METROPOLIS I. JEHOVAH'S ELECTION OF A DWELLING PLACE (1-2). Other Dwellings spoken 0£ II. EMINENCE OF ZION (3}. Her Glory as the City of God. Selah. III. JEHOVAH'S ESTIMATE OF NATIONAL HEROES (4.). Many Nations spoken 0£
IV. EMINENCE OF ZION (5). Her Glory as the Capital of Nations. V. JEHOVAH'S ENROLMENT OF THE PEOPLES (6). All Peoples spoken 0£ Selah. VI. EMINENCE OF ZION (7). Her Glory as the Confession of Saints. SUPERSCRIPT.-A Psalm of (or, for) the Sons ofKorah; a Song. SUBSCRIPT.-A Song; a Psalm of the Sons of Korah; for the Chief Musician; set to Mahalath Leannoth. PRIMARY AssoCIATION.-Writer uncertain, but occasion most probably is the translation of the Ark to Zion. It "expands the thought of lxxxvi. 9 in the style and spirit of prophecy, and is terse, abrupt and ¶nigmatic." Note abrupt introduction of the theme (r) and abrupt conclusion ( 7). Repetition in superscript and subscript is for emphasis. "Mahalath Leannoth" for "mahalath" (hr. voca lized "m(e)holoth") cf. Ps. Iii. note; "leannoth" is from Heb. verb meaning to celebrate by responsive shouting; therefore read phrase, "Dancings with shoutings;" ref. to 2 Sam. vi. 14 and I Chron. xv. 28-29. The musical directions are in complete harmony with the last verse.. Note how the transference of these directions from superscript of lxxxviii. to subscript of lxxxvii. according to Dr. Thirtle's suggestion (see Introduction V.) disposes of the much discussed difficulty of ascribing the former to two different authors. The designation "Song" (Heb. shir) could not be truly applied to the sorrowful tones of lxxxviii. The Song of the Procession, lviii.; the Entry into Zion, xxiv.; the Joy of the Entry, lxxxvii.; the Offering of Worship, cv. with r Chron. xvi. PROPHETIC ANTICIPATION.-This is clearly indicated by the outline analysis. Zion was, and will be (a) the Sojourning-place of the divine presence; (b) the Seat of the divine government; (c) the Sanctuary of the divine worship. Following the translation of R.V. verse 4 is generally interpreted to mean that the nations mentioned will attain the rights of citizenship in Zion. Against this, however, is the inclusion of Babylon and Philistia, nations which prophecy threatened with total extinction, Isa. xiv. 22-23; Zeph. ii. 5; Amos i. 8. Moreover the names used for Egypt (Rahab = pride) and Babylon (Babel= confusion) are terms of disparagement. It seems better then to read as A. V. and understand God as drawing · COA¸as¹ peºeen these P.atiogs with their pride in national heroes
and Zion with her truly great men. That Gentile peoples will be "enrolled" among the people of God, including Egypt and Ethiopia (Cush) is clear enough in the prophetic Scriptures; see Isa. xix. 23-25. Here is a foreshadowing ( 6) of the great truth that for entrance into the Kingdom a "new birth" is requisite, not cultural progress, not social reform, and not regulations of any "Legue of Nations." PERSONAL APPLICATION.-The world needs to be reminq.ed that God has chosen Jerusalem as His earthly "seat" and loves the city (r-2). Nations have sought to make their capitals glorious, but Zion's glorious prospect far surpasses the dreams of men (3). Blessed are they whose knowledge of God .is experimental (4). The rebirth of nations is by the rebirth of individuals (6). Those who possess the franchise of the Heavenly City may sing now, "All my springs are in Thee" for Christ is there (7); see Rev. xxi. 22-23. The citizen roll of the "Jerusalem above" is kept by God Himself, not by any official of church or state. VERSE NOTES r. Br. "His ... doth Jehovah love, (He loveth) the gates ... " 2. "gates ... " poetic term for the city with especial reference to its activities. The gates were the places of popular concourse, for the administration of justice, for business transactions, etc. They were also the places of ingress and egress for the pilgrims attending for worship;" dwellings of Jacob," ref. esp. to the places of the ark's sojourn, viz. Shiloh, r Sam. i. 3ff.; Bethshemesh, vi. r3; K.irjath-jearim, vii. r; Gibeah, 2 Sam. vi. 3-4; Obed-edom's house, vi. ro-r2. "Jacob" implies divine grace there manifested. 3. May refer to the prophetic promises generally_; but it is possible to translate, "Thou art gloriously bespoken' (lit. gloriously spoken) i.e. betrothed. In old Heb. (Cant. viii. 8) and modem Arabic (so also in Chinese) the word "spoken" applied to a maiden means bespoken in marriage. Intensive form of Heb. verb indic. spoken repeatedly. 4. "Rahab," i.e. Egypt, the world power of the south; "Babylon" the world power of the north; Philistia, a warrior nation; Tyre, a commercial state. 5. Psalmist again speaks. The A.V. reading is to be preferred, see notes under "Prophetic Anticipation." 6. I.e. reckon, when He registers the peoples; official confirmation of citizen rights. 7. Br. "And singing as well as dancing (shall they chant), "All my springs,"= fountains (metaphorical). True prophetically because Messiah will be there enthroned as Zion's glory; "singers," lit. "they that shout," see subscript.
Book Three. II. Realization of the Divine Holiness: lxxxiv.-lxxxix. 3. Attained in Israel's Restoration, lxxxviii.-lxxxix.
This book has 150 chapters