Psalm 84:6 Komentář

Though David's name be not in the title of this psalm, yet we have reason to think he was the penman of it, because it breathes so much of his excellent spirit and is so much like the sixty-third psalm which was penned by him; it is supposed that David penned this psalm when he was forced by Absalom's rebellion to quit his city, which he lamented his absence from, not so much because it was the royal city as because it was the holy city, witness this psalm, which contains the pious breathings of a gracious soul after God and communion with him. Though it be not entitled, yet it may fitly be looked upon as a psalm or song for the sabbath day, the day of our solemn assemblies. The psalmist here with great devotion expresses his affection, I. To the ordinances of God; his value for them (Psa 84:1), his desire towards them (Psa 84:2, Psa 84:3), his conviction of the happiness of those that did enjoy them (Psa 84:4-7), and his placing his own happiness so very much in the enjoyment of them (Psa 84:10). II. To the God of the ordinances; his desire towards him (Psa 84:8, Psa 84:9), his faith in him (Psa 84:11), and his conviction of the happiness of those that put their confidence in him (Psa 84:12). In singing this psalm we should have the same devout affections working towards God that David had, and then the singing of it will be very pleasant. To the chief musician upon Gittith. A psalm for the sons of Korah.

INTRODUCTION TO PSALM 84 To the chief Musician upon Gittith, A Psalm for the sons of Korah. Of "gittith", See Gill on Psa 8:1. The Targum renders it here, as there, "to praise upon the harp that was brought from Gath;'' and of the sons of Korah, See Gill on Psa 42:1 and the argument of this psalm is thought to be much the same with that and Psa 43:1. It was, very probably, written by David; to whom the Targum, on Psa 84:8, ascribes it; though it does not bear his name, the spirit it breathes, and the language in which it is written, show it to be his; though not when he was an exile among the Philistines, in the times of Saul, as some in Kimchi think; for then the ark was not in Zion, as is suggested Psa 84:7, but elsewhere; for it was brought thither by David, after he was king of Israel, Sa2 7:2, but rather when he fled from his son Absalom; though there is nothing in it that necessarily supposes him to be banished, or at a distance from the house of God; only he expresses his great affection for it, and his earnest desires for returning seasons and opportunities of worshipping God in it; and the general view of it is to set forth the blessedness of such who frequently attend divine service: the inscription of it, in the Syriac version, is, "for the sons of Korah, when David meditated to go out of Zion, to worship in the house of God: and it is called a prophecy concerning Christ, and concerning his church,'' as it undoubtedly is. Bishop Patrick thinks it was composed by some pious Levite in the country, when Sennacherib's army had blocked up the way to Jerusalem, and hindered them from waiting upon the service of God at the temple; and others refer it to the times of the Babylonish captivity; and both Jarchi and Kimchi interpret it of the captivity, when the temple and altars of God were in ruins; but this does not agree with the loveliness of them, in which they were at the time of writing this psalm.

They go from strength to strength,.... Whose strength is in the Lord, and in whose heart are his ways, and who pass through the valley of Baca, and find a well of supply, and pools of blessings there; they renew their spiritual strength; they grow stronger and stronger every step they take; the way of the Lord is strength unto them: or "from army to army", or "from company to company" (d), as Kimchi, alluding to the companies in which they went up to the feasts; see Luk 2:44 when those who were more zealous, or more able to undergo journeys, would outgo the rest, and first overtake one company, and then another, and get to Zion first: or from victory to victory: first overcoming one enemy, and then another, as sin, Satan, and the world, being more than conquerors through him that has loved them: or "from doctrine to doctrine" (e); being led first into one truth, and then into another, as they were able to bear them; and so following on to know the Lord, and increasing in the knowledge of him: or "from class to class" (f); from the lower to an higher form in the school of Christ; so Jarchi interprets it, from school to school; and the Targum, from the sanctuary to the school; compare with this Rom 1:17. everyone of them in Zion appeareth before God; three times in the year, but not empty, Exo 34:20 so the saints appear before God in his church below, presenting their persons, souls and bodies, prayers and praises, as holy and spiritual sacrifices unto him; than which nothing is more desirable to them. This is the wished for happiness, and the issue of their travel, toil, and labour; see Psa 42:2, and they shall appear before him, and in his presence, in the, church above; when Christ shall appear, they shall appear with him in glory, and be like him, and see him as he is; even everyone of them, not one shall be wanting; because he is great in power, not one of them shall fail; and he will present them to his Father, saying, lo, I and the children thou hast given me: some render the words, "the God of gods will appear", or "be seen in Zion" (g); there Jehovah manifests himself, and grants his gracious presence; this is the mount of the Lord, in which he is and shall be seen, Gen 22:14. (d) "de exercitu in exercitum", Pagninus; so Piscator, Junius & Tremellius; "de turma ad turmam": Vatablus, Cocceius. (e) "De doctrina ad doctrinam", so some in Vatablus. (f) "Ex cohorte, vel classe rudiorum et infirmiorum, ad classem adultiorum", Gussetius, p. 725. (g) "videbitur Deus deorum in Sijon", Pagninus Montanus; "videtur Deus deorum in Sion", Musculus; so Sept. and Eth.

