Psalms 108

American Standard Version (1901) (ASV) · English

1 My heart is fixed, O God; I will sing, yea, I will sing praises, even with my glory. 2 Awake, psaltery and harp: I myself will awake right early. 3 I will give thanks unto thee, O Jehovah, among the peoples; And I will sing praises unto thee among the nations. 4 For thy lovingkindness is great above the heavens; And thy truth reacheth unto the skies. 5 Be thou exalted, O God, above the heavens, And thy glory above all the earth. 6 That thy beloved may be delivered, Save with thy right hand, and answer us. 7 God hath spoken in his holiness: I will exult; I will divide Shechem, and mete out the valley of Succoth. 8 Gilead is mine; Manasseh is mine; Ephraim also is the defence of my head; Judah is my sceptre. 9 Moab is my washpot; Upon Edom will I cast my shoe; Over Philistia will I shout. 10 Who will bring me into the fortified city? Who hath led me unto Edom? 11 Hast not thou cast us off, O God? And thou goest not forth, O God, with our hosts. 12 Give us help against the adversary; For vain is the help of man. 13 Through God we shall do valiantly: For he it is that will tread down our adversaries.

Commentary — not Bible text

Psalms 108:1-2

Introduction

The psalmist encourages himself to praise the Lord for mercies he had received, Psa 108:1-5. He prays for the Divine succor, Psa 108:6; and encourages the people to expect their restoration, and the enjoyment of all their former privileges and possessions, Psa 108:7-13.

This Psalm is compounded of two Psalms which we have had already under review. The Psa 108:1, Psa 108:2, Psa 108:3, Psa 108:4, and Psa 108:5, are the same with the Psa 57:7, Psa 57:8, Psa 57:9, Psa 57:10, and Psa 57:11 of Psa 57:1-11 : And the Psa 108:6, Psa 108:7, Psa 108:8, Psa 108:9, Psa 108:10, Psa 108:11, Psa 108:12, and Psa 108:13, are the same with the Psa 60:5, Psa 60:6, Psa 60:7, Psa 60:8, Psa 60:9, Psa 60:10, Psa 60:11, and Psa 60:12 of Psa 60:1-12 : The variations are few, and of little moment, and the explanation may be seen in the notes on the preceding Psalms, which need not be repeated here. That the Pssalms referred to were made by David, and were applicable to the then state of his affairs, has been the opinion of many; and it is probable that the captives in Babylon composed this out of two above, and applied it to the state of their affairs. Their captivity being now ended, or nearly at an end they look and pray for their restoration to their own land, as amply as it was possessed in the most prosperous days of David. The Syriac considers it as a prophecy of the vocation of the Gentiles. The Hebrew and all the Versions attribute it to David.

Verse 1

Even with my glory - My greatest glory shall be in publishing thy praise. Some make the glory here to mean the Lord himself; some, the Ark of the covenant; some, the Soul of the psalmist; others, his Tongue; some, the Gift of Prophecy; and some, the psalmist's Spirit or Vein of poetry. See the notes on Psa 57:8.

Psalms 108:3-6

Verse 3

Among the people - The Jews.

Among the nations - The Gentiles. Wherever this Psalm is sung or read, either among Jews or Gentiles, David may be said to sing praise to God.

Psalms 108:7-9

Verse 7

God hath spoken in his holiness - בקדשו bekodsho; some think this means in his Holy One, referring to the Prophet Jeremiah, who predicted the captivity, its duration of seventy years, and the deliverance from it.

Psalms 108:10-12

Verse 10

The strong city - The possession of the metropolis is a sure proof of the subjugation of the country.

Psalms 108:13

Verse 13

Through God we shall do valiantly - From him we derive our courage, from him our strength, and by him our success. [For the Analysis, see the Psa 57:1-11 (note) and Psa 60:1-12 (note). Also see introduction to Psa 108:1-13 (note)]

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