He appointeth the moon for seasons
Or, "he made" F5; for the moon is the work of his
hands, ( Psalms
8:3 ) as is likewise the sun. From the rain the psalmist
passes to the luminaries; for this reason, as Aben Ezra thinks,
because they are the cause of rain: the moon is taken notice of
in the first place, because, as Kimchi observes, the night was
before the day; and in the night of the fourth day were the sun,
moon, and stars; but the sun rose in the morning. The moon was
made for seasons as well as the sun, ( Genesis 1:16
) or that times might be numbered by it, as the Targum, both
months and years; one of its courses and revolutions making a
month, and twelve of these a year; which lunar years were in use
among some nations: as also it is supposed to have an influence
on the ebbing and flowing of the tides; and served to regulate
the festivals of the Jews, their set appointed times, as the word
signifies, and is used of them, and which were governed by it.
And this Jarchi takes to be the sense of the passage; though Aben
Ezra more truly remarks, that it purely belongs to the work of
creation, and the original design and use of this luminary. It
was an emblem of the ceremonial law; which consisted, among other
things, in the observation of new moons; which gave some light in
the time of Jewish darkness, though but a dim one, in comparison
of the Gospel; had its imperfections, was changeable, waxed old,
and vanished away; and which the church is said to have under her
feet, being abolished, ( Revelation
12:1 ) . Though some think the world is meant, which is
changeable and fading. It was also an emblem of the church, (
Song of Solomon
6:10 ) which receives her light from Christ, the sun of
righteousness; has its different phases and appearances;
sometimes being in prosperity, and sometimes in adversity; has
its spots and imperfections, and yet beautiful, through the grace
of God and righteousness of Christ.
The sun knoweth his going down;
not the going down of the moon, which is the sense of some,
according to Kimchi; but his own going down; and so he knows his
rising, to which this is opposed, ( Psalms 50:1 ) and every
revolution, diurnal or annual, he makes; and which he constantly
and punctually observes, as if he was a creature endued with
reason and understanding; see ( Psalms 19:5 Psalms 19:6 ) (
Job 38:12 ) . He
knows the time of his setting, as the Targum, Syriac, and Arabic
versions; and also the place where he is to set, at the different
seasons of the year, and indeed every day. This luminary is an
emblem of Christ, the sun of righteousness, ( Psalms 84:11
) ( Malachi
4:2 ) the fountain of all light; the light of nature, grace,
and glory; and of all spiritual life and heat, as well as
fruitfulness. He arose at his incarnation, and set at his death,
the time of both which he full well knew; and he has his risings
and settings, with respect to the manifestation of himself to his
people, or hiding himself from them, which depend on his
pleasure.