加尔文 / John Calvin
Some think that this psalm was composed at the time when the temple was dedicated, and the ark of the covenant placed in the sanctuary. But as this is a conjecture which has little to support it, it is better, if I am not mistaken, instead of detaining ourselves with this, to consider the subject-matter of the psalm, and the use to which it ought especially to be applied. It was no doubt appointed for the stated holy assemblies, as may be easily gathered from the whole tenor of the poem; and perhaps it was composed by David, and delivered by him to the Levites, to be sung by them before the temple was built, and when the ark as yet abode in the tabernacle. But whoever was its author, he exhorts not only the Israelites, but also all nations, to worship the only true God. It chiefly magnifies the favor which, according to the state of things at that time, God had graciously vouchsafed to the offspring of Abraham; and salvation to the whole world was to proceed from this source. It however contains, at the same time, a prophecy of the future kingdom of Christ. It teaches that the glory which then shone under the figure of the material sanctuary will diffuse its splendor far and wide; when God himself will cause the beams of his grace to shine into distant lands, that kings and nations may be united into fellowship with the children of Abraham.
有人认为这首诗篇是在圣殿奉献、约柜被安置于圣所时所作的。但由于这种猜测几乎没有支持的依据，若我没有错的话，最好不要在此停留，而是思考诗篇的主题和它最应当被应用的用途。毫无疑问，这首诗篇是为了定期的圣会而设立的，从整首诗的主旨可以轻易推断；也许是大卫所作，由他交给利未人，在圣殿建造之前、约柜还在幔幕中时由他们颂唱。然而无论其作者是谁，他不仅劝诫以色列人，也劝诫所有民族敬拜那独一真神。这首诗篇主要颂扬了上帝按照那时的情形，慈悲地赐给亚伯拉罕后裔的恩宠；救恩要从这源头流向全世界。然而与此同时，它也包含对基督未来国度的预言。它教导说：那时在有形圣所的图形之下所闪耀的荣耀，将广泛地将其光辉散播开来；到那时，上帝自己将使他恩典的光辉照入远处各地，好使君王和列国被联合进入亚伯拉罕子孙的团契之中。
To the chief musician of the sons of Korah: A Psalm.
献给可拉子孙的乐队长。诗篇。
47:1-4
1. Clap your hands, all ye peoples: shout unto God with the voice of triumph. 2. For Jehovah is high, terrible, and a great King over all the earth. 3. He hath put in order 183 the people under us, and the nations under our feet. 4. He hath chosen our inheritance for us, the glory of Jacob, whom he loved. Selah.
1. 万民哪，你们都当拍手；用夸胜的声音向上帝呼喊。2. 因为耶和华至高者是可畏的，他是治理全地的大王。3. 他叫万民服在我们以下，又叫列邦在我们脚下。4. 他为我们选择产业，就是他所爱之雅各的荣耀。（细拉）
Clap your hands, all ye peoples As the Psalmist requires the nations, in token of their joy and of their thanksgiving; to God, to clap their hands, or rather exhorts them to a more than ordinary joy, the vehemence of which breaks forth and manifests itself by external expressions, it is certain that he is here speaking of the deliverance which God had wrought for them. Had God erected among the Gentiles some formidable kingdom, this would rather have deprived all of their courage, and overwhelmed them with despair, than given them matter to sing and leap for joy. Besides, the inspired writer does not here treat of some common or ordinary blessings of God; but of such blessings as will fill the whole world with incredible joy, and stir up the minds of all men to celebrate the praises of God. What he adds a little after, that all nations were brought into subjection to Israel, must, therefore, necessarily be understood not of slavish subjection, but of a subjection which is more excellent, and more to be desired, than all the kingdoms of the world. It would be unnatural for those who are subdued and brought to submit by force and fear to leap for joy. Many nations were tributary to David, and to his son Solomon; but while they were so, they ceased not, at the same time, to murmur, and bore impatiently the yoke which was imposed upon them, so far were they from giving thanks to God with joyful and cheerful hearts. Since, then, no servitude is happy and desirable but that by which God subdues and brings under the standard and authority of Christ his Son those who before were rebels, it follows that this language is applicable only to the kingdom of Christ, who is called a high and terrible King, (verse 2;) not that he makes the wretched beings over whom he reigns to tremble by the tyranny