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132. Psalm 132

¹ LORD, remember David
and all his self-denial.

    ² He swore an oath to the LORD,
   he made a vow to the Mighty One of Jacob:
³ “I will not enter my house
   or go to my bed,
⁴ I will allow no sleep to my eyes
   or slumber to my eyelids,
⁵ till I find a place for the LORD,
   a dwelling for the Mighty One of Jacob.”

    ⁶ We heard it in Ephrathah,
   we came upon it in the fields of Jaar: Or heard of it in Ephrathah, / we found it in the fields of Jearim. (See 1 Chron. 13:5,6) (And no quotation marks around verses 7-9)
⁷ “Let us go to his dwelling place,
   let us worship at his footstool, saying,
⁸ ‘Arise, LORD, and come to your resting place,
   you and the ark of your might.
⁹ May your priests be clothed with your righteousness;
   may your faithful people sing for joy.’”

¹⁰ For the sake of your servant David,
do not reject your anointed one.

    ¹¹ The LORD swore an oath to David,
   a sure oath he will not revoke:
“One of your own descendants
   I will place on your throne.
¹² If your sons keep my covenant
   and the statutes I teach them,
then their sons will sit
   on your throne for ever and ever.”

    ¹³ For the LORD has chosen Zion,
   he has desired it for his dwelling, saying,
¹⁴ “This is my resting place for ever and ever;
   here I will sit enthroned, for I have desired it.
¹⁵ I will bless her with abundant provisions;
   her poor I will satisfy with food.
¹⁶ I will clothe her priests with salvation,
   and her faithful people will ever sing for joy.

    ¹⁷ “Here I will make a horn Horn here symbolizes strong one, that is, king. grow for David
   and set up a lamp for my anointed one.
¹⁸ I will clothe his enemies with shame,
   but his head will be adorned with a radiant crown.”

11. Jehovah sware unto David. ¹³⁵¹³⁵ Compare Psalm 89:48. The sacred histories make no mention of such an oath, but a promise to the same effect is recorded in 2 Samuel 7:12; 2 Kings 8:25. Here he brings out the idea still more clearly, that the only thing he had respect to in David was the free promise which God had made to him. He takes notice of the fact, as confirmatory to his faith, that God had ratified the promise by oath. As to the particular words used, he speaks of God having sworn in truth, that is, not fallaciously, but in good faith, so that no doubt could be entertained of his departing from his word. The thing promised was a successor to David of his own seed; for though he did not want children, he had already almost despaired of the regular succession, from the fatal confusions which prevailed in his family, and the discord which internally rent his household, and might eventually ruin it. Solomon was particularly marked out, but the promise extended to a continuous line of successors. This arrangement affected the welfare of the whole Church, and not of David only, and the people of Godare encouraged by the assurance, that the kingdom which he had established amongst them was possessed of a sacred and enduring stability. Both king and people needed to be reminded of this divine foundation upon which it rested. We see how insolently the sovereigns of this world often deport themselves filled with pride, though in words they may acknowledge that they reign by the grace of God. How often, besides, do they violently usurp the throne; how rarely do they come to it in a regular manner. A distinction is therefore drawn between the kingdoms of this world and that which David held by the sacred tenure of God’s own oracle.