สดุดี 97:10 วิจารณ์

This psalm dwells upon the same subject, and is set to the same tune, with the foregoing psalm. Christ is the Alpha and the Omega of both; they are both penned, and are both to be sung to his honour; and we make nothing of them if we do not, in them, make melody with our hearts to the Lord Jesus. He it is that reigns, to the joy of all mankind (Psa 97:1); and his government speaks, I. Terror to his enemies; for he is a prince of inflexible justice and irresistible power (Psa 97:2-7). II. Comfort to his friends and loyal subjects, arising from his sovereign dominion, the care he takes of his people, and the provision he makes for them (Psa 97:8-12). In singing this psalm we must be affected with the glory of the exalted Redeemer, must dread the lot of his enemies, and think ourselves happy if we are of those that "kiss the son."

INTRODUCTION TO PSALM 97 This psalm is ascribed to David by the Septuagint, Vulgate Latin, Syriac, Arabic, and Ethiopic versions. It is of the same argument, and upon the same subject, as the preceding, the coming and kingdom of Christ; and that it respects his first coming into the world, when angels were called upon to worship him, appears from Psa 97:7 compared with Heb 1:6 though it is expressed in such language as seems to agree with his second coming; and, perhaps, both are included, with various things between the one and the other; or it respects the kingdom of Christ, from his first to his second coming; to which agrees the inscription of the Syriac version, which is "a Psalm of David, in which he prophesies concerning the coming of the Messiah, and again he intimates in it his last appearance.''.

Ye that love the Lord, hate evil,.... The evil of sin, which is to be hated, because of the evil nature of it, it being exceeding sinful; and because of its evil consequences, bringing death, ruin, and destruction with it to the souls of men, unless grace prevents; and disquietude, distress, and trouble to the saints themselves; and because it is hateful to God, being contrary to his nature, will, and law, and is hated by Christ; and therefore those that love him should hate that, shun it, avoid it, depart from it, and abstain from all appearance of it; as all such will that love him in sincerity above all persons and things; and all of him, and that belong to him, his people, ways, worship, truths, and ordinances: and such are they that have seen the loveliness of him, and know his love, and have had it shed abroad in their hearts; and these will not only hate the evil of sin, but evil men; not their persons, but their actions and conversations; and will avoid them, and have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness: he preserveth the souls of his saints; that are set apart by him, and chosen in him to be holy; that are sanctified by his blood, and by his Spirit and grace, and to whom he is made sanctification: the "souls" of these, their better and more noble part, which are dear to him, and he has redeemed by his blood, and whose salvation he has obtained, and they still receive, he "preserves" from the evil of sin, from its governing and damning power, from a final and total apostasy by it, from ruin and destruction through it, from being hurt by the second death; and he preserves them from all their enemies, sin, Satan, and the world, from being destroyed by them, safe to his kingdom and glory; therefore he is to be loved, and sin to be hated by them: he delivereth them out of the hand of the wicked; of wicked and unreasonable men, into whose hands they sometimes fall, cruel and bloodthirsty persecutors; as he is able to deliver them, so oftentimes he does; and will, ere long, put them entirely out of their reach. Kimchi interprets this of the deliverance of the Jews from the captivity of Babylon, Media, and Persia.

What then do we all, who have assembled before Him, before Him who is exalted far above all gods? He has given us a brief commandment, "O you that love the Lord, see that you hate the thing which is evil!" [Psalm 97:10]. Christ does not deserve that with Him you should love avarice. You love Him: you should hate what He hates. There is a man who is your enemy, he is what you are; you are the work of one Creator, with the same nature: and yet if your son were to speak unto your enemy, and come to his house, and constantly converse with him, you would be inclined to disinherit him; because he speaks with your enemy. And how so? Because you seem to say justly, You are my enemy's friend, and do you seek anything of my property? Attend then. You love Christ: avarice is Christ's foe; why speak with her? I say not, speak with her; why do you serve her? For Christ commands you to do many things, and thou dost them not; she commands you, and thou dost them. Christ commands you to clothe the poor man: and thou dost it not; avarice bids you defraud, and this thou dost in preference. If such be the case, if such you are, do not very confidently promise yourself Christ's heritage. But you say, I love Christ. Hence it appears that you love what is good, if you shall be found to hate what is evil....

I should not pass over without investigating the significance of the phrases, to love God and to love one’s neighbor. A person who loves God will do the following: obey his command in all respects; observe his laws and precepts; attempt to sanctify himself because God is holy, as is written: “Be holy, because I the Lord your God am holy”; fulfill the direction of the prophet: “You that love the Lord, hate evil”; think of nothing but divine and heavenly subjects, for God is a lover of nothing but holiness, justice and piety; do only what God seems to love.

Let us love, let us love freely and without any strings attached. It is God, after all, whom we love. We can find nothing better than God. Let us love him for his own sake, and ourselves and each other in him, but still for his sake. You only love your friend truly, after all, when you love God in your friend, either because God is in him or in order that God may be in him. That is true love and respect; if we love ourselves for any other reason, we are in fact hating rather than loving. “Whoever loves iniquity,” you see—what does he hate? Maybe the man next door, maybe the woman next door? It is his turn to be horrified, for they “hate their own soul.” Love of wickedness means love of your own soul. “You that love the Lord, hate evil.” God is good, what you love is evil, and you love yourself when you are evil; how can you love God, when you still love what God hates?

In view of the wonders of grace and righteousness displayed in God's salvation, the whole creation is invited to unite in praise. (Psa 98:1-9) gotten . . . victory--literally, "made salvation," enabled Him to save His people. right hand, and . . . arm--denote power. holy arm--or, "arm of holiness," the power of His united moral perfections (Psa 22:3; Psa 32:11).

Let gratitude for the blessings of providence and grace incite saints (Psa 4:3) to holy living. Spiritual blessings are in store, represented by light (Psa 27:1) and gladness.

It is true Psa 97:12 is = Psa 32:11, Psa 97:12 = Psa 30:5, and the promise in Psa 97:10 is the same as in Psa 37:28; Psa 34:21; but as to the rest, particularly Psa 97:11, this strophe is original. It is an encouraging admonition to fidelity in an age in which an effeminate spirit of looking longingly towards lit. ogling heathenism was rife, and stedfast adherence to Jahve was threatened with loss of life. Those who are faithful in their confession, as in the Maccabaean age (Ἀσιδαῖοι), are called חסדיו. The beautiful figure in Psa 97:11 is misapprehended by the ancient versions, inasmuch as they read זרח (Psa 112:4) instead of זרע. זרע does not here signify sown = strewn into the earth, but strewn along his life's way, so that he, the righteous one, advances step by step in the light. Hitzig rightly compares ki'dnatai ski'dnatai, used of the dawn and of the sun. Of the former Virgil also says, Et jam prima novo spargebat lumine terras.