Psalm 93

The author of this psalm is unknown, and there is nothing by which we can determine this, or its date, or the occasion on which it was written. It seems, from Psa_93:5, to have been composed with some reference to the sanctuary, and to the service there: “Holiness becometh thine “house,” O Lord,” and it may have been designed, with the last psalm, to have been used in the place of public worship on the sabbath-day. The Septuagint states For the day before the Sabbath, when the land was [first] inhabited, the praise of a Song by David. The origin of this title is unknown, and it has no authority. There is no evidence that it was composed by David or for that purpose and the presumption from Psa_93:5 is that it was composed after the temple was built, and consequently after the death of David.

This psalm is about the universal government of God, Psa_93:1, Psa_93:2, the opposition to that government, Psa_93:3, Psa_93:4 and the truth of God’s testimonies, Psa_93:5.

Psa_93 -100 were applied by the Jews to the times of the Messiah. The theme is God’s supremacy in creation and providence. God is described as a King entering on His reign, and, for robes of royalty, investing Himself with the glorious attributes of His nature. The result of His thus reigning is the durability of the world.

Psa 93:1  The LORD reigneth, he is clothed with majesty; the LORD is clothed with strength, wherewith he hath girded himself: the world also is stablished, that it cannot be moved.

The Lord reigneth - The same commencement of a psalm occurs in Psa 97:1 The LORD reigneth; let the earth rejoice; let the multitude of isles be glad thereof. Psa 99:1 The LORD reigneth; let the people tremble: he sitteth between the cherubims; let the earth be moved. The same idea is often found in the Scriptures. 1Ch 16:31 Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice: and let men say among the nations, The LORD reigneth. Psa 47:8 God reigneth over the heathen: God sitteth upon the throne of his holiness. Isa 52:7 How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth! Rev 19:6 And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth. The Lord reigns over all, and that all must be right. Amidst all the troubles of this world, God sits upon the throne; He orders all events; He sways His scepter over all; He orders all things according to His own will; He secures the accomplishment of His own purposes.

He is clothed with majesty - That is, he puts on, or wears this. The word rendered “majesty” means properly “loftiness.” The idea here is, that God is exalted; and that he appears in such a manner as to indicate his proper dignity.

he is clothed with majesty - with all the regalia and ensigns of royalty; seated on a throne of glory, with a crown of pure gold on his head, a scepter of righteousness in his hand, and arrayed with robes of honor and majesty; so that his appearance at his kingdom will be very splendid. Psa 104:1 Bless the LORD, O my soul. O LORD my God, thou art very great; thou art clothed with honour and majesty.

The world also is stablished - Is firm; is on a solid foundation. It cannot be shaken or destroyed by natural convulsions, or by the power of man. The Lord created and will maintain His world. The forces of evil cannot stand against it.

That it cannot be moved - Moved out of its place; overthrown; destroyed. This seems to have been spoken in view of some impending calamity, as if everything were to be swept away. The psalmist consoles himself with the thought that the world was firmly established; that no storm or tempest could be so violent as to remove it out of its place.

The Lord is clothed with strength, wherewith he hath girded himself - The girding with strength refers to the girding in order to strengthen the loins, arms, knees, etc. There is an allusion here to the mode of dress among that area - the custom of girding the loins when one labored, or walked, or ran.

Psa 93:2  Thy throne is established of old: thou art from everlasting.

Thy throne is established of old - Or "prepared from eternity"; Christ was set up and anointed as King from everlasting; He had a kingdom appointed and prepared for Him so early; and His throne, which is prepared in the heavens, is an established one; it is for ever and ever; His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom; of His government, and the increase of it, there is no end:

Thy throne is established of old - Whatever might occur, the throne of God was firm. That could not be moved. It had been set up from all eternity. It had stood through all the convulsions and changes which had occurred in the universe; and it would stand firm forever. Whatever might change, that was immovable; and as long as that is unchanged we have a ground of security and hope. Should “that” be moved, all would be gone.

Thy throne is established of old - There never was a time in which God did not reign, in which He was not a supreme and absolute Monarch; for He is from everlasting. There never was a time in which He was not; there never can be a period in which He shall cease to exist.

Thou art from everlasting - From all eternity; He has always existed; He is ever the same.

Psa 93:3  The floods have lifted up, O LORD, the floods have lifted up their voice; the floods lift up their waves.

The floods have lifted up, O Lord, the floods have lifted up their voice - The word here rendered “floods,” means properly rivers, and then it may be applied to any waters. The word voice here refers to the noise of raging waters when they are agitated by the winds, or when they dash on the shore.

