Psalm 138:2

Psalms 138:2

I will worship towards thy holy temple
Not the temple at Jerusalem, which was not yet built, though, when it was, the Jews in their devotions at a distance looked towards it, ( 1 Kings 8:38 1 Kings 8:40 ) ; but rather the tabernacle of Moses, in which was the ark, as Aben Ezra and Kimchi observe; and over that the mercy seat and cherubim, between which Jehovah dwelt; and this being a type of Christ's human nature, which was perfectly holy, and is called by himself a temple, and is the true tabernacle God pitched, and not man, ( John 2:19 ) ( Hebrews 8:2 ) ; he may be designed, and to him, as Mediator, should we look, and with him deal in all our devotions for acceptance with God; see ( Jonah 2:4 ) ; unless heaven itself is meant, which is the palace of Jehovah, the habitation of his holiness, his temple where he dwells, ( Psalms 11:4 ) ( Habakkuk 2:20 ) ;

and praise thy name, for thy lovingkindness and for thy truth;
which may primarily regard the goodness and grace of God in promising David the kingdom, and his faithfulness in making good the promise, and for both which he was under obligation to praise the name of the Lord; and holds good with respect to all other promises: and it may also signify the free favour and love of God to his people, which is from everlasting, is the source of all blessings, and is better than life; and the faithfulness of God to himself, his perfections, purposes and promises, council and covenant: it may be rendered, "for thy grace, and for thy truth" ^F13, which both come by Christ, ( John 1:17 ) ; grace may intend both the doctrine of grace, the Gospel of the grace of God preached by Christ, and the blessings of grace which come through him; as justification, pardon, adoption, sanctification, and eternal life, which are all of grace, and by Christ: and truth also may signify the word of truth, or solid substantial blessings, in distinction from typical ones; or the good things that come by Christ our High Priest, of which the law was only a shadow; and these are all of them things the name of the Lord is to be praised for;

for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name;
or "above every name of thine" ^F14; which Aben Ezra interprets of the glorious name Jehovah; the word God spake to Moses, the name in which he made himself known to him, and to the Israelites, he had not to their fathers, ( Exodus 3:14 ) ( 6:3 ) ; but rather it is to be understood of God's word of promise, and his faithfulness in fulfilling it; which, though not a greater attribute than any other, yet is made more known and more illustrious than the rest; and particularly may regard the promise of the coming of the Messiah, and of the blessings of grace by him; Jarchi interprets it particularly of the pardon of sin. It may with propriety be applied to Christ, the essential Word, that was made flesh, and dwelt among men; whom God has highly exalted, and not only given him a name above every name of men on earth, but also above any particular name or attribute of his: or however he has magnified him "according"

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FOOTNOTES:

F15 to every name of his, it being his will that men should honour the Son as they honour the Father; or "with" ^F16 every name along with each of them; or "besides" ^F17 every name; for all these senses the word will bear. Some render them, as Ben Melech, "thou hast magnified above all things thy name" and "thy word"; or, as others, "thy name [by] thy word" ^F18; see ( Psalms 8:1 ) ( Psalms 57:10 Psalms 57:11 ) ; The Targum is,

``the words of thy praise above all thy name;''

or "over all thy name": everything by which he has made himself known in creation and providence; "thou hast magnified thy word", all being done according to the word said in himself, his decrees and purposes; or declared in his word and promises, whereby he has glorified it.

F13 So Cocceius, Gejerus, Michaelis.
F14 (Kmv lk le) "super omne nomen tuum", Cocceius, Michaelis.
F15 "Secundum omne nomen tuum", Gejerus.
F16 "Cum toto nomine tuo", Junius & Tremellius.
F17 "Vel praeter omne nomen tuum", Piscator.
F18 "Nomen tuum sermone tuo"; so some in Piscator.