Psalm 52:9

EXPOSITION

Verse 9. I will praise thee for ever. Like thy mercy shall my thankfulness be. While others boast in their riches I will boast in my God; and when their glorying is silenced for ever in the tomb, my song shall continue to proclaim the lovingkindness of Jehovah. Because thou hast done it. Thou hast vindicated the righteous, and punished the wicked. God's memorable acts of providence, both to saints and sinners, deserve, and must have our gratitude. David views his prayer as already answered, the promise of God as already fulfilled, and therefore at once lifts up the sacred Psalm. And I will wait on thy name. God shall still be the psalmist's hope; he will not in future look elsewhere. He whose name has been so gloriously made known in truth and righteousness, is justly chosen as our expectation for years to come. For it is good before thy saints. Before or among the saints David intended to wait, feeling it to be good both for him and them to look to the Lord alone, and wait for the manifestation of his character in due season. Men must not too much fluster us; our strength is to sit still. Let the mighty ones boast, we will wait on the Lord; and if their haste brings them present honour, our patience will have its turn by and by, and bring us the honour which excelleth.

EXPLANATORY NOTES AND QUAINT SAYINGS

Verse 9. He compares himself

1. With an olive tree, a tree a ways green, lasting long and fruitful, whose fruit is most useful and grateful: so he paints his future state as joyful, glorious, lasting, and useful and pleasing to men: plainly a reference is made to the royal and prophetic office, in both of which he represents himself as an olive tree, by supplying others with oil through his rule and instruction:
2. With the olive growing luxuriantly, and abounding in spreading bough, and so, spacious and large...
3. But why does he add in the house of God? That he might indicate, unless I am deceived:
   1. That he should possess a dwelling in that place where the house of God was, whence he was now exiled through the calumnies of Doeg and the attacks of Saul stirred up thereby:
   2. That he should perform distinguished service to the house of God, by adorning it, and by restoring religion, now neglected, and practising it with zeal:
   3. That he should derive from God and his favour, whose that house was, all his prosperity:
   4. That he, like a son of God, should rejoice in familiarity with him, and should become heir to his possessions and promises. Hermann Venema.

HINTS FOR PASTORS AND LAYPERSONS

Verse 9. The double duty, and the double reason: the single heart and its single object.

Verse 9. What God has done, what we will do, and why.