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Commentary on Psalms 89 verses 19–37
The covenant God made with David and his seed was mentioned before (Psa 89:3, Psa 89:4); but in these verses it is enlarged upon, and pleaded with God, for favour to the royal family, now almost sunk and ruined; yet certainly it looks at Christ, and has its accomplishment in him much more than in David; nay, some passages here are scarcely applicable at all to David, but must be understood of Christ only (who is therefore called David our king, Hos 3:5), and very great and precious promises they are which are here made to the Redeemer, which are strong foundations for the faith and hope of the redeemed to build upon. The comforts of our redemption flow from the covenant of redemption; all our springs are in that, Isa 55:3. I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David, Act 13:34. Now here we have an account of those sure mercies. Observe,
I. What assurance we have of the truth of the promise, which may encourage us to build upon it. We are here told, 1. How it was spoken (Psa 89:19): Thou didst speak in vision to thy Holy One. God's promise to David, which is especially referred to here, was spoken in vision to Nathan the prophet, Sa2 7:12-17. Then, when the Holy One of Israel was their king (Psa 89:18), he appointed David to be his viceroy. But to all the prophets, those holy ones, he spoke in vision concerning Christ, and to him himself especially, who had lain in his bosom from eternity, and was made perfectly acquainted with the whole design of redemption, Mat 11:27. 2. How it was sworn to and ratified (Psa 89:35): Once have I sworn by my holiness, that darling attribute. In swearing by his holiness, he swore by himself; for he will as soon cease to be as be otherwise than holy. His swearing once is enough; he needs not swear again, as David did (Sa1 20:17); for his word and oath are two immutable things. As Christ was made a priest, so he was made a king, by an oath (Heb 7:21); for his kingdom and priesthood are both unchangeable.
II. The choice made of the person to whom the promise is given, Psa 89:19, Psa 89:20. David was a king of God's own choosing, so is Christ, and therefore both are called God's kings, Psa 2:6. David was mighty, a man of courage and fit for business; he was chosen out of the people, not out of the princes, but the shepherds. God found him out, exalted him, laid help upon him, and ordered Samuel to anoint him. But this is especially to be applied to Christ. 1. He is one that is mighty, every way qualified for the great work he was to undertake, able to save to the uttermost - mighty in strength, for he is the Son of God - mighty in love, for he is able experimentally to compassionate those that are tempted. He is the mighty God, Isa 9:6. 2. He is chosen out of the people, one of us, bone of our bone, that takes part with us of flesh and blood. Being ordained for men, he is taken from among men, that his terror might not make us afraid. 3. God has found him. He is a Saviour of God's own providing; for the salvation, from first to last, is purely the Lord's doing. He has found the ransom, Job 33:24. We could never have found a person fit to undertake this great work, Rev 5:3, Rev 5:4. 4. God has laid help upon him, not only helped him, but treasured up help in him for us, laid it as a charge upon him to help fallen man up again, to help the chosen remnant to heaven. In me is thy help, Hos 13:9. 5. He has exalted him, by constituting him the prophet, priest, and king of his church, clothing him with power, raising him from the dead, and setting him at his own right hand. Whom God chooses and uses he will exalt. 6. He has anointed him, has qualified him for his office, and so confirmed him in it, by giving him the Spirit, not by measure, but without measure, infinitely above his fellows. He is called Messiah, or Christ, the Anointed. 7. In all this he designed him to be his own servant, for the accomplishing of his eternal purpose and the advancement of the interests of his kingdom among men.
III. The promises made to this chosen one, to David in the type and the Son of David in the antitype, in which not only gracious, but glorious things are spoken of him.
