What does Psalm 89:1 mean?
ESV: I will sing of the steadfast love of the Lord, forever; with my mouth I will make known your faithfulness to all generations.
NIV: A maskil of Ethan the Ezrahite. I will sing of the Lord’s great love forever; with my mouth I will make your faithfulness known through all generations.
NASB: I will sing of the graciousness of the Lord forever; To all generations I will make Your faithfulness known with my mouth.
CSB: A Maskil of Ethan the Ezrahite. I will sing about the Lord’s faithful love forever; I will proclaim your faithfulness to all generations with my mouth.
NLT: I will sing of the Lord’s unfailing love forever! Young and old will hear of your faithfulness.
KJV: Maschil of Ethan the Ezrahite. I will sing of the mercies of the Lord for ever: with my mouth will I make known thy faithfulness to all generations.
NKJV: {A Contemplation of Ethan the Ezrahite.} I will sing of the mercies of the Lord forever; With my mouth will I make known Your faithfulness to all generations.
Verse Commentary:
Verse Context:
Psalm 89:1–18 praises the Lord for unfailing love and faithfulness. He is also praised for making a covenant with David (2 Samuel 7:11–16). This is a sign of God's power and graciousness. Also impressive are the Lord's acts of sovereign power. Those who side with the Lord God are blessed for siding with Him.
Chapter Summary:
This psalm is not directly connected to other events in Scripture; it might be associated with the Babylonian captivity (2 Kings 24:10–16) or the Egyptian raid against Rehoboam (1 Kings 14:25–28). The psalmist begins by praising God for His loyal love. It applauds His covenant with David. However, this turns to grief over apparent defeats and humiliations. The psalm ends with a plea for the Lord to remember His promises and reverse Israel's fortunes.
Chapter Context:
This psalm is attributed to Ethan, a Levite (1 Chronicles 15:17–18). The content suggests Israel had suffered one or more crushing defeats (1 Kings 14:25–28; 2 Kings 24:10–16). So, after celebrating God's love in establishing David's throne, the tone quickly turns to bitter mourning. This combination—faith paralleled with honest angst—is a common theme in the psalms (Psalm 22; 73; 74).
Book Summary:
The book of Psalms is composed of individual songs, hymns, or poems, each of which is a ''Psalm'' in and of itself. These works contain a wide variety of themes. Some Psalms focus on praising and worshipping God. Others cry out in anguish over the pain of life. Still other Psalms look forward to the coming of the Messiah. While some Psalms are related, each has its own historical and biblical context.
Accessed 11/22/2024 4:23:51 PM
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Text from ESV, NIV, NASB, CSB, NLT, KJV, NKJV © Copyright respective owners, used by permission.
