Psalms 89

King James Version

Full text for Psalms Chapter 89

1¶ Maschil of Ethan the Ezrahite. I will sing of the mercies of the LORD for ever: with my mouth will I make known thy faithfulness to all generations.

2For I have said, Mercy shall be built up for ever: thy faithfulness shalt thou establish in the very heavens.

3I have made a covenant with my chosen, I have sworn unto David my servant,

4Thy seed will I establish for ever, and build up thy throne to all generations. Selah.

5¶ And the heavens shall praise thy wonders, O LORD: thy faithfulness also in the congregation of the saints.

6For who in the heaven can be compared unto the LORD? [who] among the sons of the mighty can be likened unto the LORD?

7God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of the saints, and to be had in reverence of all [them that are] about him.

8O LORD God of hosts, who [is] a strong LORD like unto thee? or to thy faithfulness round about thee?

9Thou rulest the raging of the sea: when the waves thereof arise, thou stillest them.

10Thou hast broken Rahab in pieces, as one that is slain; thou hast scattered thine enemies with thy strong arm.

11The heavens [are] thine, the earth also [is] thine: [as for] the world and the fulness thereof, thou hast founded them.

12The north and the south thou hast created them: Tabor and Hermon shall rejoice in thy name.

13Thou hast a mighty arm: strong is thy hand, [and] high is thy right hand.

14Justice and judgment [are] the habitation of thy throne: mercy and truth shall go before thy face.

15¶ Blessed [is] the people that know the joyful sound: they shall walk, O LORD, in the light of thy countenance.

16In thy name shall they rejoice all the day: and in thy righteousness shall they be exalted.

17For thou [art] the glory of their strength: and in thy favour our horn shall be exalted.

18For the LORD [is] our defence; and the Holy One of Israel [is] our king.

19¶ Then thou spakest in vision to thy holy one, and saidst, I have laid help upon [one that is] mighty; I have exalted [one] chosen out of the people.

20I have found David my servant; with my holy oil have I anointed him:

21With whom my hand shall be established: mine arm also shall strengthen him.

22The enemy shall not exact upon him; nor the son of wickedness afflict him.

23And I will beat down his foes before his face, and plague them that hate him.

24But my faithfulness and my mercy [shall be] with him: and in my name shall his horn be exalted.

25I will set his hand also in the sea, and his right hand in the rivers.

26He shall cry unto me, Thou [art] my father, my God, and the rock of my salvation.

27Also I will make him [my] firstborn, higher than the kings of the earth.

28My mercy will I keep for him for evermore, and my covenant shall stand fast with him.

29His seed also will I make [to endure] for ever, and his throne as the days of heaven.

30If his children forsake my law, and walk not in my judgments;

31If they break my statutes, and keep not my commandments;

32Then will I visit their transgression with the rod, and their iniquity with stripes.

33Nevertheless my lovingkindness will I not utterly take from him, nor suffer my faithfulness to fail.

34My covenant will I not break, nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips.

35Once have I sworn by my holiness that I will not lie unto David.

36His seed shall endure for ever, and his throne as the sun before me.

37It shall be established for ever as the moon, and [as] a faithful witness in heaven. Selah.

38¶ But thou hast cast off and abhorred, thou hast been wroth with thine anointed.

39Thou hast made void the covenant of thy servant: thou hast profaned his crown [by casting it] to the ground.

40Thou hast broken down all his hedges; thou hast brought his strong holds to ruin.

41All that pass by the way spoil him: he is a reproach to his neighbours.

42Thou hast set up the right hand of his adversaries; thou hast made all his enemies to rejoice.

43Thou hast also turned the edge of his sword, and hast not made him to stand in the battle.

44Thou hast made his glory to cease, and cast his throne down to the ground.

45The days of his youth hast thou shortened: thou hast covered him with shame. Selah.

46How long, LORD? wilt thou hide thyself for ever? shall thy wrath burn like fire?

47Remember how short my time is: wherefore hast thou made all men in vain?

48What man [is he that] liveth, and shall not see death? shall he deliver his soul from the hand of the grave? Selah.

49Lord, where [are] thy former lovingkindnesses, [which] thou swarest unto David in thy truth?

50Remember, Lord, the reproach of thy servants; [how] I do bear in my bosom [the reproach of] all the mighty people;

51Wherewith thine enemies have reproached, O LORD; wherewith they have reproached the footsteps of thine anointed.

