permit us to continue unmoved for a single moment? And, what is more, this knowledge of the blessed repose enjoyed by God enables us the better to perceive that our life is a mere illusion. But the inspired writer, calling to remembrance the promises by which God had declared that he would make the Church the object of his special care, and particularly that remarkable article of the covenant, “I will dwell in the midst of you,” (Exo 25:8) and, trusting to that sacred and indissoluble bond, has no hesitation in representing all the godly languishing, though they were in a state of suffering and wretchedness, as partakers of this celestial glory in which God dwells. The word memorial is also to be viewed in the same light. What advantage would we derive from this eternity and immutability of God’s being, unless we had in our hearts the knowledge of him, which, produced by his gracious covenant, begets in us the confidence arising from a mutual relationship between him and us? The meaning then is, “We are like withered grass, we are decaying every moment, we are not far from death, yea rather, we are, as it were, already dwelling in the grave; but since thou, O God! hast made a covenant with us, by which thou hast promised to protect and defend thine own people, and hast brought thyself into a gracious relation to us, giving us the fullest assurance that thou wilt always dwell in the midst of us, instead of desponding, we must be of good courage; and although we may see only ground for despair if we depend upon ourselves, we ought nevertheless to lift up our minds to the heavenly throne, from which thou wilt at length stretch forth thy hand to help us.” Whoever is in a moderate degree acquainted with the sacred writings, will readily acknowledge that whenever we are besieged with death, in a variety of forms, we should reason thus: As God continues unchangeably the same — “without variableness or shadow of turning” — nothing can hinder him from aiding us; and this he will do, because we have his word, by which he has laid himself under obligation to us, and because he has deposited with us his own memorial, which contains in it a sacred and indissoluble bond of fellowship.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(12) For ever.The eternity of God, which must survive the world itself, is a pledge of the truth of the national hopes, in spite of the vicissitudes of individuals, and the swift succession of generations. For the word remembrance, see Psa. 30:4. It is explained by Exo. 3:15, This is my name for ever, and this is my memorial through all generations. The generations come and go, and the memory of man perishes, but the name Jehovah endures still, the object of adoration and praise.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
12. But thou, O Lord The complaint is ended. Faith lifts the curtain and opens a new scene. The remainder of the psalm is illumined with the joy of hope.
Shalt endure for ever The word rendered “endure,” here, would be better translated enthrone, as in Psa 2:4; Psa 9:7; Isa 14:13; Lam 5:19; Zec 6:13. “ But thou, Jehovah, shall for ever sit [ enthroned ].” It was this doctrine of the everlasting dominion of Jehovah which sustained faith, and gave comfort and the joy of hope in the darkest adversity.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Still prosecuting the subject of this most blessed psalm, with reference to our adorable and glorious Mediator, may we not accept the several expressions here, as spoken by Christ, in his capacity of Surety; and as taking confidence for himself and church in the covenant-engagements of the Father? I stay not to enlarge, but I refer the reader to those most interesting passages of Scripture, in other parts of the divine word, which serve to explain the doctrine. Isa 49 throughout; Psa_89:3-4; Psa_89:19-37 ; Psa 87 throughout.
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Psa 102:12 But thou, O LORD, shalt endure for ever; and thy remembrance unto all generations.
Ver. 12. But thou, O Lord, shalt endure for ever ] And therefore we, thy covenanters, shall be restored, Lam 5:19 .
And thy remembrance
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: Psa 102:12-17
12But You, O Lord, abide forever,
And Your name to all generations.
13You will arise and have compassion on Zion;
For it is time to be gracious to her,
For the appointed time has come.
14Surely Your servants find pleasure in her stones
And feel pity for her dust.
15So the nations will fear the name of the Lord
And all the kings of the earth Your glory.
16For the Lord has built up Zion;
He has appeared in His glory.
17He has regarded the prayer of the destitute
And has not despised their prayer.
Psa 102:12-17 This strophe has a national emphasis. YHWH has an international purpose for Israel. See Special Topic: YHWH’s Eternal Redemptive Plan .
Notice the things the psalmist asserts about YHWH.
1. He sits enthroned forever (cf. Psa 9:7; Psa 10:16; Psa 29:10; Lam 5:19)
2. His name (lit. remembrance, BDB 271, cf. Psa 30:4; Psa 97:12) abides to all generations (cf. Exo 3:15; Psa 135:13)
3. He acts in grace towardHis covenant people
4. He has built up Zion
5. He has appeared (i.e., to Zion) in His glory
6. He regards the prayers of the destitute (BDB 792, occurs only here and Jer 17:6, where it is used of a tree/scrub; the root comes from the verb, to strip bare)
The psalmist asks YHWH to act on Israel’s behalf for His greater purpose!
