Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Psalms 122:9
Because of the house of the LORD our God I will seek thy good.
9. For the sake of the house &c.] Dear as Jerusalem is to him as the centre of the nation’s civil life, it is yet dearer as the centre of the national religion.
I will (Let me) seek thy good ] So Neh 2:10, “a man to seek the good of the children of Israel.”
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Because of the house of the Lord our God I will seek thy good – Because of the sanctuary within thee; because that is the place where God is worshipped. The principal attraction in thee is the fact that in thee is the place where the worship of God is celebrated. It is this which gives its main importance in my view to the place; it is for this, and because I desire its influence to be perpetuated and extended, that I seek thy prosperity. This expresses a deep feeling in the mind of a pious man. To him the church of God is the most important of all objects, gives the principal interest to a place, and is everywhere to him the chief attraction. The church does more to adorn a place than anything else; it is that which exerts the best influence on a place, and sends the best influence abroad; it is that which to him is the source of chief comfort and delight. His heart is there; his main delight is there; his arrangements will be made so as best to enjoy the privileges of the sanctuary; and his plans of life will all contemplate the welfare, the extension, and the influence of the church of God. It is religion which in his view is the chief ornament of a place; religion which in any community is the principal fountain of its happiness and prosperity; religion which is the central and controlling influence on the private dwellings, and the public institutions, of a nation.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Psa 122:9
Because of the house of the Lord our God I will seek thy good.
Christian patriotism
I. The Christians patriotic vow.
1. He will honour the King.
2. He will obey the laws, not merely for wrath, but for conscience sake.
3. He will use his influence to promote obedience in others.
4. He will personally contribute with cheerfulness to the support of the government by which he is protected.
5. He will discountenance to the utmost all those arts of evasion by which the revenue is defrauded and diminished.
6. He will unite with those who sigh and cry for the abominations of the lands.
7. If Providence should call, he will fight as well as pray.
II. The motive to this vow.
1. It is our native land.
2. The excellence of its constitution.
3. We have a life-interest in our country.
4. We should aim to do justice to the memory of our ancestors, by transmitting, unimpaired, to our posterity, the invaluable treasure of civil and religious liberties which we ourselves enjoy.
5. The house of the Lord is the glory of the land. The ark of the covenant is with us. Our privileges as Christians are great and many. And this consideration will preponderate over all others in the minds of those who truly love our Saviours name. (W. Newman, D. D.)
The house of the Lord
I. Gods Church as His house.
1. It is reared by Himself.
(1) The wisdom of the Architect.
(2) The firmness of the foundation.
(3) The suitableness of the materials.
(4) The efficiency of the work. The power is all His own.
2. Gods house is essentially spiritual. There are spiritual capacities, spiritual desires, spiritual purposes, spiritual exercises.
3. The house of God is intended for His own use.
(1) His dwelling-house.
(2) His banqueting-house.
(3) A house of births.
(4) A house of sacrifice.
(5) A house of prayer.
(6) A house of praise.
II. Our individual membership therein. Real godliness is kept up and maintained by secret communion with God, spiritual intercourse with the Most High, under the movings of the Holy Ghost, in the name and for the merits of the Lord Jesus, by sweet, familiar, filial addresses to God the Father. Yea, you want more? The Fathers love-tokens in reply, the Saviours kind word in support, and the influence of the Spirit, as green olive trees in the house of the Lord.
III. Devotedness to the house of the Lord. Seek her extension, her peace, and her privileges. (J. Irons.)
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Psa 123:1-4
Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell
Verse 9. Because of the house of the Lord our God] Particularly will I wish thee well, because thou art the seat of religion, the place where our merciful God has condescended to dwell.
To the captives in Babylon the Prophet Jeremiah had given this charge, Jer 29:7: “And seek shalom, the prosperity of the city, whither I have caused you to be carried captives, and pray unto the Lord for it; for in the prosperity thereof ye shall have prosperity.”
Was this a duty for the captives? Yes. And is it the duty of every man for his own country? God, nature, common sense, and self-interest say, YES! And what must we think of the wretches who not only do not thus pray, but labour to destroy the public peace, to subvert the government of their country, to raise seditions, and to destroy all its civil and religious institutions? Think of them! Why, that hemp would be disgraced by hanging them.