and violence of his sway, but because his majesty, which before had been held in contempt, will suffice to quell the rebellion of the whole world. It is to be observed, that the design of the Holy Spirit is here to teach, that as the Jews had been long contumeliously treated, oppressed with wrongs, and afflicted from time to time with divers calamities, the goodness and liberality of God towards them was now so much the more illustrious, when the kingdom of David had subdued the neighboring nations on every sidle, and had attained to such a height of glory. We may, however, easily gather from the connection of the words the truth of what I have suggested, that when God is called a terrible and great King over all the earth, this prophecy applies to the kingdom of Christ. There is, therefore, no doubt, that the grace of God was celebrated by these titles, to strengthen the hearts of the godly during the period that intervened till the advent of Christ, in which not only the triumphant state of the people of Israel had fallen into decay, but in which also the people, being oppressed with the bitterest contumely, could have no taste of the favor of God, and no consolation from it, but by relying on the promises of God alone. We know that there was a long interruption of the splendor of the kingdom of God’s ancient people, which continued from the death of Solomon to the coming of Christ. This interval formed, as it were, a gulf or chasm, which would have swallowed up the minds of the godly, had they not been supported and upheld by the Word of God. As, therefore, God exhibited in the person of David a type of the kingdom of Christ, which is here extolled, although there followed shortly after a sad and almost shameful diminution of the glory of David’s kingdom, then the most grievous calamities, and, finally, the captivity and a most miserable dispersion, which differed little from a total destruction, the Holy Spirit has exhorted the faithful to continue clapping their hands for joy, until the advent of the promised Redeemer. 3. He hath set in order the people under us Some translate the verb he hath subjected; and this agrees with the translation which I have given. Others translate it he hath led, which is somewhat more remote from the meaning. But to understand the verb , yadebber, as meaning to destroy, as is done by others, is altogether at variance with the mind of the prophet; for it is doubtless an advantageous, joyful, and desirable subjection which is here meant. In the Hebrew, the verb is in the future tense, he will set in order; and if any are disposed to prefer retaining it in this tense, I have no great objection to it. As, however, it is certain that under the figure of the kingdom of David there is here celebrated the grace of God to come, I have readily adopted that rendering which has been preferred by other interpreters. Besides, although in this verse the prophet especially exhorts his own countrymen to gratitude to God, because, through his favor, they ruled over all people; yet it is certain that he means, that those also who were subdued are associated with the Jews in this joy. The body does not differ more from the shadow than the reigned expressions of joy with which the heathen nations honored David in old time, differ from those with which the faithful through the whole world 184 receive Christ,; for the latter flow from the willing obedience of the heart. And assuredly, if after the ark was brought to the temple, there had not appeared hidden under this figure something far higher, which formed the substance of it:, it would have been as it were a childish joy to assign to God his dwelling there, and to shut him up within such narrow limits. But when the majesty of God which had dwelt in the tabernacle was manifested to the whole world, and when all nations were brought in subjection to his authority, this prerogative of the offspring of Abraham was then illustriously manifested. The prophet, then, when he declares that the Gentiles Will