Psalm 8

Psalms 8 

This is another psalm said to have been written by David. The occasion on which the psalm was composed is not known. The message of the psalm is simple: the glory and excellence of God.

This Psalm is referenced several times in the New Testament. An express quotation of it in Mat 21:16 And said unto him, Hearest thou what these say? And Jesus saith unto them, Yea; have ye never read, Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected praise? The fourth and sixth verses are quoted Heb 2:6-9 But one in a certain place testified, saying, What is man, that thou art mindful of him? or the son of man, that thou visitest him? Thou madest him a little lower than the angels; thou crownedst him with glory and honour, and didst set him over the works of thy hands: Thou hast put all things in subjection under his feet. For in that he put all in subjection under him, he left nothing that is not put under him. But now we see not yet all things put under him. But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man.1Co 15:27 For he hath put all things under his feet. But when he saith all things are put under him, it is manifest that he is excepted, which did put all things under him. Eph 1:22 And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church,

Psa 8:1  To the chief Musician upon Gittith, A Psalm of David. O LORD our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth! who hast set thy glory above the heavens.

Upon Gittith – probably means that the musical performance was directed to be according to a tune of that name; which, derived from Gath, a “wine-press,” denotes a tune (used in connection with gathering the vintage) of a joyous character. All the Psalms to which this term is prefixed [Psa_8:1; Psa_81:1; Psa_84:1] are of such a character.

To the chief Musician upon Gittith – The word Gittith occurs but in two other places, also in the titles to the psalms, Psa_81:1; Psa_84:1. It is supposed to refer to a musical instrument so called, either as being common among the Gittites or an inhabitant of Gath, among whom David for some time resided; or as being derived from the word for a wine-press, as denoting an instrument that was used by those accustomed to tread the wine-vat, and intended to accompany the songs of the vintage. The former is the more probable derivation, as it is known that David dwelt for some time among that people, and it is not at all improbable that an instrument of music in use among them should have become common among the Hebrews. Nothing is known, however, as to whether it was a stringed instrument or a wind instrument, although some scholars believe it is similar to a zither. All that can be ascertained, with any degree of probability about this instrument, is, that as each of the psalms to which this title is prefixed is of a cheerful or joyous nature, would seem that this instrument was adapted to music of this kind, rather than to that which was pensive or serious.

O Lord – Hebrew, יהוה  Yahweh. It is an address to God by his chosen and special title.

Our Lord – The word used here - אדני  'âdônay - means properly master, lord, ruler, owner, and is such a title as is given to an owner of land or of slaves, to kings, or to rulers, and is applied to God as being the ruler or governor of the universe. The meaning here is, that the psalmist acknowledged Yahweh to be the rightful ruler, king, or master of himself and of all others. He comes before him with the feeling that Yahweh is the universal ruler - the king and proprietor of all things.

How excellent is thy name – How excellent or exalted art thou - the name being often used to denote the person. The idea is,” How glorious art thou in thy manifested excellence or character.”

How excellent is thy name in all the earth! – How illustrious is the name of Jesus throughout the world! His incarnation, birth, humble and obscure life, preaching, miracles, passion, death, resurrection, and ascension, are celebrated through the whole world. His religion, the gifts and graces of his Spirit, his people - Christians - his Gospel and the preachers of it are everywhere spoken of. No name is so universal, no power and influence so generally felt, as those of the Savior of mankind. Amen.

how excellent is thy name in all the earth! – by the "name" of God is not meant any particular name of his, by which he is called; but either himself, his nature and perfections; or rather that by which he is made known, and particularly his Gospel; John 17:6  I have manifested thy name unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world: thine they were, and thou gavest them me; and they have kept thy word. This is excellent in its nature, it being good news, which display the love, grace, mercy, and kindness of God to men, as well as his wisdom, power, truth, and faithfulness; Christ and his righteousness, and life and salvation by him, the spiritual blessings of grace it publishes, and the exceeding great and precious promises it contains; and in its usefulness for the enlightening, quickening, and converting sinners, and for the comforting and reviving of drooping saints. It is the glorious Gospel of the blessed God, and excels the law in glory.

how excellent is thy name in all the earth! – This clause shows that this is said by David prophetically of Gospel times; for not in his time, nor in any period under the Old Testament, was the name of the Lord glorious and excellent in all the earth. His name was great in Israel, but not in all the world. He showed his word, and gave his statutes and ordinances to Jacob; but as for the Gentiles, they were without them, and were strangers to the covenants of promise, Psa 76:1  To the chief Musician on Neginoth, A Psalm or Song of Asaph. In Judah is God known: his name is great in Israel. but this was true of the first times of the Gospel; and will be still more fully accomplished when the prophecies in Mal_1:11; shall be fulfilled; Mal 1:11  For from the rising of the sun even unto the going down of the same my name shall be great among the Gentiles; and in every place incense shall be offered unto my name, and a pure offering: for my name shall be great among the heathen, saith the LORD of hosts.

In all the earth – In all parts of the world. That is, the manifestation of his perfect character was not confined to any one country, but was seen in all lands, and among all people. In every place his true character was made known through His works; in every land there were evidences of his wisdom, his greatness, his goodness, his condescension.

Who hast set thy glory above the heavens – In other words, let it be exalted in the highest degree, and to the highest place, even above the heavens on which he was gazing, and which were in themselves so grand, Psa_8:3. It expresses the wish or prayer of the writer that the name or praise of God, so manifest in the earth, might be exalted in the highest possible degree - be more elevated than the moon and the stars - exalted and adored in all worlds. In His name there was such intrinsic grandeur that he desired that it might be regarded as the highest object in the universe, and might blaze forth above all worlds.

Thy glory above the heavens – The heavens are glorious, the most glorious of all the works of God which the eye of man can reach; but the glory of God is infinitely above even these. The words also seem to intimate that no power, earthly or diabolical, can lessen or injure that glory. The glory and honor which God has by the Gospel shall last through time, and through eternity; and of that glory none shall be able to rob him, to whom majesty and dominion are eternally due. This has been applied by some to the resurrection of our Lord. He rose from the dead, and ascended above all heavens; and by these his glory was sealed, his mission accomplished, and the last proof given to his preceding miracles.

who hast set thy glory above the heavens - meaning his Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, the brightness of his glory; in whom is all the fullness of the Godhead, the glory of all the divine perfections; Psa_63:2; and the setting of him above the heavens designs the exaltation of him at the right hand of God; where angels, principalities, and powers, became subject to him, and he was made higher than the heavens, Heb 7:26  For such an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens;

The Psalmist expresses his admiration of God’s manifested perfections, by celebrating His condescending and beneficent providence to man as evinced by the position of the race, as originally created and assigned a dominion over the works of His hands. The psalmist seeks to give unto God the glory due to his name.

Psa 8:2  Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast thou ordained strength because of thine enemies, that thou mightest still the enemy and the avenger.

Out of the mouth – This passage is quoted by the Saviour in Mat 21:16  And said unto him, Hearest thou what these say? And Jesus saith unto them, Yea; have ye never read, Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected praise? to vindicate the conduct of the children in the temple crying, “Hosanna to the Son of David,” against the objections of the Pharisees and Scribes, and is perhaps alluded to by him in Mat 11:25 At that time Jesus answered and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes. It is not affirmed, however, in either place, that it had an original reference to the times of the Messiah, or that it was meant, as used by the psalmist, to denote that children would be employed in the praise of God. It is likely that he meant to say, God had conferred great honor on men - men so humble and weak that they might be compared to infants - by making them the means of overthrowing his enemies, thus showing the greatness of the divine condescension.

Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings - We have seen how our Lord applied this passage to the Jewish children, who, seeing his miracles, cried out in the temple, “Hosanna to the Son of David!” Mat_21:16. And we have seen how the enemy and the avenger - the chief priests and the scribes - were offended because of these things; and as the Psalm wholly concerns Jesus Christ, it is most probable that in this act of the Jewish children the prophecy had its primary fulfillment; and was left to the Jews as a witness and a sign of the Messiah, which they should have acknowledged when our Lord directed their attention to it.

