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Commentary Index | Return to PrayerRequest.comKeil and Delitzsch Commentary - Psalms 61:5 - 61:5
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The second part begins with a confirmation of the gracious purpose of God expressed in Psa 61:5. David believes that he shall experience what he gives expression to in Psa 61:5; for God has already practically shown him that neither his life nor his kingship shall come to an end yet; He has answered the prayers of His chosen one, that, blended with vows, resulted from the lowly, God-resigned spirit which finds expression in 2Sa 15:25., and He has given or delivered up to him the land which is his by inheritance, when threatened by the rebels as robbers, - the land to which those who fear the covenant God have a just claim. It is clear enough that the receivers are “those who fear the name of Jahve;” the genitive relation describes the יְרֻשָּׁה as belonging to them in opposition to those who had usurped it. Or does יְרֻשָּׁה here perhaps mean the same as אֲרֶשֶׁת in Psa 21:3? Certainly not. נָתַן יְרֻשָּׁה לְ is a customary phrase, the meaning of which, “to give anything to any one as his inheritance or as his own property,” is to be retained (e.g., Deu 2:19). God has acknowledged David's cause; the land of Israel is again wrested from those to whom it does not belong; and now begins a new era in the reign of its rightful king. In view of this the king prays, in Psa 61:7, Psa 61:8, that God would add another goodly portion to the duration of his life. The words sound like intercession, but the praying one is the same person as in Psa 61:2-5. The expression מַלְכָּא מְשִׁיחָא (the King Messiah) of the Targum shows to whom the church referred the word “king” after the extinction of the Davidic dynasty. The exalted tone of the wish expressed in Psa 61:7 (cf. Joe 2:2) favours this without absolutely requiring it (cf. עֹולָמִים, Psa 61:5, Psa 21:5, and the royal salutation, 1Ki 1:31; Dan 2:4, and frequently). There ought (as also e.g., in Psa 9:8) not to be any question whether יֵשֵׁב in Psa 61:8 signifies “to sit enthroned,” or “to sit” = “to abide;” when the person spoken of is a king it means “to remain enthroned,” for with him a being settled down and continuous enthronement are coincident. מַן in Psa 61:8 is imperat. apoc. for מַגֵּה (after the form הַס, נַס, צַו). The poet prays God to appoint mercy and truth as guardian angels to the king (Psa 40:12, Pro 20:28, where out of pause it is צִּרוּ; cf. on the other hand Psa 78:7; Pro 2:11; Pro 5:2). Since the poet himself is the king for whom he prays, the transition to the first person in v. 9 is perfectly natural. כֵּן signifies, as it always does, so or thus = in accordance therewith, corresponding to the fulfilment of these my petitions, thankfully responding to it. לְשַׁלְּמִי is the infinitive of the aim or purpose. Singing praise and accompanying it with music, he will make his whole life one continuous paying of vows.