Psalms 21 · The Lantern

The King shall rejoice in thy strength, O Lord: exceeding glad shall he be of thy salvation.

I think that these words had been prophesied by those who had spoken long before David. Since David had learned from the lofty oracles that those words were looking not only at the strength of his own salvation but also that which was going to come forth from his seed, concerning which he said he would rejoice and praise with enthusiasm.

Our belief that there are two natures in Christ the Lord, one divine and one human, is a matter of salvation. These two natures endure without change in one person for ever. This statement of faith bears frequent repetition, because, when it is frequently heard and believed, it brings life.

Above, in the preceding Psalm, a petition was made for the exaltation of the king: but here, as though heard, he foretells it. The title is "Unto the end, a Psalm of David." This Psalm is therefore divided into two parts. In the first he foretells the exaltation of the king.

Thou hast given him his heart's desire: and hast not denied him the request of his lips.

Having prophesied the promises made earlier to David, he then explains the reason why these things are going to happen. For what is that reason unless hope in God in which the one who has received mercy does not falter and in that very hope granted by God most high he does not waver from a firm and steady foundation?

"You have given Him the desire of His soul" [Psalm 21:2]. He desired to eat the Passover, [Luke 22:15] and to lay down His life when He would, and again when He would to take it; and You have given it to Him. [John 10:18] "And hast not deprived Him of the good pleasure of His lips." "My peace," says He, "I leave with you:" [John 14:27] and it was done.

"The desire." Here the cause of the joy is set forth, which is the fulfillment of desire: Prov. 13: "A desire fulfilled delights the soul." As desire relates to joy, so does motion relate to rest, which is reached through motion. Hence first the fulfillment of desire is set forth.

For thou shalt prevent him with the blessings of goodness: and shalt set a crown of pure gold upon his head.

He asked life of thee, and thou gavest him a long life: even for ever and ever.

"He asked life of Thee, and Thou gavest him length of days for ever and ever;" indicating that it is the Father of all who imparts continuance for ever and ever on those who are saved. For life does not arise from us, nor from our own nature; but it is bestowed according to the grace of God.

He sought life; he lived as a man. Having been limited in life, in death he received length of days not just to old age but to eternity.

Next he shows how the petition of his lips is fulfilled: hence he says, "He asked life of you," when he asked you for the resurrection: Ps. 40: "But you, O Lord, have mercy on me, and raise me up, and I will repay them." And this was given to him: Ps. 2: "Ask of me, and I will give you the nations as your inheritance": Lk.

His honour is great in thy salvation: glory and great worship shalt thou lay upon him.

For thou shalt give him everlasting felicity: and make him glad with the joy of thy countenance.

And why? because the King putteth his trust in the Lord: and in the mercy of the most Highest he shall not miscarry.

"For the King hopes in the Lord." For the King is not proud, but humble in heart, he hopes in the Lord. "And in the mercy of the Most Highest He shall not be moved" [Psalm 21:7]. And in the mercy of the Most Highest His obedience even unto the death of the Cross shall not disturb His humility.

For that reason you placed glory and great honor on him, and you gave him eternal blessing, because he hoped in the Lord and in his mercy he was not deeply disturbed.

"For." Above the Psalmist announced the exaltation of Christ the king; here he declares the merit of this: and this merit is that Christ, insofar as he is man, and every just person, places his hope in God alone: Jer. 17: "Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, and the Lord shall be his confidence." And therefore, because he hoped in the Lord, "he shall not be moved": Ps.

All thine enemies shall feel thine hand: thy right hand shall find out them that hate thee.

"Let Your hand be found by all Your enemies." Be Your power, O King, when You come to judgment, found by all Your enemies; who in Your humiliation discerned it not. "Let Your right hand find out all that hate You" [Psalm 21:8].

They are only called enemies as long as they are led astray by the devil's enticements. But when they return to Christ the Lord, they are called servants, children and friends.

"Let your hand be found." Above the Psalmist foretold the exaltation of the king; here he treats of the casting down of enemies: and concerning this he does two things. First he sets forth the casting down of enemies. Second he draws a conclusion, at "Be exalted." Concerning the first he does two things. First he proposes the punishment of enemies.