1.With reference to himself, as king and God's servant: and what makes for him makes for all his loving subjects. It is here promised, (1.) That God would stand by him and strengthen him in his undertaking (Psa 89:21): With him my hand not only shall be, but shall be established, by promise, shall be so established that he shall by it be established and confirmed in all his offices, so that none of them shall be undermined and overthrown, though by the man of sin they shall all be usurped and fought against. Christ had a great deal of hard work to do and hard usage to go through; but he that gave him commission gave him forces sufficient for the execution of his commission: "My arm also shall strengthen him to break through and bear up under all his difficulties." No good work can miscarry in the hand of those whom God himself undertakes to strengthen. (2.) That he should be victorious over his enemies, that they should not encroach upon him (Psa 89:22): The son of wickedness shall not exact upon him, nor afflict him. He that at first broke the peace would set himself against him that undertook to make peace, and do what he could to blast his design: but he could only reach to bruise his heel; further he could not exact upon him nor afflict him. Christ became a surety for our debt, and thereby Satan and death thought to gain advantage against him; but he satisfied the demands of God's justice, and then they could not exact upon him. The prince of this world cometh, but he has nothing in me, Joh 14:30. Nay, they not only shall not prevail against him, but they shall fall before him (Psa 89:23): I will bend down his foes before his face; the prince of this world shall be cast out, principalities and powers spoiled, and he shall be the death of death itself, and the destruction of the grave, Hos 13:14. Some apply this to the ruin which God brought upon the Jewish nation, that persecuted Christ and put him to death. But all Christ's enemies, who hate him and will not have him to reign over them, shall be brought forth and slain before him, Luk 19:27. (3.) That he should be the great trustee of the covenant between God and men, that God would be gracious and true to us (Psa 89:24): My faithfulness and my mercy shall be with him. They were with David; God continued merciful to him, and so approved himself faithful. They were with Christ; God made good all his promises to him. But that is not all; God's mercy to us, and his faithfulness to us, are with Christ; he is not only pleased with him, but with us in him; and it is in him that all the promises of God are yea and amen. So that if any poor sinners hope for benefit by the faithfulness and mercy of God, let them know it is with Christ; it is lodged in his hand, and to him they must apply for it (Psa 89:28): My mercy will I keep for him, to be disposed of by him, for evermore; in the channel of Christ's mediation all the streams of divine goodness will for ever run. Therefore it is the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ which we look for unto eternal life, Jde 1:21; Joh 17:2. And, as the mercy of God flows to us through him, so the promise of God is, through him, firm to us: My covenant shall stand fast with him, both the covenant of redemption made with him and the covenant of grace made with us in him. The new covenant is therefore always new, and firmly established, because it is lodged in the hands of a Mediator, Heb 8:6. The covenant stands fast, because it stands upon this basis. And this redounds to the everlasting honour of the Lord Jesus, that to him the great cause between God and man is entirely referred and the Father has committed all judgment to him, that all men might honour him (Joh 5:22, Joh 5:23); therefore it is here said, In my name shall his horn be exalted; this shall be his glory, that God's name is in him (Exo 23:21), and that he acts in God's name. As the Father gave me commandment, so I do. (4.) That his kingdom should be greatly enlarged (Psa 89:25): I will set his hand in the sea (he shall have the dominion of the seas, and the isles of the sea), and his right hand in the rivers, the inland countries that are watered with rivers. David's kingdom extended itself to the Great Sea, and the Red Sea, to the river of Egypt and the river Euphrates. But it is in the kingdom of the Messiah that this has its full accomplishment, and shall have more and more, when the kingdoms of this world shall become the kingdoms of the Lord and of his Christ (Rev 11:15), and the isles shall wait for his law. (5.) That he should own God as his Father, and God would own him as his Son, his firstborn, Psa 89:26, Psa 89:27. This is a comment upon these words in Nathan's message concerning Solomon (for he also was a type of Christ as well as David), I will be his Father and he shall be my Son (Sa2 7:14), and the relation shall be owned on both sides. [1.] He shall cry unto me, Thou art my Father. It is probable that Solomon did so; but we are sure Christ did so, in the days of his flesh, when he offered up strong cries to God, and called him holy Father, righteous Father, and taught us to address ourselves to him as our Father in heaven. Christ, in his agony, cried unto God, Thou art my Father (Mat 26:39, Mat 26:42, O my Father), and, upon the cross, Father, forgive them; Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit. He looked upon him likewise as his God, and therefore he perfectly obeyed him, and submitted to his will in his whole undertaking (he ismy God and your God, Joh 20:17), and as the rock of his salvation, who would bear him up and bear him out in his undertaking, and make him more than a conqueror, even a complete Saviour; and therefore with an undaunted resolution he endured the cross, despising the shame, for he knew he should be both justified and glorified. [2.] I will make him my firstborn. I see not how this can be applied to David; it is Christ's prerogative to be the firstborn of every creature, and, as such, the heir of all things, Col 1:15; Heb 1:2, Heb 1:6. When all power was given to Christ both in heaven and in earth, and all things were delivered unto him by the Father, then god made him his firstborn, and far higher, more great and honourable, than the kings of the earth; for he is the King of kings, angels, authorities, and powers, being made subject to him, Pe1 3:22.
