Psalm 93

[ayin jade]

The author of this psalm is unknown, and there is nothing by which we can determine this, or its date, or the occasion on which it was written. It seems, from Psa_93:5, to have been composed with some reference to the sanctuary, and to the service there: “Holiness becometh thine “house,” O Lord,” and it may have been designed, with the last psalm, to have been used in the place of public worship on the sabbath-day. The Septuagint states For the day before the Sabbath, when the land was [first] inhabited, the praise of a Song by David. The origin of this title is unknown, and it has no authority. There is no evidence that it was composed by David or for that purpose and the presumption from Psa_93:5 is that it was composed after the temple was built, and consequently after the death of David.

This psalm is about the universal government of God, Psa_93:1, Psa_93:2, the opposition to that government, Psa_93:3, Psa_93:4 and the truth of God’s testimonies, Psa_93:5.

Psa_93 -100 were applied by the Jews to the times of the Messiah. The theme is God’s supremacy in creation and providence. God is described as a King entering on His reign, and, for robes of royalty, investing Himself with the glorious attributes of His nature. The result of His thus reigning is the durability of the world.

[ayin jade]

Psa 93:1 The LORD reigneth, he is clothed with majesty; the LORD is clothed with strength, wherewith he hath girded himself: the world also is stablished, that it cannot be moved.

The Lord reigneth - The same commencement of a psalm occurs in Psa 97:1 The LORD reigneth; let the earth rejoice; let the multitude of isles be glad thereof. Psa 99:1 The LORD reigneth; let the people tremble: he sitteth between the cherubims; let the earth be moved. The same idea is often found in the Scriptures. 1Ch 16:31 Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice: and let men say among the nations, The LORD reigneth. Psa 47:8 God reigneth over the heathen: God sitteth upon the throne of his holiness. Isa 52:7 How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth! Rev 19:6 And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth. The Lord reigns over all, and that all must be right. Amidst all the troubles of this world, God sits upon the throne; He orders all events; He sways His scepter over all; He orders all things according to His own will; He secures the accomplishment of His own purposes.

He is clothed with majesty - That is, he puts on, or wears this. The word rendered “majesty” means properly “loftiness.” The idea here is, that God is exalted; and that he appears in such a manner as to indicate his proper dignity.

he is clothed with majesty - with all the regalia and ensigns of royalty; seated on a throne of glory, with a crown of pure gold on his head, a scepter of righteousness in his hand, and arrayed with robes of honor and majesty; so that his appearance at his kingdom will be very splendid. Psa 104:1 Bless the LORD, O my soul. O LORD my God, thou art very great; thou art clothed with honour and majesty.

The world also is stablished - Is firm; is on a solid foundation. It cannot be shaken or destroyed by natural convulsions, or by the power of man. The Lord created and will maintain His world. The forces of evil cannot stand against it.

That it cannot be moved - Moved out of its place; overthrown; destroyed. This seems to have been spoken in view of some impending calamity, as if everything were to be swept away. The psalmist consoles himself with the thought that the world was firmly established; that no storm or tempest could be so violent as to remove it out of its place.

The Lord is clothed with strength, wherewith he hath girded himself - The girding with strength refers to the girding in order to strengthen the loins, arms, knees, etc. There is an allusion here to the mode of dress among that area - the custom of girding the loins when one labored, or walked, or ran.

[ayin jade]

Psa 93:2 Thy throne is established of old: thou art from everlasting.

Thy throne is established of old - Or "prepared from eternity"; Christ was set up and anointed as King from everlasting; He had a kingdom appointed and prepared for Him so early; and His throne, which is prepared in the heavens, is an established one; it is for ever and ever; His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom; of His government, and the increase of it, there is no end:

Thy throne is established of old - Whatever might occur, the throne of God was firm. That could not be moved. It had been set up from all eternity. It had stood through all the convulsions and changes which had occurred in the universe; and it would stand firm forever. Whatever might change, that was immovable; and as long as that is unchanged we have a ground of security and hope. Should “that” be moved, all would be gone.

Thy throne is established of old - There never was a time in which God did not reign, in which He was not a supreme and absolute Monarch; for He is from everlasting. There never was a time in which He was not; there never can be a period in which He shall cease to exist.

Thou art from everlasting - From all eternity; He has always existed; He is ever the same.