Babes – The word used here means a boy or child, and is usually connected with the word rendered sucklings, Jer_44:7; Lam_2:11. It is applied to a boy playing in the streets, Jer_6:11; Jer_9:21; asking for bread, Lam_4:4,; carried away captive, Lam_1:5; borne in the arms, Lam_2:20; and once to an unborn infant, Job_3:16. It refers here to a child, or to one who is like a child; and the idea is that those to whom it is applied were naturally unable to accomplish what was done by them, and that God had honored them, and had shown his own condescension, by making them the instruments of doing what they had done.

And sucklings – The word used here means a suckling, or a suckling child, a babe, Deu_32:25. It may be used literally, or employed to denote one who, in respect to strength, may be compared with a babe. The latter is probably the use made of it here.

Because of thine enemies – In respect to thine enemies, or in order to accomplish something in regard to them, namely, in stilling them, as is immediately specified. The idea is, that there were those who rose up against God, and opposed his government and plans, and that God, in overcoming them, instead of putting forth his own power directly, had condescended to employ those who were weak and feeble like little children. Who these enemies were is not specified, but it is most natural to suppose that the reference is to some of the foes of the author of the psalm, who had been subdued by the prowess of his arm - by strength imparted to him, though in himself feeble as an infant.

That thou mightest still – Mightest cause to rest, or to cease. The original word is a root from which our word Sabbath is derived. It means to rest; to lie by; to sit down; to sit still; to cause to rest, or to cause to desist; to put an end to, Eze_34:10; Jos_22:25; Psa_46:9; Pro_18:18. Here it means to bring to an end the purposes of the enemy and the avenger; or, to cause him to desist from his designs.

that thou mightest still the enemy and the avenger – Satan, the enemy of mankind, the adversary of Christ, who is filled with envy, wrath, and malice, against Christ and his people; satan by means of the Gospel and the ministry of it, God has "caused to cease", as the word may be rendered; not as to his being, but as to his power and authority.

The enemy - The enemy of the writer, regarded also as the enemy of God.

And the avenger - One who was endeavoring to take revenge, or who was acting as if determined to avenge some imaginary or real wrong. This, too, may refer either to someone who was seeking to revenge himself on the author of the psalm, or who, with the spirit of revenge, stood up against God, and had set himself against him.

hast thou ordained strength - by which is meant the Gospel, the rod of Christ's strength, and the power of God unto salvation; and which being made useful for the conversion of souls, is the cause of much praise and thanksgiving to God: this, by the mouths and means of the apostles and first ministers of the word, God ordained, or "founded", settled and established in the world, notwithstanding all the opposition made unto it; so that the gates of hell cannot prevail against it.

Psa 8:3  When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained;

When I consider thy heavens – When I contemplate or look upon. They are called his heavens because he made them - because he is the proprietor of them - perhaps because they are his abode.

When I Consider thy heavens – Because I will see. He had often seen the heavens with astonishment, and he purposes to make them frequent subjects of contemplation; and he could not behold them without being affected with the skill, contrivance, and power, manifested in their formation.

The work of thy fingers – Which thy fingers have made. The fingers are the instruments by which we construct a piece of work - perhaps indicating skill rather than strength; and hence so used in respect to God, as it is by his skill that the heavens have been made. A poetic remark.

The moon and the stars – Showing that this psalm was suggested by the contemplation of the starry worlds. It is not improbable that the thoughts occurred to the psalmist when meditating on the signal honor which God had conferred on him, a feeble man, and when his thoughts were at the same time directed to the goodness of God as the heavens were contemplated in their silent grandeur.

The moon and the stars – The sun is not mentioned, because the heavens - the moon, planets, and stars - could not have appeared, had it been present. Those he wished to introduce because of their immense variety, and astonishing splendor; and, therefore, he skillfully leaves out the sun, which would have afforded him but one object, and one idea.

The moon and the stars – It is generally thought that David composed this psalm in the night, When these celestial bodies were in view; and, it may be, while he was keeping his father's sheep, since, in the enumeration of the creatures subject to man, sheep are mentioned first, as being in view, Psa_8:7.

The moon and the stars – The allusion to the magnificence of the visible heavens is introduced for the purpose of illustrating God’s regard, who, though the mighty Creator of these glorious worlds of light, makes man the object of regard and recipient of favor.

Which thou hast ordained – Prepared, fitted up, constituted, appointed. He had fixed them in their appropriate spheres, and they now silently showed forth his glory.

Which thou hast ordained – which thou hast prepared and established. Made their respective spheres, and fitted them for their places.

Psa 8:4  What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him?

What is man – What is there in man that entitles him to so much notice? Why has God conferred on him so signal honor? Why has he placed him over the works of his hands? Why has he made so many arrangements for his comfort? Why has he done so much to save him? He is so insignificant his life is so much like a vapor, he so soon disappears, he is so sinful and polluted, that the question may well be asked, why such honor has been conferred on him, and why such a dominion over the world has been given him.

What is man, that thou art mindful of him – This is quoted by Paul in Hebrews 2:6  But one in a certain place testified, saying, What is man, that thou art mindful of him? or the son of man, that thou visitest him?  This is to be understood of Christ Jesus or of that human nature which Christ assumed.

That thou art mindful of him – That thou dost remember him; that is, think of him, attend to him - that he does not pass away wholly from thy thoughts. Why should a God who is so vast and glorious, and who has all the starry worlds, so beautiful and grand, to claim his attention - why should he turn his thoughts on man? And especially why should he honor him as he has done by giving him dominion over the works of his hands?

the son of man, that thou visitest him – The name of "the son of man" is the name of the Messiah Psa 80:17  Let thy hand be upon the man of thy right hand, upon the son of man whom thou madest strong for thyself. and is often given to Christ, and used by him of himself in the New Testament.

And the son of man – Any descendant of man - any one of the race. What was man, as he was originally made, that such exalted honor should have been conferred on him; and what has any one of his descendants become, in virtue of his native faculties or acquired endowments, that he should be thus honored? The design is the same as in the former part of the verse, to express the idea that there was nothing in man, considered in any respect, that entitled him to this exalted honor.

the son of man, that thou visitest him – This visiting of him is not to be understood in a way of wrath, though he was so visited by God, when he bore the chastisements of his people; but in a way of favor, by bestowing upon him without measure the gifts and graces of his Spirit; by affording him his gracious presence, and tilling him with spiritual peace and joy.

That thou visitest him – As thou dost; that is, with the attention and care which thou dost bestow upon him; not forgetting him; not leaving him; not passing him by. The word used here properly expresses a visitation for any purpose - for inspection, for mercy; for friendship, for judgment, etc. Here it refers to the attention bestowed by God on man in conferring on him such marks of favor and honor as he had done - such attention that he never seemed to forget him, but was constantly coming to him with some new proof of favor. What God has done for man since the psalmist wrote this, has done nothing to weaken the force of this inquiry.

That thou visitest him – By sending thy Holy Spirit to convince him of sin, righteousness, and judgment. It is by these visits that man is preserved in a salvable state. Were God to withhold them, there would be nothing in the soul of man but sin, darkness, hardness, corruption, and death.

Psa 8:5  For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour.

For thou hast made him – Thou hast made man as such; that is, he was such in the original design of his creation, in the rank given him, and in the dominion conceded to him. The object here is to show the honor conferred on man, or to show how God has regarded and honored him; and the thought is, that in his original creation, though so insignificant as compared with the vast worlds over which God presides, he had given him a rank but little inferior to that of the angels.

For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels – It might be thought to refer to the creation of man in the image and likeness of God; but as it must be understood of the human nature of Christ. Though rather this clause refers to the humiliation of Christ in his human nature, as it is interpreted in Heb 2:9  But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man.

A little lower – The Hebrew word used here means to want, to lack - and then, to be in want, to be diminished. The meaning is, “Thou hast caused him to want but little;” that is, he was but little inferior.

