Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Psalms 110:1
A Psalm of David. The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool.
1. The Lord said unto my Lord ] Jehovah’s oracle unto [or touching ] my lord! The rendering said (R.V. saith) does not represent the full force of the word ne’um, which is commonly used of solemn Divine utterances (Gen 22:16, and frequently in the prophets; in the Psalter elsewhere Psa 36:1 only). The Psalmist speaks with the authority of a prophet who is conscious of having received a message from God. It makes little difference whether we render unto or touching. The message is addressed through the Psalmist to the king, and the king is the subject of it. Strictly speaking the ‘oracle’ is the remainder of the verse ‘sit thou footstool,’ Psa 110:2-3 being the Psalmist’s expansion of it; but the whole Psalm is a Divine message of encouragement for the king.
my Lord ] The R.V. has rightly dropped the capital letter, as being of the nature of an interpretation. ‘My lord’ ( adn) is the title of respect and reverence used in the O.T. in addressing or speaking of a person of rank and dignity, especially a king (Gen 23:6; 1Sa 22:11; 1 Kings 1. passim, Psa 18:7; and frequently).
sit thou at my right hand ] The seat at the king’s right hand was the place of honour (1Ki 2:19; Mat 20:21; cp. Psa 45:9; 1Ma 10:63 ). But more than mere honour is implied here. This king is to share Jehovah’s throne, to be next to Him in dignity, to be supported by all the force of His authority and power. The idea corresponds to the recognition of the king as Jehovah’s son in Psa 2:7. Somewhat similarly the king was said to ‘sit on the throne of Jehovah’ (1Ch 29:23; cp. Psa 28:5; 2Ch 13:8). The customs of ancient Arabia supply an illustration. There the Ridf or Viceroy sat on the king’s right hand, and took precedence next to him. Greek poets spoke of their gods as ‘assessors’ of Zeus, ‘sharing his throne.’ Pindar (fragm. 112 Donaldson) speaks of Athene as “sitting on the right hand of the father (Zeus) to receive his commands for the gods.” Callimachus (Hymn to Apollo, 28, 29) says that Apollo has power to reward the chorus, “since he sits at Zeus’ right hand.” But still more to the point, in view of the Messianic interpretation of the passage, is the description of Wisdom in Wis 9:4 as ‘Wisdom that sitteth by God on His throne’ ( ). The residence of the king on Zion in close proximity to the Ark was an outward symbol of his dignity.
until I make thine enemies thy footstool ] A metaphor for complete subjugation, derived from the practice described in Jos 10:24. Cp. 1Ki 5:3 ; 1Co 15:25, and for the promise cp. Psa 2:8-9. Until need not of course imply that the session is to come to an end when the subjugation has been effected.
For the N.T. application of this verse to the exaltation of Christ in the Resurrection, see above, p. 665.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
1 3. Jehovah’s oracle concerning the king: the assurance of victory over his enemies: the willing service of his people.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
The Lord said unto my Lord – In the Hebrew, Spake Jehovah to my Lord. The word Yahweh is the incommunicable name of God. It is never given to a created being. The other word translated Lord – ‘Adonay – means one who has rule or authority; one of high rank; one who has dominion; one who is the owner or possessor, etc. This word is applied frequently to a creature. It is applied to kings, princes, rulers, masters. The phrase my Lord refers to someone who was superior in rank to the author of the psalm; one whom he could address as his superior. The psalm, therefore, cannot refer to David himself, as if Yahweh had said to him, Sit thou at my right hand. Nor was there anyone on earth in the time of David to whom it could be applicable; anyone whom he would call his Lord or superior. If, therefore, the psalm was written by David, it must have reference to the Messiah – to one whom he owned as his superior – his Lord – his Sovereign. It cannot refer to God as if he were to have this rule over David, since God himself is referred to as speaking to him whom David called his Lord: Jehovah said unto my Lord. The reasoning of the Saviour, therefore, in Mat 22:43-45, was founded on a fair and just interpretation of the psalm, and was so plain and conclusive that the Pharisees did not attempt to reply to it. Mat 22:46. See the notes at that passage. No other interpretation can be given to it, consistently with the proper rules of expounding language, unless it be shown that the psalm was not composed by David, and might, therefore, be applied to someone whom the author would acknowledge as his Lord. But there is no evidence of this, and there is no one in the Old Testament history to whom the psalm would be applicable.
Sit thou at my right hand – The position of honor and of rank. Compare the notes at Psa 16:8. See also Psa 45:9; Mar 14:62; Luk 22:69; Act 7:55; Heb 1:3; Heb 8:1. The phrase is properly applicable to the Messiah as exalted to the highest place in the universe – the right hand of God.
Until I make thine enemies thy footstool – Until they are entirely subdued under time. See the notes at Mat 22:44. The enemies here referred to are the enemies of the Messiah considered as King (see Psa 2:1-12); and the promise here is, that he must reign until he shall have put all enemies under his feet. See the notes at 1Co 15:25.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Psa 110:1-7
The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit Thou at My right hand, until I make Thine enemies Thy footstool
The King who is also Priest
The title ascribes this psalm to David, which is confirmed by its internal character, its laconic energy, its martial tone, its triumphant confidence and its resemblance to other compositions of the son of Jesse.
Besides this is the testimony of our Lord (Mat 22:43; Mar 12:36; Luk 20:42). Peter at Pentecost expressly quoted it as Davids (Act 2:34). It is a counterpart to the second psalm, completing the prophetic picture of the conquering Messiah. The opening word of this spirited lyric indicates its peculiar character. It is the term almost always used to denote an immediate Divine utterance. The utterance here is an oracular address to Davids Lord, i.e. the promised Anointed One on whom his and his peoples hopes were centred. Jehovah bids this personage take His seat at His right hand, not merely as a place of honour, but as implying a participation in His power, of which the right hand is a constant symbol. This exalted position, on the same throne with Jehovah, He is to hold till His enemies are made His footstool, i.e. are completely and for ever subjugated. In the next verse the psalmist addresses the Messiah directly. He tells Him that His strong rod, His rod of discipline and correction, by which foes are to be subdued, shall be sent forth by Jehovah out of Zion, considered as His earthly residence, the seat of the theocracy; thus showing clearly that Jehovah acts not only for Him, but in and through Him, for the overthrow of His enemies. Hence, the poet calls on Him to take the dominion and rule, even though hostile powers surround Him and threaten His dethronement. These will prove no obstacle, nor can there be a doubt of the result. The certainty of it is still further secured by the character and number of Messiahs followers. It is not an army of mercenaries. There is no need of a conscription; they stream toward the royal banner from every direction. They are free-will offerings. By a spontaneous movement they come to consecrate themselves to service in the day when the host is put in battle array and mustered for the onset. They come, too, not with coat of mail and battle-axe, but in holy attire, with allusion to the sacerdotal dress. They are clad in sacred vestments, because they are servants of a priestly King, and belong to a kingdom of priests (Exo 19:6). Nor are these few in number or worn with age, but in number and character and vigour resemble
dew-drops which the sun
Impearls on every leaf and every flower.
From the womb of the dawn there come in perpetual succession youthful warriors who delight to uphold the royal banner. There follows in the next verse the essential point of the whole lyric, the perpetual priesthood of Messiah united with a perpetual kingship, both secured by the oath of Jehovah Himself. This verse is made the subject of elaborate comment in Heb 8:1-13, the author of which dwells at length upon the oath which founded the priesthood, upon the perpetuity of the office and upon the want of hierarchical succession. Immediately after the announcement of Messiahs priesthood, the psalm resumes its martial tone. Before, the might of the king and the character of his army were described; now we see the conflict and the victory. The Lord–who in this case is Jehovah–stands on Messiahs right hand as His defender and upholder. The consequence of Jehovahs support is that Messiah crushes not merely ordinary men but kings, and the subjects they represent. He inflicts a mortal blow, one from which there is no recovery. In the 6th verse, by a sudden turn, Messiah is spoken of in the third person. He exercises supreme control, as judge, over nations. If they resist Him they fall in slaughtered heaps over a vast extent of country, heads or princes being overthrown with all the rest. In the closing verse David paints the Conqueror as wearied with the battle and the pursuit, but not suffered to perish through exhaustion. A brook by the way revives Him, and He passes on with uplifted head, continuing His work with new vigour, and pressing forward to a complete and final triumph. The psalm is peculiar in setting forth Messiah as a priest upon His throne. He is s real priest, one that makes atonement, intercedes and blesses, and as such meets all the needs of sinful men, because He is a King, and can give effect to His sacerdotal functions, applying the merits of His sacrifice, and actually bestowing the blessing which He pronounces. And all this for ever. Christ neither has nor needs a successor. He is an unchangeable priesthood. Again, Messiahs followers are like Himself, wearing holy attire–an emblem of their cause and character. It is not a kingdom of this world to which they belong, but one heavenly and divine. They wear its uniform and seek to express its spirit. Nor are they in any sense hirelings, but rather volunteers, eager to obey and glorify Him whom they call Master and Lord. Napoleon truly said, My armies have forgetten me even while living, but Christ has left the earth, and at this hour millions of men would die for Him. The strength of His cause lies in the character of His followers and the fulness and freeness of their consecration. A host made of such materials cannot be overcome, for it is perpetually renewed from the womb of the dawn. Once more, the final result is sure. Messiah leads forth judgment to victory. All foes are to perish. The appurtenances of ancient warfare, captured kings and slaughtered heaps, only indicate the thoroughness of the conflict and its predetermined result. Forward the royal standards go, and the issue is not uncertain. The priestly King must reign till all enemies are made His footstool, and the whole earth acknowledges His rightful supremacy. (T. W. Chambers, D.D.)
Jesus ascended and exalted
In this psalm Jesus is set forth to us as–
I. King and prophet (verses 2, 8). The rod of His strength is His Word, even His preached Gospel, accompanied by the power of the Holy Spirit.
II. King and priest (verse 4). Here the people of Jesus are directed to look to Him as the ground of their hope. For it is what He has done, and what He is still doing, for them as their Priest, that must ever be most important to them, as long as they are in their present imperfect and polluted state.
III. King and judge (verses 5, 6; Psa 2:9; Dan 2:31-45; Rev 19:11-16). (W. Hancock, M.A.)
Christ sitting at the right hand of God
I. His heavenly exaltation.
1. Elevation.
2. Power.
II. The state of our world at the time when Christ was thus exalted to be its King. We are all by nature the enemies of Jesus Christ, as much alienated from Him as we are from His Father. This blessed Jesus was not hated in Jerusalem only where He was crucified, as though there was something peculiar in the men of that place–He was hated wherever He appeared; and had He gone out from Judaea and Galilee into other countries, He would have been hated there also; Rome, with all her boasted admiration of virtue, would have cried out for His destruction, and polished Greece would have cast Him away with scorn.
III. The means employed by Jehovah to overcome the hostility of the world against His Son (verse 2). Has the Gospel proved itself the rod of Christs strength? That something produced a mighty effect on the world soon after our Lords ascension is quite certain. Rule Thou in the midst of Thine enemies, says the text to Him, and in the midst of His most violent enemies Christ did rule. In the inveterate and lately infuriated Jerusalem, thousands bowed at once to His sceptre, and throughout pagan Greece and Rome His name was called on and adored. And what wrought this change? Preaching–the simple preaching of Christs Gospel by a few determined, faithful men; holding up Christ on a cross to men, and bidding them look to Him and be saved.
IV. The happy results of this interposition of Jehovah (verse 3). Here is a description, and a beautiful one, of all Christs real people in every age of the world.
1. They are a willing people. Willing, we may say, for what? For anything and everything which Christ desires. The language in the original is stronger than in our translation. It is willingness, the noun for the adjective–a Hebrew way of expressing a thing forcibly. This people are eager to receive Christ as their Prince and Saviour; they feel it to be their delight and joy to come under His dominion.
2. This willing people are to be numerous. In the land where the Scriptures were written, the dew is much more abundant than in our country, but even here the drops of dew as they sparkle on the trees and grass, are sometimes countless. As numerous, this psalm says, shall be the people of Christ.
3. The people of Christ are to be beautiful, and beautiful because holy–willing in the beauties of holiness. The drops of the early dew are beautiful. The rising sun not only discovers them, it brightens and gilds them, makes them the glittering ornaments in the early morning of our gardens and fields. And what were the early Christians? Their very enemies were constrained to do them honour. They hated but they admired them. As they led them forth to persecution and to death, they wondered at their lofty and splendid characters. But their graces were not their own. The dew does not sparkle when the sun does not shine on it. Even a Christian man has no beauty, no holiness, but as Christ imparts it to him. And what is his highest beauty and holiness? It is only a faint reflection of his Lords beauty and holiness–a dew-drop reflecting the sun. But still that dew-drop does reflect the sun; and so does every real believer in Christ Jesus reflect in some measure his Redeemers likeness. (C. Bradley, M.A.)
A picture of Christ as the Moral Conqueror of mankind
I. Invested with Divine authority (verse 1). Christ is represented as God manifest in the flesh, as One with God, as the beloved Son of Jehovah, as sitting down at the right hand of God, as exalted above all dominion and power, as King of kings and Lord of lords. His history when on earth confirms this illustrious distinction. How grand were the doctrines He propounded, how stupendous the miracles He wrought, how unexampled the moral character He exhibited, how unearthly and transcendent the spirit which He breathed.
II. Endowed with Divine power (verse 2). This is a far mightier rod than that which Moses wielded, it is a rod that breaks rocky hearts, and makes clear for human souls the way to Canaan.
III. Possessed of a splendid army (verse 3). The words suggest that His army is distinguished–
1. By willingness. Shall be willing. Their services will not be compulsory, they throw themselves into the spirit of the campaign.
2. By purity. In the beauty of holiness. They coruscate with holiness.
3. By youthfulness. Thou hast the dew of Thy youth. They are not old and worn out, they are as fresh as the dew from the womb of the morning.
4. By abundance, How numerous are drops of dew. Such is the army of this Hero. Such a Chieftain with such soldiers must win victories the most brilliant.
IV. Invested with a priestly character (verse 4). He is a Priest by the solemn and unalterable promise of God. Melchizedek was a wonderful priest–original, final, beneficent, and royal. Christ is a Priest-King. As a Priest He is at once the Sacrifice, the Sacrificer, and the Offering. He is the Mediator, He Himself is the Atonement, the Reconciliation.
V. Achieves magnificent triumphs (verses 5, 6). They are won not by force, but by love, they do not destroy or injure the conquered, but bless and save them. (Homilist.)
The enemies of Christ vanquished
I. The person to whom universal dominion is assigned.
II. His solemn inauguration to His regal dignity (verse 1; Psa 24:7-10).
III. The enemies arrayed against His rightful claims (verse 1). How strange a collocation of words is enmity against God, and God in Christ! Behold His purity, His meekness, His wisdom, His kind teachings, His generous sufferings for men; the freeness and copiousness of the blessings which He has to bestow upon all who will ask of Him; and say, is there a stigma upon human nature so deep, so dark, as this,–that it is enmity to God!
IV. The means of their subjugation.
1. The rod of His power.
2. Granting days of power.
3. The willing co-operation of His people.
V. The glorious result (verse 3).
1. Behold this beauty of holiness among the nations. Wars, oppressions, injuries, cease. The earth, tossed and swept for ages by the storms of night, is quiet, imbibes the vivifying dew of Divine influence, and catches the glory of the brightening truth of revelation.
2. Behold it in civil society; in the beautiful order and harmony of pious families; in the charity and kind offices of Christian neighbourhoods; in the reciprocal reverence and confidence of rulers and their subjects.
3. Behold it especially in the Church. There, indeed, it is eminently appropriate; for, holiness becometh Thine house, O Lord, for ever. It is seen in her ministry; for her Priests are clothed with salvation, and their lips keep knowledge. In her doctrine; for the compass, the depth, the height, the harmony, of the whole system of the Gospel being understood and professed, errors and partial views are banished. In her members; those are truly elect according to the foreknowledge of God, through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth. (R Watson.)
Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell
PSALM CX
The Messiah sits in his kingdom at the right hand of God, his
enemies being subdued under him, 1, 2.
The nature and extent of his government, 3.
His everlasting priesthood, 4.
His execution of justice and judgment, 5, 6.
The reason on which all this is founded, his passion and
exaltation, 7.
NOTES ON PSALM CX
The Hebrew, and all the Versions, except the Arabic, attribute this Psalm to David: nor can this be doubted, as it is thus attributed in the New Testament; see the places in the margin. We have in it the celebration of some great potentates accession to the crown; but the subject is so grand, the expressions so noble, and the object raised so far above what can be called human, that no history has ever mentioned a prince to whom a literal application of this Psalm can be made. To Jesus Christ alone, to his everlasting priesthood and government, as King of kings and Lord of lords, can it be applied.
The Jews, aware of the advantage which the Christian religion must derive from this Psalm, have laboured hard and in vain to give it a contrary sense. Some have attributed it to Eliezer, the servant or steward of Abraham; and state that he composed it on the occasion of his master’s victory over the four kings at the valley of Shaveh, Ge 14:14-17. Others say it was done by David, in commemoration of his victory over the Philistines. Others make Solomon the author. Some refer it to Hezekiah, and others to Zerubbabel, c.: but the bare reading of the Psalm will show the vanity of these pretensions. A King is described here who is David’s Lord, and sits at the right hand of God a conqueror, reigning at Jerusalem, King from all eternity-having an everlasting priesthood, Judge of all nations, triumphing over all potentates, indefatigable in all his operations, and successful in all his enterprises. Where has there ever appeared a prince in whom all these characters met? There never was one, nor is it possible that there ever can be one such, the Person excepted to whom the Psalm is applied by the authority of the Holy Spirit himself. That the Jews who lived in the time of our Lord believed this Psalm to have been written by David, and that it spoke of the Messiah alone, is evident from this, that when our Lord quoted it, and drew arguments from it in favour of his mission, Mt 22:42, they did not attempt to gainsay it. St. Peter, Ac 2:34, and St. Paul, 1Co 15:25; Heb 1:13; Heb 5:6; Heb 5:10; Heb 7:17; Heb 10:12-13, apply it to show that Jesus is the Messiah. Nor was there any attempt to contradict them; not even an intimation that they had misapplied it, or mistaken its meaning. Many of the later Jews also have granted that it applied to the Messiah, though they dispute its application to Jesus of Nazareth. All the critics and commentators whom I have consulted apply it to our Lord; nor does it appear to me to be capable of interpretation on any other ground. Before I proceed to take a general view of it, I shall set down the chief of the various readings found in the MSS. on this Psalm.
Ps 110:1. Said unto my Lord. Instead of ladoni, “my Lord,” one MS. seems to have read layhovah, “Jehovah said unto Jehovah, ‘Sit thou on my right hand,'” c. See De Rossi.
Thy footstool. hadom leragleycha, “the footstool to thy feet.” But eight MSS. drop the prefix le and read the word in the genitive case, with the Septuagint, Vulgate, and Arabic. Many also read the word in the singular number.
Ps 110:3. Instead of behadrey kodesh, “in the beauties of holiness,” beharerey kodesh, “in the mountains of holiness,” is the reading of thirty-four of Kennicott’s MSS., and fifty-three of those of De Rossi, and also of several printed editions.
Instead of yaldutheca, “of thy youth,” yaladticha, “I have begotten thee,” is the reading, as to the consonants, of sixty-two of Kennicott’s and twenty-three of De Rossi’s MSS., and of some ancient editions, with the Septuagint, Arabic, and Anglo-Saxon.
Ps 110:4. After the order, al dibrathi, dibratho, “HIS order,” is the reading of twelve of Kennicott’s and De Rossi’s MSS.
Ps 110:5. The Lord, adonai: but Yehovah is the reading of a great number of the MSS. in the above collections.
Ps 110:6. Instead of baggoyim, “among the heathens” or nations, goyim, “he shall judge the heathen,” is the reading of one ancient MS.
Instead of rosh, “the head,” rashey, “the heads,” is the reading of one MS., with the Chaldee, Septuagint, Vulgate, and Anglo-Saxon.
Ps 110:7. For yarim, “he shall lift up,” yarom, “shall be lifted up,” is the reading of six MSS. and the Syriac.
Instead of rosh, “THE head,” rosho, “HIS head,” is the reading of two MSS. and the Syriac.
A few add halelu Yah, “Praise ye Jehovah;” but this was probably taken from the beginning of the following Psalm.
The learned Venema has taken great pains to expound this Psalm: he considers it a Divine oracle, partly relating to David’s Lord, and partly to David himself.
1. David’s Lord is here inducted to the highest honour, regal and sacerdotal, with the promise of a most flourishing kingdom, founded in Zion, but extending every where, till every enemy should be subdued.
2. David is here promised God’s protection; that his enemies shall never prevail against him; but he must go through many sufferings in order to reach a state of glory.
3. The time in which this oracle or prophecy was delivered was probably a little after the time when David had brought home the ark, and before he had his wars with the neighbouring idolatrous nations. The kingdom was confirmed in his hand; but it was not yet extended over the neighbouring nations.
Verse 1. The Lord said unto my Lord] Jehovah said unto my Adonai. That David’s Lord is the Messiah, is confirmed by our Lord himself and by the apostles Peter and Paul, as we have already seen.
Sit thou at my right hand] This implies the possession of the utmost confidence, power, and preeminence.
Until I make thine enemies] Jesus shall reign till all his enemies are subdued under him. Jesus Christ, as GOD, ever dwelt in the fulness of the Godhead; but it was as God-man that, after his resurrection, he was raised to the right hand of the Majesty on high, ever to appear in the presence of God for us.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
The Lord; God the Father, the first person in the Trinity, to whom accordingly the original of all things, and especially of the work of mans redemption by Christ, is ascribed.
Said; decreed or appointed it from eternity, and in due time published this decree, as is noted, Psa 2:7, and actually executed it; which he did when he raised up Christ from the dead, and brought him into his heavenly mansion.
Unto my Lord; unto his Son the Messias, whom David designedly calls his Lord, to admonish the Jews and the whole church, that although he was his son according to the flesh, or his human nature, Act 2:34; Rom 1:3, yet he had a higher nature and original, and was also his Lord, as being by nature God blessed for ever, and consequently Lord of all things, as he is called, Act 10:36; and by office, as he was God-man, the Lord and King of the whole church, and of all the world for the churchs sake. And this was a necessary provision, to prevent that scandal which the Holy Ghost foresaw the Jews and others would be apt to take at the meanness of Christs appearance in the flesh. The Hebrew word Adon is one of Gods titles, signifying his power and authority or lordship over all things, and therefore is most fitly given to the Messias, to whom God hath delegated all his power in the world, Mat 28:18.
Sit thou at my right hand: thou who hast for many years been veiled with infirm and mortal flesh, despised, and rejected, and trampled upon by men, and persecuted unto the death, do thou now take to thyself thy great and just power; thou hast done thy work upon earth, now take thy rest, and the possession of that sovereign kingdom and glory which by right belongeth to thee: do thou rule with me with equal power and majesty, as thou art God; and with an authority and honour far above all creatures, such as is next to mine, as thou art man; as this phrase is expounded in other places. See Mar 16:19; Luk 22:69; 1Co 15:25; Heb 1:3,13; 8:1; 10:12,13; Eph 1:20, &c. It is a metaphor from the custom of earthly princes, who place those persons whom they honour most at their right hand; of which see 1Ki 2:19; Psa 45:9; Mat 20:21. Sitting is put for reigning, 1Ki 3:6, compared with 2Ch 1:8, and withal notes the continuance of the reign, 1Co 15:25.
Until doth not necessarily note the end or expiration of his kingdom at that time; for in other places it notes only the continuance of things till such time, without excluding the time following, as is evident from Gen 28:15; Psa 112:8; Mat 1:25. So here it may signify that his kingdom should continue so long, even in the midst of his enemies, and in spite of all their power and malice, which was the only thing which was liable to any doubt; for that he should continue to reign after the conquest and utter ruin of all his enemies was out of all question. And yet this is a word of limitation, in regard of the mediatorial kingdom of Christ, in respect of which Christ rules with a delegated power, as his Fathers viceroy, and with the use of outward means, and instruments, and ordinances, &c., for that manner of administration shall cease; which also seems to be intimated by this word, as it is expounded 1Co 15:25.
I make, by my almighty power communicated to thee as God by eternal generation, and vouchsafed to thee as Mediator, to enable thee to the full discharge of thine office.
Thine enemies; which also are the enemies of thy church; all persecutors and ungodly men, who will not have Christ to rule over them, Luk 19:14; sin, and death, and the devil, 1Co 15:26.
Thy footstool; thy slaves and vassals to be put to the meanest and basest services, as this phrase implies, 1Ki 5:3; Psa 18:39; 91:13; being taken from the manner of Eastern princes, who used to tread upon the necks of their conquered enemies, as we read, Jos 10:24; Jdg 1:7. And long after those times Sapores the Persian emperor trod upon Valerian emperor of the Romans, and Tamerlane used to tread upon Bajazet the Turkish emperor, whom he kept in an iron cage for that purpose.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
1. The Lord saidliterally, “Asaying of the Lord,” (compare Ps36:1), a formula, used in prophetic or other solemn or expressdeclarations.
my LordThat the Jewsunderstood this term to denote the Messiah their traditions show, andChrist’s mode of arguing on such an assumption (Mt22:44) also proves.
Sit . . . at my righthandnot only a mark of honor (1Ki2:19), but also implied participation of power (Psa 45:9;Mar 16:19; Eph 1:20).
Sitas a king (Ps29:10), though the position rather than posture is intimated(compare Act 7:55; Act 7:56).
until I make, c.Thedominion of Christ over His enemies, as commissioned by God, andentrusted with all power (Mt28:18) for their subjugation, will assuredly be established (1Co15:24-28). This is neither His government as God, nor that which,as the incarnate Saviour, He exercises over His people, of whom Hewill ever be Head.
thine enemies thyfootstoolan expression taken from the custom of Easternconquerors (compare Jos 10:24Jdg 1:7) to signify a completesubjection.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
The Lord said unto my Lord,…. The Targum is,
“the Lord said in his Word.”
Galatinus q says the true Targum of Jonathan has it,
“the Lord said to his Word;”
and produces an authority for it. These are the words of Jehovah the Father to his Son the Messiah; the “Adon”, or Lord, spoken of in Isa 6:1, the one Lord Jesus, and only Potentate; the Lord of all, the Lord of David, and of every believer; not by right of creation only, as of all mankind; but by redemption, having bought them; and by right of marriage, having espoused them; and by their own consent, they owning him to be their Lord. The words said to him by Jehovah, as follow, were said in his mind, in his eternal purpose and decree; which he, lying in his bosom, was privy, when he foreordained him to be the Redeemer; and in the council and covenant of peace, when he promised him this glory as the reward of his sufferings; and in the prophecies of the Old Testament, which speak as of the sufferings of Christ, so of the glory that should follow; and when the fact was done, when, after his death, resurrection, ascension, and entrance into heaven, he was placed, as follows:
Sit thou at my right hand; of power and majesty; expressive of the honour done to Christ, and the glory put on him in the human nature, such as angels nor any creature ever had, Heb 1:13, it being always accounted honourable to sit at the right hand of great personages, 1Ki 2:19, and also of rule, and power, and authority; being upon the same throne with his Father, exercising the same government over angels and men; “sitting” is explained by “reigning” in
1Co 15:25. It also denotes having done his work, and to satisfaction; and therefore is set down, being entered into his rest, and having ceased from his work and labour, enjoying the presence of his divine Father; in which is fulness of joy, and at whose right hand are pleasures for evermore: and it also signifies the continuance of regal honour and power; he sits and continues a King as well as a Priest for ever.
Until I make thine enemies thy footstool; Christ has his enemies; all the enemies of his people are his; some are overcome already by him, as sin, Satan, and the world; and the Jews, his enemies, who would not have him to reign over them, have been destroyed: but as yet all things are not put under his feet, which will be; as antichrist, and the kings of the earth that are with him, who will be overcome by him; the beast and false prophet will be taken and cast into the lake of fire; where also the old serpent, the devil, after he has been bound and loosed, wall be cast likewise; and when the last enemy, death, shall be destroyed; till that time comes, Christ reigns and will reign, and afterwards too, even to all eternity. The allusion is to the custom of conquerors treading upon the necks of the conquered; see Jos 10:24.
m Adv. Marcion. l. 5. c. 9. n In Midrash Tillim apud Yalkut in loc. o R. Moses Haddarsan & Arama in Galatiu. de Cath. Arean. Ver. l. 3. c. 17. & l. 8. c. 24. p Saadiah Gaon in Dan vii. 13. Nachman. Disput. cum Fratre Paulo, p. 36, 55. Abkath Rochel, p. 80. q De Cathol. Arean. Ver. l. 3. c. 5. & l. 8. c. 24.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
In Psa 20:1-9 and Psa 21:1-13 we see at once in the openings that what we have before us is the language of the people concerning their king. Here in Psa 110:1 does not favour this, and is decidedly against it. The former does not favour it, for it is indeed correct that the subject calls his king “my lord,” e.g., 1Sa 22:12, although the more exact form of address is “my lord the king,” e.g., 1Sa 24:9; but if the people are speaking here, what is the object of the title of honour being expressed as if coming from the mouth of an individual, and why not rather, as in Ps 20-21, or ? is, however, decisive against the supposition that it is an Israelite who here expresses himself concerning the relation of his king to Jahve. For it is absurd to suppose that an Israelite speaking in the name of the people would begin in the manner of the prophets with , more particularly since this placed thus at the head of the discourse is without any perfectly analogous example (1Sa 2:30; Isa 1:24 are only similar) elsewhere, and is therefore extremely important. In general this opening position of , even in cases where other genitives that follow, is very rare; Num 24:3., Num 24:15, of David in 2Sa 23:1, of Agur in Pro 30:1, and always (even in Psa 36:2) in an oracular signification. Moreover, if one from among the people were speaking, the declaration ought to be a retrospective glance at a past utterance of God. But, first, the history knows nothing of any such divine utterance; and secondly, always introduces God as actually speaking, to which even the passage cited by Hofmann to the contrary, Num 14:28, forms no exception. Thus it will consequently not be a past utterance of God to which the poet glances back here, but one which David has just now heard (Mat 22:43), and is therefore not a declaration of the people concerning David, but of David concerning Christ. The unique character of the declaration confirms this. Of the king of Israel it is said that he sits on the throne of Jahve (1Ch 29:23), viz., as visible representative of the invisible King (1Ch 28:5); Jahve, however, commands the person here addressed to take his place at His right hand. The right hand of a king is the highest place of honour, 1Ki 2:19.
(Note: Cf. the custom of the old Arabian kings to have their viceroy ( ridf ) sitting at their right hand, Monumenta antiquiss. hist. Arabum, ed. Eichhorn, p. 220.)
Here the sitting at the right hand signifies not merely an idle honour, but reception into the fellowship of God as regards dignity and dominion, exaltation to a participation in God’s reigning ( , 1Co 15:25). Just as Jahve sits enthroned in the heavens and laughs at the rebels here below, so shall he who is exalted henceforth share this blessed calm with Him, until He subdues all enemies to him, and therefore makes him the unlimited, universally acknowledged ruler. as in Hos 10:12, for or , does not exclude the time that lies beyond, but as in Psa 112:8, Gen 49:10, includes it, and in fact so that it at any rate marks the final subjugation of the enemies as a turning-point with which something else comes about (vid., Act 3:21; 1Co 15:28). is an accusative of the predicate. The enemies shall come to lie under his feet (1Ki 5:17), his feet tread upon the necks of the vanquished (Jos 10:24), so that the resistance that is overcome becomes as it were the dark ground upon which the glory of his victorious rule arises. For the history of time ends with the triumph of good over evil, – not, however, with the annihilation of evil, but with its subjugation. This is the issue, inasmuch as absolute omnipotence is effectual on behalf of and through the exalted Christ. In Psa 110:2, springing from the utterance of Jahve, follow words expressing a prophetic prospect. Zion is the imperial abode of the great future King (Psa 2:6). (cf. Jer 48:17; Eze 19:11-14) signifies “the sceptre (as insignia and the medium of exercise) of the authority delegated to thee” (1Sa 2:10, Mic 5:3). Jahve will stretch this sceptre far forth from Zion: no goal is mentioned up to which it shall extend, but passages like Zec 9:10 show how the prophets understand such Psalms. In Psa 110:2 follow the words with which Jahve accompanies this extension of the dominion of the exalted One. Jahve will lay all his enemies at his feet, but not in such a manner that he himself remains idle in the matter. Thus, then, having come into the midst of the sphere ( ) of his enemies, shall he reign, forcing them to submission and holding them down. We read this in a Messianic connection in Psa 72:8. So even in the prophecy of Balaam (Num 24:19), where the sceptre (Num 24:17) is an emblem of the Messiah Himself.
Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament
| The Messiah’s Dominion. | |
A psalm of David.
1 The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool. 2 The LORD shall send the rod of thy strength out of Zion: rule thou in the midst of thine enemies. 3 Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power, in the beauties of holiness from the womb of the morning: thou hast the dew of thy youth. 4 The LORD hath sworn, and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek.
Some have called this psalm David’s creed, almost all the articles of the Christian faith being found in it; the title calls it David’s psalm, for in the believing foresight of the Messiah he both praised God and solaced himself, much more may we, in singing it, to whom that is fulfilled, and therefore more clearly revealed, which is here foretold. Glorious things are here spoken of Christ, and such as oblige us to consider how great he is.
I. That he is David’s Lord. We must take special notice of this because he himself does. Matt. xxii. 43, David, in spirit, calls him Lord. And as the apostle proves the dignity of Melchizedek, and in him of Christ, by this, that so great a man as Abraham was paid him tithes (Heb. vii. 4), so we may be this prove the dignity of the Lord Jesus that David, that great man, called him his Lord; by him that king acknowledges himself to reign, and to him to be acceptable as a servant to his lord. Some think he calls him his Lord because he was the Lord that was to descend from him, his son and yet his Lord. Thus him immediate mother calls him her Saviour (Luke i. 47); even his parents were his subjects, his saved ones.
II. That he is constituted a sovereign Lord by the counsel and decree of God himself: The Lord, Jehovah, said unto him, Sit as a king. He receives of the Father this honour and glory (2 Pet. i. 17), from him who is the fountain of honour and power, and takes it not to himself. He is therefore rightful Lord, and his title is incontestable; for what God has said cannot be gainsaid. He is therefore everlasting Lord; for what God has said shall not be unsaid. He will certainly take and keep possession of that kingdom which the Father has committed to him, and none can hinder.
III. That he was to be advanced to the highest honour, and entrusted with an absolute sovereign power both in heaven and in earth: Sit thou at my right hand. Sitting is a resting posture; after his services and sufferings, he entered into rest from all his labours. It is a ruling posture; he sits to give law, to give judgment. It is a remaining posture; he sits like a king for ever. Sitting at the right hand of God denotes both his dignity and his dominion, the honour put upon him and the trusts reposed in him by the Father. All the favours that come from God to man, and all the service that comes from man to God, pass through his hand.
IV. That all his enemies were in due time to be made his footstool, and not till then; but then also he must reign in the glory of the Mediator, though the work of the Mediator will be, in a manner, at an end. Note, 1. Even Christ himself has enemies that fight against his kingdom and subjects, his honour and interest, in the world. There are those that will not have him to reign over them, and thereby they join themselves to Satan, who will not have him to reign at all. 2. These enemies will be made his footstool; he will subdue them and triumph over them; he will do it easily, as easily as we put a footstool in its proper place, and such a propriety there will be in it. He will make himself easy by the doing of it, as a man that sits with a footstool under his feet; he will subdue them in such a way as shall be most for his honour and their perpetual disgrace; he will tread down the wicked, Mal. iv. 3. 3. God the Father has undertaken to do it: I will make them thy footstool, who can do it. 4. It will not be done immediately. All his enemies are now in a chain, but not yet made his footstool. This the apostle observes. Heb. ii. 8, We see not yet all things put under him. Christ himself must wait for the completing of his victories and triumphs. 5. He shall wait till it is done; and all their might and malice shall not give the least disturbance to his government. His sitting at God’s right hand is a pledge to him of his setting his feet, at last, on the necks of all his enemies.
V. That he should have a kingdom set up in the world, beginning at Jerusalem (v. 2): “The Lord shall send the rod or sceptre of thy strength out of Zion, by which thy kingdom shall be erected, maintained, and administered.” The Messiah, when he sits on the right hand of the Majesty in the heavens, will have a church on earth, and will have an eye to it; for he is King upon the holy hill of Zion (Ps. ii. 6), in opposition to Mount Sinai, that frightful mountain, on which the law was given, Heb 12:18; Heb 12:24; Gal 4:24; Gal 4:25. The kingdom of Christ took rise from Zion, the city of David, for he was the Son of David, and was to have the throne of his father David. By the rod of his strength, or his strong rod, is meant his everlasting gospel, and the power of the Holy Ghost going along with it–the report of the word, and the arm of the Lord accompanying it (Isa 53:1; Rom 1:16), –the gospel coming in word, and in power, and in the holy Ghost, 1 Thess. i. 5. By the word and Spirit of God souls were to be reduced first, and brought into obedience to God, and then ruled and governed according to the will of God. This strong rod God sent forth; he poured out the Spirit, and gave both commissions and qualifications to those that preached the word, and ministered the Spirit, Gal. iii. 5. It was sent out of Zion, for there the Spirit was given, and there the preaching of the gospel among all nations must begin, at Jerusalem. See Luk 24:47; Luk 24:49. Out of Zion must go forth the law of faith, Isa. ii. 3. Note, The gospel of Christ, being sent of God, is mighty through God to do wonders, 2 Cor. x. 4. It is the rod of Christ’s strength. Some make it to allude not only to the sceptre of a prince, denoting the glory of Christ shining in the gospel, but to a shepherd’s crook, his rod and staff, denoting the tender care of Christ takes of his church; for he is both the great and the good Shepherd.
VI. That his kingdom, being set up, should be maintained and kept up in the world, in spite of all the oppositions of the power of darkness. 1. Christ shall rule, shall give laws, and govern his subjects by them, shall perfect them, and make them easy and happy, shall do his own will, fulfil his own counsels, and maintain his own interests among men. His kingdom is of God, and it shall stand; his crown sits firmly on his head, and there it shall flourish. 2. He shall rule in the midst of his enemies. He sits in heaven in the midst of his friends; his throne of glory there is surrounded with none but faithful worshippers of him, Rev. v. 11. But he rules on earth in the midst of his enemies, and his throne of government here is surrounded with those that hate him and fight against him. Christ’s church is a lily among thorns, and his disciples are sent forth as sheep in the midst of wolves; he knows where they dwell, even where Satan’s seat is (Rev. ii. 13), and this redounds to his honour that he not only keeps his ground, but gains his point, notwithstanding all the malignant policies and powers of hell and earth, which cannot shake the rock on which the church is built. Great is the truth, and will prevail.
VII. That he should have a great number of subjects, who should be to him for a name and a praise, v. 3.
1. That they should be his own people, and such as he should have an incontestable title to. They are given to him by the Father, who gave them their lives and beings, and to whom their lives and beings were forfeited. Thine they were and thou gavest them me, John xvii. 6. They are redeemed by him; he has purchased them to be to himself a peculiar people, Tit. ii. 14. They are his by right, antecedent to their consent. He had much people in Corinth before they were converted, Acts xviii. 10.
2. That they should be a willing people, a people of willingness, alluding to servants that choose their service and are not coerced to it (they love their masters and would not go out free), to soldiers that are volunteers and not pressed men (“Here am I, send me”), to sacrifices that are free-will offerings and not offered of necessity; we present ourselves living sacrifices. Note, Christ’s people are a willing people. The conversion of a soul consists in its being willing to be Christ’s, coming under his yoke and into his interests, with an entire compliancy and satisfaction.
3. That they should be so in the day of his power, in the day of thy muster (so some); when thou art enlisting soldiers thou shalt find a multitude of volunteers forward to be enlisted; let but the standard be set up and the Gentiles will seek to it,Isa 11:10; Isa 60:3. Or when thou art drawing them out to battle they shall be willing to follow the Lamb whithersoever he goes, Rev. xiv. 4. In the day of thy armies (so some); “when the first preachers of the gospel shall be sent forth, as Christ’s armies, to reduce apostate men, and to ruin the kingdom of apostate angels, then all that are thy people shall be willing; that will be thy time of setting up thy kingdom.” In the day of thy strength, so we take it. There is a general power which goes along with the gospel to all, proper to make them willing to be Christ’s people, arising from the supreme authority of its great author and the intrinsic excellency of the things themselves contained in it, besides the undeniable miracles that were wrought for the confirmation of it. And there is also a particular power, the power of the Spirit, going along with the power of the word, to the people of Christ, which is effectual to make them willing. The former leaves sinners without matter of excuse; this leaves saints without matter of boasting. Whoever are willing to be Christ’s people, it is the free and mighty grace of God that makes them so.