Psa 93:3 The floods have lifted up, O LORD, the floods have lifted up their voice; the floods lift up their waves.

The floods have lifted up, O Lord, the floods have lifted up their voice - The word here rendered “floods,” means properly rivers, and then it may be applied to any waters. The word voice here refers to the noise of raging waters when they are agitated by the winds, or when they dash on the shore.

The floods lift up their waves - with great strength, making a great noise, and threatening with ruin and destruction, as before. As if they would sweep everything away. The allusion here is to some calamity or danger which might, in its strength and violence, be compared with the wild and raging waves of the ocean.

The floods have lifted up - Multitudes of people have confederated against thy people; and troop succeeds troop as the waves of the sea succeed each other. By "the floods" are meant the enemies of Christ, His kingdom, and interest; and by their "lifting up their voice", the opposition made by them thereunto; Isa 8:7 Now therefore, behold, the Lord bringeth up upon them the waters of the river, strong and many, even the king of Assyria, and all his glory: and he shall come up over all his channels, and go over all his banks: this was fulfilled in those who raged, like foaming waves of the sea, against Christ, and lifted up their voices to have Him crucified; in the persecutions; in those floods of errors and heresies.

All the raging of the world, therefore, will not be able to hinder the progress of the kingdom of God and its final breaking through to the glory of victory. The sea with its mighty mass of waters, with the constant unrest of its waves, with its ceaseless pressing against the solid land and foaming against the rocks, is an emblem of the world alienated from and at enmity with God.

[ayin jade]

Psa 93:4 The LORD on high is mightier than the noise of many waters, yea, than the mighty waves of the sea.

The Lord on high is mightier than the noise of many waters - That is, He is more powerful than those waters; He is able to control them. Psa 65:7 Which stilleth the noise of the seas, the noise of their waves, and the tumult of the people. He is over all those billows and breakers; more mighty than they all. They can proceed no further than He permits; they will be stayed when and where He commands. He is greater in strength than all the peoples and nations that can rise up against him.

Mighty waves of the sea - Even the most powerful empires can prevail nothing against Him; therefore those who trust in Him have nothing to fear.

Psa 93:5 Thy testimonies are very sure: holiness becometh thine house, O LORD, for ever.

Thy testimonies are very sure - All that He has born witness to; all that He has affirmed or declared to be true. This would embrace “all that” God has spoken, whether His law, His promises, His commands, His prophecies, or His statements of what has occurred and of what will occur.

Testimonies - Thy promises, which no less than the precepts are God's testimonies, or the witnesses, or declarations of his will to mankind. The psalmist seems here to speak of those precious promises concerning the erection of his kingdom in the world by the Messiah.

Holiness becometh thine house, O Lord - The psalm seems to have been intended to be used in the sanctuary, as a part of public worship, and the word “holiness” here would seem to mean a proper respect for God; confidence in Him; a state of mind free from all doubt, and from all that is impure. Perhaps there may be here, also, the idea that in all the sins of the world; in all that threatens to overthrow truth and righteousness, the church should maintain a firm adherence to the principles of “holiness,” to that which is right and true. There should be one place - the church - where there would be no wavering in regard to truth and holiness; one place, where the truth would be defended whatever commotions might be abroad. The main idea, therefore, in the psalm is, that, in view of the fact that God reigns, and that nothing can frustrate His plans, or disturb His throne, we should approach Him with reverence, with humble trust, with sincere and pure hearts.

Note:

I have forgotten to add this to other studies Ive posted here about the psalms. It is posted in one of my studies already though. Here is my disclaimer about sources used and how I study.

I read a chapter then I go over it verse by verse. I read through commentaries etc to glean background information, rejecting what does not seem correct and keeping what does. I mix it up, add some of my own, interspersed with paragraphs from the commentaries. The commentaries and all my notes are what I post with each verse. For copyright purposes, I use the KJV since it is not copyrighted in the US, and for posting publicly, I use commentaries whose copyrights are open. When reading my study/ studies, I encourage you to use whichever version of the bible you are most comfortable with. I used the following commentaries: John Wesley's Explanatory Notes; Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge; Spurgeon's A Treasury of David; Jamieson, Fausset and Brown Commentary; Keil and Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament; Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary; Albert Barnes Notes on the Bible; Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible; John Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible and Strong's Concordance. I have read modern commentaries but have not posted from them in my public studies.