The floods lift up their waves - with great strength, making a great noise, and threatening with ruin and destruction, as before. As if they would sweep everything away. The allusion here is to some calamity or danger which might, in its strength and violence, be compared with the wild and raging waves of the ocean.

The floods have lifted up - Multitudes of people have confederated against thy people; and troop succeeds troop as the waves of the sea succeed each other. By "the floods" are meant the enemies of Christ, His kingdom, and interest; and by their "lifting up their voice", the opposition made by them thereunto; Isa 8:7  Now therefore, behold, the Lord bringeth up upon them the waters of the river, strong and many, even the king of Assyria, and all his glory: and he shall come up over all his channels, and go over all his banks:  this was fulfilled in those who raged, like foaming waves of the sea, against Christ, and lifted up their voices to have Him crucified; in the persecutions; in those floods of errors and heresies.

All the raging of the world, therefore, will not be able to hinder the progress of the kingdom of God and its final breaking through to the glory of victory. The sea with its mighty mass of waters, with the constant unrest of its waves, with its ceaseless pressing against the solid land and foaming against the rocks, is an emblem of the world alienated from and at enmity with God.

Psa 93:4  The LORD on high is mightier than the noise of many waters, yea, than the mighty waves of the sea.

The Lord on high is mightier than the noise of many waters - That is, He is more powerful than those waters; He is able to control them. Psa 65:7 Which stilleth the noise of the seas, the noise of their waves, and the tumult of the people. He is over all those billows and breakers; more mighty than they all. They can proceed no further than He permits; they will be stayed when and where He commands. He is greater in strength than all the peoples and nations that can rise up against him.

Mighty waves of the sea - Even the most powerful empires can prevail nothing against Him; therefore those who trust in Him have nothing to fear.

Psa 93:5  Thy testimonies are very sure: holiness becometh thine house, O LORD, for ever.

Thy testimonies are very sure - All that He has born witness to; all that He has affirmed or declared to be true. This would embrace “all that” God has spoken, whether His law, His promises, His commands, His prophecies, or His statements of what has occurred and of what will occur.

Testimonies - Thy promises, which no less than the precepts are God's testimonies, or the witnesses, or declarations of his will to mankind. The psalmist seems here to speak of those precious promises concerning the erection of his kingdom in the world by the Messiah.

Holiness becometh thine house, O Lord - The psalm seems to have been intended to be used in the sanctuary, as a part of public worship, and the word “holiness” here would seem to mean a proper respect for God; confidence in Him; a state of mind free from all doubt, and from all that is impure. Perhaps there may be here, also, the idea that in all the sins of the world; in all that threatens to overthrow truth and righteousness, the church should maintain a firm adherence to the principles of “holiness,” to that which is right and true. There should be one place - the church - where there would be no wavering in regard to truth and holiness; one place, where the truth would be defended whatever commotions might be abroad. The main idea, therefore, in the psalm is, that, in view of the fact that God reigns, and that nothing can frustrate His plans, or disturb His throne, we should approach Him with reverence, with humble trust, with sincere and pure hearts.

Psalm 100

Psalm 100 

The scope of the psalm is to exhort all people to praise the Lord, to serve and worship him, from the consideration of His goodness and mercy, truth and faithfulness. An exhortation to praise God and rejoice in Him. Psa_100:3, for His greatness; Psa_100:4, and for His power.

All nations are exhorted to praise the Lord, Psa_100:1, Psa_100:2; to acknowledge him to be the Sovereign God and their Creator and that they are His people and the flock of His pasture, Psa_100:3; to worship Him publicly, and be grateful for His mercies, Psa_100:4. The reasons on which this is founded; His own goodness, His everlasting mercy, and His ever-during truth, Psa_100:5.

The author is anonymous. One scholar believes that it is likely that it was composed after the captivity, as a form of thanksgiving to God for that great deliverance, as well as an inducement to the people to consecrate themselves to Him, and to be exact in the performance of the acts of public worship. The Arabic version (of the transcripts used to translate the bible) ascribes this psalm to David as does the Targum. Another scholar believes that it was supposed to have been used when peace offerings for thanksgivings were offered up as in Lev_7:11. The Syriac inscription (another of the transcripts used) is very odd in that it states:  "concerning Joshua the son of Nun, when he made the war of the Ammonites to cease; but in the New Testament, when the Gentiles are converted to the faith.''

Psa 100:1  A Psalm of praise. Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all ye lands.

