Psalm 131:9-10, 1
Let Thy priests, O Lord, be clothed with justice, and let Thy saints rejoice: for Thy servant David’s sake, turn not away the face of Thine anointed. Ps. O Lord, remember David and all his meekness. Glory be to the Father.
Haydock
Verse 9. Justice. And all virtues, (Bert.) of which their robes were emblematical. — Saints. Levites. Chal. C. — Let both priests and Levites perform well their sacred functions, (W.) and may all the faithful act up to their vocation. Bert. — Rejoice. Heb. “sing,” which was the office of the Levites. C. — Yet the original term is more comprehensive, and denotes all the emotions of joy. H.
Verse 10. Sake. What confidence are we not taught to place in the merits of the saints! The captives remind God of the virtues of David and Solomon, and use their expressions to move him to shew mercy, and to restore the temple to its ancient splendour; (C.) or rather, (H.) the consideration of David’s being a man according to God’s own heart, to whom various promises had been made for the establishment of his seed, is adduced to move the Lord to send the Messias speedily. W. — The future obstinacy of many Jews in rejecting him, was foreseen and deprecated. S. Aug. — Anointed. Do not cover me with confusion, (C.) or delay the promised Redeemer. H.
Verse 1. David. Jesus Christ, (S. Hil. &c.) or the pious king David, when he intended to build the temple. Solomon adopts some of the verses at his dedication, (v. 8. 2 Par. vi. 41. H.) and some have attributed the psalm to him, to the captives, or to some prophet in the time of the Machabees, though the prophets then, in fact, appeared no longer. Bert. See Ps. xliii. lxxiii. lxxvi. lxxxviii. and xcviii. — The Jews allow, that some verses regard the Messias, of whom the whole may be explained in a spiritual, (C.) or even in the second literal sense. Bert. — It is usual for David, Moses, &c. to speak of themselves in the third person. W. — Meekness. Heb. also, “humility,” (C.) or “affliction,” (S. Jer.) as the prophet might have all this in view. David gave abundant proofs of his humility (2 K. vii. 2. 13. Bert.) and moderation, and was greatly afflicted all his life. H. — Blessed are the meek. Mat. v. Christ has set before us his own example.