Than the angels – So this is rendered by the Aramaic Paraphrase: by the Septuagint Psalms 8:5 Thou madest him a little less than angels, thou hast crowned him with glory and honour; (Septuagint) by the Latin Vulgate; by the Syriac and Arabic; and by the author of the Epistle to the Hebrews Heb 2:7  Thou madest him a little lower than the angels; thou crownedst him with glory and honour, and didst set him over the works of thy hands:, who has literally quoted the fourth, fifth, and sixth verses from the Septuagint. The Hebrew, however, is Elohim - than God. So one scholar rendered it, “Thou hast caused him to want but little of God; that is, thou hast made him but little lower than God.” Elohim may be applied to angels, or even men, as in Psa_82:1; Psa_97:7; Psa_138:1; Exo_21:6; Exo_22:8-9. The authority, however, of the Aramaic, the Septuagint, the Syriac, and the author of the Epistle to the Hebrews, would seem sufficient to show that the meaning is that of angels.

and hast crowned him with glory and honour - by raising him from the dead, and setting him at his own right hand, committing all judgment to him; and requiring all creatures, angels and men, to give worship and adoration to him. And this being in consequence of his sufferings, after he had run the race, and endured a fight of afflictions; and because of the greatness of his glory and honor, with which he was as it were on all sides surrounded, he is said to be "crowned" with it; who a little before was crowned with thorns, and encompassed with the terrors of death.

glory and honour — are the attributes of royal dignity Psa 21:5  His glory is great in thy salvation: honour and majesty hast thou laid upon him.  The position assigned man is that described Gen 1:26  And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. as belonging to Adam, in his original condition, the terms employed in detailing the subjects of man’s dominion corresponding with those there used. In a modified sense, in his present fallen state, man is still invested with some remains of this original dominion. It is very evident, however, by the apostle’s inspired expositions Heb 2:6-8  But one in a certain place testified, saying, What is man, that thou art mindful of him? or the son of man, that thou visitest him?  Thou madest him a little lower than the angels; thou crownedst him with glory and honour, and didst set him over the works of thy hands: Thou hast put all things in subjection under his feet. For in that he put all in subjection under him, he left nothing that is not put under him. But now we see not yet all things put under him. 1Co 15:27-28 For he hath put all things under his feet. But when he saith all things are put under him, it is manifest that he is excepted, which did put all things under him. And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all. that the language here employed finds its fulfillment only in the final exaltation of Christ’s human nature. There is no limit to the “all things” mentioned, God only excepted, who “puts all things under.” Man, in the person and glorious destiny of Jesus of Nazareth, the second Adam, the head and representative of the race, will not only be restored to his original position, but exalted far beyond it. “The last enemy, death,” through fear of which, man, in his present estate, is “all his lifetime in bondage” Heb 2:15  And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. “shall be destroyed” 1Co 15:26  The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death. Then all things will have been put under his feet, “principalities and powers being made subject to him” 1Pe 3:22  Who is gone into heaven, and is on the right hand of God; angels and authorities and powers being made subject unto him. This view, so far from being alien from the scope of the passage, is more consistent than any other; for man as a race cannot well be conceived to have a higher honor put upon him than to be thus exalted in the person and destiny of Jesus of Nazareth.

Psa 8:6  Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands; thou hast put all things under his feet:

Thou madest him to have dominion – Thou didst cause him to have, or didst give him this dominion. It does not mean that God made or created him for that end, but that he had conceded to him that dominion, thus conferring on him exalted honor. The allusion is to Gen_1:26, Gen_1:28.

Thou madest him to have dominion – Jesus Christ, who, being in the form of God, and equal with God, for a time emptied himself, and made himself of no reputation; was afterwards highly exalted, and had a name above every name.

Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands – All power in heaven and in earth being given to him: when he was raised from the dead, and when he ascended on high, and was set down at the right hand of God, he was made or declared Lord and Christ; Lord of the hosts of heaven, of all the angels there, King of saints, King of kings, and Lord of lords. All things in heaven and earth, which God has made, are put into his hands. This is a greater dominion than was given to the first man, Adam, Gen_1:25;

Over the works of thy hands – His works upon the earth, for the dominion extends no further.

Thou hast put all things under his feet – Hast placed all things in subjection to him. Compare to

Psa 47:3  He shall subdue the people under us, and the nations under our feet.

Psa 91:13  Thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder: the young lion and the dragon shalt thou trample under feet.

Lam 3:34  To crush under his feet all the prisoners of the earth,

Rom 16:20  And the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen.

1Co 15:25  For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet.

The language is taken from the act of treading down enemies in battle; from putting the feet on the necks of captives, etc. The idea is that of complete and entire subjection. This dominion was originally given to man at his creation.

Thou hast put all things under his feet – Though the whole of the brute creation was made subject to Adam in his state of innocence; yet it could never be literally said of him, that God had put all things under his feet, or that he had dominion over the work of God’s hands; but all this is most literally true of our Lord Jesus; and to him the apostle, Heb_2:6, etc., applies all these passages.

Psa 8:7  All sheep and oxen, yea, and the beasts of the field;

All sheep and oxen – Flocks and herds. Gen_1:26, “over the cattle.” All domestic animals, and those to be employed in agriculture.

And the beasts of the field – Those not included in the general phrase “sheep and oxen.” All wild beasts, and inhabitants of the forest. The word rendered “field,” means properly a plain; a level tract of country; then, a field, or a tilled farm; and then the fields, the open country, as opposed to a city, a village, a camp; and hence, in this place the expression means the beasts that roam at large - wild beasts. Here the allusion is to the power which man has of subduing the wild beasts; of capturing them, and making them subservient to his purposes; of preventing their increase and their depredations; and of taming them so that they shall obey his will, and become his servants. It is to be remembered that no small number of what are now domestic animals were originally wild, and that they have been subdued and tamed by the power anti skill of man. No animal has shown himself superior to this power and skill.

Psa 8:8  The fowl of the air, and the fish of the sea, and whatsoever passeth through the paths of the seas.

The fowl of the air – Gen_1:26, “Over the fowl of the air.” Gen_9:2, “upon every fowl of the air.” This dominion is the more remarkable because the birds of the air seem to be beyond the reach of man; and yet, equally with the beasts of the field, they are subject to his control. Man captures and destroys them; he prevents their multiplication and their ravages.

The fowl of the air – All these were given to man in the beginning; and he has still a general dominion over them; for thus saith the Lord: Gen 9:2  And the fear of you and the dread of you shall be upon every beast of the earth, and upon every fowl of the air, upon all that moveth upon the earth, and upon all the fishes of the sea; into your hand are they delivered. To this passage the psalmist most obviously refers.

The fowl of the air – These he rained about the tents of the Israelites for their relief, Psa_78:27, and can command them to feed his people, as the ravens did Elijah, 1Ki_17:4; or to destroy his enemies, Jer_15:3.

And the fish of the sea – Gen_1:26, “Over the fish of the sea.” Gen_9:2, “upon all the fishes of the sea.” This must be understood in a general sense, and this is perhaps still more remarkable than the dominion over the beasts of the field and the fowls of the air, for the fishes that swim in the ocean seem to be placed still farther from the control of man. Yet, so far as is necessary for his use and for safety, they are, in fact, put under the control of man, and he makes them minister to his profit. Not a little of that which contributes to the support the comfort, and the luxury of man, comes from the ocean. From the mighty whale to the shellfish that furnished the Tyrian dye, or to that which furnishes the beautiful pearl, man has shown his power to make the dwellers in the deep subservient to his will.

and the fish of the sea - instances of Christ's power over them, and of their being at his command, and for his service, may be seen in Mat 17:27  Notwithstanding, lest we should offend them, go thou to the sea, and cast an hook, and take up the fish that first cometh up; and when thou hast opened his mouth, thou shalt find a piece of money: that take, and give unto them for me and thee.

And whatsoever passeth through the paths of the seas – Everything, in general, that passes through the paths of the sea, as if the ocean was formed with paths or highways for them to pass over. Some have referred this to man, as passing over the sea and subduing its inhabitants; some, to the fishes before spoken of; but the most natural construction is that which is referring to everything which moves in the waters. The idea is that man has a wide and universal dominion - a dominion so wide as to excite amazement, wonder, and gratitude, that it has been conceded to one so feeble as he is.

