Text -- Psalms 89:1-37 (NET)

Psalm 89

89:1 A well-written song by Ethan the Ezrachite. I will sing continually about the Lord’s faithful deeds; to future generations I will proclaim your faithfulness. 89:2 For I say, “Loyal love is permanently established; in the skies you set up your faithfulness.” 89:3 The Lord said, “I have made a covenant with my chosen one; I have made a promise on oath to David, my servant: 89:4 ‘I will give you an eternal dynasty and establish your throne throughout future generations.’” (Selah) 89:5 O Lord, the heavens praise your amazing deeds, as well as your faithfulness in the angelic assembly. 89:6 For who in the skies can compare to the Lord? Who is like the Lord among the heavenly beings, 89:7 a God who is honored in the great angelic assembly, and more awesome than all who surround him? 89:8 O Lord, sovereign God! Who is strong like you, O Lord? Your faithfulness surrounds you. 89:9 You rule over the proud sea. When its waves surge, you calm them. 89:10 You crushed the Proud One and killed it; with your strong arm you scattered your enemies. 89:11 The heavens belong to you, as does the earth. You made the world and all it contains. 89:12 You created the north and the south. Tabor and Hermon rejoice in your name. 89:13 Your arm is powerful, your hand strong, your right hand victorious. 89:14 Equity and justice are the foundation of your throne. Loyal love and faithfulness characterize your rule. 89:15 How blessed are the people who worship you! O Lord, they experience your favor. 89:16 They rejoice in your name all day long, and are vindicated by your justice. 89:17 For you give them splendor and strength. By your favor we are victorious. 89:18 For our shield belongs to the Lord, our king to the Holy One of Israel. 89:19 Then you spoke through a vision to your faithful followers and said: “I have energized a warrior; I have raised up a young man from the people. 89:20 I have discovered David, my servant. With my holy oil I have anointed him as king. 89:21 My hand will support him, and my arm will strengthen him. 89:22 No enemy will be able to exact tribute from him; a violent oppressor oppressor will not be able to humiliate him. 89:23 I will crush his enemies before him; I will strike down those who hate him. 89:24 He will experience my faithfulness and loyal love, and by my name he will win victories. 89:25 I will place his hand over the sea, his right hand over the rivers. 89:26 He will call out to me, ‘You are my father, my God, and the protector who delivers me.’ 89:27 I will appoint him to be my firstborn son, the most exalted of the earth’s kings. 89:28 I will always extend my loyal love to him, and my covenant with him is secure. 89:29 I will give him an eternal dynasty, and make his throne as enduring as the skies above. 89:30 If his sons reject my law and disobey my regulations, 89:31 if they break my rules and do not keep my commandments, 89:32 I will punish their rebellion by beating them with a club, their sin by inflicting them with bruises. 89:33 But I will not remove my loyal love from him, nor be unfaithful to my promise. 89:34 I will not break my covenant or go back on what I promised. 89:35 Once and for all I have vowed by my own holiness, I will never deceive David. 89:36 His dynasty will last forever. His throne will endure before me, like the sun, 89:37 it will remain stable, like the moon, his throne will endure like the skies.” (Selah)

Commentary -- Verse Notes / Footnotes

NET Notes: Psa 89:1

¹ sn Psalm 89. The psalmist praises God as the sovereign creator of the world. He recalls God’s covenant with David, but then laments that the promises of the covenant remain unrealized. The covenant promised the Davidic king military victories, but the king has now been subjected to humiliating defeat.

² tn The meaning of the Hebrew term מַשְׂכִּיל (maskil) is uncertain. See the note on the phrase “well-written song” in the superscription of Ps 88.

³ tn Or “forever.”

⁴ tn Heb “to a generation and a generation I will make known your faithfulness with my mouth.”

NET Notes: Psa 89:2

¹ tn Heb “built.”