2.With reference to his seed. God's covenants always took in the seed of the covenanters; this does so (Psa 89:29, Psa 89:36): His seed shall endure for ever, and with it his throne. Now this will be differently understood according as we apply it to Christ or David.
(1.)If we apply it to David, by his seed we are to understand his successors, Solomon and the following kings of Judah, who descended from the loins of David. It is supposed that they might degenerate, and not walk in the spirit and steps of their father David; in such a case they must expect to come under divine rebukes, such as the house of David was at this time under, Psa 89:38. But let this encourage them, that, though they were corrected, they should not be abandoned or disinherited. This refers to that part of Nathan's message (Sa2 7:14, Sa2 7:15), If he commit iniquity, I will chasten him, but my mercy shall not depart from him. Thus far David's seed and throne did endure for ever, that, notwithstanding the wickedness of many of his posterity, who were the scandals of his house, yet his family continued, and continued in the imperial dignity, a very long time, - that, as long as Judah continued a kingdom, David's posterity were kings of it, and the royalty of that kingdom was never in any other family, as that of the ten tribes was, in Jeroboam's first, then in Baasha's, etc., - and that the family of David continued a family of distinction till that Son of David came whose throne should endure for ever; see Luk 1:27, Luk 1:32; Luk 2:4, Luk 2:11. If David's posterity, in after-times, should forsake God and their duty and revolt to the ways of sin, God would bring desolating judgments upon them and ruin the family; and yet he would not take away his lovingkindness from David, nor break his covenant with him; for, in the Messiah, who should come out of his loins, all these promises shall have their accomplishment to the full. Thus, when the Jews were rejected, the apostle shows that God's covenant with Abraham was not broken, because it was fulfilled in his spiritual seed, the heirs of the righteousness of faith, Rom 11:7.
(2.)If we apply it to Christ, by his seed we are to understand his subjects, all believers, his spiritual seed, the children which God has given him, Heb 2:13. This is that seed which shall be made to endure for ever, and his throne in the midst of them, in the church in the heart, as the days of heaven. To the end Christ shall have a people in the world to serve and honour him. He shall see his seed; he shall prolong his days. This holy seed shall endure for ever in a glorified state, when time and days shall be no more; and thus Christ's throne and kingdom shall be perpetuated: the kingdom of his grace shall continue through all the ages of time and the kingdom of his glory to the endless ages of eternity.
[1.]The continuance of Christ's kingdom is here made doubtful by the sins and afflictions of his subjects; their iniquities and calamities threaten the ruin of it. This case is here put, that we may not be offended when it comes to be a case in fact, but that we may reconcile it with the stability of the covenant and be assured of that notwithstanding. First, It is here supposed that there will be much amiss in the subjects of Christ's kingdom. His children may forsake God's law (Psa 89:30) by omissions, and break his statutes (Psa 89:31) by commissions. There are spots which are the spots of God's children, Deu 32:5. Many corruptions there are in the bowels of the church, as well as in the hearts of those who are the members of it, and these corruptions break out. Secondly, They are here told that they must smart for it (Psa 89:32): I will visit their transgression with a rod, their transgression sooner than that of others. You only have I known, and therefore I will punish you, Amo 3:2. Their being related to Christ shall not excuse them from being called to an account. But observe what affliction is to God's people. 1. It is but a rod, not an axe, not a sword; it is for correction, not for destruction. This denotes gentleness in the affliction; it is the rod of men, such a rod as men use in correcting their children; and it denotes a design of good in and by the affliction, such a rod as yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness. 2. It is a rod on the hand of God (I will visit them), he who is wise, and knows what he does, gracious, and will do what is best. 3. It is a rod which they shall never feel the smart of but when there is great need: If they break my law, then I will visit their transgression with the rod, but not else. Then it is requisite that God's honour be vindicated, and that they be humbled and reduced.