4. That they should be so in the beauty of holiness, that is, (1.) They shall be allured to him by the beauty of holiness; they shall be charmed into a subjection to Christ by the sight given them of his beauty, who is the holy Jesus, and the beauty of the church, which is the holy nation. (2.) They shall be admitted by him into the beauty of holiness, as spiritual priests, to minister in his sanctuary; for by the blood of Jesus we have boldness to enter into the holiest. (3.) They shall attend upon him in the beautiful attire or ornaments of grace and sanctification. Note, Holiness is the livery of Christ’s family and that which becomes his house for ever. Christ’s soldiers are all thus clothed; these are the colours they wear. The armies of heaven follow him in fine linen, clean and white, Rev. xix. 14.
5. That he should have great numbers of people devoted to him. The multitude of the people is the honour of the prince, and that shall be the honour of this prince. From the womb of the morning thou hast the dew of thy youth, that is, abundance of young converts, like the drops of dew in a summer’s morning. In the early days of the gospel, in the morning of the New Testament, the youth of the church, great numbers flocked to Christ, and there were multitudes that believed, a remnant of Jacob, that was as dew from the Lord,Mic 5:7; Isa 64:4; Isa 64:8. Or thus? “From the womb of the morning (from their very childhood) thou hast the dew of thy people’s youth, that is, their hearts and affections when they are young; it is thy youth, because it is dedicated to thee.” The dew of the youth is a numerous, illustrious, hopeful show of young people flocking to Christ, which would be to the world as dew to the ground, to make it fruitful. Note, The dew of our youth, even in the morning of our days, ought to be consecrated to our Lord Jesus.
6. That he should be not only a king, but a priest, v. 4. The same Lord that said, Sit thou at my right hand, swore, and will not repent, Thou art a priest, that is, Be thou a priest; for by the word of his oath he was consecrated. Note, (1.) Our Lord Jesus Christ is a priest. He was appointed to that office and faithfully executes it; he is ordained for men in things pertaining to God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sin (Heb. v. 1), to make atonement for our sins and to recommend our services to God’s acceptance. He is God’s minister to us, and our advocate with God, and so is a Mediator between us and God. (2.) He is a priest for ever. He was designed for a priest, in God’s eternal counsels; he was a priest to the Old-Testament saints, and will be a priest for all believers to the end of time, Heb. xiii. 8. He is said to be a priest for ever, not only because we are never to expect any other dispensation of grace than this by the priesthood of Christ, but because the blessed fruits and consequences of it will remain to eternity. (3.) He is made a priest with an oath, which the apostle urges to prove the pre-eminence of his priesthood above that of Aaron, Heb 7:20; Heb 7:21. The Lord has sworn, to show that in the commission there was no implied reserve of a power of revocation; for he will not repent, as he did concerning Eli’s priesthood, 1 Sam. ii. 30. This was intended for the honour of Christ and the comfort of Christians. The priesthood of Christ is confirmed by the highest ratifications possible, that it might be an unshaken foundation for our faith and hope to build upon. (4.) He is a priest, not of the order of Aaron, but of that of Melchizedek, which, as it was prior, so it was upon many accounts superior, to that of Aaron, and a more lively representation of Christ’s priesthood. Melchizedek was a priest upon his throne, so is Christ (Zech. vi. 13), king of righteousness and king of peace. Melchizedek had no successor, nor has Christ; his is an unchangeable priesthood. The apostle comments largely upon these words (Heb. vii.) and builds on them his discourse of Christ’s priestly office, which he shows was no new notion, but built upon this most sure word of prophecy. For, as the New Testament explains the Old, so the Old Testament confirms the New, and Jesus Christ is the Alpha and Omega of both.
Fuente: Matthew Henry’s Whole Bible Commentary
Psalms 110
The Priest-King Pearl of Great Price
Scripture v. 1-7:
This is a Messianic Psalm. ft begins with the ascension of Jesus Christ, triumphant over death; It announces His eternal priesthood as an established certainty; It looks to the time of the return of Christ and the conversion of Israel; Last in order of the Messianic psalms, it foretells the final judgment of Gentile powers and establishment of the Messianic kingdom, with Christ as King Priest triumphant.
Verse 1 certifies the deity of Jesus as “Lord,” raised up, exalted, by God the Father to sit at His own right hand, until the time when His enemies should be made His footstool, “Jehovah said to Adonai,” Rom 8:11; Mat 22:44; Mar 12:36; Act 2:34; Heb 1:13; Heb 10:12-13. See also Deu 30:3; Isa 9:7; 1Co 15:25.
Verse 2 prophesies “The Lord shall send the rod of thy strength (the Messiah) out of Zion,” the city of God, as a judgment rod, a “rod of slaughter,” “the rod of his mouth,” to punish and subdue His enemies, Jer 48:17; Eze 19:11-12; Isa 9:4; Isa 10:5; Isa 10:15; Isa 14:5; Eze 7:11; Rev 1:16; Rev 2:27. He is directed “rule thou,” not reign, but “lord it over,” “Thine enemies,” an imperative command, Psa 2:6; Isa 2:3-4; Mic 4:2-3; Luk 1:32-33.
Verse 3 declares “Thy people (Israel) shall be willing in the day of thy power,” as a people then consecrated to Him, of their freewill, Exo 25:2; Exo 35:29; Exo 36:3; 1Ch 29:14; 1Ch 29:17; Joh 7:17; 2Co 8:12; Rom 11:2; Such shall be “in the beauties of holiness,” in holy garments as worn by the priests, Lev 16:4; Psa 29:2; Rev 19:14. “From the womb of the morning,” refers to the “dew of youth,” a refreshing time and state, brought by the King of Glory, Act 2:4; Mic 5:7; Job 38:8; Job 38:28-29.
Verse 4 asserts that the Lord (Jehovah God) “has sworn,” irrevocably by oath, to His Son, “and will not repent,” turn back, reverse Himself, or change His mind, Num 23:19; Zec 8:14. What He has certified by oath, to His Son is “Thou art (dost exist as) a priest for ever (an eternal priest) after or according to the order (rank) of Melchizedeck,” Heb 5:6; Heb 6:20; Heb 7:21; Zec 6:1-15. Christ lives as Priest-King, interceding for His own today, Heb 7:25; 1Jn 2:1-2.
Verse 5 declares “The Lord at thy right hand,” Jesus Christ, the coming Messiah King, “shall strike Through kings (heathen kings) in the day of his wrath,” to end “the tribulation the great,” Rev 6:17; Rev 11:18.
Verse 6 adds that He shall judge among the heathen, fill the places (battlefields) with the dead bodies of Antichrist cohorts, and wound the head (rulers) over many (great) countries, as related Jos 10:24; Rev 13:14; Rev 16:14; Rev 17:12-14; Rev 19:11-21; Psa 111:6.
Verse 7 concludes “He shall drink of the brook in the way,” as He pursues the heathen enemies with zealous pursuit, not turning aside to find a well, Isa 59:17; Isa 59:19; Jdg 7:5-6; Job 21:20; Isa 61:1; Joh 3:31. Finally, it is asserted, He shall “lift up the head,” in triumph, complete victory, Isa 53:12; Joh 19:30. He shall be exalted, in contrast with His former humiliation, Psa 109:22-25; Php_2:5-11.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
1 Jehovah said to my Lord (320) What is here stated might to some extent be applied to the person of David, inasmuch as he neither ascended the royal throne illegally, nor did he find his way to it by nefarious artifices, nor was he raised to it by the fickle suffrages of the people, but it was by the direct authority of God that he reigned over Israel. It may be justly affirmed of all the kings of the earth, that they have been placed upon their thrones by the hand of God, for the kingdoms of this world are appointed by the decree of heaven, and “there is no power but of God,” (Rom 13:1) Besides, as this kingdom was altogether peculiar, it was the design of David to make a distinction between it and all other kingdoms. God indeed invests kings with authority, but they are not consecrated as David was, that like him, in consequence of the holy anointing oil, they might be elevated to the rank of Christ’s vicegerents. In the eighty-second psalm they are called gods, because by the will of God they hold their position, and in some respects are his representatives, (all power being lodged in him;) but they are not clothed with that sacred majesty by which David was honored to be a type of God’s only begotten Son. Moreover, he justly observes that the kingdom was conferred upon him in a totally different manner from other earthly kings, who, while they acknowledge that it is by the grace of God they reign, yet, at the same time, do not consider that they are sustained by his power, but, on the contrary, imagine that they reign either by their own policy, by hereditary right, or by the kindness of fortune; and, therefore, in so far as it respects themselves, it must be affirmed, that they have no legitimate title to reign. And since they do not recognize the hand of God in what they derive from him, his command cannot be properly addressed to them. David, who was well aware that he was anointed by God to be king over Israel, and who maintained an obscure and retired position until summoned to assume the reins of government, shows good cause why he is not to be classed with the ordinary kings of the earth; meaning that he reigned by a Divine right. That the whole of what is stated in this verse cannot be entirely and exclusively applied to David, is very obvious from Christ’s reply to the Pharisees, (Mat 22:44) They having said that Christ was to be the son of David, he saith unto them, “How then doth David himself call him Lord?”
The objection started by the Jews, that Christ’s reply was captious, is entirely frivolous, because David does not speak in his own name, but in that of the people. This objection is easily repelled. For even granting that this psalm was penned in name of the whole Church, yet as David himself constituted one of the number of the godly, and was a member of the body under the same head, he could not separate himself from that class, or be dissevered from this head; what is more, he could not compose this psalm for others without, at the same time, taking part with them in it. There is besides another thing deserving of notice, the assumption of the principle or maxim then generally admitted, that David spake by the spirit of prophecy, and consequently prophesied of the future reign of Christ. This principle of interpretation being admitted, it is plainly to be inferred that he had a reference to Christ’s future manifestation in the flesh, because he is the sole and supreme Head of the Church. From which it also follows, that there is something in Christ more excellent than his humanity, on account of which he is called the Lord of David his father. This view is strengthened by what is stated in the second clause of the verse. Earthly kings may indeed be said to sit at God’s right hand, inasmuch as they reign by his authority; here, however, something more lofty is expressed, in that one king is chosen in a peculiar manner, and elevated to the rank of power and dignity next to God, of which dignity the twilight only appeared in David, while in Christ it shone forth in meridian splendor. And as God’s right hand is elevated far above all angels, it follows that he who is seated there is exalted above all creatures. We will not maintain that angels were brought down from their high estate to be put in subjection to David. What, then, is the result, but that by the spirit of prophecy Christ’s throne is exalted far above all principalities in heavenly places? The simile is borrowed from what is customary among earthly kings, that the person who is seated at his right hand is said to be next to him, and hence the Son, by whom the Father governs the world, is by this session represented as metaphorically invested with supreme dominion.
Until I make thine enemies thy footstool (321) By these words the prophet affirms that Christ would subdue all the opposition which his enemies in their tumultuous rage might employ for the subversion of his kingdom. At the same time, he intimates that the kingdom of Christ would never enjoy tranquillity until he had conquered his numerous and formidable enemies. And even should the whole world direct their machinations to the overthrow of Christ’s royal throne, David here declares that it would remain unmoved and unmoveable, while all they who rise up against it shall be ruined. From this let us learn that, however numerous those enemies may be who conspire against the Son of God, and attempt the subversion of his kingdom, all will be unavailing, for they shall never prevail against God’s immutable purpose, but, on the contrary, they shall, by the greatness of his power, be laid prostrate at Christ’s feet. And as this prediction will not be accomplished before the last day, it must be that the kingdom of Christ will be assailed by many enemies from time to time until the end of the world; and thus by-and-bye it is said, rule thou in the midst of thine enemies The particle until does not refer to that which may happen after the complete carnage of the enemies of Christ. (322) Paul certainly declares that he will then deliver up the kingdom to God, even the Father, which he received from him, (1Co 15:24😉 but we are not to take these words as denoting that he shall cease to reign, and become, as it were, a private individual; we are to regard them as describing the manner of his reign, that is, that his Divine majesty will be more conspicuous. Moreover, in this passage he is speaking solely of the reprobate who fall under Christ’s feet to their own ruin and destruction. All mankind are naturally opposed to Christ, and hence it is, that ere they be brought to yield a willing obedience to him, they must be subdued and humbled. This he does with regard to some of them whom he afterwards makes partakers with him in his glory; while he casts off others, so that they may remain for ever in their lost state.
(320) “ The Lord said unto my Lord. Heb., ‘Jehovah assuredly said unto my Adon, ’ which last word is used for lord in every variety of rank, from the master of a family to the sovereign of an empire. In its origin, this title seems similar to the Italian cardinal, which means primarily a hinge, as Adon does a socket; hence figuratively applied to executive magistrates, on whom the government rests, and public affairs turn. ” — Williams.
(321) The expression is borrowed from the Eastern custom of conquerors putting their feet upon the necks of their enemies. See Jos 10:24.
(322) “ Until I make, etc. It is remarked by Genebrard, that the particle עד is to be taken emphatically, as if it were equivalent to etiam donec , and signifies continuity; not the exception or exclusion of future times. Jehovah is, therefore, speaking in substance as follows: — ‘Reign with me even until I make thy enemies thy footstool; even at the time which seems opposed to thy kingdom, and when thy enemies appear to reign, that is, before I have prostrated thy enemies, and have caused them to make submission to thee. After this subjection of thy adversaries, it is unnecessary to say, Thou wilt continue to reign.’ If this be not the force of the passage, then we must suppose that the reign of Christ will cease when he has completely subjugated the world; which is contrary to what we are taught elsewhere in Scripture. The particle is used in a similar manner in Psa 123:3; Deu 7:24.” — Phillips.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
INTRODUCTION
I. A Messianic prophecy.
1. From internal evidence.
2. From the unanimous consent of Jewish expositors.
3. From the testimony of Christ (Mat. 22:41, &c.; Mar. 12:35).
4. From the silence of the Pharisees (Luk. 20:41).
5. From the witness of the Apostles (Act. 2:34; 1Co. 15:25; Heb. 1:13).
6. And the Early Church (Justin Martyr, Tertull., Cyp., Chrys., &c.). II. Its Messianic character denied.
1. Ewald refers it to David.
2. Hitzig, &c., to a Maccabean priest. Without foundation, for
(1) Psa. 110:1 can scarcely be applied to a mere man;
(2) Psa. 110:4 could certainly not apply to David or any human priesthood. III. Of Davidic authorship.
1. From internal evidence.
2. Almost universal tradition.
3. Our Lords testimony.
THE SOVEREIGNTY OF CHRIST
(Psa. 110:1 and last clause of Psa. 110:2)
Our subject occupies a foremost place in the Old Testament. The first prediction (Gen. 3:15) asserts it; the promise to Abraham (Gen. 22:17) implies it; the destiny of Judah (Gen. 49:10) involves it. It all but commences the Psalms
(2), which indeed teem with it (45; 72; 110, &c.). Prophecy proper opens with it (Isa. 2:1-4), and closes with it (Luk. 1:33).
Our Lords ministry was a proclamation of His Kingdom, but He did not reveal His own sovereignty till at the close. Then His sentiments are those of our text (Joh. 17:2; Mat. 25:31-32; Mat. 28:8). Afterwards the glorious company of the Apostles (Act. 2:33-34; Php. 2:9; Eph. 1:22-23), the goodly fellowship of the Prophets (Rev. 19:16), the noble army of Martyrs (Polycarp: How can I blaspheme my KING), and the holy Church throughout all the world (Rev. 7:9-12), acknowledge Him to be the King of glory.
I. Christ reigns by divine appointment. The Lord said. The Psalmist is admitted into the council chamber of the Trinity. There God the Father and God the Son occupy one throne (Eastern thrones are extended benches. Sit on my throne at my right handSchnurrer), and are in communion.
1. God assigns to Christ coequal authority. At My right hand (Psa. 45:9; Mar. 16:19; Eph. 1:20-21).
2. God assigns to Christ coequal honour. Sit (Psa. 29:10; 1Ki. 1:46; 1Ki. 2:19).
II. Christ reigns by divine right. My Lord, a divine name.
1. By an inherent divine fitness. His attributes of wisdom, justice, power, and goodness, qualify Him for universal monarchy.
2. By an essential divine prerogative. He has created all, He preserves and sustains all, He has redeemed all, therefore He has a claim on the obedience and fealty of all.
III. Christ reigns by a devout acknowledgment. My Lord. Christs monarchy is not elective, and therefore does not depend on fluctuating human opinions and passions; but, having been divinely established, His authority and fitness to rule have received ample recognition.
1. Kings in the political world have been proud to acknowledge their servitude to Him:David, Constantine, Alfred, &c.
2. Kings in the world of scholarship and philosophy have submitted their giant intellects to His sway, and laid their conquests at His feet:Origen, Bacon, &c.
3. Kings in the world of science have employed their genius and implements in widening His domain. Explorers, astronomers, &c.Livingstone, Newton, Faraday, &c.
4. Kings in the world of morals, who have achieved conquests over human souls, have presented to Him their trophies, Philanthropists, missionaries.
5. Kings in the world of spirits acknowledge His royalty, and crown Him Lord of all. Angels, principalities, and powers are made subject to Him. Redeemed and glorified humanity casts its crowns before Him, and sings, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches, and wisdom and strength, and honour and glory and blessing.
IV. Christ reigns over a disputed empire. Rule Thou in the midst of Thine enemies. There are countless multitudes who revel in the enjoyment of their Lords bounty, who, alas! deny His crown rights.
1. Christ reigns in the midst of infidel enemies. The Atheist, the Materialist, the Socialist, and the Unitarian all say, We will not have this man to reign over us.
2. Christ rules in the midst of a heathenism that is ignorant of or hostile to His claims. All idolatry, whether aesthetic like that of ancient Greece, or absurd and barbarous like the fetish worship of the modern Hottentot, or like the debasing idolatry of self, is an usurpation of His rights.
3. Christ rules in the midst of a devil-ridden and death-stricken world. Nevertheless, the words stand true (Psa. 2:1-6). The usurpation of traitors is a standing witness to the rights of kings.
V. Christ reigns by the enforced service of His foes. Until I make Thy foes Thy footstool. All in His dominions, whether willingly or unwillingly, are constrained to subserve His interests.
1. Tacitly.
(1.) Infidelity serves Him by its inability to satisfy the cravings of the human heart. Man cries out for God. Infidelity says, No God, and drives man to Him who said, He that hath seen Me hath seen the Father. Man cries out for immortality. Infidelity says, No hereafter, and compels man to go to Him who has the words of eternal life. Infidelity has no moral guide, and thus sends man to Him who has given an example that we should do as He has done. Infidelity has no solace for mans remorse and sorrow, and thus drives man to Him who alone can give peace through purity. Atheism serves him by trying to repress mans instincts for God, which effort can only intensify those instincts, and send men to Him who alone can satisfy them. Pantheism serves him by its doctrine of the divine presence in the universe, and sends men to Christ, who alone can reveal that presence, and bring man into its conscious fellowship. Unitarianism serves him by maintaining the Divine Fatherhood and the perfect humanity, and sends men to Christs Godhood, which can alone explain the perfection of His humanity, and bring the prodigal back to his Fathers arms.
(2.) Idolatry serves Him, inasmuch as it is the parent of ignorance, vice, and superstition, and creates in the human heart a craving after the wisdom, holiness, and moral light and power, which are derived from Him alone.
(3.) Selfishness and sin serve Him, because, in spite of their fascinating seductions, men see that underneath them lie debasement, ruin, death.
(4.) Yes, even the devil, wary though he is, serves Him. His hard service and his fearful wages drive men to Him whose yoke is easy, and whose burden is light, and who gives a hundredfold in this present world, and in the world to come life everlasting.
(5.) And death serves Him, for it carries into His presence His servants, and removes all impediments to their perfect service.
2. Explicitly. Testimonies to Christs supremacy, from those least disposed to acknowledge it, show that Christ reigns, and that His enemies have become the support of His feet.
(1.) Paganism sends its testimony through Julian, O Galilean, thou hast conquered.
(2.) Devils. (Mar. 1:23-26.)
(3.) Atheism. The most valuable part of the effect on the character which Christianity has produced by holding up, in a divine person, a standard for excellence, and a model for imitation, is available even to the absolute unbeliever, and can never be lost to humanity. It is the God incarnate more than the God of the Jew or of nature, who, being idealised, has taken so great and salutary a hold on the human mind. And whatever else may be taken away from us by rational criticism, Christ is still left, a unique figure.J. S. Mill.
(4.) Rationalism, Kant says He is the union between the human and the divine. Strauss speaks of Him as the highest object we can possibly imagine with respect to religion, the Being without whose presence in the mind perfect piety is impossible. Renan exclaims, Rest now in thy glory, noble initiator; thy work is completed, thy divinity is established; fear no more to see the edifice of thy efforts crumble through a flaw. For thousands of years the world will extol thee a thousand times more living, a thousand times more loved, since thy death. Thou wilt become to such a degree the corner-stone of humanity, that to tear thy name from this world would be to shake it to its foundations. Between thee and God men will no longer distinguish. Lecky says that Christianity has presented an ideal character which, through all the changes of eighteen centuries, has inspired the hearts of men with an impassioned love, and has shown itself capable of acting on all nations, ages, temperaments, and conditions has done more to regenerate and soften mankind than all the disquisitions of philosophers, and all the exhortations of moralists.
(5.) Pantheism. Spinosa thought Him the best and truest symbol of heavenly wisdom, or ideal perfection.
(6.) Selfishness. Napoleon: Alexander, Csar, and myself, founded great empires; but upon what? Force. Jesus alone founded His empire upon love and to this day millions would die for Him. I know man; Jesus Christ was more than man.
VI. Christ will reign over an un-disputed universe. This is the sense of our text. The prophets, without a dissentient voice, predicted this. Christ Himself foreshadowed it. The souls under the altar groan for it. The Universal Church waits for it.
What successes did the Jews anticipate from their Messiah? The wildest dreams of their rabbis have been far exceeded. Has not Jesus conquered Europe, and changed its name into Christendom? All countries that refuse the Cross wither. And the time will come when the vast communities and countless myriads of America and Australia, looking upon Europe as Europe now looks upon Greece, and wondering how small a space could have achieved such mighty deeds, will still find music in the songs of Zion, and still seek solace in the parables of Galilee.B. Disraeli.
THE ROYAL ARMY
(Psa. 110:2, clause 1, and Psa. 110:3)
This is a vivid sketch of the Church and its prerogatives, inserted in the midst of the kings coronation hymn. What is this but a foreshadowing of the union between Christ and His people. In Psa. 110:1, Christ is glorified with the glory which He had with the Father before the world was. In Psa. 110:2-3, that glory He gives them. In Psa. 110:4, He is a priest; in Psa. 110:3, His people are arrayed in sacerdotal robes. The influence of Christs character on the world is to quicken and refresh it; so here His people are as the dew. Christs years do not fail; so here His people are endowed with perennial youth, and out of their midst the rod of His strength goes forth.
I. Church weapons. The Lord shall send the rod of thy strength out of Zion. The King first equips His chosen ones, and then sends them forth to war. The rod of Christs strength may be any one or all of those points of Zions panoply catalogued in Ephesians 6. The girdle of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the sandal of peace, the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit. In vain does the Church go forth when unprovided with them. Notice these weapons are1, Of divine manufacture; 2, Of tried temper; 3, Of invincible strength; 4, Of irresistible power.
II. Church character. Threefold
1. The Church belongs to Christ. Thy people.
(1.) By the terms of the everlasting covenant.
(2.) By the redemption of the Cross.
(3.) By His own declaration, My Church. (Joh. 17:6-10.)
(4.) By its own free consent. (Rom. 14:8.)
2. The Church is of priestly dignity. In the beauties, lit. robes, of holiness. (2Ch. 20:21; Psa. 29:2; Exo. 28:2.) The splendid vestments were symbolical of the majesty, purity, and power of sacerdotal service. The fitness of this character is seen from the fact that the Church follows the royal priest. (Cf. Psa. 110:1; Psa. 110:4.)
(1.) The quality of this priesthood is like that of the great high priest, royal. (1Pe. 2:5; Rev. 1:6.)
(2.) The functions of this priesthood are(a.) Sacrificial, not however expiatory, but eucharistic. (Rom. 12:1; 1Pe. 2:5); and (b.) Intercessory. (Php. 4:6, &c.)
(3.) The appearance of this priesthood is beautiful. Everything in Gods world is beautiful. It is fitting, therefore, that His people should be so. The Church is a bride adorned with her jewels. She is called to cultivate not only purity but grace. And thus here the gorgeous vesture of the Jewish priest is a fit emblem of his beauty and attractiveness who has put on the Lord Jesus Christ.
3. The Church is ever youthful. Youth here means young men. Christs followers possess the secret of perpetual youth.
(1.) Individually Time, work, and strife, may age the outer man, but they cannot touch the spirit, that is renewed continually day by day. (Isa. 40:30-31; 2Co. 4:6.) That continues fresh and vigorous through wrinkles and material decay.
(2.) Collectively. The Church was never more mighty in her numbers and in her influence than she is in this the 19th century of her history. Human institutions fail from internal weakness, or for the want of external support, and lose their influence in the lapse of years. Not so with Christs people. They flourish in perpetual youth, and go from strength to strength.
III. Church spirit. My people shall be willing. It is not without significance that willingness, or free-will offerings, is derived from prince, or noble one. Hence the Christian esprit de corps is
1. Unmercenary. Christs people are actuated by no sordid motives. The reward before them is splendid if they win, but their all-absorbing aim is to please Him who called them to be soldiers.
2. Unconstrained. Christs soldiers are volunteers. They are called, but they may disobey. They may enlist, but are at liberty to retire.
3. Free by a glad surrender of the will. If any man will come after Me, let him take up his cross and follow Me.
4. Princely; and princely because free. The spirit of willing consecration raises these priests into kings unto God. As the servants of kings are noble, and as the suzerainties of emperors are governed by monarchs, so is the follower of the King of kings and Lord of lords a prince with God.
IV. Church opportunity. In the day of thy power. There are two interpretations of this expression. The day of thine own might; and the day when thou dost muster thy forces and set them in battle array. The text in its present application implies both, for they are both characteristic features of the Gospel dispensation. The spectators of Christs miracles were amazed at the mighty power of God. (Luk. 9:43.) Christs promise was that His Church should receive power then, and when He who is the power of God should ascend far above all principalities and power and might (Eph. 1:21). Then He strengthened His disciples according to His glorious power, and made their faith stand by the power of God. Thus the Church is made strong in the Lord, and in the power of His might. The kingdom of God is not in word but in power. What is this but to prove that Church opportunities are ever present. Let her not wait then in indolence for special outpourings of the Spirit, but be faithful to the power she already has. Christ is the same in power to-day, yesterday, and for ever, and is with the Church alway; and every day is the Church under marching orders for expeditions against her foes.
V. Church influence. From the womb of the morning thou hast the dew of thy youth.
1. Abundant. It covers the whole earth. Every nation, rank, and order of intelligence have felt its power.
2. Marvellous. The influence of Christianity has never been, and can never be, accounted for by natural hypotheses. Its only explanation is that, like its Divine Author, it proceeded forth and came from God.
3. Refreshing. It pours new life into dead humanity, and culture and civilisation follow in its train. The desert under its influence rejoices and blossoms like the rose, and becomes as the garden of the Lord. Contrast the world eighteen hundred years ago with what it is to-day. Fiji fifty years ago.
4. Gentle. Not with the force of arms or pride of learning. Yet before it tyranny, serfdom, and superstition flee.
Concerning its influence as a whole, hear the words of an impartial witness: By the confession of all parties, the Christian religion was designed to be a religion of philanthropy; and love was represented as the distinctive test or characteristic of its members. As a matter of fact, it has probably done more to quicken the affection of mankind, to promote piety, to create a pure and merciful ideal, than any other influence that has ever acted on the world. (Leckys Rationalism, vol. i. p. 358.)
THE ORDER OF MELCHIZEDEK
(Psa. 110:4)
No character has been more fruitful of speculation than that of Melchizedek. Some have conjectured that he was a theophany of Christ or the Holy Ghost. The Gnostics considered him an on or a man formed before the creation out of spiritual matter. Origen said he was an angel. Others, Ham, Shem, Arphaxad, or Job. With theories we are not concerned. The fact before us is that Messiah is a priest after the order of Melchizedek, and that His appointment is held from God.
I. Christ is a priest after the order of Melchizedek.
1. That order was unique.
(1.) In its loneliness, Melchizedek stood alone. Other priests sacrificed to idols or the powers of nature; he to the Most High God. He was the one true priest before the Mosaic dispensation. Christ is the one true priest after it, and He stands alone. One mediator. No other order but His is found in the New Testament, or is now possible, or necessary.
(2.) In that it was underived and untransmitted. Melchizedek did not follow, nor was he succeeded by, a priestly line. So Christs priesthood is not after the order of a carnal commandment; nor does it pass over to another.
(3.) In its efficacy. The priesthoods contemporaneous with Melchizedek were founded on superstition; his only on divine revelation. So all other priesthoods but that of Christ are now effete or vain. His alone is efficacious.
2. That order was righteous. His very name King of righteousness is significant of that. But in a far more real and valuable sense is this so with Christ.
(1.) He is absolutely righteous in Himself. He of all the sons of men alone could say, Which of you convinceth Me of sin? As such He was predicted (Isa. 53:11; Jer. 23:5). As such He was by the confession of both friends and foes (Luk. 23:4; 1Pe. 2:23).
(2.) As the King of righteousness, He makes His subjects righteous (Isa. 53:11). By cleansing away their unrighteousness and imparting his Holy Spirit, and encouraging and directing their holy lives.
3. That order was peaceful. He was King of Salem which is King of peace. In this the order was a strong contrast to the order of Baal, and indeed to the warlike sons of Aaron. Not more so does the priesthood of Christ contrast with the arrogant assumptions, worldly ambitions, devilish craft, and cruel persecutions of the orders of paganism and Rome. Christ is
(1) absolutely peaceful in Himself. As such He was predicted and acknowledged. The Prince of peace. He shall not cry, &c.
(2) As King of peace Christ gives peace, promotes it, and reigns over peaceful subjects. My peace I leave with you, &c. Blessed are the peacemakers, &c. The fruit of the Spirit is peace.
4. That order was royal. He was king as well as priest. So is Christ a priest upon His throne. These two orders are seldom found united. Once when a king arrogated priestly functions he was smitten with leprosy. Terrible calamities have invariably resulted when political power has been wielded by sacerdotal hands. But in Christ their union is an unmixed blessing. Why? Because Christs royalty is based upon the great offering of Himself, whereas other priestly rules have invariably been founded on arrogant assumptions without corresponding service. Christ rules from His Cross: I, if I be lifted up, &c. And adoring Christendom says, Thou art the King of glory, O Christ, because when Thou hadst overcome the sharpness of death Thou didst open the kingdom of heaven to all believers.
5. That order was superior.
(1.) In its antiquity. It was before the authorised priesthood of Aaron. So Christ is the Lamb slain from before the foundation of the world.
(2.) In its perpetuity. For ever. Christ continueth ever, and ever liveth to make intercession.
(3.) In its universality. Heathen priests sacrificed for their particular tribes; Aarons priesthood was for the Jews; but Melchizedek offered for Abraham, and also for the Gentiles among whom he lived. So Christ is a propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.
II. Christs appointment to this priesthood is held under Divine authority. The Lord hath sworn, and will not repent. Persons occupying important offices must show their credentials; kings, their insignia; ambassadors, their letters patent; Christians, their holy life. So we demand from priestly pretenders their authority. In vain do we seek these warrants from any priest but the Son of God. He holds office, not by a transitory and human commission, but by the perpetual oath of God. And His credentials are His hands, His feet, His side.
IN CONCLUSION. To-day we need these truths. And thank God we can believe that for every modern perplexity the blessed old words carry the same strength and consolation. If kings seem to have perished from among men, if authorities are dying out, and there are no names of power that can rally the worldyet there is a Sovereign. If old institutions are crumbling, and must still further decay ere the site for a noble structure be cleared, Christs altar and Christs throne remain. If priest be on some lips a name of superstitious folly, and on others a synonym for all that is despised and effete in religion, yet this Priest abideth for ever, the guide and the hope for the history of humanity and for the individual spirit.Maclaren.
CHRISTS TRIUMPH OVER TYRANNY
(Psa. 110:5-6)
The union between the Father and the Son is still sustained. In Psa. 110:1, the Father gives the Son authority. In 2 and 3, followers. In the verses before us, He helps Him to conquer, and sustains Him in His rule. Notice
I. That all tyranny is the foe of Christ. Kings.
1. All political tyranny. Despots of whatever denomination are enemies of Christ, whether their tyranny take the form of oligarchy, monarchy, aristocracy, or mobocracy; wherever freedom is repressed, and wrong perpetuated under the name of law or no law, there is the seat of Christs war.
2. All social tyranny. The tyranny exercised by the ascendant caste, whether noble, or middle, or working class. Sometimes the rich oppress the poor; sometimes the poor, the rich. Now it is the squire who tramples on the peasant, now the peasant who sets the squires ricks on fire. Fashion tyrannises, and so does institutionalism. But one and all are foes of Christ.
3. All domestic tyranny, whether exercised by parents over children, guardians over wards, yes, and children over parents, which crushes or restrains the free play of domestic virtue or affection or action, is in irreconcileable antagonism to Christ. When the parent forces the child to wrong its conscience or deny its God, or when the child brings its parents head with sorrow to the grave, both are calling down upon themselves sure vengeance. When masters oppress their servants, yes, and when servants, getting as they sometimes do the upper-hand, oppress their employers, they proclaim themselves the enemies of Christ.
4. All spiritual tyranny. All priestcraft, ancient or modern, heathen, Romish, or Anglican. All forces, whether they proceed from politics, literature, science, or religion; all inquisitions employed for the purpose of shackling the human mind, or terrorising over the human fears, or violating the sanctities of the human heart, all are the antagonists of Christ.
5. All moral tyranny (2Ti. 2:26).
II. All tyranny is subject to the wrath of Christ.
1. Because of His own inherent righteousness. He, the King of men, does not break the bruised reed, &c., and He will not permit them who wield His delegated authority to do so.
2. Because His government is based upon the freedom of the subject. All His great blessings are free. The great end of His coming was to make men free. The great legacy He bequeathed to man is the freedom of sons. His express command is that man should stand fast in liberty. Any attempt, therefore, to unsettle or overthrow this foundation principle does and must excite His righteous indignation.
3. Because the well-being of man, the creature whom He loves and has taken into his own brotherhood, can only be maintained by political, social, domestic, and religious liberty. Of what value are national institutions unless man as man is free to enjoy them? Of what use are spiritual blessings if enforced on unwilling minds? Where is the benefit of domestic blessings if doled out or enforced by the iron rule of a despot? The only bond which keeps society together is the liberty of its individual members; and moral tyranny destroys the soul. Despotism is the upas blight which has ruined more institutions and more men than any other evil that has ever issued from hell. And therefore does it excite the anger of Christ.
III. All tyranny will be destroyed by Christ. Shall strike through kings fill the places with dead bodies. He shall wound the head over many countries.
1. Christs policy in the past, is a promise, of what it will be in all time to come. Every species of despotism has been destroyed by Him. Autocracy in those terrible oriental and western tyrannies which have left behind them but the phantom of a name. Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Persia, Rome, have all been destroyed by the stone cut out of the mountain without hands; Democratic tyranny in the overthrow of the republics of Greece and Rome, and the bloody rule and bloody end of French socialism; intellectual despotism in the extirpation of an overweening philosophy and a no less overweening priesthood. Domestic tyranny in those nations where women were but chattels and slaves of less account than beasts. Moral slavery in his subjection of him who has the power of death which is the devil. All these despotisms seek to revive and propagate themselves today, but let them be assured that, as sure as Christ lives and reigns, their doom is sealed.
2. Christs policy is pursued for the benefit of humanity at large. All souls are on an equality before Christ. They have all shared a common creation and a common redemption. Heaven is not imposed upon by coronets and thrones. All mankind have crown rights, and woe to those who injure them. Those who do so must and will be removed. The tyrant must be hurled from his throne before the subject can breathe the free air of liberty. Pharaoh must be engulfed, that Israel may pursue her path of progress.
3. Christs policy presents an alternative. Despots may cease to be despots, tyrants may cease to oppress. Those guiltless of the crime will not then inherit the curse.
IV. All tyranny will be supplanted by Christ. Tyranny is better than anarchy. But, having destroyed the tyrant, Christ assumes His sceptre and His throne, and reigns over a divinely-liberated people. He shall judge among the heathen. On His head are many crowns. Christs right and fitness to rule may be judged by what that rule when acknowledged has achieved.
1. The Christian Sabbath, the great barrier to the tyranny of toil.
2. The Bible, the grand charter of moral freedom.
3. Liberty for the soul from Satans power.
4. Liberty of thought.
5. Liberty, equality, and fraternity for all; for woman, for the child, and for the slave, for One is your Master; even Christ, and all ye are brethren.
Men and brethren(i.) Prize your freedom, and let no man entangle you again in the yoke of bondage. (ii.) Thank Christ for your freedom. It is He who has made you free. (iii.) Employ that freedom in Christs service, that is, in making others free.
CHRIST REFRESHING HIMSELF
(Psa. 110:7)
The picture is that of the conqueror pursuing his foes, and partaking of momentary refreshment at some wayside brook; then in the strength of that refreshment pursuing his joyful and victorious way. The scene is typical of those encouragements which are His support who is contending for rightful and universal empire.
I. The Divine refreshment. He shall drink of the brook in the way.
1. Christ is encouraged by the sense of His Fathers approval. The kingdom for which He fights is His Fathers gift (Psa. 2:8). In fighting for it He always does the things which please Him. In the hottest conflict He is cheered by the voice from heaven: This is My beloved Son in whom I am well pleased (Joh. 10:17).
2. Christ is encouraged by the justice of His cause and the beneficence of His work. Those engaged in selfish projects have to look away from the work for encouragement. Those who know they are working for the bettering of the world can afford to despise obloquy and persecution. Christ knows that His work through crosses and conflicts will end in the regeneration of the world. He sees of the travail of His soul and is satisfied.
3. Christ is encouraged by the enthusiasm of His followers. Around no other name do such affections cluster, and behind no other banner do such earnestness and determination range. Alexander, remarked the great Napoleon, Csar, and myself have founded empires. But upon what do we rest the creations of our genius? Upon force. Jesus Christ alone founded His empire upon love; and at this moment millions of men would die for Him. I die before my time, and my body will be given back to the earth to become food for worms. Such is the fate of him who has been called the great Napoleon. What an abyss between my deep misery and the eternal kingdom of Christ, which is proclaimed, loved, and adored, and which is extended over the whole earth?
4. Christ is encouraged by the conquests He has already achieved, and by the certain triumphs which yet await Him. Behind is the cross, around is His redeemed and adoring Church, and onward is the millennium. (Heb. 12:2; Isa. 42:4.) I, if I be lifted up, will draw all men unto Me. All His past victories are prophetic of His success in time to come. Witness the trophies of the Cross in the first three centuries. Witness what it is doing in the realms of infidelity and heathenism to-day. On Himself He builds this Church which triumphs oer the gates of hell.
II. The consequence of that refreshment. Invigorated and encouraged the conqueror pursues his path to victory. Therefore shall He lift up His head.
1. Christs conquests are progressive. He does not complete His work at once. His work in the world is gradual and growing. Having achieved one success, He passes on to another, and will do so till every knee shall bow, and every tongue confess that He is LORD.
2. Christs conquests are permanent. That is to say, no hostile power shall ever win them back again. They shall never perish. True, His subjects may revolt. They may say, We will not have this King to reign over us. But they resign the fealty to Christ by their own free-will, and not by any power of the adversary. Then they become Christs enemies, and, if they will not let Him win them back again, in their destruction He displays His glorious power.
