Psalm 48:5 Komentář

This psalm, as the two former, is a triumphant song; some think it was penned on occasion of Jehoshaphat's victory (2 Chr. 20), others of Sennacherib's defeat, when his army laid siege to Jerusalem in Hezekiah's time; but, for aught I know, it might be penned by David upon occasion of some eminent victory obtained in his time; yet not so calculated for that but that it might serve any other similar occasion in aftertimes, and be applicable also to the glories of the gospel church, of which Jerusalem was a type, especially when it shall come to be a church triumphant, the "heavenly Jerusalem" (Heb 12:22), "the Jerusalem which is above," Gal 4:26. Jerusalem is here praised, I. For its relation to God (Psa 48:1, Psa 48:2). II. For God's care of it (Psa 48:3). III. For the terror it strikes upon its enemies (Psa 48:4-7). IV. For the pleasure it gives to its friends, who delight to think, 1. Of what God has done, does, and will do for it (Psa 48:3). 2. Of the gracious discoveries he makes of himself in and for that holy city (Psa 48:9, Psa 48:10). 3. Of the effectual provision which is made for its safety (Psa 48:11-13). 4. Of the assurance we have of the perpetuity of God's covenant with the children of Zion (Psa 48:14). In singing this psalm we must be affected with the privilege we have as members of the gospel church, and must express and excite our sincere good-will to all its interests. A song and psalm for the sons of Korah.

INTRODUCTION TO PSALM 48 A Song and Psalm for the sons of Korah. This psalm is entitled a "song psalm", a psalm to be sung vocally; or "a song and psalm" to be sung both vocally and instrumentally; and is one of the spiritual songs the apostle speaks of, Eph 5:19; It was occasioned, as some think, by David's spoiling the Philistines, Sa2 5:17; or, as others, by the deliverance of the people from the Moabites and Ammonites in the times of Jehoshaphat, Ch2 20:27; or, as others, by the deliverance of the inhabitants of Jerusalem from Sennacherib in the times of Hezekiah, Kg2 19:34; though as Kimchi, a celebrated Jewish commentator, owns, it belongs to the times of the Messiah, as the other preceding psalms; and treats of his greatness, and of the praise and glory due to him, and gives large encomiums of his church.

Fear took hold upon them there,.... That is, either when they came up to the city, and passed by it, and saw what they did; or, as Kimchi observes, in the place where they thought to have made a great slaughter; that is, in Armageddon, Rev 16:16; so upon the slaughter of the seven thousand names of men, or men of name and renown, such as the kings here assembled, the remnant will be frightened, Rev 11:13; and pain, as of a woman in travail; this figure is made use of elsewhere, when the destruction of Babylon and the coming of Christ are spoken of; see Isa 13:8.

This, I say, is man’s real death, when souls that know not God shall be consumed in long-protracted torment with raging fire, into which certain fiercely cruel beings shall cast them, who were unknown before Christ and brought to light only by his wisdom.

"They saw it, and so they marvelled" [Psalm 48:4]. After their marvelling at the miracles and glory of Christ, what followed? "They were troubled, they were moved" [Psalm 48:5], "trembling took hold upon them." Whence took trembling hold upon them, but from the consciousness of sins? Let them run then, king after a king; kings, let them acknowledge the King. Therefore says He elsewhere, "Yet have I been set by Him a King upon His holy hill of Sion."...A King then was heard of, set up in Sion, to Him were delivered possessions even to the uttermost parts of the earth. Kings behooved to fear lest they should lose the kingdom, lest the kingdom be taken from them. As wretched Herod feared, and for the Child slew the children. [Matthew 2:16] But fearing to lose his kingdom, he deserved not to know the King. Would that he too had adored the King with the Magi: not by ill-seeking the kingdom, slain the Innocents, and perished guilty. For as concerning him, he destroyed the Innocents: but as for Christ, even a Child, the children dying for Him did He crown. Therefore behooved kings to fear when it was said, "Yet have I been set a King by Him upon His holy hill of Sion," and inheritance to the uttermost parts of the earth shall He give Him, who set Him up King....Thence also this is said to them, "Understand now therefore, O you kings; be instructed, you judges of the earth. Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice unto Him with trembling." And what did they? "There pains as of a woman in travail." What are the pains "as of a woman in travail," but the pangs of a penitent? See the same conception of pain and travail: "Of Your fear" (says Isaiah) "we have conceived, we have travailed of the Spirit of salvation." [Isaiah 26:17-18] So then the kings conceived from the fear of Christ, that by travailing they brought forth salvation by believing on Him whom they had feared. "There pains as of a woman in travail:" when of travail you hear, expect a birth. The old man travails, but the new man is born.