[2.]The continuance of Christ's kingdom is made certain by the inviolable promise and oath of God, notwithstanding all this (Psa 89:33): Nevertheless, my kindness will I not totally and finally take from him. First, "Notwithstanding their provocations, yet my covenant shall not be broken." Note, Afflictions are not only consistent with covenant-love, but to the people of God they flow from it. Though David's seed be chastened, it does not follow that they are disinherited; they may be cast down, but they are not cast off. God's favour is continued to his people, 1. For Christ's sake; in him the mercy is laid up for us, and God says, I will not take it from him (Psa 89:33), I will not lie unto David, Psa 89:35. We are unworthy, but he is worthy. 2. For the covenant's sake: My faithfulness shall not fail, my covenant will I not break. It was supposed that they had broken God's statutes, profaned and polluted them (so the word signifies); "But," says God, "I will not break, I will not profane and pollute, my covenant;" it is the same word. That which is said and sworn is that God will have a church in the world as long as sun and moon endure, Psa 89:36, Psa 89:37. The sun and moon are faithful witnesses in heaven of the wisdom, power, and goodness of the Creator, and shall continue while time lasts, which they are the measurers of; but the seed of Christ shall be established for ever, as lights of the world while the world stands, to shine in it, and, when it is at an end, they shall be established lights shining in the firmament of the Father.
The Lord certainly would not exhort to repentance unless he promised pardon to the penitent. In the Gospel the Lord says, “Just so, I tell you, there will be joy in heaven over one sinner who repents, more than over ninety-nine just who have no need of repentance.” Since it is written, “God is not the author of death, nor does he rejoice in the destruction of the living,” certainly he, who wishes no one to perish, desires sinners to do penance and to return to life again through penance. And there, through Joel the prophet, he cries out and says, “And now says the Lord, your God, return to me with your whole heart, at the same time with fasting, and weeping and mourning; and rend your hearts and not your garments, and return to the Lord, your God. For gracious and merciful is he, slow to anger, rich in kindness, and he softens the sentence inflicted against malice.” In the Psalms we read also of the censure and of the clemency of God, at the same time, threatening and sparing, punishing that he may correct and saving when he has corrected. “I will visit,” he says, “their crime with a rod and their guilt with stripes. Yet my kindness I will not take from them.”
These things we suffer by our own fault and our own deserving, even as the divine judgment has forewarned us, saying, "If they forsake my law and walk not in my judgments, if they profane my statutes and keep not my commandments, then will I visit their transgressions with the rod, and their iniquities with stripes." It is for this reason that we feel the rods and the stripes, because we neither please God with good deeds nor atone for our sins. Let us of our inmost heart and of our entire mind ask for God's mercy, because He Himself also adds, saying, "Nevertheless my loving-kindness will I not scatter away from them." Let us ask, and we shall receive; and if there be delay and tardiness in our receiving, since we have grievously offended, let us knock, because "to him that knocketh also it shall be opened," if only our prayers, our groanings, and our tears, knock at the door; and with these we must be urgent and persevering, even although prayer be offered with one mind.
