Salmi 89

1 Maschil di Etan Ezarahita IO canterò in perpetuo le benignità del Signore; Io renderò colla mia bocca nota la tua verità per ogni età.

2 Perciocchè io ho detto: La tua benignità sarà stabile in eterno; Tu hai fermata la tua verità ne’ cieli.

3 Io ho fatto, dice il Signore, patto col mio eletto; Io ho giurato a Davide, mio servitore, dicendo:

4 Io fonderò la tua progenie in eterno, Ed edificherò il tuo trono per ogni età. Sela.

5 I cieli parimente celebreranno le tue maraviglie, o Signore; La tua verità eziandio sarà celebrata nella raunanza de’ santi.

6 Perciocchè, chi è nel cielo che pareggi il Signore; E che possa essere assomigliato al Signore, fra i figliuoli de’ possenti?

7 Iddio è grandemente spaventevole nel consiglio de’ santi, E tremendo sopra tutti quelli che sono d’intorno a lui.

8 O Signore Iddio degli eserciti, chi è potente Signore come sei tu? Tu hai, oltre a ciò, intorno a te la tua verità.

9 Tu signoreggi sopra l’alterezza del mare; Quando le sue onde s’innalzano, tu l’acqueti.

10 Tu hai fiaccato Rahab, a guisa d’uomo ferito a morte; Tu hai, col tuo possente braccio, dispersi i tuoi nemici.

11 I cieli son tuoi, tua eziandio è la terra; Tu hai fondato il mondo, e tutto ciò ch’è in esso.

12 Tu hai creato il Settentrione ed il Mezzodì; Tabor ed Hermon trionfano nel tuo Nome.

13 Tu hai un braccio forte; La tua mano è potente, la tua destra è esaltata.

14 Giustizia e giudicio son la ferma base del tuo trono; Benignità e verità vanno davanti alla tua faccia.

15 Beato il popolo che sa che cosa è il giubilare; O Signore, essi cammineranno alla chiarezza della tua faccia;

16 Festeggeranno tuttodì nel tuo nome, E si esalteranno nella tua giustizia.

17 Perchè tu sei la gloria della lor forza; E il nostro corno è alzato per lo tuo favore.

18 Perciocchè lo scudo nostro è del Signore; E il Re nostro è del Santo d’Israele.

19 Tu parlasti già in visione intorno al tuo Santo, E dicesti: Io ho posto l’aiuto intorno al possente; Io ho innalzato l’eletto d’infra il popolo.

