Charles Spurgeon

May they fear him as long as the sun shines, as long as the moon remains, through all generations.

“They shall fear thee as long as the sun and moon endure. And well they may. Such righteousness wins the cheerful homage of the poor and the godly, and strikes dismay into the souls of unrighteous oppressors; so that all through the lands, both good…”

May he be like rain that falls on freshly cut grass, like spring showers that water the earth.

“He shall come down like rain upon the mown grass. Blessings upon his gentle sway! Those great conquerors who have been the scourges of mankind have fallen like the fiery hail of Sodom, transforming fruitful lands into deserts; but he with mild, benignant influence softly…”

May the righteous flourish in his days and prosperity abound, until the moon is no more.

“In his days shall the righteous flourish. Beneath the deadly Upas of unrighteous rule no honest principles can be developed, and good men can scarcely live; but where truth and uprightness are on the throne, the best of men prosper most.”

May he rule from sea to sea, and from the Euphrates to the ends of the earth.

“He shall have dominion also from sea to sea. Wide spread shall be the rule of Messiah; only the Land's End shall end his territory: to the Ultima Thule shall his sceptre be extended.”

May the nomads bow before him, and his enemies lick the dust.

“They that dwell in the wilderness shall bow before him. Unconquered by arms, they shall be subdued by love.”

May the kings of Tarshish and distant shores bring tribute; may the kings of Sheba and Seba offer gifts.

“The kings of Tarshish and of the isles shall bring presents. Trade shall be made subservient to the purposes of mediatorial rule; merchant princes, both far and near, shall joyfully contribute of their wealth to his throne.”

For he will deliver the needy who cry out and the afflicted who have no helper.

“For he shall deliver the needy. Here is an excellent reason for man's submission to the Lord Christ; it is not because they dread his overwhelming power, but because they are won over by his just and condescending rule.”

He will take pity on the poor and needy and save the lives of the oppressed.

“He shall spare the poor and needy. His pity shall be manifested to them; he will not allow their trials to overwhelm them; his rod of correction shall fall lightly; he will be sparing of his rebukes, and not sparing in his consolations.”

He will redeem them from oppression and violence, for their blood is precious in his sight.

“He shall redeem their soul from deceit and violence. These two things are the weapons with which the poor are assailed: both law and no law are employed to fleece them.”

Long may he live! May gold from Sheba be given him. May people ever pray for him; may they bless him all day long.

“And he shall live. Vive le Roi! O King! live for ever! He was slain, but is risen and ever liveth. And to him shall be given of the gold of Sheba. These are coronation gifts of the richest kind, cheerfully presented at his throne.”

May there be an abundance of grain in the land; may it sway atop the hills.

“There shall be an handful of corn in the earth upon the top of the mountains. From small beginnings great results shall spring. A mere handful in a place naturally ungenial shall produce a matchless harvest.”

May his name endure forever; may his name continue as long as the sun shines. In him may all nations be blessed; may they call him blessed.

“His name shall endure for ever. In its saving power, as the rallying point of believers, and as renowned and glorified, his name shall remain for ever the same. His name shall be continued as long as the sun.”

May his name endure forever; may his name continue as long as the sun shines. In him may all nations be blessed; may they call him blessed.

“NO ONE HERE requires to be told that this is the name of Jesus Christ, which “shall endure for ever.” Men have said of many of their works, “they shall endure for ever;” but how much have they been disappointed!”

Blessed be the LORD God, the God of Israel, who alone does marvelous deeds. And blessed be His glorious name forever; may all the earth be filled with His glory.

“As Quesnel well observes, these verses explain themselves. They call rather for profound gratitude, and emotion of heart, than for an exercise of the understanding; they are rather to be used for adoration than for exposition.”

Thus conclude the prayers of David son of Jesse.

“The prayers of David the son of Jesse are ended. What more could he ask? He has climbed the summit of the mount of God; he desires nothing more. With this upon his lip, he is content to die.”

Surely God is good to Israel, to those who are pure in heart.

“Truly, or, more correctly, only, God is good to Israel. He is only good, nothing else but good to his own covenanted ones. He cannot act unjustly, or unkindly to them; his goodness to them is beyond dispute, and without mixture.”

But as for me, my feet had almost stumbled; my steps had nearly slipped.

“Here begins the narrative of a great soul battle, a spiritual Marathon, a hard and well fought field, in which the half defeated became in the end wholly victorious. But as for me.”

For I envied the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.

“For I was envious at the foolish. "The foolish" is the generic title of all the wicked: they are beyond all others fools, and he must be a fool who envies fools.”

They are free of the burdens others carry; they are not afflicted like other men.

“They are not in trouble as other men. The prosperous wicked escape the killing toils which afflict the mass of mankind; their bread comes to them without care, their wine without stint.”

Therefore pride is their necklace; a garment of violence covers them.

“Therefore pride compasseth them about as a chain. They are as great in their own esteem as if they were aldermen of the New Jerusalem; they want no other ornament than their own pomposity.”

From their prosperity proceeds iniquity; the imaginations of their hearts run wild.

“Their eyes stand out with fatness. In cases of obesity the eyes usually appear to be enclosed in fat, but sometimes they protrude; in either case the countenance is changed, loses its human form, and is assimilated to that of fatted swine.”

They mock and speak with malice; with arrogance they threaten oppression.

“They are corrupt. They rot above ground; their heart and life are depraved. And speak wickedly concerning oppression. The reek of the sepulchre rises through their mouths; the nature of the soul is revealed in the speech.”

They set their mouths against the heavens, and their tongues strut across the earth.

“They set their mouth against the heavens. Against God himself they aim their blasphemies. One would think, to hear them, that they were demigods themselves, and held their heads above the clouds, for they speak down upon other men as from a sublime elevation peculiar…”

So their people return to this place and drink up waters in abundance.

“Therefore his people return hither. God's people are driven to fly to his throne for shelter; the doggish tongues fetch home the sheep to the Shepherd.”

The wicked say, “How can God know? Does the Most High have knowledge?”

“And they say, How doth God know? Thus dare the ungodly speak. They flatter themselves that their oppressions and persecutions are unobserved of heaven.”