I. ADDRESS TO THE KING {r-5). Before Sacrifice. II. ASSURANCE OF THE KING (6-8). After Sacrifice. r. Individual Cqnfidence (6). '"I." 2. National Confidence (7-8). "We." ID. APPEAL FOR THE KING (9 ). SUPERSCRIPT.-A psalm of David. SUBSCRIPT.-For the Chief Musician. PRIMARY AssoCIATION.-Writer is David; the occasion uncertain, but belongs probably to the period of his wars recorded 2 Sam. viii-x. Before going forth to meet the enemy, sacrifice is offered (c£ 1 Sam. vii. 9-10; xiii. 9-12) and the national cause committed to Jehovah. Verses 1-5 apparently were sung by the congregation, or their representatives the Levite singers. The king himself or the presiding priest or prophet speaks in 6-8, and the psalm concludes with a prayer by the congregation. In Pss. xx. and xxi. Israel's king is seen in his double character as representative of Jehovah and as a representative of Jehovah's people. Note that confidence is in God
Himself rather than in the proved skill, the personal strength and the past successes of the king. PROPHETIC ANTICIPATION.-The Holy Spirit adopts and adapts the language ofboth psalms with prophetic purpose, hence fulfilment is found only in Christ. We see the faithful remnant associating themselves with their Messiah. Note the appeal of xx. 4 finds the answer in xxi. 2, i.e. resur¤ection, xxi. 4. The day of Messiah's "strait" is the day of His offering of Himsel£ He .is now "set on high." In His deliverance is involved the salvation of all His people, though xx. 2 looks on to millennial days when Christ shall be "a priest upon His throne." After the order of Melchizedek, He is even riow our Great High Priest exercising His office in the heavenly sphere of priesthood and in the seat of royal power of which the earthly sanctuary and the earthly Zion are the types, 2. PERSONAL APPLICATION.-Devotionally, believers may regard 1-4 as a divine benediction and tl}e remaining verses as our dutiful response. Let "the Name" be our watchword and our ward, 5-7. ·Note: (a) Deliverance from foes through "the Name," 1 ; (b) Defiance of foes in "the Name," 5; and (c) Defence against foes by "the Name," 7. We are victors in Christ's victory, 5. "God save the king!" 1 Peter ii. 17, and "God save the King!" Matt. xxv. 34. VERSE NOTES 1. "God of Jacob," Who promised everything to one having nothing and deserving nothing. Title practically= God of all grace; c£ Gen. xxxv. 3. 2. "strengthen" = uphold, s.H.w., xviii. 35. 3.- "offerings," see marg. The 1!1-eal offering always accompanied the burnt offering; both typify Christ, the former in His devoted life and the latter in His devoted death. l"' · th counse , 1.e. m e war. 5. "thy"; the king recognized as Jehovah's chosen instrument for delivering the people, c£ 2 Sam. iii. 18. (b) bannerÂ," i.e. the tribal standards; see Num. i. 52; ii. 2 ff. 6. Nate the assurance of faith, so also 8; "His anointed," this title implies on the king's part a pledge of obedience to Jehovah and is at the same time the plea for hdp from Jehovah; "answereth," or keeps answering; "holy heaven,"= the true sanctuary; for earthly type, see 2. 7. "chariots," c£ 2 Sam. viii. 3-6; ,J Chron. xviii. 3-5. For the verse, c£, e.g. 2 Chron. xvi. 8-9; I Sam. xvii. 45. 8. "bowed down," s.H.w., xviii. 39b. Here still the anticipation of faith. 9. Render as R.V. m. Short concluding prayer, c£ xxi. 13.
ANALYTICAL STUDIE S IN THE PS ALMS
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