But it is best to interpret the whole literally; that what was lost by the first Adam is restored by the second; and that believers have a free use of all the creatures through Christ: and not only the things here mentioned are subject to him, but everything else; there is nothing left that is not put under him, only he is excepted that put all things under him,  Heb 2:8  Thou hast put all things in subjection under his feet. For in that he put all in subjection under him, he left nothing that is not put under him. But now we see not yet all things put under him.

Psa 8:9  O LORD our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth!

O Lord our Lord, how excellent – Repeating the sentiment with which the psalm opens, as now fully illustrated. The intermediate thoughts are simply an illustration of this; and now we see what occupied the attention of the psalmist when, in Psa_8:1, he gave utterance to what seems there to be a somewhat abrupt sentiment. We now, at the close of the psalm, see clearly its beauty and truthfulness.

O Lord our Lord – The psalmist concludes as he began. His name is excellent in all the earth. The name of Jesus is celebrated in almost every part of the habitable globe; for his Gospel has been preached, or is in the progress of being preached, through the whole world. Bibles and missionaries are now carrying his name, and proclaiming his fame, to the utmost nations of the earth.

O Lord our Lord, how excellent – Appropriately, the writer closes this brief but pregnant and sublime song of praise with the terms of admiration with which it was opened.

Psalm 102

Psalm 102

This psalm is classified as one of the seven penitential psalms (Psalms 6; 32; 38; 51; 102; 130; 143). It emphasizes the suffering and discipline often associated with sin.

The psalm exemplifies the literary genre of an individual lament. This lament arises out of an exilic situation, when the godly together with the wicked had been exiled from the land. For other exilic psalms, see 42, 43, 74, 79, 137;

On what occasion, or by whom, this psalm was composed, it is not possible now to ascertain. It seems possible, however, from Psa_102:13-21, that it was in the time of the captivity, and was in view of the troubles of that long and weary exile, and that the psalmist speaks not of individual and personal troubles, but speaks as one of the people - as one in exile with others who had been long held in captivity, and who sighed for deliverance, and for a restoration to their native land. In the midst of these troubles, which are so tenderly described in the first eleven verses, he saw encouraging evidences that the Lord was about to manifest His mercy, and to restore the people to their native land; and he pleads most earnestly with God, on the ground that He was faithful and unchanging, that He would thus interpose and accomplish the earnest desire of His afflicted people. The “language,” indeed, in the psalm, is that of an individual, and the author of the psalm speaks of his own personal sorrows, but it may be as one among many who were equally crushed and overwhelmed, so that the language used to represent his sorrow may describe the sorrows experienced by others in the same circumstances. Beyond all question, the language used in the psalm would express the feelings of many a pious Hebrew in the time of the exile, the sorrow - the sadness - the cherished hopes - the prayers - of many a one in that prolonged and painful captivity.

If it is the prayer of the captives in Babylon, it is towards the end of the captivity, when they were almost worn out with oppression, cruelty, and distress. The author of the Epistle to the Hebrews has applied the twenty-fifth, twenty sixth, and twenty seventh verses to our Lord, and the perpetuity of his kingdom.

Psalm 102:25-27

Of old You have laid the foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the work of Your hands. They shall perish, but You shall endure; yea, all of them shall become old like a garment; like a robe You shall change them, and they shall be changed; but You are He, and Your years shall have no end.

Hebrews 1: 10-12

And, "You, Lord, have laid the foundation of the earth in the beginning, and the heavens are the works of Your hands. They shall perish, but You will remain. And they shall all become old as a garment, and as a covering You shall fold them up, and they shall be changed. But You are the same, and Your years shall not fail."

The psalm may be divided into three parts:

I. A description of the sorrows of the author of the psalm, as representative of the condition and feelings of the exiles, Psa_102:1-11. In this, the language of lamentation and complaint predominates.

II. The grounds of hope - the indications of deliverance - the evidences that God was about to show favor to his people, and to restore them to their own country - that the time, the set time, to favor Zion was about to come, Psa_102:12-22.

III. The confidence of the psalmist in God, on the ground of his unchangeableness: on the fact that God is always the same; that his promises must be sure; that his purposes must be accomplished; that the very heavens and the earth would change - that the skies would grow old like a garment and pass away - but that God did not, would not change. All that he had spoken must be true; all that he had purposed must be accomplished; all that he had promised must come to pass, Psa_102:23-28.

Psa 102:1  A Prayer of the afflicted, when he is overwhelmed, and poureth out his complaint before the LORD. Hear my prayer, O LORD, and let my cry come unto thee.

And let my cry come unto thee - My prayer, accompanied with an outward expression of my earnestness. It was not a silent, or a mental prayer; it was a loud and earnest cry.

Hear my prayer - The chief parts of the Psalm answer well to the title: it is the language of the deepest distress, and well directed to Him from whom alone help can come. He calls his prayer cry, because it was uttered in distress, and with great vehemency and importunity; and he prays that it might come unto God, even into His ears, and be regarded by Him, and not shut out. God hears the prayers of the righteous. Proverbs 15:29 The LORD is far from the wicked, but He hears the prayer of the righteous.

Hear my prayer - The prayer of a poor, destitute, and afflicted one; his own, and not another's; not what was composed for him, but composed by him; which came out of his own heart, and out of unfeigned lips, and expressed under a feeling sense of his own wants and troubles; and though dictated and inwrought in his heart by the Spirit of God, yet, being put up by him in faith and fervency, it is called his own, and which he desires might be heard:

Hear my prayer - Even good men may be almost overwhelmed with afflictions. It is our duty and interest to pray; and it is comfort to an afflicted spirit to unburden itself, by a humble representation of its griefs. Hebrews 4:16 Therefore let us come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. Philippians 4:6-7 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God which passes all understanding shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Psa 102:2  Hide not thy face from me in the day when I am in trouble; incline thine ear unto me: in the day when I call answer me speedily.

Hide not thy face from me - The Septuagint and the Latin Vulgate render this, “Do not turn away thy face from me.” The sense is essentially the same. The prayer is, that God would not refuse to look graciously upon him; that He would turn his attention to him; that He would regard his supplications.

Hide not thy face from me - The Shechinah: when God hides His face at any time from His people, it is a trouble to them, and very grievous; but especially when they are in any other trouble. 

In the day when I call, answer me speedily - Grant at once my requests; give me immediate evidence that my prayer is heard. The psalmist believed in an immediate answer to prayer. He often had evidence that his prayer was answered at once; his mind became calm; he had comfort and peace; he obtained the blessing which he earnestly sought. No one can doubt that prayer may be answered at once; no one who prays can fail to find such answers in his own case, in his peace, his calmness, his joy. In multitudes of cases blessings are granted in such a way that there can be no doubt that they have come in answer to prayer.

Psa 102:3  For my days are consumed like smoke, and my bones are burned as an hearth.

For my days are consumed like smoke - They vanish as smoke; they pass away and become nothing; they are spent in affliction, and seem to accomplish nothing. The idea is, that in his affliction he seemed to accomplish none of the ends of life. His life seemed to be wasted. This is often the feeling in trial: and yet in trial a man may be more useful, he may do more to accomplish the real ends of life, he may do more to illustrate the power and excellence of religion, than he ever did in the days of prosperity.

My days are consumed like smoke - He represents himself under the notion of a pile of combustible matter, placed upon a fire, which soon consumes it; part flying away in smoke, and the residue lying on the hearth in the form of charred coal and ashes. The Chaldeans were the fire, and the captive Jews the fuel, thus converted into smoke and ashes.

And my bones are burned as an hearth - Or rather, as kindling or fuel. Literally, “They are burned as a burning.” The idea is, that in his troubles, his very bones, the most solid and substantial part of himself, seemed to be consumed and to waste away.

For my days are consumed like smoke - Which suddenly rises up, is easily dissipated, and quickly disappears; so sudden, short, and transient, are the days of man's life; see Jam_4:14 or "in smoke"; his days were spent in great obscurity, in the darkness of affliction, temptation, and desertion; and in so much vexation, trouble, and uneasiness, as if he had lived in smoke all his time: 

Psa 102:4  My heart is smitten, and withered like grass; so that I forget to eat my bread.