be subdued, so that they will not refuse to obey the chosen people, is describing that kingdom of which he had previously spoken. We are not to suppose that he here treats of that secret providence by which God governs the whole world, but of the special power which he exercises by means of his word; and, therefore, in order that he may be properly called a King, his own people must necessarily acknowledge him as such. It may, however, be asked, “Since Christ has brought the Church under his own authority and celestial power, in what sense can it be said that the nations are subject to the Jews, seeing we know that the order of the Church cannot be settled aright, and as it ought to be, unless Christ the only head stand forth prominently above all, and all the faithful, from the greatest to the least, keep themselves in the humble rank of members? Nay, more, when Christ erected his dominion through the whole world, the adoption, which had before been the peculiar privilege of one people, began to be the common privilege of all nations; and by this means liberty was granted to all together, that being united to one another by the ties of true brotherhood, they should aspire to the celestial inheritance.” The answer to this is easy: When the yoke of the law, 185 was imposed upon the Gentiles, the Jews then obtained the sovereignty over them; even as by the word the pastors of the Church exercise the jurisdiction of the Holy Spirit. For this very reason the Church is called a Queen, and the Mother of all the godly, (Galatians 4:26,) because divine truth, which is like a scepter to subdue us all, has been committed to her keeping. Although then the Jews, when the kingdom of Christ emerged into light, were in a state of wretched and ignominious servitude to heathen nations, and had been, as it were, their slaves; yet the sovereignty is truly and justly attributed to them, because God “sent the rod of his strength out of Zion,” (Psalm 110:2;) and as they were intrusted with the keeping of the la their office was to restrain and subdue the Gentiles by its authority. The only way by which the rest of the world has been brought into subjection to God is, that men, being renewed by the Spirit of God, have willingly yielded themselves docile and tractable to the Jews, and suffered themselves to be under their dominion; as it is said in another passage, “In those days it shall come to pass, that ten men shall take hold out of all languages of the nations, even shall take hold of the skirt of him that is a Jew,saying, We will go with you;for we have heard that God is with you,” (Zechariah 8:23.) 4. He hath chosen our inheritance for us. The inspired poet here celebrates more distinctly the special grace which God, in his goodness, had bestowed upon the chosen and holy seed of Abraham. As he passed by all the rest of the word, and adopted to himself a people who were few in number and contemptible; so it was proper that such a signal pledge of his fatherly love should be distinguished from his common beneficence, which is extended to all mankind without distinction. The word chosen is therefore peculiarly emphatic, implying that God had not dealt with the children of Abraham as he had been accustomed indiscriminately to deal with other nations; but that he had bestowed upon them, as it were by hereditary right, a peculiar dignity by which they excelled all others. The same thing is expressed immediately after by the word glory Thus then the prophet enjoins the duty of thanksgiving to God, for having exalted, in the person of Jacob, his chosen people to the highest degree of honor, so that they might boast that their condition was distinguished from that of all other nations. He shows, at the same time, that this was entirely owing to the free and unmerited favor of God. The relative pronoun whom is put instead of the causal particle for or because, as if the Psalmist had attributed the cause of this prerogative by which they were distinguished to God himself. Whenever the favor