Psalms 89
89
PSALM 89
Common Meter: 8,6,8,6
Maschil of Ethan the Ezrahite.
1God's mercies I will ever sing;
and with my mouth I shall
Thy faithfulness make to be known
to generations all.
2For mercy shall be built, said I,
for ever to endure;
Thy faithfulness, ev'n in the heav'ns,
thou wilt establish sure.
3I with my chosen One have made
a cov'nant graciously;
And to my servant, whom I lov'd,
to David sworn have I;
4That I thy seed establish shall
for ever to remain,
And will to generations all
thy throne build and maintain.
5The praises of thy wonders, Lord,
the heavens shall express;
And in the congregation
of saints thy faithfulness.
6For who in heaven with the Lord
may once himself compare?
Who is like God among the sons
of those that mighty are?
7Great fear in meeting of the saints
is due unto the Lord;
And he of all about him should
with rev'rence be ador'd.
8O thou that art the Lord of hosts,
what Lord in mightiness
Is like to thee? who compass'd round
art with thy faithfulness.
9Ev'n in the raging of the sea
thou over it dost reign;
And when the waves thereof do swell,
thou stillest them again.
10Rahab in pieces thou didst break,
like one that slaughter'd is;
And with thy mighty arm thou hast
dispers'd thine enemies.
11The heav'ns are thine, thou for thine own
the earth dost also take;
The world, and fulness of the same,
thy pow'r did found and make.
12The north and south from thee alone
their first beginning had;
Both Tabor mount and Hermon hill
shall in thy name be glad.
13Thou hast an arm that's full of pow'r,
thy hand is great in might;
And thy right hand exceedingly
exalted is in height.
14Justice and judgment of thy throne
are made the dwelling-place;
Mercy, accompany'd with truth,
shall go before thy face.
15O greatly bless'd the people are
the joyful sound that know;
In brightness of thy face, O Lord,
they ever on shall go.
16They in thy name shall all the day
rejoice exceedingly;
And in thy righteousness shall they
exalted be on high.
17Because the glory of their strength
doth only stand in thee;
And in thy favour shall our horn
and pow'r exalted be.
18For God is our defence; and he
to us doth safety bring:
The Holy One of Israel
is our almighty King.
19In vision to thy Holy One
thou saidst, I help upon
A strong one laid; out of the folk
I rais'd a chosen one;
20Ev'n David, I have found him out
a servant unto me;
And with my holy oil my King
anointed him to be.
21With whom my hand shall stablish'd be;
mine arm shall make him strong.
22On him the foe shall not exact,
nor son of mischief wrong.
23I will beat down before his face
all his malicious foes;
I will them greatly plague who do
with hatred him oppose.
24My mercy and my faithfulness
with him yet still shall be;
And in my name his horn and pow'r
men shall exalted see.
25His hand and pow'r shall reach afar;
I'll set it in the sea;
And his right hand established
shall in the rivers be.
26Thou art my Father, he shall cry,
thou art my God alone;
And he shall say, Thou art the Rock
of my salvation.
27I'll make him my first-born, more high
than kings of any land.
28My love I'll ever keep for him,
my cov'nant fast shall stand.
29His seed I by my pow'r will make
for ever to endure;
And, as the days of heav'n, his throne
shall stable be, and sure.
30But if his children shall forsake
my laws, and go astray,
And in my judgments shall not walk,
but wander from my way:
31If they my laws break,
and do not keep my commandements;
32I'll visit then their faults with rods,
their sins with chastisements.
33Yet I'll not take my love from him,
nor false my promise make.
34My cov'nant I'll not break, nor change
what with my mouth I spake.
35Once by my holiness I sware,
to David I'll not lie;
36His seed and throne shall, as the sun,
before me last for aye.
37It, like the moon, shall ever be
establish'd stedfastly;
And like to that which in the heav'n
doth witness faithfully.
38But thou, displeased, hast cast off,
thou didst abhor and loathe;
With him that thine anointed is
thou hast been very wroth.
39Thou hast thy servant's covenant
made void, and quite cast by;
Thou hast profan'd his crown, while it
cast on the ground doth lie.
40Thou all his hedges hast broke down,
his strong holds down hast torn.