As he is recognized, the kings of the earth are disturbed.

"They themselves seeing." Here he describes their integrity, and there are seven elements. The first is vision, that is, the knowledge of faith; hence he says, "They themselves seeing," that is, knowing through faith the miracles that Christ and the apostles were performing. Is. 62: "The nations shall see your just one, and all kings your illustrious one." The second is admiration at the things seen, because they are above human sense and reason. Is. 60: "You shall see and overflow and wonder, and your heart shall be expanded." Ps. 138: "Your works are wonderful." The third is distress for their sins. On account of the second, "They marveled." On account of the third, "They were troubled." Ps. 59: "You have shaken the earth and troubled it." The fourth is being moved to action. Sometimes one is troubled about sin and falls into despair or persists in evil; but these were moved to penance. Is. 24: "The earth shall be moved with moving." The fifth is that this movement should be accompanied by the fear of God, so that one does not attribute to oneself that one is moved to good, but to God. And he says, "Trembling seized them." Ps. 2: "Serve the Lord with fear." This pain and trembling is fruitful; hence he says, "There were pains as of a woman in labor," pains that are turned into joy on account of the hope of offspring and fruit. Is. 26: "From your fear, O Lord, we have conceived and brought forth the spirit of salvation." And this is the sixth. The seventh is: "With a vehement wind you will shatter the ships of Tarshish," that is, the sea universally, and so you will shatter the ships of the sea. Or it should be said that there is a province called Cilicia, and Tarshish is its capital, where Paul was born, and from that city the whole region is named Tarshish, and there are many ships there. Or, just as in the Mediterranean Sea the first navigators built Carthage, and these, fighting together with the Tyrians, prevailed -- and therefore Tarshish is used to designate the whole sea of the world. By ships, which go out for commerce, cupidity is signified, that is, the abundance of worldly goods. And just as ships toss on the sea, so the rich toss about in worldly affairs. But when a person is converted to penance, then the ships, that is, the desires of this world, will be shattered. But "with a vehement wind," namely the Holy Spirit. Obad. 1: "Near is the day of the Lord upon all nations." Is. 23: "Wail, you ships of the sea." But according to Cassiodorus, through this the entire time of the incarnation of Christ is designated. "God will be known in its houses when he receives it," that is, human nature in the unity of a person. Is. 52: "Therefore my people shall know my name." And why? "For behold, the kings of the earth gathered together; they came together as one." Kings, namely the leaders of the Jews and the Scribes of the people, were gathered by Herod inquiring of them where Christ was to be born. And they came together in one conclusion, namely that he was born in Bethlehem. And seeing thus, as the prophets had said, they marveled; they were moved, because Herod was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him, Mt. 2; and they were moved, some to faith. And so great was the terror that the body trembled: "Trembling seized them." And there were "pains as of a woman in labor," on account of the slaughter of the infants killed by Herod. "And with a vehement wind," because in his fury, he sent men to kill all the boys from two years old and under. And in his fury he had all the ships of Tarshish burned, that is, in Tarsus of Cilicia, which he believed had carried the Magi, returning by another route, back to their homeland. Therefore he says, "With a vehement wind."

This is a spirited Psalm and song (compare Psa 30:1), having probably been suggested by the same occasion as the foregoing. It sets forth the privileges and blessings of God's spiritual dominion as the terror of the wicked and joy of the righteous. (Psa 48:1-14) to be praised--always: it is an epithet, as in Psa 18:3. mountain of his holiness--His Church (compare Isa 2:2-3; Isa 25:6-7, Isa 25:10); the sanctuary was erected first on Mount Zion, then (as the temple) on Moriah; hence the figure.