Not without reason was [the soul] given horns and hoofs, to bruise all the sheaves of the threshing floor, like the calf of Libanius, for, unless the sheaves are bruised and the straw winnowed, the corn within cannot appear and be separated. Let the soul that would advance in virtue first bruise and thresh out its superfluous passions that at the harvest it may have its fruits to show. How many weeds choke the good seed! These first must be rooted out, so that they will not destroy the fruitful crop of the soul.The careful guardian of the soul then sees how he may restrain [the soul] in its pleasures and cut off its desires, to prevent it being overwhelmed with delight in them. The correction of the father who does not spare the rod is useful, that he may render his son’s soul obedient to the precepts of salvation. He punishes with a rod, as we read: “I shall punish their offenses with a rod.” Therefore, one who with a rod strikes an Israelite’s soul on the cheek instructs that one by the Lord’s punishment in the discipline of patience. No one who is chastened and corrected need lose hope, for one who loves his son chastises him. No one should despair of a remedy.
This is a strong pledge of the promise of God. The sons of this David are the children of the Bridegroom; all Christians therefore are called His sons. But it is much indeed that God promises, that if Christians, that is, "If his children forsake My law, and walk not in My judgments" [Psalm 89:30]; "if they profane My statutes, and keep not My commandments" [Psalm 89:31]; I will not spurn them, nor will I send them away from Me in perdition: but what will I do? "I will visit their offenses with the rod, and their sin with scourges" [Psalm 89:32]. It is not the mercy of one that calls them only; but also that chastises and scourges them. Let therefore your Father's hand be upon you, and if you are a good son, repel not chastening; for "what son is there, to whom his father gives not chastening?" [Hebrews 12:7] Let Him chasten him, so long as He takes not from him His mercy: let Him beat him when obstinate, as long as He does not disinherit him. If you have well understood the promises of your Father, fear not to be scourged, but to be disinherited: "for whom the Lord loves He chastens: and scourges every son whom He receives." [Hebrews 12:6] Does the sinful son spurn chastening, when he sees the only Son without sin scourged? "I will visit their offenses with the rod." Thus too the Apostle threatens: "What will you? Shall I come unto you with a rod?" [1 Corinthians 4:21] Let not pious sons say, if You are coming with a rod, come not at all. For it is better to be taught with the Father's rod, than to perish in the caresses of the robber.
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SUMMARY
Psalms 89:32, situated within a profound reflection on the enduring Davidic Covenant, powerfully declares God's unwavering resolve to discipline the descendants of David for their rebellion and moral perversity. This verse clarifies that while the divine covenantal faithfulness to David's lineage is eternal and unbreakable, it does not negate the necessary and righteous divine chastisement for disobedience, ensuring that the consequences of sin are met with just judgment, even within the sacred bounds of an enduring covenant relationship.
CONTEXT
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
Psalms 89:32 masterfully employs several potent literary devices to convey its solemn message. The most prominent is Parallelism, specifically Synonymous Parallelism, where the second half of the verse ("and their iniquity with stripes") reiterates and intensifies the meaning of the first half ("Then will I visit their transgression with the rod"). This technique not only imparts a rhythmic, poetic quality to the verse but also profoundly emphasizes the certainty, comprehensiveness, and dual nature of God's disciplinary action, addressing both the rebellious act and the underlying moral corruption. Imagery is also vividly utilized, with "rod" and "stripes" creating a stark and immediate mental picture of physical chastisement. This tangible imagery draws upon common human experiences of discipline, making the consequences of sin palpable and immediate for the audience, reinforcing the severity of God's response. Furthermore, there is an underlying Anthropomorphism, as God is depicted as acting in a human-like manner, employing physical instruments of correction. This literary choice helps to convey God's active engagement and personal involvement in the moral conduct of His covenant people, portraying Him not as a distant deity but as a righteous and involved Father.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Psalms 89:32 stands as a crucial theological statement on the intricate nature of God's covenant faithfulness and His unyielding justice. It profoundly reveals that God's covenant with David, while ultimately unconditional in its promise of an eternal dynasty, nonetheless incorporates conditional elements concerning the behavior of individual kings and the immediate well-being of the kingdom. God's discipline, far from being a sign of His unfaithfulness or abandonment, is instead a profound expression of His commitment to purity, righteousness, and the integrity of the covenant relationship. It underscores that God takes sin with utmost seriousness, even among His chosen people, and that true, covenantal love inherently includes corrective action. This divine discipline is always purposeful, designed not to destroy but to restore, refine, and ultimately bring His people back into alignment with His holy will, ensuring their ultimate good and His glory.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Psalms 89:32 offers a sobering yet profoundly hopeful truth for believers in every generation. It serves as a powerful reminder that God, in His infinite wisdom, perfect love, and unwavering righteousness, sometimes permits or orchestrates difficulties and trials in our lives as a form of corrective discipline. This is never arbitrary punishment, but rather a purposeful act of a loving Heavenly Father who desires our holiness, our spiritual growth, and our conformity to the image of His Son. When we encounter hardship, this verse prompts us to humbly and honestly examine our hearts and lives, asking if there are areas of "transgression" or "iniquity" that God, in His grace, is calling us to acknowledge, repent of, and forsake. Understanding the nature and purpose of divine discipline helps us to avoid bitterness, despair, or questioning God's goodness during trials, instead enabling us to perceive them as opportunities for profound refinement, deeper trust, and greater conformity to Christ. It calls us to cultivate a life of ongoing repentance, diligent self-examination, and humble submission to God's perfect will, trusting that even His "rod" and "stripes" are administered with a loving hand for our ultimate good and His eternal glory.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Does God still discipline His people today in the same way?