41He to all passers-by a spoil,
to neighbours is a scorn.
42Thou hast set up his foes' right hand;
mad'st all his en'mies glad:
43Turn'd his sword's edge, and him
to stand in battle hast not made.
44His glory thou hast made to cease,
his throne to ground down cast;
45Shorten'd his days of youth, and him
with shame thou cover'd hast.
46How long, Lord, wilt thou hide thyself?
for ever, in thine ire?
And shall thine indignation
burn like unto a fire?
47Remember, Lord, how short a time
I shall on earth remain:
O wherefore is it so that thou
has made all men in vain?
48What man is he that liveth here,
and death shall never see?
Or from the power of the grave
what man his soul shall free?
49Thy former loving-kindnesses,
O Lord, where be they now?
Those which in truth and faithfulness
to David sworn hast thou?
50Mind, Lord, thy servant's sad reproach;
how I in bosom bear
The scornings of the people all,
who strong and mighty are.
51Wherewith thy raging enemies
reproach'd, O Lord, think on;
Wherewith they have reproach'd the steps
of thine anointed one.
52All blessing to the Lord our God
let be ascribed then:
For evermore so let it be.
Amen, yea, and amen.
Book 4
Psalms 90—106
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Psalms 89: MP1650
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maintained by the British and Foreign Bible Society
Psalms 89
89
A Lament over God’s Promise to David
1A maskil of Ethan the Ezrahite.
A
I
2I will sing of your mercy forever, Lord#Is 63:7.
proclaim your faithfulness through all ages.
3#David’s dynasty is to be as long-lasting as the heavens, a statement reinforced by using the same verbs (establish, stand) both of the divine love and loyalty and of the Davidic dynasty and throne, cf. Ps 89:29–30.For I said, “My mercy is established forever;
my faithfulness will stand as long as the heavens.
4I have made a covenant with my chosen one;
I have sworn to David my servant:
5I will make your dynasty stand forever
and establish your throne through all ages.”#Ps 61:7–8; 132:11; 2 Sm 7:8–16.
Selah
II
6The heavens praise your marvels, Lord,
your loyalty in the assembly of the holy ones.#Ps 29:1; 82:1; Jb 1:6; 5:1.
7Who in the skies ranks with the Lord?
Who is like the Lord among the sons of the gods?#The sons of the gods: “the holy ones” and “courtiers” of Ps 89:6, 8. These heavenly spirits are members of God’s court.#Ps 35:10; 86:8; 113:5; Ex 15:11; Jer 10:6.
8A God dreaded in the council of the holy ones,
greater and more awesome than all those around him!
9Lord, God of hosts, who is like you?
Mighty Lord, your faithfulness surrounds you.
10You rule the raging sea;#Ps 65:8; 74:13–15; 107:29; Jb 7:12; Is 51:9–10.
you still its swelling waves.
11You crush Rahab#Rahab: a mythological sea monster whose name is used in the Bible mainly as a personification of primeval chaos, cf. Jb 9:13; 26:12; Ps 74:13–14; Is 51:9. with a mortal blow;
with your strong arm you scatter your foes.
12Yours are the heavens, yours the earth;
you founded the world and everything in it.#Ps 24:1–2; 50:12; Dt 10:14; 1 Cor 10:26.
13#Zaphon and Amanus: two sacred mountains in northern Syria which came to designate the directions of north and south. Tabor: a high hill in the valley of Jezreel in northern Israel. Hermon: a mountain in Lebanon, forming the southern spur of the Anti-Lebanon range.Zaphon and Amanus you created;
Tabor and Hermon rejoice in your name.
14You have a mighty arm.
Your hand is strong; your right hand is ever exalted.
15Justice and judgment are the foundation of your throne;
mercy and faithfulness march before you.#Ps 85:11–12; 97:2.
16Blessed the people who know the war cry,
who walk in the radiance of your face, Lord.
17In your name they sing joyfully all the day;
they rejoice in your righteousness.#Ps 47:2; Zep 3:14.
18You are their majestic strength;
by your favor our horn#89:18, 25] Horn: a concrete noun for an abstract quality; horn is a symbol of strength. is exalted.#Ps 112:9; 148:14.