3. Christs conquests are glorious.
(1.) Christ lifts up His head over redeemed and consecrated souls. To conquer inert matter and to sway blind forces were easy work for Omnipotence. But to convince the intellect, subdue the will, invite the affections and draw out the forces of the life, this is glorious indeed.
(2.) Christ lifts up His head over the defeated and destroyed powers whose energies have been inimical to the interests of heaven and earth. The joy which was set before Him, and for which He endured the cross and despised the shame, was victory over the devil, sin, the world, and death. These He has vanquished. Sin has no more dominion over His people. They have the faith He gives, and have overcome the world, and through Him they can now say, O grave, where is thy victory? O death, where is thy sting?
4. Christs conquests will have an end. The time will come when Christ shall lift up His head over a regenerated universe. When all His enemies shall be subdued under His feet then (1Co. 15:24-28.)
Learn (i.) That all the sources of the Saviours encouragement are ours. (ii.) That if we are faithful we shall participate in His final triumph and share His throne.
Fuente: The Preacher’s Complete Homiletical Commentary Edited by Joseph S. Exell
Psalms 110
DESCRIPTIVE TITLE
A Revelation, THROUGH DAVID TO his lord, the Messiah.
ANALYSIS
(See the lines prefixed to the Stanzas of the Psalm.)
(Lm.) By DavidPsalm.
(1. David records a Revelation concerning his lord.)
1
The revelation[517] of Jehovah to my lord[518]:
[517] Utterance, declaration, revelationO.G. OracleDel., Per. UtteranceBr. For use and misuse of the formula, cp. Jer. 23:31-33.
[518] Heb.: adoni.
Sit thou at my right hand
until I make thy foes a stool for thy feet.
(2. Foretells that a Commission will be given to his lord.)
2
Thy sceptre of strength[519] will Jehovah stretch forth out of Zion:
[519] =Thy strong sceptre: cp. Psa. 2:9.
Rule thou in the midst of thy foes.
(3. Describes the Appearance of the Army of his lord.)
3
Thy people are most willing[520] in thy day of warfare:[521]
[520] Heb. pl. abstract of intensification: willingnesses.
[521] Of thy power. Or, of thy host; in either case the meaning being, on the day when thy forces muster for battleDr. Of thy hostBr. In the day that thou warrestPer. In the day of thy warfareDel.
in holy adorning[522] out of the womb of the dawn
[522] Ml.: In stateliness of holiness.
to thee [cometh forth] the dew of thy young men.
(4. Proclaims an Oath addressed by Jehovah to his lord.)
4
Sworn hath Jehovah and will not regret:
Thou art a priest to the ages
after the manner of Melchizedek.
(5. Portrays the Overthrow of the Foes of his lord, and his lords consequent Exaltation.)
5
The Sovereign Lord[523] at thy right hand
[523] Heb. (M.T.): adonai. In some cod. JehovahGn.
hath crushed[524] in the day of his anger kings,
[524] Or: shattered.
6
He judgeth[525] among the nationsfull of dead bodies!
[525] Or: will judge.
hath crushed the head over a wide land:
7
An inheritance on the way he maketh it,[526]
[526] So Br. (with very slight emendations).
therefore he exalteth the[527] Head.
[527] Or: a.
(Nm.)[528]
[528] See Psalms 111 (beginning).
PARAPHRASE
Psalms 110
Jehovah said to my Lord the Messiah,[529] Rule as My regentI will subdue Your enemies and make them bow low before You.
[529] Implied. In Mat. 22:41-45, Jesus applies the words to Himself.
2 Jehovah has established Your throne[530] in Jerusalem[531] to rule over Your enemies.
[530] Literally, The Lord will send forth the rod of your strength out of Zion.
[531] Literally, from Zion.
3 In that day of Your power Your people shall come to You willingly, dressed in holy altar robes.[532] And Your strength shall be renewed day by day like morning dew.
[532] Literally, in holy array.
4 Jehovah has taken oath, and will not rescind His vow, that You are a priest forever like[533] Melchizedek.
[533] Literally, after the manner of.
5 God stands beside You to protect You. He will strike down many kings in the day of His anger.
6 He will punish the nations, and fill them with their dead. He will crush many heads.
7 But He Himself shall be refreshed from springs along the way.
EXPOSITION
This psalm being ascribed to David, we have a prescriptive right to endeavour to interpret it accordingly; and the measure of our success may be regarded as confirming or discrediting this superscription.
Psa. 110:1. The Revelation of Jehovah to my lord.As a revelation, the psalm as a whole and its leading announcement in particular may be expected to make a disclosure unknown before. We already know of the choice of David in preference to Saul; of his anointing and ascension to the throne of Israel; of his prophetic gifts; of the covenant made with him, through Nathan the prophet, touching his sons as destined heirs to his kingship: which covenant, therefore, must have made him aware of the continuance of his kingdom under other rulers than himself. It was not to be his privilege to carry the Representative Kingship with which he was invested to its climax, by bearing it for ever, or by himself bringing all nations into perfect obedience to Jehovah. He would have to bequeath his throne to his sons, some of whom, Nathan suggested to him, would probably prove unworthy of that honour. He himself, in any case, was not the Messiah. So much we knew from previous Divine communications to David. But we did not knowhowever naturally we might have conjectured itthat Davids royal line would at length be consummated in the person of one of his race to whom he himself would own allegiance and whom he would willingly call his lord. But this is implied in the first line of the psalm. David shall have such an heiran heir whom he can call his lord; and inasmuch as a living son can exercise no lordship over a dead father,even as, on the other hand, a dead father cannot give allegiance to an as yet unborn son,we are irresistibly carried forward to Resurrection days; unless, indeed, David is not to die until this his Greater Son appears. We find ourselves, therefore, to say the least, well within the scope of a revelationa disclosurea discovery.
But this discovery, though made through David, directly concerns Davids lordhis Messianic Son. This, precisely, is what David here tells us. He does not say: The revelation of Jehovah UNTO ME, but The Revelation of Jehovah to MY LORD; that is, to MY SON, THE MESSIAH. In short, then, we have here a revelation to the Messiah; and being a revelation written down and preserved until the Messiahs days, will it not, in the event of his reading it, become at once a revelation for him and a revelation to him? Jesus of Nazareth believes himself to be Davids Messianic Son: his nation are about to reject him, meantime this revelation comes to himto his notice, to his reflection, to his need. All who truly believe in the kenosisthe self-emptyingof which the Apostle Paul (Philippians 2) speaks, cannot fail to become aware that already the atmosphere of the psalm has become charged with intense spiritual emotion. No wonder that, on receiving this revelation, Jesus is so profoundly moved that, to the Pharisees, he can only put questions!
So far we are assured that a revelation to the Messiah is coming, but are not told what it is. Of this the next words inform us: Sit thou at my right hand until I make thy foes a stool for thy feet. This informs us that the Messiah will have foes; but, that instead of at once contending with them and overcoming them, he is to be taken out of their midst; to be so taken, by being invited to a post of highest honour; in short, to be exalted to the right hand of Jehovah in heaven. We say, advisedly, in heaven,first, because we know that heaven is the place of Jehovahs fixed abode (1Ki. 8:30, etc.); and, secondly, because it is not easy to see how a mere elevation to the right hand of the sacred ark in Jerusalem could have the effect of removing the Messiah from the midst of his enemies. Here, again, it is not without emotion that we conceive of Jesus of Nazareth receiving such an invitation from Jehovah. For him to take in its purport, could fall nothing short of his discovering something of the joy set before him, fitted to embolden him to endure the cross, its shame despising.
But this elevation is not to be for ever: it is for a definite object; and, therefore, for such time as the accomplishment of that object shall require: Until I make thy foes a stool for thy feet. It is JEHOVAH who undertakes to reduce Messiahs foes to such a humiliating condition. The foes are spoken of collectively and as a complete class. And the subjugation is to be thorough. Jehovah promises that he will bring down the Messiahs enemies to abject submission to his, the Messiahs, will. They shall be publicly humiliatedtotally crushed. They shall be able to rise in rebellion no more, Their being made a stool for the Messiahs feet cannot mean less than this.
Psa. 110:2. Thy sceptre of strength will Jehovah stretch forth out of Zion. It is Jehovah who will place the Messiahs enemies under his feet; but, not necessarily and to the end of the process, without the Messiahs participation. Thy sceptre of strength is, naturally, the Messiahs sceptre; although, still, it is Jehovah who stretches it forth out of Zion, the which continued activity of Jehovah is to be carefully borne in mind. What sceptre, then, is this? And whence is it to be wielded? The phrase Thy sceptre of strength is of the same meaning as Thy strong sceptre; for the Hebrew tongue delights in using abstract nouns of quality where we mostly use adjectives. Messiah, then, is to wield a strong sceptre; that is, to exercise a strong rule, to enforce obedience, to compel submission. We are entitled to say; Messiahs strong sceptre is the iron sceptre of Psalm the Second, otherwise the practice of comparing scripture with scripture might as well cease. Now, an iron sceptre is the fit emblem of PHYSICAL FORCE. This, therefore, the Messiah will have at command, and will employ. Yet will he do this strictly under Jehovahs direction, pushing his dominion through openings which Jehovah has made, and forcing submission by means which Jehovah will supply. It is Jehovah who is to stretch forth Messiahs strong sceptre. Moreover, also, that sceptre is to be stretched forth out of Zion. And therefore its enforcing activity is to start from Zion. Its holder and wielder is to be located in Zion. But what Zion is this? It is the earthly Zion. And is this movement, by consequence, a descent of enforcing power from heaven, and its centralisation on earth? It can be nothing else;for this sufficient reason, that never once in the Old Testament does Zion mean heaven, or is Zion located in heaven. No real or imaginary figurative use of Zion or Jerusalem in the New Testament can control us here, We are, in this psalm, on Old Testament ground, and must therefore keep to the Old Testament use of words. Hence the legitimate inference is, that, in the meantime, the centre of Messianic activity has been transferred from heaven to earth. The Messiah is now again in the midst of his enemies; which agrees with the commission here given him: Rule thou in the midst of thy foes. It would be more like a parody than a fair exegesis of these words to make them equivalent toFrom thy safe retreat in heaven, at the right hand of Jehovah, where thine enemies cannot reach thee, nor for a moment suppose they can reach thee, rule thou in the midst of thy foes. The power might be in the midst of the foes, but the Presence would not bethe Manifested Presence; without whichhow are the unbelieving enemies,who, as such, do not believe that there is a Messiah concealed in the skies,to connect the power on the earth with the Presence in heaven? No: plainly, the Messiahs special refuge-and-waiting session at the right hand of Jehovah, in heaven, IS AT AN END, and he is once more in the midst of his foes on earth: in Zion, the historical Zion, the only Zion of which the Old Testament knows anything, the very Zion in which long ago the Father declared he would enthrone him (Psalms 2). Being in Zion, in the midst of his foes, he there wields his iron sceptre; and Jehovah will see to it that its enforcing activity shall be extended, at least over a wide land; and undoubtedly, ere its triumphs cease, be stretched forth from the River unto the Ends of the earth (Zec. 9:10).
Psa. 110:3. But the Messiah, now seated in Zion, has a people, who are here described in strikingly beautiful and suggestive terms. They are most willing: they are volunteers in the service of Zions king; for, by general consent, this is the force of the abstract plural of intensification (willingness), here employed. They are not mercenaries; they spring to their feet with alacrity when the time comes for them to offer their services. The seasonableness of their volunteering is expressly noted; for they thus come forth for service just when their services are needed, or when at least the offer of them seems fitting to the time: in thy day of warfarethe meaning being, on the day when thy forces muster for battle (Dr.). Davids lord, the Messiah, therefore, has a people, who with alacrity press into his service on his day of warfare; i.e., the day when his warfare breaks out in the midst of his foes. How long they have been his people is not stated: they are his people now when his forces muster for battle, and they act in character as his people by volunteering for service now that the time for warring has come.
Their appearance is next described: that is, if we follow the Massoretic textthey appear in holy adorning, as it were in priestly robes. If, however, with some able critics we prefer the various reading which (substituting an r for a d, the difference in Hebrew being very small) yields the very dissimilar clause On the holy mountains instead of In holy adorning, then we find in this phrase a notification of the place where these volunteers gather: they gather on the holy mountainsabout Jerusalem, naturallyfor we know of no other holy mountains; and this seems strikingly agreeable with the circumstance that the Messiah has now fixed his headquarters in Jerusalem, since it is from thence that his strong rule is to be extended. Still, it is not certain that this various reading is to be preferred, for a reason to be given in a few moments. Hence, for the present, we leave that an open question, by saying: If the word is harre, then the rendering must beOn the holy mountains; but if hadre, then the proper English isin holy adorning. We wish to find out preciselyif we maywho these people, these Messianic volunteers, are: does this clause say they are a priestly people; or does it indicate the place of their gathering? Let us follow on with the text, in the hope of coming near to an answer.
Out of the womb of the dawn, Thou hast (or to thee cometh forth) the dew of thy young men. Sudden and striking, bright and beautiful, and wholly unexpected, as a revelation of innumerable dew-drops in the morning when the sun rises, is the appearance of this army of volunteers. They are born out of the foregoing night. They suddenly start forth as the Messiahs allies on the day of his warfare, when his strong sceptre is about to be stretched forth out of Zion by Jehovah. So far our text leads us. Still it does not define, beyond doubt, who this people are.
But just here comes in a remarkable text from the prophet Micah (Psa. 5:7) which looks as if it might have been written as a commentary on this verse of our psalm. The reference is to the Shepherd of Israel. That this Shepherd should appear as a deliverer from ASSYRIA, will not hinder students of prophecy from associating him with the final deliverance of Israel from the Gentile world-power, first represented by Assyria. But here is the language in question:And the remnant of Jacob shall be in the midst of many peoples, As dew from Jehovah, As myriad drops on plants, Which tarrieth not for man, Nor waiteth for the sons of Adam. Even so far, the parallel is very striking; and already begins to make us question whether the volunteers of our psalm are not this very remnant of Jacob in the midst of many peoples, quietly awaiting the auspicious morning of Messiahs manifestation in Jerusalem. How greatly the quiet deposit of them among many peoples seems to add to the formidableness of their presence, provided they are destined to be more aggressive than dew: the very thing of which the prophet immediately proceeds to assure us: And the remnant of Jacobthe same remnantshall be among the nationsthe same position, stated in duplicate: among the nations, in the midst of many peoples: in what character? as gentle dew merely? nay! as a lion among the beasts of the jungle, As a young lion among flocks of sheep, Who if he passeth by, both treadeth downand teareth in piecesand none can deliver. How wonderfully, though poetically, do those features of the psalmists description here reappear, which intimate that in spite of their holy adorning and their fresh and brilliant beauty, the newly revealed army of volunteers are volunteers of a king whose iron sceptre is now, on this his day of warfare, to be streched forth by Jehovah out of Zion! We tenaciously adhered, a little way back, to the fact that, although the iron sceptre was the Messiahs, yet it was JEHOVAH who would stretch it forth from Zion to the ends of the earth. And is not this our rewardnamely, to discover in this remnant of Jacob the very means by which Jehovah will extend that resistless sway of which the psalmist had spoken?
Thus, then, we appear to be absolved from any need to push further our quest after the Messiahs volunteering people as referred to in the third verse of our psalm. They are the remnant of Jacob among the nations, in the midst of many peoples, sustaining the well-known characteristics of dewthat tarrieth not for man, and of lions from whose down-treading and tearing prowess the sheep cannot escape. If the provision of such a people for the crisis is not a stretching forth of Messiahs strong sceptre out of Zion to the ends of the earth, we should like to know by what more striking and powerful metaphor such an idea could be conveyed. For the present, then, we are well content with the Massoretic text, which spells with a d and not with an r; and so are prepared to rest in the descriptive clause In holy adorning as applied to the remnant of Jacob; rather than On the holy mountains, which would have confined their gathering to a single spot. Such volunteers are a thousand times more formidable where they are, scattered among the nations; unnoticed, forgotten, trampled under foot; and yet able,in the strength of Jehovah their God and in their newborn enthusiasm for their Anointed King newly seated in Zion,to utter a roar which shall make all the continents of the world tremble. By what means Jehovah will clothe this scattered remnant of Jacob with garments of holy adorning, so that like Jehoshaphats Levites of old (2Ch. 20:19-22) they shall go forth singing to the battlefield, perchance to find the foe already demolished, we know not; but if Jehovah here declares that he will so stretch forth his Messiahs strong sceptre to the ends of the earth, we can calmly await the fulfilment. The morning which shall witness that armys birth has not yet dawned. We are the more content to abide by the holy adorning clause of the Massoretic Hebrew text, in that, besides its immediate application to the Messiahs volunteers, it gives forth in advance something of the fragrance of the Messiahs own Kingly priesthood, with the revelation of which a march has now to be stolen upon us. The Volunteer Army is ready, so far as the psalm itself is concerned: ready, in that with more or less of vividness it now stands before the mental eye of the sympathetic reader. But meanwhile a promotion has come to the Messiah during his absence in heaven at Jehovahs right hand. An immeasurable honour has been conferred upon him.
Psa. 110:4. Sworn hath Jehovah, and will not regret: THOU art a priest to the ages After the manner of Melchizedek. Note that this statement is not made in terms which describe a proceeding now to take place, but in terms which express accomplishment already completed. The words are notJehovah sweareth, or now proceedeth to swear; but Jehovah hath sworn. The constituting mandate (or oath), making the Messiah priest, has already been uttered; and, having regard to the place occupied by this report of that mandate, we may reasonably conclude that the priestly instalment took place in heaven, when the Messiah sat down at Jehovahs right hand. Of this instalment, however, no details are given. They are left over for a Christian Writer to supply; and right worthily has the Writer of the Epistle to the Hebrews supplied all necessary details; as to the grounds on which this honour was conferred on the Messiahhow he who now is made priest had previously offered himself as a sacrifice,and as to the abolishing effect of this decree on the Levitical priesthood. No such details, be it well observed, are here given. The installing announcement alone is here made, in briefest terms, and as of an event already accomplished. This last point is the matter to be emphasised here. The new King has come to Zion; has received his commission to subdue and humiliate his foes; and his army of volunteers is ready. At this juncture the action of the poem is stayed, to make way for this brief and authoritative announcement of the accomplished fact of the installation of Davids lord into a Kingly Priesthood resembling that of Melchizedek. Now, as the action of the psalm is immediately resumed as soon as ever this heavenly event is proclaimed; as the strong sceptre of the Messiah is immediately stretched forth out of Zion; and as the foes are immediately put beneath the Messiahs feet,the proper effect of the interpolated priestly announcement is to call attention to the kind of King which earth receives in now submitting to the all-subduing Messiah. In sitting on Davids throne, which is his own earthly throne in Zion, Davids lord sits there as a priest upon his throne: as at once priest and king, exercising simultaneously and harmoniously the functions of both offices,perfectly representing and effectuating Jehovahs rule over men, and as perfectly representing and presenting mens need to Jehovah, He will thus, in his own person, give a strong lead to Israel in becoming, according to her original mission (Exodus 19), a kingdom of priests to all nations. He will thus become the Antitype of the Sign-men, Joshua and his friends in the prophecies of Zechariah, by permanently bearing both offices (Zec. 3:8; Zec. 6:9-15). He will thus, far surpass his father David, who once or twice in a passing way, served as a High Priest to the priests of Israel (2Sa. 6:5; 2Sa. 6:14, 1 Chronicles 15, 16). Especially will he thus become, to the whole earth and for ever, what Melchizedek was for a short while to a small area around Salem of old (Genesis 14).
Psa. 110:5-7. The climax of the whole psalm comes at last. The climax is a crisis. The crisis is a battle which decides the fate of the world by subduing it to the final reign on earth of its Priestly King. The whole psalm leads up to this terrible crisis. The first verse characterises it as the time of bringing Messiahs enemies beneath his feet, until which the invitation extends to sit down at Jehovahs right hand in heaven. The second verse centralises the crisis in Zion. The third verse definitely names it Messiahs day of warfare. The fourth verse, as we have said, stays the action of the psalm for the purpose of announcing an already accomplished heavenly fact. Having done this, the fifth verse unmistakably resumes the action of the psalm by further naming the coming day as Jehovahs day of anger and by plunging into the actual crushing of the foes, giving us to witness STROKE AFTER STROKE of Jehovahs activity in fulfilling the promise made at the outset to Davids lord. The first stroke is the crushing of kings. The second stroke is the filling of the nations, or of the battle-field of the nations, with dead bodies. The third stroke is the crushing of an individual head, who, however, is head over a wide land. These three strokes complete the down-treading action of the psalmcomplete the overthrow and trampling underfoot of Messiahs foescomplete the rescue of Messiahs inheritance. The single remaining verse celebrates the victory.
We have characterised this as a terrible crisis, and so it is. But, unless words are to be tortured, it is THE CRISIS OF THE PSALM: moreover, it is the crisis of the Bibleof other psalms, as the second with its dashing in pieces, the forty-fifth with its sharp arrows in the heart of the kings enemies whereby peoples fall under him, the seventy-second where the kings enemies are made to lick the dust; and of the prophecies generally, such as Isaiah Second, Twenty-fourth, Sixty-third, Sixty-sixth, and others too numerous to be mentioned; of several significant places in the Gospels and the Epistles, reappearing with an accession of heavenly terror in the Apocalypse. It is a terrible crisis, but no daring criticism can root it out of the Bible. And, though terrible, it seems to be a needful crisis. For, truly, the witness of nineteen centuries seems to declare that it may be absolutely needful that Jehovahs PHYSICAL FORCE through means of Messiahs iron sceptre should maintain and enforce the moral suasion of many foregoing centuries. And, once more, though terrible, thank God it will be final and efficacious. For, thereby, the Messiah will speak peace to the nations in terms which will compel war to cease and clear the way for gentler forces to operate to the ages.
Psa. 110:5. Before noticing, in a little detail, the three strokes of displeasure with which the foes of the Messiah are actually made his footstool, it is desirable to assure ourselves that those three strokes are here attributed to JEHOVAH HIMSELF rather than to the Messiah. Whether this is the case, turns upon the nice and rather critical questionWho is intended by The Lord at thy right hand of Psa. 110:5? Is it Messiah on Jehovahs right hand, or is it Jehovah on the Messiahs right hand? And, as involved in this broader question, is the narrower oneWho is the person whose right hand is here spoken of? In other words, to whom is this line (with the following lines) addressed? If Jehovah is addressed, then the Lord at his right hand will be the MessiahThe Messiah hath crushed kings, &c.; whereas, if the Messiah is addressed, then it will be Jehovah who crusheth kings, &c. Now, notwithstanding the plausibility of the contention that the word A-D-N-I should be pronounced adhoni (my lord), and so be regarded as a repetition of the word standing at the end of the first line of the psalm, yet as this would probably necessitate another change, which neither the Hebrew text nor the ancient versions sustain, My lord at HIS right hand; we shall do well to pause and look well to the context, before we decide this nice point. Now the opinion is here submitted, that the better conclusion is: That the Messiah is here directly addressed, and therefore that the Lord at Messiahs right hand is Jehovah. And, though this may be said to involve a change of their relative positionso that, in Psa. 110:1, Messiah is seen on Jehovahs right hand; and, in Psa. 110:5, Jehovah is discovered on the Messiahs right hand,yet there can be no valid objection to this, The scene has changed, and with it the relative positions; and there is nothing whatever incongruous, but rather everything befitting, that in heaven the Messiah should be on Jehovahs right hand, and on earth Jehovah should be on the Messiahs right hand; especially as this very representation has already and so lately been made as in Psa. 109:30-31 of the next preceding psalm: I will thank Jehovah . . . because he taketh his stand at the right hand of the needy. There is therefore plainly nothing incongruous, if in this place, the representation is, that Jehovah, here, on earth, on the day of Messiahs warfare, takes his stand at the Messiahs right hand to direct and aid him in overthrowing his foes, and letting the world and all future generations see that it was JEHOVAHS hand that did it. And as, on the one hand, there is nothing incongruous to be alleged against this conclusion, so on the other there are these reasons to be urged in its favour: (1) that the vowel-pointing of the Massoretic text can standAdonaiSovereign Lord, equivalent to Jehovah; (2) that those codices which actually have Jehovah (see Gn. under text) will be substantially correct; (3) that no change further on in the line, from thy to his will be required; and (4)most weighty reason of allthat continued prominence will thereby be given to the feature made prominent at the beginning of the psalm, That it is emphatically JEHOVAH who places the Messiahs enemies beneath his feet. He does this, because he it is who provides the Messiah with his wonderful army of volunteers, he it is who crushes kings, judges nations, crushes the head over a wide land. This then may be regarded as provisionally settled, that the fifth verse opens by declaring that Jehovah, on the Messiahs right hand, does the things that follow, to each of which we may now devote a moments attention.
Jehovah, at the Messiahs right hand, crushes Kingsliterally hath crushed, the well-known perfect tense of prophetic certainty. Then there are kings in the final opposition raised against the Messiahs wielding his strong sceptre out of Zion. There are kings who have not shewn the prudence urged upon them in the Second Psalm. They will have dared an impious, desperate thing: and for it they will be crushed.
Jehovah, at the Messiahs right hand, judgeth (proceedeth to judge, will judge) among the nations,the tense being here changed to the so-called imperfect, more exactly, the initiative, incipient or incomplete, precisely suited to indicate a further and perhaps prolonged process. No details, saving one, are here supplied as to the nature of this judging among the nations. The one which is supplied is sufficiently startling: throughout the nations which are being judged, or on the battlefield to which the nations gather, there is a filling of the places of conflict (or the one battlefield) with the slainthe dead bodiesthe corpsesthe gwioth. Let him who dares, attempt to spiritualise and thereby evaporise this! Beware how you minimise the Divine wielding of Messiahs iron sceptre! This is the second stroke. The third follows.
Jehovah, at the Messiahs right hand, hath crushed (again the perfect of certainty) the head over a wide land. The rebellious kings have a head: the infatuated nations have a head. That head has become headover a wide land, or has gone up to do battle, over a wide country. The student of prophecy does not need to inquire who that head is. Even the thoughtful reader who has got no further than this psalm may surmise that here at last is the key that unlocks the secret of that throne of iniquity which so unaccountably started out into prominence in Psalms 94 : Can the throne of engulfing ruin be allied to thee, which frameth mischief by statute? It would not be surprising if the instructed Bible student were to exclaim without more delay: Yes! I see: this other head that is to be crushed is none else than Antichrist or the Man of Sin or the Lawless One whom the Lord Jesus is to destroy by the breath of his lips and to paralyse with the brightness of his coming. Nor would he be wrong. Nevertheless, it may be a useful throwing of ourselves upon Old Testament testimony, if we simply confirm our apprehension by yet another reference to it as set forth by the prophet Isaiah (Isa. 30:29-33):A song shall ye have, As in the night of hallowing a festival, And gladness of heart as when one goeth with the flute To enter the mountain of Jehovah Unto the Rock of Israel. Language, this, which appears as if expressly framed to suit those Volunteers, coming forth out of the womb of the dawn, robed in holy adorning of which we read in the third verse of this psalm. Then will Jehovah cause to be heard the resounding of his voice, And the bringing down of his arm shall be seen, In a rage of anger, And with the flame of a devouring fire, A burst, and downpour and a hailstone! And at the voice of Jehovah shall Assyria be crushed, With his rod will he smite, And it shall come to pass that every stroke of the staff of doom which Jehovah shall lay upon him shall be with timbrels and with lyres, when with battles of brandished weapons he hath fought against them. For there hath been set in order beforehand a Tophet, yea the same for the king hath been prepared, He hath made it deep, made it large,The circumference thereof is for fire and wood in abundance, The breath of Jehovah like a torrent of brimstone is ready to kindle it. Assyria firstAssyria last: that came out in the quotation from Micah. The overthrow of Sennacherib a typethe overthrow of Antichrist the antitype. But note, as the supreme thing in relation to our psalm, the activity of Jehovah: Jehovahs voiceJehovahs armJehovahs rageJehovahs rod Jehovahs strokes of doomJehovahs enkindling breath; and say whether it does not read as if expressly intended to be a commentary on our Psalmon Jehovahs opening revelation to Davids lord our Messiah. Here is the kingthe head king of iniquity; here is the day of anger; here, the making of the Messiahs foes a stool for his feet. Ye forthcoming army of volunteers, yet to spring sparklingly forth from the womb of the dawn! get ready your flutes and timbrels and lyres; for although the slaughter will be terrible, yet the joy will be great, and the songs that will be evoked will continue to resound through the after ages.
Psa. 110:7. After the battle, the restoration of the inheritance! And so, by the help of Dr. Briggs, we read from a critically emended text: An inheritance on the way he maketh it, Therefore he (Jehovah still, as all along so far in these concluding verses) exalteth the Headthe true Head, the Messiah, the rightful Head of a ransomed and delivered world. Of course, if anyone choose to abide still by the Massoretic Hebrew text,down to the last verse and to the minutest letter, including the editorially supplied vowel points, he can do so with very little disturbance to the general effect; and, bringing the Messiah to the front as an exhausted warrior, snatching a refreshing drink of the book by the way, and then lifting up his head to pursue the flying foe and so completing his conquestto which he will naturally give a fitting explanation. But probably a goodly contingent even of conservative critics will prefer the more dignified and commensurate ending suggested above, especially when they discover the minuteness of the changes involved, probably imperilling not more than a single consonant in the original text, in the process of copying which such an error might easily be made. An excellent, dignified, and adequate conclusion to the psalm, will certainly be realised if we thus read and expound the seventh verse. An inheritance on the way (at once) he (Jehovah) maketh it, (namely) the wide land rescued from Antichrist, or even the whole earth occupied by the nations previously mentioned as having to pass through Jehovahs refining judgment; handing it over to him, the Messiah, in pursuance of the offer of the Second PsalmAsk of me, and I will give nations as thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth as thy possession. Thus will Jehovah make good the very last line of the psalm also: Therefore (and thus) he (Jehovah) exalteth the (rightful and all worldly) Head (of the world redeemed by him, even the Messiah, Davids longlooked-for lord: to whom and for whom this sublime and significant revelation was made by the Holy Spirit speaking by David).
The references to this psalm in the N.T. demand a brief notice. No psalm is more frequently quoted and alluded to in the N.T. It was, as we have seen, quoted by our Lord (Mat. 22:44, Mar. 12:36, Luk. 20:42-43); and His use of its language as recorded in Mat. 26:64 (=Mar. 14:62, Luk. 22:69) clearly involved (since its Messianic significance was acknowledged) and assertion of His Messiahship in answer to the High-priests adjuration. Psa. 110:1 is applied by St. Peter to the exaltation of Christ in his Resurrection and Ascension (Act. 2:34-35) and is quoted in Heb. 1:13 to illustrate the superiority of the Son to Angels. Cp. also Mar. 16:19, Act. 5:31; Act. 7:55-56, Rom. 8:34, 1Co. 15:24 ff, Eph. 1:20, Col. 3:1, Heb. 1:3; Heb. 8:1; Heb. 10:12-13; Heb. 12:2, 1Pe. 3:22, Rev. 3:21. Psa. 110:4 serves as the basis of the argument in Heb. 5:5 ff; Heb. 6:20; Heb. 7:17 ff concerning the superiority of Christs priesthood to the Levitical priesthoodKp. in Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges. In accordance with the lofty outlook of some of these references, it would not have been improper to render the second line of this psalmSit thou enthroned at my right hand, only that such a prominence given to heavenly kingship would have been a little beyond the scope of the psalm, and was by no means demanded by the Hebrew word employed. Carefully followed, the context suggests no more than honour, rest, and waiting; in exact accordance with Heb. 10:13 (waiting henceforth). In point of fact, the Son of David is also the Son of God; and the heavenly honour, rest, and waiting secured by his session at the right hand of God, are coincident with heavenly activity, in other capacities and for other ends than those brought into view by the psalm. In like manner, it would probably have been premature, had we, in seeking for the volunteers of Psa. 110:3, referred to the army seen in heaven in Revelation 19. The coincidence is indeed striking, especially as between the holy adorning seen by the psalmist and the fine linen, white and pure described by the seer in Patmos. The happy medium to be desired in adjusting the revelations of the Old and New Testaments is to make haste slowly; not to hurry the elder scriptures into disclosures quite beyond their scope, nor yet to overrule, and far less to suppress or make of no effect their communications.
QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION
1.
This psalm is to be a revelation. Just what is involved in the use of this word?
2.
This revelation consists in what fact?
3.
To whom is this revelation to be given? When? Under what conditions? With what result?
4.
The phrase sit thou at my right hand until I make thy foes a stool for thy feet moves the Messiah from earth to heaven. How?
5.
Who is to conquer the enemies of the Messiah? How?
6.
What is meant by the phrase Thy sceptre of strength?
7.
Are we now moved from heaven back to earth? There can be no spiritual meaning to the Zion here mentioned. Do you agree? Discuss.
8.
King Jesus is ruling with a rod of iron out of Jerusalem in the midst of His foes. Is this to be a real circumstance? Discuss.
9.
Who are his people as in Psa. 110:3? Before you attempt an answer discuss the three characteristics of his people. These qualities should characterize his people today.
10.
What a beautiful figure of speech: out of the womb of the dawn, Thou hast the dew of thy young men. How do Christians well compare with dew? i.e. real new creatures in Christ Jesus.
11.
A reference in Micah (Psa. 5:7) is used by the writer to interpret this part of verse three. Does it fit? Discuss.
12.
The people of Godindeed the army of God according to Rotherham is the remnant of Jacob. These are scattered among the nationsplainly put: are these Christian Jews who are scattered among the nations and who will one day be called (or caught up) to Jerusalem to fight in the bloody battle of God? Discuss.
13.
In verse five we are asked to believe that God is moved to the Messiahs right hand. Do you accept this thought? Please, please, read some other commentary in addition to this one on this point.
14.
The climax is a crisis in this psalm. What is it? The crisis of this psalm is the crisis of the Bible i.e., according to the writer. Discuss.
15.
The three strokes of displeasure by which the Messiahs foes are made the footstool of His feet are here described (in Psa. 110:5). What are they?
16.
The crushing of head refers to the man of sin. Do you agree? Discuss.
17.
What happens after this great battle? Discuss.
Fuente: College Press Bible Study Textbook Series
(1) The Lord said . . .The usual prophetic phrase, generally translated, Thus saith, &c. (See Note, Psa. 36:1.)
The psalmist may possibly be quoting an old prophetic saying, but, according to the usual way in which the expression is used, it marks an immediate inspiration.
My Lord.Heb., adon, an address of honour to those more noble than the speaker, or superior in rank: to a father, Gen. 31:35; to a brother, Num. 12:11; a royal consort, 1Ki. 1:17-18; to a prince, 1Ki. 3:17; with addition of the royal title, my Lord, O king, 2Sa. 14:19.
The question of the person here intended is, of course, closely bound up with the general question of the authorship and meaning of the psalm. Here the various views that have been held are briefly enumerated:
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
(1) The Messiah; and, if so, with a prophetic consciousness of His Divinity, or, at least, His superiority as a Prince over all other princes. (2) David himself: this is, of course, inconsistent with the Davidic authorship of the psalm. (3) Solomon. (4) Hezekiah. (5) Joshua son of Josedech. (6) One of the priest-kings of the Asmonean dynasty.
We now come to the words of the oracle: Sit thou at my right hand, till I make thine enemies thy footstool.
Commentators have sought in the customs of Arabia, and even in the mythology of the Greek poets, for proof that this expression denotes viceroyalty or copartnership in the throne. If this meaning could be established from Hebrew literature, these parallels would be confirmatory as well as illustrative; but the nearest approach to be found in the Old Testament only makes the seat at the kings right hand a mark of extreme honour. (See the case of Bath-sheba, 1Ki. 2:19; of the queen consort of Psa. 45:9; of Jonathan, 1Ma. 10:63.)
Nothing more can be assumed, therefore, from the words themselves than an invitation to sit at Jehovahs right hand to watch the progress of the victorious struggle in which wide and sure dominion is to be won for this Prince. But even this is obscured by the concluding part of the psalm (see Psa. 110:5), where Jehovah is said to be at the right hand of the person addressed, and is beyond question represented ac[??] going out with him to battle. Hence, we are led to the conclusion, that the exact position (at the right hand) i not to be pressed in either case, and that no more is intended than that, with Jehovahs help, the monarch who is the hero of the poem will acquire and administer a vast and glorious realm.
Footstool.The imagery of the footstool (literally a stool for thy feet) is no doubt taken from the custom mentioned in Jos. 10:24.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
1. The Lord said unto my Lord Jehovah said to Adonee, or, the oracle of Jehovah to Adonee. This is the usual formula for announcing an oracle, “Jehovah said,” or, “thus saith the Lord.” Jehovah speaks to Adon, whom David calls Lord, the Lord, or my Lord, that is, Christ. This is clear from Jewish and Christian commentators, but above all by the frequent and important quotations of the New Testament. “In later Jewish writings nearly every verse of the psalm is quoted as referring to the Messiah. In the Talmud it is said: ‘God placed King Messiah at his right hand, according to Psa 110:2,’ etc. In the Midrash Tehillim, on the same passage it is said, ‘God spake thus to Messiah.’ In the same Midrash, on Psa 18:36, we read, ‘R. Judah, in the name of R. Channa, the son of Chanina, says: In the age to come [that is, the Messianic dispensation,] will the Holy One (blessed be He) set the Messiah at his right hand, as it is written in Psalms 110, and Abraham on his left.’ In the book Zohar it is said, ‘The higher degree spake unto the lower, Sit thou on my right hand.’ And again, ‘The righteous (Jacob) spake to the Messiah, the son of Joseph, Sit thou at my right hand.’ According to the same authority, R. Simeon explains the words ‘Jehovah said unto my Lord,’ of the union of the Jews and the heathen in one kingdom by the Messiah. R. Saadis Gaon, commenting on Dan 7:13, writes: ‘This is the Messiah our Righteousness, as it is written in Psalms 110, Jehovah said unto my Lord,’” etc., etc. Perowne. That the Jews of our Saviour’s time, admitted the application of this passage to Christ is proved from his quotation of it, (Mat 22:41-45,) where the whole weight of the argument depended on their admitting and believing the legitimacy of such application, the only question being whether Jesus was the Christ. In using the suffix form, Adonee, my Lord, (which is the form in which the Septuagint and our Saviour, , use the passage,) David clearly distinguishes himself from Messiah, whom he causes to stand forth in his person and Lordship in clear objective vision, which is in advance of the phraseology of Psa 2:7, “Jehovah hath said to me,” etc. The same view is strongly carried out in Mar 12:35-37; Act 2:34-35.
Sit thou at my right hand The place of honour and power, next in rank to the king, and sharing the government as viceroy. See 1Ki 2:19; Mat 20:21, and compare Eph 1:20; Col 3:1.
Thine enemies thy footstool Quoted and applied to Christ, 1Co 15:25; Heb 1:13; Heb 10:13. The phrase occurs in various forms, and always denotes absolute and abject submission. See Jos 10:24; 1Ki 5:3; Psa 18:40; Psa 47:3. It must be remembered, that making his foes his “footstool” is not a phrase that denotes conversion and reconciliation. The language applies only to incorrigible enemies. The particle until points not only to their ultimate forced submission, or subjugation, but to a turning point, an era of consummation in the mediatorial government, as in Act 2:35; Act 3:21; 1Co 15:24-26, where see notes.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Psalms 110
Theme – In this messianic Psalm, we see offices of Jesus Christ as king (Psa 110:1-3) and priest (Psa 110:4) unto God. The judgment against nations referred to in Psalms 110 seems to describe the events at the end of the Great Tribulation or the Millennial Reign of Christ.
Psa 110:1 (A Psalm of David.) The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool.
Psa 110:1
Jos 10:24-25, “And it came to pass, when they brought out those kings unto Joshua, that Joshua called for all the men of Israel, and said unto the captains of the men of war which went with him, Come near, put your feet upon the necks of these kings. And they came near, and put their feet upon the necks of them. And Joshua said unto them, Fear not, nor be dismayed, be strong and of good courage: for thus shall the LORD do to all your enemies against whom ye fight.”
Psa 110:1 Old Testament Quotes in the New Testament – Jesus quoted Psa 110:1 to show that this Psalm is messianic, referring to the Lord Jesus Christ Himself (Luk 20:41-44).
