John Wesley

This is the gate of the LORD; the righteous shall enter through it.

“The righteous - As David was a type of Christ and the temple of heaven, so this place hath a farther prospect than David, and relates to Christ's ascending into heaven, and opening the gates of that blessed temple, both for himself and for all…”

The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.

“Head stone - The chief stone in the whole building, by which the several parts of the building are upheld and firmly united together. Thus David united all the tribes and families of Israel: and thus Christ united Jews and Gentiles together.”

Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD. From the house of the LORD we bless you.

“Blessed - We pray that God would bless his person and government. Cometh - To the throne; or from his Father into the world: who is known by the name of him that cometh or was to come, and of whom this very word is…”

The LORD is God; He has made His light to shine upon us. Bind the festal sacrifice with cords to the horns of the altar.

“The Lord - Or, The mighty God, as this name of God signifies, and as he shewed himself to be by this, his wonderful work. Who - Who hath scattered our dark clouds, and put us into a state of peace, and safety, and happiness.”

Woe to me that I dwell in Meshech, that I live among the tents of Kedar!

“Mesech - Mesech and Kedar are two sorts of people often mentioned in scripture, and reckoned amongst the barbarous nations. But their names are here to be understood metaphorically.”

The sun will not strike you by day, nor the moon by night.

“Smite - With excessive heat. Moon - With that cold and moisture which come into the air by it. Intemperate heats and colds are the springs of many diseases.”

where the tribes go up, the tribes of the LORD, as a testimony for Israel, to give thanks to the name of the LORD.

“Unto - Unto the ark, called the testimony, because of the tables of the covenant laid up in it, which are called God's testimony, and the tables of the testimony.”

Children are indeed a heritage from the LORD, and the fruit of the womb is His reward.

“Children - The chief of these blessings. Heritage - Only from God's blessing, even as an inheritance is not the fruit of a man's own labour, but the gift of God.”

The LORD is righteous; He has cut me from the cords of the wicked.

“Righteous - Faithful or merciful. The cords - Wherewith the plow was drawn.”

But with You there is forgiveness, so that You may be feared.

“Forgiveness - Thou art able and ready to forgive repenting sinners. Feared - Not with a slavish, but with a childlike fear. This mercy of thine is the foundation of all religion, without which men would desperately proceed in their impious courses.”

Arise, O LORD, to Your resting place, You and the ark of Your strength.

“Rest - Into thy resting place, the temple so called, Isaiah lxvi, 1, where thou hast now a fixed habitation. The ark - The seat of thy powerful and glorious presence.”

There I will make a horn grow for David; I have prepared a lamp for My anointed one.

“To bud - His power and glory to flourish. A lamp - A successor to continue forever in his family, as this phrase is expounded 1 Kings xi, 36; xv, 4, and particularly one eminent and glorious light, namely, the Messiah.”

It is like fine oil on the head, running down on the beard, running down Aaron’s beard over the collar of his robes.

“Ointment - It is no less grateful and refreshing than that oil which was poured forth upon Aaron's head at the time of his consecration to the priestly office.”

Come, bless the LORD, all you servants of the LORD who serve by night in the house of the LORD!

“Servant - Peculiarly so called, priests and Levites. Night - Not only by day, but also by night, when their watch was more necessary. Stand - Serve or minister.”

All the kings of the earth will give You thanks, O LORD, when they hear the words of Your mouth.

“The kings - A prophecy of the calling of the Gentiles. Hear - The gospel preached among then.”

If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle by the farthest sea,

“The wings - If I should flee from east to west: for the sea being the western border of Canaan, is often put for the west in scripture.”

Your eyes saw my unformed body; all my days were written in Your book and ordained for me before one of them came to be.

“Imperfect - When I was first conceived. Book - In thy counsel and providence, by which thou didst contrive and effect this great work, according to that model which thou hadst appointed.”

Let the righteous man strike me; let his rebuke be an act of loving devotion. It is oil for my head; let me not refuse it.

“Break - Not hurt, but heal and greatly refresh me. Calamities - In the calamities of those righteous persons who reproved him. When they came into such calamities as those wherein he was involved he would pity them and pray for them.”

Part Your heavens, O LORD, and come down; touch the mountains, that they may smoke.

“Smoke - As Sinai did at thy glorious appearance, Exod. xix, 18. This is a figurative and poetical description of God's coming to take vengeance upon his enemies.”

the Maker of heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them. He remains faithful forever.

“For ever - Both because he liveth forever to fulfil his promises, and because he is eternally faithful.”

He provides food for the animals, and for the young ravens when they call.

“Ravens - Which he mentions because they were most contemptible, especially to the Jews, to whom they were unclean: and because they are not only neglected by men, but also forsaken by their dams as soon as ever they can fly, and so are wholly…”

lightning and hail, snow and clouds, powerful wind fulfilling His word,

“Fire - Lightnings and other fireworks of the air. Vapor - Or, fumes: hot exhalations. Fulfilling his word - Executing his commands, either for the comfort or punishment of the inhabitants of the earth.”