All ye lands - “all the earth.” The idea in the psalm is, that praise did not pertain to one nation only; that it was not appropriate for one people merely; that it should not be confined to the Hebrew people, but that there was a proper ground of praise for “all.” The ground of that was the fact that they had one Creator, Psa_100:3. The psalm is based on the unity of the human race; on the fact that there is one God and Father of all, and one great family on earth.

Make a joyful noise unto the Lord - all the inhabitants of the earth, who are called upon to shout unto him as their King; as the angels did at his birth, the disciples when he made his public entrance into Jerusalem, the apostles at his ascension to heaven, the saints when the marriage of him, the Lamb, will be come, and both men and angels when he shall descend from heaven to judge the world; and such a joyful noise or shout should be made unto him as to a triumphant conqueror, who has got the victory over sin, Satan, death, and the grave, and every enemy of his and his people, and made them more than conquerors through himself; Psa_95:1 Oh come, let us sing to the LORD; let us make a joyful noise to the Rock of our salvation.

This song of praise should be considered as a prophecy, and even used as a prayer, for the coming of that time when all people shall know that the Lord He is God, and shall become His worshippers, and the sheep of His pasture. Great encouragement is given us, in worshipping God, to do it cheerfully. If, when we strayed like wandering sheep, He has brought us again to His fold, we have indeed abundant cause to bless His name. The matter of praise, and the motives to it, are very important. Know what God is in Himself, and what He is to you. Know it; consider and apply it, then you will be more close and constant, more inward and serious, in His worship. The covenant of grace set down in the Scriptures of the Old and New Testament, with so many rich promises, to strengthen the faith of every weak believer, makes the matter of God's praise and of His people's joys so sure, that how sad our spirits may be when we look to ourselves, yet we shall have reason to praise the Lord when we look to His goodness and mercy, and to what He has said in His word for our comfort.

Psa 100:2  Serve the LORD with gladness: come before his presence with singing.

Serve the Lord with gladness - That is, In your worship, and in all your acts of obedience. Let there be joy in this service. Let it not be with the fear of slaves; not as a matter of compulsion and force; not with reluctance, moroseness, or gloom. Let it be a cheerful, happy service; let it be freely rendered, let it be an occasion of joy to the soul. The service of God is a source of the highest joy that man knows.

Serve the Lord with gladness - It is your privilege and duty to be happy in your religious worship. The religion of the true God is intended to remove human misery, and to make mankind happy, not through material things of this world but in the joy of reconciliation to the Lord. He whom the religion of Christ has not made happy does not understand that religion, or does not make a proper use of it.

Come before his presence with singing - As expressive of joy. So the birds sing; so nature rejoices; so should man - intelligent, redeemed, immortal man, be joyful.

come before his presence with singing - to the throne of His grace with thankfulness for mercies received, as well as to implore others; and into His house, and at His ordinances, beginning public worship with singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs;

Psa 100:3  Know ye that the LORD he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.

Know ye that the Lord, he is God - Let all the nations know that He is the true God. The idols are vanity. They have no claim to worship; but God is the Creator of all, and is entitled to universal adoration.

It is he that hath made us - The fact that He is the Creator proves that He is God, since no one but God can perform the work of creation. The highest idea that we can form of power is that which is evinced in an act of creation; that is, in causing anything to exist where there was nothing before. Every created thing, therefore, is a proof of the existence of God; the immensity of the universe is an illustration of the greatness of His power.

it is he that hath made us - as men, without whom nothing is made that was made; in Him we live, move, and have our being; and, as new creatures, we are His workmanship, created in Him, and by Him; regenerated by His Spirit and grace, and formed for himself, His service and glory; and made great and honorable by Him, raised from a low to an high estate; from being beggars on the dunghill, to sit among princes; yea, made kings and priests unto God by Him.

And not we ourselves - We are not self-created; we derive our being from Him. All that we have and are, we owe to Him.

not we ourselves - that is, we did not make ourselves, neither as creatures, nor as new creatures; as we have no hand in making either our souls or bodies, so neither in our regeneration, or in the work of God upon our hearts; that is solely the Lord's work.

And the sheep of his pasture - As the shepherd owns the flock, so God is our owner; as the shepherd guards his flock and provides for it, so God guards us and provides for us. His sheep also by gift and purchase, called by Him, made to know His voice, and follow Him; for whom He provides pasture, leads to it, and feeds them with it Himself.