Luk 20:41-44, “And he said unto them, How say they that Christ is David’s son? And David himself saith in the book of Psalms, The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, Till I make thine enemies thy footstool. David therefore calleth him Lord, how is he then his son?”
Psa 110:2-3 Comments – Psa 110:2-3 expresses the eternal, divine nature of the Lord as king and priest unto God. The only person that could fit this description is the Lord Jesus Christ.
Psa 110:4 The LORD hath sworn, and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek.
Psa 110:5-7
Psa 110:5 The Lord at thy right hand shall strike through kings in the day of his wrath.
Psa 110:5
Psa 110:7 He shall drink of the brook in the way: therefore shall he lift up the head.
Psa 110:7
Fuente: Everett’s Study Notes on the Holy Scriptures
A Psalm of Christ, Our King and High Priest.
v. 1. The Lord said unto my Lord, v. 2. The Lord shall send the rod, v. 3. Thy people shall be willing in the day of Thy power, v. 4. The Lord, v. 5. The Lord at Thy right hand, v. 6. He shall judge among the heathen, v. 7. He shall drink of the brook in the way; therefore shall He lift up the head.
Fuente: The Popular Commentary on the Bible by Kretzmann
EXPOSITION
ACCORDING to the recent criticism, which calls itself “advanced,” this psalm is the composition of an unknown prophet, addressed to his earthly sovereign, communicating to him certain Divine utterances, or oracles (Psa 110:1, Psa 110:5), of great weight and strangeness, and promising him complete victory over all his enemies. The king is supposed by some to be David; by others, a Davidic monarch; by others, again, a Maccabee prince or king. According to its “title,” it is “a Psalm of David;” according to our Lord’s comment upon it, it is an address of David to the Messiah; according to every Christian commentator for fifteen centuries, it is Messianic and Davidic. Even Professor Cheyne, who inclines so strongly to the skeptical school, grants that “it may perhaps refer to the ideal or Messianic King himself,” though he thinks it “equally possible to explain it of some historical ruler.” The style and language are generally allowed to be Davidic, and many, even of the “advanced” critics, refer the composition to his time Ewald suggested that Gad or Nathan might have been the author. Recently, Canon Gore has embraced the skeptical view, and has suggested that our Lord either did not know who was the author, or did not mean to touch the question of the authorship. But the expressions, “David calleth him Lord,” “David himself saith in the Book of Psalms, The Lord said unto my Lord,” are difficult to explain away.
There seem to be no sufficient grounds for rejecting the traditional views of the authorship and the interpretation. The psalm belongs to the same class as Psalm it. It is wholly Messianic. David has had revelations made to him concerning the kingdom, the priesthood, and the ultimate victory of the Messiah over the entire power of evil. In a grand burst of song, rough and rugged, no doubt, but full of energy and genius, he addresses Messiah, and sets forth his praise and glory, the mighty offices which he holds, and the wonderful triumph which awaits him. Metrically, the psalm consists of two stanzasone of three, and the other of four versos (verses 1-3, 4-7).
Psa 110:1
The Lord said unto my Lord. Jehovah said unto him who is my Lord and Master, i.e. to Messiah, who is my liege Lord, although about to be, in some mysterious way, my descendant. Sit thou at my right hand. An exaltation too high for any merely human personage (comp. Act 2:33; Act 7:56; Heb 1:3). Until I make thine enemies thy footstool. To place the foot upon the neck or body of defeated enemies was a common practice of Oriental conquerors.
Psa 110:2
The Lord shall send the rod of thy strength out of Zion. “The rod of thy strength,” or “thy strong scepter,” is the same thing as “thy ruling power” (see Jer 48:17; Eze 19:11). The ruling power of Messiah was to go forth from Jerusalem (Act 1:4-8; Act 2:1-4). Rule thou in the midst of thine enemies. Ac cording to Professor Cheyne, these are the words of Jehovaha continuation of the address in Psa 110:1; but they are more gene rally regarded as the words of the writer of the psalm, i.e; according to our exegesis, of David. He calls on the Messiah to take his power and reign.
Psa 110:3
Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power. In the full sense of the word, Messiah can only rule over “willing” hearts. In the day of his power, his people will offer themselves gladly to be his soldiers and servants, and flock to his banner, as the Israelites to that of Deborah and Barak, when “the people willingly offered themselves” (Jdg 5:2, Jdg 5:9; comp. Isa 49:18-23; Isa 60:1-5; Isa 66:19-23). In the beauties of holiness. At once warriors and saints, meet for the service of one who was at once Priest (Psa 110:4) and King. From the womb of the morning thou hast the dew of thy youth. This is the division of the clauses now generally adopted; but the intention of this last clause is very doubtful. Some understand it of Messiah himself, and explain, “As the dew of the morning, abundant, refreshing, spreading far and wide, miraculous, so is the might of thy perpetual youth”; others, and the larger number, interpret it of Messiah’s army, “As dew out el the early morning dawn, descending by a silent, mysterious birth from the star-lit heaven, so comes to Messiah his mighty host of followers” (comp. Isa 26:19).
Psa 110:4
The Lord hath sworn, and he will not repent. “A fresh revelation” (Cheyne). David, admitted into the councils of the Most High, has been made aware that the Messiah is, by God’s decree, to be both King and Priest. God has “sworn” this, and will certainly not draw back from his oath. Thou art a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek. Not, like ordinary priests, a priest for a few years, or for a lifetime, but a priest forever and ever ()seeing “he ever liveth to make intercession for us” (Heb 7:25). And a priest “after the order of Melchizedek.” Not, that is, after the order of Aaron, who was a priest and nothing more, but after that of Melchizedek, the elder priesthood, which combined the offices of priest and king (see Heb 5:6-10; Heb 7:1-10, Heb 7:20-28).
Psa 110:5
The Lord at thy right hand shall strike through kings in the day of his wrath. “Adonai” here is certainly Jehovah (Cheyne). He stands at Messiah’s right hand (comp. Psa 16:8; Psa 121:5) to protect and defend him, and give him victory in the battle. Psa 110:5 carries on the description of Messiah’s triumph begun in Psa 110:3. The kings to be “struck through” are those that resist the progress of the gospelHerod Agrippa, Galerius, Julian, and the like.
Psa 110:6
He shall judge among the heathen; i.e. execute the royal office not only over Israel, but over the nations of the earth generally (comp. Psa 7:9; Psa 9:9; Psa 96:10, etc.). He shall fill the places with the dead bodies; rather, he shall fill the earth with dead bodies; i.e. with the corpses of those whom he has slain while executing judgment. He shall wound the heads over many countries. Thus translated, the clause merely repeats Psa 110:5. Perhaps a better rendering is that of Dr. Kay, “He shall smite him that is head over the wide earth”either Satan or “the central power of the whole confederacy of evil.”
Psa 110:7
He shall drink of the brook in the way. Primarily, the action described is that of pausing in the pursuit of enemies to refresh one’s self with a draught of water from a brook by the wayside; but, if we interpret the passage of the Messiah, we must understand the refreshing draughts which he ever draws from the well-spring of truth and righteousness as he advances on his career of victory. Therefore (i.e. because of these draughts) he shall lift up the head. He shall never faint nor be weary (Isa 40:28), but shall continue the pursuit of his enemies unremittingly, as Bishop Perowne says, “with renewed ardor, with head erect and kindling eye,” never resting until at length all things shall have been put in subjection under his feet (Heb 2:8).
HOMILETICS
Psa 110:1-7
The victorious King.
New Testament references leave no doubt as to the Messianic character of this psalm. “The image of a warrior destroying his foes may seem a strange representation of the establishment upon earth of Christ’s spiritual dominion. But David described Messiah’s victory over his enemies by images familiar to him as a warrior; so Ezekiel drew his images out of the forms of the Assyrian world.” Here, in prophetic vision, we see Christ our Lord
I. HOLDING THE MOST EXALTED STATION. He is at the right hand of God (verse 1). This is he who is “highly exalted;” who has “sat down at the right hand of God;” who receives the adoration of the heavenly host along with “him that sitteth on the throne” (Rev 5:13).
II. WIELDING THE HIGHEST AUTHORITY. (Verse 2.) He is to sway the scepter, to receive the commission, “Rule thou in the midst of thine enemies.”
III. EXERTING IRRESISTIBLE POWER. (Verse 2.) His is “the rod of strength,” and “the Lord at his right hand shall strike through kings,” etc. (verse 5). Who shall measure the power of Christ today? What forces are there in the world that are not Christian in their origin and in their character? The name of Christ, the truth and principles of Christ, the spirit of Christ,this is leavening the literature, the laws, the institutions, the habits, and customs of the world. Other great forces have disappeared or are waning, but the power of Jesus Christ not only survives the changes of eighteen centuries, but it is spreading and deepening from year to year.
IV. WORKING THROUGH A BEAUTIFUL AND HOLY WILLINGHOOD. (Verse 3.) The people (the subjects) of Messiah are to be “willing,” or to be free offerings; they will offer themselves to him; they will serve under him with cheerful self-surrender. When forced, reluctant levies will win his victories, but they who hasten to his side, who long to strike bravely and earnestly in his cause, who rejoice in his watchwords, who are prepared to lay down their lives in his cause. When “the day of his power” comes, the day of battle, they will be found eager to obey the summons. And these subjects of his will be clothed with the beautiful garment of holiness. With no tawdry finery, in no massive and burdensome armor, will they be clad; they will be invested with purity, piety, love, patience, unselfishness, all-consuming zeal; fairer in the sight of truth will they be than the most splendid pageantrythe army of goodness, the hosts of Christ, separated in space but united in aim and spirit.
V. POSSESSED OF AN INEXHAUSTIBLE ENERGY. “Thou hast the dew of thy youth” may refer to Christ’s soldiery or to himself. In either case, it is an ascription of unfailing vigor to his cause.
“Ever new and ever young,
And firm endures tho’ endless years
Their everlasting circles run,”
may be affirmed of the cause of Christianity. It is always morning; there is no sign of sunset. It knows nothing of decline. It absorbs the new forms of activity and association, and employs them. It uses the latest knowledge, the latest arts. Instead of crumbling with age, it gathers strength and energy with time.
VI. MEETING THE DEEPER NECESSITIES OF MANKIND. (Verse 4.) The warrior and the priest do not ordinarily meet in one person. Our Lord, however, is a Conqueror who subdues, and also a Savior who cleanses and redeems. He is more to our race than can be indicated by an image drawn from one vocation; so much more that the unity of the sacred poem must be disregarded. His Priesthood, after the order of Melchizedek, cannot be omitted. On that heavenly throne is he who once gave himself as a sacrifice for us, and redeemed us from sin and death; an unchanging and eternal Priest, in whom to trust so long as time endures.
VII. CROWNED WITH GLORIOUS VICTORY. This once crucified One, exalted to the right hand of God, who completed his redeeming work when amongst us, and who has such followers to fight beneath his banner, will one day have his enemies beneath his feet (verse 1). Great conquests have been won already. Immeasurably greater these would have been if his people had adhered to his truth and done his bidding. But now they hear the call of their Leader and the cry of their brethren, and are hastening to the field. To-day the triumphs of the cross are vastly greater than they were a century ago; and at the present rate of advance, with such signs of progress as have never been known before, there is every reason to expect that, a hundred years hence, the gospel will have covered and conquered a very large part of heathendom. Nor will the glorious struggle end until the whole world is won, and the crown of victory is placed on the Divine Sovereign’s head.
HOMILIES BY S. CONWAY
Psa 110:3
The day of Christ’s power.
Luther calls this psalm “the true high main psalm of our beloved Lord Jesus Christ.” Our Lord himself attests that it is inspired of the Holy Ghost, and there is no other Scripture in the Old Testament that is so frequently quoted in the New. The occasion of the psalm seems to have been the great festival of the bringing up of the ark of God from the house of Obed-Edom to Jerusalem. On that day David assumed the double function of priest and king, for he was vested in priestly raiment, and fulfilling the priestly office, whilst at the same time he was the victorious king. But this double character which in this day David bore became the prefigurement and type of the twofold character of him who was to be in all respects a King infinitely more glorious than David, and a Priest whose office should never fail. It is of the vision of him that this psalm tells. The sacred poet pictures our Savior as a mighty monarch surrounded by his youthful warriors, bright and numberless as the dew-drops on a summer’s morn, willing to shed their heart’s blood in his service, each one rated as a priest, each one a soldier of God. That is what is foretold of Christ. Let us speak of
I. THE DAY OF CHRIST‘S POWER, His resurrection-day; Pentecost; all days when Christ is vividly realized by the soul;such are days of his power. And there is yet a future day which will emphatically deserve to be thus called. Then the vision of this psalm finds fulfillment; there is the glad rush of the young to his standard, and their willing surrender to his service. And in the history of the Church there have been from time to time such blessed days. Eternal things became real to his people, the old words and truths shone out with a new luster. Christ drew near to his people’s souls, and they welcomed him as their Lord. Such days have come to scattered congregations and to individual believing souls. The secret of all real revivals of religion with which the Church has once and again been blessed has been thisthat Christ came to them, as at Pentecost, in power. And if his presence were more hungered after, there would be more of such days.
II. ITS CHARACTERISTICS.
1. The spontaneity and willingness with which the people offer themselves. They have not to be dragged to his service, forced to do his will.
2. Their sanctity. They are vested “in the beauties of holiness.” They are to be priests of God as well as his soldiers. When this is the case with the Church, then indeed it will be a day of Christ’s power. It is what the world waits to see, and insists upon it that it as yet cannot see.
3. Their numbers; as the drops of dew on a summer morning, innumerable; and heaven-born, and for the earth’s refreshment and fertility. Not a solitary convert here and there as now, but they shall come in multitudes.
4. Their youthfulness. Not worn-out lives and faded energies are offered, but “the dew of thy youth.” Do we not long to see such a day? Fervent, believing, persevering, and obedient prayer shall surely bring such days.S.C.
Psa 110:4
Melchizedek.
This name meets us first in Gen 14:18; then in the text; then it is referred to in Zec 6:13, where it is said Messiah shall be a priest upon his throne, and then in Heb 7:1-28. The record in Genesis is but brief, but the recurrence of the name leads to the inquiry as to the meaning and significance of that early record. The Epistle to the Hebrews supplies the answer. Note
I. THE FACTS CONNECTED WITH MELCHIZEDEK. He is mentioned in the account of Abraham’s intervention on behalf of the inhabitants of the district in which Abraham’s nephew Lot lived. He was probably a Canaanitish chief, lived at Salemthat is, Jerusalem; was evidently a man of much distinction. He was “great” because of the combined high office he held; he was both priest and king. But yet more from his characterpeaceful, righteous.
II. His RELATIONSHIP TO CHRIST. From this psalm and from Heb 7:1-28. we learn that he did bear such relationship. He was a type of Christ:
1. In the mystery of his person. We read of no predecessor or progenitor, nor of any successor. Human records are silent on all these points. And so with our Lord”great is the mystery of godliness.”
2. In his priesthood. It is to this that the writer of the Epistle to the Hebrews mainly refers, and argues from Christ being a Priest after the order of Melchizedek, that therefore his Priesthood was far superior to that of Aaron; for Melchizedek was like Christ, and greater than Aaron in antiquity, catholicity, independence, perpetuity, and spirituality of his priesthood.
3. In his kingly character. No king could be a priest, no priest a king, in the Jewish dispensation; but Melchizedek and Christ were both.
4. In the effects of his administration. Righteousness and peace.
5. In his ministry of blessing.
CONCLUSION. Abraham shows us our duty to Christ, in self-dedication; this the meaning of the tithe offering.S.C.
Psa 110:7
The brook by the way.
This psalm tells of the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ, but all that it tells of has not yet been fulfilled. But the Church is still confidently assisting the glory of the Lord. Our text is difficult of completely satisfactory explanation. Three chief interpretations have been given.
I. THAT IT TELLS OF OUR LORD‘S BEING MADE A CURSE FOR US. The wrath of God running in the channel of the curse of the Law was “the brook by the way” of which our Savior drank, and concerning which he said, “The cup which my Father hath given me shall I not drink it?” Calvin, Hengstenberg, and Matthew Henry thus explain this verse. And then the glorious triumphs of the cross of Christ, past, present, and yet to come, are the lifting up of the head which is said to result.
II. THAT IT DENOTES HIS INTENTNESS AND EAGERNESS IN THE PURSUIT OF HIS GREAT END, which was the destruction of the works of the devil. He would not turn aside for refreshment or rest, but like Gideon (Jdg 7:1-25.), though faint, he kept pursuing. Like as the chosen soldiers of Gideon were known by their eager lapping of the water as distinguished from the mere leisurely lying down to drink of the rest, so our Lord was intent on his work, and nothing could stay his pursuit (cf. Luk 12:50). He would drink of the brook by the way, and then on again.
III. THAT IT SETS FORTH THE HUMILIATION OF CHRIST, ill that he placed himself on a level with us by stooping to need and to partake of those spiritual refreshments which in this life God provides for us. He humbled himself to need and share these with men. This is the interpretation which we prefer. What, then, for our Lord, were these brooks? They were such as theseprayer; fellowship with kindred minds; affection and sympathy from those who loved him; the “joy set before him;” the Holy Scriptures.
IV. THUS UNDERSTOOD, THE TEXT APPLIES TO CHRISTIANS NOW. For brooks by the way are provided for us by means of which we shall be, as was our Lord, strengthened and refreshed. And ours are as his, even as his were as ours.S.C.
HOMILIES BY R. TUCK
Psa 110:1
War-figures applied to Messiah.
It is remarkable that the prevailing political and national associations always color both the literature and the religious sentiments of an age. Our associations provide our figures and illustrations, and these vary and change according to the altering of associations. This may be shown by comparing the age of Cromwell with this latter half of the nineteenth century. War associations prevailed then; peace associations prevail now. The sterner views of God prevailed then; the milder views of God prevail now. Redemption was then mainly regarded as a vindication; redemption is now regarded mainly as a moral force. It is quite natural that the conceptions of the promised and coming Messiah should vary at different times, according to the varying conditions of the Jewish people. In Moses’ days he was thought of as a “Prophet” like Moses, an inspired Teacher, Revealer, and Leader. In David’s days we find both the earlier warlike associations, and the later suffering associations, coloring the anticipations of Messiah. In the prophets the suffering idea is prominent, and Messiah is thought of, largely, as a “Servant of the Lord,” who succeeds no better than the prophets did. The Book of Daniel, and more especially the careers of the patriotic Maccabees, bring back strongly the war associations and king-figures.
I. THE WAR–FIGURES ARE SUGGESTIVE AND HELPFUL. We should be weak in our conceptions of Messiah if we had not these war-figures. Loving peace as we do, it is astonishing how interesting to everybody the associations of war are. Everybody is excited when a regiment comes into a town. The “Salvation Army’ appeal to a sentiment which seems universal in human nature. To young and old the literature of war is fascinating. And war-figures may be used in connection with Messiah, because sin is properly conceived of as an active hostile force, which man has to oppose, but is helpless to overcome. Messiah is well thought of as the Champion that undertakes man’s cause, and leads man in the fight. Those two ideas, of Champion and Captain, suggest the two important sides of Messiah’s work. He acts for us. He acts with us.
II. THE WAR–FIGURES BLEND WITH OTHER FIGURES. So much mistake has been made by taking them exclusively: then a one-sided theological system is constructed. They must always be treated as giving only a portion of the Messianic representation, and illustrating only certain sides and aspects of the Redeemer’s work. He is the King, and he is the Lamb, and he is the Teacher. Blended figures alone bring apprehensions of the full truth.R.T.
Psa 110:2
God in world-success.
Messiah does but illustrate universal human experience. He is successful, but it is God who gives him his success. “The Lord shall send the rod of thy strength out of Zion.” This inmost truth of things is too often disregarded. The pious soul fully recognizes it and rejoices in it. His refrain in all life’s toils and successes is this, “The Lord of hosts is with us, the God of Jacob is our Refuge.”
I. WORLD–SUCCESS IS LARGELY DUE TO GOOD FORTUNE. Some men seem born to succeed. We can find no reason, in either their ability or their character, why they should succeed when others fail. We speak of their “good luck.” Take any department of life, business, or profession, and we plainly see that some are the children of fortune. They seem born favorites, and they are the world’s favorites as long as they live. This may, indeed, be an incorrect view to take; we only note that it is the common and usual view. There may be reasons, in character and in entrusted mission, which are simply beyond our discernment and appraisement. Now men may look on the success of Messiah, and say of it, “It is only a piece of good fortune. He just happened to fit to the needs of his age.”
II. WORLD–SUCCESS IS LARGELY DUE TO ENERGY. Many a man, by the force of his own vitality, and by the concentration of his powers, has mastered disabilities and difficulties, and gained for himself a place. The energy that is quick-witted to seize opportunities, skilful to use opportunities, and persistent in carrying out resolves, seldom fails to win world-success. And it may be said of the success of MessiahIt is sufficiently explained by the vital force that was in him, by his energy and enterprise. The boast of Nebuchadnezzar has many and many a time been repeated since his day, “Is not this great Babylon which I have builded?“
III. WORLD–SUCCESS IS REALLY DUE TO DIVINE PERMISSION, ARRANGEMENT, AND AID. But the discernment of this comes only to those whose eyes have been spirituality opened. The success of Messiah really has explanation, “The Lord sends the rod of his strength out of Zion.”
1. There is no such thing as good fortune. Everything stands in Divine adjustment. A man’s “destiny” is the arrangement of infinite wisdom.
2. Back of a man’s energy is the Divine vitalizing. A man’s bodily health and mental power are absolutely in God’s hands, and are God’s providings. Man plans, but he must lean on God for power to execute his plans. God may say, “This night shall thy soul be required of thee.”R.T.
Psa 110:3
The power of recognizing power.
“The people shall be willing in the day of thy power.” Power to submit, power to accept, power to respond, power to offer allegiance, come to the people when they recognize Messiah’s power. Illustrated on the Day of Pentecost, when Messiah’s power was so convincingly displayed. “They then that received Peter’s words were baptized; and there were added unto them in that day about three thousand souls.” In common history and common life, the principle is seen working. As soon as a man is successful, as soon as his power is manifest, the crowd will flock to him. This is put into the motto, “Nothing succeeds like success.” An illustration may be found in the time of the Judges. When the people were convinced of the power of Deborah and Barak, “they willingly offered themselves for the avenging of Israel” (Jdg 5:2).
I. RECOGNIZING POWER. There is much power that is unrecognized; and there are many persons unable to recognize power.
1. Power may be undeveloped, and so not efficiently showing itself. The most we can see is the promise of what is yet to he. We do not feel the impulse of power that is only in its unfolding.
2. Power may take forms that surprise. As it does when we expect material power, and that presented to our view is spiritual power. This was the case with Messiah’s power.
3. Power may cross our power, and then our pride may prevent recognition, as in the case of the Pharisees of our Lord’s time. Certain moral conditions must be attained before moral power can be rightly valued. There is a spiritual vision which alone enables us to discern moral power.
II. THE MORAL INFLUENCE OF HAVING RECOGNIZED POWER. “The people offer themselves willingly.” This point may be illustrated by the effects of our Lord’s word on certain sufferers. A man was before him who had a withered hand. Jesus said, “Stretch forth thy hand.” The man recognized his power; that gave him power, and he did stretch it forth, and it was made whole. So in Bethesda Jesus saw a helpless cripple, and said, “Take up thy bed, and walk.” The man felt our Lord’s power; it exerted a mighty influence on him; he took up his bed and walked. In the higher regions of the spiritual life this truth finds further illustration. It is a matter of experience that it was the discernment of Christ’s power to save which brought us conscious power over sin, which persuaded us to yield ourselves to him. It is every fresh apprehension of his power to sanctify that brings us power to wrestle with evil.R.T.
Psa 110:4
The priesthoods of David and Messiah.
It cannot be safely asserted that this psalm belongs exclusively to Messiah. Every Messianic reference in the Old Testament probably has a first and local application. This psalm refers, then, to David, and through him to Messiah. If this be so, the application of the Melchizedek type of priest to David may help us in tracing the application of the same type to Messiah. The points dwelt on by the writer of the Epistle to the Hebrews (Heb 7:1-22) are not prominent in this psalm. The point here is, that the Aaronic priesthood was only a priesthood; but the priesthood of Melchizedek was a royal priesthood.
I. DAVID‘S PRIESTHOOD WAS OF MELCHIZEDEK‘S KIND. Priesthood is but ministry; only it is ministry in sacred and Divine things, The essential idea of a priest is one who represents God on earth in some particular sphere. So a king who is loyal to Jehovah, and represents him in the political and national spheres, is properly a priest; just as the man who represents Jehovah in the moral and religious spheres is called a priest. Evidently Melchizedek was the Divine representative for his day and his country, just as Abraham was for his tribe; and so he is called a king-priest. It is noticed that David, and perhaps all the kings of Israel, assumed certain priestly functions. “David himself, as at the bringing up of the ark, and Solomon, as at the consecration of the temple, had some shadow of the priestly office.”
II. MESSIAH‘S PRIESTHOOD WAS OF MELCHIZEDEK‘S KIND. It was united with king ship, as it was in the case of Melchizedek; and we only regard Messiah aright when we fully recognize his authority to atone, and his authority to rule; his relation to the whole sphere of our worship, and his relation to our entire commonplace life and relations.
1. See the likenesses between Melchizedek and Messiah as priests, or as Divine peacemakers, ministrants of Divine reconciliation (2Co 5:18-21). Of Jesus it is said, “He is our Peace.”
2. See the likenesses between Melchizedek and Messiah as kings, or as Divine rulers, ministrants of Divine order, in the common family, social political, and national relations of life. Perhaps it may be said with truth that, in regard to Messiah, as in regard to David, the governmental priesthood is more prominent than the sacrificial priesthood. The royalty of Melchizedek is certainly the chief point of reference to the psalmist. The Lord Jesus is our King-Priest forever.R.T.
Psa 110:7
Spiritual refreshment for spiritual work.
“He shall drink of the brook in the way: therefore shall he lift up the head.” The literal meaning of the figure is easy to trace. “The victorious leader, who has made so terrible a slaughter that the field of battle is covered with corpses, is now seen pursuing his enemies. Wearied with the battle and the pursuits, he stops for a moment on his way to refresh himself by drinking of the torrent rushing by, and then ‘ lifts up his head,’ derives new vigor to continue the pursuit” (Perowne). But the war-figures only paint for us the spiritual work and the spiritual triumphs of Messiah; and this particular figure only suggests two things:
(1) that Messiah, in doing his spiritual work, needs refreshment; and
(2) that Messiah, in his anxiety about completing his spiritual work, scarcely stops to attend to his refreshment. To this a third thought may be addedthat God provided refreshment for him who was so earnestly doing his work. It may be noticed that Eastern people have a very skilful way of drinking from a flowing stream without stopping in their running. They throw the water up into the mouth. An Eastern traveler writes, “In an excursion across an Arabian desert, some of the Arabs, on coming to water, rushed to it, and stooping sufficiently to allow the right hand to reach the water, they threw it up into their mouths so dexterously, that I never observed any of the water to fall upon the breast. I often tried to do it, but never succeeded.” Applying the verse in a general way to all who, with Christ, are engaged in spiritual work, we may say
I. SPIRITUAL WORK IS EXHAUSTING TO THE BODILY FRAME AS WELL AS TO THE SPIRITUAL NATURE. It is enough to recall the fatigue of Jesus on some memorable occasions, such as at Jacob’s well, in the boat, or at Gethsemane.
II. GOD PROVIDES REFRESHMENTS FOR EXHAUSTED SPIRITUAL WORKERS. Represented by the “brook in the way.” Illustrate by God’s gracious treatment of exhausted Elijah. He refreshed him, bodily, with food; he refreshed him, spiritually, with visions. Water is the type of soul-refreshings.
III. THE EARNEST SPIRITUAL WORKER WILL NOT LET EVEN NECESSARY spiritual refreshings unduly detain him from his work. He will take only a passing drink. He will be “faint, yet pursuing.”R.T.
HOMILIES BY C. SHORT
Psa 110:1-7
Christ the Divine King and Priest.
Many difficulties in the interpretation of this psalm. Let us accept it as, in the main, a prophecy of the Jewish Messiah. Then we find the two main features of it fulfilled in the Christ of history.
I. HE HAS BEEN RAISED TO THE DIVINE THRONE OF KINGLY POWER. (Psa 110:1-3.)
1. The power by which he subdues the world is spiritual and Divine. His cross “the rod of his strength.”
2. His servants are willing soldiers in the holy war. (Psa 110:3.) Numberless as the drops of the morning dew.
3. He will reign till he has obtained a universal victory.
II. THE PRIESTHOOD OF CHRIST.
1. Priest by direct Divine ordination. “The Lord hath sworn.”
2. A universal Priesthood. Not of the Jew only, but of the Gentile also, like Melchizedek.
3. A Priest not for a time, but forever.
4. The sacrifice he offers ishimself.S.
Fuente: The Complete Pulpit Commentary
Psalms 110.
The kingdom, the priesthood, the conquest, and the passion of Christ.
A Psalm of David.
Title. ledavid mizmor. It is universally agreed, that this psalm was composed by David: and it seems to be almost as universally agreed, that he speaks not of himself at all in it, but directly of the Messiah.
This is the more remarkable, because in most, if not all the other psalms, where he prophesies of our Saviour, there is an obvious meaning, if not throughout the psalm, yet in several parts of it, which relate to some particular occasion, some passage or other in David’s history; and those psalms are to be understood of Christ in a secondary sense, though not less evident, and sometimes more so than the first. But this psalm is wholly to be understood of Christ alone. Bishop Hare says, that because he had observed that most things in the psalms which were fulfilled in Christ, were spoken in their first, and, as it is called, literal sense of David, who was an illustrious type of Christ, he tried more than once whether he could not apply this psalm to David; but could not in any way which was satisfactory. DeMuis had laboured before him on the same subject, and with the same success. Indeed the ancient Jews themselves understood it thus; and that this was the known and received sense of it in our Saviour’s time, appears from what passed between him and the Pharisees, Mat 22:42; Mat 22:46. To the same sense St. Peter applies it, Act 2:34-35 and the inspired writer to the Hebrews, Heb 1:13 and this is further clear from the 4th verse of it; for the priesthood was confined to the line of Aaron; and none of David’s posterity, the Messiah only excepted, was ever entitled to that honour. Nor indeed could any of Aaron’s descendants presume to style themselves priests for ever, as our High-priest most literally is. We may therefore say with Bishop Patrick, that this psalm is a very plain prediction of our Saviour’s divinity, his royal dignity, his priesthood, his victories, and triumph.
Psa 110:1. The Lord said, &c. That is, “God the Father said to God the Son, whom I honour as my Lord, and adore as my God, Sit thou (namely, after thy sufferings upon earth) at my right hand;”an expression denoting the highest dignity and honour; and alluding to earthly monarchs, who placed those on their right hand to whom they would shew the greatest honour, or whom they designed to advance to the greatest power and authority. See 1Ki 2:19. It here signifies the dominion which Jesus Christ, after his death, received from God the Father, as the Messiah. Thus he says of himself, Rev 3:21. I overcame, and am set down with my father in his throne. It is added, until I make, &c. Jesus Christ subdues his enemies by the power which is essential to him, as he is one with the Father, God blessed for ever; and he does it also by the power which he has received from the Father, in quality of Mediator. See Mat 28:18. 1Co 15:25. Thine enemies, mean, thy crucifiers; converting some, and destroying others; the idolatrous heathen; subjecting them to thy gospel; the power of sin and Satan in men’s hearts, and at last death itself. The expression, thy footstool, which denotes an entire subdual of enemies, alludes to the custom of Eastern nations, to tread upon the necks of the kings whom they had conquered, and so make them, as it were, their footstool. See Jos 10:24. 2Sa 22:41. Mr. Martin, in his Explication des Textes difficiles, has shewn that this expression of sitting at the right hand of God, not only implies the elevation of the Messiah to the throne, but his equality with the Father; and he observes, that the Divinity of Jesus Christ could never have been opposed, if these words had been properly understood: he remarks further, that the word footstool declares the same thing. To have a footstool, says he, was formerly a mark of distinction, reserved only for those who were appointed to a dignity. There is no mention of footstool in Scripture, but where God and kings are concerned. The ark of the covenant is often called the Lord’s footstool; 1Ch 28:2; 1Ch 28:21 and it is said, 2Ch 9:18 that the footstool of Solomon’s throne was of gold. In short, Homer gives footstools only to heroes and persons of the first rank. These remarks shew, that the mention of footstool in this place, is only to exalt the power of the Son of God, and to establish it upon the most solid and glorious foundations. It will sufficiently distinguish this footstool, that it shall be composed only of the heads of his enemies; of the impenitent Jews, of the persecutors of the church, of Antichrist, of sinners, of death, of hell, and of the devil. These are his enemies: these are they whom he shall bruise; whom he shall rule with a rod of iron, and break in pieces as a vessel of clay; and who shall serve for his everlasting triumph; see Psa 2:9 which psalm the reader will observe bears a great affinity to the present.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Psalms 110
A Psalm of David
The Lord said unto my Lord,
Sit thou at my right hand,
Until I make thine enemies thy footstool.
2The Lord shall send
The rod of thy strength out of Zion.
Rule thou in the midst of thine enemies.
3Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power,
In the beauties of holiness
From the womb of the morning:
Thou hast the dew of thy youth.
4The Lord hath sworn, and will not repent,
Thou art a priest for ever
After the order of Melchizedek.
5The Lord at thy right hand
Shall strike through kings in the day of his wrath.
6He shall judge among the heathen,
He shall fill the places with the dead bodies;
He shall wound the heads over many countries.
7He shall drink of the brook in the way:
Therefore shall he lift up the head.
EXEGETICAL AND CRITICAL
Contents And Composition.Two utterances of a revelation, Psa 110:1; Psa 110:4, the first of which is expressly stated to be a declaration of Jehovah, and the second declared to be unchangeable, because accompanied by His oath, form the two central points of the train of thought pursued in this Psalm. The first utterance of God assigns to the Lord of the Psalmist a place at the right hand of Jehovah, with the promise of the complete overthrow of His enemies. Psa 110:2 takes this as the ground of an address to this Lord, in which there is promised to Him, by the help of Jehovah, a triumphant extension of His kingdom out of Zion. Psa 110:3 pledges the willing loyalty of His people, which constantly rejuvenates itself, as a nation of numberless warriors, and consecrates itself to God. This is done in connection with the declaration of Jehovah contained in the second divine utterance. This Ruler is a Priest forever, after an order not Levitical, but reaching back to the unhistorical past. And Psa 110:5-7, in passing from the allocutive to the narrative style, describe the victorious career of this Hero, who crushes His foes with the might of God, and who, also, while on His march, is refreshed and revived when needing support.
Accordingly, the lyrico-prophetical character of the Psalm is as unmistakable as its theocratic stand-point. If their full weight and the biblical sense are attached to these terms, the supposition that the Psalm celebrates poetically the glories of the kingdom in Israel, as the kingdom of God (Hupfeld), falls to the ground. It falls to pieces from internal weakness. For the idea of the union of the sacerdotal dignity and royal authority, though a common one in heathendom, was unheard of in Israelitish history before the Maccaban period, in connection with actual sovereigns. David, at a time when the temple-worship was suspended, and from the absence of priests, exceptionally fulfilled priestly functions (2 Samuel 6), but immediately restored the legal order of things, and transferred the official authority of the priesthood to the Levites (2Sa 8:17; 2Sa 20:25). The single attempt of Uzziah to take the control of the religious ceremonies, in order to perform them personally, brought upon him a judgment from God (2Ch 26:16). In the Maccaban period, it is true, the union of this two-fold dignity did exist. Accordingly, by a purely historical, and not prophetical view, a reference is readily suggested to Jonathan and his assumption of the pontificate (Hitzig formerly) or, better, to Alexander Jannus (Hitzig now), or to Simon (1Ma 14:41). But apart from the general considerations against so late a composition, the usual objection may be urged, that the Maccabans had already been priests before they became princes, whereas the opposite order seems indicated here. Yet this objection is not so weighty as the fact, that in the Psalm the union of the kingly and priestly dignities is designated by a declaration, attested and assured by God, (1) as one altogether peculiar or unique, (2) as one never again to be dissolved, or eternal, and (3) as an attribute not of a dynasty, but of a distinct Person. On these grounds the Messianic interpretation is demanded by the historical relations as much as by the language employed. The only other question is, whether the Psalm is to be understood in a typical, or typico-prophetical, or prophetico-messianic sense. In the first case, the reference of the Psalm to the Messiah would only be gained mediately, from the extraordinary character of the expressions, which, moreover, are not literally applicable to the historical relations of a theocratic ruler. It could be rendered clear only through a mode of teaching based upon the ideas and expectations which characterized more especially the time of Christ and His apostles (Knapp.) If the Psalm be viewed historically, we would have only a theocratic congratulatory poem, addressed to a king (De Wette), in which also a longing might perhaps be expressed for the restoration of the primitive union of the sovereignty and the priesthood (Ewald). The genuineness of the superscription would then have to be given up, unless we decide with Hitzig for the translation: upon David (Isaaki, Aben Ezra, Kimchi). In the second case, the king in question would be viewed by the poet himself as the type of Messiah. It would then, historically, be most natural to think of David, after he had brought the ark of the covenant to Zion, and, enthroned at the side of Jehovah under His protection, could count on a secure reign (Herder). And we would connect with this the prophecy which was made to him and his family (1 Samuel 7.). But, in the first place, Psa 110:4 would remain insufficiently explained. This verse does not allude to distinct priestly functions, as, for example, praying and blessing, but to the priestly office personally received. And David could not be called a priest on account of dwelling near God in the sense alluded to, nor be regarded as symbolizing Melchizedek, king of righteousness in Salem. In the second place, no answer would be given to the question as to which king the prophecy could have applied, as it is certainly something more than a piece of flattery paid by the body of priests to their favorite David (Ilgen, De notione tituli filii Dei, in Paulus Memorabilia. VII. 193 ff.). Even the reference to the Maccaban times, with the sacerdotal princes and the Messianic expectations, held even then by the Jews (by Lengerke), would not suffice; for at that time prophecy was extinct, and in the Psalm an actual prophetical utterance of God, not a feigned one, is given. Nor could the Psalm be the ode of a poet composed for the court-chapel on Solomons accession to the throne (Borhek in Eichhorns Allg. Bibliothek der bibl. Literatur, II. 222 ff.; VI. 315 ff.). Let it then be maintained that it is a declaration of Jehovah, and that the utterance bears a prophetical character. We must now exclude the supposition that David here gives expression to the thoughts awakened in the breast of true Israelites concerning his relation to Jehovah, as elsewhere he records their feelings concerning him and his undertakings, and consequently that he puts into the mouths of the people, as he elsewhere records their prayers in his behalf, a prophetic view of himself (Hofmann formerly), or of his dynasty (Hofmann now). Both the form and the contents of this psalm are incompatible (Kurtz) with the assumption, that David was at the same time its author and its subject. Nor could he have regarded either himself or that victorious king who should reign at the time contemplated (Hofmann), or, specially, Solomon on the occasion of the attempt of Adonijah to render the succession to the throne doubtful, as the subject, viewed typically, of that prophetic view. For the prophecy includes not merely the sitting at the right hand of Jehovah, but the union also of the kingly and priestly offices. The conception of such a union did not, among the Israelites, arise from possible (Hvernick) conflicts of history (De Wette, who refers to Uzziah), but from divine revelation, and has not merely a prophetical, but an essentially Messianic character (Zec 6:13). Now, if we consider that David represented himself sometimes as a prophet and king of Jehovah, but never as His priest, although he performed some priestly acts, and that he needed and desired a priestly mediation, independent of his person and not representable by him, as greatly as did his people, who were distinguished as a kingdom of priests (Exo 19:6), then it may be conceived how just it is that not David and his family, not Aaron and the Levites, but a person like Melchizedek, standing outside the circle of historical Israel, appears as a type of the Messiah. David, therefore, was not in a position to view himself or his family typico-messianically with relation to the royal priest of Jehovah. And it is just this view of the Messiah which must be separated from the person and history of David, and which must have arisen purely from actual revelation. Thus does the text itself represent it. Thus did Jesus treat it in His discussion with the Pharisees (Mat 22:41 ff., comp. Mar 12:35 ff.; Luk 20:41 ff.). Thus Peter expounded it (Act 2:34 f.). Thus also did Paul (1Co 15:25). Thus the Scriptures generally (Heb 1:13; Heb 5:6; Heb 7:17; Heb 7:21; Heb 10:13). Thus did the Synagogue understand it in earlier times. Thus has the Christian Church at all times understood it. And the merely and strictly scientific expositors would return, to a greater extent than they have done, to the prophetico-messianic interpretation, if they could succeed in abandoning altogether the anti-historical method of transferring Old Testament conceptions and expressions to the Person and Life of Jesus Christ, as well as the unhistorical allegorizing and spiritualizing method of interpretation, and would also treat the several declarations of the Psalm as matter of future historical realization.The Psalm being considered as bearing this character, it was perhaps not without design that the name Jehovah was employed three times, and that there are three strophes, each of seven stichs. The different interpretations are fully treated by Bergmann, Comm. in Ps. CX., Leyden, 1819.
