Jamieson, Fausset & Brown

You have ascended on high; You have led captives away. You have received gifts from men, even from the rebellious, that the LORD God may dwell there.

“He who descended is the same who has ascended. As then ascension was an element of His triumph, so is it now; and He, who, in His humiliation, must be recognized as our vicarious sacrifice and the High Priest of our profession, must also be…”

Sing to God, O kingdoms of the earth; sing praises to the Lord— Selah to Him who rides upon the highest heavens of old; behold, His mighty voice resounds.

“To Him who is presented as riding in triumph through His ancient heavens and proclaiming His presence--to Him who, in nature, and still more in the wonders of His spiritual government, out of His holy place (Ps 43:3), is terrible, who rules His Church, and…”

They poisoned my food with gall and gave me vinegar to quench my thirst.

“Instead of such, his enemies increase his pain by giving him most distasteful food and drink. The Psalmist may have thus described by figure what Christ found in reality (compare Joh 19:29, 30).”

For they persecute the one You struck and recount the pain of those You wounded.

“Though smitten of God (Isa 53:4), men were not less guilty in persecuting the sufferer (Ac 2:23). talk to the grief--in respect to, about it, implying derision and taunts. wounded--or, literally, "mortally wounded." 27, 28. iniquity--or, "punishment of iniquity" (Ps 40:12). come . . .”

But I am in pain and distress; let Your salvation protect me, O God.

“Spiritual are better than mere material offerings (Ps 40:6; 50:8); hence a promise of the former, and rather contemptuous terms are used of the latter. "Humble" and poor, as in Ps 69:29. your heart, &c.--address to such (compare Ps 22:26).”

Endow the king with Your justice, O God, and the son of the king with Your righteousness.

“Give the king, &c.--a prayer which is equivalent to a prediction. judgments--the acts, and (figuratively) the principles of a right government (Joh 5:22; 9:39). righteousness--qualifications for conducting such a government.”

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

“They are corrupt--or, literally, "they deride," they speak maliciously and arrogantly and invade even heaven with blasphemy (Re 13:6), and cover earth with slanders (Job 21:7-14).”

I say to the proud, ‘Do not boast,’ and to the wicked, ‘Do not lift up your horn.

“Here the writer speaks in view of God's declaration, warning the wicked. Lift . . . up the horn--to exalt power, here, of the wicked himself--that is, to be arrogant or self-elated.”

Even the wrath of man shall praise You; with the survivors of wrath You will clothe Yourself.

“Man's wrath praises God by its futility before His power. restrain--or, "gird"; that is, Thyself, as with a sword, with which to destroy, or as an ornament to Thy praise.”

So I said, “I am grieved that the right hand of the Most High has changed.”

“He finds relief in contrasting God's former deliverances. Shall we receive good at His hands, and not evil? Both are orderings of unerring mercy and unfailing love.”

that we have heard and known and our fathers have relayed to us. We will not hide them from their children, but will declare to the next generation the praises…

“This history had been handed down (Ex 12:14; De 6:20) for God's honor, and that the principles of His law might be known and observed by posterity. This important sentiment is reiterated in (Ps 78:7, 8) negative form.”

He worked wonders before their fathers in the land of Egypt, in the region of Zoan.

“A record of God's dealings and the sins of the people is now made. The writer gives the history from the exode to the retreat from Kadesh; then contrasts their sins with their reasons for confidence, shown by a detail of God's dealings in Egypt…”

He gave their crops to the grasshopper, the fruit of their labor to the locust.

“caterpillar--the Hebrew name, from its voracity, and that of-- locust--from its multitude. The additional effects of the storm here mentioned (compare Ex 9:23-34) are consistent with Moses' account.”

before Ephraim, Benjamin, and Manasseh. Rally Your mighty power and come to save us.

“Before Ephraim, &c.--These tribes marched next the ark (Nu 2:18-24). The name of Benjamin may be introduced merely in allusion to that fact, and not because that tribe was identified with Israel in the schism (1Ki 12:16-21; compare also Nu 10:24).”

Hear, O My people, and I will warn you: O Israel, if only you would listen to Me!

“The reproof follows to Ps 81:12. if thou wilt hearken--He then propounds the terms of His covenant: they should worship Him alone, who (Ps 81:10) had delivered them, and would still confer all needed blessings.”

If only My people would listen to Me, if Israel would follow My ways, how soon I would subdue their enemies and turn My hand against their foes!

“Obedience would have secured all promised blessings and the subjection of foes. In this passage, "should have," "would have," &c., are better, "should" and "would" expressing God's intention at the time, that is, when they left Egypt.”

They go from strength to strength, until each appears before God in Zion.

“The figure of the pilgrim is carried out. As such daily refit their bodily strength till they reach Jerusalem, so the spiritual worshipper is daily supplied with spiritual strength by God's grace till he appears before God in heaven. appeareth . . .”

Surely His salvation is near to those who fear Him, that His glory may dwell in our land.

“They are here termed "them that fear him"; and grace produces glory (Ps 84:11).”

Loving devotion and faithfulness have joined together; righteousness and peace have kissed.

“God's promises of "mercy" will be verified by His "truth" (compare Ps 25:10; 40:10); and the "work of righteousness" in His holy government shall be "peace" (Isa 32:17).”

Faithfulness sprouts from the earth, and righteousness looks down from heaven.

“Earth and heaven shall abound with the blessings of this government; 12, 13. and, under this, the deserted land shall be productive, and men be "set," or guided in God's holy ways.”

He has founded His city on the holy mountains.

“His--that is, God's foundation--or, what He has founded, that is, Zion (Isa 14:32). is in the holy mountains--the location of Zion, in the wide sense, for the capital, or Jerusalem, being on several hills.”

And it will be said of Zion: “This one and that one were born in her, and the Most High Himself will establish her.”

“The writer resumes-- This and that man--literally, "man and man," or many (Ge 14:10; Ex 8:10, 14), or all (Isa 44:5; Ga 3:28). the highest . . . her--God is her protector.”

O LORD God of Hosts, who is like You? O mighty LORD, Your faithfulness surrounds You. You rule the raging sea; when its waves mount up, You still them.

“To illustrate His power and faithfulness examples are cited from history. His control of the sea (the most mighty and unstable object in nature), and of Egypt (Ps 87:4), the first great foe of Israel (subjected to utter helplessness from pride and insolence), are specimens.”

You once spoke in a vision; to Your godly ones You said, “I have bestowed help on a warrior; I have exalted one chosen from the people.

“Then--when the covenant was established, of whose execution the exalted views of God now given furnish assurance. thou . . . to thy holy one--or godly saint, object of favor (Ps 4:3). Nathan is meant (2Sa 7:17; 1Ch 17:3-15). laid help--literally, "given help."”

I will forever preserve My loving devotion for him, and My covenant with him will stand fast.

“This relation is perpetual with David's descendants, as a whole typical in official position of his last greatest descendant. Hence though in personal relations any of them might be faithless and so punished, their typical relation shall continue.”