We are his people - By virtue of creation we are his people; by choice and covenant; by His gift, and His own purchase; and by the power of His grace, bringing to a voluntary surrender and subjection to Him; even the Gentiles, who were not His people, but now His people, 1Pe_2:9 But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for possession, so that you might speak of the praises of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;  We ought to serve and glorify him: we are His by creation Act_17:28 For in Him we live and move and have our being, as also certain of your own poets have said, For we are also His offspring.

Psa 100:4  Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.

Enter into his gates - The gates which lead to His temple, or to the place of public worship.

Into his courts  - The “courts” were the open spaces which surrounded the tabernacle or temple. It was in these that worship was celebrated, and not in the tabernacle or temple. Psa_65:4 Blessed is the one whom You choose, and cause to come near You. He shall dwell in Your courts; we shall be satisfied with the goodness of Your house, of Your holy temple. Psa_84:2 My soul longs, yea, even faints for the courts of the LORD; my heart and my flesh shout for joy to the living God. Psa_92:13 Those that are planted in the house of the LORD shall flourish in the courts of our God.

Be thankful unto him - That is, offer thanksgiving and praise. For all good things come from Him. Come before Him with a grateful heart. Psa_50:14 Offer to God thanksgiving; and pay your vows to the Most High; Philippians 4:6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.

Bless his name - Bless Him; praise Him; ascribe honor to Him; acknowledge Him as God. Psa_72:19 And blessed be His glorious name forever; and all the earth is filled with His glory! Amen and Amen.

Psa 100:5  For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.

For the Lord is good - He is not a being of mere “power;” he is not merely the Creator; but He is benevolent and is therefore worthy of universal praise. In the former verses, His claim to adoration is founded on the fact that He is the “Creator,” and has, as such, a right to our service; in this verse, the claim is asserted on account of His moral character:

1) His benevolence;

2) His mercy;

3) His truth;

a) the fact that He is a God of truth; and

b) the fact that His truth endures, or that in all generations He shows Himself to be faithful to His promises.

The first of these is his “benevolence:” “The Lord is good.” As such, assuredly, God is worthy of praise and honor. A being of “mere” power we could not love or praise; a being whose power was united with malignity or malevolence, could only be the object of hatred and terror; but a being whose power is united with goodness or benevolence ought to be loved.

For the Lord is good - Goodness the perfect, eternal opposition to all badness and evil, is essential to God. Mercy and compassion are modifications of His goodness; and as His nature is eternal, so His mercy, springing from His goodness, must be everlasting. And as Truth is an essential characteristic of an infinitely intelligent and perfect nature; therefore God’s truth must endure from generation to generation. Whatsoever He has promised must be fulfilled, through all the successive generations of men, as long as sun and moon shall last.

For the Lord is good - Both in a providential way, and in a way of grace, and does good; He is the good Shepherd, that has laid down His life for the sheep; and the good Samaritan, that pours in the wine and oil of His love and grace, and His precious blood, to the healing of the wounds made by sin: while He was on earth, He went about doing good to the bodies and souls of men; and He continues to do good unto them, and therefore should be praised, served, and worshipped:

His mercy is everlasting - This is the second reason, drawn from His moral character, why He should be praised and adored. A being of mere “justice” may be feared and respected; but a character of “mere” justice would be to man an object of dread. Man, in order to find happiness and security, must find some other attribute in God than mere “justice,” for man is a sinner, and needs pardon; he is a sufferer, and needs compassion; he is to die, and needs support and consolation. It is, therefore, a ground of unspeakable joy for man that God is not a Being of “mere justice,” but that there is mingled in His character the attribute of mercy and kindness. But for this, man could have no hope; for, as a sinner, he has no claim on God, and all his hope must be derived from God’s infinite compassion. To all this is added the fact that this mercy of God is “everlasting.” Its fruits - its results - will extend to the vast eternity before us; and in all that eternity we shall never cease to enjoy the benefits of that mercy; never be suffered to fall back on the mere “justice” of God.

And his truth endureth to all generations - That is, forever. It is the same in every generation of the world. This is the third reason derived from the moral character of God for praising Him; and this is a just ground of praise. We could not love and honor a God who was not true to His promises, and who did not Himself love the truth; we could not honor one who was changeable and flexible - who loved one thing in one generation and a different thing in the next; who in one age was the friend of truth, and in the next the patron of falsehood. It is the just foundation for praise to God - our God - that He is essentially and always - in all the generations of people - toward all in the universe - a Being of unchangeable benevolence, mercy, and truth. Such a God is worthy to be had in universal reverence; such a God is worthy of universal praise.