My heart is smitten, and withered like grass - The metaphor here is taken from grass cut down in the meadow. It is first smitten with the scythe, and then withered by the sun. Thus the Jews were smitten with the judgments of God; and they are now withered under the fire of the Chaldeans.

My heart is smitten - Broken; crushed with grief. We now speak of “a broken heart.”

My heart is smitten, and withered like grass - his heart was smitten with a sense of sin, and of God's wrath and displeasure at him, and with the heat of affliction and trouble, that it failed him, and he could not look up with joy and comfort:

And withered like grass - It is dried up as grass is by drought, or as when it is cut down. It loses its support; and having no strength of its own, it dies.

So that I forget to eat my bread - I am so absorbed in my trials; they so entirely engross my attention, that I think of nothing else, not even of those things which are necessary to the support of life. Grief has the effect of taking away the appetite, but this does not seem to be the idea here. It is that of such a complete absorption in trouble that everything else is forgotten. There was such a loss of appetite, through sorrow, that he forgot his stated meals, having no manner of inclination to food.

Psa 102:5  By reason of the voice of my groaning my bones cleave to my skin.

By reason of the voice of my groaning - Under the burden of sin, and pressure of afflictions: By suffering and trouble, so great as to produce groaning, my flesh is wasted away.

My bones cleave to my skin - The effect described is that of a wasting away or an emaciation of flesh from deep distress, so that the bones became prominent, and had nothing to hide them from view; so that they seemed to adhere fast to the flesh itself.

My bones cleave to my skin - was quite emaciated, reduced to a skeleton, became nothing but skin and bone; which sometimes is occasioned, as by outward afflictions, so by soul troubles:

Psa 102:6  I am like a pelican of the wilderness: I am like an owl of the desert.

I am like a pelican of the wilderness - A bird in the midst of desolation becomes a striking image of loneliness and distress. The word rendered “pelican”  is supposed to have been a name given to the pelican from the idea of vomiting, as it “vomits the shells and other substances which it has too voraciously swallowed.” The word occurs in the following places, where it is rendered as here “pelican:” Lev_11:18; Deu_14:17; and in Isa_34:11; Zep_2:14, where it is rendered “cormorant.”

I am like an owl of the desert - The owl is a well-known bird which dwells in solitudes and old ruins, and which becomes, alike by its seeking such places of abode, by its appearance, and by its doleful cry, the very emblem of desolation.

Psa 102:7  I watch, and am as a sparrow alone upon the house top.

I watch, and am as a sparrow alone upon the housetop - That is, I am “sleepless;” trouble drives sleep from my eyes, and I am kept awake at night - a common effect of grief and distress.

As a sparrow alone – The Hebrew word seems to be often used for any small bird, such as the swallow, sparrow, or the like.

Psa 102:8  Mine enemies reproach me all the day; and they that are mad against me are sworn against me.

Mine enemies reproach me all the day - Continually. For his principles and practices, being different from theirs; for his religion; for his faith and profession of it. Good men have their enemies, and always had; but then they are such who are also enemies to God and Christ, and true religion; and these, not content to reproach now and then, continually throw out their scoffs and jeers. John 15:18-9 If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own. But because you are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Matthew 10:22 And you will be hated of all men for My name's sake, but the one who endures to the end shall be kept safe.

and they that are mad against me - as the those Pharisees etc who were against Christ, because of His miracles, doctrine, and success, and therefore sought to take away His life; and as the Apostle Paul before conversion was, even exceeding mad against the saints, and persecuted them to strange cities, Luk_6:11, so were the psalmist's enemies quite outrageous and implacable, being his sworn enemies.

Are sworn against me - literally, “swear by me,” or against me. The meaning is, that they have conspired together under the solemnity of an oath to do me harm. It is not the wrath of an individual that I am to meet, but the combined wrath of those who act under the solemnities of an oath.

Psa 102:9  For I have eaten ashes like bread, and mingled my drink with weeping,

For I have eaten ashes like bread - I have seated myself in ashes in my grief Job_2:8 And he took for himself a potsherd with which to scrape himself while he sat in the midst of the ashes. Jon_3:6 Then word came to the king of Nineveh; and he arose from his throne and laid aside his robe, covered himself with sackcloth and sat in ashes. and ashes have become, as it were, my food. The ashes in which he sat had been mingled with his food.

For I have eaten ashes like bread - He sitting in ashes, as Job did, and rolling himself in them in the manner of mourners; and, having no other table than the ground to eat his food upon, he might eat ashes along with it; and the sense may be, that he ate bread like ashes, no more savored and relished it, or was nourished by it, than if he had eaten ashes. He was fed with the bread of adversity, and water of affliction:

And mingled my drink with weeping - Tears have fallen into the cup from which I drank, and have become a part of my drink. The idea is, that he had shed copious tears; and that even when he took his food, there was no respite to his grief.

and mingled my drink with weeping - that is, with tears; as he drank, the tears ran down his cheeks, and mixed with the liquor in his cup; he was fed with the bread of tears, and had them to drink in great measure; these were his meat and his drink, day and night, while enemies reproached him, swore at him, against him, and by him;

Psa 102:10  Because of thine indignation and thy wrath: for thou hast lifted me up, and cast me down.

Because of thine indignation and thy wrath - he regarded all his sufferings as proof of the indignation and wrath of God against him.

For thou hast lifted me up, and cast me down - We were exalted in thy favor beyond any people, and now thou hast made us the lowest and most abject of the children of men.

For thou hast lifted me up and cast me down – or Thou hast lifted me up, and cast me away. That is, Thou hast lifted me from the ground as a storm or tempest takes up a light thing, and hast whirled me away. This idea occurs in Isa_22:18 Whirling, He will whirl you like a ball into a large country; there you shall die, and there are the chariots of your glory, the shame of your lord's house.

for thou hast lifted me up, and cast me down - so that he may be thrown with the greater force upon the ground; in like manner the psalmist thought the Lord was dealing with him: or this may express his changeable state and condition, sometimes lifted up, and sometimes cast down.

Psa 102:11  My days are like a shadow that declineth; and I am withered like grass.

My days are like a shadow that declineth - The idea is that the shadow made by the descending sun was about to disappear altogether. It had become less distinct and clear, and it would soon vanish.

I am withered like grass - which in the morning is flourishing, is cut down and withered at evening: this is the case of all flesh, however beautiful and goodly it may look; it is weak, frail, and mortal; cannot stand before the force of afflictions, which quickly consume strength and beauty, and much less before the scythe of death; Psa_90:5-6 You carry them away like a flood; They are like a sleep. In the morning they are like grass which grows up: In the morning it flourishes and grows up; In the evening it is cut down and withers.

Psa 102:12  But thou, O LORD, shalt endure for ever; and thy remembrance unto all generations.

But thou, O Lord, shalt endure for ever - Though my condition has been changed, though I have been cast down from an exalted position, though kingdoms rise and fall, yet thou art unchanged. Thy purposes will abide. Thy promises will be fulfilled. Thy character is the same. The psalmist here brings to his own mind, as an encouragement in trouble, as we may at all times, the fact that God is an unchanging God; that He always lives; that He is ever the same. We could have no ground of hope if God changed; if He formed purposes only to abandon them; if He made promises only to disregard them; if today He were a Being of mercy and goodness, and tomorrow would be merely a Being of justice and wrath. This argument is enlarged upon in Psa_102:25-28.

But thou, O Lord, shalt endure for ever - This address is made to Christ, as is clear from Psa_102:25 Of old You have laid the foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the work of Your hands. and Heb_1:10 And, "You, Lord, have laid the foundation of the earth in the beginning, and the heavens are the works of Your hands. Christ who is a divine Person, endures forever, is from everlasting to everlasting, unchangeably the same in His love, power, wisdom, faithfulness, &c. and though He died as man, He will die no more; He is alive, and lives for evermore; and because He lives, His people shall live also; and He will come again to take them to Himself: and, as Mediator, He is King forever; always continues, as such, to rule over, protect, and defend His people; and is a Priest forever, and ever lives to make intercession for them; and His blood, righteousness, and sacrifice, have a constant virtue in them, to take away sin, and secure from it: the consideration of the perpetuity of Christ, in His person and offices, was a comfort to the psalmist under his troubles, and in a view of his own declining state.