Answer: While the specific manifestations or forms of discipline may vary across dispensations and individual circumstances, the underlying principle of divine discipline for sin remains constant and eternally true. God, as our heavenly Father, continues to actively correct, refine, and purify His children out of His perfect love and commitment to their sanctification. The New Testament unequivocally affirms this truth, stating that "the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives" (Hebrews 12:6). This discipline is not punitive in the sense of earning salvation (which is by grace through faith in Christ alone), but it is profoundly corrective, designed to lead us to repentance, holiness, and spiritual maturity. It can manifest through various means: the natural consequences of our sinful choices, challenging life circumstances, the powerful conviction of the Holy Spirit, or even physical ailments, all ultimately aimed at drawing us closer to Him and conforming us more fully to the image of Christ.
How is God's discipline for believers different from His judgment on unbelievers?
Answer: God's discipline for believers, as articulated in Psalms 89:32, is fundamentally an act of fatherly love exercised within a sacred covenant relationship. Its ultimate intention is for correction, purification, and restoration, leading to spiritual growth. It serves as an undeniable sign of His acceptance and sonship, as Hebrews 12:8 powerfully states, "If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons." Its purpose is redemptive, ultimately yielding "the peaceful fruit of righteousness" (Hebrews 12:11). In stark contrast, God's judgment on unbelievers is a final, judicial condemnation for their rebellion, their rejection of His authority, and their refusal to believe in His Son. This judgment leads to eternal separation from Him. While both involve consequences for sin, the underlying relationship (covenantal sonship vs. rebellion) and the ultimate purpose (redemption and holiness vs. condemnation) are fundamentally and eternally different.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Psalms 89:32, with its profound emphasis on divine discipline for sin within the covenant framework, finds its ultimate, paradoxical, and glorious fulfillment in the person and work of Jesus Christ. While the earthly Davidic kings experienced the "rod" and "stripes" for their own personal iniquity and rebellion, Jesus, the perfect and sinless Son of David, bore the full, crushing weight of the "rod" and "stripes" of divine judgment, not for His own sin, but for the "transgression" and "iniquity" of humanity. He voluntarily became the ultimate recipient of God's righteous wrath against sin, so that all who believe in Him might be eternally spared from such condemning judgment. The prophet Isaiah 53:5 powerfully foreshadows this substitutionary act: "But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his stripes we are healed." The very discipline that was justly due to us was divinely laid upon Christ, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. Through His perfect atoning sacrifice on the cross, the new covenant of grace is established, wherein believers are no longer under the condemnation of the law but are lovingly disciplined as beloved children, refined by a Heavenly Father who has already dealt with the ultimate penalty of their sin through the sacrifice of His Son. Thus, the "rod" and "stripes" of Psalms 89:32, once a terrifying prospect for a disobedient king, are transformed into a profound testament to the substitutionary love of Christ, who endured them so that we might experience God's corrective, purifying love rather than His condemning judgment.