There is a fine picture given us here of the state of Jerusalem after the restoration of the Jews. The walls were finished, the city rebuilt, beautiful, strong, and regular, the temple and its worship were restored, the courts of justice were re-established, the constituted authorities in Church and state were doing their duty; and God was pouring out his blessing upon all. Who could see this without praying, May God increase thy peace, and establish thy prosperity for ever!
ANALYSIS OF THE HUNDRED AND TWENTY-SECOND PSALM
The psalmist, in the person of the people, –
I. Expresses his joy that he might join with the Church in God’s service, Ps 122:1-2.
II. Commends the Church, under the name of Jerusalem, for her unity, Ps 122:3; religious worship, Ps 122:4; civil and ecclesiastical policy, Ps 122:5.
III. Exhorts all to pray for its peace and prosperity, Ps 122:6; and puts the form of prayer into their mouths, Ps 122:7.
IV. Shows his own readiness to do this, and offers up his supplications, Ps 122:8-9.
I. The psalmist congratulates himself and the people on the restoration of God’s worship: –
1. He expresses his own joy: “I was glad.”
2. To hear of the unanimity of the people mutually exhorting each other to it: “When they said unto me.”
3. “Let us go into the house of the Lord.” Let us all go, hear his word, give him thanks, and make prayers and supplications to him.
II. He commends Jerusalem three ways: –
1. For its unity: it was compact together; it was united in itself; and united, both in politics and religion, in its inhabitants.
2. For its being the place of God’s worship: 1. For “thither the tribes go up” thrice in the year, as was ordained, Ex 23:14, to celebrate their deliverance from Egypt, in keeping the passover. 2. The giving of the law, in the feast of pentecost. 3. Their preservation in the wilderness, in the feast of tabernacles.
These tribes are “the tribes of the Lord.” A very honourable title.
“Unto the testimony of Israel.” To the ark of the covenant, the pledge of the covenant between God and the people.
The end for which they went up: “To give thanks unto the name of the Lord.”
3. He commends Jerusalem for its civil and ecclesiastical policy: 1. “For there are set thrones of judgment.” The tribunals and courts of justice are there. 2. “The thrones of the house of David.” The court and throne of a legitimate sovereign.
III. He exhorts the tribes to pray for a continuance of its present happy state.
1. “Pray for the peace,” c. It is our duty to pray for the prosperity of the nation and of the Church of God.
2. “They shall prosper that love thee.” Those who love both are blessed, those who do not are cursed.
3. And that we may know the prayer that God will hear, he puts one in our mouth, “Peace be within thy walls, and prosperity within thy palaces.” It is well to join peace and prosperity together. Peace without prosperity is but a secure possession of misery and prosperity without peace is but a dubious and uncertain felicity.
1. “Peace be within thy walls.” Not only thy fortifications, civil and religious institutions, but also among all thy officers, soldiers, and inhabitants, for they constitute the strength and safety of the kingdom.
2. “And prosperity within thy palaces.” In the king’s house, his family, his ministers; if there be dissensions there, ruin will soon follow.
IV. The psalmist shows his own readiness to do this.
1. “I will now say, Peace be within thee.” So should all the ministers of religion pray.
2. “I will seek thy good.” So should the king and every officer of state resolve. All should be united in so good a work. They should not seek their own good, but the good, not the goods, of the people.
For this the psalmist gives these reasons: –
1. “For my brethren and companions’ sakes.” We are not only subjects of one king, citizens of the same city, but we have all one God and Father.
2. “Because of the house of the Lord.” For the maintenance of true religion. If religion fail, the kingdom will fail; prosperity will be at an end; the nation will be divided, distracted, destroyed. Religion, the true religion in a country, is the consolation of the good, and the bridle that holds in the jaws of the wicked. Let us all pray for the prosperity of pure and undefiled religion, and the prosperity of the state!