Psa 102:13 You will arise This verb (BDB 877, KB 1086) has a wide semantic field. It could denote
1. YHWH rising from His throne to act (cf. Psa 119:126)
2. YHWH awaking from sleep (metaphor for His lack of action)
3. YHWH becoming active after a period of purposeful inactivity
the appointed time has come The noun (BDB 417) has the connotation of an appointed time (cf. Psa 75:2; Dan 8:19). The concept that YHWH is in control of time, space, history is central to the character of the one true God (cf. Ecclesiastes 3).
Psa 102:14-17 These verses imply the destruction of the temple.
1. the nations (i.e., who did this) will fear, Psa 102:15
2. YHWH will build up Zion and show her His glory, Psa 102:16
3. the prayers of the destitute (i.e., the exiled people of God) will be heard
4. note Psa 102:18-22
Psa 102:14 Surely Your servants find pleasure in her stones This phrase reminds me of the deep emotional attachment that modern Judaism has for the wailing wall in Jerusalem (i.e., the foundation stones of Solomon’s temple). Judaism (i.e., the Mosaic Law) is linked to a special place of worship (i.e., the tabernacle, later the temple in Jerusalem).
her dust This noun (BDB 779) is often used of the debris of destroyed cities (cf. 1Ki 20:10; Neh 4:2; Neh 4:10; Eze 26:4; Eze 26:12).
Fuente: You Can Understand the Bible: Study Guide Commentary Series by Bob Utley
But Thou. Emphasizing the great consolation.
shalt endure. Sittest, or wilt sit [enthroned].
Thy remembrance. Some codices read “Thy throne”.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Psa 102:12-22
Psa 102:12-22
HOPE IS BASED UPON GOD’S ETERNITY AND CHANGELESSNESS
“But thou, O Jehovah, wilt abide forever;
And thy memorial name unto all generations.
Thou wilt arise and have mercy upon Zion;
For it is time to have pity upon her,
Yea, the set time is come.
For thy servants take pleasure in her stones,
And have pity upon her dust.
So the nations shall fear the name of Jehovah,
And all the kings of the earth thy glory.
For Jehovah hath built up Zion;
He hath appeared in his glory.
He hath regarded the prayer of the destitute,
And hath not despised their prayer.
This shall be written for the generation to come;
And a people which shall be created shall praise Jehovah.
For he hath looked down from the height of his sanctuary;
From heaven did Jehovah behold the earth;
To hear the sighing of the prisoner;
To loose those that are appointed for death;
That men may declare the name of Jehovah in Zion,
And his praise in Jerusalem;
When the peoples are gathered together,
And the kingdoms to serve Jehovah.”
Psa 102:12-14 here speak of the times when the Babylonian captivity was drawing to a close.
“The set time is come” (Psa 102:13). Apparently, the psalmist remembered the promise of Jeremiah that the captivity would last 70 years; and as that time approached, the faithful looked forward to the restoration of Israel to Zion.
“Thy servants take pleasure in her stones and have pity upon her dust” (Psa 102:14). Some have applied this to the times of Nehemiah; but the more likely view is that the captives, through their knowledge of Jerusalem’s ruins, were sentimentally attached to them. It is true that this ruined condition of Jerusalem continued till the times of Nehemiah.
“So the nations shall fear the name of Jehovah, and all the kings of the earth thy glory” (Psa 102:15). The tone of this psalm drastically changes right here; and this marked change should be considered the beginning of a new subject. What is it? It is the Kingdom of the Messiah. Only in that era would “the nations,” namely, the Gentiles, fear the name of Jehovah; and only then would the kings of the earth behold the glory of the Lord.
“Jehovah hath built up Zion; he hath appeared in his glory” (Psa 102:16). The building of Zion here prophesied is a reference to the establishment of Christ’s Church (Act 15:16); and the appearance of God in glory can be nothing other than the First Advent of Jesus Christ.
“He hath regarded the prayer of the destitute … and he has heard the sigh of the prisoners” (Psa 102:17; Psa 102:20). The true application of these words is not to the Babylonian captives but to the ministry of Jesus Christ (Luk 4:18); the `prisoners’ here are the “captives in sin.” The death to which they are appointed is eternal death.
“This shall be written for the generation to come; and a people which shall be created shall praise Jehovah” (Psa 102:19). The mighty thing which God will do and which will be written down for future generations is nothing other than the First Advent of Christ, the visit from on High of the Dayspring to mankind.
It is important to note that the birth of each new generation is a “creation,” that is, having never existed before, they are an entirely new entity. The foolish notion of reincarnation perishes in the understanding of a passage like this.
“From heaven did Jehovah behold the earth” (Psa 102:19). This and Psa 102:21-22 describe God “looking upon the earth” in compassion, hearing the sighs of those dying in sin, and earnestly desiring that men may sing God’s praises in Jerusalem (that is, the New Jerusalem which is above).
