The theme of this psalm is God’s superiority to all opposing powers, and the consequent safety of his church and people. There are strong reasons for believing that it was designed, with the one before it, to form a pair or double psalm. Besides those drawn from the number of verses and of the divine names, this whole psalm may be described as an amplification of the laconic dictum in Ps. xcii. 9 (8). There is nothing to determine its precise date; but there seem to be expressions in it, which imply the existence of imminent danger to the theocracy from some great hostile power.
1. Jehovah reigns; (with) majesty he clothes himself; Jehovah clothes himself with strength (and) girds himself; also established is the world, it shall not be moved. The first clause does not simply affirm Jehovah’s sovereignty as a general truth, but announces the fact that he has just become king or begun to reign, {. e. manifested himself anew in his regal character. The same form of the verb is used in reference to the accession of earthly monarchs, 2 Sam. xv. 10, 1 Kings i. 11, 13, 2 Kings ix. 13. The word translated majesty is the one applied in Ps. lxxxix. 11 (10) to the swelling of the sea. Its use here may be intended to suggest the superiority of God to the powers of this world. Clothes himself with^ literally puts on, wears. The other verb is reflective in form. The also introduces the consequence of this exaltation. See below, Ps. xcvi. 10, xcvii. 1, xcix. 1, and compare Isa. xxiv. 23, Obad. 21, Zech. xiv. 9, Rev. xi. 17, xix. 6.
2. Fixed (is) thy throne of old; from eternity (art) thou. Fixed, firmly established, permanently settled. Compare 2 Sam. vii. 13, 16, 1 Kings ii. 45. Of old, literally/rom then, as in the margin of the English Bible. Compare Prov. viii. 22, Isa. xlviii. 3, v. 7. With the last clause compare Ps. xc. 2, and with the whole verse Rev. i. 17.
3. The floods have raised, Jehovah, the floods have raised their voice; the floods will raise their crash, or crashing noise. The last Hebrew word occurs only here, but its etymology is obvious and perfectly analogous to that of waves or breakers in the next verse. The idea here conveyed is that of the noise made by the dashing of waves against each other or upon the shore. The preterite and future forms include the present, but suggest the additional idea of what has been heretofore and may be expected to continue hereafter. The emphatic repetition of the verb is like that in ver. 1, and reappears in this whole series (Ps. xci.-c.) as a characteristic feature.
4. More than the voices of waters—many—mighty—sea-billows—mighty in the high-place (is) Jehovah. More than, literally/rom, away from, the particle by which comparison is commonly expressed in Hebrew. The common version of the next clause, mighty waves of the sea, is scarcely grammatical, as the adjective, according to analogy and usage, cannot agree with the noun following, but must be in apposition with the adjective before it, and agree with the same object. The word translated mighty corresponds, in part, to our epithets, sublime and grand. See above, on Ps. viii. 1. Sea-billows, literally breakers of the sea. Compare Ps. xlii. 8 (7), lxxxviii. 8 (7), Jonah ii. 4 (3). That the comparison was meant to be between the noise of the sea and that of thunder considered as the voice of God, is an admissible but not a necessary supposition. See above, on Ps. xxix. 5.
5. Thy testimonies are sure, very (sure); to thy house suits (or is becoming) holiness, Jehovah, unto length of days. The testimonies of God are all the provisions of his Law, as in Ps. xix. 8 (7), xxv. 10, but with special reference, in this as in several other cases, to its promises. See above, on Ps. \x. 1, lxxx. 1. The verb here used is a passive, meaning strictly to be founded, settled, or secured. From this clause is borrowed the form of expression in Rev. xix. 9, xxi. 5, xxii. 6. The intensive adverb very or exceedingly has the same effect as when in English we use an epithet and add extremely so or very much so. The verb translated suits (or is becoming) is the root of the adjective used in Ps. xxxiii. 1. Compare my note on Isa. Hi. 7. Holiness is by some understood to mean sacredness, immunity from profanation, and of course from violent intrusion. See above, on Ps. lxxiv. 3. The house of God is here referred to, as the place where he dwelt with his people, and they with him. To length of days, see Ps. xxiii. 6.
