Psalms 101:1-103:22
Title: A Psalm of David - 116 of the 150 psalms have titles. Though probably not belonging to the original text of Scripture, the individual titles of the psalms are very ancient and deserve respect and attention. They are usually the first verse in Hebrew; in most English translations of the Bible they are separated at the beginning of the psalm, often in small italicized print. The Hebrew phrases used are ambiguous. A psalm "of" someone can mean "written by", "dedicated to", "for the use of" or "part of the collection of". The psalms "to" David include those composed by him, dedicated to him, and part of the "Davidic collection" of psalms. Some clearly reflect later situations (e.g. Psalm 30).
v. 1 Mercy – kindness, usually contrasted in Scripture as the counterpoint to justice. Together they are characteristic of God's attitude and approach to dealing with fallen humanity. Micah 6:8 describes two of the three characteristics that God "requires of man" as acting justly and loving mercy.
v. 2 Behave wisely – to get wisdom. This little psalm is strongly linked to the wisdom tradition and evokes terms and ideas tied closely to the Book of Proverbs
Perfect – blameless, not open to accusation and charge
I will walk – The poet pictures the righteous person, secure in their home, going about their daily life
A perfect heart – an innocent heart, free of twisted motives
v. 3 I will set – To "set" something before our eyes means to deliberately focus our attention and desire upon it.
nothing wicked – nothing ignoble or base (See Phil. 4:8 for a positive contrast.)
v. 4 A perverse heart – The phrases of verses 4-8 describe the wicked person in graphic terms:"perverse (i.e., "twisted") heart…slandering his neighbor…, a haughty look…, a proud heart…, working deceit… ,telling lies." The psalmist vows not to "know" or allow this kind of evil in his life.
v. 5 – Whoever secretly slanders his neighbor, him I will destroy; the one who has a haughty look and a proud heart, him I will not
endure – Secret smearing of another's character is a serious offense in Scripture; it is paired with an arrogant and proud self-confidence ("a haughty look" and a "proud heart"). The poet commits himself to never allow such behavior in his presence.
v. 6 My eyes shall be on the faithful of the land – This may be a reference to the king, but it applies equally well to anyone with any kind of position of influence or power over others.
Perfect way – not open to accusations of wrongdoing (see v. 1)
dwell with me – serve and work for. The poet resolves to seek out staff and those to work for him who are people of integrity.
v. 7 He who works deceit – Practicing deceit involves deliberately misleading others; it is expressed most clearly in "telling lies."
Continue in my presence – stand before my eyes
v. 8 Early I will destroy all the wicked – In the ancient world, monarchs and government officials usually pronounced judgments in the morning so that the sentence could be executed during the day.
Evildoers – those who do wrong
The city of the Lord – the capital, Jerusalem
Psalm 102
Title: "A Prayer of the afflicted, when he is overwhelmed and pours out his complaint before the LORD." "The afflicted" = the lowly or humble; "pours out" = incense or drink offerings were poured out on the altar of the temple. In Scripture, the prayers of God's people are often compared to an offering poured out to Him (Rev. 8:3-4). "Complaint" = plea.
v. 1 Hear my prayer, O LORD, and let my cry come to You. – Cry, here meaning a scream for help.
v. 2 Do not hide Your face from me in the day of my trouble; – The picture of God "hiding his face" in the Bible refers to His ignoring the cry or incident involved; it can be positive: "hide your face from my sins" (Psalm 51:9), but is generally negative: "Do not hide your face from your servant!" (Psalm 69:17).
incline Your ear to me; in the day that I call, answer me speedily – In the Hebrew Scriptures, "word pictures" are much preferred to abstract expressions: "Incline your ear to me" is a gripping metaphor that expresses the idea of "listen carefully to me" much more vividly. Note the parallelism in the 1st and 2nd parts of the verse: "the day of my trouble" // "the day I call." We should be bold to cry out to the Lord at the first sign of trouble; it honors Him when we recognize our total dependence upon His mercy and help.
v. 3 For my days are consumed like smoke, – The two halves of this verse are connected by the image of a fire. The first focuses on the smoke ascending from burning material: it is short-lived and quickly dispelled by the slightest wind; such is the fleeting life of the poet.
and my bones are burned like a hearth. –The psalmist then focuses on the pain of his life: fire results in a scorched and blackened fireplace; just so the life of the person who prays (compare this with the recurring images in the book of Job.).
v. 4 My heart is stricken and withered like grass – Another common Biblical picture for the transitory nature of human existence (Psalm 90:5-6). The "heart" was considered the seat of the will and center of the personality; when it is wounded, even the simplest of human needs, like eating, can fail to rouse us.
v. 5 the sound of my groaning – loud groaning.
