I. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS TO THE LORD (1-7). Infinite Loving-kindness. The King exults in Jehovah's strength. 11. ADDRESS TO THE KING (8-12 ). Inescapable Judgment. III. ASCRIPTION TO THE LORD (13). Intended Praise. Jehovah exalted in His own strength. SUPERSCRIPT.-A psalm of David. SUBSCRIPT.-For the Chief Musician; relating to Aijeleth-hash-Shahar. PRIMARY AssocIATION.-This seems originally to have been written as a coronation hymn or national anthem, and later used as a thanksgiving for victories granted in answer to prayer; see notes to preceding psalm. The Heb. words found in the subscript mean "The Hind of the Morning," a poetical expression for the dawn of day. The first rays of the rising sqn are likened to the horns of a deer appearing above the rising ground before its body comes into view. The phrase is traditionally linked with the dawn of redemption· £or Israel. It brings to mind "the last words of David," 2 Sam. xxiii. 4; cf. Pss. bacii. 19, 20; cxxx. 5; 6; Luke i. 78; 2 Pet. i. 19. PROPHETIC ANTICIPATION.-Messiah the King is seen in glory following the victory of the Cross. Being now "set on high" (xx. r) as Son of Man, He confidently awaits the fulfilment of the promise, Ps. ex. r and r Cor. xv. 25. The psalm looks back to His finished work and on to His future triumphs over û His enemies and those of üs people. He sought not exaltation for Himself, for He needed it not (Phil. ii. 6 ff), but as Son of Man He has taken the highest place in order to fulfil all the divine counsel of grace and blessing to His creatures. PERSONAL APPLICATION.-As. believers we rejoice in God's salvation, r. Christ's is the perfect pattern of prevailing prayer, for He ever sought the will of God, 2. By prayer, impotence can set Omnipotence in motion. "God does not always wait for our petitions, He comes beforehand with His gifts," 3. Christian war fare and Christian worship go together. The "countenance" (presence) which delights the faithful ( 6) destroys the foe, 9 marg. Our trust is answered by God's loving-kindness, so that we shall not be moved, 7. "God overtakes, outflanks and overthrows His enemics1 12." E:xalt our God md exult in Him, 13.
VERSE NOTES 2. Answer to the prayer of xx. 4. "Selah" precedes the prayer and follows the answer, thus pointing the connection. 3. "preventest," i.e. comest to meet; (b) c£ 2 Sam. xii. 30. 4. Of David, must be taken in the sense of 2 Sam. vii. 29; of Messiah, in the sense of the resurrection life, Heb. vii. 24-25. 5. These divine attributes reflected in Jehovah's representative, the king; of Messiah, c£ Heb. ii. 9. 6. Lit. "makest Him blessings," i.e. the king was both the recipient of divine favours and the medium of blessing to others; "in thy presence," the recent victory was a pledge of divine favour and fellowship, c£ xvi. II; see also Acts ii. 28. 7. The ground of blessing: (a) David's trust, (b) Jehovah's loving-kindness. 8. The recent victory a pledge of future victories; of David, see 2 Sam. viii.; 1 Chron. xviii. 9. I.e. consume them as fuel in a furnace, Mal. iv. 1; "anger," see marg.; of Messiah, the word" presence " suggestive of His Coming (Gk. parousia = presence), in connection with which see 2 Thess. ii. 8 R.V. m. "fr . d " · th . R . 8 wt ... see , 1.e. err postenty, see ev. Xl. I • II. "intended," or threatened; "imagined a device ... " i.e. devised a plot they could not carry out." Malice against God and His Christ is often shown in the persecution of God's people, Acts ix. 4. 12. "tum . . . back," i.e. in fliäht from the victor; (b) render, "Against their face, aiming with thy bowstrings. ' 13. Short concluding praise uttered in a spirit of prayer (a) and promise (b); th " th th h . . h h c . xx. 9, streng returns to e oug t m verse I; power,. or nug t, s own in mighty acts of deliverance, c£ xx. 6. A Trilogy of Ps. xxii.-xxiv. forms a fitting close to this section of Book I. These psalms present the Saviour in three notable aspects: xxii. the Saviour; xxiii. the Shepherd; xxiv. the Sovereign. In them we view respectively: the Cross, the Crook and the Crown; or, Grace, Guidance and Glory; the Past, the Present and the Prospect.
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