Psalms 89:28

Psa 89:28 My mercy will I keep for him for evermore, and my covenant shall stand fast with him.

Ver. 28. My mercy will I keep for hint] It shall be ready at all times for his relief, even the sure mercies of David, neither will I utterly take it from him, as I did from Saul.

And my covenant shall stand fast with him] Faster than the mountains, Isa 54:10, firmer than the courses of sun and moon, day and night, Jer 31:35-36; Jer 33:20-21.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Psa 89:28-34. My mercy — Declared and promised to him and his seed, as it here follows; will I keep for him for evermore — Nothing shall alter my kind intentions, but I will mercifully fulfil all my promises to him; and my covenant shall stand fast, &c. — Of which see notes on 2Sa 7:12-13. His seed will I make to endure for ever — That is, to sit upon the throne for ever, as the next words explain it. This was accomplished only in Christ, the eternal king of the church and of the world, who was of David’s seed according to the flesh. And his throne as the days of heaven — As long as the world shall have a being, or for ever, as was now said. It shall be as unchangeable and durable as the heavens themselves, which are of an incorruptible nature. If his children forsake my law — Of this and the following verses, to Psa 89:34, see the notes on 2Sa 7:14-16.

Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

29. (Psa 89:28) For ever will I keep for him my mercy, and my covenant is sure to him. For ever, literally to eternity. Keep, i.e. keep it in reserve for him. My covenant, or conditional promise. See above, on Psa 89:3. Sure, or more exactly, made sure, ratified, confirmed. Compare Isa 55:3.

Joseph Addison Alexander, The Psalms Translated and Explained (1850) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

28. And I will keep my mercy to him for ever. We see how God frequently repeats, that he had set up the kingdom of David with the express design of establishing it for ever. By placing his mercy first in order, and then adding his covenant, he points out the cause of this covenant, intimating in one word, that it is gratuitous, and that his grace is not only the foundation on which it rests, but also the cause why it is preserved inviolate. The amount is, that God will be always merciful to David, in order that his covenant may never fail. From this it follows, that its inviolability depends upon the mere good pleasure of God. In the next verse, God expresses the effect of his truth, declaring, that the posterity of David will sit for ever on the royal throne. There being nothing under heaven of long continuance, the days of heaven is an expression employed to denote everlasting duration. Whence it follows, that this prophecy cannot have its full accomplishment in any till we come to Christ, in whom alone, in the strict and proper sense, this everlasting duration is to be found.

John Calvin's Commentaries (1540-1563) — public domain. Text from the Calvin Translation Society English edition (1840s-50s) via the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (ccel.org). Calvin's coverage is partial (roughly two-thirds of the Bible); uncommented books and verses are honest gaps, never fabricated. The 19th-century editor's footnotes and remarks are omitted so the notes are faithfully Calvin's own voice.

28, 29. The emphasis is on for evermore. The permanence of the promise is expressed in the strongest terms. Cp. 2Sa_7:13; 2Sa_7:16.

Once more too the notes of lovingkindness and faithfulness are sounded, for the word rendered shall stand fast is from the same root as the word for faithfulness; hence R.V. marg. shall be faithful.

as the days of heaven] I.e. for ever; the heaven is the emblem of permanence as well as stability. Again a phrase originally referring to the nation (Deu_11:21) is applied to the king.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

His seed also will I make to endure for ever,.... Not a race of kings from David, which ended at the Babylonish captivity; not the natural seed of David, not the Messiah himself, who sprung from him, but the Messiah's spiritual seed, which were given him by the Father, adopted through him, regenerated by his Spirit and grace, begotten through his Gospel, and the ministry of it, and born again in his church, and to whom he stands in the relation of the everlasting Father, Isa 9:6. The "enduring" of these "for ever" may denote the final perseverance of particular believers; which may be concluded from the relation of Christ, as an everlasting Father to them, who therefore must continue as his children; from his affection to them, from which there can be no separation; from their security in and by him, being in his hand, and in his heart; from their adoption, which is never revoked, being sons they are no more servants; from their regeneration of incorruptible seed; and from the nature of faith, which can never be lost: they that trust in the Lord are as Mount Zion, which endures for ever, Psa 125:1 or it may be expressive of the duration of the church of Christ in general, throughout all periods of time, notwithstanding the malice and opposition of men and devils against it; see Mat 16:18,