[Perowne: This Psalm claims emphatically to be the fruit and record of a Divine revelation. The words of the poet, though shaped in the poets heart, come to him from the very sanctuary of the Most High. It is an oracle and utterance of Jehovah, which he has heard and which he has to declare to others. It is an oracle which concerns a king who reigns in Zion; it is addressed to one to whom the poet does homage, calling Him Lord; it assures him of the high favor of Jehovah, who lifts Him to a share of His own royal dignity, giving him the victory over all his enemies. The poet then pictures the king going forth to battle surrounded by his youthful warriors, bright and numberless as the dew-drops on a summer morn, willing to shed their hearts blood in his service, each one robed as a priest, each one a soldier of God. As he gazes on the vision which has been called up by the first word from heaven, another divine word sounds in his ear: the word confirmed by the oath of Jehovah, that the king shall also be A PRIEST FOREVER AFTER THE ORDER OF MELCHIZEDEK. Then he follows the king in imagination to the war, sees him winning victory after victory with great slaughter, aided by God Himself in the fight, and securing the fruits of his victories by a pursuit of his enemies, which knows no check even in the burning heat of an eastern sun.
If we were at liberty to adopt in this Psalm the same principles of interpretation, which we have adopted with regard to all the other Messianic Psalms, it would present no special difficulty. We might suppose it to have been written by some poet of Davids time, who would naturally speak of David himself as his lord. In the first and lowest sense, his words would apply to David as his theocratic king; in their ultimate and highest sense, they would be fulfilled in Davids Great Descendant, in Him who was both Davids Son and Davids Lord. But we seem to be precluded from this method of interpretation by the argument which, according to all the Evangelists, our Lord, in disputing with the Pharisees, builds upon the first verse of the Psalm. . Now, in this argument, all turns upon two points: first, that David himself wrote the Psalm, and next, that in writing he was moved by the Holy Ghost. David himself, in a confessedly Messianic Psalm, is speaking not of himself, but of his Great Descendant, and so speaking, calls Him his Lord, and if so, it is plain that there can be no lower reference of the Psalm to David or to any other Jewish monarch.
Mr. Perowne then cites and deals with two objections brought against this view. First, it is the only instance in the prophetic Psalms of direct reference to Christ. This we have to accept. Secondly, the language of the latter part of the Psalm is fairly applicable only to an earthly king. But the solution which he offers seems to be unnecessary. He thinks that the poet is still suffered to conceive of Him, partially at least, as an earthly monarch, fighting bloody battles with his enemies. It is better to consider the language alluded to as simply a highly figurative description of the victorious progress of Christ, remembering also that, although the conception is purely that of a New Testament realization, it is clothed in Old Testament ideas and imagery. It was necessarily so. The actions portrayed by an Old Testament poet would look strange if presented in a New Testament garb.J. F. M.]
Psa 110:1. A declaration of Jehovah [E. V.: The Lord said]. The expression shows that an utterance is announced, invested with the character of inspiration (see on Psa 36:2), and therefore conveyed prophetically. Its position at the beginning of the sentence does not indicate a mutilation of the text (Olshausen), but shows that God was speaking at that moment. The whole mode of expression testifies against the supposition that the reference might here be only to a prophecy given formerly, or that a declaration of God which was already well-known might have been put in the mouths of the people. The person to whom the utterance is addressed is not directly indicated as Divine, equal to Jehovah, and of the same nature, in the sense of adonai (which J. D. Michaelis proposed to read), but such a person as the Psalmist acknowledges as his lord. This expresses the relation of one in high rank to one in a subordinate position. Its significance and importance are not weakened by the objection, that, according to Oriental usage, adoni can be used as a periphrastic expression of respect, instead of the personal pronoun of the second person. Nor do the contents of the declaration assign a mere place of honor, although the highest, to the person addressed (1Ki 2:19); they call upon him to take the position in which the kings vicegerent and representative, or, in other circumstances, the coregent was placed. Taken by itself, this expression could be restricted, in its application, to a theocratic king (Kurtz), 1Ch 28:5; 1Ch 29:23, but, when referring to the Son (Psalms 2), it contains the germ of the idea of an assumption into fellowship with Gods exaltation and dominion, Dan 7:13-14; 1Co 15:25 (Delitzsch). The complete subjugation of Gods enemies, who are to be utterly defeated and humbled (Jos 10:24 :1Ki 5:17), forms a turning point in the history of His kingdom (Act 3:21; 1Co 15:28 : Heb 10:13), from which time forth all relations are to become different from those in the present epoch of the world.
Psa 110:2. The staff [E. V.: rod] is not spoken of as an instrument of chastisement, Isa 11:4 (Jahn, Reinke, Hengst.), which Jehovah will send forth, and with which He will smite His enemies successively. It is the emblem of majesty, and is stretched forth in the exercise of dominion (1Sa 2:10; Mic 5:3; Eze 19:11 ff.; Jer 48:17) out of Zion (Psa 2:6, comp., Psa 68:17; Psa 132:13-14; Isa 8:18), until the end of the world (Zec 9:10, comp. Psa 72:8; Num 24:17; Num 24:19). Psa 110:2 c disproves the interpretation which understands the sitting at the right hand of Jehovah as expressing only the security of the king, protected by Jehovah, against the attacks of his foes, and as excluding his own action. For these words, if they are not to be placed in the mouth of Jehovah Himself (Schnurrer, Jahn, Reinke, Hupfeld, Delitzsch), are certainly to be taken in the sense of a sure promise (De Wette).
Psa 110:3. Thy people show themselves willing, [E. V. Thy people shall be willing]. The interpretation of the fathers, after the Sept and Vulgate, is altogether at fault. They explain: With thee is the dominion on the day of thy power, in the brightness of thy sanctuary; from the womb I have brought thee forth before the morning star. The first words they suppose to refer to the complete victory of the Messiah on the great day of judgment, and the last to his eternal generation as the Son of God. The Arab. Version takes the same view, but translates: in the light of the holy ones, connecting these words with those which follow. The Syr. Version is also incorrect: thy people are to be praised in the day of thy power; in the brightness of holiness have I begotten thee, O boy, from the womb, from ancient times. The Chald. paraphrase even gives the following: thy people of the house of Israel proves itself willingly obedient, to the law; on the day when the king goes forth, thou wilt unite with him in the array of holiness; the mercy of God will descend upon thee as descends the dew, thy generations shall dwell in hope. Most of these errors arise not from differences in the Text, but from its false interpretation, which is due to false pronunciations and derivations, and, in some cases, to the omission of words. According to the Masoretic Text, it is the readiness of the people that is spoken of, not a readiness in offering gifts and sacrifices, (Herder, Hengst.), but for the military service of the king. To enter upon it, the youth shall gather as numerous, as fresh (Num 23:10; 2Sa 17:12), and as wonderfully sudden in their appearance, as the dew from the womb of the morning. Now, since this King is no temporal ruler, and is at the same time a Priest, it cannot be the usual military service and duty that is referred to, nor a religious ceremony in festal garments preceding it (Gesenius). Moreover, the words employed are unsuitable to convey this explanation. It is for this reason, indeed, that it has been proposed to read, with 30 codd. of Kennicott and more than 50 of De Rossi, and with Symm., and Jerome: =upon the mountains, instead of (Houbigant, Herder, De Wette, Olshausen, Hupfeld). The true view is, that images taken from military life are united with others, which indicate the peculiar characteristics of the present war, and show that the people, as well as the royal Hero, are priests. With the expressions compare Psa 29:2; Rev 19:14.Instead of the usual we have here , which may be differently pointed, and therefore differently explained, but which is regarded by the best exegetes as merely a secondary form.The dew of youth does not refer to the dewy freshness of the youthful period of life (Aquila) after Ecc 11:9, or youthfulness, youthful vigor (Hofmann). Nor in Psa 110:3 a does the day of power allude to the day of the Messianic judgment (the ancients) or the day of Pentecost (Friedrich, Symbol ad interpret. Ps. 110. 1814), when many from the East became followers of Christ. [Perowne: The dew which, especially in the East, falls so copiously, is most probably employed here as a figure denoting infinite multitude, comp. the use of the figure in 2Sa 17:11-12. Others find the point of comparison in the brightness and freshness of the dew, and this may be suggested by the figure as well as multitude. In Mic 5:7, the point of comparison seems to be different.J. F. M.].
Psa 110:4. After the order of Melchizedek. The allusion to Melchizedek carries our view beyond the Aaronic and Levitical priesthood, and even beyond the history of Israel itself. The reference is not to that authority immediately resident, by virtue of their office, in Israelitish kings, by which they, as intercessors, could commend the people to God and bless them, and take the charge of the public worship (De Wette, Ewald, Hofmann). For here a special union of Priesthood and Royalty, unheard of in Israel and transferred to the king in his own person and for ever, is affirmed to exist by an oath of the only true God (Num 13:19), as something altogether extraordinary and difficult of belief, but yet made known by prophecy (Amo 6:8). Elsewhere occurs=with reference to, according to. So in Ecc 3:13; Ecc 7:14; Ecc 8:2; Dan 2:30; Dan 4:14, instead of the usual . But here the ancient union vowel, i in addition, is joined to the construct, state, which is also retained in . Therefore this is i, not to be taken as a suffix=according to my word, a Melchizedec (Herder after the older expositors). There is no ground for pressing the meaning according to (Hupfeld), since we can translate quite correctly: in the proportion, or: after the manner. How earnestly the Rabbins have endeavored to weaken the force of this passage may be inferred from the following, among many other most unnatural explanations. They take the word kohen here as princeps, rex, dux, though, as is well known, it is the technical word for priest, as the one who stands before God. The Chald, has gone so far as to paraphrase: The Lord hath sworn and will not repent; thou art appointed judge in the world to come, as a reward unto thee, because thou hast been a spotless king.
Psa 110:5-7. The Lord at thy right hand is not the king exalted to the right hand of Jehovah (Bhl after many of the older expositors), for which the designation adonai is quite unknown in the Old Testament, but Jehovah the Lord of all, here as the Helper (Psa 16:8; Psa 109:31), in the day of the Judgment of wrath (Psa 2:12), which is represented here as a battle. [Alexander: On the right hand has precisely the same meaning which it has in Psa 109:31, when it denotes the place of protection or assistance, the figure being probably derived from the usages of war, in which one who succors or protects another may be said to strengthen his right hand, as the member which he uses in his own defence. In one sense, therefore, the Lord is at the right hand of Jehovah; in another sense, Jehovah is at His. This assistance, far from excluding, presupposes His own action; or rather, what Jehovah is described as doing for him, He does through him.J. F. M.].
Nothing is to be inferred from the change of subject in Psa 110:7, for the change of persons in prophetical discourse is well known; the thought of the passage is always to be looked to. Accordingly, the subject in Psa 110:7 is not the enemy, who previously, being refreshed by drinking, bore his head on high (Hofmann), but the king; and that not with an allusion to Gideon (Jdg 7:5 ff.), as a hero who will allow nothing to interrupt his course, and is satisfied with a draught from the brook on his way (Calvin), or to Samson, Jdg 15:18 f. (Herder, Hengst.). The reference is rather to the toilsome nature of his way and course and conflict, in the midst of which, however, he never fails of refreshing and strengthening, and therefore can always keep his head aloft in joyful exultation. The passage may be applied, practically, to the sufferings of Christ and believers, as well as to their subsequent exaltation (Php 2:8 f., Heb 12:2; Rev 5:9 f.), but not referred directly to them as the Fathers maintain, (and Stier). Least of all is it to be supposed that there is any allusion to the water of affliction, and the like figures. For drinking is here the direct means of reviving, a cordial for the hero in his pursuit of the enemy, and presupposes only thirst and need. The Chald is altogether wrong: He will receive instruction from the mouth of the prophet on the way. [The lifting up of the head is by some referred to those assisted by the Hero. This view is based upon Psa 3:4. But the immediate connection with the statement of the first member of the verse, and the natural relation between drinking and being revived, are decisive of the true application. Any other relation between the members of the verse would be forced and obscure.Hengstenberg: That the words indicate an enduring and final triumph, not a momentary strengthening, appears from the opposition to the smiting of the head of the enemies. It is only when thus understood, that they are suitable as a conclusion, as is evident from the fact, that this feeble interpretation has led many to the notion, that the Psalm is only a fragment.J. F. M.].
It is uncertain whether the choice of words in Psa 110:6 c was determined by an allusion to Davids Ammonitish war (Del.). In any case we are not to translate: the prince of the land of Rabbah, that is, of the Ammonites whose capital was Rabbah (Moses Mendelssohn, Hofm.), nor: a head (prince) over great lands (Luth., Geier and others). Nor does the expression mean specially, the arch-enemy, the antichrist (Stier after the older expositors), as the Head, whose head is to be smitten (Gen 3:15). It is not probable that some particular enemy appearing in history as a chief or leader (most) is meant, or that in the present connection is to be taken collectively, (Sept., Chald and others, Hupfeld, Camphausen). We think that, in the plastic mode of presenting the subject, a particular point in the course of the conflict is seized upon and described (Hitzig), [i.e. when the Hero is crushing the head of one of his foes.J. F. M.]. The form of expression, however, admits of being employed in the latter description of the Messianic conflict with the personal antichrist (Rev 19:11 ff.). [I subjoin Dr. Molls version. For a beautiful paraphrase, which agrees mainly with this version, see Mr. Perownes Commentary.
1 Of David; a Psalm.
An address of Jehovah to my Lord:
Sit thou at my right hand,
Until I make thy enemies
A stool for thy feet.
2 The sceptre of thy might
Will Jehovah stretch forth out of Zion;
Rule in the midst of thy enemies.
3 The people are ready on thy muster-day:
In holy array.
From the womb of the dawn,
(Comes) to thee the dew of thy youth (young warriors).
4 Jehovah has sworn and does not repent it:
Thou art Priest to eternity,
After the order of Melchizedec.
5 The Lord at thy right hand
Dashes kings to pieces in the day of his wrath,
6 Holds judgment over nations,
It (the battle-field) is full of corpses,
Crushes a head in a wide field
7 He drinks of the brook in the way,
Therefore he raises his head on high.J.F.M.].
DOCTRINAL AND ETHICAL
1. All progress in the history of the Church of God on earth is effected by the deeds of the Highest, in which He manifests Himself; all progress in the knowledge of those deeds is gathered through His revealed words. The latter often precede the former, and then bear the character of Divine promises, and come to the knowledge of the Church through the medium of prophetic vision and announcement. In this way she has received this truly lofty and crowning Psalm of our dear Lord Jesus Christ (Luther). I heard in spirit, saith the prophet David, God the heavenly Father speak with His beloved Son, and because it was a glorious kingly address, which I would were known to all the world, I will give it in this Psalm (John Arndt).
2. The exaltation of the King in the kingdom of God above all other kings, powers, and dominions, is not merely a spiritual one, of moral and religious significance. As an exaltation to the right hand of God, it transcends all earthly relations, being the only one of its kind, and proving itself to be such by glorious deeds of Divine might, which result in an incomparable and universal victory over each and every foe. For the sitting at Gods right hand is only a figurative expression, employed to set forth the infinite exaltation, the supereminence above all worlds, and the personal security of this King, in His actual participation in the Divine sovereignty. This position assures not only personal safety, but certain victory, in that conflict which He wages in behalf of Himself and His kingdom, not merely with Divine assistance, defence, and protection, but also with Divine strength. And this He will do until the end of the world. He gives no sign where Christ shall reign and where His Church shall be formed, except that they shall be among enemies (Luther). But as this King has a majestic throne, so He has also a wonderful foot-stool; and as His royal throne gives us great comfort, we are glad when we think of His footstool. How joyful also do His poor subjects become, when they hear that their Prince and King has smitten down their enemies, and thus delivered them from their power! (John Arndt).
3. But, as conflict precedes victory, so does a life of suffering, in the abasement of earthly existence, precede exaltation. Each side of the picture merits special regard. For, although the King of the Divine kingdom wages the conflict with Divine strength and in confidence of victory, according to Divine promise, yet He must encounter the toil and dangers and sacrifices of an actual warfare; and as He, with this end in view, assumes even this position according to Gods will, so He, like a mighty leader, summons His subjects to share them too. They are to contend together with Him and for Him, as He contends with them and for them.
4. All this gains a higher significance and a deeper sense when it is considered that it is Gods kingdom that is concerned, a people destined to be a kingdom of priests and the holy inheritance of the Eternal. They must be unceasingly reminded of this their destiny. But, with the exhortation to act accordingly and so carry on the conflict ordained for them, there is, by Divine mercy, united a promise that its issue can and will be successful, through that King who is also a Priest, and in whom royalty and priesthood are united personally and indissolubly, and in a manner contrary to the legal order in Israel.
5. In order to realize this promise, so sacredly secured, our faith must, on the one side, be directed beyond the national restrictions of the Mosaic and Levitical institutions and the Davidic and Theocratic history, and, on the other, the knowledge must be gained, that the royal Hero who crushes with the judgments of His wrath those who oppose Him, and the Intercessor and priestly Deliverer who blesses His people and reconciles them with God, are one and the same Person, whose coming the Church has to expect and for which she has to prepare. Our consolation, which sustains us, and makes the heart joyful and courageous against all the persecution and raging of the world, is, that in the midst of them we have a Lord, who not only redeems us from sin and eternal death, but also protects and delivers us in sufferings and persecution, so that we shall not perish. And although they rage with all their fierceness against Christians, yet neither the Gospel nor Christianity shall perish, but, on this very account, their own heads shall be crushed (Luther).
HOMILETICAL AND PRACTICAL
The King of Gods kingdom is Lord over all lords, but is not yet for a time acknowledged by all.The Lord who reconciles us with God, will also govern us as a priestly King; therefore let us serve Him as Gods people in the garments of holiness.In the wars of the Lord our victory is sure, but we must wage them as the host of our divine and priestly King.The heavenly King calls His forces to conflict and service; but He leads them also to victory, and appears Himself on their behalf with protection and blessing.The conflict of suffering, waged by the Church militant in obedience to her heavenly Lord, as the path that leads to a participation in His victories and in His glory.
Starke: O unspeakable joy! O strong consolation for believers, that they have a Brother, who sits on His throne at the right hand of God! In all times of persecution we can commit ourselves to Him.Christs kingdom is a powerful, invincible kingdom, for the sceptre of its King is a sceptre of strength, and this should urge us to deepest reverence, faith, and obedience towards Him.Here in the kingdom of grace, Christ rules among His enemies; for while He still concedes and grants much to them, He yet fulfils His counsel in the midst of all their rage; but there, in the kingdom of glory, He will reign over them and destroy all their wickedness forever.Christs people consist of willing members, who serve Him without compulsion, prompted by the child-like spirit dwelling in them. Hereby thou mayest prove whether thou dost belong to the people of God or not.The dew fertilizes and revives the earth; so believers are not only themselves fruitful in good works, but seek also to bring others to the saving fruit of righteousness, and aim to revive themselves and others.Since Christ is both Priest and King, He has power, not only to reconcile us completely, but also to overthrow all the enemies of our salvation, and to share with believers all the blessings of His kingdom.Christ fulfils His priestly office in all power, to eternity, without the help of any other; no saint therefore can help us as an intercessor.Since God the Father has ordained Christ to be an eternal Priest, He never dies to believers, and thus the consolation which flows forth to them never ceases.First the cup of sorrow, after that glory; that is Gods order. So had Christ also to suffer, and after that to enter into His glory (Luk 24:26; Rom 8:17).The Lord knows always how to show a brook on the way to pious pilgrims in their weariness, from which they may be refreshed and strengthened.As weak and feeble as the Church of God is in this world, in and for itself; so strong, yea, invincible is she, in her Help, Protector, and Defender, who is Christ.
Selnecker: While Christ sits at the right hand of God the Father, the Church will be wondrously preserved under tribulation and sufferings, and against the Devil and the world; but enemies will remain until the last day.Frisch: Both humiliation and exaltation were required of Him, who was to redeem us completely; the former to gain our salvation, the latter to make it sure to us.He who would stand under this Lord and Head, must be accustomed to drink with Him upon the way.Arndt: I know one who sits at Gods right hand, who is strong enough for all my enemies and all my misfortune. He sits on my behalf at Gods right hand to defend me.Rieger: David praises to the Son, what the Father will do in Him for the extension of His kingdom; while he declares with praise to the Father how the Son, in the sovereignty and priesthood, will do everything according to the Fathers will and pleasureVaihinger: As often as the Redeemer manifests His glory and power against the oppressors and enemies of His kingdom, so often does there arise in His people renewed willingness to serve Him, and so often are His worshippers increased.Richter: The kingdom of God is extended from the earthly Zion. Warriors and ambassadors of Christ are ever going forth from the spiritual Zion, the true Church; and He, from the heavenly Zion, directs everything with His rod and sceptre.Guenther: In spite of all foes, Christ is and remains the eternal King, and he who will not serve Him to his own salvation, must submit to Him to his condemnation.Schaubach: That our Redeemer took the form of a servant need give us no difficulty; He shall, from this state of humiliation, again enter into His exaltation.Taube: A people in priestly robes is a people equipped for battle.
[Matth. Henry: Sitting is a resting posture; after Christs services and sufferings He entered into rest from all His labors. It is a ruling posture; He sits to give law, to give judgment. It is a remaining posture; he sits like a King forever.The conversion of a soul consists in its being willing to be Christs, coming under His yoke and into His interests, with entire compliancy and satisfaction.There is a particular power, the power of the Spirit, going along with the power of the word, to the people of Christ, which is effectual to make them willing. The former leaves sinners without matter of excuse; this leaves saints without matter of boasting. Whoever are willing to be Christs people, it is the free and mighty grace of God which makes them so.J. F. M.]
Fuente: A Commentary on the Holy Scriptures, Critical, Doctrinal, and Homiletical by Lange
DISCOURSE: 684
THE PERSON AND OFFICES OF CHRIST
Psa 110:1-7. The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool. The Lord shall send the rod of thy strength out of Zion: rule thou in the midst of thine enemies. Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power, in the beauties of holiness from the womb of the morning: thou hast the dew of thy youth. The Lord hath sworn, and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek. The Lord at thy right hand shall strike through kings in the day of his wrath. He shall judge among the heathen: he shall fill the places with the dead bodies; he shall wound the heads over many countries. He shall drink of the brook in the way: therefore shall he lift up the head.
IN some of the Psalms, David speaks of himself only; in others, of himself and of the Messiah too; but in this, of the Messiah exclusively: not a word is applicable to any one else. The Jews have taken great pains to explain it away: but their attempts are, and ever must be, in vain.
In the first verse, David relates the Fathers address to his Son, when the council of peace was held between them: and the whole of the remainder is addressed by the Psalmist to the Messiah himself. It altogether elucidates in a very striking manner the character of Christ.
In it are set forth,
I.
His person
It is of great importance that we have just views of the Divinity of Christ
[On that depends the sufficiency of the atonement which he has offered for the sins of men. If he be only a creature, how can we be assured that the shedding of his blood has any more virtue and efficacy than the blood of bulls and goats? What proportion is there between the transitory sufferings of one creature, and the accumulated sins of all the children of men? How can we conceive that there should be such a value in the blood of any created being, as to purchase for a ruined world a deliverance from everlasting misery, and a possession of everlasting happiness and glory? But if our Redeemer be God as well as man, then we see at once, that, inasmuch as he is an infinitely glorious Being, there is an infinite merit in his obedience unto death, sufficient to justify the demands of law and justice for the sins of all mankind. On any other supposition than that Christ is God, there would be no force at all in that question of the Apostle, He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things [Note: Rom 8:32.]? What argument would it be to say, He that gave us a creature, how shall he not also give us himself, and all the glory of heaven? But if Christ be God, equal with the Father, then is the argument clear, obvious, and unanswerable.]
In the psalm before us the divinity of Christ is plainly asserted
[Our blessed Lord himself appeals to it, in order to confound and silence his malignant adversaries. Both Pharisees and Sadducees had endeavoured to ensnare him by difficult and perplexing questions: and, when he had answered, he put this question to them; What think ye of Christ? Whose son is he? and when they said, The Son of David, he asked them, How then doth David in Spirit call him Lord, saying, The Lord said unto my Lord, &c.? If David then call him Lord, how is he his son? And then we are told, No man was able to answer him a word [Note: Mat 22:41-46.]. Had they been willing to acknowledge Christ as their Messiah, they needed not to have been at any loss for an answer; for they knew him to be a son of David; and he had repeatedly declared himself to be God, insomuch that they had again and again taken up stones to stone him for blasphemy. But this passage proved beyond all doubt that the Messiah was to be the root, as well as the offspring of David; the Lord of David, as well as Davids son.
And here it is worthy of notice, that we see in this appeal what was the interpretation which the Jews of that day put upon the psalm before us. They all understood it as relating to the Messiah: and all the attempts of modern Jews to put any other construction upon it are futile in the extreme.
But by comparing the parallel passage in St. Mark, we see what the Jews of that day thought of the doctrine of the Trinity [Note: Mar 12:35-37.]. Our Lord speaks of the Holy Ghost as inspiring David, (which none but Jehovah could do,) to declare what Jehovah the Father had said to Jehovah the Son. If the doctrine of the Trinity had not been received among them, would they have been silent, and not known what to answer him? And would they from this time have been deterred by it from asking him any more questions?
Be it known then, that Christ is very God, and very man: he is that Word, who was in the beginning with God, and was God [Note: Joh 1:1; Joh 1:14.]; God manifest in the flesh [Note: 1Ti 3:16.]. He is, as the prophet calls him, the Mighty God [Note: Isa 9:6.], or, as St. Paul calls him, the Great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ [Note: Tit 2:13.], God over all blessed for ever [Note: Rom 9:5.].]
The Psalmist now addressing himself to the Messiah, proclaims to him the success that should attend him in the execution of,
II.
His offices
The second and third verses may undoubtedly be applied to his regal office, because they speak of his ruling in the midst of his enemies: but, if we consider how his victories are gained, namely, by his word and Spirit, and that it is by the illumination of mens minds that he subdues their hearts, we shall see that this part of the psalm may properly be understood as relating to his prophetic character. Accordingly we behold him here represented as,
1.
A Prophet
[The word is the rod of his strength, by which he works all the wonders of his grace. In itself it is as weak and inefficient as the rod of Moses, whereby he wrought all his miracles in Egypt; but, as applied by the Spirit of God to the souls of men, it is quick and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, and is mighty to the pulling down of all the strongholds of sin and Satan: it is the power of God unto salvation to all them that believe [Note: Rom 1:16.]. It came forth from Zion, even the word of the Lord from Jerusalem [Note: Isa 2:3.], when it was published by the holy Apostles; who delivered it, as they were commanded, to Jerusalem first, and then to other parts of the world. And there is this remarkable difference between the victories gained by it, and those gained by any carnal weapon: by the latter, men are brought to a reluctant submission; by the former, they are made willing, truly and cordially willing, to take Christs yoke upon them. Whenever the Lords time, the day of his power, is come, they, like the rams of Nebaioth, present themselves as voluntary sacrifices at Gods altar, and give up themselves unreservedly to the Lord [Note: Compare that beautiful passage Isa 60:4-8. with Rom 12:1 and 2Co 8:5.].
Nor is deliverance from death and hell the only object of their pursuit: they feel, that they can be happy only in the way of holiness; and therefore in the beauties of holiness they come unto him: their dispositions and habits are all changed: they abstain from sin, because they hate it; and obey the law, because they love it: and, could they obtain the desire of their hearts, they would be holy as God is holy, and perfect, even as their Father in heaven is perfect.
The numbers that shall thus be converted to the Lord exceed all calculation or conception. As the drops of dew issuing from the womb of the morning, so will be the progeny that shall be born to him, innumerable: there may be but an handful of corn cast on the top of the mountains; but yet shall the fruit be as the woods of Lebanon, and as the piles of grass upon the earth [Note: Psa 72:16.]. Thus powerfully did his word and Spirit operate in the early youth of the Church; and thus shall they operate to the very end of time: and it is worthy of particular observation, that the very first verse of this psalm, with the explanation given of it by the Apostle, was that which pierced the hearts of our Lords murderers, and subdued three thousand of them at once to the obedience of faith [Note: Act 2:34-37.].
David now proceeds to speak of Christ as,]
2.
A Priest
[As Christ was to offer a sacrifice for the sins of his people, he must of necessity be a priest. But from the Levitical priesthood, which was confined to the tribe of Levi, he was of necessity excluded, because he was of the tribe of Judah. There was however a priesthood of another order, the order of Melchizedec; and to that he was solemnly consecrated with an oath. What that priesthood was, we should never have known, if it had not been explained to us in the Epistle to the Hebrews. In the Mosaic history, Melchizedec is briefly mentioned, without any account of his predecessors or successors in his office [Note: Gen 14:18-20.]: and this was particularly overruled by God, in order that he might be a type of Christ, whose priesthood was from everlasting (in the divine counsels,) and everlastingly to continue in himself alone. Now at the time that the Levitical priesthood was in all its glory, David foretold, that it should be superseded, (and the whole Mosaic economy with it,) by a priesthood of a higher order; a priesthood, which Abraham himself, and all his posterity in him, acknowledged, and which, on account of the solemnity of its appointment, and the perpetuity of its duration, was of a far higher order [Note: Read Heb 7:1-28.].
Is it inquired, What sacrifice he had to offer? we answer, His own body, which through the eternal Spirit he offered without spot to God. And, having offered that sacrifice once for all, he now intercedes for us within the veil; and will come again at the end of the world to bless his redeemed people, and to make them partakers of everlasting blessedness.
But it is foretold yet further, that he was also to be,]
3.
A King [Note: Some, to reconcile ver. 5. with ver. 1. suppose that in ver. 5. David ceases to address the Messiah, and directs his speech to the Father. But this introduces needless perplexity into the subject. If we understand The Lord at thy right hand, as meaning, The Lord who is thy strength and thy support, (which is certainly its most obvious meaning,) the whole speech is uninterrupted and clear.]
[Melchizedec, though a priest, was a king also, and one that was most eminently fitted to typify the Saviour, being king of righteousness and peace [Note: Heb 7:2.]. Thus was Christ not a priest only, but a priest upon his throne [Note: Zec 6:13.]. Being now exalted to the right hand of God, he sitteth there, till all his enemies become his footstool. To him every knee shall bow, and every tongue shall swear allegiance: or, if any continue to withstand his overtures of mercy, he will smite them to the ground; yea, though they be the greatest monarchs upon earth: He will strike through kings in the day of his wrath. There is a day of wrath, as well as a day of mercy; and terrible indeed will be the wrath of the Lamb. As a mighty conqueror desolates the countries which he overruns, and fills them with the bodies of the slain, so will Jesus in that awful day. If he rule not men by their free consent, as their Lord, he will judge them as rebels, and wound the heads of all to the remotest corners of the earth: he will say, Bring hither those that were mine enemies, who would not that I should reign over them, and slay them before me.
Previous to his own victories, he was himself, according to human estimate, to be overcome. But his humiliation was to pave the way for his exaltation: by death he was to overcome him that had the power of death, and to deliver from death his ransomed people. This was the way pointed out in the very first proclamation of mercy to fallen man: The Seed of the woman was to bruise the serpents head; but the serpent was first to bruise his heel [Note: Gen 3:15.]. Accordingly he did drink of the brook in the way: he suffered infinitely more than words can express, or the mind of man can conceive; and then he lifted up the head, and was exalted far above all principalities and powers, whether of heaven or hell; and he shall surely reign till all his enemies be put under his feet.]
We cannot improve this subject better than by asking,
1.
What think ye of Christ?
[This is the very question which our Lord himself asked in reference to this psalm. Yet it is not a mere theoretical opinion that we ask for, but the practical persuasion of your hearts. Do you view him with reverence and love as your incarnate God? Do you look to him as your Prophet, to teach and guide you into all truth? Do you look to him as your great High Priest, trusting in his all-atoning sacrifice, and imploring an interest in his prevailing intercession? Do you farther look to him as your King, desiring him to bring, not your actions only, but your every thought, into captivity to his sacred will? This is the test whereby you are to try the state of your souls before God; for according to your experience of these things will be your sentence in the day of judgment ]
2.
What measure have ye of resemblance to him?
[God has ordained that all his people should be conformed to the image of his Son [Note: Rom 8:29.], in sufferings, in holiness, and in glory. Like him, they must drink of the brook in the way, and afterwards lift up the head. The Captain of our Salvation was made perfect through sufferings; and all the sons who shall be brought to glory must be made perfect in the same way [Note: Heb 2:10.]: through much tribulation they must enter into the kingdom of heaven. The mortifying of our members upon earth, with the cutting off a right hand, and plucking out a right eye, are strong and significant expressions, shewing clearly, that a life of godliness requires much painful labour and self-denial. Besides, there is much persecution also to be endured from an ungodly world; for all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. Nor are the conflicts that are to be sustained with all the powers of darkness of small consideration in the Christians warfare. Let me ask then, Are ye following Christ in this way? Are ye crucifying the flesh with the affections and lusts? Are ye following him boldly without the camp, bearing his reproach? Are ye fighting manfully the good fight of faith, and wrestling, not only with flesh and blood, but with all the principalities and powers of hell? Be assured that the kingdom of heaven cannot be taken without violence: the violent must take it by force. The work and offices of Christ will be of no avail in our behalf, if we do not take up our cross daily and follow him. Awake then, all of you, to the duties that are assigned you; and be content to suffer with him, that ye may be also glorified together.]
Fuente: Charles Simeon’s Horae Homileticae (Old and New Testaments)
CONTENTS
In this glorious Psalm, and in the Spirit of prophecy, the sacred writer celebrates the person, kingdom, priesthood, prophetical office, and character of the Lord Jesus. The whole of this portion of scripture refers to Christ, and to his people in him.
A Psalm of David.
Psa 110:1
In the opening of this gospel psalm, I pray the Reader to seek grace, with me, from God the Holy Ghost, that the eyes of our understanding may be enlightened, to see Jesus in and through every part of it; and that as we read it, we may be enabled to act faith upon Him of whom it treats, until our whole souls go forth in the most lively emotions of love and praise to the great Author of our salvation. We shall have a better and more clear conception of this conference between the Persons of the Godhead, if we take into our view some corresponding scriptures. For this purpose consult Isa 42:1-4 , where Jehovah the Father is speaking to the church concerning Christ. Then from the Isa 42:5-9 , where he is speaking to Christ. Read also Isa 49 where, in the form of a dialogue, the sacred Persons are conferring on the same subject of redemption. Christ begins the chapter with telling the Gentile church of his call as Messiah. Then from the 6th verse God the Father speaks to Christ on the same account. Both these scriptures serve to illustrate and explain each other, as well as to throw a light on the first verse of this Psalm: Jehovah said unto my Adonai. Read also as a farther confirmation, Mat 22:42-45 . Peter’s comment, Act 2:34-35 . Paul’s also, 1Co 15:25 . Then pause and contemplate God our Father thus addressing God the Son as the Messiah, the glorious head and surety of his people, when, having finished redemption-work he returned to glory, and sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high. Hail, almighty Conqueror! thou art worthy to receive all glory and honour; and we behold thee now on thy throne, having obtained eternal redemption for us by thy blood!
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Creation’s Witness to the Youth of Jesus
Psa 110:3
On the one hand, we have the eternal youth of Christ, and for us who are Christians, Christ is the Creator. On the other hand, we have this great creation, the handiwork of this eternal youth. Let us try and discover the witness of creation to the perpetual youth of Jesus Christ.
I. First, then, youth is the season of abounding energy. There is an eager strenuousness in opening life that is tamed or tempered by the advance of years: I look abroad upon creation, I watch the motion of the tides; I hear the roaring of the breakers; I mark the sweep of the rivers; I am told of the resistless progress of the glacier. And I cannot think of these resistless powers but I feel the stamp of energy on nature. Now as I see these energies of nature, I feel that the heart that fashioned it was young. Christ may have lived from everlasting ages before the moment of creation came; but the eternal morning was still upon His brow when He conceived and bodied out the world.
II. Once more, youth is the season of romance. It is in youth if ever that every dream is sweet and every sound is melody. In other words, life’s time of light and time of colour comes not in age but in youth. Well, now, I lift my eyes into the face of nature, and the splendour of light and the wealth of colour amaze me. I cannot watch the play of light and shade upon the sea, nor the magnificent splendours of the setting sun, but I feel that this is the romance of youth. That light and colour is not the work of age, it is the outpouring of a youthful heart. It speaks to me of the perpetual youth of Jesus.
III. But again, youth is the season of vast designs. To youth there is nothing impossible. Now we live in a world of vast design. Its distances are vast Its times are vast. This vastness, then, of space and time, that are inwrought into the design of the creation are eloquent of youth. And as I dwell on that, I turn to Christ and say, ‘Thou hast the dew of Thy youth’.
IV. Lastly, youth is the time of hope. There is a royal hopefulness in youth that is magnificent. And I must be blind, indeed, if in the world around me I have found no traces of that youthful spirit. In every spring there is the hope of summer. In every summer there is hope of harvest. So as we go out into the summer world, we shall take with us that thought of its creator. And we will remember that the Creator is our portion, and that He gives eternal life and eternal youth to us.
G. H. Morrison, Flood-Tide, p. 282.
The Dew of the Morning
Psa 110:3
It is fitting that a little child should be a Christian, because our Master, like every good man, loved children, and the child heart in its simplicity and purity is the symbol of the kingdom of Heaven. It is fitting that an old man be a Christian, because Christ only of all teachers has lifted the veil from the other world and assured the human soul that the grave is the gate of life It is fitting that a woman be a Christian, because Christ cast His shield over womanhood, and fulfilled the finest aspirations of a woman’s heart. It is fitting that a man bearing the burden of life in his middle years should be a Christian, because the peace of Christ can alone garrison the heart and mind against corrupting worldliness. But there are reasons why of all people it is most fitting that a man in the flush of his youth should accept Christ, and why the religion of Jesus makes its most persuasive appeal to men in their early life, and why the words of this ancient prophecy should ever come true: ‘Thou hast thy young warriors as the dew of the morning’.
And the reason I wish to urge this is because our Master was a young man.
References. CX. 3. J. Vaughan, Children’s Sermons, 1875, p. 132. Spurgeon, Sermons, vol. ii. No. 74. G. Brooks, Outlines of Sermons, p. 397.
A Priest After the Order of Melchizedek
Psa 110:4
Let us consider what a priest means, and what place, if any, he holds in the Church of Christ. The profession of priest is, I suppose, the oldest in the world. The opponents of religion in the eighteenth century pretended that the priests invented religion. Of course that is not true. Religion invented the priests. But since religion is practically universal we find priests everywhere and in all times.
I. What is the essential idea of a priest? What does the word imply, over and above what is implied by such words as minister or pastor? It implies this, the priest is an ambassador between God and man. The traditions in his case are, or should be, part of the stored wisdom of humanity in Divine things, the experience of God’s saints in their dealings with God. The true and false priests are thus as far apart as heaven and hell. The false priest desires that men should remain bound till he comes to set them free. He will plunder his people like the sons of Eli; he will sacrifice the innocent blood like Caiaphas; to maintain the supposed interests of the Church he will buy the gift of God to sell it at a profit like Simon Magus. But the true priest is a born teacher and healer. He teaches and he heals because he cannot help it, necessity is laid upon him yea, woe is me (he says) if I preach not the Gospel.
II. In the Church of Christ the grace of the priestly office is not reserved for a particular caste or profession. This power of helping others in their spiritual life, of lifting them up when they have fallen, of encouraging them when they are faint, and showing them the right path when they are in doubt is the most blessed gift which God gives to any man. It is given irrespectively of profession or sex, and it is given to be used.