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
The house of the Lord our God; which is now fixed in this city.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
9. Let me sayhouse of . .. Godin wider sense, the Church, whose welfare would bepromoted by the good of Jerusalem.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
Because of the house of the Lord our God,…. Not because of his own palace, nor because of his own house and family; nor because of his own personal interest; though all were concerned in the peace of Jerusalem: but chiefly because of the sanctuary of the Lord, as the Targum; because of the worship and service of God in it; because of his great love and zeal for the house and church of the living God, which ate him up, Ps 69:9;
I will seek thy good; the good of Jerusalem, the good of the church of God; do all the good he could to it both with his purse and prayers, and by stirring up others to do the same; see Ps 51:18.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
9. Because of the house of Jehovah our God, etc. In this verse he adds a second reason why he cared for the Church — that he did so, because the worship of God so far from remaining entire would go to ruin unless Jerusalem continued standing. If then the salvation of our brethren is regarded by us as an object of importance, if religion is with us a matter of heart-work, we ought, at the same time, as much as in us lies, to take an interest in the prosperity of the Church. Whence it follows, that such are indifferent about her condition, are no less cruel than impious; for if she is “the pillar and foundation of truth,” the inevitable consequence of her destruction must be the extinction of true piety. And if the body is destroyed, how can each of the members fail to be involved in destruction? Farther, this passage teaches us that the Church is not an empty title, but must be sought for where the true religion prevails. Whence it appears, how foolish the Papists are, who, notwithstanding their having rejected and overthrown the doctrine of the Gospel, yet mightily boast of the name of the Church.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(9) Because . . .Now for the first time the religious motive of the pilgrimage appears, rendered all the more emphatic by being kept for the concluding verse.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
9. Because of the house of the Lord As in the previous verse the psalmist’s love of the brethren led him to wish peace to the city, so now the love of the house of God shows the love of God to be his leading motive. With a true Hebrew, religion underlaid patriotism. This alone could give the highest love of country, and offer the surest stability to government. Throughout this psalm the warmest piety and patriotism prevail, and a true spiritual and evangelical meaning lies beneath the letter. According to the common method of the Hebrews in expressing their spiritual faith and feelings, the language and metaphor seem to present only a secular garb; but the reader will do himself and the psalmist the highest injustice if he fails to trace a New Testament type of piety throughout. On “house,” as it bears on the question whether the temple was standing at this time, see on Psa 122:1 and the reference there.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
REFLECTIONS
READER, it will be no unprofitable improvement of this subject, if from a view of the love and zeal of the faithful Israelite towards his beloved Jerusalem, you and I examine whether we feel an equal warmth of affection to Jesus and his ordinances. Depend upon it, that among the present awful decays of vital godliness, the general disregard to the welfare of Zion becomes no small cause of those decays. If we were asked, as the church of old was, What is thy beloved more than another beloved? what would be our answer? If we love Zion, or in other words, love the Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity and in truth, shall we not rejoice to promote his glory through the earth? Shall we not invite everyone to come and take part in Jesus? Zion’s children are newborn children; so saith the scripture: When the Lord writeth up the people, it shall be said, This and that man was born in her. Sweet thought! the children of Zion, the children of the great king, even Jesus, are new-born; they have turned their backs upon all other cities; their faces are Zion-ward; they speak the language, wear the garments, follow the employment of Zion’s children. Their names are written among her citizens, and enrolled in the charter. Precious, precious Jesus! hast thou made me free of Zion? then am I free indeed. Oh! give me to see that thou hast written upon my soul thy new name; that I am washed in thy blood, clothed in thy robe of salvation; and have proved and do daily prove to whom I belong, in following thy courts, and dwelling in thy house, and sitting under the light of thy divine countenance. Then will, that blessedness be my portion, and I shall go from strength to strength, until everyone (both sons and daughters) in Zion shall appear before God.
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Psa 122:9 Because of the house of the LORD our God I will seek thy good.
Ver. 9. Because of the house of the Lord our God ] Where David’s heart was, and wherein he held it a happiness to be but a doorkeeper, Psa 84:10 , so much endeared unto him was God’s sincere service. O pass we into the likeness of this heavenly pattern.
I will seek thy good
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
God. Hebrew. Elohim. App-4.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
the house: Psa 26:8, Psa 69:9, Psa 84:1, Psa 84:2, Psa 84:10, 1Ch 29:3, Joh 2:17
I will seek: Psa 102:13, Psa 102:14, Psa 137:5, Psa 137:6, Neh 2:10, Neh 13:14
Reciprocal: 2Sa 15:25 – he will bring 1Ki 8:66 – joyful Ezr 8:30 – the house of our God Neh 10:39 – we will not