Psalm 72:11 Komentář

This psalm, and the ten that next follow it, carry the name of Asaph in the titles of them. If he was the penman of them (as many think), we rightly call them psalms of Asaph. If he was only the chief musician, to whom they were delivered, our marginal reading is right, which calls them psalms for Asaph. It is probable that he penned them; for we read of the words of David and of Asaph the seer, which were used in praising God in Hezekiah's time, Ch2 29:30. Though the Spirit of prophecy by sacred songs descended chiefly on David, who is therefore styled "the sweet psalmist of Israel," yet God put some of that Spirit upon those about him. This is a psalm of great use; it gives us an account of the conflict which the psalmist had with a strong temptation to envy the prosperity of wicked people. He begins his account with a sacred principle, which he held fast, and by the help of which he kept his ground and carried his point (Psa 73:1). He then tells us, I. How he got into the temptation (Psa 73:2-14). II. How he got out of the temptation and gained a victory over it (Psa 73:15-20). III. How he got by the temptation and was the better for it (Psa 73:21-23). If, in singing this psalm, we fortify ourselves against the life temptation, we do not use it in vain. The experiences of others should be our instructions. A psalm of Asaph.

INTRODUCTION TO PSALM 72 A Psalm for Solomon. The title of this psalm is by some rendered, "a psalm of Solomon" (h); as a psalm "for David", is often rendered "a psalm of David"; and so make Solomon to be the writer of it: to which the Targum inclines, which paraphrases it, "by the hand of Solomon, said in prophecy.'' But, though Solomon had a gift of divine poetry, as appears by the Song of Songs, composed by him; and the Thousand and Five, he was the author of; and perhaps wrote the hundred twenty seventh Psalm: yet by the first and last verses of this psalm it may be concluded it was not written by him, but by David; and very likely at the close of his days, when he ordered Solomon to be anointed king, and expressed his satisfaction in it; his prayers and wishes then being ended with regard to that affair; see Kg1 1:34. And so the title in the Syriac version is, "a psalm of David, when he made Solomon king:'' the same Kimchi observes; it was written for him, and on his account: and it might be sent to him, and delivered into his hands, to be laid up and kept by him, and be referred to for his use at proper times. For it may be rendered, as in the Arabic version, "to Solomon"; which adds, the son of David: or else it may denote the subject of the psalm, and be read, "concerning Solomon" (i); the Messiah, the antitypical Solomon; who is often called by this name in the Song of Songs; see Sol 3:7; Solomon being a type of him in his wisdom and riches, and in the peaceableness and extent of his kingdom; to which reference is had in this psalm. But a greater than Solomon is here; that the Messiah is the subject of it is manifest from the largeness of his kingdom, it reaching to the ends of the earth; which was not true of Solomon, Psa 72:8; and from the duration of it, it being as long as the sun and moon endure, Psa 72:5; and from the abundance of peace and prosperity in it, which equally last, Psa 72:3; and from the subjection of kings and nations to him, even all of them, Psa 72:9; and from the happiness of his subjects; they having protection, deliverance, and salvation by him, and all spiritual blessings in him; which shows him to be the promised seed, in whom all nations should be blessed, Psa 72:2, and from the honour, praise, glory, and blessedness, ascribed to him, Psa 72:15. So Tertullian (k), long ago, observed, that this psalm belongs to Christ, and not to Solomon. And that the Messiah is intended, many of the Jewish writers, both ancient and modern, acknowledge, as appears from the Targum, Talmud, Midrash, and other writings, which will be observed in the exposition of it. Jarchi, though he interprets it of Solomon, yet owns that their Rabbins expound the whole psalm of the Messiah: and Kimchi, who explains it hyperbolically of Solomon, acknowledges that, in the proper and literal sense, it is to be understood of the Messiah; and which is the sense given by his father, R. Joseph Kimchi. Aben Ezra says, this psalm is either concerning Solomon, or concerning the Messiah; but Abarbinel (l) makes no doubt that it is said concerning him. R. Obadiah says, it is concerning the coming of the Messiah; and to this agrees the title in the Syriac version, "and a prophecy concerning the coming of the Messiah, and the calling of the Gentiles.'' (h) "ipsius Selomoh", Vatablus; Salomonis, Cocceius. (i) "De Salomone", Muis. (k) Adv. Marcion. l. 5. c. 9. (l) Mashmiah Jeshuah, fol. 78. 2, 3.