W. R. Inge, All Saints’ Sermons, p. 161.
References. CX. 4. G. Brooks, Outlines of Sermons, p. 398. J. Vaughan, Fifty Sermons (2nd Series), p. 29. CX. International Critical Commentary, vol. ii. p. 373. CXI. 2. Bishop Wilberforce, Sermons, p. 182.
Fuente: Expositor’s Dictionary of Text by Robertson
PSALMS
XI
AN INTRODUCTION TO THE BOOK OF PSALMS
According to my usual custom, when taking up the study of a book of the Bible I give at the beginning a list of books as helps to the study of that book. The following books I heartily commend on the Psalms:
1. Sampey’s Syllabus for Old Testament Study . This is especially good on the grouping and outlining of some selected psalms. There are also some valuable suggestions on other features of the book.
2. Kirkpatrick’g commentary, in “Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges,” is an excellent aid in the study of the Psalter.
3. Perowne’s Book of Psalms is a good, scholarly treatise on the Psalms. A special feature of this commentary is the author’s “New Translation” and his notes are very helpful.
4. Spurgeon’s Treasury of David. This is just what the title implies. It is a voluminous, devotional interpretation of the Psalms and helpful to those who have the time for such extensive study of the Psalter.
5. Hengstenburg on the Psalms. This is a fine, scholarly work by one of the greatest of the conservative German scholars.
6. Maclaren on the Psalms, in “The Expositor’s Bible,” is the work of the world’s safest, sanest, and best of all works that have ever been written on the Psalms.
7. Thirtle on the Titles of the Psalms. This is the best on the subject and well worth a careful study.
At this point some definitions are in order. The Hebrew word for psalm means praise. The word in English comes from psalmos , a song of lyrical character, or a song to be sung and accompanied with a lyre. The Psalter is a collection of sacred and inspired songs, composed at different times and by different authors.
The range of time in composition was more than 1,000 years, or from the time of Moses to the time of Ezra. The collection in its present form was arranged probably by Ezra in the fifth century, B.C.
The Jewish classification of Old Testament books was The Law, the Prophets, and the Holy Writings. The Psalms was given the first place in the last group.
They had several names, or titles, of the Psalms. In Hebrew they are called “The Book of Prayers,” or “The Book of Praises.” The Hebrew word thus used means praises. The title of the first two books is found in Psa 72:20 : “The prayers of David the son of Jesse are ended.” The title of the whole collection of Psalms in the Septuagint is Biblos Psalman which means the “Book of Psalms.” The title in the Alexandrian Codex is Psalterion which is the name of a stringed instrument, and means “The Psalter.”
The derivation of our English words, “psalms,” “psalter,” and “psaltery,” respectively, is as follows:
1. “Psalms” comes from the Greek word, psalmoi, which is also from psallein , which means to play upon a stringed instrument. Therefore the Psalms are songs played upon stringed instruments, and the word here is used to apply to the whole collection.
2. “Psalter” is of the same origin and means the Book of Psalms and refers also to the whole collection.
3. “Psaltery” is from the word psalterion, which means “a harp,” an instrument, supposed to be in the shape of a triangle or like the delta of the Greek alphabet. See Psa 33:2 ; Psa 71:22 ; Psa 81:2 ; Psa 144:9 .
In our collection there are 150 psalms. In the Septuagint there is one extra. It is regarded as being outside the sacred collection and not inspired. The subject of this extra psalm is “David’s victory over Goliath.” The following is a copy of it: I was small among my brethren, And youngest in my father’s house, I used to feed my father’s sheep. My hands made a harp, My fingers fashioned a Psaltery. And who will declare unto my Lord? He is Lord, he it is who heareth. He it was who sent his angel And took me from my father’s sheep, And anointed me with the oil of his anointing. My brethren were goodly and tall, But the Lord took no pleasure in them. I went forth to meet the Philistine. And he cursed me by his idols But I drew the sword from beside him; I beheaded him and removed reproach from the children of Israel.
It will be noted that this psalm does not have the earmarks of an inspired production. There is not found in it the modesty so characteristic of David, but there is here an evident spirit of boasting and self-praise which is foreign to the Spirit of inspiration.
There is a difference in the numbering of the psalms in our version which follows the Hebrew, and the numbering in the Septuagint. Omitting the extra one in the Septuagint, there is no difference as to the total number. Both have 150 and the same subject matter, but they are not divided alike.
The following scheme shows the division according to our version and also the Septuagint: Psalms 1-8 in the Hebrew equal 1-8 in the Septuagint; 9-10 in the Hebrew combine into 9 in the Septuagint; 11-113 in the Hebrew equal 10-112 in the Septuagint; 114-115 in the Hebrew combine into 113 in the Septuagint; 116 in the Hebrew divides into 114-115 in the Septuagint; 117-146 in the Hebrew equal 116-145 in the Septuagint; 147 in the Hebrew divides into 146-147 in the Septuagint; 148-150 in the Hebrew equal 148-150 in the Septuagint.
The arrangement in the Vulgate is the same as the Septuagint. Also some of the older English versions have this arangement. Another difficulty in numbering perplexes an inexperienced student in turning from one version to another, viz: In the Hebrew often the title is verse I, and sometimes the title embraces verses 1-2.
The book divisions of the Psalter are five books, as follows:
Book I, Psalms 1-41 (41 chapters)
Book II, Psalms 42-72 (31 chapters)
Book III, Psalms 73-89 (17 chapters)
Book IV, Psalms 90-106 (17 chapters)
Book V, Psalms 107-150 (44 chapters)
They are marked by an introduction and a doxology. Psalm I forms an introduction to the whole book; Psa 150 is the doxology for the whole book. The introduction and doxology of each book are the first and last psalms of each division, respectively.
There were smaller collections before the final one, as follows:
Books I and II were by David; Book III, by Hezekiah, and Books IV and V, by Ezra.
Certain principles determined the arrangement of the several psalms in the present collection:
1. David is honored with first place, Book I and II, including Psalms 1-72.
2. They are grouped according to the use of the name of God:
(1) Psalms 1-41 are Jehovah psalms;
(2) Psalms 42-83 are Elohim-psalms;
(3) Psalms 84-150 are Jehovah psalms.
3. Book IV is introduced by the psalm of Moses, which is the first psalm written.
4. Some are arranged as companion psalms, for instance, sometimes two, sometimes three, and sometimes more. Examples: Psa 2 and 3; 22, 23, and 24; 113-118.
5. They were arranged for liturgical purposes, which furnished the psalms for special occasions, such as feasts, etc. We may be sure this arrangement was not accidental. An intelligent study of each case is convincing that it was determined upon rational grounds.
All the psalms have titles but thirty-three, as follows:
In Book I, Psa 1 ; Psa 2 ; Psa 10 ; Psa 33 , (4 are without titles).
In Book II, Psa 43 ; Psa 71 , (2 are without titles).
In Book IV, Psa 91 ; Psa 93 ; Psa 94 ; Psa 95 ; Psa 96 ; Psa 97 ; Psa 104 ; Psa 105 ; Psa 106 , (9 are without titles).
In Book V, Psa 107 ; III; 112; 113; 114; 115; 116; 117; 118; 119; 135; 136; 137; 146; 147; 148; 149; 150, (18 are without titles).
The Talmud calls these psalms that have no title, “Orphan Psalms.” The later Jews supply these titles by taking the nearest preceding author. The lack of titles in Psa 1 ; Psa 2 ; and 10 may be accounted for as follows: Psa 1 is a general introduction to the whole collection and Psa 2 was, perhaps, a part of Psa 1 . Psalms 9-10 were formerly combined into one, therefore Psa 10 has the same title as Psa 9 .
QUESTIONS
1. What books are commended on the Psalms?
2. What is a psalm?
3. What is the Psalter?
4. What is the range of time in composition?
5. When and by whom was the collection in its present form arranged?
6. What the Jewish classification of Old Testament books, and what the position of the Psalter in this classification?
7. What is the Hebrew title of the Psalms?
8. Find the title of the first two books from the books themselves.
9. What is the title of the whole collection of psalms in the Septuagint?
10. What is the title in the Alexandrian Codex?
11. What is the derivation of our English word, “Psalms”, “Psalter”, and “Psaltery,” respectively?
12. How many psalms in our collection?
13. How many psalms in the Septuagint?
14. What about the extra one in the Septuagint?
15. What is the subject of this extra psalm?
16. How does it compare with the Canonical Psalms?
17. What is the difference in the numbering of the psalms in our version which follows the Hebrew, and the numbering in the Septuagint?
18. What is the arrangement in the Vulgate?
19. What other difficulty in numbering which perplexes an inexperienced student in turning from one version to another?
20. What are the book divisions of the Psalter and how are these divisions marked?
21. Were there smaller collections before the final one? If so, what were they?
22. What principles determined the arrangement of the several psalms in the present collection?
23. In what conclusion may we rest concerning this arrangement?
24. How many of the psalms have no titles?
25. What does the Talmud call these psalms that have no titles?
26. How do later Jews supply these titles?
27. How do you account for the lack of titles in Psa 1 ; Psa 2 ; Psa 10 ?
XII
AN INTRODUCTION TO THE BOOK OF PSALMS (CONTINUED)
The following is a list of the items of information gathered from the titles of the psalms:
1. The author: “A Psalm of David” (Psa 37 ).
2. The occasion: “When he fled from Absalom, his son” (Psa 3 ).
3. The nature, or character, of the poem:
(1) Maschil, meaning “instruction,” a didactic poem (Psa 42 ).
(2) Michtam, meaning “gold,” “A Golden Psalm”; this means excellence or mystery (Psa 16 ; 56-60).
4. The occasion of its use: “A Psalm of David for the dedication of the house” (Psa 30 ).
5. Its purpose: “A Psalm of David to bring remembrance” (Psa 38 ; Psa 70 ).
6. Direction for its use: “A Psalm of David for the chief musician” (Psa 4 ).
7. The kind of musical instrument:
(1) Neginoth, meaning to strike a chord, as on stringed instruments (Psa 4 ; Psa 61 ).
(2) Nehiloth, meaning to perforate, as a pipe or flute (Psa 5 ).
(3) Shoshannim, Lilies, which refers probably to cymbals (Psa 45 ; Psa 69 ).
8. A special choir:
(1) Sheminith, the “eighth,” or octave below, as a male choir (Psa 6 ; Psa 12 ).
(2) Alamoth, female choir (Psa 46 ).
(3) Muth-labben, music with virgin voice, to be sung by a choir of boys in the treble (Psa 9 ).
9. The keynote, or tune:
(1) Aijeleth-sharar, “Hind of the morning,” a song to the melody of which this is sung (Psa 22 ).
(2) Al-tashheth, “Destroy thou not,” the beginning of a song the tune of which is sung (Psa 57 ; Psa 58 ; Psa 59 ; Psa 75 ).
(3) Gittith, set to the tune of Gath, perhaps a tune which David brought from Gath (Psa 8 ; Psa 81 ; Psa 84 ).
(4) Jonath-elim-rehokim, “The dove of the distant terebinths,” the commencement of an ode to the air of which this song was to be sung (Psa 56 ).
(5) Leannoth, the name of a tune (Psa 88 ).
(6) Mahalath, an instrument (Psa 53 ); Leonnoth-Mahaloth, to chant to a tune called Mahaloth.
(7) Shiggaion, a song or a hymn.
(8) Shushan-Eduth, “Lily of testimony,” a tune (Psa 60 ). Note some examples: (1) “America,” “Shiloh,” “Auld Lang Syne.” These are the names of songs such as we are familiar with; (2) “Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing” and “There Is a Fountain Filled with Blood,” are examples of sacred hymns.
10. The liturgical use, those noted for the feasts, e.g., the Hallels and Hallelujah Psalms (Psalms 146-150).
11. The destination, as “Song of Ascents” (Psalms 120-134)
12. The direction for the music, such as Selah, which means “Singers, pause”; Higgaion-Selah, to strike a symphony with selah, which means an instrumental interlude (Psa 9:16 ).
The longest and fullest title to any of the psalms is the title to Psa 60 . The items of information from this title are as follows: (1) the author; (2) the chief musician; (3) the historical occasion; (4) the use, or design; (5) the style of poetry; (6) the instrument or style of music.
The parts of these superscriptions which most concern us now are those indicating author, occasion, and date. As to the historic value or trustworthiness of these titles most modern scholars deny that they are a part of the Hebrew text, but the oldest Hebrew text of which we know anything had all of them. This is the text from which the Septuagint was translated. It is much more probable that the author affixed them than later writers. There is no internal evidence in any of the psalms that disproves the correctness of them, but much to confirm. The critics disagree among themselves altogether as to these titles. Hence their testimony cannot consistently be received. Nor can it ever be received until they have at least agreed upon a common ground of opposition.
David is the author of more than half the entire collection, the arrangement of which is as follows:
1. Seventy-three are ascribed to him in the superscriptions.
2. Some of these are but continuations of the preceding ones of a pair, trio, or larger group.
3. Some of the Korahite Psalms are manifestly Davidic.
4. Some not ascribed to him in the titles are attributed to him expressly by New Testament writers.
5. It is not possible to account for some parts of the Psalter without David. The history of his early life as found in Samuel, 1 and 2 Kings, and 1and 2 Chronicles, not only shows his remarkable genius for patriotic and sacred songs and music, but also shows his cultivation of that gift in the schools of the prophets. Some of these psalms of the history appear in the Psalter itself. It is plain to all who read these that they are founded on experience, and the experience of no other Hebrew fits the case. These experiences are found in Samuel, 1 and 2 Kings, and 1 and 2 Chronicles.
As to the attempt of the destructive critics to rob David of his glory in relation to the Psalter by assigning the Maccabean era as the date of composition, I have this to say:
1. This theory has no historical support whatever, and therefore is not to be accepted at all.
2. It has no support in tradition, which weakens the contention of the critics greatly.
3. It has no support from finding any one with the necessary experience for their basis.
4. They can give no reasonable account as to how the titles ever got there.
5. It is psychologically impossible for anyone to have written these 150 psalms in the Maccabean times.
6. Their position is expressly contrary to the testimony of Christ and the apostles. Some of the psalms which they ascribe to the Maccabean Age are attributed to David by Christ himself, who said that David wrote them in the Spirit.
The obvious aim of this criticism and the necessary result if it be Just, is a positive denial of the inspiration of both Testaments.
Other authors are named in the titles, as follows: (1) Asaph, to whom twelve psalms have been assigned: (2) Mosee, Psa 90 ; (3) Solomon, Psa 72 ; Psa 127 ; (4) Heman, Psa 80 ; (5) Ethem, Psa 89 ; (6) A number of the psalms are ascribed to the sons of Korah.
Not all the psalms ascribed to Asaph were composed by one person. History indicates that Asaph’s family presided over the song service for several generations. Some of them were composed by his descendants by the game name. The five general outlines of the whole collection are as follows:
I. By books
1. Psalms 1-41 (41)
2. Psalms 42-72 (31)
3. Psalms 73-89 (17)
4. Psalms 90-106 (17)
5. Psalms 107-150 (44)
II. According to date and authorship
1. The psalm of Moses (Psa 90 )
2. Psalms of David:
(1) The shepherd boy (Psa 8 ; Psa 19 ; Psa 29 ; Psa 23 ).
(2) David when persecuted by Saul (Psa 59 ; Psa 56 ; Psa 34 ; Psa 52 ; Psa 54 ; Psa 57 ; Psa 142 ).
(3) David the King (Psa 101 ; Psa 18 ; Psa 24 ; Psa 2 ; Psa 110 ; Psa 20 ; Psa 20 ; Psa 21 ; Psa 60 ; Psa 51 ; Psa 32 ; Psa 41 ; Psa 55 ; Psa 3:4 ; Psa 64 ; Psa 62 ; Psa 61 ; Psa 27 ).
3. The Asaph Psalms (Psa 50 ; Psa 73 ; Psa 83 ).
4. The Korahite Psalms (Psa 42 ; Psa 43 ; Psa 84 ).
5. The psalms of Solomon (Psa 72 ; Psa 127 ).
6. The psalms of the era of Hezekiah and Isaiah (Psa 46 ; Psa 47 ; Psa 48 )
7. The psalms of the Exile (Psa 74 ; Psa 79 ; Psa 137 ; Psa 102 )
8. The psalms of the Restoration (Psa 85 ; Psa 126 ; Psa 118 ; 146-150)
III. By groups
1. The Jehovistic and Elohistic Psalms:
(1) Psalms 1-41 are Jehovistic;
(2) Psalms 42-83 are Elohistic Psalms;
(3) Psalms 84-150 are Jehovistic.
2. The Penitential Psalms (Psa 6 ; Psa 32 ; Psa 38 ; Psa 51 ; Psa 102 ; Psa 130 ; Psa 143 )
3. The Pilgrim Psalms (Psalms 120-134)
4. The Alphabetical Psalms (Psa 9 ; Psa 10 ; Psa 25 ; Psa 34 ; Psa 37 ; 111:112; Psa 119 ; Psa 145 )
5. The Hallelujah Psalms (Psalms 11-113; 115-117; 146-150; to which may be added Psa 135 ) Psalms 113-118 are called “the Egyptian Hallel”
IV. Doctrines of the Psalms
1. The throne of grace and how to approach it by sacrifice, prayer, and praise.
2. The covenant, the basis of worship.
3. The paradoxical assertions of both innocence & guilt.
4. The pardon of sin and justification.
5. The Messiah.
6. The future life, pro and con.
7. The imprecations.
8. Other doctrines.
V. The New Testament use of the Psalms
1. Direct references and quotations in the New Testament.
2. The allusions to the psalms in the New Testament. Certain experiences of David’s life made very deep impressions on his heart, such as: (1) his peaceful early life; (2) his persecution by Saul; (3) his being crowned king of the people; (4) the bringing up of the ark; (5) his first great sin; (6) Absalom’s rebellion; (7) his second great sin; (8) the great promise made to him in 2Sa 7 ; (9) the feelings of his old age.
We may classify the Davidic Psalms according to these experiences following the order of time, thus:
1. His peaceful early life (Psa 8 ; Psa 19 ; Psa 29 ; Psa 23 )
2. His persecution by Saul (Psa 59 ; Psa 56 ; Psa 34 ; Psa 7 ; Psa 52 ; Psa 120 ; Psa 140 ; Psa 54 ; Psa 57 ; Psa 142 ; Psa 17 ; Psa 18 )
3. Making David King (Psa 27 ; Psa 133 ; Psa 101 )
4. Bringing up the ark (Psa 68 ; Psa 24 ; Psa 132 ; Psa 15 ; Psa 78 ; Psa 96 )
5. His first great sin (Psa 51 ; Psa 32 )
6. Absalom’s rebellion (Psa 41 ; Psa 6 ; Psa 55 ; Psa 109 ; Psa 38 ; Psa 39 ; Psa 3 ; Psa 4 ; Psa 63 ; Psa 42 ; Psa 43 ; Psa 5 ; Psa 62 ; Psa 61 ; Psa 27 )
7. His second great sin (Psa 69 ; Psa 71 ; Psa 102 ; Psa 103 )
8. The great promise made to him in 2Sa 7 (Psa 2 )
9. Feelings of old age (Psa 37 )
The great doctrines of the psalms may be noted as follows: (1) the being and attributes of God; (3) sin, both original and individual; (3) both covenants; (4) the doctrine of justification; (5) concerning the Messiah.
There is a striking analogy between the Pentateuch and the Psalms. The Pentateuch contains five books of law; the Psalms contain five books of heart responses to the law.
It is interesting to note the historic controversies concerning the singing of psalms. These were controversies about singing uninspired songs, in the Middle Ages. The church would not allow anything to be used but psalms.
The history in Samuel, 1 and 2 Kings, and 1 and 2 Chronicles, and in Ezra and Nehemiah is very valuable toward a proper interpretation of the psalms. These books furnish the historical setting for a great many of the psalms which is very indispensable to their proper interpretation.
Professor James Robertson, in the Poetry and Religion of the Psalms constructs a broad and strong argument in favor of the Davidic Psalms, as follows:
1. The age of David furnished promising soil for the growth of poetry.
2. David’s qualifications for composing the psalms make it highly probable that David is the author of the psalms ascribed to him.
3. The arguments against the possibility of ascribing to David any of the hymns in the Hebrew Psalter rests upon assumptions that are thoroughly antibiblical.
The New Testament makes large use of the psalms and we learn much as to their importance in teaching. There are seventy direct quotations in the New Testament from this book, from which we learn that the Scriptures were used extensively in accord with 2Ti 3:16-17 . There are also eleven references to the psalms in the New Testament from which we learn that the New Testament writers were thoroughly imbued with the spirit and teaching of the psalms. Then there are eight allusions ‘to this book in the New Testament from which we gather that the Psalms was one of the divisions of the Old Testament and that they were used in the early church.
QUESTIONS
1. Give a list of the items of information gathered from the titles of the psalms.
2. What is the longest title to any of the psalms and what the items of this title?
3. What parts of these superscriptions most concern us now?
4. What is the historic value, or trustworthiness of these titles?
5. State the argument showing David’s relation to the psalms.
6. What have you to say of the attempt of the destructive critics to rob David of his glory in relation to the Psalter by assigning the Maccabean era as the date of composition?
7. What the obvious aim of this criticism and the necessary result, if it be just?
8. What other authors are named in the titles?
9. Were all the psalms ascribed to Asaph composed by one person?
10. Give the five general outlines of the whole collection, as follows: I. The outline by books II. The outline according to date and authorship III. The outline by groups IV. The outline of doctrines V. The outline by New Testament quotations or allusions.
11. What experiences of David’s life made very deep impressions on his heart?
12. Classify the Davidic Psalms according to these experiences following the order of time.
13. What the great doctrines of the psalms?
14. What analogy between the Pentateuch and the Psalms?
15. What historic controversies concerning the singing of psalms?
16. Of what value is the history in Samuel, 1 Kings and 2 Chronicles, and in Ezra and Nehemiah toward a proper interpretation of the psalms?
17. Give Professor James Robertson’s argument in favor of the Davidic authorship of the psalms.
18. What can you say of the New Testament use of the psalms and what do we learn as to their importance in teaching?
19. What can you say of the New Testament references to the psalms, and from the New Testament references what the impression on the New Testament writers?
20. What can you say of the allusions to the psalms in the New Testament?
XVII
THE MESSIAH IN THE PSALMS
A fine text for this chapter is as follows: “All things must be fulfilled which were written in the Psalms concerning me,” Luk 24:44 . I know of no better way to close my brief treatise on the Psalms than to discuss the subject of the Messiah as revealed in this book.
Attention has been called to the threefold division of the Old Testament cited by our Lord, namely, the Law, the Prophets, and the Psalms (Luk 24:44 ), in all of which were the prophecies relating to himself that “must be fulfilled.” It has been shown just what Old Testament books belong to each of these several divisions. The division called the Psalms included many books, styled Holy Writings, and because the Psalms proper was the first book of the division it gave the name to the whole division.
The object of this discussion is to sketch the psalmist’s outline of the Messiah, or rather, to show how nearly a complete picture of our Lord is foredrawn in this one book. Let us understand however with Paul, that all prophecy is but in part (1Co 13:9 ), and that when we fill in on one canvas all the prophecies concerning the Messiah of all the Old Testament divisions, we are far from having a perfect portrait of our Lord. The present purpose is limited to three things:
1. What the book of the Psalms teaches concerning the Messiah.
2. That the New Testament shall authoritatively specify and expound this teaching.
3. That the many messianic predictions scattered over the book and the specifications thereof over the New Testament may be grouped into an orderly analysis, so that by the adjustment of the scattered parts we may have before us a picture of our Lord as foreseen by the psalmists.
In allowing the New Testament to authoritatively specify and expound the predictive features of the book, I am not unmindful of what the so-called “higher critics” urge against the New Testament quotations from the Old Testament and the use made of them. In this discussion, however, these objections are not considered, for sufficient reasons. There is not space for it. Even at the risk of being misjudged I must just now summarily pass all these objections, dismissing them with a single statement upon which the reader may place his own estimate of value. That statement is that in the days of my own infidelity, before this old method of criticism had its new name, I was quite familiar with the most and certainly the strongest of the objections now classified as higher criticism, and have since patiently re-examined them in their widely conflicting restatements under their modern name, and find my faith in the New Testament method of dealing with the Old Testament in no way shattered, but in every way confirmed. God is his own interpreter. The Old Testament as we now have it was in the hands of our Lord. I understand his apostle to declare, substantially, that “every one of these sacred scriptures is God-inspired and is profitable for teaching us what is right to believe and to do, for convincing us what is wrong in faith or practice, for rectifying the wrong when done, that we may be ready at every point, furnished completely, to do every good work, at the right time, in the right manner, and from the proper motive” (2Ti 3:16-17 ).
This New Testament declares that David was a prophet (Act 2:30 ), that he spake by the Holy Spirit (Act 1:16 ), that when the book speaks the Holy Spirit speaks (Heb 3:7 ), and that all its predictive utterances, as sacred Scripture, “must be fulfilled” (Joh 13:18 ; Act 1:16 ). It is not claimed that David wrote all the psalms, but that all are inspired, and that as he was the chief author, the book goes by his name.
It would be a fine thing to make out two lists, as follows:
1. All of the 150 psalms in order from which the New Testament quotes with messianic application.
2. The New Testament quotations, book by book, i.e., Matthew so many, and then the other books in their order.
We would find in neither of these any order as to time, that is, Psa 1 which forecasts an incident in the coming Messiah’s life does not forecast the first incident of his life. And even the New Testament citations are not in exact order as to time and incident of his life. To get the messianic picture before us, therefore, we must put the scattered parts together in their due relation and order, and so construct our own analysis. That is the prime object of this discussion. It is not claimed that the analysis now presented is perfect. It is too much the result of hasty, offhand work by an exceedingly busy man. It will serve, however, as a temporary working model, which any one may subsequently improve. We come at once to the psalmist’s outline of the Messiah.
1. The necessity for a Saviour. This foreseen necessity is a background of the psalmists’ portrait of the Messiah. The necessity consists in (1) man’s sinfulness; (2) his sin; (3) his inability of wisdom and power to recover himself; (4) the insufficiency of legal, typical sacrifices in securing atonement.
The predicate of Paul’s great argument on justification by faith is the universal depravity and guilt of man. He is everywhere corrupt in nature; everywhere an actual transgressor; everywhere under condemnation. But the scriptural proofs of this depravity and sin the apostle draws mainly from the book of the Psalms. In one paragraph of the letter to the Romans (Rom 3:4-18 ), he cites and groups six passages from six divisions of the Psalms (Psa 5:9 ; Psa 10:7 ; Psa 14:1-3 ; Psa 36:1 ; Psa 51:4-6 ; Psa 140:3 ). These passages abundantly prove man’s sinfulness, or natural depravity, and his universal practice of sin.
The predicate also of the same apostle’s great argument for revelation and salvation by a Redeemer is man’s inability of wisdom and power to re-establish communion with God. In one of his letters to the Corinthians he thus commences his argument: “For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent. Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of this world? Hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? -For after that in the wisdom of God, the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preach-ing to save them that believe.” He closes this discussion with the broad proposition: “The wisdom of this world is foolishness with God,” and proves it by a citation from Psa 94:11 : “The Lord knoweth the thoughts of the wise, that they are vain.”
In like manner our Lord himself pours scorn on human wisdom and strength by twice citing Psa 8 : “At that time Jesus answered and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent and hast revealed them unto babes. Even so, Father: for so it seemed good in thy sight” (Mat 11:25-26 ). “And when the chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children that were crying in the temple and saying, Hosanna to the Son of David; they were sore displeased, and said unto him, Hearest thou what these say? And Jesus saith unto them, Yea; have ye never read, Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected praise?” (Mat 21:15-16 ).
But the necessity for a Saviour as foreseen by the psalmist did not stop at man’s depravity, sin, and helplessness. The Jews were trusting in the sacrifices of their law offered on the smoking altar. The inherent weakness of these offerings, their lack of intrinsic merit, their ultimate abolition, their complete fulfilment and supercession by a glorious antitype were foreseen and foreshown in this wonderful prophetic book: I will not reprove thee for thy sacrifices; And thy burnt offerings are continually before me. I will take no bullock out of thy house, Nor he-goat out of thy folds. For every beast of the forest is mine, And the cattle upon a thousand hills. I know all of the birds of the mountains; And the wild beasts of the field are mine. If I were hungry, I would not tell thee; For the world is mine, and the fulness thereof. Will I eat the flesh of bulls, Or drink the blood of goats? Psa 50:8-13 .
Yet again it speaks in that more striking passage cited in the letter to the Hebrews: “For the law having a shadow of good things to come, not the very image of the things, can never with the same sacrifices year by year, which they offer continually, make the comers thereunto perfect. For then would they not have ceased to be offered? because that the worshipers, once purged should have no more consciousness of sins. But in those sacrifices there is a remembrance made of sins year by year. For it is impossible that the blood of bulls and goats should take away sins. Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldst not, But a body didst thou prepare for me; In whole burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hadst no pleasure: Then said I, Lo, I am come (In the roll of the book it is written of me) To do thy will, O God. Saying above, Sacrifice and offering and whole burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin thou wouldst not, neither hadst pleasure therein, (the which are offered according to the law), then hath he said, Lo, I am come to do thy will, O God. He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second” (Heb 10:1-9 ).
This keen foresight of the temporary character and intrinsic worthlessness of animal sacrifices anticipated similar utterances by the later prophets (Isa 1:10-17 ; Jer 6:20 ; Jer 7:21-23 ; Hos 6:6 ; Amo 5:21 ; Mic 6:6-8 ). Indeed, I may as well state in passing that when the apostle declares, “It is impossible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins,” he lays down a broad principle, just as applicable to baptism and the Lord’s Supper. With reverence I state the principle: Not even God himself by mere appointment can vest in any ordinance, itself lacking intrinsic merit, the power to take away sin. There can be, therefore, in the nature of the case, no sacramental salvation. This would destroy the justice of God in order to exalt his mercy. Clearly the psalmist foresaw that “truth and mercy must meet together” before “righteousness and peace could kiss each other” (Psa 85:10 ). Thus we find as the dark background of the psalmists’ luminous portrait of the Messiah, the necessity for a Saviour.
2. The nature, extent, and blessedness of the salvation to be wrought by the coming Messiah. In no other prophetic book are the nature, fullness, and blessedness of salvation so clearly seen and so vividly portrayed. Besides others not now enumerated, certainly the psalmists clearly forecast four great elements of salvation:
(1) An atoning sacrifice of intrinsic merit offered once for all (Psa 40:6-8 ; Heb 10:4-10 ).
(2) Regeneration itself consisting of cleansing, renewal, and justification. We hear his impassioned statement of the necessity of regeneration: “Behold, I was shapen in iniquity and in sin did my mother conceive me. Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts,” followed by his earnest prayer: “Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me,” and his equally fervent petition: “Wash me thoroughly from mine iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. Purge me with hyssop and I shall be clean; wash me and I shall be whiter than snow” (Psa 51 ). And we hear him again as Paul describes the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputes righteousness without works, saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, And whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not reckon sin Psa 32:1 ; Rom 4:6-8 .
(3) Introduction into the heavenly rest (Psa 95:7-11 ; Heb 3:7-19 ; Heb 4:1-11 ). Here is the antitypical Joshua leading spiritual Israel across the Jordan of death into the heavenly Canaan, the eternal rest that remaineth for the people of God. Here we find creation’s original sabbath eclipsed by redemption’s greater sabbath when the Redeemer “entered his rest, ceasing from his own works as God did from his.”
(4) The recovery of all the universal dominion lost by the first Adam and the securement of all possible dominion which the first Adam never attained (Psa 8:5-6 ; Eph 1:20-22 ; Heb 2:7-9 ; 1Co 15:24-28 ).
What vast extent then and what blessedness in the salvation foreseen by the psalmists, and to be wrought by the Messiah. Atoning sacrifice of intrinsic merit; regeneration by the Holy Spirit; heavenly rest as an eternal inheritance; and universal dominion shared with Christ!
3. The wondrous person of the Messiah in his dual nature, divine and human.
(1) His divinity,
(a) as God: “Thy throne, O God, is forever and ever” (Psa 45:6 and Heb 1:8 ) ;
(b) as creator of the heavens and earth, immutable and eternal: Of old didst thou lay the foundation of the earth; And the heavens are the work of thy hands. They shall perish, but thou shalt endure; Yea, all of them shall wax old like a garment; As a vesture shalt thou change them, and they shall be changed. But thou art the same, And thy years shall have no end Psa 102:25-27 quoted with slight changes in Heb 1:10-12 .
(c) As owner of the earth: The earth is the Lord’s and the fulness thereof; The world, and they that dwell therein, Psa 24:1 quoted in 1Co 10:26 .
(d) As the Son of God: “Thou art my Son; This day have I begotten thee” Psa 2:7 ; Heb 1:5 .
(e) As David’s Lord: The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, Until I make thine enemies thy footstool, Psa 110:1 ; Mat 22:41-46 .
(f) As the object of angelic worship: “And let all the angels of God worship him” Psa 97:7 ; Heb 1:6 .
(g) As the Bread of life: And he rained down manna upon them to eat, And gave them food from heaven Psa 78:24 ; interpreted in Joh 6:31-58 . These are but samples which ascribe deity to the Messiah of the psalmists.
(2) His humanity, (a) As the Son of man, or Son of Adam: Psa 8:4-6 , cited in 1Co 15:24-28 ; Eph 1:20-22 ; Heb 2:7-9 . Compare Luke’s genealogy, Luk 3:23-38 . This is the ideal man, or Second Adam, who regains Paradise Lost, who recovers race dominion, in whose image all his spiritual lineage is begotten. 1Co 15:45-49 . (b) As the Son of David: Psa 18:50 ; Psa 89:4 ; Psa 89:29 ; Psa 89:36 ; Psa 132:11 , cited in Luk 1:32 ; Act 13:22-23 ; Rom 1:3 ; 2Ti 2:8 . Perhaps a better statement of the psalmists’ vision of the wonderful person of the Messiah would be: He saw the uncreated Son, the second person of the trinity, in counsel and compact with the Father, arranging in eternity for the salvation of men: Psa 40:6-8 ; Heb 10:5-7 . Then he saw this Holy One stoop to be the Son of man: Psa 8:4-6 ; Heb 2:7-9 . Then he was the son of David, and then he saw him rise again to be the Son of God: Psa 2:7 ; Rom 1:3-4 .
4. His offices.
(1) As the one atoning sacrifice (Psa 40:6-8 ; Heb 10:5-7 ).
(2) As the great Prophet, or Preacher (Psa 40:9-10 ; Psa 22:22 ; Heb 2:12 ). Even the method of his teaching by parable was foreseen (Psa 78:2 ; Mat 13:35 ). Equally also the grace, wisdom, and power of his teaching. When the psalmist declares that “Grace is poured into thy lips” (Psa 45:2 ), we need not be startled when we read that all the doctors in the Temple who heard him when only a boy “were astonished at his understanding and answers” (Luk 2:47 ); nor that his home people at Nazareth “all bear him witness, and wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth” (Luk 4:22 ); nor that those of his own country were astonished, and said, “Whence hath this man this wisdom?” (Mat 13:54 ); nor that the Jews in the Temple marveled, saying, “How knoweth this man letters, having never learned?” (Joh 7:15 ) ; nor that the stern officers of the law found their justification in failure to arrest him in the declaration, “Never man spake like this man” (Joh 7:46 ).
(3) As the king (Psa 2:6 ; Psa 24:7-10 ; Psa 45:1-17 ; Psa 110:1 ; Mat 22:42-46 ; Act 2:33-36 ; 1Co 15:25 ; Eph 1:20 ; Heb 1:13 ).
(4) As the priest (Psa 110:4 ; Heb 5:5-10 ; Heb 7:1-21 ; Heb 10:12-14 ).
(5) As the final judge. The very sentence of expulsion pronounced upon the finally impenitent by the great judge (Mat 25:41 ) is borrowed from the psalmist’s prophetic words (Psa 6:8 ).
5. Incidents of life. The psalmists not only foresaw the necessity for a Saviour; the nature, extent, and blessedness of the salvation; the wonderful human-divine person of the Saviour; the offices to be filled by him in the work of salvation, but also many thrilling details of his work in life, death, resurrection, and exaltation. It is not assumed to cite all these details, but some of the most important are enumerated in order, thus:
(1) The visit, adoration, and gifts of the Magi recorded in Mat 2 are but partial fulfilment of Psa 72:9-10 .
(2) The scripture employed by Satan in the temptation of our Lord (Luk 4:10-11 ) was cited from Psa 91:11-12 and its pertinency not denied.
(3) In accounting for his intense earnestness and the apparently extreme measures adopted by our Lord in his first purification of the Temple (Joh 2:17 ), he cites the messianic zeal predicted in Psa 69:9 .
(4) Alienation from his own family was one of the saddest trials of our Lord’s earthly life. They are slow to understand his mission and to enter into sympathy with him. His self-abnegation and exhaustive toil were regarded by them as evidences of mental aberration, and it seems at one time they were ready to resort to forcible restraint of his freedom) virtually what in our time would be called arrest under a writ of lunacy. While at the last his half-brothers became distinguished preachers of his gospel, for a long while they do not believe on him. And the evidence forces us to the conclusion that his own mother shared with her other sons, in kind though not in degree, the misunderstanding of the supremacy of his mission over family relations. The New Testament record speaks for itself:
Son, why hast thou thus dealt with us? behold, thy father and I sought thee sorrowing. And he said unto them. How is it that ye sought me? Knew ye not that I must be in my Father’s house? And they understood not the saying which he spake unto them Luk 2:48-51 (R.V.).
And when the wine failed, the mother of Jesus saith unto him, They have no wine. And Jesus saith unto her, Woman, what have I to do with thee? Mine hour is not yet come. Joh 2:3-5 (R.V.).
And there come his mother and his brethren; and standing without; they sent unto him, calling him. And a multitude was sitting about him; and they say unto him. Behold, thy mother and thy brethren without seek for thee. And he answereth them, and saith, Who is my mother and my brethren? And looking round on them that sat round about him, he saith, Behold, my mother and my brethren) For whosoever shall do the will of God, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother Mar 3:31-35 (R.V.).
Now the feast of the Jews, the feast of tabernacles, was at hand. His brethren therefore said unto him, Depart hence, and go into Judea, that thy disciples also may behold thy works which thou doest. For no man doeth anything in secret, and himself seeketh to be known openly. If thou doest these things, manifest thyself to the world. For even his brethren did not believe on him. Jesus therefore saith unto them, My time is not yet come; but your time is always ready. The world cannot hate you; but me it hateth, because I testify of it, that its works are evil. Go ye up unto the feast: I go not up yet unto this feast; because my time is not fulfilled. Joh 7:2-9 (R.V.).
These citations from the Revised Version tell their own story. But all that sad story is foreshown in the prophetic psalms. For example: I am become a stranger unto my brethren, And an alien unto my mother’s children. Psa 69:8 .
(5) The triumphal entry into Jerusalem was welcomed by a joyous people shouting a benediction from Psa 118:26 : “Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord” (Mat 21:9 ); and the Lord’s lamentation over Jerusalem predicts continued desolation and banishment from his sight until the Jews are ready to repeat that benediction (Mat 23:39 ).
(6) The children’s hosanna in the Temple after its second purgation is declared by our Lord to be a fulfilment of that perfect praise forecast in Psa 8:2 .
(7) The final rejection of our Lord by his own people was also clear in the psalmist’s vision (Psa 118:22 ; Mat 21:42-44 ).
(8) Gethsemane’s baptism of suffering, with its strong crying and tears and prayers was as clear to the psalmist’s prophetic vision as to the evangelist and apostle after it became history (Psa 69:1-4 ; Psa 69:13-20 ; and Mat 26:36-44 ; Heb 5:7 ).
(9) In life-size also before the psalmist was the betrayer of Christ and his doom (Psa 41:9 ; Psa 69:25 ; Psa 109:6-8 ; Joh 13:18 ; Act 1:20 ).
(10) The rage of the people, Jew and Gentile, and the conspiracy of Pilate and Herod are clearly outlined (Psa 2:1-3 ; Act 4:25-27 ).
