Bible Commentaries

The LORD reigneth, he is clothed with majesty; the LORD is clothed with strength, wherewith he hath girded himself: the world also is stablished, that it cannot be moved.

Psalms 93:1-5 -Yahweh's coming in His kingdom is the Church's consolation when the world-power threatens (Psalms 93:1-2); the world's mighty, roaring floods must yield to Yahweh's supreme might (Psalms 93:3-4); His testimonies as to His people's safety are sure: the foe shall never desecrate His house (Psalms 93:5). The similar phrases, Psalms 92:8, and the same words repeated, Psalms 92:9, cf. Psalms 93:3 here, show the two psalms form a pair. The time was probably when Assyria threatened Jerusalem, (notes, Psalms 46:1-11.)

Thy throne is established of old: thou art from everlasting.

The Lord reigneth - i:e., the Lord become king - (Psalms 96:10; Psalms 97:1; Psalms 99:1.) The formula proclaimed at the accession of earthly sovereigns (2 Samuel 15:10; 1 Kings 1:11; 1 Kings 1:13; margin, 2 Kings 9:13, "Jehu reigneth"). The reference is not to the ordinary and constant government of God, but to His assuming a new and glorious kingdom. The arrogant proclamation of the world power was virtually 'the Assyrian reigneth;' the overthow of him was God's counter- proclamation, "The Lord (Yahweh) reigneth." The antitypical sense is the world-powers under Antichrist, energized by Satan (Revelation 16:14; Revelation 17:12-14), shall make one last desperate stroke, seemingly for the moment successful, for the dominion of the earth, in defiance of the Lord, (2 Thess

2.) But Christ will take His great power and reign as "King of kings and Lord of lords," having overthrown utterly the anti-Christian enemy (Isaiah 24:23; Obadiah 1:21; Zechariah 14:9; Revelation 11:15; Revelation 11:17; Revelation 19:6).

The Lord is clothed with strength, wherewith he hath girded himself. The expression "girded Himself," not 'He is girded,' refers to a future revelation of His might and majesty. Compare Isaiah 51:9. For "is clothed" translate, 'He hath clothed Himself ... He, hath girded Himself (Psalms 45:3) with strength.' The majestic might wherewith the Lord arrays Himself is the antidote to the proud strength of the God-opposed world.

The world also is established - in righteousness, with the kingdom of God on it, as the consequence of the Lord's coming in His kingdom: whereas the world had been disordered, and all its foundations of righteousness put 'out of course' (Psalms 82:5) by the usurping powers of this present world-course (Psalms 46:2-6). He will manifest in renovating and re-establishing the world, so that it cannot be moved, the same omnipotence which He exercised in creating it (Psalms 104:5, referring to creation). Here and in Psalms 96:10 the reference is to the re-establishment of the world now disorganized by sin; the allusion to creation and the new creation is appropriate in this psalm, which, with the former psalm, was designed for the Sabbath day. The Babylonian Talmud states that it was the Jews' custom to sing it on the sixth day of the week; so the Septuagint prefix the heading, 'For the day before the Sabbath, when the earth was established.'

Verse 2. Thy throne is established of old: thou art from everlasting. God's throne, from everlasting and to everlasting, is set over against the modern 'throne of iniquity' (Psalms 94:20), erected by the godless rebels, which shall come to speedy overthrow.

Of old , [ mee'aaz ] - literally, 'from then,' "from that time" (Isaiah 44:8; Isaiah 45:21; Isaiah 48:3; Isaiah 48:5; Isaiah 48:7; Proverbs 8:22; Isaiah 41:4; Isaiah 44:6; Revelation 1:17).

The floods have lifted up, O LORD, the floods have lifted up their voice; the floods lift up their waves.

The floods have lifted up, O Lord, the floods have lifted up their voice. "The floods" are here the seas, the emblem of the tumultuous mass of the world-powers (Psalms 46:2-3).

The floods lift up their waves - literally, 'their breakers:' waves dashed into collision with waves [ dokiy , from a Hebrew root, to dash to pieces, daakah ].

The LORD on high is mightier than the noise of many waters, yea, than the mighty waves of the sea.

The Lord on high is mightier than the noise of many waters, yea, than the mighty waves of the sea - literally, 'more than the voices of many waters, (yea than) of the mighty waves of the sea: mighty in the height (or on high) is Yahweh' (cf. Psalms 76:4). Yahweh's voice in the thunder is the outward indication of His power and majesty. As the thunder is louder than the loudest roar of the sea, so the Lord is in might far above not only the roaring sea, but also the blustering world-powers who oppose His cause and His people, (cf. Psalms 29:1-11.) The Church may hear in the thunder which terrifies the world God's voice of assurance to her (Psalms 89:9).

Thy testimonies are very sure: holiness becometh thine house, O LORD, for ever.

Thy testimonies are very sure - i:e., thy promises to thy people in thy Word are surely to be depended upon (Psalms 19:7). The sureness of His testimony of salvation to His people follows necessarily from His majesty and might, which are far superior to all opposition of blustering enemies, as described in Psalms 93:1-4 (Revelation 19:9; Revelation 21:5; Revelation 22:6).

Holiness becometh thine house ... forever. It is becoming that thou shouldest keep from violation and defilement by the enemy the sanctity of thine own house (Psalms 74:7; Psalms 79:1). The leading thought of the psalm is not what we should do toward God (as if it were, thy house should be kept holy by us), but what He should do for the Church: this is what she pleads before Him, in order to have assurance of His safeguard amidst the blustering assaults of the world. So Psalms 92:1-15 similarly closes with the Church's confident hope from God. The "forever" (literally, for length of days) here, compared with Hebrew, Psalms 23:6, accords with this view. Also the parallel first clause confirms it. God has provided for the sacro-sanctity of His house. If because of His people's sins He suffered the Chaldees to destroy the first temple, He raised in its stead the second. The second for the lifeless formalism of the people, which ended in the awful sin of crucifying the Lord of glory, was destroyed, only to give place to the more glorious spiritual temple of the Holy Spirit, the Christian Church. 'The world did not destroy it, but God Himself took down the poor provisional building, when the proper one was completed' (Hengstenberg). And though its state in the last times before Christ's second advent shall be low indeed, yet it shall rise again with far greater glory than ever, because God's faithfulness is engaged for its sanctity.