of God towards the Jews is commended, in consequence of his having loved their fathers, this principle should always be kept in mind, that hereby all merits in man are annihilated. If all the excellence or glory of the holy patriarch depended purely and simply upon the good pleasure of God, who can dare to arrogate any thing to himself as peculiarly his own? If God then has given us any thing above others, and as it were by special privilege, let us learn to ascribe the whole to the fatherly love which he bears towards seeing he has chosen us to be his flock. We also gather from this passage that the grace which God displays towards his chosen is not extended to all men in common, but is a privilege by which he distinguishes a few from the great mass of mankind.
万民哪，你们都当拍手。 诗人要求列邦以欢喜和感恩上帝的记号拍手，或者更确切地说，他在劝勉他们进入一种非寻常的喜乐——其激烈程度以外在的表达迸发并显露出来；因此可以确定，他在此说的是上帝为他们所成就的拯救。若上帝在外邦中建立了某个可畏的国度，这反而会夺去众人的勇气，将他们淹没于绝望，而非给他们歌唱和跳跃的题材。此外，受感动的作者在此论述的不是某些上帝普通或寻常的祝福，而是将充满整个世界以难以置信的喜乐，激励所有人的心意颂扬上帝之赞美的祝福。他稍后所补充的——所有民族都被带入顺服以色列之下——因此必然被理解为不是奴役性的顺服，而是比世上所有国度更卓越、更值得渴望的顺服。那些被以武力和恐惧征服、被迫顺服的人，不可能因此跳跃喜乐。许多民族向大卫和他儿子所罗门纳贡，但在此期间，他们仍不停地抱怨，不耐烦地忍受加在他们身上的轭，离以感恩愉快喜乐的心向上帝感谢相去甚远。既然，没有任何奴役是幸福而值得渴望的，除了上帝借着这奴役将从前的叛逆者制伏、带到他儿子基督的旗帜和权威之下的那种顺服；因此可知，这段话只能应用于基督的国度——他被称为至高的可畏之王（第2节）；不是说他以专横暴力的统治使那些在他统治下的可怜人颤抖，而是因为他的威严，从前遭人藐视，将足以平息全世界的悖逆。须注意，圣灵在此的用意是要教导：犹太人长期遭受凌辱，被压迫，不时被各种灾难所困扰，如今当大卫的国度制伏四周的列国、达到如此高的荣耀时，上帝对他们的良善和慷慨就愈加显著。然而，从这些话的连接中，我们可以轻易推断出我所建议的真理：当上帝被称为全地可畏的大王时，这个预言应用于基督的国度。因此毫无疑问：上帝的恩典以这些称号受到颂扬，是为了坚固虔诚之人的心，度过那直到基督降临的漫长时期——在这期间，以色列人的得胜状态不仅衰败，而且百姓遭受最苦涩的凌辱，若非单凭上帝的应许，既无法品尝上帝的恩宠，也无从中得到任何安慰。我们知道，从所罗门死到基督降临，上帝古代子民国度之辉煌有一段漫长的中断。这段期间仿佛是一个深渊或裂口，若非被上帝的话语支撑扶持，会将虔诚之人的心吞噬。因此，既然上帝在大卫身上展示了基督国度的一个预表，就是这里所颂扬的，虽然随后不久大卫国度的荣耀有了悲哀、几乎令人羞愧的缩减，然后是最惨重的灾难，最后是被掳和最悲惨的离散——这与彻底灭亡相差无几——圣灵仍然劝诫信徒继续拍手欢呼，直到所应许的救赎主降临。3. 他叫万民服在我们以下。 有人将这个动词译为”他已征服”，这与我所给出的译法吻合。另一些人译为”他已引领”，这与原意稍远。但像另一些人那样将动词”雅达伯尔”（yadebber）理解为”摧毁”，完全与先知的意思相违背；因为这里所说的无疑是有益的、喜乐的、可渴望的顺服。在希伯来文中，动词是将来时”他将安排”；若有人倾向于保留这个时态，我没有多大异议。然而，既然可以确定，在大卫国度的图形之下，这里颂扬的是将来上帝的恩宠，我就乐意采用其他注释家所倾向的译法。此外，虽然先知在这节话中主要劝勉自己的同胞感恩上帝，因为借着他的恩宠，他们统治了所有民族；然而他必定是指，那些被制伏的民也同样参与这喜乐。身体与影子的区别，不大于外邦人昔日出于礼节向大卫所表现的喜乐，与信徒在全世界接待基督时的喜乐之间的区别；因为后者是出于心意的自愿顺服。诚然，若约柜被抬进圣殿之后，这图形之下没有显现某种更高远、更实质的东西，那么把上帝安置在那里、将他关闭在如此狭小的范围之内，将不过是幼稚的喜乐。然而当居住在幔幕中的上帝的威严向全世界彰显，当所有民族被带入顺服于他的权威之下时，亚伯拉罕后裔的这特权就以显赫的方式得到了彰显。先知在宣告外邦人将被制伏，以至他们不拒绝顺从被拣选的民时，描述的正是他前面所说的那个国度。我们不应以为他在此论述上帝借其治理全世界的那种秘密护理，而是论述他借着话语所施行的特别权力；因此，为了被适当地称为王，他自己的子民必然要承认他是王。然而或有人问：”既然基督已将教会纳入他自己的权柄和天上的能力之下，在什么意义上可以说各国都服在犹太人之下？我们知道，除非基督这唯一的头在众人之上显著地站立出来，并且所有信徒从最大到最小都谦卑地持守其成员的地位，教会的秩序就不能得到正当的确立。不仅如此，当基督通过全世界建立他的统治时，从前是一个民族特有特权的收纳，开始成为所有民族的共同特权；以此方式，自由被共同赐给众人，好使他们借着真正弟兄情谊的纽带彼此联结，同心向往属天的产业。”回答是容易的：当律法的轭被加在外邦人身上时，犹太人就获得了对他们的主权；就如借着话语，教会的牧者行使圣灵的管辖权。正是出于这个原因，教会被称为王后和所有虔诚人的母亲（加拉太书4:26），因为那种制伏我们众人的神圣真理，已托付给她保管，就像一根权杖一样。虽然基督的国度兴起显现时，犹太人处于对异族国家的悲惨可耻奴役中，仿佛是他们的奴隶；然而主权真正合理地归于他们，因为上帝”从锡安伸出能力的杖”（诗篇110:2）；他们被托付保管律法，他们的职分是以律法的权威约束和制伏外邦人。世界其余的人被带入顺服上帝的唯一方式是：人被上帝的灵所更新，甘心将自己交给犹太人，顺从驯服，让自己在他们的管辖之下；正如在另一处所说：”那时，将有十个人，就是各国各族的人，拉住一个犹太人的衣襟，说，我们要与你们同去，因为我们听见上帝与你们同在了”（撒迦利亚书8:23）。4. 他为我们选择产业。 受感动的诗人在此更明确地颂扬上帝在良善中赐给被拣选的亚伯拉罕圣洁后裔的特别恩宠。正如他越过了世上其余所有人，将一个数量少而卑微的民收纳为他自己的子民；所以，这样显著的父慈之爱的凭据，理应与他不加区别地延伸到全人类的普遍恩惠相区分。”选择”这个词因此是特别有力的，暗示上帝对待亚伯拉罕的子孙，与他惯于对待其他民族的方式不同；而是赐给他们一种仿佛以继承权所得的特殊尊贵，使他们在众人之上超越。紧随其后的”荣耀”一词也表达了同样的意思。先知因此下令感谢上帝，因他在雅各身上将他所拣选的子民提升到最高的尊荣，使他们可以夸耀自己的处境与所有其他民族有所区别。他同时表明，这完全归因于上帝自由无偿的恩宠。关系代词”他所爱的”代替了原因连词”因为”或”由于”，仿佛诗人将他们所蒙特权的缘由归于上帝本身。每当上帝对犹太人的恩宠因他曾爱他们列祖而受到称颂时，这个原则应当始终牢记：由此，人的一切功德都被消灭。若圣祖的一切卓越或荣耀，纯粹简单地依赖于上帝的美意，谁能大胆地将任何事归功于自己？若上帝以某种特别恩赐给了我们某些超乎他人的东西，let我们学习将一切归于他对我们所怀有的父爱——因为他拣选了我们作他的羊群。我们也从这段话得出结论：上帝向他所拣选之人所彰显的恩宠，不是普遍地延伸到所有人，而是借以将少数人从人类大众中区别出来的特权。
47:5-9
5. God is gone up with triumph, Jehovah with the sound of a trumpet. 6. Sing praises to God, sing praises: sing praises to our King, sing praises. 7. For God is King of all the earth: sing praises every one who understandeth. 8. He hath obtained the kingdom over the heathen: God sitteth upon the throne of his holiness. 9. The princes of the peoples [or nations] are assembled together to the people of the God of Abraham: for the shields of the earth are God’s: he is greatly exalted.