And thy remembrance unto all generations - Thy memory; or, the remembrance of thee. My days are like a shadow. I shall pass away, and be forgotten. No one will recollect me; no one will feel any interest in remembering that I have ever lived. But while one knows that this must be so in regard to himself and to all other people - that he and they are alike to be forgotten - he may also feel that there is One who will never be forgotten. God will never pass away. He will be always the same. All the hopes of the church - of the world - are based on this. It is not on man - on any one individual - on any number of people - for they will all alike pass away and be forgotten; but one generation of people after another, to the end of time, may call on God, and find him an ever-living, an unchanged and unchangeable protector and friend.

thy remembrance to all generations - the remembrance of His name Jehovah, or Jesus, or Immanuel, or any other, is sweet and precious to His saints in all ages; and so the remembrance of His works, of what He has done and suffered, especially the great work of redemption; for the remembrance of which the ordinance of the Lord's supper is appointed to be continued till His second coming; and His Gospel is an everlasting one, which will transmit the memory of Him to men in every age, to the end of the world; and though all flesh is as grass, and every man dies, even the ministers of the word, yet that itself lives forever.

Remembrance - The name, Jehovah, which is called by this very word, God's remembrance, or memorial, and that unto all generations, Exo_3:15 And God said to Moses again, You shall say this to the sons of Israel, Jehovah the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you. This is My name forever, and this is My title from generation to generation.

Psa 102:13  Thou shalt arise, and have mercy upon Zion: for the time to favour her, yea, the set time, is come.

For the time to favor her - Implying that there was an appointed time to favor her, or to bring her troubles to an end.

Yea, the set time is come - The word used here means properly an appointed season - a designated moment. It refers to some purpose or appointment in regard to anything that is to be done, or to a fixed period, as when certain things are to be done, certain festivals to be held regularly at a certain season of the year. Here it means that there was some period fixed in the Lord’s mind when this was to occur, or a definite time when it had been predicted or promised that it would occur. The language is such as would be applicable to the captivity in Babylon, concerning which there was a promise that it should continue but seventy years. If the psalm refers to that, then the meaning is that there were indications in the course of events that that period was about to arrive.

The set time - the seventy years predicted by Jeremiah, was ended; and God gave him to see that He was ever mindful of His promises. Some see this as referring prophetically to the future of the seventy weeks of Daniel fixed for the Messiah's coming. It may designate the end of the forty two months, or the 1260 days fixed for the treading underfoot the holy city, for the witnesses prophesying in sackcloth, and for the reign of antichrist; which when come will usher in glorious times Rev_11:2 But leave out the court which is outside the temple, and do not measure it, for it was given to the nations. And they will trample the holy city forty-two months.

Psa 102:14  For thy servants take pleasure in her stones, and favour the dust thereof.

For thy servants take pleasure in her stones - Those who profess to be thy servants; thy friends. This was the “evidence” to the mind of the psalmist that God was about to visit his people, and to rebuild Jerusalem. It was an “awakened interest” among the professed people of God, leading them to manifest their love for Zion, and for all that pertained to her - a love for the very stones that lay in undistinguished heaps where the city once stood - the piles of rubbish where the walls and dwellings had once been. The people of God in their captivity began to look with strong interest on these very ruins, and with an earnest wish that from these ruins the city may again arise, and the walls be rebuilt.

Thy servants take pleasure in her stones - Though Jerusalem was at this time in a heap of ruins, yet even her rubbish was sacred in the eyes of the pious; for this had been the city of the great King.

For thy servants take pleasure in her stones - Meaning not Cyrus and Darius, who gave leave and orders for the rebuilding of the city and temple of Jerusalem, as some; nor Nehemiah, and Ezra, and others, who took more pleasure in the stones and rubbish of the temple, as it lay in ruins, than in all the stately palaces in Babylon; and who were very desirous of, and took delight in gathering these stones, and putting them together again, as others; but, the ministers of the Gospel, and other Christians, in the latter day, who will take pleasure in the great number of converts that there will then be, who, as lively stones, will be built up a spiritual house; and especially when those stones shall be laid with fair colors, and the headstone shall be brought in with acclamations, crying, Grace, grace unto it; 1Pe_2:5 you also as living stones are built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

And favor the dust thereof - literally, pity - or, show compassion for. They no longer look with indifference on these ruins of Zion. They look with a tender heart on the very dust of those ruins. They feel that a wrong has been done to Zion; they ardently desire its restoration to its former splendor and glory. They long for a return to it as to their home. They are weary with their captivity, and they are anxiously waiting for the time when they may revisit their native land. A surrounding world would look with unconcern on the ruins of Jerusalem; a friend of God, in whose heart religion was revived, would look with the most tender concern even on that rubbish, and those ruins.

and favour the dust thereof - which sometimes designs multitudes, Num_23:10 Who can count the dust of Jacob, and the number of the fourth of Israel? Let me die the death of the righteous, and let my last end be like his! Perhaps here it may denote a time when there shall be a delight in the stones and dust of Zion, and a spirit of grace and supplication poured forth upon the servants of the Lord.

Psa 102:15  So the heathen shall fear the name of the LORD, and all the kings of the earth thy glory.

So the heathen - The nations. that is, the surrounding people.

Shall fear the name of the Lord - Shall reverence and honor Him. Whose name is reverend, and to be feared; especially the glorious and fearful name "Jehovah", expressive of the divine existence, of his eternity and immutability; and particularly the Messiah, the Son of God, in whom the name of the Lord is; the King of saints, whom all men will fear in the latter day, when the set time to favour Zion is come; will stand in awe of him and will serve and worship him;

And all the kings of the earth thy glory - The sovereigns of the earth will be especially affected and impressed with His majesty. If this refers to the return from the captivity at Babylon, then it means that that event would be particularly suited to impress the minds of the rulers of the world, as showing that God had all nations under His control; that He could deliver a captive people from the grasp of the mighty; that He was the friend of those who worshipped Him.

So the heathen shall fear the name of the Lord - It is granted that after the edict of Cyrus to restore and rebuild Jerusalem which was about four hundred and ninety years before Christ, the name of the true God was more generally known among the heathen; and the translating the Sacred Writings into Greek, by the command of Ptolemy Philadelphus, king of Egypt, about two hundred and eighty-five years before the Christian era, spread a measure of the light of God in the Gentile world which they had not before seen. Add to this the dispersion of the Jews into different parts of the Roman empire, after Judea became a Roman province, which took place about sixty years before the advent of our Lord; and we may consider these as so many preparatory steps to the conversion of the heathen by the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. And to this last general illumination of the Gentile world the psalmist must allude here, when he speaks of “the heathen fearing God’s name, and all the kings of the earth his glory.”

and all the kings of the earth thy glory – which may be supplied thus, either "all the kings of the earth shall see thy glory", or shall fear thee because of "thy glory"; the glory of Christ's person, as the Son of God; the glory of his offices, as Prophet, Priest, and King; especially the glory of his kingly office, to which that of the kings of the earth is not to be compared; the glory of his works of creation, providence, and redemption; and as it will be held forth in the Gospel. The earth will be fulled with the glory of the Lord, Psa 72:19  And blessed be his glorious name for ever: and let the whole earth be filled with his glory; Amen, and Amen. and will be so remarkable and conspicuous as to be taken notice of by the kings of the earth when the glory of the Lord shall be risen in Zion, will come to the brightness of it, and look upon it, and admire it, and fear because of it, Isa 60:1 Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the LORD is risen upon thee. Rom 14:11 For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God. Php 2:10-11  That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Psa 102:16  When the LORD shall build up Zion, he shall appear in his glory.