Thou shalt make them like a fiery oven in time of thy wrath: the Lord shall destroy them in his displeasure, and the fire shall consume them.

"You shall make them like a fiery oven:" You shall make them on fire within, by the consciousness of their ungodliness: "In the time of Your countenance:" in the time of Your manifestation. "The Lord shall trouble them in His wrath, and the fire shall devour them" [Psalm 21:9].

An oven is a round structure made of bronze for baking bread.… Sinners are rightly compared with it, since at the coming judgment they will be tormented both with mental grief and with punitive pain, because with a stubborn mind they have lived in opposition to the Lord's laws.

"You shall make them." Here the punishment of the enemies is set forth. And first as to the evils inflicted upon them; second as to the goods taken from them, at "their fruit." He sets forth a threefold order of punishment: and if it is referred to the mystery, it is clear: because in the future judgment there will be three things.

Their fruit shalt thou root out of the earth: and their seed from among the children of men.

But the seed of the godless and the fruit of the wicked are their words, teachings and unrighteous writings, which they have disseminated through people after they are forgotten. God, being good, scatters each one and destroys them from the midst so that neither the fruit nor the seed of the wicked remains.

"Their fruit shall You destroy out of the earth." Their fruit, because it is earthly, shall You destroy out of the earth. "And their seed from the sons of men" [Psalm 21:10]. And their works; or, whomsoever they have seduced, You shall not reckon among the sons of men, whom You have called into the everlasting inheritance.

"Their fruit." Here the deprivation of goods is set forth. The goods that men have in this world are of two kinds: some by which men desire to enjoy themselves in this life, and some they wish to leave behind them: and they shall lose both. And therefore, as to the first he says, "You shall destroy their fruit from the earth," which they sought to enjoy. Wis.

For they intended mischief against thee: and imagined such a device as they are not able to perform.

"Because they turned evils against You." Now this punishment shall be recompensed to them, because the evils which they supposed to hang over them by Your reign, they turned against You to Your death. "They imagined a device, which they were not able to establish" [Psalm 21:11].

Another evil counselor is one who turns good things into evil. The Psalm says: 'For they turned evils against you; they devised counsels which they were unable to establish; for you shall make them turn their back.' It is evil when someone says something by which the counsel of Christ could be considered evil — as when someone condemns the counsel of entering holy religious lif…

"For." Here the guilt of sinners is set forth, and it is described in two respects. First, as to the endeavor of their work; and as to this he says here: "For they have turned," etc.: because although they cannot accomplish it, still they endeavor as much as they can to inflict evils. Ps.

Therefore shalt thou put them to flight: and the strings of thy bow shalt thou make ready against the face of them.

"Turned away" [is] an expression properly applied to the sinner, for "Cain went out from the face of the Lord," and the psalmist says, "You will make them turn their back." One who is righteous does not turn away from the Lord but runs to meet him and says, "My eyes are ever toward the Lord." And when the Lord said, "Whom shall I send?" Isaiah offered himself of his own accord…

"For You shall set them low." For You shall rank them among those from whom in degradation and contempt You will turn away. "In Your leavings You shall make ready their countenance" [Psalm 21:12]. And in these things that Thou leavest, that is, in the desires of an earthly kingdom, You shall make ready their shamelessness for Your passion.

And he assigns the reason for this statement, why they did not establish their counsel, saying "their back." Jerome's text is clearer: "For you shall set them as a shoulder, your boundaries firm against their face." It can happen in two ways that enemies do not establish their plans against someone. In one way, if they are conquered by him.

Be thou exalted, Lord, in thine own strength: so will we sing, and praise thy power.

Exalted though you are, then, you are shown to be more exalted through your power and in outdoing all the arrogant, as by inflicting the blow on them from on high. For this reason we shall not cease singing your praises always.

Not for being lowly is God exalted, nor does he receive what he does not possess; instead, what he possesses he reveals … your exaltation is revealed in your ineffable power, which we shall continue to celebrate and sing, recounting your marvelous works.

"Be exalted." Here the conclusion is set forth. And first he asks for what pertains to God's part; second, he promises what pertains to our part. He says therefore, "Be exalted, O Lord, in your strength," so that in it the king may rejoice. Is.

Psalms21