My bones clung to my skin – the poet is reduced to skin and bones
v. 6 I am like a pelican of the wilderness; I am like an owl of the desert. – The exact bird referred to as a "pelican" is not certain, but the owl is usually a "lone" hunter.
v. 7 I lie awake, and am like a sparrow alone – The lonely petitioner tosses and turns on his bed; he imagines a lonely bird up on the roof above him.
v. 8 My enemies reproach me all day long – He has endured another day of scolding and accusation at the hand of his enemies.
Oath – a curse
v. 9 For I have eaten ashes like bread, and mingled my drink with weeping, – Like sleep, the most basic human needs are thrown into chaos.
v. 10 Because of Your indignation and Your wrath; for You have lifted me up and cast me away – The poet sees God as ultimately responsible for his pain.
v. 11 My days are like a shadow that lengthens, and I wither away like grass – As the day came to an end, the shadows on the sundial (the way of telling time in the biblical period) lengthened and the light dimmed. The poet compares his life, withering and transitory as grass (v. 4).
v. 12 But You, O LORD, shall endure forever, and the remembrance of Your name to all generations – In contrast, God is eternal. His existence is never under attack and His reputation (His "name") will last forever.
v. 13 You will arise and have mercy on Zion; for the time to favor her, yes, the set time, has come – Before the background of personal pain and suffering, the poet unexpectedly projects the devastation of Jerusalem, destroyed and ground down, her people in exile. Now, he says, it is also time for God to show mercy on the nation.
v. 14 For Your servants take pleasure in her stones, and show favor to her dust – This is a typical argument from the Old Testament and the Jewish rabbis: "light to heavy" (or "lesser to greater"); it was also used by Jesus. In this psalm, if the "lesser" (God's servants) treasure and value the ruins of Zion and take pity on her "dust," then surely the "greater" (God Himself) will do so (John 10:34-36).
v. 15 So the nations shall fear the name of the LORD, and all the kings of the earth Your glory – As Israel is restored to her land and can again lift her head, all the watching nations will recognize the power and glory of her God (Isaiah 40-66).
v. 16 For the LORD shall build up Zion – rebuild
v. 17 He shall regard the prayer of the destitute – the lonely exiles of Jerusalem, mainly in Babylon
v. 18 This will be written – The prophets, especially Isaiah (chs. 40-66) predicted the exile and return. The poet says that his composition should also be recorded, so that future generations, those yet to be born (or "being created" in Hebrew; Psalm 22:9-10; 71:5-6), will have grounds to praise God for His faithfulness to His people.
v. 19 For He looked down – This verse begins a long description that goes all the way to the end of verse 22, describing God's watching the earth from His sovereign throne in heaven. His gaze takes in all of the suffering and pain of His creation and finally focuses on the future glory of the restoration of Israel.
v. 20 To hear the groaning of the prisoner – the exiles
v. 21 To declare the name of the LORD in Zion, and His praise in Jerusalem, – "Zion" in parallel to "Jerusalem" makes clear what the poet's vision entails.
v. 22 together, and the kingdoms, to serve the LORD – God's act on behalf of His people will result in the nations coming to and serving Him; ultimately fulfilled in Jesus.
v. 23 He weakened my strength in the way; He shortened my days. – The poet is clearly mindful that it was God who ultimately acted against the sin of His people and brought them into exile.
v. 24 I said, "O my God, do not take me away – With this verse, the psalmist again returns his focus to his private pain and suffering. He feels death breathing down his neck and contrasts the briefness of his life with God's eternity.
v. 25 Of old You laid the foundation of the earth – The works of God in creation are of unimaginable longevity.
v. 26 They will perish, but You will endure; yes, they will all grow old like a garment – Even the earth and the heavens will pass away; but God Himself will stand forever and ever. When the universe as we know it (earth and the heavens) is threadbare and "worn out," God will be still there and free to replace it with another.
v. 27 But You are the same – God's person and character never vary.
v. 28 The children of Your servants will continue – The poet's final perspective is that the blessing of God is carried on in perpetuity: from one generation of His servants to their children.
Established – A very strong Hebrew word, usually reserved to royal dynasties of the heavens and earth. In this case, it is also applied to the descendents of the righteous.
Psalm 103
Title: A Psalm of David. This psalm belongs to the David collection. The psalm is a "thanksgiving" praise, probably written after the psalmist's deliverance from grave danger or illness (see v. 3-4).
v. 1 Bless – baruch (Heb.) carries the sense of praise but also has a tone of "specially recognize and acknowledge."