When the Lord shall build up Zion – The psalmist may throw himself into the future, and - standing there - he may describe things as they will appear then - as already done. In the purity of Gospel truths, ordinances, and worship; in the number of converts; in the gifts and graces of the Spirit of God upon them; in their peace, prosperity, unity, and spirituality; and in the presence of Christ with them, who will be seen in all the glory and majesty of his kingly office; he will now reign before his ancients gloriously.

He shall appear in his glory – The idea is that the building up of Zion would be an occasion in which God would manifest his glory. In reference to the restoration of his people from bondage; in rebuilding Zion, then in ruins; in restoring the splendor of the place where he had been so long worshipped, he would display his true character as a God of glory, truth, power, and goodness. As applied to the church in general, this would mean that when God comes to revive religion, to visit his people, to recover them from their backslidings, to convert and save sinners, he appears in his appropriate character as the God of his people - as a glorious God. Then the perfections of his nature are most illustriously displayed; then he appears in his true character, as a God of mercy, grace, and salvation. There is no scene on earth where the character of God is more gloriously exhibited than in a revival of true religion.

When the Lord shall build up Zion – It is such a difficult thing, so wholly improbable, so far out of the reach of human power, that when God does it, he must manifest his power and glory in a most extraordinary manner.

Psa 102:17  He will regard the prayer of the destitute, and not despise their prayer.

He will regard the prayer – literally, “He looks upon,” or “he ‘turns himself’ to their prayer.” He does not any longer seem to turn away from them and disregard them. He shows by thus building up Zion that he does regard prayer; that he hears the supplications of his people.

Of the destitute – literally, “of the poor.” The word, according to its etymology, means “naked;” then, poor, stripped of everything, impoverished, wholly destitute. It would thus be eminently applicable to the poor exiles in Babylon; it is as applicable to sinners pleading with God, and to the people of God themselves, destitute of everything like self-righteousness, and feeling that they have nothing in themselves, but that they are wholly dependent on the mercy of God.

And not despise their prayer – Not treat it with contempt; not pass it by unheard. This is stated as one of the reasons why the nations would be struck with awe - that God, the infinite God, would hear the prayers of those who were so poor, so powerless, so friendless. There is, in fact, nothing more suited to excite wonder than that God does hear the prayer of poor, lost, sinful man.

and not despise their prayer - not reject it with contempt and abhorrence; more is intended than is expressed: the meaning is, that he will receive it with pleasure, and return an answer to it; the prayer of these poor destitute ones is delightful to him,  Pro 15:8  The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the LORD: but the prayer of the upright is his delight.

Psa 102:18  This shall be written for the generation to come: and the people which shall be created shall praise the LORD.

This shall be written for the generation to come - It shall be recorded for the instruction and encouragement of future ages. The fact that God has heard the prayer of his people in a time of trial shall be so recorded and remembered that it may be referred to in similar circumstances in all time to come, for he is an unchanging God. What he has done now, he will always be willing to do hereafter.

The people which shall be created – This can be considered the way Christians are new creations in Christ. “The Gentiles, who shall be brought to the knowledge of salvation by Christ”: how often the conversion of the soul to God is represented as a new creation. 2Co 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

And the people which shall be created – Future generations. Each successive generation is in fact a new “creation;” each individual is also; for the essential idea in creation is that of bringing something into existence where there was nothing before. There is a “beginning” of existence in every human being. Man is not in any proper sense a “development” from former being, nor is his life merely a “continuance” of something which existed before.

Shall praise the Lord –Shall praise the Lord for what he has now done; shall learn, from the great principles now illustrated in regard to his administration, to praise him.

Psa 102:19  For he hath looked down from the height of his sanctuary; from heaven did the LORD behold the earth;

For he hath looked down from the height of his sanctuary – From his high and holy dwelling-place, in heaven. The word here rendered “looked down,” means to lay upon or over; then to lie out over anything, to project; and then, to bend forward. It then means to bend or incline forward with an intention to look at anything, as from a window.

For he hath looked down – This, with the three following verses, seems to contain a glorious prophecy of the incarnation of Christ, and the gathering in of the Jews and the Gentiles to him. The Lord looks down from heaven, and sees the whole earth groaning and travailing in pain; his eye affects his heart, and he purposes their salvation.

Psa 102:20  To hear the groaning of the prisoner; to loose those that are appointed to death;

To hear the groaning of the prisoner – Meaning here, probably, the captives in Babylon; those who were held as prisoners there, and who were subjected to such hardships in their long captivity.

To hear the groaning –By sin, all the inhabitants of the earth are miserable. They have broken the Divine laws, are under the arrest of judgment, and all cast into prison, They have been tried, found guilty, and appointed to die; they groan under their chains, are alarmed at the prospect of death, and implore mercy.

To loose those that are appointed to death – in Hebrew, “the children of death.”  This may mean either those who were sentenced to death; those who were sick and ready to die; or those who, in their captivity, were in such a state of privation and suffering that death appeared inevitable. The word rendered “loose” means, properly, to “open,” applied to the mouth, for eating, Eze_3:2; or in song, Psa_78:2; or for speaking, Job_3:1; - or the ear, Isa_50:5; or the hand, Deu_15:8; or the gates of a city, a door, etc., Deu_20:11. Then it means to set free, as by opening the doors of a prison, Isa_14:17; Job_12:14. Here it means to “set free,” to deliver.

to loose those that are appointed to death - delivered to death; delivered over to the secular power, in order to be put to death; these the Lord will loose, and save them from the death they are appointed to by men; In addition, they are the same as "children of wrath", Eph 2:3  Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. that is, deserving of death, and under the sentence of it; as all men are in Adam, even the Lord's own people; and who are, in their own apprehension, as dead men, when awakened and convinced of their state by the Spirit of God; these Christ looses from the shackles and fetters of sin, from the bondage of the law, from the tyranny of Satan, and from fears of death, and puts them into the glorious liberty of the children of God.

To loose – To release his poor captives out of Babylon, and from the chains of sin and eternal destruction.

Psa 102:21  To declare the name of the LORD in Zion, and his praise in Jerusalem;

To declare the name of the Lord in Zion  -  That his name might be declared in Zion, or that his praise might be set up in Jerusalem again. That is, that his people might be returned there, and his praise be celebrated again in the holy city. The Holy Spirit descended on the apostles at Pentecost in Jerusalem.

Psa 102:22  When the people are gathered together, and the kingdoms, to serve the LORD.

When the people are gathered together – When they shall be brought from their dispersion in distant lands; when they shall assemble again in the city of their fathers, and when public worship shall be celebrated there as in former ages.

When the people are gathered together – When all the Gentiles are enlightened, and the kings of the earth brought to pay homage to the King of kings.

When the people are gathered together – When the people of the Jews shall be gathered together, and seek the Lord their God, and David their King, the Messiah, and appoint them one head, even Christ; and when the Gentiles shall gather together, in great numbers, to the church of God.

And the kingdoms, to serve the Lord – The Septuagint and the Latin Vulgate render this, “kings.” All of all lands, will yet praise the Lord “as if” they were one great congregation, assembled in one place. Thus, though separate, they will with united feeling recount the mercy and goodness of God to his people in past times.

Psa 102:23  He weakened my strength in the way; he shortened my days.

He weakened my strength in the way – Hebrew, “afflicted.” The idea is, that God had taken his strength away; he had weakened him - humbled him - brought him low by sorrow. The word “way” refers to the course which he was pursuing. In his journey of life God had thus afflicted - humbled - prostrated him. The psalmist here turns from the exulting view which he had of the future Psa_102:21-22, and resumes his complaint - the remembrance of his troubles and sorrows Psa_102:3-11.

He weakened my strength in the way – The psalmist here returns to his complaint of his afflictions, weakness, and frailty, which ended Psa_102:11, after which some hints are given of the latter day glory, which though he despaired of seeing, by reason of his frailty and mortality, yet comforts himself with the eternity and immutability of Christ. Many are the afflictions which the people of God meet with in the course of their life, in their way to heaven, which have such an effect upon them; through many tribulations they pass to enter the kingdom.

He shortened my days – That is, He seemed to be about to cut me off from life, and to bring me to the grave. The psalmist felt so confident that he would die - that he could not endure these troubles, but must sink under them, that he spoke as if it were already done.

