A maskil of Ethan the Ezrahite.
Ethan is mentioned, with Heman, the author of the previous hymn, in I Kings 4:30-31 where both are mentioned as wise men in the reign of Solomon.
Psalm 89:1-4, Faithfulness for all generations
I will sing of the LORD's great love forever;
with my mouth I will make your faithfulness known through all generations.
I will declare that your love stands firm forever,
that you established your faithfulness in heaven itself.
You said, "I have made a covenant with my chosen one,
I have sworn to David my servant,
`I will establish your line forever
and make your throne firm through all generations.'"
Selah.
The psalmist sings of God's covenant love, permanent and everlasting. This is the covenant that God made with David, establishing David's line forever (2 Samuel 7:12-16.)
The Hebrew word translated "faithfulness" in verses 1 and 2 is emunah. That word, "'faithfulness', 'trustworthiness', 'dependability in fulfilling future obligations,' is the key word of this psalm", says Robert Alter. The Hebrew root word appears in the psalm as a noun eight times and as an adjective twice.
Both Alter and Kidner stress that thr Hebrew translated "stand firm" or "firm" in verses 2 and 4 is banah, meaning "to build". Kidner says that in 2 Samuel 7, when David plans to build a house for YHWH, God instead says He will build up David's throne.
Psalm 89:5-7, Council of holy ones
The heavens praise your wonders, O LORD,
your faithfulness too, in the assembly of the holy ones.
For who in the skies above can compare with the LORD?
Who is like the LORD among the heavenly beings?
In the council of the holy ones God is greatly feared;
he is more awesome than all who surround him.
The scene shifts from the dynasty of David to the throne of God. The heavens and the "holy ones" around YHWH praise Him. God leads a "council of holy ones" (surely a supernatural assembly.)
Psalm 89:8-12, Endued with power
O LORD God Almighty, who is like you?
You are mighty, O LORD,
and your faithfulness surrounds you.
You rule over the surging sea;
when its waves mount up, you still them.
You crushed Rahab like one of the slain;
with your strong arm you scattered your enemies.
The heavens are yours, and yours also the earth;
you founded the world and all that is in it.
You created the north and the south;
Tabor and Hermon sing for joy at your name.
God rules the surging sea and crushes Rahab. For the Israelites, the wild surging sea represented chaos and darkness, as did Rahab, the "primordial sea beast" (Alter.) If one is afraid of chaos, darkness, death, be assured that YHWH rules over it. The description of YHWH's power and creation has echoes of Job 26 especially verse 12, where Rahab is also mentioned.
Tabor and Hermon are mountains in Israel. The word translated "north" in verse 12 is tsaphon, or Zaphon, a mountain to the north of Israel. Some have suggested (says Kidner) that four mountains appear in verse 12 but yamin, translated "south" does not easily identify with a mountain.
Psalm 89:13-14, Endued with power
Your arm is endued with power;
your hand is strong, your right hand exalted.
Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne;
love and faithfulness go before you.
The "strong hand and outstretched arm" (verse 13) is a description of YHWH's power, dating back to the Exodus. The strong hand and outstretched arm was an image originally promoted by the kings of Egypt and used by YHWH in His confrontations with Pharaoh through Moses (eg. Exodus 6:1-8, Deuteronomy 4:34, Psalm 136:10-12.)
In God, righteousness and justice merge, as do love and faithfulness; see also Psalm 85:10-11.
Psalm 89:15-18, Exult, rejoice, shout!
Blessed are those who have learned to acclaim you,
who walk in the light of your presence, O LORD.
They rejoice in your name all day long;
they exult in your righteousness.
For you are their glory and strength,
and by your favor you exalt our horn.
Indeed, our shield belongs to the LORD,
our king to the Holy One of Israel.
The people who know YHWH rejoice, exult, enjoy his "horn" and strength. The king/shield is the property of YHWH. ("Horn" and "strength" are essentially parallel concepts, as are "king" and "shield".)
Psalm 89:19-24, One warrior anointed
Once you spoke in a vision,
to your faithful people you said:
"I have bestowed strength on a warrior;
I have exalted a young man from among the people.
I have found David my servant;
with my sacred oil I have anointed him.
My hand will sustain him;
surely my arm will strengthen him.
No enemy will subject him to tribute;
no wicked man will oppress him.
I will crush his foes before him
and strike down his adversaries.
My faithful love will be with him,
and through my name his horn will be exalted.
YHWH has chosen one warrior, one king for all time, David. God's love will protect this "young warrior", whose dynasty is anointed forever. The passage looks back to the days of 2 Samuel 7 but ultimately the message includes David's line.
Psalm 89:25-26, One hand on the Sea, another on the River
I will set his hand over the sea,
his right hand over the rivers.
He will call out to me, `You are my Father,
my God, the Rock my Savior.'
David (or his dynastic representative) will put his left hand over the sea (Mediterranean Sea) and his right hand over the rivers (most likely the Euphrates River), reclaiming the ancient land promised to Israel in the time of Moses (Exodus 23:31.)
Psalm 89:27-29, Throne endures like the stars
I will also appoint him my firstborn,
the most exalted of the kings of the earth.
I will maintain my love to him forever,
and my covenant with him will never fail.
I will establish his line forever,
his throne as long as the heavens endure.
There are echoes of Psalm 2 here, especially verses 6-9. Again is given the promise that David's line will continue forever, "as long as the heavens endure." But how that happens is conditional, as the next stanzas attest.
Psalm 89:30-33, If his sons...
"If his sons forsake my law
and do not follow my statutes,
if they violate my decrees
and fail to keep my commands,
I will punish their sin with the rod,
their iniquity with flogging;
but I will not take my love from him,
nor will I ever betray my faithfulness.
The tone of the psalm changes. The wonderful blessing of the Davidic dynasty have conditions. The people of Israel are to follow God's statutes; there are penalties for turning away.
This psalm is long enough that we will spend two days on it. We will return to the second half of this psalm tomorrow.
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