Psalms 89:38

38 But You have 1cast off and 2rejected, You have been full of wrath against Your 3anointed.

Psalms 89:38 Meaning and Commentary

Psalms 89:38

But thou hast cast off
Here begin objections to what is before said, and swore to; even to the everlasting love of God, to Christ, and to his seed, to the unchangeableness and unalterableness of the covenant, and to the continuance and perpetuity of the kingdom and church of Christ, taken from the dealings of the Lord with the Messiah and his people; which were made either by the psalmist, under a spirit of prophecy, foreseeing what would come to pass; or by the apostles and church of Christ, about the time of his sufferings and death, and after; when he seemed to be "cast off", and rejected by the Lord, particularly when he forsook him, and hid his face from him, ( Matthew 27:46 ) , as when he hides his face from his people, it is interpreted by them a casting them off; see ( Psalms 44:22-24 ) ( 10:11 ) ,

and abhorred;
not that he abhorred the person of Christ, who was his own Son, his beloved Son; nor his afflictions and sufferings, which were a sacrifice of a sweet smelling savour to him; see ( Psalms 22:24 ) , though these might be interpreted by others as if the Lord abhorred or rejected him; because he suffered him to be used in the manner he was, and particularly to be abhorred by the Jews, even by the nation in general, ( Isaiah 49:7 ) ( Zechariah 11:8 ) , though the sins of his people, which he had upon him, and for which he suffered, were an abhorring to the Lord; and when he was made sin, he was made a curse:

thou hast been wroth with thine Anointed;
with thy Messiah; not Rehoboam, from whom the ten tribes were rent; nor Josiah, who was killed by Pharaohnecho; nor Zedekiah, carried captive into Babylon; but the true Messiah, the son of David, before said to be found by the Lord, and anointed with his holy oil, ( Psalms 89:20 ) , which is to be understood of him, not as his own son, who was always the object of his love, but as the sinner's surety, bearing the sins of his people, and all the wrath and punishment due unto them; and so is reconcilable to the promise, that lovingkindness should not be taken from him, ( Psalms 89:33 ) and is no objection to it, though made one.

Psalms 89:38 In-Context

36 "His descendants shall endure forever And his throne as the sun before Me.
37 "It shall be established forever like the moon, And the witness in the sky is faithful." Selah.
38 But You have cast off and rejected, You have been full of wrath against Your anointed.
39 You have spurned the covenant of Your servant; You have profaned his crown in the dust.
40 You have broken down all his walls; You have brought his strongholds to ruin.

Cross References 3

  • 1. Psalms 44:9
  • 2. Deuteronomy 32:19; 1 Chronicles 28:9
  • 3. Psalms 20:6; Psalms 89:20, 51

Footnotes 1

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