Psalms 132:1-10

1 The song of degrees. Lord, have thou mind on David; and of all his mildness. (Lord, remember David; and all his troubles and tribulations.)

2 As he swore to the Lord; he made a vow to [the] God of Jacob.

3 I shall not enter into the tabernacle of mine house; I shall not ascend into the bed of my resting.

4 I shall not give sleep to mine eyes; and napping to mine eyelids. (I shall not give sleep to my eyes; or napping to my eyelids.)

5 And rest to my temples, till I find a place to the Lord; a tabernacle to [the] God of Jacob. (Until I find a place for the Lord; yea, a dwelling place for the Mighty God of Jacob.)

6 Lo! we heard that (the) ark of (the) testament (is) in Ephratah [Lo! we have heard (of) it in Ephratah]; we found it in the fields of the wood. (Lo! we have heard that the Covenant Box is in Ephratah; we found it in the fields of Jaar, or of Jearim.)

7 We shall enter into the tabernacle of him (We shall go into his Tabernacle, or his dwelling place); we shall worship in the place, where his feet stood.

8 Lord, rise thou into thy rest; thou, and the ark of thine hallowing. (Arise, O Lord, and come back to thy resting place; thou, and the Ark of thy power.)

9 Thy priests be clothed with rightfulness; and thy saints make full out joy. (Let thy priests be clothed in righteousness; and thy saints rejoice.)

10 For David, thy servant; turn thou not away the face of thy christ. (For the sake of thy servant David; turn thou not away thy face from thy anointed king.)

Psalms 132:1-10 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO PSALM 132

\\<>\\. Some think this psalm was written by Solomon, since Ps 132:8,10, are much the same with which he concluded his prayer at the dedication of the temple, 2Ch 6:41,42; on account of which it is supposed to be written; though he might borrow these words from hence, as he sometimes did recite the words of his father, Pr 4:4,5. Others are of opinion that it was written by David, either when he brought the ark from Baale or Kirjathjearim to the house of Obededom, and from thence to Zion, 2Sa 6:1-23; or when he had that conversation with Nathan the prophet, in which he expressed such a strong desire to build a house for God, 2Sa 7:1-17; or, as Aben Ezra and Kimchi think, after he had numbered the people, which brought the pestilence on them; and when he and the elders of Israel were in distress on that account, and he was ordered to build an altar in the threshingfloor of Ornan the Jebusite, 1Ch 21:18; by which it appeared to him that this was the place for the house of the Lord God he had been so desirous of building, 1Ch 22:1. It seems by Ps 132:6,7, that more persons than one were concerned in this psalm, at least the psalmist represents more; and Theodoret takes it to be a prayer of the captives in Babylon, and a prophecy of the Saviour of the world; and this is favoured by the Syriac inscription, which is, ``an anonymous psalm, when they would build the house of the Lord of hosts; and a prayer of David, and a revelation of Christ.'' And certain it is that Christ is spoken of in it, if not principally designed.