5. 上帝上升，有欢呼声；耶和华上升，有角声。6. 你们要歌颂上帝，歌颂，歌颂我们的王，歌颂。7. 因为上帝是全地的王，你们要用悟性歌颂。8. 上帝作王治理列国；上帝坐在他的圣宝座上。9. 列国的首领聚集，要作亚伯拉罕之上帝的民；因为地的盾牌是属上帝的，他为至高。
God is gone up with triumph There is here an allusion to the ancient ceremony which was observed under the Law. As the sound of trumpets was wont to be used in solemnising the holy assemblies, the prophet says that God goes up, when the trumpets encourage and stir up the people to magnify and extol his power. When this ceremony was performed in old time, it was just as if a king, making his entrance among his subjects, presented himself to them in magnificent attire and great splendor, by which he gained their admiration and reverence. At the same time, the sacred writer, under that shadowy ceremony, doubtless intended to lead us to consider another kind of going up more triumphant — that of Christ when he “ascended up far above all heavens,” (Ephesians 4:10) and obtained the empire of the whole world, and armed with his celestial power, subdued all pride and loftiness. You must remember what I have adverted to before, that the name Jehovah is here applied to the ark; for although the essence or majesty of God was not shut up in it, nor his power and operation fixed to it, yet it was not a vain and idle symbol of his presence. God had promised that he would dwell in the midst of the people so long as the Jews worshipped him according to the rule which he had prescribed in the Law; and he actually showed that he was truly present with them, and that it was not in vain that he was called upon among them. What is here stated, however, applies more properly to the manifestation of the glory which at length shone forth in the person of Christ. In short, the import of the Psalmist’s language is, When the trumpets sounded among the Jews, according to the appointment of the Law, that was not a mere empty sound which vanished away in the air; for God, who intended the ark of the covenant to be a pledge and token of his presence, truly presided in that assembly. From this the prophet draws an argument for enforcing on the faithful the duty of singing praises to God He argues, that by engaging in this exercise they will not be acting blindly or at random, as the superstitious, who, having no certainty in their false systems of religion, lament and howl in vain before their idols. He shows that the faithful have just ground for celebrating with their mouths and with a cheerful heart the praises of God; 186 since they certainly know that he is as present with them, as if he had visibly established his royal throne among them. 7. For God is King of all the earth The Psalmist, having called God in the close of the preceding verse King of the chosen people, now calls him King of all the earth; and thus, while he claims to the Jews the right and honor of primogeniture, he at the same time joins to them the Gentiles as associates and partakers with them of the same blessing. By these words he intimates that the kingdom of God would be much more magnificent and glorious at the coming of the Messiah, than it was under the shadowy dispensation of the Law, inasmuch as it would be extended to the utmost boundaries of the earth. To show the greater earnestness in his exhortation, he repeats the words, Sing praises to God, five times. The word , maskil, 187 is put in the singular number instead of the plural; for he invites to this exercise all who are skillful in singing. He, no doubt, speaks of knowledge in the art of music; but he requires, at the same time, the worshippers of God to sing the praises of God intelligently, that there may not be the mere sound of tongues, as we know to be the case among the Papists. Knowledge of what is sung is required in order to engage in a proper manner in the singing of psalms, that the name of God may not be profaned, as it would certainly be, were there nothing more but the voice which melts away or is dissolved in the air. 188 8. He hath obtained the kingdom over the heathen Literally it is, He hath reigned; but as the verb , malach, is in the past tense, which in Hebrew denotes a continued act, we have translated it, He hath obtained the kingdom The prophet repeatedly informs us that God reigns over the Gentiles; and from this it is easy to gather that he here treats of a new and a previously unheard of manner of reigning. There is an implied contrast between the time of the Law, when God confined his empire, or kingdom, within the boundaries of Judea, and the coming of Christ, when he extended it far and wide, so as to occupy the whole world from one end to the other. The majesty of God sent forth some sparks of its brightness among the heathen nations, when David made them tributary; but the prophet could not, on that account, have properly said that God reigned among them, since they both contemned his worship and the true religion, and also wished to see the Church completely extinguished. To find the fulfillment of this prophecy, we must, therefore, necessarily come to Christ. What is added in the second clause of the verse, God sitteth upon the throne of his holiness, may be taken in a twofold sense. By this form of expression is often to be understood the tabernacle, or the temple; but it also sometimes signifies heaven. If any are inclined to explain it of the temple, the meaning will be, That while God reigned over the whole world, and comprehended all nations under his dominion, he had established his chief seat at Jerusalem; and it was from thence that the doctrine of the gospel, by which he has brought under his dominion all people, flowed. We may, however, very properly take this expression as spoken of heaven; and thus the sense will be, That God, in stretching forth his hand to subdue men, and bring them to submit to his authority, evidently shows that, from his heavenly throne, he reigns over men. Unless he show men his power and working by signs manifest and near at hand, he is not acknowledged as Governor of the world. 