52Blessed [be] the LORD for evermore. Amen, and Amen.

AI Analysis

AI Summaries

Short Summary

Ethan the Ezrahite begins by praising God's eternal mercy and faithfulness, especially concerning His covenant with David for an everlasting kingdom. Yet, the psalm abruptly shifts to a lament, questioning why God has seemingly cast off His anointed and allowed His promises to be broken. The psalmist pleads with God to remember His sworn lovingkindnesses, concluding with a doxology.

Medium Summary

Psalm 89, a Maschil of Ethan the Ezrahite, opens with fervent praise for the LORD's enduring mercy and faithfulness, which are established in the heavens. The psalmist extols God's matchless power as creator and ruler of all, whose throne is founded on justice, judgment, mercy, and truth. A significant portion details God's solemn covenant with David, wherein He promised an eternal lineage and throne, assuring that even if David's descendants sinned, God's lovingkindness and faithfulness would not utterly fail. Yet, the psalm abruptly transitions into a lament, expressing deep distress that God has seemingly cast off His anointed, profaned his crown, and allowed enemies to prevail, contradicting the very covenant He swore. The psalmist cries out, questioning "How long, LORD?" and imploring God to remember His sworn mercies and the reproach borne by His servants, concluding with a blessing to the LORD.

Long Summary

Psalm 89, penned by Ethan the Ezrahite, commences with a declaration of perpetual praise for the LORD's mercies and faithfulness, which are proclaimed to all generations and established in the heavens. The psalmist extols God's unparalleled greatness, asserting that none in heaven or among the mighty can be compared to Him, emphasizing His fearsome reverence among the saints. God is depicted as the sovereign ruler of the raging sea, the one who broke Rahab, and the creator of the heavens, earth, and all their fullness, whose mighty arm upholds justice, judgment, mercy, and truth. A blessing is pronounced upon those who know the joyful sound, walking in God's light and rejoicing in His name and righteousness, for He is their strength, defence, and king. The psalm then recounts God's vision to His holy one, David, detailing the divine covenant. God chose and anointed David, promising to establish his hand and strengthen him, ensuring that enemies would not prevail and his horn would be exalted. God declared David His firstborn, higher than earthly kings, and swore that His mercy and covenant would endure with David and his seed forever, likening his throne to the days of heaven. Crucially, God stipulated that even if David's children forsook His law and transgressed, He would punish them with the rod, but would never utterly remove His lovingkindness, allow His faithfulness to fail, or break His covenant. God swore by His holiness that David's seed and throne would endure eternally, like the sun and moon, a faithful witness in heaven. However, the psalm dramatically shifts to a lament, expressing profound distress. The psalmist observes that God has seemingly cast off and abhorred His anointed, making void the covenant and profaning his crown. The kingdom's defenses are broken, strongholds ruined, and the anointed one is a reproach, with adversaries exalted and enemies rejoicing. The psalmist questions God's apparent abandonment, asking "How long, LORD?" and whether His wrath will burn forever. He pleads with God to remember the brevity of human life and His former lovingkindnesses sworn to David, and the reproach borne by His servants from mighty peoples and enemies who mock God's anointed. The psalm concludes with a final doxology, blessing the LORD forevermore.

Core Concepts

  • God's Faithfulness and MercyThe psalm's opening and covenantal basis, emphasizing God's enduring character and His commitment to His promises across generations.
  • The Davidic CovenantGod's solemn oath to David, promising an eternal lineage and an enduring throne, even through the potential transgressions of his descendants.
  • God's Sovereignty and PowerDemonstrated through His creation of the heavens and earth, His control over the sea, and His unmatched strength among all beings.
  • Divine Justice and JudgmentAttributes that form the habitation of God's throne, indicating His righteous rule, even when He visits transgression with the rod.
  • Lament and QuestioningA significant shift in the psalm where the psalmist expresses deep distress and confusion over God's apparent abandonment of His anointed, seemingly contradicting His sworn covenant.
  • The Anointed KingDavid is presented as God's chosen and anointed servant, whose kingdom is promised to endure forever, foreshadowing a greater, eternal king.
  • Man's MortalityA brief but poignant reflection on the brevity of human life and the inevitability of death, contrasting with God's eternal promises.