| Scripture |
Expanded Comments |
| A Psalm of David. |
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| 1 Blessed be the LORD my strength, which teacheth my hands to war, and my fingers to fight: |
Fingers to fight – We should never go to battle without the assurance that the battle is the Lord's, nor should we forget that "Our weapons are not carnal weapons." (2 Cor. 10:4) R2015:3
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| 2 My goodness, and my fortress; my high tower, and my deliverer; my shield, and he in whom I trust; who subdueth my people under me. |
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| 3 LORD, what is man, that thou takest knowledge of him! or the son of man, that thou makest account of him! |
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| 4 Man is like to vanity: his days are as a shadow that passeth away. |
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| 5 Bow thy heavens, O LORD, and come down: touch the mountains, and they shall smoke. |
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| 6 Cast forth lightning, and scatter them: shoot out thine arrows, and destroy them. |
Cast forth lightning – Diffusions of knowledge. R511:2
Shoot out thine arrows – Divine truth, slaughtering the hosts of error. R5493:6; CR164:4; SM440:1
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| 7 Send thine hand from above; rid me, and deliver me out of great waters, from the hand of strange children;
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| 8 Whose mouth speaketh vanity, and their right hand is a right hand of falsehood. |
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| 9 I will sing a new song unto thee, O God: upon a psaltery and an instrument of ten strings will I sing praises unto thee. |
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| 10 It is he that giveth salvation unto kings: who delivereth David his servant from the hurtful sword. |
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| 11 Rid me, and deliver me from the hand of strange children, whose mouth speaketh vanity, and their right hand is a right hand of falsehood: |
Strange children – The Lord shall separate the false, or strange, children from the true, and will glorify the saintly ones. R4768:2
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| 12 That our sons may be as plants grown up in their youth; that our daughters may be as corner stones, polished after the similitude of a palace: |
Corner stones – Corner pillars. R4768:4
Polished – Sculptured. R4768:4
The grace and beauty of the children of the Messiah will be marvelous, attaining to more than Adamic perfection. R4768:4
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| 13 That our garners may be full, affording all manner of store: that our sheep may bring forth thousands and ten thousands in our streets: |
Our streets – Your open pastures. R4768:4
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| 14 That our oxen may be strong to labour; that there be no breaking in, nor going out; that there be no complaining in our streets. |
No breaking in – No breach--no rupture of happy relationships. R4768:4
Nor going out – No migration, no more seeking for better or more happifying conditions. R4768:5
Even death shall be destroyed. R4768:4
No complaining – Discontent is now rapidly increasing with every added blessing of our wonderful day. R4768:5
Contentment will take the place of selfishness and discontent. R4768:5
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| 15 Happy is that people, that is in such a case: yea, happy is that people, whose God is the LORD. |
Happy is that people – It is an ideal picture of the future and not of the past. R4768:1
That happy nation will acquire, additionally, a happy home and a worldwide paradise. Even human perfection could not bring happiness if calamities continued. R4768:2
Whose God is the LORD – Whose God is Jehovah. We need to correct our ideas and our theologies. R4768:5
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