9 The princes of the peoples are gathered together. The Psalmist enriches and amplifies by various expressions the preceding sentence. He again declares that the way in which God obtained dominion over the Gentiles was, that those who before were aliens united in the adoption of the same faith with the Jews; and thus different nations, from a state of miserable dispersion, were gathered together into one body. When the doctrine of the Gospel was manifested and shone forth, it did not remove the Jews from the covenant which God had long before made with them. On the contrary, it has rather joined us to them. As then the calling of the Gentiles was nothing else than the means by which they were grafted and incorporated into the family of Abraham, the prophet justly states, that strangers or aliens from every direction were gathered together to the chosen people, that by such an increase the kingdom of God might be extended through all quarters of the globe. On this account Paul says, (Ephesians 3:6,) that the Gentiles were made one body with the Jews, that they might be partakers of the everlasting inheritance. By the abolition of the ceremonies of the Mosaic economy, “the middle wall of partitions” which made a separation between the Jews and the Gentiles, is now removed, (Ephesians 2:14;) but it nevertheless remains true, that we are not accounted among the children of God unless we have been grafted into the stock of Abraham. The prophet does not merely speak of the common people: he also tells us that princes themselves will regard it as the height of their felicity to be gathered together with the Jews; as we shall see in another psalm, (Psalm 87:5,) “And of Zion it shall be said, This and that man was born in her.” Farther, it is said that this gathering together will be to the people of the God of Abraham, to teach us that it is not here meant to attribute to the Jews any superiority which they naturally possess above others, but that all their excellence depends upon this, that the pure worship of God flourishes among them, and that they hold heavenly doctrine in high estimation. This, therefore, is not spoken of the bastard or cast-off Jews, whom their own unbelief has cut off from the Church. But as, according to the statement of the Apostle Paul, (Romans 11:16,) the root being holy, the branches are also holy, it follows that the falling away of the greater part does not prevent this honor from continuing to belong to the rest. Accordingly, the “consumption” which, as is stated in the prophecy of Isaiah, overflowed the whole earth, is called the people of the God of Abraham, (chapter 10:22, 23.) This passage contains two very important and instructive truths. In the first place, we learn from it, that all who would be reckoned among the children of God ought to seek to have a place in the Church, and to join themselves to it, that they may maintain fraternal unity with all the godly; and, secondly, that when the unity of the Church is spoken of, it is to be considered as consisting in nothing else but an unfeigned agreement to yield obedience to the word of God, that there may be one sheepfold and one Shepherd. Moreover, those who are exalted in the world in respect of honors and riches, are here admonished to divest themselves of all pride, and willingly and submissively to bear the yoke in common with others, that they may show themselves the obedient children of the Church. What follows immediately after, The shields of the earth are God’s, is understood by many as spoken of princes. 189 I admit that this metaphor is of frequent occurrence in Scripture, nor does this sense seem to be unsuitable to the scope of the passage. It is as if the prophet had said, It is in the power of God to ingraft into his Church the great ones of the world whenever he pleases; for he reigns over them also. Yet the sense will be more simple if we explain the words thus: That, as it is God alone who defends and preserves the world, the high and supreme majesty, which is sufficient for so exalted and difficult a work as the preservation of the world, is justly looked upon with admiration. The sacred writer expressly uses the word shields in the plural number, for, considering the various and almost innumerable dangers which unceasingly threaten every part of the world, the providence of God must necessarily interpose in many ways, and make use, as it were, of many bucklers.