(11) All the farce of his trial the false accusation, his own marvelous silence; and the inhuman maltreatment to which he was subjected, is foreshown in the prophecy as dramatically as in the history (Mat 26:57-68 ; Mat 27:26-31 ; Psa 27:12 ; Psa 35:15-16 ; Psa 38:3 ; Psa 69:19 ).
The circumstances of his death, many and clear, are distinctly foreseen. He died in the prime of life (Psa 89:45 ; Psa 102:23-24 ). He died by crucifixion (Psa 22:14-17 ; Luk 23 ; 33; Joh 19:23-37 ; Joh 20:27 ). But yet not a bone of his body was broken (Psa 34:20 ; Joh 19:36 ).
The persecution, hatred without a cause, the mockery and insults, are all vividly and dramatically foretold (Psa 22:6-13 ; Psa 35:7 ; Psa 35:12 ; Psa 35:15 ; Psa 35:21 ; Psa 109:25 ).
The parting of his garments and the gambling for his vesture (Psa 22:18 ; Mat 27:35 ).
His intense thirst and the gall and vinegar offered for his drink (Psa 69:21 ; Mat 27:34 ).
In the psalms, too, we hear his prayers for his enemies so remarkably fulfilled in fact (Psa 109:4 ; Luk 23:34 ).
His spiritual death was also before the eye of the psalmist, and the very words which expressed it the psalmist heard. Separation from the Father is spiritual death. The sinner’s substitute must die the sinner’s death, death physical, i.e., separation of soul from body; death spiritual, i.e., separation of the soul from God. The latter is the real death and must precede the former. This death the substitute died when he cried out: “My God, My God, why hast thou forsaken me.” (Psa 22:1 ; Mat 27:46 ).
Emerging from the darkness of that death, which was the hour of the prince of darkness, the psalmist heard him commend his spirit to the Father (Psa_31:35; Luk 23:46 ) showing that while he died the spiritual death, his soul was not permanently abandoned unto hell (Psa 16:8-10 ; Act 2:25 ) so that while he “tasted death” for every man it was not permanent death (Heb 2:9 ).
With equal clearness the psalmist foresaw his resurrection, his triumph over death and hell, his glorious ascension into heaven, and his exaltation at the right hand of God as King of kings and Lord of lords, as a high Driest forever, as invested with universal sovereignty (Psa 16:8-11 ; Psa 24:7-10 ; Psa 68:18 ; Psa 2:6 ; Psa 111:1-4 ; Psa 8:4-6 ; Act 2:25-36 ; Eph 1:19-23 ; Eph 4:8-10 ).
We see, therefore, brethren, when the scattered parts are put together and adjusted, how nearly complete a portrait of our Lord is put upon the prophetic canvas by this inspired limner, the sweet singer of Israel.
QUESTIONS
1. What is a good text for this chapter?
2. What is the threefold division of the Old Testament as cited by our Lord?
3. What is the last division called and why?
4. What is the object of the discussion in this chapter?
5. To what three things is the purpose limited?
6. What especially qualifies the author to meet the objections of the higher critics to allowing the New Testament usage of the Old Testament to determine its meaning and application?
7. What is the author’s conviction relative to the Scriptures?
8. What is the New Testament testimony on the question of inspiration?
9. What is the author’s suggested plan of approach to the study of the Messiah in the Psalms?
10. What the background of the Psalmist’s portrait of the Messiah and of what does it consist?
11. Give the substance of Paul’s discussion of man’s sinfulness.
12. What is the teaching of Jesus on this point?
13. What is the teaching relative to sacrifices?
14. What the nature, extent, and blessedness of the salvation to be wrought by the coming Messiah and what the four great elements of it as forecast by the psalmist?
15. What is the teaching of the psalms relative to the wondrous person of the Messiah? Discuss.
16. What are the offices of the Messiah according to psalms? Discuss each.
17. Cite the more important events of the Messiah’s life according to the vision of the psalmist.
18. What the circumstances of the Messiah’s death and resurrection as foreseen by the psalmist?
Fuente: B.H. Carroll’s An Interpretation of the English Bible
XVI
THE MESSIANIC PSALMS AND OTHERS
We commence this chapter by giving a classified list of the Messianic Psalms, as follows:
The Royal Psalms are:
Psa 110 ; Psa 2 ; Psa 72 ; Psa 45 ; Psa 89 ;
The Passion Psalms are:
Psa 22 ; Psa 41 ; Psa 69 ;
The Psalms of the Ideal Man are Psa 8 ; Psa 16 ; Psa 40 ;
The Missionary Psalms are:
Psa 47 ; Psa 65 ; Psa 68 ; Psa 96 ; Psa 100 ; Psa 117 .
The predictions before David of the coming Messiah are, (1) the seed of the woman; (2) the seed of Abraham; (3) the seed of Judah; (4) the seed of David.
The prophecies of history concerning the Messiah are, (1) a prophet like unto Moses; (2) a priest after the order of Melchizedek; (3) a sacrifice which embraces all the sacrificial offerings of the Old Testament; (4) direct references to him as King, as in 2Sa 7:8 ff.
The messianic offices as taught in the psalms are four, viz: (1) The Messiah is presented as Prophet, or Teacher (Psa 40:8 ); (2) as Sacrifice, or an Offering for sin (Psa 40:6 ff.; Heb 10:5 ff.) ; (3) he is presented as Priest (Psa 110:4 ); (4) he is presented as King (Psa 45 ).
The psalms most clearly presenting the Messiah in his various phases and functions are as follows: (1) as the ideal man, or Second Adam (8); (2) as Prophet (Psa 40 ); (3) as Sacrifice (Psa 22 ) ; (4) as King (Psa 45 ) ; (5) as Priest (Psa 110 ) ; (6) in his universal reign (Psa 72 ).
It will be noted that other psalms teach these facts also, but these most clearly set forth the offices as they relate to the Messiah.
The Messiah as a sacrifice is presented in general in Psa 40:6 . His sufferings as such are given in a specific and general way in Psa 22 ; Psa 41 ; Psa 69 . The events of his sufferings in particular are described, beginning with the betrayal of Judas, as follows:
1. Judas betrayed him (Mat 26:14 ) in fulfilment of Psa 41:9 .
2. At the Supper (Mat 26:24 ) Christ said, “The Son of man goeth as it is written of him,” referring to Psa 22 .
3. They sang after the Supper in fulfilment of Psa 22:22 .
4. Piercing his hands and feet, Psa 22:16 .
5. They cast lots for his vesture in fulfilment of Psa 22:18 .
6. Just before the ninth hour the chief priests reviled him (Mat 27:43 ) in fulfilment of Psa 22:8 .
7. At the ninth hour (Mat 27:46 ) he quoted Psa 22:1 .
8. Near his death (Joh 19:28 ) he said, in fulfilment of Psa 69:21 , “I thirst.”
9. At that time they gave him vinegar (Mat 27:48 ) in fulfilment of Psa 69:21 .
10. When he was found dead they did not break his bones (Joh 19:36 ) in fulfilment of Psa 34:20 .
11. He is represented as dead, buried, and raised in Psa 16:10 .
12. His suffering as a substitute is described in Psa 69:9 .
13. The result of his crucifixion to them who crucified him is given in Psa 69:22-23 . Compare Rom 11:9-10 .
The Penitential Psalms are Psa 6 ; Psa 32 ; Psa 38 ; Psa 51 ; Psa 102 ; Psa 130 ; Psa 143 . The occasion of Psa 6 was the grief and penitence of David over Absalom; of Psa 32 was the blessedness of forgiveness after his sin with Bathsheba, the wife of Uriah; Psa 38 , David’s reference to his sin with Bathsheba; Psa 51 , David’s penitence and prayer for forgiveness for this sin; Psa 102 , the penitence of the children of Israel on the eve of their return from captivity; Psalm 130, a general penitential psalm; Psa 143 , David’s penitence and prayer when pursued by Absalom.
The Pilgrim Psalms are Psalms 120-134. This section of the psalter is called the “Little Psalter.” These Psalms were collected in the days of Ezra and Nehemiah, in troublous times. The author of the central psalm of this collection is Solomon, and he wrote it when he built his Temple. The Davidic Psalms in this collection are Psa 120 ; Psa 122 ; Psa 124 ; Psa 131 ; Psa 132 ; Psa 133 . The others were written during the building of the second Temple. They are called in the Septuagint “Songs of the Steps.”
There are four theories as to the meaning of the titles, “Songs of the Steps,” “Songs of Degrees,” or “Songs of Ascents,” viz:
1. The first theory is that the “Songs of the Steps” means the songs of the fifteen steps from the court of the women to the court of Israel, there being a song for each step.
2. The second theory is that advanced by Luther, which says that they were songs of a higher choir, elevated above, or in an elevated voice.
3. The third theory is that the thought in these psalms advances by degrees.
4. The fourth theory is that they are Pilgrim Psalms, or the songs that they sang while going up to the great feasts.
Certain scriptures give the true idea of these titles, viz: Exo 23:14-17 ; Exo 34:23-24 ; 1Sa 1:3 ; 1Ki 12:27-28 : Psa 122:1-4 ; and the proof of their singing as they went is found in Psa_42:4; 100; and Isa 30:29 . They went, singing these psalms, to the Feasts of the Passover, Pentecost, and Tabernacles. Psa 121 was sung when just in sight of Jerusalem and Psa 122 was sung at the gate. Psa 128 is the description of a good man’s home and a parallel to this psalm in modern literature is Burns’s “Cotter’s Saturday Night.” The pious home makes the nation great.
Psa 133 is a psalm of fellowship. It is one of the finest expressions of the blessings that issue when God’s people dwell together in unity. The reference here is to the anointing of Aaron as high priest and the fragrance of the anointing oil which was used in these anointings. The dew of Hermon represents the blessing of God upon his people when they dwell together in such unity.
Now let us look at the Alphabetical Psalms. An alphabetical psalm is one in which the letters of the Hebrew alphabet are used alphabetically to commence each division. In Psalms 111-112, each clause so begins; in Psa 25 ; Psa 34 ; Psa 145 ; each verse so begins; in Psa 37 each stanza of two verses so begins; in 119 each stanza of eight verses so begins, and each of the eight lines begins with the same letter. In Psa 25 ; 34 37 the order is not so strict; in Psa 9 and Psa 10 there are some traces of this alphabetical order.
David originated these alphabetical psalms and the most complete specimen is Psa 119 , which is an expansion of the latter part of Psa 19 .
A certain group of psalms is called the Hallelujah Psalms. They are so called because the word “Hallelujah” is used at the beginning, or at the ending, and sometimes at both the beginning and the ending. The Hallelujah Psalms are Psalm 111-113; 115-117; 146-150. Psa 117 is a doxology; and Psalms 146-150 were used as anthems. Psa 148 calls on all creation to praise God. Francis of Assisi wrote a hymn based on this psalm in which he called the sun his honorable brother and the cricket his sister. Psa 150 calls for all varieties of instruments. Psalms 113-118 are called the Egyptian Hallel. They were used at the Passover (Psalm 113-114), before the Supper and Psalm 115-118 were sung after the Supper. According to this, Jesus and his disciples sang Psalms 115-118 at the last Passover Supper. These psalms were sung also at the Feasts of Pentecost, Tabernacles, Dedication, and New Moon.
The name of God is delayed long in Psa 114 . Addison said, “That the surprise might be complete.” Then there are some special characteristics of Psa 115 , viz: (1) It was written against idols. Cf. Isa 44:9-20 ; (2) It is antiphonal, the congregation singing Psa 115:1-8 , the choir Psa 115:9-12 , the priests Psa 115:13-15 and the congregation again Psa 115:16-18 . The theme of Psa 116 is love, based on gratitude for a great deliverance, expressed in service. It is appropriate to read at the celebration of the Lord’s Supper and Psa 116:15 is especially appropriate for funeral services.
On some special historical occasions certain psalms were sung. Psa 46 was sung by the army of Gustavus Adolphus before the decisive battle of Leipzig, on September 17, 1631.Psa 68 was sung by Cromwell’s army on the occasion of the battle of Dunbar in Scotland.
Certain passages in the Psalms show that the psalm writers approved the offering of Mosaic animal sacrifices. For instance, Psa 118:27 ; Psa 141:2 seem to teach very clearly that they approved the Mosaic sacrifice. But other passages show that these inspired writers estimated spiritual sacrifices as more important and foresaw the abolition of the animal sacrifices. Such passages are Psa 50:7-15 ; Psa 4:5 ; Psa 27:6 ; Psa 40:6 ; Psa 51:16-17 . These scriptures show conclusively that the writers estimated spiritual sacrifices as more important than the Mosaic sacrifices.
QUESTIONS
1. What are the Royal Psalms?
2. What are the Passion Psalms?
3. What are the Psalms of the Ideal Man?
4. What are the Missionary Psalms?
5. What are the predictions before David of the coming Messiah?
6. What are the prophecies of history concerning the Messiah?
7. Give a regular order of thought concerning the messianic offices as taught in the psalms.
8. Which psalms most clearly present the Messiah as (1) the ideal man, or Second Adam, (2) which as Prophet, or Teacher, (3) which as the Sacrifice, (4) which as King, (5) which as Priest, (6) which his universal reign?
9. Concerning the suffering Messiah, or the Messiah as a sacrifice, state the words or facts, verified in the New Testament as fulfilment of prophecy in the psalms. Let the order of the citations follow the order of facts in Christ’s life.
10. Name the Penitential Psalms and show their occasion.
11. What are the Pilgrim Psalms?
12. What is this section of the Psalter called?
13. When and under what conditions were these psalms collected?
14. Who is the author of the central psalm of this collection?
15. What Davidic Psalms are in this collection?
16. When were the others written?
17. What are they called in the Septuagint?
18. What four theories as to the meaning of the titles, “Songs of the Steps,” “Songs of Degrees,” or “Songs of Ascents”?
19. What scriptures give the true idea of these titles?
20. Give proof of their singing as they went.
21. To what feasts did they go singing these Psalms?
22. What was the special use made of Psa 121 and Psa 122 ?
23. Which of these psalms is the description of a good man’s home and what parallel in modern literature?
24. Expound Psa 133 .
25. What is an alphabetical psalm, and what are the several kinds?
26. Who originated these Alphabetical Psalms?
27. What are the most complete specimen?
28. Of what is it an expansion?
29. Why is a certain group of psalms called the Hallelujah Psalms?
30. What are the Hallelujah Psalms?
31. Which of the Hallelujah Psalms was a doxology?
32. Which of these were used as anthems?
33. Which psalm calls on all creation to praise God?
34. Who wrote a hymn based on Psa 148 in which he called the sun his honorable brother and the cricket his sister?
35. Which of these psalms calls for all varieties of instruments?
36. What is the Egyptian Hallel?
37. What is their special use and how were they sung?
38. Then what hymns did Jesus and his disciples sing?
39. At what other feasts was this sung?
40. Why was the name of God delayed so long in Psa 114 ?
41. What are the characteristics of Psa 115 ?
42. What is the theme and special use of Psa 116 ?
43. State some special historical occasions on which certain psalms were sung. Give the psalm for each occasion.
44. Cite passages in the psalms showing that the psalm writers approved the offering of Mosaic animal sacrifices.
45. Cite other passages showing that these inspired writers estimated spiritual sacrifices as more important than the Mosaic sacrifices.
Fuente: B.H. Carroll’s An Interpretation of the English Bible
Psa 110:1 A Psalm of David. The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool.
A Psalm of David ] Concerning Christ, saith R. Obadiah, and so say Christ himself, Mat 22:44 , and his apostles, 1Co 15:25 Heb 1:13 ; Heb 10:12-13 , though some Rabbis maliciously say otherwise, as R. Joseph, caecus qui hic caecutit, to say the best of him, and other Jewish doctors, who stagger here in their expositions, as drunkards, (Chrysostom).
Ver. 1. The Lord said unto my Lord ] In this one verse we have a description of Christ’s person, his wars and his victory; so that we may say of it (and so indeed of the whole psalm, which is an epitome of the gospel), as Cicero did of Brutus’s laconical epistle, Quam multa, quam paucisi How much in a little. See Trapp on “ Mat 22:44 “
Sit thou at my right hand
Until I make thine enemies thy footstool
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
“A psalm of David.” None but Messiah, Jesus, was ever called to sit at Jehovah’s right hand; and He, because He was David’s Lord as well as his son, the great Melchizedek withal as even now seen by faith. But His glory as Head to the church His body is in no way here revealed. The mystery was great. But we are here clearly told what He will do, not for His friends, but against His foes. The smitten head over a great country appears to be either the king of the north, or Gog. Christ shines out from heaven to destroy Antichrist, etc. But here the rod of His might is sent out of Zion, to deal first with the king of the north; as finally with his great patron, the Lord of all the Russias, who will have made that king strong, and then falls himself for ever.
The next three psalms are plainly a trilogy in suited succession, following up that which set out the exaltation of Messiah on high and the coming day of His Power out Of Zion. The first two of the three are acrostics, but all are the praises of Jah (Hallelu-jah) for the deliverance of His people by Messiah.
Fuente: William Kelly Major Works (New Testament)
NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: Psa 100:1-3
1Shout joyfully to the Lord, all the earth.
2Serve the Lord with gladness;
Come before Him with joyful singing.
3Know that the Lord Himself is God;
It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves;
We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.
Psa 100:1 The Psalms regularly express a universal aspect of Israel’s God. He is the one true God, creator, sustainer, redeemer (cf. Psalms 33; Psalms 47; Psalms 98).
The USB Handbook (p. 852) suggests that all the earth should be understood with each of the poetic lines in Psa 100:2-4.
Psa 100:2 In light of YHWH as the one and only God (see SPECIAL TOPIC: MONOTHEISM ) they
1. serve Him with gladness, cf. Deu 12:11-12; Deu 28:47
2. come before Him with joyful singing, cf. Psa 66:1; Psa 81:1; Psa 95:2
Both of these imperatives (also Psa 100:4) refer to temple worship.
with joyful singing This feminine noun (BDB 943) refers to a shout of joy (i.e. NIDOTTE, vol. 3, p. 1128) or cry of joy, cf. Job 3:7; Job 20:5; Psa 63:5.
Psa 100:3 the Lord Himself is God This is a recurrent theme of the uniqueness of YHWH (cf. Exo 8:10; Exo 9:14; Deu 4:35; Deu 4:39; 1Ki 18:39; Psa 46:10).
It is He who made us This refers to the call and promise (including the exodus, cf. Gen 15:12-21) to Abraham and his descendants (see Contextual Insights, B).
NASB, NKJV,
NJB, LXX,
PESHITTAand not we ourselves
NKJV, TEV,
JPSOA, REB,
Vulgateand we are His
The first option follows the MT (Kethiv). The second is a suggestion made by the Masoretic scholars who compiled the MT (Qere). The UBS Text Project (p. 373) gives the Qere a B rating (some doubt).
The problem is whether and not is a preposition, His or a conjunction and a negative. Both would sound exactly alike when read.
Fuente: You Can Understand the Bible: Study Guide Commentary Series by Bob Utley
Title. A Psalm. Hebrew. mizmor. App-65.
of David. Relating to the true David, and interpreted of Him and by Him. See note below.
The LORD. Hebrew. Jehovah. App-4. Quoted in Mat 22:41-46. Act 2:34, Act 2:35. Heb 1:13.
said. Hebrew. ne’um Jehovah = “the Greekcle (or oracular utterance) of Jehovah”. It is almost always used of the immediate direct utterance of Jehovah Himself; seldom of that of the prophet; (Num 24:3, Num 24:15); David (2Sa 23:1).
my Lord = Adonai, App-4. : i.e. David’s Lord: i.e. the Messiah. Compare Mat 22:41-46.
Sit Thou, &c. Figure of speech Anthropopatheia. App-6.
Until I make, &c. Quoted or referred to seven times in N.T. (Mat 22:44. Mar 12:36. Luk 20:42. Act 2:34. Heb 1:13; Heb 10:13. 1Co 15:25).
make Thine enemies Thy footstool = set Thine enemies [as] a footstool for Thy feet. In the New Testament, Greek = tithemi (2 aor. subj.) = “shall have placed”. 1Co 15:25 is the exception, where it is not “set as a footstool”, but put “under”, because Christ’s session on His own throne (Mat 25:31. Rev 3:21) is there referred to, instead of His session on His Father’s throne, as in all the other quotations.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Psa 110:1-7 :
The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool ( Psa 110:1 ).
This immediately gives to us the indication that this is one of those Messianic psalms. Or a psalm concerning the Messiah that has its fulfillment in Jesus Christ. And this first verse of the psalm is quoted in Hebrews as referring to Jesus Christ. “As the Lord said unto my Lord,” or Yahweh said unto my Lord, Adonai, “Sit Thou at My right hand, until I make Thine enemies Thy footstool.” Jesus is now sitting at the right hand of the Father in glory. And God is coming to judge the earth, to put down all of the enemies of Jesus Christ, to bring all things in subjection unto Him. And by the time the Great Tribulation is over, the nations will have been subdued and will be brought in subjection unto Jesus Christ who shall come to reign. But the Father said, or, “The Lord said unto my Lord, ‘Sit Thou at My right hand, until I make Thine enemies Thy footstool.”
So the writer of the Hebrews said, “God hath put all things in subjection unto Him, but we do not yet see all things in subjection” ( Heb 2:8 ). It hasn’t yet come; yet it shall. But we see Jesus.
The LORD shall send the rod of thy strength out of Zion: rule thou in the midst of thine enemies. Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power, in the beauties of holiness from the womb of the morning: thou hast the dew of thy youth. The LORD hath sworn, and he will not change, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek ( Psa 110:2-4 ).
Now here in this prophetic psalm is an interesting little shot. It takes us immediately back to the time of Abraham, who when five kings had gotten together and came down and captured four cities and took slaves and the loot from Sodom. And Abraham heard of it and his nephew Lot was there in Sodom. And so he gathered the servants of his own house, armed them, and they took out after this confederacy of kings. They caught up with them, and Abraham and his servants destroyed them and got back Lot and all of the captives, and all of the loot that these kings had taken.
Now as Abraham with his servants was coming back victorious, as they came near Jerusalem, the priest of the most high God in Jerusalem came out to meet Abraham with bread and wine. And Abraham gave to him a tenth of all that he had; that is, of the spoils that he had taken. Abraham paid tithes unto him. The priest was named Melchizedek. He had a second name, the King of Peace.
Now Abraham, the father of the nation; Abraham, the father of the faithful, those who will believe, in paying tithes to Melchizedek and receiving from Melchizedek a blessing, is showing that Melchizedek is actually one step above Abraham. For the lesser receives the blessing from the greater. And receiving the blessing from Melchizedek, the King of Peace, and paying tithes unto him, he was doing homage unto Melchizedek, known as the priest of the most high God.
Now Abraham had a son, Isaac, who had a son Jacob, who had twelve sons; one named Levi that was ordained by God to be the priestly tribe in Israel. And the family of Moses, Aaron, were chosen to be a high priest from the family of Aaron. Now Jesus, when He came, became the great High Priest unto God. For the duty of the priest was always twofold. The priest would appear before God for the people because the people themselves could not approach the holy, righteous God. It was necessary that they come to the priest who was a mediator, and the priest would go to God for the people. And then, having gone to God for the people, he would come out to the people and speak to them for God. And so God said unto Aaron, “And when you go forth and put My name upon the people, put My name on the people thus, ‘The Lord bless thee, and keep thee: the Lord cause His face to shine upon thee, and give thee peace” ( Num 6:23-26 ). So he represented God to the people, but he represented the people to God, so he was a mediator.
Now in the New Testament, we have a new mediator, not a son of Levi. But He became the great high priest who went before God to represent us and who comes to us to represent the Father. But a Jew would immediately object to Jesus receiving the title of the great High Priest. For a Jew would say, “How can Jesus be a great high priest when He comes from the tribe of Judah? The Bible doesn’t say anything about Judah being the priesthood, but speaks of Levi and the priesthood in Levi. Therefore, how can Jesus be the high priest coming from the tribe of Judah?” And this is how that difficulty is solved.
Even in the scripture itself, even in prophecy, God threw this in to the mind of the psalmist. As he’s writing this psalm, God threw it in in order that there might be the basis for the high priesthood of Jesus. “For thou has sworn, and will not repent,” “I have sworn and not will not repent,” or, “The Lord has sworn, will not repent, ‘Thou art a priest forever after,'” not the Aaronic order, or the Levitical order, but after “the order of Melchizedek.” An order of priesthood which actually precedes the order of Levi and is superior to the order of Levi in that the father of Levi paid tithes and did homage unto Melchizedek.
So it is actually a superior order of priesthood, the priesthood of Melchizedek, to whom Abraham paid tithes and did homage. Therefore, Christ, a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.
Now, there are certain Bible scholars that believe that Melchizedek was actually none other than Jesus Christ in what is known as the theophany, the appearance of God in the Old Testament.
In the gospel of John, Jesus is having sort of an argument with the Pharisees concerning Abraham. And Jesus is talking about His Father being God. And they said, “We have Abraham as our father.” And Jesus said, “If you had Abraham as your father, then you would believe in Me. For Abraham rejoiced to see My day.” And they said, “Come on, who are you trying to kid? You’re not fifty years old. What do you mean Abraham saw you?” And Jesus said, “Before Abraham was, I am” ( Joh 8:56-58 ).
But scholars believe that the reference to Abraham seeing or rejoicing to see My day is a reference to Melchizedek, when Abraham paid tithes unto him. So it is a very interesting verse that God has inserted here. We go back to Genesis, but we also go on to the book of Hebrews where this is used as the argument to the Jews to point out how that Christ can be our great High Priest, not after the Levitical order, but after the order of Melchizedek, a different order of priesthood. And showing that God had declared it, “The Lord hath sworn, and will not repent, ‘Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek.'”
The Lord at thy right hand shall strike through the kings in the day of his wrath. He shall judge among the heathen, he shall fill the places with the dead bodies ( Psa 110:5-6 );
Of course, this is talking now about the great judgment of God that is coming as He strikes through the kings in the day of His wrath. The day of God’s wrath is come. Great Tribulation. “He will judge among the heathen, He shall fill the places with dead bodies.” As the blood will flow to the horses’ bridle throughout the whole valley of Megiddo.
he shall wound the heads over many countries. He shall drink of the brook in the way: therefore shall he lift up the head ( Psa 110:6-7 ). “
Fuente: Through the Bible Commentary
Psa 110:1-2. The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool. The Lord shall send the rod of thy strength out of Zion: rule thou in the midst of thine enemies.
You do not need a comment upon this Psalm when you remember how our Lord himself applied it to himself. It is David speaking concerning the Son of David, who is also Davids Lord and our King, who at this hour is sitting at the right hand of Jehovah, the Lord of all; waiting until his monarchy shall be extended visibly over all creation.
Psa 110:3. Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power, in the beauties of holiness from the womb of the morning: thou hast the dew of thy youth.
Christ, like the rising sun, shall not come alone in his brightness, but, as with the sun we see an innumerable company of sparkling dewdrops, so shall the forces of Christ be as numerous as the drops of the morning dew which spring from the womb of the morning. Gods infinite grace shall lead forth willing troops when Christ shall come.
Psa 110:4. The Lord hath sworn, and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek.
That is, a priestly king, a kingly priest priest and king united in one person.
Psa 110:5. The Lord at thy right hand shall strike through kings in the day of his wrath.
Life power shall stand against our coming Lord; when he once comes to the battle, the victory shall be sure.
Psa 110:6-7. He shall judge among the heathen, he shall fill the places with the dead bodies; he shall wound the heads over many countries. He shall drink of the brook in the way: therefore shall he lift up the head.
Like a stern warrior that seeks not luxury, like Gideons men that lapped, he shall drink of the brook as he marches on to the conflict, and because he hath scorn of self-indulgence and human luxury, therefore shall he be exalted King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
This exposition consisted of readings from Psalms 110; Rom 2:25-29; Romans 3.
Fuente: Spurgeon’s Verse Expositions of the Bible
Psa 110:1
Psalms 110
THE MESSIAH TO BE BOTH KING AND PRIEST
According to the superscription this is “A Psalm of David,” and there is absolutely no doubt whatever of the truth of this. This writer is a worshipper of Jesus Christ, the head of our holy religion, in whom are “hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge,” and therefore we accept His words regarding this psalm as true.
Regarding the first two lines of this psalm, Our Lord said that, “David in the Spirit here addresses the Messiah (Son of David) as Lord; and if David called him `Lord,’ how is he his son?” (Mat 22:42-45). Thus Jesus Christ not only affirms the Davidic authorship here, but adds the fact that the psalm is inspired by the Holy Spirit.
We have pointed this out as the prelude to saying that, “In the self-styled `advanced’ criticism of the mid-century type of Bible enemies, there is nothing that exposes their evil atheism any better than their treatment of this psalm.” Not only do such persons reject what Christ said here, but they even delete the whole reference in Genesis 14 to Melchizedek from the Bible, there being no solid evidence whatever for such high-handed mutilation of the Holy Scriptures. We shall not burden the reader with any further attention to such worthless criticisms by unbelievers. For those who are willing to accept the word of the followers of Satan instead of the word of Christ, they should be reminded that when our mother Eve did the same thing, all of the tragic sorrows of humanity became the swift and certain consequence.
Psa 110:1
“Jehovah said unto my Lord,
Sit thou at my right hand,
Until I make thine enemies thy footstool.”
The implication of the Messiah being both the son and the Lord of David is clear enough. Christ is both God and man; as man, Christ descended through the earthly posterity of David, as indicated in the Genealogy give in Luke 3. Thus, in that sense, Christ was the “Son of David”; but, as God incarnate, he was also David’s Lord, and the Lord of all people.
The Savior’s mention of this passage followed the Pharisee’s answer to Jesus’ question, “What think ye of Christ; whose son is he?” They replied, “The Son of David.” Jesus’ question was, therefore, “How can your answer be true? David referred to the Christ as `Lord’ in this passage; how then can he be David’s son?” See my comment in Matthew.
“Sit thou on my right hand” (Psa 110:1). These are the words of God Himself addressed to David’s `Lord.’ Now just who is it, in the history of mankind that these words could possibly indicate, other than Jesus Christ who indeed has, “Sat down on the Right Hand of the Majesty on High?”
“Until I make thine enemies thy footstool” (Psa 110:1). Paul in his letter to the Corinthians picked this up, writing, “He must reign till he hath put all enemies under his feet” (1Co 15:25). Thus, Paul refers this passage unequivocally to Christ.
E.M. Zerr:
Psa 110:1. This verse is quoted at Mat 22:44; Mar 12:36; Luk 20:42; Act 2:34. The New Testament passages furnish the information that identify the persons in the verse. The Lord is the God of Heaven and my Lord is Christ. The whole verse is the direct speech of David, making a prophecy (although past tense in form) of the ascension and crowning of Jesus as King of kings and Lord of lords. Until looks to the same period mentioned in Heb 10:12-13, and is practically the same thought expressed by Peter in Act 3:21.
Fuente: Old and New Testaments Restoration Commentary
This psalm is purely Messianic, and was always considered to be so. When Jesus quoted it in His conversation with the rulers, it is perfectly evident that they looked upon it in that light. It is equally certain that He made use of it in that sense. While we believe the authorship of many of these psalms to be uncertain, we claim that the words of Jesus put the question of authorship in this case beyond dispute. Then the beauty of the song is seen in all its fulness. David the king, sings of Another as Lord, and therefore superior to himself.
In the first half of the song (vv. Psa 110:1-4) he sings of the relation of the coming King to Jehovah. The second half (vv. Psa 110:5-7) tells of the might and victory of the appointed King. This division is clearly marked by the names of the psalm. Jehovah said unto Adonahy, Jehovah shall send forth, Jehovah hath sworn, and will not repent, Adonahy at Thy right hand. Both these names or titles are used often of God. Here Jehovah is used of God, and Adonahy of the coming King. This King is appointed by Jehovah. He is strengthened by Jehovah. He is a King to Whom His people will gather in loyalty, and with the perpetual freshness of youth. He is moreover, by the will of Jehovah, to be Priest as well as King. In the might of this Divine appointment He is to go forth to conquest. The fulfilment of its every word is realised in Christ.
Fuente: An Exposition on the Whole Bible
Our Priest-King at Gods Right Hand
Psa 110:1-7
Luther describes this psalm as the true, high, main psalm of our beloved Lord Jesus Christ. Our Lord attributed it to David, in the power of the Holy Spirit; and there is no portion of the Old Testament more frequently quoted in the New. See Mat 22:44; 1Co 15:25; Heb 1:3; Heb 1:13; Heb 5:6; Heb 5:10; Heb 7:17; Heb 7:21. David speaks of the Messiah as my Lord. The inference as to the deity of our Lord is incontestable. His mighty scepter, the symbol of his rule, reaches from Son to the utmost limits of space and time. He waits till all his enemies are His footstool. Their character is evident in their attire-the beauties of holiness. They are as numerous and refreshing as dewdrops on parched meadows. There is an infinite attractiveness between our Savior and young life-thy youth.
The offices of priest and king were jealously kept apart in the old Hebrew monarchy, so the psalmist has to travel into the childhood of the world to find the type of a priesthood. Jesus is King and Priest after a more ancient and abiding order, which, it is testified, is based on a timeless life. Our Lord shall come to the throne from the battlefield. He shall bruise the serpents head, but He needs the refreshment of our love and faith. That is the wayside brook.
Fuente: F.B. Meyer’s Through the Bible Commentary
Psa 110:2
We have here the very heart of the Christian character set forth as being willing consecration; then we have the work which Christian men have to do, and the spirit in which they are to do it, expressed in that metaphor of their priestly attire; and then we have their refreshing and quickening influence upon the world.
I. The subjects of the Priest-King are willing soldiers. In accordance with the warlike tone of the whole Psalm, our text describes the subjects as an army. The King is going forth to conquest. But He goes not alone. Behind him come His faithful followers, all pressing on with willing hearts and high courage. Then (1) the warfare which He wages is one not confined to Him. (2) That warfare is shared in by all the subjects. It is a levy en masse-an armed nation. (3) There are no mercenaries in these ranks, no pressed men. The soldiers are all volunteers. “Thy people shall be willing.” (4) The soldiers are not only marked by glad obedience, but that obedience rests upon the sacrifice of themselves. This glad submission has come from self-consecration and surrender. (5) By a natural transition, the word “willing” comes to mean “free,” and also “noble.” The willing service which rests upon glad consecration raises him who renders it to true freedom and dominion. The Prince’s servants are every other person’s masters.
II. The soldiers are priests. “The beauties of holiness” is a frequent phrase for the sacerdotal garments, the holy, festal attire of the priests of the Lord. The conquering King whom the Psalm hymns is a Priest for ever; and He is followed by an army of priests. (1) Mark now the warfare which we have to wage is the same as the priestly service which we have to render. The conflict is with our own sin and evil; the sacrifice we have to offer is ourselves. (2) The great power which we Christian men are to wield in our loving warfare is character. (3) The image suggests the spirit in which our priestly warfare is to be waged. We are to be soldier-priests, strong and gentle, like the ideal of those knights of old, who were both, and bore the cross on shield, and helmet, and sword-hilt.
III. The soldier-priests are as dew upon the earth. We have here: (1) A picture of the army as a band of youthful warriors. He who has fellowship with God and lives in the constant reception of the supernatural life and grace which comes from Jesus Christ possesses the secret of perpetual youth. (2) The lovely emblem of the dew as applied to Christ’s servants. It is as a symbol of the refreshing which a weary world will receive from the conquests and presence of the King and His host that they are likened to the glittering morning dew.
A. Maclaren, Sermons Preached in Manchester, 3rd series, p. 321.
I. Consider what is meant by the expression that Christ’s people are a willing people. (1) This indicates that a vast change has been made upon them, for there is no man naturally inclined to follow and to obey the Saviour. (2) The willingness which is here spoken of is not to be regarded as a mere point of doctrinal theology, but as a great practical reality. A willing people is a people willing for whatever is Christ’s will, because they love Him and trust Him.
II. Notice the decorations of Christ’s people. “They appear in the beauties of holiness.” Holiness is the peculiar and indispensable mark of Christ’s people, and that which distinguishes them as His. The holy man, besides having all the distinguishing qualities of the good man, is one who loathes all impurity in thought, or speech, or conduct. When Christ’s people are said to be clothed with the beauties of holiness, this implies that they are not only characterised by their outward conformity to the law of God, but that they seek to have the whole frame of the heart-every thought, every feeling, every breathing of the soul-regulated by God’s holy will.
III. Notice what is here said respecting the number of Christ’s followers. “They are as the dewdrops from the womb of the morning.” This Psalm describes Messiah’s triumphs over all His enemies. These shall not be completed until the morning of the Resurrection. Then it will be that this beautiful prophecy shall have its full accomplishment.
IV. Notice the way and time in which sinners are made Christ’s willing followers. It is in the day of His power. (1) As to the way of it. Not by the power of eloquence of man, but by the Spirit of the Lord, are the rebels subdued, and the unholy sanctified. Christ administers His government not so much by terror as by love. (2) As to the time at which Christ makes His people willing. It is the day of His power. Christ, indeed, has always the same power; but there are special seasons for the special exercise of it.
V. Observe how all these things redound to the glory of Christ.
A. D. Davidson, Lectures and Sermons, p. 66.
References: Psa 110:3.-Spurgeon, Sermons, vol. ii., No. 74; Clergyman’s Magazine, vol. v., p. 104; Homiletic Quarterly, vol. iv., p. 130; G. Brooks, Outlines of Sermons, p. 397; J. Vaughan, Children’s Sermons, 1875, p. 132; A. Pope, Thursday Penny Pulpit, vol. xvi., p. 37.
Psa 110:3
I. Everything young and fresh, everything bright and smiling, everything buoyant and happy, may be traced to the perpetual youth of Godhead, which streams forth for ever and ever, impregnating all receptive souls and substances with its own quality. Every babe, and every spring, and every new morning are world-types of the everlasting youth of our God. “Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and for ever.” The eternal yesterday saw Him young; He is young today; His energies will abide unimpaired and young for ever. The late children of time still call Him “the holy Child Jesus.”
II. Through His youth heaven abides young. The eternity of heaven will but perfect the youth of its first morning. Every heir of heaven, on being born from death into blessed primitive eternity, finds it morning.
III. Though Jesus appeared in our nature expressly to bear our sins and sorrows, yet both friends and enemies were impressed with the energy and originality of His character, two unquestionable signs of youth. He spake as One who saw the old creation with young eyes, and as One who felt the poetic relation between all things and man. His last discourse was the freshest, the sweetest, and the youngest.
IV. All who love Him shall shine forth in His kingdom in the glory of perpetual youth, “as the sun for ever and ever.” Trust Him, love Him, abide in Him, and the energy and freshness of His life shall spring up in the heart of your heart. Embrace Jesus, and you will find all the beauties of holiness; they abide in Him, in the Divinity of their youth, for ever.
J. Pulsford, Quiet Hours, p. 270.
References: Psalm 110- E. Bickersteth, Homiletic Quarterly, vol. v., p. 84; W. H. Simcox, Expositor, 3rd series, vol. i.; Good Words, 1877, p. 274. Psa 111:9.- Spurgeon, Morning by Morning, p. 239. Psa 111:10.- Preacher’s Lantern, vol. iv., p. 506.
Psa 110:4
Set apart from before all worlds for His priestly work, Christ in due time occupied His office. Consider Him in His wonderful exercise of its functions, which are threefold: to sacrifice, to intercede, to bless.
I. What a sacrifice was that when the sacrificer and the victim met in one and the same Person! His amazing endurance cast into the scales of Divine justice an equivalent, a more than equivalent, for the punishment of every sin of every sinner of every generation. That one vast sacrifice outweighed it all.
II. But great as was the sacrifice, the Apostle St. Paul leads us to the thought that the intercession was greater still: “For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by His life,” etc.; that is, by His intercession which He lives to make.
III. Christ in His priestly office is appointed to bless. Our better Melchizedek is gone in, in His human form, “into the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man;” a little space He tarries for His Church’s sake within the veil; and presently we shall behold Him coming forth in His perfect beauty: and standing on the clouds of heaven, at the portals of glory, He will pronounce benediction on His Church.
J. Vaughan, Fifty Sermons, 2nd series, p. 29.
References: Psa 110:4.-Homiletic Magazine, vol. ix., p. 75; G. Brooks, Outlines of Sermons, p. 398.
