Text -- Psalms 132:9-18 (NET)

132:9 May your priests be clothed with integrity! May your loyal followers shout for joy! 132:10 For the sake of David, your servant, do not reject your chosen king! 132:11 The Lord made a reliable promise to David; he will not go back on his word. He said, “I will place one of your descendants on your throne. 132:12 If your sons keep my covenant and the rules I teach them, their sons will also sit on your throne forever.” 132:13 Certainly the Lord has chosen Zion; he decided to make it his home. 132:14 He said, “This will be my resting place forever; I will live here, for I have chosen it. 132:15 I will abundantly supply what she needs; I will give her poor all the food they need. 132:16 I will protect her priests, and her godly people will shout exuberantly. 132:17 There I will make David strong; I have determined that my chosen king’s dynasty will continue. 132:18 I will humiliate his enemies, and his crown will shine.

Commentary -- Verse Notes / Footnotes

NET Notes: Psa 132:9

¹ tn Or “righteousness.”

NET Notes: Psa 132:10

¹ tn Heb “do not turn away the face of your anointed one.”

NET Notes: Psa 132:11

¹ tn Heb “the Lord swore an oath to David [in] truth.”

² tn Heb “he will not turn back from it.”

³ tn The words “he said” are supplied in the translation to clarify that what follows are the Lord’s words.

⁴ tn Heb “the fruit of your body.”

NET Notes: Psa 132:13

¹ tn Or “for.”

² tn Heb “he desired it for his dwelling place.”

NET Notes: Psa 132:14

¹ tn The words “he said” are added in the translation to clarify that what follows are the Lord’s words.

² tn Heb “for I desired it.”

NET Notes: Psa 132:15

¹ tn Heb “I will greatly bless her provision.” The infinitive absolute is used to emphasize the verb.

² tn Heb “her poor I will satisfy [with] food.”

NET Notes: Psa 132:16

¹ tn Heb “and her priests I will clothe [with] deliverance.”

² tn Heb “[with] shouting they will shout.” The infinitive absolute is used to emphasize the verb.

NET Notes: Psa 132:17

¹ tn Heb “there I will cause a horn to sprout for David.” The horn of an ox underlies the metaphor (cf. Deut 33:17; 1 Kgs 22:11; Pss 18:2; 92:10). The horn of the wild ox is frequently a metaphor for military strength; the idiom “exalt the horn” signifies military victory (see 1 Sam 2:10; Pss 89:17, 24; 92:10; Lam 2:17). In the ancient Near East powerful warrior-kings would sometimes compare themselves to a goring bull that used its horns to kill its enemies. For examples, see P. Miller, “El the Warrior,” HTR 60 (1967): 422-25, and R. B. Chisholm, “An Exegetical and Theological Study of Psalm 18/2 Samuel 22” (Th.D. diss., Dallas Theological Seminary, 1983), 135-36.

² tn Heb “I have arranged a lamp for my anointed one.” Here the “lamp” is a metaphor for the Davidic dynasty (see 1 Kgs 11:36).

NET Notes: Psa 132:18

¹ tn Heb “his enemies I will clothe [with] shame.”