Psalm 93:2

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

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Benson Commentary

Psalm 93:2-4. Thy throne is established of old, &c. — This kingdom of thine is no new or upstart kingdom; as it may seem to the ignorant world, but the most ancient of all kingdoms, being from everlasting to everlasting, although it was not always equally manifested to mankind. The floods —

The enemies of thy kingdom, who are often compared to floods for their numbers, force, rage, &c., have lifted up their waves — Have both, by their words and actions, made opposition against it. The Lord on high is mightier than many waters, &c. — The King of heaven is too strong for all earthly potentates, and will subdue them under his feet.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

93:1-5 The majesty, power, and holiness of Christ's kingdom. - The Lord might have displayed only his justice, holiness, and awful power, in his dealings with fallen men; but he has been pleased to display the riches of his mercy, and the power of his renewing grace. In this great work, the Father has given all power to his Son, the Lord from heaven, who has made atonement for our sins. He not only can pardon, but deliver and protect all who trust in him. His word is past, and all the saints may rely upon it. Whatever was foretold concerning the kingdom of the Messiah, must be fulfilled in due time. All his people ought to be very strictly pure. God's church is his house; it is a holy house, cleansed from sin, and employed in his service. Where there is purity, there shall be peace. Let all carefully look if this kingdom is set up in their hearts.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

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. The margin here is, as in Hebrew, "from then:" but it means "of old;" from the most ancient times; that is, from the period indicated by the next clause, "from everlasting."

Thou art from everlasting - From all eternity; thou hast always existed; thou art ever the same Psalm 90:1.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

2-4. His underived power exceeds the most sublime exhibitions of the most powerful objects in nature (Ps 89:9).

Matthew Poole's Commentary

And this kingdom of thine is no new or upstart kingdom, as it may seem to the ignorant world, but the most ancient of all kingdoms, being from everlasting to everlasting, although it was not always equally manifested in the world.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

Thy throne is established of old,.... Or "prepared from eternity" (b); 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:

thou art from everlasting; as a divine Person, as God, and the Son of God; or he could not have been anointed unto or invested with the kingly office so early; nor have had a glory with his Father before the world began: his eternal existence, as God, accounts for the establishment of his throne of old, without which it could not be.

(b) "paratum", Pagninus, Montanus; "a principio", Targum; "ab antiquo", Syr. "ab aeterno", Gejerus; so Ainsworth.

Geneva Study Bible

Thy {b} throne is established of old: thou art from everlasting.

(b) In which you sit and govern the world.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

2. Though Jehovah has thus proclaimed His kingdom afresh, it is no novel thing. His sovereignty and His Being are eternal: they know neither beginning nor end (Psalm 90:2; Psalm 92:8). The contrast between Jehovah’s ever firmly established throne and the tottering order of the world which needs His intervention to reestablish it is in favour of the Massoretic text of Psalm 93:1.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 2. - Thy throne is established of old. Though God from time to time comes forward, as it were, and asserts his sovereignty, yet it is no new rule that he sets up. He has always been the King both of heaven and earth. Thou art from everlasting. Not merely from "of old," but from all eternity (comp. Psalm 90:2; Proverbs 8:23; Isaiah 63:15; Micah 5:2; Habakkuk 1:12). Psalm 93:2

Keil and Delitzsch Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament

The sense of מלך (with ā beside Zinnor or Sarka as in Psalm 97:1; Psalm 99:1 beside Dech)

(Note: It is well known that his pausal form of the 3rd masc. praet. occurs in connection with Zakeph; but it is also found with Rebia in Psalm 112:10 (the reading וכעס), Leviticus 6:2 (גּזל), Joshua 10:13 (עמד), Lamentations 2:17 (זמם; but not in Deuteronomy 19:19; Zechariah 1:6, which passages Kimchi counts up with them in his grammar Michlol); with Tarcha in Isaiah 14:27 (יעץ), Hosea 6:1 (טרף), Amos 3:8 (שׁאג); with Teb equals r in Leviticus 5:18 (שׁגג); and even with Munach in 1 Samuel 7:17 (שׁפט), and according to Abulwald with Mercha in 1 Kings 11:2 (דּבק).))

is historical, and it stands in the middle between the present מלך ה and the future מלך :ה Jahve has entered upon the kingship and now reigns Jahve's rule heretofore, since He has given up the use of His omnipotence, has been self-abasement and self-renunciation: how, however, He shows Himself in all His majesty, which rises aloft above everything; He has put this on like a garment; He is King, and now too shows Himself to the world in the royal robe. The first לבשׁ has Olewejored; then the accentuation takes לבשׁ ה together by means of Dech, and עז התאזּר together by means of Athnach. עז, as in Psalm 29:1-11, points to the enemies; what is so named is God's invincibly triumphant omnipotence. This He has put on (Isaiah 51:9), with this He has girded Himself - a military word (Isaiah 8:9): Jahve makes war against everything in antagonism to Himself, and casts it to the ground with the weapons of His wrathful judgments. We find a further and fuller description of this עז התאזר in Isaiah 59:17; Isaiah 63:1., cf. Daniel 7:9.

(Note: These passages, together with Psalm 93:1; Psalm 104:1, are cited in Cant. Rabba 26b (cf. Debarim Rabba 29d), where it is said that the Holy One calls Israel כלה (bride) ten times in the Scriptures, and that Israel on the other hand ten times assigns kingly judicial robes to Him.)

That which cannot fail to take place in connection with the coming of this accession of Jahve to the kingdom is introduced with אף. The world, as being the place of the kingdom of Jahve, shall stand without tottering in opposition to all hostile powers (Psalm 96:10). Hitherto hostility towards God and its principal bulwark, the kingdom of the world, have disturbed the equilibrium and threatened all God-appointed relationships with dissolution; Jahve's interposition, however, when He finally brings into effect all the abundant might of His royal government, will secure immoveableness to the shaken earth (cf. Psalm 75:4). His throne stands, exalted above all commotion, מאז; it reaches back into the most distant past. Jahve is מעולם; His being loses itself in the immemorial and the immeasurable. The throne and nature of Jahve are not incipient in time, and therefore too are not perishable; but as without beginning, so also they are endless, infinite in duration.