19Truly the Lord is our shield,
the Holy One of Israel, our king!#Ps 47:9; 96:10; 97:1; 99:1; Is 6:3.
III
20Then you spoke in vision;#Ps 78:70; 132:11–12; 2 Sm 7:4, 8–16; 1 Chr 17:3, 7–14; Is 42:1; Acts 13:22.
to your faithful ones you said:
“I have set a leader over the warriors;
I have raised up a chosen one from the people.
21I have chosen David, my servant;
with my holy oil I have anointed him.
22My hand will be with him;#1 Sm 2:9–10.
my arm will make him strong.
23No enemy shall outwit him,
nor shall the wicked defeat him.
24I will crush his foes before him,
strike down those who hate him.
25My faithfulness and mercy will be with him;
through my name his horn will be exalted.
26#The sea…the rivers: geographically the limits of the Davidic empire (the Mediterranean and the Euphrates); mythologically, the traditional forces of chaos. See note on Ps 89:11.I will set his hand upon the sea,
his right hand upon the rivers.
27He shall cry to me, ‘You are my father,#Ps 2:7; 110:2–3; 2 Sm 7:9, 14; Col 1:15, 18; Rev 1:5.
my God, the Rock of my salvation!’
28I myself make him the firstborn,
Most High#Most High: a divine title, which is here extended to David as God’s own king, cf. Ps 2:7–9; Is 9:5. As God rules over the members of the heavenly council (Ps 89:6–9), so David, God’s surrogate, rules over earthly kings. over the kings of the earth.
29Forever I will maintain my mercy for him;#Ps 18:51; 61:8; 144:10; 2 Sm 7:11; Is 55:3.
my covenant with him stands firm.
30I will establish his dynasty forever,
his throne as the days of the heavens.
31If his descendants forsake my teaching,#Lv 26:14–33.
do not follow my decrees,
32If they fail to observe my statutes,
do not keep my commandments,
33I will punish their crime with a rod
and their guilt with blows.
34But I will not take my mercy from him,
nor will I betray my bond of faithfulness.#Ps 40:12; Sir 47:22.
35I will not violate my covenant;
the promise of my lips I will not alter.#Jer 33:20–21.
36By my holiness I swore once for all:#Am 4:2.
I will never be false to David.
37#Like the sun before me…like the sky: as enduring as the heavenly lights, cf. Ps 89:2–5 and Ps 72:5, 17.His dynasty will continue forever,#Ps 61:8; 72:5; Sir 43:6.
his throne, like the sun before me.
38Like the moon it will stand eternal,
forever firm like the sky!”
Selah
B
IV
39But now you have rejected and spurned,#Ps 44:10–25.
been enraged at your anointed.
40You renounced the covenant with your servant,
defiled his crown in the dust.
41You broke down all city walls,#Ps 80:13–14.
left his strongholds in ruins.
42All who pass through seize plunder;
his neighbors deride him.
43You have exalted the right hand of his foes,
have gladdened all his enemies.#Lam 1:5.
44You turned back his sharp sword,
did not support him in battle.
45You brought to an end his splendor,
hurled his throne to the ground.
46You cut short the days of his youth,
covered him with shame.
Selah
V
47How long, Lord? Will you hide forever?
Must your wrath smolder like fire?#Ps 13:2; 44:25; 74:10; 79:5; Dt 4:24.
48Remember how brief life is,
how frail the sons of man you have created!#Ps 39:5–6; 62:10; 90:9–10; 144:4; Jb 7:6, 16; 14:1, 5; Eccl 6:12; Wis 2:5.
49What is man, that he should live and not see death?
Who can deliver his soul from the power of Sheol?#Ps 90:3.
Selah
VI
50Where are your former mercies, Lord,
that you swore to David in your faithfulness?
51Remember, Lord, the insults to your servants,
how I have borne in my bosom the slander of the nations.#Ps 79:12.
52Your enemies, Lord, insult;
they insult each step of your anointed.
53#The doxology at the end of the third book of the Psalms; it is not part of Ps 89.Blessed be the Lord forever! Amen and amen!#Ps 41:14; 72:18; 106:48.
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