² sn You set up your faithfulness. This may allude to the Lord’s heavenly throne, which symbolizes his just rule and from which the Lord decrees his unconditional promises (see vv. 8, 14).

NET Notes: Psa 89:3

¹ tn The words “the Lord said” are supplied in the translation for clarification. It is clear that the words of vv. 3-4 are spoken by the Lord, in contrast to vv. 1-2, which are spoken by the psalmist.

NET Notes: Psa 89:4

¹ tn Heb “forever I will establish your offspring.”

² tn Heb “and I will build to a generation and a generation your throne.”

NET Notes: Psa 89:5

¹ tn As the following context makes clear, the personified “heavens” here stand by metonymy for the angelic beings that surround God’s heavenly throne.

² tn Heb “in the assembly of the holy ones.” The phrase “holy ones” sometimes refers to God’s people (Ps 34:9) or to their priestly leaders (2 Chr 35:3), but here it refers to God’s heavenly assembly and the angels that surround his throne (see vv. 6-7).

NET Notes: Psa 89:6

¹ tn Heb “sons of gods”; or “sons of God.” Though אֵלִים (’elim) is vocalized as a plural form (“gods”) in the Hebrew text, it is likely that the final mem (ם) is actually enclitic rather than a plural marker. In this case one may read “God.” Some, following a Qumran text and the LXX, also propose the phrase occurred in the original text of Deut 32:8. The phrase בְנֵי אֵלִים (vÿney ’elim, “sons of gods” or “sons of God”) occurs only here and in Ps 29:1. Since the “sons of gods/God” are here associated with “the assembly of the holy ones” and “council of the holy ones,” the heavenly assembly (comprised of so-called “angels” and other supernatural beings) appears to be in view. See Job 5:1; 15:15 and Zech 14:5, where these supernatural beings are referred to as “holy ones.” In Canaanite mythological texts the divine council of the high god El is called “the sons of El.” The OT apparently uses the Canaanite phrase, applying it to the supernatural beings that surround the Lord’s heavenly throne.

NET Notes: Psa 89:7

¹ tn Heb “feared.”

² tn Heb “in the great assembly of the holy ones.”

³ tn Or perhaps “feared by.”

NET Notes: Psa 89:8

¹ tn Traditionally “God of hosts.” The title here pictures the Lord as enthroned in the midst of the angelic hosts of heaven.

NET Notes: Psa 89:9

¹ tn Heb “the majesty of the sea.”

² tn Heb “rise up.”

NET Notes: Psa 89:10

¹ tn Heb “Rahab.” The name “Rahab” means “proud one.” Since it is sometimes used of Egypt (see Ps 87:4; Isa 30:7), the passage may allude to the exodus. However, the name is also used of the sea (or the mythological sea creature) which symbolizes the disruptive forces of the world that seek to replace order with chaos (see Job 9:13; 26:12). Isa 51:9 appears to combine the mythological and historical referents. The association of Rahab with the sea in Ps 89 (see v. 9) suggests that the name carries symbolic force in this context. In this case the passage may allude to creation (see vv. 11-12), when God overcame the great deep and brought order out of chaos.

² tn Heb “like one fatally wounded.”

NET Notes: Psa 89:11

¹ tn Heb “the world and its fullness, you established them.”

NET Notes: Psa 89:12

¹ sn Tabor and Hermon were two of the most prominent mountains in Palestine.

NET Notes: Psa 89:13

¹ sn The Lord’s arm, hand, and right hand all symbolize his activities, especially his exploits in war.

² tn Heb “is lifted up.” The idiom “the right hand is lifted up” refers to victorious military deeds (see Pss 89:42; 118:16).

NET Notes: Psa 89:14

¹ sn The Lord’s throne symbolizes his kingship.

² tn Heb “are in front of your face.” The idiom can mean “confront” (Ps 17:13) or “meet, enter the presence of” (Ps 95:2).

NET Notes: Psa 89:15

¹ tn Heb “who know the shout.” “Shout” here refers to the shouts of the Lord’s worshipers (see Pss 27:6; 33:3; 47:5).