“For the lawgiver will give a blessing.” Somebody may ask, “Why in the valley of tears, in the place that God has set for the contest—or for the conflict—why has he placed us as athletes? Why has he willed us to fight?” The psalmist gives the answer: He has willed that this place be set for us as an arena that he may reward our victory with a crown. “For the lawgiver will give a blessing.” This Lawgiver, our president of the contest, has willed us to contend only that he may bless us. Just consider what the victory means! What are the blessings of this Master of the games? “They go from strength to strength”;6 they win the victory here that they may receive the crown there. If a person of courage gives evidence of strength here, there he becomes stronger. “They go from strength to strength”; hence, unless we are strong here, we cannot have greater strength there. The psalmist did not say, they shall go from weakness to strength, but from strength to strength. Do you want to be a person of fortitude there? Then be one here first. Do you want to be crowned there? Fight here.

What then does God supply by His grace to him whom He takes hold of to lead him on? He goes on to say: "He has placed steps in his heart."...Where does it place steps? "In his heart, in the valley of weeping" [Psalm 84:6]. So here you have for a winepress the valley of weeping, the very pious tears in tribulation are the new wine of those that love....They went forth "weeping," he says, "casting their seed." Therefore, by the grace of God may upward steps be placed in your heart. Rise by loving. Hence the Psalm "of degrees" is called...."He has placed steps of ascent to the place which He has appointed" [Psalm 84:7]. Now we lament; whence proceed our lamentations, but from that place where the steps of our ascent are placed? Whence comes our lamentation, but from that cause wherefore the Apostle exclaimed that he was a wretched man, because he saw another law in his members, warring against the law in his mind? [Romans 7:23] And whence does this proceed? From the penalty of sin. And we thought that we could easily be righteous as it were by our own strength, before we received the command; "but when the command came, sin revived; but I died," [Romans 7:9] says the Apostle. For a law was given to men, not such as could save them at once, but it was to show them in what severe sickness they were lying....But when sin was made manifest by the law given, sin was but increased, for it is both sin, and against the Law; "Sin," says he, "taking occasion by the command, wrought in me all manner of concupiscence." [Romans 7:8] What does he mean by "taking occasion by the law"? Having received the command, men tried as by their own strength to obey it; conquered by lust, they became guilty of transgression of this very command also. But what says the Apostle? "Where sin abounded, grace has much more abounded;" [Romans 5:20] that is, the disease increased, the medicine became of more avail. Accordingly, my brethren, did those five porches of Solomon, in the middle of which the pool lay, heal the sick at all? The sick, says the Evangelist, lay in the five porches. [John 5:3] In the Gospel we have and read it. Those five porches are the law in the five books of Moses. For this cause the sick were brought forth from their houses that they might lie in the porches. So the law brought the sick men forth, but did not heal them: but by the blessing of God the water was disturbed, as by an Angel descending into it. At the sight of the water troubled, the one person who was able, descended and was healed. That water surrounded by the five porches, was the people of the Jews shut up in their law. The Lord came and disturbed this people, so that He Himself was slain. For if the Lord had not troubled the Jews by coming down to them, would He have been crucified? So that the troubled water signified the Passion of the Lord, which arose from His troubling the Jewish people. The sick man who believes in this Passion, like him who descended into the troubled water, is healed thereby. He whom the Law could not heal, that is, while he lay in the porches, is healed by grace, by faith in the Passion of our Lord Jesus Christ....

On the ground of former mercies, the Psalmist prays for renewed blessings, and, confidently expecting them, rejoices. (Psa 85:1-13) captivity--not necessarily the Babylonian, but any great evil (Psa 14:7).

valley of Baca--or, "weeping." Through such, by reason of their dry and barren condition, the worshippers often had to pass to Jerusalem. As they might become wells, or fountains, or pools, supplied by refreshing rain, so the grace of God, by the exercises of His worship, refreshes and revives the hearts of His people, so that for sorrows they have "rivers of delight" (Psa 36:8; Psa 46:4).