Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on the Whole Bible
back to: Psalms
Book: Psalms
Chapter: 21

Overview:
Thanksgiving for victory. (1-6) Confidence of further success.
(7-13)

1-6 Happy the people whose King makes God's strength his
confidence, and God's Salvation his joy; who is pleased with all
the advancements of God kingdom, and trusts God to support him
in all he does for the service of it. All our blessings are
blessings of Goodness, and are owing, not to any merit of ours,
but only to God's Goodness. But when God's blessings come
sooner, and prove richer than we imagine; when they are given
before we prayed for them, before we were ready for them, nay,
when we feared the contrary; then it may be truly said that he
prevented, or went before us, with them. Nothing indeed
prevented, or went before Christ, but to mankind never was any
favour more preventing than our Redemption By Christ. Thou hast
made him to be a universal, Everlasting blessing to the world,
in whom the families of the Earth are, and shall be blessed; and
So thou hast made him exceeding glad with the countenance thou
hast given to his undertaking, and to him in the prosecution of
it. The Spirit of Prophecy rises from what related to the King,
to that which is Peculiar to Christ; none other is blessed for
ever, much less a blessing for ever.

7-13 The psalmist teaches to look forward with Faith, and Hope,
and Prayer upon what God would further do. The success with
which God blessed David, was a Type of the total overthrow of
all Christ's enemies. Those who might have had Christ to rule
and save them, but rejected him and fought against him, shall
find the remembrance of it a Worm that dies not. God makes
sinners willing By his Grace, receives them to his favour, and
delivers them from the wrath to come. May he exalt himself, By
his all-powerful Grace, in our hearts, destroying all the
strong-holds of Sin and Satan. How great should be our joy and
praise to behold our Brother and Friend upon the Throne, and for
all the blessings we may expect from him! yet he delights in his
exalted state, as enabling him to confer happiness and Glory On
Poor sinners, who are taught to Love and trust in him.