Gods - The gods of the nations, as the next verse expounds it.
Before him - In his presence.
Beauty - Cloathed with all the gifts and graces, which are necessary in God's worship.
Reigneth - God hath now set up his kingdom in the world. Established - The nations of the world shall by the means of it enjoy an established and lasting peace.
Before - At the presence and approach of their Lord and Maker. Cometh - To set up his throne among all the nations of the earth.
Isles - The Gentile nations, as this word, used Isa 42:4, is expounded, Matt 12:21.
Darkness - A dark cloud doth encompass him.
Heavens - The angels, yea God himself from heaven.
Confounded - Let them be ashamed of their folly. Gods - All you whom the Gentiles have made the objects of their worship.
Zion - Thy people dwelling in Zion or Jerusalem, to whom Christ came. Heard - The fame of thy judgments, and the setting up the kingdom of the Messiah.
Light - Joy and happiness. Sown - Is laid up for them.
Salvation - The redemption of the world by the Messiah: which was hitherto reserved was a secret among the Jews, yea was not throughly known by the most of the Jews themselves. Righteousness - His faithfulness in accomplishing this great promise.
People - Such as are enemies to God and his people. Sitteth - Upon the ark. He is present with his people. Earth - The people of the earth. Moved - With fear and trembling.
Them - All people.
Judgment - Though his dominion be absolute, and his power irresistible, yet he manages it with righteousness. The king's strength is by a known Hebraism put for the strong, or powerful king. Equity - In all thy proceedings.
Foot - stool - Before the ark, which is so called, 1Chron 28:2. Holy - It is consecrated to be a pledge of God's presence.
Moses - Moses before the institution of the priesthood executed that office, Exod 24:6. That call - Who used frequently and solemnly to intercede with God on the behalf of the people.
Spake - To some of them: to Moses and Aaron, Exod 19:24 33:9
Them - The intercessors before mentioned. Forgavest - The people for whom they prayed, so far as not to inflict that total destruction upon them which they deserved;
I will sing - I will praise thee, O Lord, for thy mercy and justice, which thou hast so eminently discovered in the government of the world, and of thy people; and I will make it my care to imitate thee herein.
I will - I will manage all my affairs with wisdom and integrity. When - God is often said in scripture to come to men, when he fulfills a promise to them. House - In my court and family, as well as in my public administrations.
Depart - Shall be turned out of my court. Know - Not own nor countenance.
Early - Speedily; as soon as I am seated in the throne.
An hearth - An hearth is heated or burnt by the coals which are laid upon it.
Skin - My flesh being quite consumed.
A pelican - Is a solitary and mournful bird.
Bread - The sense is, dust and ashes are as familiar to me as the eating of my bread; I cover my head with them; I sit, yea, lie down in them, as mourners often did.
Lifted me - As a man lifts up a thing as high as he can, that he may cast it to the ground with greater force.
Remembrance - Thy name, Jehovah, which is called by this very word, God's remembrance, or memorial, and that unto all generations, Exod 3:15.
The set time - The end of those seventy years which thou hast fixed.
This - This wonderful deliverance shall be carefully recorded by thy people.
Looked - From heaven.
To loose - To release his poor captives out of Babylon, and from the chains of sin and eternal destruction.
To declare - That they might publish the name and praises of God in his church.
When - When the Gentiles shall gather themselves to the Jews, and join with them in the worship of the true God.
He - God. The way - In the midst of the course of our lives. Some think the psalmist here speaks of the whole commonwealth as of one man, and of its continuance, as of the life of one man.
I said - Do not wholly destroy thy people Israel. In the midst - Before they come to a full possession of thy promises and especially of that fundamental promise of the Messiah. Thy years - Though we die, yet thou art the everlasting God.
Perish - As to their present nature and use.
Continue - Though the heavens and earth perish, yet we rest assured that our children, and their children after them, shall enjoy an happy restitution to, and settlement in their own land.
The eagles - Which lives long in great strength and vigour.
So great - So much above their deserts and expectations.
Knoweth - The weakness and mortality of our natures, and the frailty of our condition, so that if he should let loose his hand upon us, we should be irrecoverably destroyed.
His hosts - A title often given to the angels, in regard of their vast numbers, mighty power, unanimous concurrence, and exquisite order. Ministers - This Hebrew word is commonly used of the highest and most honourable sort of servants,
Light - With that first created light, which the psalmist fitly puts in the first place, as being the first of God's visible works.
Waters - In the waters above the heavens, as they are called, Gen 1:7.