and his throne as the days of heaven; a phrase signifying a great length of time, Deu 11:21 yea, invariable constancy and duration, Jer 31:25 and indeed the throne of Christ is for ever and ever, and will be when the present earth and heavens are fled away, Psa 45:6. Christ is upon a throne now in heaven, the same with his divine Father's; and here he must sit and reign, till all enemies are put under him; and he will be on a throne of glory when he judges the world, and in the New Jerusalem state for the space of a thousand years; and, after that, he will reign with his saints, and they with him, for evermore; his throne and kingdom are everlasting, Isa 9:7.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

My mercy will I keep for him for evermore - I will not withdraw my favor from him, nor from his posterity, Psa 89:33-36. In him, and in his Great Descendant, the throne shall be established forever. This dominion will not be like the changing dynasties of this world, but will be perpetual and eternal.

And my covenant shall stand fast with him - See 2Sa 7:14-16; 2Sa 23:5. It shall be firm, or established with him and his family.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

My mercy, declared and promised to him and his seed, as it here follows. My covenant; of which see 2Sa 7:12,13, &c.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Ver. 28. My mercy will I keep for him for evermore. The kings of David's line needed mercy, and mercy prevented their house from utterly perishing until the Son of Mary came. He needs no mercy for himself, but he is a representative man, and the mercy of God is required for those who are in him: for such mercy is kept for ever.

And my covenant shall stand fast with him. With Jesus the covenant is ratified both by blood of sacrifice and by oath of God, it cannot be cancelled or altered, but is an eternal verity, resting upon the veracity of one who cannot lie. What exultation fills our hearts as we see that the covenant of grace is sure to all the seed, because it stands fast with him with whom we are indissolubly united.

Ver. 28. My mercy will I keep for him for evermore. How will he keep his mercy for Christ for evermore? Very simply, I think. Is not Christ the Fountain of all mercy to us? Is it not the mercy of God the Father flowing to us through Christ that we enjoy? Is he not the Depository of it all? God says, then, I will keep it for him; for ever and ever shall it be lodged in Christ, and Isis people shall enjoy it throughout eternity. Capel Molyneux, 1855.

Ver. 28-30. Here is comfort to those who are true branches, and continue to bring forth fruit in the midst of all the trials that befall them, that God will not suffer them to be cut off by their corruption. If anything in them should provoke God to do it, it must be sin. Now for that, you see how Christ promises that God will take order therewith, and will purge it out of them. This is the covenant made with David, (as he was a type of Christ, with whom the same covenant is made sure and firm,)that if his seed forsake my law, and walk not in my judgments, What! presently turn them out of doors, and cut them off, as those he meant to have no more to do with? What! nothing but utter rejection? Is there no means of reclaiming them? Never a rod in the house? Yesthen will I visit their transgression with the rod, and their iniquity with stripes, whip out their stubbornness and sinfulness; but my loving kindness will I not utterly take from him as I did from Saul, as it is in 1Ch 17:13.

Let the saints consider this, that they may return when they are fallen, and submit to him and his nature, and suffer him to do what he will with them, and endure cutting, and lancing, and burning, so long as he cuts them not off; endure chastening, and all his dealings else, knowing that all the fruit is but to take away the sin, to make them "partakers of his holiness"; and "if by any means", as Paul speaks of himself, (Php 3:11), be the means what it will, it is no matter. And God, if at any time he seems to cut thee off, yet it is but as the incestuous Corinthian was cut off, `that the flesh might be destroyed, and the spirit saved.' Thomas Goodwin.

Psalms 89:29*

Charles H. Spurgeon's The Treasury of David (1869–1885) — public domain. Psalms only. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

My mercy will I keep for him for evermore. (comp. 2Sa_7:15, "My mercy shall not depart away from him And my covenant shall stand fast with him. (see 2Sa_7:16 2Sa_23:5)

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

shall make him a firstborn I shall make him great.

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.