Soul – nephesh (Heb.) means "core of my being" (Psalm. 104).
Name – represents all that God is in Himself and toward His creation and His chosen people
v. 2 Bless the LORD – The repetition of "bless" emphasizes the unusual phrasing.
Forget not – The people of God were consistently exhorted to remember all God had done for them.
Benefits – His generous acts of mercy and kindness
v. 3 Who forgives all your iniquities, who heals all your diseases – "Forgives" / "heals" – The parallel between pardon for sin and healing of sickness is important. The promise of healing of all our illnesses and wiping away of all our sorrows is part of the glory of a life with God. During this life we experience this in a partial way and the promise of the complete redemption of all things in His coming kingdom (Is. 25:8-9).
v. 4 destruction – Literally translated "the pit." A vivid picture of the ruin of our lives without God's grace and intervention.
Crowns you – The idea of a crown is a beautiful touch: every human being is "crowned" as a member of God's royal family through his compassion and kindness.
v. 5 Your mouth – your desires. God satisfies our life with good, not evil things.
Your youth is renewed like the eagle's – Probably refers to the eagle shedding its feathers as they wear out and replacing them with new ones.
v. 6 The LORD executes righteousness and justice for all who are oppressed. – The "oppressed" and poor are very much a concern of God; their condition is usually linked to clear injustice. God will ultimately vindicate them.
v. 7 He made known His ways to Moses – This verse sets up the following quotation.
v. 8 The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in mercy – A direct quote from Exodus 34:6, where God appeared in His glory to Moses.
v. 9 He will not always strive with us, nor will He keep His anger forever – God's anger toward sin is limited; His mercy and compassion is unending.
v. 10 He has not dealt with us according to our sins, nor punished us according to our iniquities – There is, according to the psalmist, a clear disproportion between what our sins actually deserve and how we are treated by God; we deserve damnation and He gives us forgiveness.
v. 11 For as the heavens are high – The poet looks upward to the dome of the sky so far above. God's mercy is incredibly vast.
v. 12 As far as the east is from the west – Then he glances to the earth and the horizon, representing the distance from east and west, reminds him of how far God has taken away our sins from us. God's mercy is like the dome of the sky above us; it expresses itself in the vastness of the distance He has put between us and our sin.
v. 13 As a father pities his children, so the LORD pities those who fear Him. – But God's kindness toward us is even more intimate: the compassion of a father for his children.
v. 14 Frame – or forming. In Genesis 8:21 the same word is used, "The imagination [formings] of man's heart are evil."
Dust – A common biblical image for the fleeting nature of human life ("Dust you are and to dust you will return!" Gen. 3:19).
v. 15 As for man, his days are like grass – Another frequent biblical image for the briefness and fragility of human life (Psalm 37:2, 90:5; Is. 51:12).
v. 16 its place remembers it no more – The hot dry wind of death blows and man disappears as completely as the withered grass, without leaving a trace that he was ever there.
v. 17 His righteousness to children's children – In contrast, God's kindness never ceases toward those who fear Him. His righteousness carries on from generation to generation of His people.
v. 18 To such as keep His covenant, and to those who remember His commandments to do them – "Keeping His covenant" and "doing His commandments" is, for the people of the New Covenant, the fruit of His Spirit within (Gal. 5:22-23, 2 Cor. 3).
v. 19 The LORD has established His throne in heaven – The focus shifts in this verse to the heavenly setting, where God's throne, the seat of His rule and His justice, is established.
v. 20 Bless the LORD, you His angels – With the shift of attention from earth to heaven, v. 20-21 address the heavenly beings.
Angels – the messengers of God who do His bidding and carry out His commands
Who excel in strength – Angels are not the cute little, rosy-cheeked figures of baroque art, but mighty and valiant warriors in the heavenly army who remained loyal to God in the face of the rebellion of Satan. Their chief and leader is Michael, captain of the Lord's armies (Dan. 12:1, Rev. 12:7-9).
v. 21 all you His hosts – armies (Rev. 12:7-9). Angels are servants who do God's wishes. The image is of an almighty monarch who has armies of servants to carry out his every order.
v. 22 Bless the LORD, O my soul! – The psalmist finally wraps up his hymn of praise and thanksgiving by pulling together all of the previous images: all things… everywhere under God's dominion …are to BLESS Him, most especially his own deepest being: "my soul"! (v. 1).
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101:1-2 I will sing of mercy and justice; To You, O LORD, I will sing praises. I will behave wisely in a perfect way. Oh, when will You come to me? I will walk within my house with a perfect heart.
A Psalm of David.
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