上帝上升，有欢呼声。 这里有对律法之下所遵守的古代礼仪的暗示。正如吹号在圣会的庆典中惯常被使用，先知说上帝上升，是当号声鼓励并激励百姓颂扬颂扬和高举他的能力时。当这种礼仪在古时施行时，就好像一位王在进入臣民中间时，以华丽的装束和宏大的排场展示自己，借此赢得他们的仰慕和敬畏。与此同时，圣经的作者在那礼仪的影子之下，毫无疑问是有意要我们思考另一种更凯旋的上升——基督”升到高天之上”（以弗所书4:10），获得了全世界的帝权，以他的天上能力武装自己，制伏了一切骄傲和傲慢。你必须记住我前面提到的：这里”耶和华”这个名字被应用于约柜；因为虽然上帝的本质或威严并没有被关闭在其中，他的能力和运作也不固着于它，然而它并非他同在的空虚无用的象征。上帝已应许他将住在百姓中间，只要犹太人按他在律法中所规定的准则敬拜他；他实际上表明，他真实地与他们同在，他们在他们中间被呼求，并非徒然。然而这里所说的，更确切地应用于那最终在基督位格上光辉闪现的荣耀的彰显。简而言之，诗人语言的含义是：当犹太人按律法的规定吹号时，那不是一个消逝于空气中的空洞声音；因为上帝，他有意将约柜作为他同在的凭据和记号，真实地主持那聚会。先知从此论证，加诸信徒歌颂上帝的义务。他论证说，他们在参与这操练时，不是盲目或漫无目的地行事，如那些迷信之人——他们的错误宗教体系没有任何确定性，在他们的偶像面前徒劳地悲哀哀号。他表明，信徒有充分的理由以口和喜乐的心颂扬上帝，因为他们确实知道，他与他们同在，仿佛他已在他们中间以可见的方式建立了他的王座。7. 因为上帝是全地的王。 诗人在上一节末尾称上帝为被拣选子民的王之后，如今称他为全地的王；因此，当他向犹太人主张长子权利和荣耀时，他同时将外邦人作为同伴和分享同一祝福的参与者联结在他们身上。他借这些话表明：在弥赛亚降临时，上帝的国度将比律法礼仪阴影之下更加壮丽荣耀，因为它将延伸到地的最远边界。为了更有力地表达他劝勉的迫切，他将”歌颂上帝”重复了五次。”马斯基尔”（maskil）这个词用单数代替复数；因为他邀请所有擅于歌唱的人参与这操练。他无疑是指音乐艺术上的知识；然而同时，他要求上帝的敬拜者以悟性歌颂上帝的赞美，好使其中不仅仅是舌头的声音——如同我们知道在罗马天主教徒中所发生的。为了以适当的方式参与诗篇的歌唱，需要对所唱之物有所理解，好使上帝的名不受亵渎——若没有任何超过消融于空气中的声音，那必然是亵渎。8. 上帝作王治理列国。 按字面是”他已作王”；但由于动词”玛拉哈”（malach）是过去时，在希伯来文中表示一个持续的行为，我们将其译为”他已获得国度”。先知反复告诉我们，上帝在外邦人中作王；由此容易推断，他在此论述一种新的、此前前所未闻的统治方式。这里有律法时期与基督降临之间的隐含对比——律法时期，上帝将他的帝国或国度限制在犹大的边界之内；基督降临时，他将其延伸得更广，直到占据整个世界从一端到另一端。当大卫使异族纳贡时，上帝的威严在异族中间发出了些许光辉的火花；但先知不能因此恰当地说上帝在他们中间作王，因为他们既藐视他的敬拜和真正的宗教，也愿意见到教会完全灭亡。要找到这预言的成就，我们因此必然要来到基督那里。本节第二句所加的”上帝坐在他的圣宝座上”，可以两种含义来理解。这种表达方式通常是指幔幕或圣殿；但有时也指天。若有人倾向于以圣殿来解释，含义将是：当上帝统治全世界、将万国都纳入他的管辖之下时，他在耶路撒冷设立了他的主要宝座；从那里，带来他制伏万民之统治权的福音教义流出。然而，我们也可以十分恰当地将这表达理解为天上的意思；如此则含义是：上帝在伸出他的手征服人、使他们顺服于他的权威时，明显表明，他从他的天上宝座统治人。除非他以明显切近的迹象向人显明他的能力和运作，他就不被承认为世界的治理者。9. 列国的首领聚集。 诗人用各种不同的表达来丰富和放大前面的话。他再次宣告，上帝获得对外邦人统治权的方式，是那些从前为陌生人的人，联合加入了与犹太人同样的信仰；如此，来自不同国家、处于可悲离散状态的人，被聚集成为一个身体。当福音的教义得以显明并发光时，它并没有将犹太人从上帝长久以前与他们所立的圣约中移除。恰恰相反，它更将我们联结于他们。既然外邦人蒙召，不过是他们被接枝并合并入亚伯拉罕家庭的方法，先知有理由宣告：来自四面八方的陌生人或局外人被聚集到被拣选的民那里，好使上帝的国度借着如此的增加延伸到全球各处。为此，保罗说（以弗所书3:6），外邦人与犹太人成为一个身体，以便成为永恒产业的分享者。