Psa 102:24  I said, O my God, take me not away in the midst of my days: thy years are throughout all generations.

take me not away in the midst of my days – This was the burden of my prayer, for this I earnestly pleaded. The word used here means “to cause to ascend or go up” and the expression might have been translated, “Cause me not to ascend.” The Septuagint and the Latin Vulgate render it, “Call me not away.” The word rendered “in the midst” means properly in the half; as if life were divided into two portions.

take me not away in the midst of my days - Which was always reckoned as a judgment, as a token of God's sore displeasure, and as what only befell wicked men: in the Hebrew it is, "cause me not to ascend"; either as smoke, which ascends, and vanishes away; or rather it designs the separation of the soul from the body at death, when it ascends upwards to God.

thy years are throughout all generations – which are not as men's years, of the same measure or number; but are boundless and infinite: the phrase is expressive of the eternity of God, or Christ; which the psalmist opposes to his own frailty, and which he illustrates in the following verses, by setting it in contrast with the discontinuance and changeableness of the heavens and the earth.

Thy years are throughout all generations – Thou dost not die; thou art ever the same, though the generations of people are cut off. This seems to have been said here for two reasons:

(1) As a ground of consolation, that God was ever the same; that whatever might happen to people, to the psalmist himself, or to any other man, God was unchanged, and that his great plans would be carried forward and accomplished;

(2) As a reason for the prayer. God was eternal. He had an immortal existence. He could not die. He knew, in its perfection, the blessedness of “life” - life as such; life continued; life unending. The psalmist appeals to what God himself enjoyed - as a reason why life - so great a blessing - should be granted to him a little longer.

Thy years are throughout all generations – This was a frequent argument used to induce God to hear prayer. We are frail and perishing; thou art everlasting: deliver us, and we will glorify thee.

I said, O my God – This and the following verses seem to be the form of prayer which the captives used previously to their deliverance.

Psa 102:25  Of old hast thou laid the foundation of the earth: and the heavens are the work of thy hands.

Of old hast thou laid the foundation – In the beginning; at the first. The phrase used here means literally “to the face;” then, “before” in the order of time. It means here, long ago; of olden time; at the beginning. The meaning is, that the years of God had stretched through all the generations of people, and all the changes which had occurred upon the earth; that at the very beginning he existed, and that he would continue to exist to the very close, unchangeably the same.

Of old hast thou laid the foundation of the earth - The lower part of the creation, the Lord's footstool, called the earth beneath.

the heavens are the work of thy hands – This is creation and not to be worshipped, made by Christ himself, and are expressive of his power, wisdom, and glory.

Psa 102:26  They shall perish, but thou shalt endure: yea, all of them shall wax old like a garment; as a vesture shalt thou change them, and they shall be changed:

They shall perish – Nothing can be eternal except the Lord. Even that which He has created is perishable; duration belongs to God only; and it is by His will and energy alone that universal nature is preserved in existence, and preserved from running into speedy disorder, decay, and ruin.

They shall perish – Both the heavens and the earth, though so well founded, and so firmly made; they shall be dissolved, melt, and pass away;

Yea, all of them shall wax old – Everything must deteriorate, unless preserved by His renewing. Even the heavens and the earth are subject to this law; for that which is not, from the infinite perfection of its own nature, Eternal, must be perishable; therefore the heavens and the earth must necessarily come to an end.

yea, all of them shall wax old like a garment –not only the heavens, which are as a curtain and garment about the earth, but the earth itself, Isa_51:6, will lose their beauty and glory, and become useless, as to the present form of them:

but thou shalt endure – as the eternal God, from everlasting to everlasting; He will be King forever; his throne is for ever and ever; his kingdom is an everlasting one; he is a priest forever, after the order of Melchizedek; his sacrifice is of an eternal efficacy, and he ever lives to make intercession for his people; he will always continue, as the Prophet, in his church, to teach by his Spirit, word, and ordinances, in the present state; and hereafter will be the light of the New Jerusalem, and of his saints, forever:

In Heb_1:10-12 And, Thou, Lord, in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the works of thine hands: They shall perish; but thou remainest; and they all shall wax old as doth a garment; And as a vesture shalt thou fold them up, and they shall be changed: but thou art the same, and thy years shall not fail. Paul quotes Psa_102:26-28 They shall perish, but thou shalt endure: yea, all of them shall wax old like a garment; as a vesture shalt thou change them, and they shall be changed: But thou art the same, and thy years shall have no end. The children of thy servants shall continue, and their seed shall be established before thee. as addressed to Christ in His divine nature. The scope of the Psalm, as already seen, so far from opposing, favors this view, especially by the sentiments of Psa_102:12-15 But thou, O LORD, shalt endure for ever; and thy remembrance unto all generations. Thou shalt arise, and have mercy upon Zion: for the time to favour her, yea, the set time, is come. For thy servants take pleasure in her stones, and favour the dust thereof. So the heathen shall fear the name of the LORD, and all the kings of the earth thy glory. The association of the Messiah with a day of future glory to the Church was very intimate in the minds of Old Testament writers; and with correct views of His nature it is very consistent that He should be addressed as the Lord and Head of His Church, who would bring about that glorious future on which they ever dwelt with fond delightful anticipations.

Psa 102:27  But thou art the same, and thy years shall have no end.

Thy years shall have no end – “they shall not be completed.” Everything has its revolution - its conception, growth, perfection, decay, dissolution, and death, or corruption. It may be said that regeneration restores all these substances; and so it does in a measure, but not without deterioration. God has no completion, no beginning and no end. What is eternal is unchangeable and imperishable. God alone is eternal.

But thou art the same – the everlasting I AM, the unchangeable Jehovah; immutable in his nature and perfections; in his love and affections to his people; in his power to protect and keep them; in his wisdom to guide and direct them; in his righteousness to clothe them, and render them acceptable to God; in his blood to cleanse them, and speak peace and pardon to them; in his fullness to supply them, and in his intercession for them,

Psa 102:28  The children of thy servants shall continue, and their seed shall be established before thee.

The children of thy servants shall continue – The descendants of those that serve and obey thee. This represents the confident expectation of the psalmist that, as God was unchangeable, all his promises toward his people would be fulfilled, even though the heavens and the earth should pass away. God was the same. His word would not fail. His promises were sure. Mat 5:18  For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. Mat 24:35  Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away. The word rendered “continue,” means to dwell, as in a habitation; then, to abide. It stands opposed to a wandering, nomadic life, and indicates permanency.

The children of thy servants shall continue – Thy Church shall be permanent, because founded on thee, it shall live throughout all the revolutions of time. And as thy followers are made partakers of the Divine nature they shall live in union with God, deriving eternal duration from the inexhaustible Fountain of being. Nothing can be permanent but by God’s supporting and renewing influence.

The children of thy servants shall continue – The "servants" of the Lord are the apostles of Christ, and ministers of the word, in all successive generations, with whom Christ will be to the end of the world: their "children" are such whom they have begotten again, through the Gospel; regenerated souls are meant; of these there will be a succession in all ages, until latter day glory takes place; these are the church's seed, and her seed's seed, from whom the word of the Lord, the Gospel, will never depart, Isa 59:21  As for me, this is my covenant with them, saith the LORD; My spirit that is upon thee, and my words which I have put in thy mouth, shall not depart out of thy mouth, nor out of the mouth of thy seed, nor out of the mouth of thy seed's seed, saith the LORD, from henceforth and for ever.

And their seed shall be established before thee - The word used here means properly to stand erect; then to set up, to erect, to place, to found, to make firm, as a city, Psa_107:36; the earth, Psa_24:2; the heavens, Pro_3:19. It means here that they would be firmly and permanently established: that is, the church of God would be permanent in the earth. It would not be like the generations of people that pass away. It would not be like the nomadic tribes of the desert that have no fixed habitation, and that wander from place to place. It would not be even like the heavens that might put on new forms, or wholly pass away: it would be as enduring and changeless as God himself; it would, in its proper form, endure forever. As God is eternal and unchangeable, so would the safety and welfare of his people be.