“WHEN the peoples are gathered together, and the kingdoms to serve Jehovah” (Psa 102:22). This verse declares in tones of thunder “when” the Lord will appear in glory (Psa 102:15) and “when” all the other wonderful things of this passage shall happen. That time shall be when the peoples (the Gentiles) are gathered together unto the Lord; and the kingdoms of the earth, not Israel alone, shall serve Jehovah. Only the current dispensation of the Grace of God in Christ qualifies as “that time.”
E.M. Zerr:
Psa 102:12. The endurance of the Lord encouraged David to look for mercy in his afflictions, for He ever remembers his faithful servants.
Psa 102:13. Zion was said in reference to the nation because that spot was the headquarters. It is interesting to note that David usually associated his own interests with those of his people and country. He expressed the hope that God would arise or “show himself” on behalf of the nation because the need for it had come.
Psa 102:14. Stones and dust were materials of the capital city. The citizens of the city had sincere love for the great city of God; so much so that even the dust falling from its stones was dear to them.
Psa 102:15. The heathen were the foreign nations that surrounded Israel. They were to fear the name of the Lord, which means they would see the mighty works performed under that holy name and would be led to respect it.
Psa 102:16. Build up means to defend and strengthen. David believed that the Lord would do that for Zion and that it would thus be an exhibition of His glory.
Psa 102:17. Despise means to belittle or ignore. God will not ignore the prayer of the destitute or needy, but will attend to their requirements in his own way of wisdom.
Psa 102:18. The reference from this verse correctly cites Rom 15:4. The things God did to his ancient people were first for their own benefit. Then he caused an account of them to be written for the generation to come for the purpose expressed by the apostle Paul. The motive stated by the apostle, that we might have hope, is similar in thought to the one in the present verse, that people would be led to praise God.
Psa 102:19. Sanctuary means any holy place or where some holy person occupies his place. The religious institution on earth is one such place, but this verse refers to the one in Heaven, hence the phrase height of his sanctuary.
Psa 102:20. This verse gives the purpose of the preceding one. God does not actually have to look in order to obtain information. The language simply means that God concerned himself on behalf of his servants, and gave a merciful ear to their groaning. He further determined to give relief by delivering his afflicted ones from oppression.
Psa 102:21. Not only does the Lord wish to take the side of his mistreated servants, but will also see that His name is recognized in Zion, the particular spot in Jerusalem that was the headquarters of the holy nation.
Psa 102:22. The objectives mentioned in the two preceding verses will be attained when the present verse is carried out. It is only when people recognize the Lord’s authority and respect his kingdom, that he will extend his favors to them.
Fuente: Old and New Testaments Restoration Commentary
the Time to Have Mercy upon Zion
Psa 102:12-28
We must remember that the Holy Spirit appropriates the closing words of this psalm as addressed to our Lord. See Heb 1:10-12. This gives new point to these petitions. The psalmists sorrows, described in the previous paragraph, had their source in the desolations of Zion rather than in personal afflictions; and when the soul feels such oppression, it is a sign that deliverance is near. Finney, the great evangelist, tells of a woman who came to her pastor under such concern for the perishing that she could neither eat nor sleep. She entreated him to appoint an inquirers meeting, and though there had been no signs of a revival, it suddenly broke out. When Christians take pity on the stones and dust of the Church, the time has come for God to arise to her help.
Behold the unchanging Christ! Creation may wax old, the heavens and earth may be laid aside as an outworn garment, the old order may give place to new; but beneath all the changed Jesus Christ remains the same yesterday, today, and forever. How delightful are those immortal words, But thou, O Lord, shalt endure, and if He endures, His servants shall continue also, and their children after them.
Fuente: F.B. Meyer’s Through the Bible Commentary
thou: Psa 102:24-27, Psa 9:7, Psa 90:1, Psa 90:2, Deu 33:27, Isa 44:6, Isa 60:15, Lam 5:19, Heb 13:8, Rev 1:17, Rev 1:18
thy remembrance: Psa 135:13, Exo 3:15
Reciprocal: Job 10:5 – General Job 13:12 – remembrances Psa 102:26 – endure 1Pe 1:25 – the word
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
102:12 But thou, O LORD, shalt {i} endure for ever; and thy remembrance unto all generations.
(i) Though we are frail, yet your promise is sure, and the remembrance of it will confirm us forever.
Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes
3. Confidence in Yahweh’s restoration 102:12-22
Fuente: Expository Notes of Dr. Constable (Old and New Testaments)
In contrast to his own brief life, the suffering psalmist voiced his belief that God would continue forever. The "thou" ("you," NIV) is emphatic in the Hebrew text, stressing the contrast. He believed God would shortly execute justice for His own.