² tn Heb “in the light of your face they walk.” The idiom “light of your face” probably refers to a smile (see Eccl 8:1), which in turn suggests favor and blessing (see Num 6:25; Pss 4:6; 31:16; 44:3; 67:1; 80:3, 7, 19; Dan 9:17).

NET Notes: Psa 89:16

¹ tn Heb “are lifted up.”

NET Notes: Psa 89:17

¹ tn Heb “for the splendor of their strength [is] you.”

² tn Heb “you lift up our horn,” or if one follows the marginal reading (Qere), “our horn is lifted up.” The horn of an ox underlies the metaphor (see Deut 33:17; 1 Kgs 22:11; Ps 92:10). The horn of the wild ox is frequently a metaphor for military strength; the idiom “exalt/lift up the horn” signifies military victory (see 1 Sam 2:10; Pss 75:10; 89:24; 92:10; Lam 2:17).

NET Notes: Psa 89:18

¹ tn The phrase “our shield” refers metaphorically to the Davidic king, who, as God’s vice-regent, was the human protector of the people. Note the parallelism with “our king" here and with “your anointed one” in Ps 84:9.

² sn The basic sense of the word “holy” is “set apart from that which is commonplace, special, unique.” The Lord’s holiness is first and foremost his transcendent sovereignty as the ruler of the world. He is “set apart” from the world over which he rules. At the same time his holiness encompasses his moral authority, which derives from his royal position. As king he has the right to dictate to his subjects how they are to live; indeed his very own character sets the standard for proper behavior. This expression is a common title for the Lord in the book of Isaiah.

NET Notes: Psa 89:19

¹ tn The pronoun “you” refers to the Lord, who is addressed here. The quotation that follows further develops the announcement of vv. 3-4.

² tc Many medieval mss read the singular here, “your faithful follower.” In this case the statement refers directly to Nathan’s oracle to David (see 2 Sam 7:17).

³ tn Heb “I have placed help upon a warrior.”

⁴ tn Or perhaps “a chosen one.”

NET Notes: Psa 89:20

¹ tn The words “as king” are supplied in the translation for clarification, indicating that a royal anointing is in view.

NET Notes: Psa 89:21

¹ tn Heb “with whom my hand will be firm.”

NET Notes: Psa 89:22

¹ tn Heb “an enemy will not exact tribute.” The imperfect is understood in a modal sense, indicating capability or potential.

² tn The translation understands the Hiphil of נָשַׁא (nasha’) in the sense of “act as a creditor.” This may allude to the practice of a conqueror forcing his subjects to pay tribute in exchange for “protection.” Another option is to take the verb from a homonymic verbal root meaning “to deceive,” “to trick.” Still another option is to emend the form to יִשָּׂא (yisa’), a Qal imperfect from נָאַשׂ (na’as, “rise up”) and to translate “an enemy will not rise up against him” (see M. Dahood, Psalms [AB], 2:317).

³ tn Heb “and a son of violence will not oppress him.” The imperfect is understood in a modal sense, indicating capability or potential. The reference to a “son of violence” echoes the language of God’s promise to David in 2 Sam 7:10 (see also 1 Chr 17:9).

NET Notes: Psa 89:24

¹ tn Heb “and my faithfulness and my loyal love [will be] with him.”

² tn Heb “and by my name his horn will be lifted up.” The horn of an ox underlies the metaphor (see Deut 33:17; 1 Kgs 22:11; Ps 92:10). The horn of the wild ox is frequently a metaphor for military strength; the idiom “exalt/lift up the horn” signifies military victory (see 1 Sam 2:10; Pss 75:10; 92:10; Lam 2:17).

NET Notes: Psa 89:25

¹ tn Some identify “the sea” as the Mediterranean and “the rivers” as the Euphrates and its tributaries. However, it is more likely that “the sea” and “the rivers” are symbols for hostile powers that oppose God and the king (see v. 9, as well as Ps 93:3-4).