20 Io ho trovato Davide, mio servitore; E l’ho unto coll’olio mio santo;

21 Col quale la mia mano sarà ferma; Il mio braccio eziandio lo fortificherà.

22 Il nemico non l’oppresserà; Ed il perverso non l’affliggerà.

23 Anzi io fiaccherò i suoi nemici, cacciandoli d’innanzi a lui; E sconfiggerò quelli che l’odieranno.

24 E la mia verità, e la mia benignità, saranno con lui; Ed il suo corno sarà alzato nel mio nome;

25 E metterò la sua mano sopra il mare, E la sua destra sopra i fiumi.

26 Egli m’invocherà, dicendo: Tu sei mio Padre, Il mio Dio, e la Rocca della mia salute.

27 Io altresì lo costituirò il primogenito, Il più eccelso dei re della terra.

28 Io gli osserverò la mia benignità in perpetuo, Ed il mio patto sarà leale inverso lui.

29 E renderò la sua progenie eterna, Ed il suo trono simile a’ giorni del cielo.

30 Se i suoi figliuoli abbandonano la mia Legge, E non camminano ne’ miei ordinamenti;

31 Se violano i miei statuti, E non osservano i miei comandamenti;

32 Io visiterò il lor misfatto con verga, E la loro iniquità con battiture;

33 Ma non annullerò la mia benignità inverso lui, E non mentirò contro alla mia verità.

34 Io non violerò il mio patto, E non muterò quello che è uscito dalle mie labbra.

35 Io ho giurato una volta per la mia santità: Se io mento a Davide;

36 Che la sua progenie sarà in eterno, E che il suo trono sarà come il sole nel mio cospetto;

37 Che sarà stabile in perpetuo, come la luna; E di ciò vi è il testimonio fedele nel cielo. Sela.

38 E pur tu l’hai cacciato lungi da te, e l’hai disdegnato; Tu ti sei gravemente adirato contro al tuo unto.

39 Tu hai annullato il patto fatto col tuo servitore; Tu hai contaminata la sua benda reale, gettandola per terra.

40 Tu hai rotte tutte le sue chiusure; Tu hai messe in ruina le sue fortezze.

41 Tutti i passanti l’hanno predato; Egli è stato in vituperio a’ suoi vicini.

42 Tu hai alzata la destra de’ suoi avversari; Tu hai rallegrati tutti i suoi nemici.

43 Tu hai eziandio rintuzzato il taglio della sua spada, E non l’hai fatto star fermo in piè nella battaglia.

44 Tu l’hai spogliato del suo splendore, Ed hai traboccato in terra il suo trono.

45 Tu hai scorciati i giorni della sua giovanezza; Tu l’hai coperto di vergogna. Sela.

46 Infino a quando, o Signore, ti nasconderai tu? Ed arderà l’ira tua come un fuoco, in perpetuo?

47 Ricordati quanto poco tempo io ho da vivere nel mondo; Perchè avresti tu creati in vano tutti i figliuoli degli uomini?

48 Chi è l’uomo che viva, senza veder mai la morte? Che scampi la sua vita di man del sepolcro? Sela.

49 Ove sono, o Signore, le tue benignità antiche, Le quali tu giurasti a Davide per la tua verità?

50 Ricordati, o Signore, del vituperio fatto a’ tuoi servitori, Di quello che io porto in seno; Del vituperio fattoci da tutti i grandi popoli.

51 Conciossiachè i tuoi nemici abbiano vituperate, o Signore, Abbiano vituperate le vestigia del tuo unto.

52 Benedetto sia il Signore in eterno. Amen, Amen.

Salmi 89 Commentary

Chapter 89

God's mercy and truth, and his covenant. (1-4) The glory and perfection of God. (5-14) The happiness of those in communion with him. (15-18) God's covenant with David, as a type of Christ. (19-37) A calamitous state lamented, Prayer for redress. (38-52)

Verses 1-4 Though our expectations may be disappointed, yet God's promises are established in the heavens, in his eternal counsels; they are out of the reach of opposers in hell and earth. And faith in the boundless mercy and everlasting truth of God, may bring comfort even in the deepest trials.

Verses 5-14 The more God's works are known, the more they are admired. And to praise the Lord, is to acknowledge him to be such a one that there is none like him. Surely then we should feel and express reverence when we worship God. But how little of this appears in our congregations, and how much cause have we to humble ourselves on this account! That almighty power which smote Egypt, will scatter the enemies of the church, while all who trust in God's mercy will rejoice in his name; for mercy and truth direct all he does. His counsels from eternity, and their consequences to eternity, are all justice and judgment.

Verses 15-18 Happy are those who so know the joyful sound of the gospel as to obey it; who experience its power upon their hearts, and bring forth the fruit of it in their lives. Though believers are nothing in themselves, yet having all in Christ Jesus, they may rejoice in his name. May the Lord enable us to do so. The joy of the Lord is the strength of his people; whereas unbelief dispirits ourselves and discourages others. Though it steals upon us under a semblance of humility, yet it is the very essence of pride. Christ is the Holy One of Israel; and in him was that peculiar people more blessed than in any other blessing.

Verses 19-37 The Lord anointed David with the holy oil, not only as an emblem of the graces and gifts he received, but as a type of Christ, the King Priest, and Prophet, anointed with the Holy Ghost without measure. David after his anointing, was persecuted, but none could gain advantage against him. Yet all this was a faint shadow of the Redeemer's sufferings, deliverance, glory, and authority, in whom alone these predictions and promises are fully brought to pass. He is the mighty God. This is the Redeemer appointed for us, who alone is able to complete the work of our salvation. Let us seek an interest in these blessings, by the witness of the Holy Spirit in our hearts. As the Lord corrected the posterity of David for their transgressions, so his people shall be corrected for their sins. Yet it is but a rod, not a sword; it is to correct, not to destroy. It is a rod in the hand of God, who is wise, and knows what he does; gracious, and will do what is best. It is a rod which they shall never feel, but when there is need. As the sun and moon remain in heaven, whatever changes there seem to be in them, and again appear in due season; so the covenant of grace made in Christ, whatever alteration seems to come to it, should not be questioned.