摩西律法礼仪的废除，使曾将犹太人和外邦人分隔开来的”中间隔断的墙”被拆毁了（以弗所书2:14）；然而仍然真实的是，除非我们被接入亚伯拉罕的根茎，否则我们不被算在上帝的儿女中。先知说的不只是普通百姓：他还告诉我们，就连王侯自己也将视被聚集到犹太人中间为他们至高的幸福；正如我们在另一首诗篇（诗篇87:5）所看到的：”论到锡安必说，这一个那一个都生在其中。”此外，这聚集被说成是”到亚伯拉罕之上帝的民那里”，要教导我们：这里不是要将犹太人在其他人之上自然拥有的某种优越性归于他们，而是他们的一切美善取决于上帝纯正的敬拜在他们中间兴旺、他们将属天的教义置于高位。因此，这话不是说那些私生的或被弃绝的犹太人，他们自己的不信使他们从教会中被截断。但按照使徒保罗所说的（罗马书11:16），根若是圣洁的，枝子也是圣洁的；因此多数人的堕落，不能妨碍这荣耀继续属于其余的人。因此，以赛亚预言中所说的”漫过全地”的”遗民”（以赛亚书10:22-23），被称为”亚伯拉罕之上帝的民”。这段话包含了两个极为重要而有教益的真理。首先，我们从中得知：所有愿意被算在上帝儿女中的人，都应当寻求在教会中有一席之地、加入教会，以便与所有虔诚之人维持弟兄情谊的合一；其次，当论到教会的合一时，应当认为它不过是在于对上帝话语的真诚一致的顺服，好使有一个羊圈和一个牧人。此外，在世上因名誉和财富而地位崇高的人，在此被提醒要脱去一切骄傲，甘心与他人共负同一的轭，以表明自己是教会的顺服儿女。紧接其后的”地的盾牌是属上帝的”，许多人理解为是说到王侯。我承认，这个比喻在圣经中频繁出现，这层意思对于这段话的主旨似乎也不无道理。仿佛先知说：凡上帝乐意，他将世上的伟人接枝入他的教会，这在他的权能之内；因为他也统治着他们。然而，若我们如此解释这些话，意思将更为简单：由于唯独上帝在捍卫和保全世界，保全世界这项崇高艰巨工作所需的崇高至上的威严，理所当然地令人仰慕。圣经作者特意以复数”盾牌”来表达，因为考虑到不断威胁世界每个角落的种种、几乎无数的危险，上帝的护理必然以许多方式介入，仿佛使用许多盾牌一般。
外邦人哄嚷，列国动摇；他发出声音，大地便消化了。7. 万军之耶和华与我们同在；雅各的上帝是我们的避难所。（细拉）8. 你们来看耶和华的作为，他在地上所行的荒凉事。9. 他使战事止息，直到地极；他折断弓箭，把战车用火焚烧。10. 你们要休息，要知道我是上帝！我必在外邦中被尊崇，在遍地上也被尊崇。11. 万军之耶和华与我们同在；雅各的上帝是我们的避难所。（细拉）
外邦人哄嚷。 由于上帝的教会从来不缺仇敌，且他们极为强盛，因此以残忍无拘的狂怒攻击她，先知如今从经历来确认他在论述神圣保护的铜墙铁壁时所提出的教义。他然后从中引申出普遍的安慰根据：上帝的职分就是持续地约束和平息一切扰动，他的臂膀有足够的力量破除仇敌的一切努力。从中我们获得了无价的安慰根据：虽然全世界起来对抗我们，以增加的疯狂搅乱一切，他们也能在一瞬间归于虚无，只要上帝向我们显明是恩宠的。上帝的声音无疑表示他的意志或命令；但先知用这个表达，着眼于上帝的应许，他已宣告将作教会的守护者和保卫者。7. 万军之耶和华与我们同在。 这节话教导我们，如何将圣经各处所记关于上帝无限能力的事应用于自己。当我们相信自己是上帝以父慈之爱所拥抱的那些人之一，就能做到这一点。先知再次暗指那拣选，借着它以色列与地上所有其他民族的普通处境区别开来。因此，确信的夸口来自于：上帝已拣选我们为他的特别子民，要在保护和捍卫我们时彰显他的能力。为此，先知在以”万军之上帝”称呼颂扬上帝的能力之后，立即加上另一称号”雅各的上帝”，借此确认了自古以来与亚伯拉罕所立的圣约。为使我们的信心真正稳固地建立在上帝里，我们必须同时考虑他性情的两部分：他无量的能力，以及他在话语中所彰显的父爱。10. 你们要休息，要知道我是上帝。 诗人在此似乎将他的言论转向上帝子民的仇敌，他们在圣徒身上放纵作恶和报仇的欲望。先知约束他们的放肆，引入上帝亲自向他们说话。他命令他们安静，好知道他是上帝；为要令其察觉他们是在与上帝争战。先知劝诫世界制约汹涌的情感，将以色列上帝所当得的荣耀归给他；并警告他们，若他们继续像疯狂之人那样行事，他的能力并不局限于犹大狭小的范围，他随时可以伸手到远处，使自己在每片土地上得到荣耀。末了，他重复了他已说过的：上帝拥有足够的武器和力量，来保护和捍卫他所收纳的教会。
发布于 2026年4月28日 00:00