NET Notes: Psa 89:26

¹ sn You are my father. The Davidic king was viewed as God’s “son” (see 2 Sam 7:14; Ps 2:7). The idiom reflects ancient Near Eastern adoption language associated with covenants of grant, by which a lord would reward a faithful subject by elevating him to special status, referred to as “sonship.” Like a son, the faithful subject received an “inheritance,” viewed as an unconditional, eternal gift. Such gifts usually took the form of land and/or an enduring dynasty. See M. Weinfeld, “The Covenant of Grant in the Old Testament and in the Ancient Near East,” JAOS 90 (1970): 184-203, for general discussion and some striking extra-biblical parallels.

² tn Heb “the rocky summit of my deliverance.”

NET Notes: Psa 89:27

¹ sn The firstborn son typically had special status and received special privileges.

NET Notes: Psa 89:28

¹ tn Heb “forever I will keep for him my loyal love and will make my covenant secure for him.”

NET Notes: Psa 89:29

¹ tn Heb “and I will set in place forever his offspring.”

² tn Heb “and his throne like the days of the heavens.”

NET Notes: Psa 89:31

¹ tn Or “desecrate.”

NET Notes: Psa 89:32

¹ tn Heb “I will punish with a club their rebellion.”

sn Despite the harsh image of beating…with a club, the language reflects a father-son relationship (see v. 30; 2 Sam 7:14). According to Proverbs, a שֵׁבֶט (shevet, “club”) was sometimes utilized to administer corporal punishment to rebellious children (see Prov 13:24; 22:15; 23:13-14; 29:15).

² tn Heb “with blows their sin.”

NET Notes: Psa 89:33

¹ tn Heb “break”; “make ineffectual.” Some prefer to emend אָפִיר (’afir; the Hiphil of פָּרַר, parar, “to break”) to אָסִיר (’asir; the Hiphil of סוּר, sur, “to turn aside”), a verb that appears in 2 Sam 7:15.

² tn Heb “and I will not deal falsely with my faithfulness.”

NET Notes: Psa 89:34

¹ tn Or “desecrate.”

² tn Heb “and what proceeds out of my lips I will not alter.”

NET Notes: Psa 89:35

¹ tn Or “lie to.”

NET Notes: Psa 89:36

¹ tn Heb “his offspring forever will be.”

² tn Heb “and his throne like the sun before me.”

NET Notes: Psa 89:37

¹ tn Heb “like the moon it will be established forever.”

² tn Heb “and a witness in the sky, secure.” Scholars have offered a variety of opinions as to the identity of the “witness” referred to here, none of which is very convincing. It is preferable to join וְעֵד (vÿ’ed) to עוֹלָם (’olam) in the preceding line and translate the commonly attested phrase עוֹלָם וְעֵד (“forever”). In this case one may translate the second line, “[it] will be secure like the skies.” Another option (the one reflected in the present translation) is to take עד as a rare noun meaning “throne” or “dais.” This noun is attested in Ugaritic; see, for example, CTA 16 vi 22-23, where ksi (= כִּסֵּא, kisse’, “throne”) and ’d (= עד, “dais”) appear as synonyms in the poetic parallelism (see G. R. Driver, Canaanite Myths and Legends, 91). Emending בַּשַּׁחַק (bashakhaq, “in the heavens”) to כַּשַׁחַק (kashakhaq, “like the heavens”) – bet/kaf (כ/ב) confusion is widely attested – one can then read “[his] throne like the heavens [is] firm/stable.” Verse 29 refers to the enduring nature of the heavens, while Job 37:18 speaks of God spreading out the heavens (שְׁחָקִים, shÿkhaqim) and compares their strength to a bronze mirror. Ps 89:29 uses the term שָׁמַיִם (shamayim, “skies”) which frequently appears in parallelism to שְׁחָקִים.