Just as in Psalm 110:2 after Psalm 110:1, so now here too after the divine utterance, the poet continues in a reflective strain. The Lord, says Psalm 110:5, dashes in pieces kings at the right hand of this priest-king, in the day when His wrath is kindled (Psalm 2:12, cf. Psalm 21:10). אדני is rightly accented as subject. The fact that the victorious work of the person addressed is not his own work, but the work of Jahve on his behalf and through him, harmonizes with Psalm 110:1. The sitting of the exalted one at the right hand of Jahve denotes his uniform participation in His high dignity and dominion. But in the fact that the Lord, standing at his right hand (cf. the counterpart in Psalm 109:6), helps him to victory, that unchangeable relationship is shown in its historical working. The right hand of the exalted one is at the same time not inactive (see Numbers 24:17, cf. Numbers 24:8), and the Lord does not fail him when he is obliged to use his arm against his foes. The subject to ידין and to the two מחץ is the Lord as acting through him. "He shall judge among the peoples" is an eschatological hope, Psalm 7:9; Psalm 9:9; Psalm 96:10, cf. 1 Samuel 2:10. What the result of this judgment of the peoples is, is stated by the neutrally used verb מלא with its accusative גויּות (cf. on the construction Psalm 65:10; Deuteronomy 34:9): it there becomes full of corpses, there is there a multitude of corpses covering everything. This is the same thought as in Isaiah 66:24, and wrought out in closely related connection in Revelation 19:17; Revelation 18:21. Like the first מחץ, the second (Psalm 110:6) is also a perfect of the idea past. Accordingly ארץ רבּה seems to signify the earth or a country (cf. ארץ רחבה, Exodus 3:8; Nehemiah 9:35) broad and wide, like תּהום רבּה the great far-stretching deep. But it might also be understood the "land of Rabbah," as they say the "land of Jazer" (Numbers 32:1), the "country of Goshen" (Joshua 10:41), and the like; therefore the land of the Ammonites, whose chief city is Rabbah. It is also questionable whether ראשׁ על־ארץ רבּה is to be taken like κεφαλὴν ὑπὲρ πάντα, Ephesians 1:22 (Hormann), or whether על־ארץ רבה belongs to מחץ as a designation of the battle-field. The parallels as to the word and the thing itself, Psalm 68:22; Habakkuk 3:13., speak for ראשׁ signifying not the chief, but the head; not, however, in a collective sense (lxx, Targum), but the head of the רשׁע κατ ̓ ἐξοχήν (vid., Isaiah 11:4). If this is the case, and the construction ראשׁ על is accordingly to be given up, neither is it now to be rendered: He breaks in pieces a head upon the land of Rabbah, but upon a great (broad) land; in connection with which, however, this designation of the place of battle takes its rise from the fact that the head of the ruler over this great territory is intended, and the choice of the word may have been determined by an allusion to David's Ammonitish war. The subject of Psalm 110:7 is now not that arch-fiend, as he who in the course of history renews his youth, that shall rise up again (as we explained it formerly), but he whom the Psalm, which is thus rounded off with unity of plan, celebrates. Psalm 110:7 expresses the toil of his battle, and Psalm 110:7 the reward of undertaking the toil. על־כּן is therefore equivalent to ἀντὶ τούτου. בּדּרך, however, although it might belong to מגּחל (of the brook by the wayside, Psalm 83:10; Psalm 106:7), is correctly drawn to ישׁתּה by the accentuation: he shall on his arduous way, the way of his mission (cf. Psalm 102:24), be satisfied with a drink from the brook. He will stand still only for a short time to refresh himself, and in order then to fight afresh; he will unceasingly pursue his work of victory without giving himself any time for rest and sojourn, and therefore (as the reward for it) it shall come to pass that he may lift his head on high as victor; and this, understood in a christological sense, harmonizes essentially with Philippians 2:8., Hebrews 12:2, Revelation 5:9.

Psalm 111:4 Parallel Commentaries

he hath

Psalm 78:4-8 We will not hide them from their children, showing to the generation to come the praises of the LORD, and his strength...

Exodus 12:26,27 And it shall come to pass, when your children shall say to you, What mean you by this service...

Exodus 13:14,15 And it shall be when your son asks you in time to come, saying, What is this? that you shall say to him...

Deuteronomy 4:9 Only take heed to yourself, and keep your soul diligently, lest you forget the things which your eyes have seen...

Deuteronomy 31:19 Now therefore write you this song for you, and teach it the children of Israel: put it in their mouths...

Joshua 4:6,7,21-24 That this may be a sign among you, that when your children ask their fathers in time to come, saying, What mean you by these stones...

1 Corinthians 11:24-26 And when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me...

gracious

Psalm 86:5,15 For you, Lord, are good, and ready to forgive; and plenteous in mercy to all them that call on you...

Psalm 103:8 The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy.

Exodus 34:6,7 And the LORD passed by before him, and proclaimed, The LORD, The LORD God, merciful and gracious, long-suffering...

Isaiah 63:7 I will mention the loving kindnesses of the LORD, and the praises of the LORD, according to all that the LORD has bestowed on us...

Micah 7:18,19 Who is a God like to you, that pardons iniquity, and passes by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage...

Romans 5:20,21 Moreover the law entered, that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound...

Ephesians 1:6-8 To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he has made us accepted in the beloved...

1 Timothy 1:14 And the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.

full

Psalm 78:38 But he, being full of compassion, forgave their iniquity, and destroyed them not: yes, many a time turned he his anger away...

Psalm 112:4 To the upright there rises light in the darkness: he is gracious, and full of compassion, and righteous.

Psalm 145:8 The LORD is gracious, and full of compassion; slow to anger, and of great mercy.