Psalm 132 Study Notes

132:10 Reject is literally “turn one’s face from” (cp. Ezk 14:6). The anointed one is the king.

132:11 Just as David swore an oath to the Lord (v. 2), so the Lord swore an oath of fidelity to David (89:35; 110:4). The Lord promised to sustain the Davidic monarchy by keeping one of his offspring on the throne (89:3-4,28-29; 2Sm 7).

132:12 Conditionality was always implicit in this promise (89:38-39; 2Sm 7:14). God’s divinely ordained leader was expected to obey his law, serving as a role model to the community.

132:13-15 The designation of Zion as the Lord’s eternal resting place (68:16; 78:68; 87:2) brought a false sense of security to Israel; they wrongly believed the Lord would never allow Jerusalem to be captured or destroyed (Jr 7:3-12; Mc 3:11).

132:16 Just as the priests were expected to exhibit integrity in behavior (v. 9), so they were entrusted with salvation. This expressed their responsibility as divine mediators for the spiritual welfare of the people (Ezk 3:18; cp. Mt 16:19; 2Co 5:18-20).

132:17 The horn represents victory and salvation. The Hebrew word for grow (89:17; 148:14) is sometimes associated with a future Messiah, often figuratively referred to as a “branch” or “sprout” (Jr 23:5; 33:15; Ezk 29:21; Zch 3:8; 6:12). To prepare a lamp describes metaphorically the permanence of the dynasty and God’s visible presence on the throne (18:28; 2Sm 21:17; 22:29; 1Kg 11:36; Jb 18:6).

132:18 God’s priests will display righteousness and salvation (vv. 9,16), but the unrighteous will reflect shame. The divinely ordained king will stand out among the nations as the Lord’s anointed.