Yea, all kings shall fall down before him,.... Or worship him; not with a civil, but religious worship; for such worship is due to Christ, he being God equal with the Father, and so to be equally honoured; the Creator of all things, the Redeemer of his people, Head and Lord of the church, and whom the angels adore; every part of worship is to be given him; internal, which lies in the exercise of faith, hope, love, fear, &c. and external, which consists of prayer to him, praise of him, preaching in his name, and the administration of ordinances; and this worship is to be performed in the same manner as to the Father, in spirit and in truth, in righteousness and holiness, with reverence and godly fear. This is to be understood, either literally of the kings of the earth, and which will have its full accomplishment in the latter day; see Isa 49:23; or mystically of such who are made kings unto God the Father by Christ; who reign spiritually now, through the power of divine grace in their hearts; have the honour, riches, and attendance of kings, and a crown and kingdom prepared for them; and shall reign with Christ on earth, though under him, at whose feet they cast their crowns: all this shows the dignity of Christ's person and office; that he is the Prince of the kings of the earth, the firstborn of God, whom he has made higher than they, and King of kings, and Lord of lords; whose princes, and all whose subjects, are altogether kings. This passage is allowed to belong to the Messiah, both by ancient and modern Jews (g); and indeed it never was true of Solomon, nor of any other; all nations shall serve him; which will be in the latter day; see Isa 2:2; the Jews say (h), that in the world to come, or the times of the Messiah, all the Gentiles shall be voluntary proselytes. (g) Zohar in Gen. fol. 84. 4. Bemidbar Rabba, s. 13. fol. 209. 4. Midrash Megillat Esther, fol. 86. 2. R. Isaac Chizzuk Emunah, par. 1. p. 44. (h) T. Avodah Zarah, fol. 24. 1.

"And there shall adore Him all kings of the earth, all nations shall serve Him" [Psalm 72:11].

I hear that you often repeat and call attention to the passage in the Gospel where it is written that the seventy disciples went back from the Lord and were left to their own choice in their evil and impious separation; and to the twelve who stayed with him he said, "Will you go away also?" You fail to notice that the church then was just beginning to put forth young shoots and that as yet there was no fulfillment of that prophecy: "And all the kings of the earth shall adore him; all nations shall serve him." Surely, the more complete the fulfillment, the greater the authority exercised by the church, not only to invite but to compel people to goodness. This is what the Lord wished to convey by that incident, for, in spite of possessing full power, he chose, instead, to commend humility. He showed this quite clearly in the parable of the wedding feast, in which, after the invited guests had been notified and had refused to come, the servant was told, "Go out into the streets and lanes of the city and bring in the poor and the feeble and the blind and the lame. And the servant said to his lord, It is done as you have commanded and yet there is room. And the lord said to the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges and compel them to come in that my house may be filled."

This and many similar prophecies, which it would take too long to quote, would surely impress the mind of the inquirer. He would see these very kings of the earth now happily subdued by Christ, and all nations serving him. He would also hear the words of the psalm in which this was predicted very long ago: "All the kings of the earth shall bow down to him; all nations shall serve him." And if he were to read the whole of that psalm, which is figuratively applied to Solomon, he would find that Christ is the true King of peace, for Solomon means peaceful; and he would find many things in the psalm applicable to Christ, which have no reference at all to the literal King Solomon.

But we on our side do not rely on any human power, although, no doubt, it would be much more honorable to rely on the emperors than to rely on Circumcellions and to rely on laws than to rely on rioting, but we recall what is written: "Cursed be everyone who puts his hope in man." So, then, if you want to know on whom we rely, think of him whom the prophet foretold, saying, "All the kings of the earth shall adore him; all nations shall serve him." That is why we make use of this power of the church that the Lord both promised and gave to it.

Therefore, let them [Arians] say that the Father and the Son are not two lord gods but their one Lord God, if they wish to hold to the truth of the faith and are unwilling to be found in rebellion against the commandments of the law and the gospel. For thus they will be able to preserve equally the understanding and the obligatory force of that text where it is said, “The Lord your God you shall adore, and him alone shall you serve.” Nor is it right for anyone to adore the Father as God in such a way that he does not adore the Son as God, for indeed it has been written about the Son in Deuteronomy: “Praise, O heavens, his people; worship him, all you gods.” Concerning him as well, the blessed David says in the psalms, “May all kings fall down before him, all nations give him service.”

Of Asaph--(see Introduction). God is good to His people. For although the prosperity of the wicked, and the afflictions of the righteous, tempted the Psalmist to misgivings of God's government, yet the sudden and fearful ruin of the ungodly, seen in the light of God's revelation, reassures his heart; and, chiding himself for his folly, he is led to confide renewedly in God, and celebrate His goodness and love. (Psa. 73:1-28) The abrupt announcement of the theme indicates that it is the conclusion of a perplexing mental conflict, which is then detailed (compare Jer 12:1-4). Truly--or, "Surely it is so." clean heart-- (Psa 18:26) describes the true Israel.