Fuente: The Sermon Bible
Psalm 110
The Psalm of the King-Priest
1. His person, exaltation and waiting (Psa 110:1)
2. His manifestation and His glory (Psa 110:2-4)
3. His judgment and His glory (Psa 110:5-7)
Seven verses only, but what revelations and depths we find here! The Psalm is frequently quoted in the New Testament. Who is the person of whom the first verse testifies? Here is the critics answer. Is the Psalm Messianic? Looking at it by itself, and without prepossession, one would not say that it is, for the writer has in mind some actual ruler of his own day, and his references are to events of his own times (Prof. Davidson). But what about the words of our Lord in Mat 22:41-46? In the light of these words every critic who denies the Messianic meaning of this Psalm is branded as a liar. And such they are. Our Lord shows that David wrote the Psalm, that he wrote by the Spirit, that the Psalm speaks of Him, as Davids Lord and Davids Son. To deny these facts is infidelity. And the Holy Spirit useth the Psalm to show the exaltation of Christ. See Act 2:34-35; Heb 1:13 and Heb 10:12-13.
How well it fits in with the preceding Psalm. The Rejected One is the Risen One. His work on earth as the sin-bearer is finished. God raised Him from the dead and exalted Him to His own right hand. There He waits for the hour when God will make His enemies His footstool. This is not accomplished by the preaching of the gospel, nor by the work of the Church, but by God when He sends Him back to earth again and He will bind Satan and all His enemies will be overthrown. The rod of His power will proceed out of Zion and He will rule in the midst of His enemies. Then in that coming day of power, His people (Israel) will be a willing people, who will shine in the beauty of holiness in the dawning of the morning. He will be the true Melchisedec, a Priest upon His own throne. Then His judgment work and His Victory, judging nations and the wicked head of nations. He shall drink of the brook in the way, therefore shall He lift up the head. He was the humbled One, who drank of death, and now is the exalted One. (For a complete exposition see the authors pamphlet The Royal Psalms.)
Fuente: Gaebelein’s Annotated Bible (Commentary)
The Lord said unto my Lord
The importance of Psalms 110 is attested by the remarkable prominence given to it in the New Testament.
(1) It affirms the deity of Jesus, thus answering those who deny the full divine meaning of his N.T. title of “Lord.” Mat 22:41-45; Mar 12:35-37; Luk 20:41-44; Act 2:34; Act 2:35; Heb 1:13; Heb 10:12; Heb 10:13.
(2) This Psalm announces the eternal priesthood of Messiah–one of the most important statements of Scripture (Psa 110:4).
(See Scofield “Gen 14:18”) See Scofield “Heb 5:6”.; Heb 7:1-28; 1Ti 2:5; 1Ti 2:6; Joh 14:6.
(3) Historically, the Psalm begins with the ascension of Christ Psa 110:1,; Joh 20:17; Act 7:56; Rev 3:21.
(4) Prophetically, the Psalm looks on
(a) to the time when Christ will appear as the Rod of Jehovah’s strength, the Deliverer out of Zion. Rom 11:25-27 and the conversion of Israel; Psa 110:3; Joe 2:27; Zec 13:9; Deu 30:1-9 (See Scofield “Deu 30:3”), and
(b) to the judgment upon the Gentile powers which precedes the setting up of the kingdom (Psa 110:5; Psa 110:6); Joe 3:9-17; Zec 14:1-4; Rev 19:11-21.
See “Armageddon” Rev 16:14 (See Scofield “Rev 19:17”). “Israel” Gen 12:2; Gen 12:3. See Scofield “Rom 11:26”. “Kingdom” See Scofield “Zec 12:8”. See Scofield “1Co 15:24”. See Scofield “Psa 2:6”. See Scofield “Psa 118:22.
See Psalms 118, last in order of the Messianic Psalms.
Fuente: Scofield Reference Bible Notes
am 2962, bc 1042 – Title This Psalm was probably composed by David after Nathan’s prophetic address; and, from the grandeur of the subject and the sublimity of the expressions, it is evident that it can only refer, as the ancient Jews fully acknowledged, to the royal dignity, priesthood, victories, and triumphs of the MESSIAH.
The Lord: Psa 8:1, Mat 22:42-46, Mar 12:35-37, Luk 22:41
Sit: Mar 16:19, Act 2:34, Eph 1:20-22, Heb 12:2, 1Pe 3:22
until: Psa 2:6-9, Psa 45:6, Psa 45:7, 1Co 15:25, Heb 1:3, Heb 1:13, Heb 10:12, Heb 10:13
Reciprocal: Gen 48:14 – his right hand Num 4:30 – service Deu 20:13 – thou shalt smite Deu 33:7 – and be thou Jos 5:14 – my lord Jos 10:24 – put your feet Jos 10:28 – them 2Sa 22:39 – General 2Sa 22:48 – that bringeth 1Ki 2:19 – she sat 1Ki 5:3 – put 1Ki 10:18 – a great throne 1Ch 17:10 – Moreover Psa 8:6 – put Psa 16:5 – thou Psa 21:5 – honour Psa 21:8 – General Psa 45:1 – touching Psa 47:3 – our feet Psa 68:18 – ascended Psa 72:9 – his enemies Psa 80:17 – General Psa 89:23 – plague Psa 109:20 – Let this Psa 110:5 – at thy Isa 9:6 – the government Isa 25:11 – he shall bring Isa 40:10 – his arm Isa 49:5 – yet Isa 50:7 – the Lord Isa 52:13 – he shall Isa 55:5 – he Jer 30:21 – governor Dan 1:21 – General Dan 2:44 – set up Dan 7:14 – given Mic 4:3 – and rebuke Zec 9:9 – behold Zec 12:8 – the house Mal 3:1 – and Mat 11:3 – Art Mat 20:21 – the one Mat 21:5 – thy King Mat 22:44 – The Lord Mat 25:33 – his Mat 26:64 – the right Mat 28:18 – All Mar 10:37 – sit Mar 12:36 – The Lord Mar 14:62 – the Son Luk 1:43 – my Luk 7:19 – Art Luk 20:42 – the Lord Luk 22:69 – on Luk 24:44 – in the psalms Joh 1:49 – the King Joh 5:27 – hath Joh 8:54 – it is Joh 17:2 – As Act 2:30 – knowing Act 3:13 – hath Act 5:31 – hath Act 7:55 – standing Act 10:36 – he is Act 26:6 – the promise Phi 2:9 – God Phi 2:11 – is Lord Col 3:1 – where 1Pe 1:11 – the glory
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
The confirmation of the King-Priest.
A psalm of David.
The second psalm here is the answer of Jehovah to this humbled One, establishing Him as King and Priest together, after the order of Melchizedek, and with a prophecy of the revival of Israel under Him; and the subjection of enemies. There are but seven verses, and which follow the general septenary pattern of 4 (3+1) +3; except that these portions seem to be more emphasized than usual, so as to divide the whole into three equal parts of equal value.
1. The first three verses speak of Jehovah’s King. But He is not yet actually enthroned. Like David himself, but whose Lord He really is, He has His time of rejection and even banishment. But unlike David, and completely in opposition to the thought of a reference in it to the Israelitish throne as the “throne of Jehovah” (1Ch 29:23), it is precisely in this time of His rejection that He sits at the right hand of Jehovah. It is an Old Testament hint which the New Testament clearly unfolds for us. The place is heavenly, not earthly: “He was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God.” (Mar 16:19). It is further developed by the Lord Himself in His address to Laodicea (Rev 3:21), where, distinguishing it from the human throne which He will by and by take, and which He will share with others, He speaks of having overcome, and sitting down with His Father upon His throne.
This defines for us the Christian interval in which we are, and which we must not expect to find more than hinted at in the Old Testament scriptures.
Jehovah acts in due time for His King, who waits in entire dependence upon Him for the day in which His enemies are to be made His footstool. Then Jehovah will send the rod of Messiah’s power out of Zion; the seat of His kingdom; setting Him there in the midst of a hostile world, then to be quickly reduced to subjection. And as when He comes from heaven His heavenly people exchange their bridal festivities for militant array, and come with Him, -so now that He is in Zion He gathers Israel first around Himself. It is the day of His might, and they are now, as they were not hitherto, all of ready heart. They are newborn children of the dawning day, in the beauties of holiness every one; and for Christ, in the tender sympathy (as I take it) which unites Him to His people, like the dew of His own youth. As Paul could say, “Now I live, if ye stand fast in the Lord,” so the immortal Life, as it were, renews itself in the vigor of His people.
2. And this leads naturally to another view of the Person addressed, besides that of King. He is the King-Priest, the One who goes in to God in man’s behalf, and presents for him the acceptable sacrifice. Here again God bears witness to Him, and here indeed all the fullness of the divine heart comes out. He knows the importance of this for us; He knows, too, how slow and unbelieving we are in the reception of His grace. Hence He not only speaks, -He swears: “Jehovah has sworn; and will not repent: Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek.”
The apostle has given us the full significance of this, and from the Christian side, in the epistle to the Hebrews. Here is not the place for any proper investigation of it. It is one of many proofs that for Israel also the predicted blessing could not come through the Levitical rites or priesthood, instituted by the law, but through a glorious Person ordained to an eternal priesthood. The sacrifice -which a priest implies -is not, however, brought before us here. But we see that the King needed for them cannot be only King, -that He cannot commit the work of atonement to other hands than His own. Only by atonement can He be true “King of righteousness” (Melchizedek) and bless the children of Abraham as he to whom Abraham had given tithes had blessed the father.
3. Priestly work is not otherwise before us in this psalm; while the day of wrath it is that is earnestly pressed. The fifth and sixth verses do not seem to be the action of the King Himself, but of God as the Sovereign Lord (Adonai) in His behalf, according to the character of the psalm as a whole. It is God who sets His foes as a footstool for His feet; which does not lose sight any more than this does of His own activity. But the heavenly and earthly thrones are now and henceforth in complete concord; and here, throughout, the ways are the ways of God, with which in the last verse once more the Conqueror is shown to be in full accord.
Thus “the Lord is at Thy right hand” would not be the repetition of the thought in the first verse, but the converse; and the divine anger is at the rejection of the Object of divine delight. The head over a wide country would seem to be Gog (Eze 38:1-23), as has been often noticed, inasmuch as it is not the descent from heaven that is in view, as in Rev 19:1-21, but the rod going forth from Zion.
The last verse shows us, in figurative language, the secret of the King’s success. He drinks of the brook in the way, taking Himself the divine refreshment, the stream of living water, of which, though provided for all, the kings of the earth have so little availed themselves. Thus is He, as having the mind of the Spirit, in full unhindered fellowship with the ways of God, -Himself, indeed, being as we know the centre of them.
Fuente: Grant’s Numerical Bible Notes and Commentary
Psa 110:1. The Lord said unto my Lord , neum Jehovah ladoni, the saying, or decree, that is, I record the saying or decree of Jehohovah to my Lord, that is, to his Son the Messiah, whom I acknowledge as my Lord and God. This decree, made in eternity, was in due time published, and was actually executed when God raised up Christ from the dead, and brought him into his heavenly mansion. David designedly calls the Messiah his Lord, to admonish the whole church, that although he was his son according to the human nature, yet he had a higher nature, and was also his Lord, as being by nature God blessed for ever, and consequently Lord of all things, as he is called Act 10:36; and by office, as he was God man, the Lord and King of the whole church, and of all the world, for the churchs sake. And this was said to prevent that offence which the Holy Ghost foresaw the Jews and others would be ready to take at the meanness of Christs appearance in the flesh. The Hebrew word , adon, is one of Gods titles, signifying his power and authority over all things, and therefore is most fitly given to the Messiah, to whom God had delegated all his power in the universe, Mat 28:18. Sit thou at my right hand Thou who hast for so many years been veiled with infirm and mortal flesh, despised, rejected, and trampled upon by men, and persecuted unto death; do thou now take to thyself thy great and just power. Thou hast done thy work upon earth, now take thy rest, and the possession of that sovereign kingdom and glory, which by right belongs to thee; do thou rule with me, with an authority and honour far above all creatures, in earth or heaven. So this phrase is expounded in other places: see Luk 22:69; 1Co 15:25; Heb 1:3; Heb 8:1; Heb 10:12-13; Eph 1:20, &c. It is a figurative expression, taken from the custom of earthly monarchs, who placed those persons on their right hands to whom they would show the greatest honour, or whom they designed to advance to the greatest power and authority: see 1Ki 2:19. It here signifies the dominion which Jesus Christ, after his death, received from the Father, as the Messiah. Thus he says of himself, Rev 3:21, I overcame, and am set down with my Father on his throne. Until I make thine enemies Until, by my almighty power, communicated to thee, as Mediator, I make those that crucified thee, (converting some and destroying others,) and the idolatrous heathen, subjecting them to thy gospel, as also the power of sin and Satan in mens hearts, and, at last, death itself, thy footstool Thy slaves and vassals. This expression, thy footstool, which denotes an entire subdual of enemies, alludes to the custom of eastern nations, to tread upon the necks of the kings whom they had conquered, and so make them, as it were, their footstool.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Of David, or of any other mere man, this psalm cannot be understood. Of the Messiah, and only of him, it was understood in the ancient church. The rabbi Joden, as in Pooles Synopsis, cites rabbi Chija on the sixteenth psalm, as writing thus. The holy God will associate king Messiah at his right hand, as is declared: The Lord said to my Lord, sit thou at my right hand.
Rabbi Jizhac Arama in Genesis, writes, We find no man whose nativity was foretold, as anterior to the nativity of his father and mother, except the Messiah. Therefore it is presignified, from the womb of the morning; that is, before thy mother was created, thou hast the dew of thy youth. So is the import of the text, Before the sun, thy name was promulged, because the name of our Messiah subsisted immoveably before the creation of the sun.
The title is a psalm of David, a title undisputed. The reference above is to the sixteenth psalm, where he saw the Lord always before him; and in some such view, enjoying abstraction of mind, he saw the Eternity of Christ; his session at the right hand of the Father; all his enemies put under his feet; and his converts, countless as the rain, worshipping before him.
Psa 110:1. The Lord said unto my Lord, &c. neum Jehovah La-Adonai. Neum signifies a saying, a speech, an edict, a decree. Then the sense of our Version is correct: Jehovah said to my Adonai [pronounced Adony.] But who is Adonai? The Chaldaic reads, Jehovah said to his eternal Word; that is, to Christ, the Word and Wisdom of the Father. Then the modern rabbins are condemned by their own books, in their blind attempts to refer this psalm to Abraham, or to Melchizedek, or to any created intelligence. The only-begotten, who is in the bosom of the Father, sits alone at his right hand, and reigns, as St. Paul cites the text, till all his enemies are made his footstool, even as Joshua put the necks of the kings of Canaan under his feet. 1Co 15:25.
Psa 110:2. The Lord shall send the rod of thy strength out of Zion. Isaiah and Micah use similar language: Out of Zion shall go forth the Law. Christ, as the King of kings, gave the apostles power and authority to subjugate the nations to the christian faith. Rom 1:3; Rom 1:5.
Psa 110:3. Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power. Our bible here nearly copies Calvin, and without the authority of any ancient Version. Though the text be brief and obscure, yet the ancients should not be left behind. The Hebrew is, princes or leaders. The Greek is , the beginning, that is, in the beginning of thy reign, to shew thy power. The Latin reads, principium, with thee is the principle or commencement, in the day of thy power, in the splendour of thy saints, or of holiness. The text sets forth the regal glory of Christ, and the exuberating joys of his people. Those who cite the English reading to favour the irresistability of grace, had better look for other passages.From the womb of the morning, thou hast the dew of thy youth. The womb of the morning designates the Eternity of Christ, as is expressed in other words by some of the prophets. Pro 8:22. Mic 5:2. The dew, as in the note on Isa 26:19, denotes his perpetuity, one with the Father for ever. I can see no reason for the fancy, that the dew means exclusively his spiritual progeny.
Psa 110:4. A priestafter the order of Melchizedek, and not of Aarons line.
(1) Melchizedek has no predecessor, no successor named; without father, without mother, without genealogy.
(2) He was both king and priest, which was not Aarons dignity.
(3) Melchizedek offered bread and wine, Aaron only sheep and goats.
(4) Melchizedek was priest of the most high God, universal priest. Aaron was priest only to the Hebrews.
(5) Melchizedek had neither tabernacle nor temple. Aarons tabernacle decayed, while the Messiahs temple is heaven and earth.
(6) He was made a priest with an oath. Aaron not so; his priesthood being transient.
Psa 110:7. He shall drink of the brook in the way. This whole psalm bears a martial character. It represents Christ as vanquishing all his foes; his armies therefore should not perish for want of water, like those of Cambyses in Upper Egypt; on the contrary, the Lord would refresh them from heaven, with the fountains of life.
REFLECTIONS.
Hail, Zion, hail! Thy Messiah is on the throne, and reigneth king for ever. He has sent out the rod, the sceptre of his strength, to vanquish all the rebellious power of his foes, and has poured out his Spirit, with gifts for the rebellious gentiles. From the womb of the morning, even from the bosom of the Father, he hath the dew of his youth, with light and healing grace for the dark regions of crime and of cruelty.
Oh what a glorious sight did the prophet here behold. The gentile nations, with a more willing mind, crowding the courts of Zion with acclamations of praise and melodious songs. He saw the spiritual Zion, no more to be bathed in tears, and drenched with blood; no more assailed with burnings and with war, but exalted with her regal priest, and arrayed in glory to reign for ever and ever!
Be not afraid then, oh Zion; for though all those prophecies concerning the enlargement of Christs kingdom be connected with the overthrow of the wicked, he will seal his servants, and number the hairs of their head. He shall not desist, nor faint, but shall drink of the brook in the way, till he shall have accomplished all the good pleasure of the Father. Thus he liveth and reigneth for ever. May our willing hearts be the first to yield him homage in this, the day of his power.
Fuente: Sutcliffe’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
CX. We may with some confidence refer this Ps. to 141 B.C., when Simon the Maccabee prince was accepted by the people as supreme Governor, though he was not a descendant of David, and as High Priest, though he was not a descendant of Aarons first-born (see 1Ma 14:35). To Jonathan first the double dignity belonged. But Simon owed his dignity as High Priest to his own people, and not, like his brother Jonathan, to the favour of a foreign potentate (p. 608). The idea of supreme priesthood and supreme secular rule over Judah being united in the same person does not appear elsewhere in the OT except in Jer 30:21, a very late and possibly a Maccabean passage. These arguments are clinched by the fact that the oracle beginning Sit thou forms an acrostic on Simons name. The Maccabees only needed a prophetic sanction for their inevitable changes in the constitution (1Ma 14:41 ff.), and the first four verses of this Ps. supply the desideratum.
Psa 110:1-4. The twofold dignity of the royal priest.
Psa 110:1. The Lord, i.e. Yahweh, saith unto my Lord, i.e. to the earthly ruler: here Simon.
Psa 110:3. in the day of thy power: i.e. thy proclamation as governor.in holy attire (mg.): i.e. in the High-priestly vestment.from the womb of the morning: i.e. from the very beginning of the proclamation.
Psa 110:3 c. i.e. the enthusiasm of the people makes the ruler young again.
Psa 110:4. Simon is to be priest and prince for ever, i.e. for his lifetime. Melchizedek is mentioned because, though not a Jew, he was both priest and king and neither by hereditary descent (Gen 14:13 ff.).
Psa 111:6 f. The warriors victories. We do not know what the victories were, and some of the language is strange.
Psa 110:7 is generally taken to mean that the warrior is so eager that he does not wait to eat and drink in the common way. He drinks from the first brook that he sees, and so recovers strength. But why should a very plain thing be expressed in such a pompous and enigmatic style?
Fuente: Peake’s Commentary on the Bible
PSALM 110
Christ in exaltation, waiting for the judgment of His enemies, and to reign from Zion for the blessing of His willing people, exercising His priesthood after the order of Melchizedek.
In Psalm 109, Christ is presented as waiting upon God to speak for Him in answer to the wicked who spake against Him (Psa 109:1-2; Psa 109:21; Psa 109:31). In this psalm God speaks for Christ, in answer to the prayer of Psalm 109. Thus while Psalm 109, unfolds God’s ways with Christ in humiliation, Psalm 110 presents God’s purpose for Christ in exaltation.
(v. 1) In the days of Christ’s humiliation men spoke against Christ with a lying tongue; they fought against Christ without a cause, and persecuted the poor and needy man (Psa 109:2-3; Psa 109:16). God’s answer is to exalt Christ to the place of supreme power in heaven, there to wait until His enemies are made His footstool, when He will have the place of supreme power on earth. He once waited in the days of His humiliation for God’s answer to His prayer; He now waits in exaltation for the fulfillment of God’s purpose.
(vv. 2-4) The verses that follow unfold God’s purpose for Christ. God has decreed that He shall rule from Zion in the midst of His enemies. In the very scene of His humiliation, and man’s hostility, His power will be displayed. If, however, He rules in the midst of His enemies, He will also exercise His Melchizedek priesthood in the midst of His willing people. From the dawn of that new day there will come to Him a new generation of willing people, here called the dew of thy youth (Lit. young men), in all the freshness and vigor of youth. (cp. Psa 22:31). As the King ruling from Zion, He will bring blessing from God to His willing people: as the Priest He will lead the praises of the people, and thus bless God on behalf of the people (cp. Gen 14:20).
(vv. 5-6) In the day of His power all that exalt themselves against the Lord will come under judgment. The One who now sits at Jehovah’s right hand will rise up and strike through kings. The day of His patience will be followed by the day of His wrath. It will be a universal judgment among the nations; and an overwhelming victory that will turn the scene of conflict into a vast battlefield strewn with the corpses of His foes – He shall fill (all places) with dead bodies (JND).
The statement that He shall smite through the head over a great country (JND), would appear to refer to Israel’s last enemy, the Gog of Ezekiel 38 and Ezekiel 39. It can hardly refer to the Beast or to Antichrist, who we know, will be destroyed by the coming of Christ (Rev 19:20). The psalm does not contemplate the actual descent of Christ, but rather, the overwhelming judgments among the nations that will take place after He has come.
(v. 7) The closing verse tells us that when all other heads are judged, Christ will lift up the head. The One who was once the perfectly dependent Man, will alone be the exalted Head over all. He is the One who drank of the brook in the way. In the day of His humiliation, as the dependent Man, He partook of the mercies the Lord provided in the way. He did not despise the brook: He was not detained by the brook. He stooped to be the dependent Man; therefore will He be the exalted Man, who will lift up the head above every other head. He will be the King of kings, and the Lord of lords.
It is well to note that the Lord Jesus definitely states that this psalm refers to Himself, and was written by David under the direction of the Holy Spirit. It is more frequently cited by New Testament writers than any other single portion of Scripture. It is quoted in each of the synoptic gospels to prove that David’s son will be David’s Lord (Mat 22:43-44; Mar 12:36-37); Luk 20:42-43). It is quoted by Peter in Act 2:34-35, to prove the exaltation of Christ; by Paul in 1Co 15:25, to enforce the fact that all Christ’s enemies will be annulled. In Heb 1:13, it is used to prove the superiority of Christ over angels; in Heb 5:6, to prove His Melchizedek priesthood; in Heb 7:17-21, to prove the unchangeable character of His priesthood, and in Heb 10:13, to prove His present waiting attitude.
Fuente: Smith’s Writings on 24 Books of the Bible
110:1 [A Psalm of David.] The {a} LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool.
(a) Jesus Christ in Mat 22:44 gives the interpretation of this, and shows that this cannot properly be applied to David but to himself.
Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes
Psalms 110
This is a prophetic messianic royal psalm that describes a descendant of David who would not only be his son but his Lord. [Note: See Chisholm, "A Theology . . .," pp. 271-73, for further discussion of this psalm’s classification in the light of the New Testament’s use of it. See also Waltke, pp. 887-96, for discussion of messianism, and the Messiah and the New Testament.] This descendant would be both a king and a priest. David was a prophet, and in this psalm he revealed new information from God concerning the future. Such a prophetic message is an oracle.
There has been much speculation about the historical situation that formed the basis for what the psalmist wrote in this psalm. [Note: Elliott E. Johnson summarized 10 situations that various writers have suggested in "Hermeneutical Principles and the Interpretation of Psalms 110," Bibliotheca Sacra 149:596 (October-December 1992):430.] It is presently unknown, though David wrote it (cf. Mar 12:36). One view is as follows:
"David prophetically spoke the psalm to his ’lord,’ Solomon, when Solomon ascended to the Davidic throne in 971 B.C." [Note: Herbert W. Bateman IV, "Psalms 110:1 and the New Testament," Bibliotheca Sacra 149:596 (October-December 1992):453.]
This writer concluded that the New Testament applied this psalm to Jesus Christ. The traditional Christian interpretation is that David wrote that God the Father spoke prophetically to His messianic Lord (i.e., His Son).
More important than this psalm’s original historical context is its prophetic significance. The New Testament contains more references to this psalm than to any other chapter in the Old Testament (cf. Mat 22:44; Mat 26:64; Mar 12:36; Mar 14:62; Mar 16:19; Luk 20:42-44; Luk 22:69; Act 2:34-35; Rom 8:34; 1Co 15:25; Eph 1:20; Col 3:1; Heb 1:3; Heb 1:13; Heb 5:6; Heb 7:17; Heb 7:21; Heb 8:1; Heb 10:12-13; Heb 12:2). David Hay found 33 quotations of and allusions to the first four verses in the New Testament. [Note: David M. Hay, Glory at the Right Hand: Psalms 110 in Early Christianity.]
"Psalms 110 is the linchpin psalm of the first seven psalms of Book Five of the Psalter. Besides occuring [sic] in the middle of the seven psalms (Psalms 107-113), Psalms 110 joins two different groups of psalms together. Psalms 107-109 express anguished pleas for deliverance; Psalms 111-113 overflow with praise for Yahweh. Psalms 110, the connecting psalm, reveals that the Messiah is both a King and a Priest who gives victory to His people . . . Thus because God more than meets the grief-stricken cries of His people, He is to be praised." [Note: Barry C. Davis, "Is Psalms 110 a Messianic Psalm?" Bibliotheca Sacra 157:626 (April-June 2000):168.]
Fuente: Expository Notes of Dr. Constable (Old and New Testaments)
1. The oracle concerning Messiah 110:1-2
The psalmist wrote that he heard a conversation between Yahweh and David’s Master. Clearly this distinguishes two members of the Godhead. LORD (Yahweh) refers to God the Father and Lord (adonay) refers to God the Son, the Messiah or Anointed of God. Yahweh commanded Messiah to sit at His right hand, the traditional place of power and authority. He was to do so until Yahweh has subjugated Messiah’s enemies (cf. Jos 5:14). Then Yahweh would permit Messiah to rule over them (cf. Psa 2:8-9; 1Co 15:25).
"Originally the victorious king placed his feet on the necks of his vanquished foe (cf. Jos 10:24; 1Ki 5:3; Isa 51:23). From this practice arose the idiom to make one’s enemy one’s footstool." [Note: VanGemeren, p. 697.]
Jesus Christ quoted Psa 110:1 to prove that He was not only David’s descendant but the Messiah of whom David wrote (Mar 12:35-37; cf. Mat 22:44-45; Luk 20:42-44). Peter and the writer of the epistle to the Hebrews also quoted it to prove the deity of Jesus (Act 2:34-36; Act 5:30-31; Heb 1:13; Heb 10:11-13).
"So this single verse displays the divine Person of Christ, His power and the prospect before Him. Together with Psa 110:4 it underlies most of the New Testament teaching on His glory as Priest-King." [Note: Kidner, Psalms 73-150, p. 393. Cf. Romans 8:34; 1 Corinthians 15:25-26.]
Fuente: Expository Notes of Dr. Constable (Old and New Testaments)
Psa 110:1-7
Does our Lords attribution of this psalm to David foreclose the question of its authorship for those who accept His authority? Many, who fully recognise and reverently bow to that authority, think that it does not, and appeal for support of their view to the unquestionable limitations of His earthly knowledge. It is urged that His object in His argument with the Pharisees, in which this psalm is quoted by Him, {Mat 22:41-46 and parallels} is not to instruct them on the authorship of the psalm, but to argue from its contents; and though He assumes the Davidic authorship, accepted generally at the time, yet the cogency of His argument is unimpaired, so long as it is recognised that the psalm is a Messianic one, and that the august language used in it of the Messiah is not compatible with the position of One who was a mere human son of David (Driver, “Introd.,” p. 363, note). So also Dr. Sanday (“Inspiration,” p. 420) says that “the Pharisees were taken upon their own ground, and the fallacy of their conclusion was shown on their own premises.” But our Lords argument is not drawn from the “august language” of the psalm, but from Davids relationship to the Messiah, and crumbles to pieces if he is not the singer. It may freely be admitted that there are instances in our Lords references to the Old Testament in which He speaks from the point of view of His hearers in regard to it; but these are cases in which nothing turned on the question whether that point of view was correct or not. Here everything turns on it; and to maintain that, in so important a crisis, He based His arguments on an error comes perilously near to imputing fallibility to Him as our teacher. Most of recent writers who advocate the view in question would recoil from such a consequence; but their position is divided from it by a thin line. Whatever the limitations of our Lords human knowledge, they did not affect His authority in regard to what He did teach; and the present writer ventures to believe that He did teach that David in this psalm calls Messiah his Lord.
If so, the psalm stands alone, as not having primary reference to an earthly king. It is not, like other Messianic psalms, typical, but directly prophetic of Messiah, and of Him only. We are not warranted in denying the possibility of such direct prophecy; and the picture drawn in this psalm, so far transcending any possible original among the sons of men, has not full justice done to its majestic lines, unless it is recognised as setting forth none other than the personal Messiah. True, it is drawn with colours supplied from earthly experiences, and paints a warrior-monarch. The prophet-psalmist, no doubt, conceived of literal warfare; but a prophet did not always understand the oracles which he spoke.
The psalm falls into two parts: the Vision of the Priest-King and His army (Psa 110:1-4); the Kings Warfare and Victory (Psa 110:5-7).
“The oracle of Jehovah” introduces a fresh utterance of Gods, heard by the psalmist, who thus claims to be the mouthpiece of the Divine will. It is a familiar prophetic phrase, but usually found at the close-not, as here, at the beginning of the utterance to which it refers (see, however, Isa 56:8; Zec 12:1). The unusual position makes the Divine origin of the following words more emphatic. “My Lord” is a customary title of respect in addressing a superior, but not in speaking of him. Its use here evidently implies that the psalmist regards Messiah as his king. and the best comment on it is Mat 22:43 : “How then doth David in spirit call Him Lord?” The substance of the oracle follows. He who is exalted to sit at the right hand of a king is installed there by as his associate in rule. He who is seated by God at His right hand is received into such mystery of participation in Divine authority and power, as cannot be imposed on frail humanity. The rigid monotheism of the Jewish singers makes this tremendous “oracle” the more remarkable. Greek gods might have their assessors from among mortals, but who shall share Jehovahs throne? “Solomon sat on the throne of the Lord as king”; {1Ch 29:23} but that is no parallel, nor does it show that the oracle of this psalm simply states the dignity of the theocratic king. Solomons throne was Jehovahs, as being established by Him and since he represented Jehovah on earth; but to sit at Jehovahs right hand means far more than this. That session of Messiah is represented as the prelude to the exercise of Divine power for His triumph over His foes; and that apparent repose, while Jehovah fights for him, is singularly contrasted with his activity as described in Psa 110:6-7. The singer speaks riddles about a union of undisturbed tranquility and of warlike strenuousness, which are only solved when we see their fulfilment in Him who sitteth at the right hand of God, and who yet goes with His armies where they go. “He was received up, and sat on the right hand of God the Lord also working with them” {Mar 16:19-20} The opened heavens showed to Stephen his Master, not sitting, but standing in the posture of readiness to help him dying, and to receive him made more alive by death. His foot shall be on the neck of His foes, as Joshua bade the men of Israel put theirs on the conquered kings. Opposition shall not only be subdued, but shall become subsidiary to Messiahs dominion, “a stepping stone to higher things.”
The Divine oracle is silent, and the strain is taken up by the psalmist himself, who speaks “in the spirit,” in the remainder of the psalm, no less than he did when uttering Jehovahs word. Messiahs dominion has a definite earthly centre. From Zion is this King to rule. His mighty sceptre, the symbol and instrument of His God-given power, is to stretch thence. How far? No limit is named to the sweep of His sway. But since Jehovah is to extend it, it must be conterminous with the reach of His omnipotence. Psa 110:2 b may be taken as the words of Jehovah, but more probably they are the loyal exclamation of the psalmist, moved to his hearts depths by the vision which makes the bliss of his solitude. The word rendered “rule” is found also in Balaams prophecy of Messiah {Num 24:19} and in the Messianic Psa 72:8. The kingdom is to subsist in the midst of enemies. The normal state of the Church on earth is militant. Yet the enemies are not only a ring of antagonists round a centre of submission, but into their midst His power penetrates, and Messiah dominates them too, for all their embattled hostility. A throne round which storms of rebellion rage is an insecure seat. But this throne is established through enmity, because it is upheld by Jehovah.
The kingdom in relation to its subjects is the theme of Psa 110:3, which accords with the warlike tone of the whole psalm, by describing them as an army. The period spoken of is “the day of Thy host,” or array-the time when the forces are mustered and set in order for battle. The word rendered free-will offerings may possibly mean simply “willingnesses,” and the abstract noun may he used as in “I am-prayer” {Psa 109:4} -i.e., most willing; but it is better to retain the fuller and more picturesque meaning of glad, spontaneous sacrifices, which corresponds with the priestly character afterwards ascribed to the people, and goes very deep into the essence of Christian service. There are to be no pressed men or mercenaries in that host. As Deborah sang of her warriors, these “offer themselves willingly.” Glad consecration of self, issuing in spontaneous enlisting for the wars of the King, is to characterise all His subjects. The army is the nation. These soldiers are to be priests. They are clad in holy attire, “fine linen, clean and white.” That representation goes as deep into the nature of the warfare they have to wage and the weapons they have to wield, as the former did into the impulse which sends them to serve under Messiahs flag. The priestly function is to bring God and man near to one another. Their warfare can only be for the carrying out of their office. Their weapons are sympathy, gentleness, purity. Like the Templars, the Christian soldier must bear the cross on his shield and the hilt of his sword. Another reading of this phrase is “on the holy mountains,” which is preferred by many, among whom are Hupfeld and Cheyne. But the great preponderance of evidence is against the change, which obliterates a very striking and profound thought.
Psa 110:3 c, d gives another picture of the host. The usual explanation of the clause takes “youth” as meaning, not the young vigour of the King, but, in a collective sense, the assembled warriors, whom it paints as in the bloom of early manhood. The principal point of comparison of the army with the dew is probably its multitude. {2Sa 17:12} The warriors have the gift of unaging youth, as all those have who renew their strength by serving Christ. And it is permissible to take other characteristics of the dew than its abundance, and to think of the mystery of its origin, of the tiny mirrors of the sunshine hanging on every cobweb, of its power to refresh, as well as of the myriads of its drops.
But this explanation, beautiful and deep as it is, is challenged by many. The word rendered “dawn” is unusual. “Youth” is not found elsewhere in the sense thus assigned to it. “Dew” is thought to be an infelicitous emblem. “From a linguistic point of view” Cheyne pronounces both “dawn” and “dew” to be intolerable. Singularly enough, in the next sentence, he deprecates a previous opinion of his own as premature “until we know something certain of the Hebrew of the Davidic age” (“Orig. of Psalt.,” p. 482). But if such certainty is lacking, why should these two words be “intolerable”? He approves Bickells conjectural emendation, “From the womb, from the dawn [of life], Thy youthful band is devoted to Thee.”
Psa 110:4 again enshrines a Divine utterance, which is presented in an even more solemn manner than that of Psa 110:1. The oath of Jehovah by Himself represents the thing sworn as guaranteed by the Divine character. God, as it were, pledges His own name, with its fulness of unchanging power, to the fulfilment of the word; and this irrevocable and omnipotent decree is made still more impressive by the added assurance that He “will not repent.” Thus inextricably intertwined with the augustness of Gods nature, the union of the royal and priestly offices in the person of Messiah shall endure forever. Some commentators contend that every theocratic king of Israel was a priest, inasmuch as he was king of a priestly nation. But since the national priestliness did not hinder the appointment of a special order of priests, it is most natural to assume that the special order is here referred to. Why should the singer have gone back into the mists of antiquity, in order to find the type of a priest-king, if the union of offices belonged, by virtue of his kinghood, to every Jewish monarch? Clearly the combination was unexampled; and such an incident as that of Uzziahs leprosy shows how carefully the two great offices were kept apart. Their opposition has resulted in many tragedies: probably their union would be still more fatal, except in the case of One whose priestly sacrifice of Himself as a willing offering is the basis of His royal sway. The “order of Melchizedek” has received unexpected elucidation from the Tel-el-Amarna tablets, which bring to light, as a correspondent of the Pharaoh, one Ebed-tob, king of Uru-salim (the city of Salim, the god of peace). In one of his letters he says, “Behold, neither my father nor my mother have exalted me in this place; the prophecy [or perhaps, arm] of the mighty King has caused me to enter the house of my father.” By the mighty King is meant the god whose sanctuary stood on the summit of Mount Moriah. He was king of Jerusalem, because he was priest of its god (Sayce, “Criticism and the Monuments.” p. 175). The psalm lays stress on the eternal duration of the royalty and priesthood of Messiah; and although in other Messianic psalms the promised perpetuity may be taken to refer to the dynasty rather than the individual monarch, that explanation is impossible here, where a person is the theme.
Many attempts have been made to fit the language of the psalm to one or other of the kings of Israel; but, not to mention other difficulties, this Psa 110:4 remains as an insuperable obstacle. In default of Israelite kings, one or other of the Maccabean family has been thought of. Cheyne strongly pronounces for Simon Maccabaeus, and refers, as others have done, to a popular decree in his favour, declaring him “ruler and high priest forever” (“Orig. of Psalt.,” p. 26). On this identification, Baethgen asks if it is probable that the singer should have taken his theme from a popular decree, and have transformed it (umgestempelt) into a Divine oath. It may be added that Simon was not a king, and that he was by birth a priest.
The second part of the psalm carries the King into the battlefield. He comes forth from the throne, where He sat at Jehovahs right hand, and now Jehovah stands at His right hand. The word rendered Lord in Psa 110:5 is never used of any but God, and it is best to take it so here, even though to do so involves the necessity of supposing a change in the subject either in Psa 110:6 or Psa 110:7, which latter verse can only refer to the Messiah. The destructive conflict described is said to take place “in the day of His wrath” – i.e., of Jehovahs. If this is strictly interpreted, the period intended is not that of “the day of Thine army,” when by His priestly warriors the Priest-King wages a warfare among His enemies, which wins them to be His lovers, but that dread hour when He comes forth from His ascended glory to pronounce doom among the nations and to crush all opposition. Such a final apocalypse of the wrath of the Lamb is declared to us in clearer words, which may well be permitted to cast a light back on this psalm. {Rev 19:11} “He has crushed kings” is the perfect of prophetic certainty or intuition, the scene being so vividly bodied before the singer that he regards it as accomplished. “He shall judge” or give doom “among the nations,”-the future of pure prediction. Psa 110:6 b is capable of various renderings. It may be rendered as above, or the verb may be intransitive and the whole clause translated, It becomes full of corpses (so Delitzsch); or the word may be taken as an adjective, in which case the meaning would be the same as if it were an intransitive verb. “The head over a wide land” is also ambiguous. If “head” is taken as a collective noun, it means rulers. But it may be also regarded as referring to a person, the principal antagonist of the Messiah. This is the explanation of many of the older interpreters, who think of Death or “the prince of this world,” but is too fanciful to be adopted.
Psa 110:7 is usually taken as depicting the King as pausing in His victorious pursuit of the flying foe to drink, like Gideons men, from the brook, and then with renewed vigour pressing on. But is not the idea of the Messiah needing refreshment in that final conflict somewhat harsh?-and may there not be here a certain desertion of the order of sequence, so that we are carried back to the time prior to the enthronement of the King? One is tempted to suggest the possibility of this closing verse being a full parallel with Php 2:7-9. Christ on the way to His throne drank of “waters of affliction,” and precisely therefore is He “highly exalted.”
The choice for every man is being crushed beneath His foot, or being exalted to sit with Him on His throne. “He that overcometh, to him will I give to sit down with Me on My throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with My Father on His throne.” It is better to sit on His throne than to be His footstool.