Verses 38-52 Sometimes it is not easy to reconcile God's providences with his promises, yet we are sure that God's works fulfil his word. When the great Anointed One, Christ himself, was upon the cross, God seemed to have cast him off, yet did not make void his covenant, for that was established for ever. The honour of the house of David was lost. Thrones and crowns are often laid in the dust; but there is a crown of glory reserved for Christ's spiritual seed, which fadeth not away. From all this complaint learn what work sin makes with families, noble families, with families in which religion has appeared. They plead with God for mercy. God's unchangeableness and faithfulness assure us that He will not cast off those whom he has chosen and covenanted with. They were reproached for serving him. The scoffers of the latter days, in like manner, reproach the footsteps of the Messiah when ( 2 Peter. 3:3 2 Peter. 3:4 ) records of the Lord's dealings with the family of David, show us his dealings with his church, and with believers. Their afflictions and distresses may be grievous, but he will not finally cast them off. Self-deceivers abuse this doctrine, and others by a careless walk bring themselves into darkness and distress; yet let the true believer rely on it for encouragement in the path of duty, and in bearing the cross. The psalm ends with praise, even after this sad complaint. Those who give God thanks for what he has done, may give him thanks for what he will do. God will follow those with his mercies, who follow him with praises.

Chapter Summary

Maschil of Ethan the Ezrahite. Who this Ethan was is not certain. Kimchi takes him to be the same with Ethan the wise man, a grandson of Judah, 1 Kings 4:31. But seeing he lived some hundreds of years before the times of David, it is not likely that he should be the writer of this psalm; for David is made mention of in it, which could not be, unless it can be thought to be by a spirit of prophecy; which indeed is the opinion of Doctor Lightfoot {k}, who takes this Ethan to be the penman of this psalm; and who "from the promise, Genesis 15:1 sings joyfully the deliverance (of Israel); that the raging of the Red sea should be ruled, Psalm 89:9, and Rahab, or Egypt, should be broken in pieces, Psalm 89:10, and that the people should hear the joyful sound of the law, Psalm 89:15, and as for the name of David in it, this, he says, might be done prophetically; as Samuel is thought to be named by Moses, Psalm 99:6, which psalm is held to be made by him; or else might be put into it, in later times, by some divine penman, endued with the same gift of prophecy, who might improve the ground work of this psalm laid by Ethan, and set it to an higher key; namely, that whereas he treated only of bodily deliverance from Egypt, it is wound up so high as to reach the spiritual delivery by Christ; and therefore David is often named, from whence he should come."

There was another Ethan, a singer, in David's time; and it is more probable that he is the person, who might live to the times of Rehoboam, and see the decline of David's family, and the revolt of the ten tribes from it; or perhaps it was one of this name who lived in the times of the Babylonish captivity, and saw the low estate that David's family were come into; to which agrees the latter part of this psalm; and, in order to comfort the people of God, he wrote this psalm, showing that the covenant and promises of God, made with David, nevertheless stood firm, and would be accomplished: the title of the Septuagint version calls him Etham the Israelite; and the Arabic version Nathan the Israelite: the Targum makes him to be Abraham, paraphrasing it "a good understanding, which was said by the hand of Abraham, that came from the east."

But whoever was the penman of this psalm, it is "maschil," an instructive psalm, a psalm causing to understand; it treats concerning the covenant of grace, and the promises of it; and concerning the mercy and faithfulness of God, in making and keeping the same; and concerning the Messiah and his seed, his church and people; and the stability and duration of all these: many passages in it are applied to the Messiah by Jewish writers, ancient and modern; and Psalm 89:20 is manifestly referred to in Acts 13:22.