Psalms 98:3

Psa 98:3 He hath remembered his mercy and his truth toward the house of Israel: all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.

Ver. 3. He hath remembered his mercy, and his truth] His mercy moving him to promise, and his truth binding him to perform, 2Sa 7:18; 2Sa 7:21, and hence all our happiness.

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.

3. (Psa 98:3) He hath remembered his mercy and his truth for the house of Israel; all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God. The common version connects to the house of Israel with what immediately precedes, the mercy and truth which he formerly exercised towards the house of Israel. But according to the Hebrew idiom and the usage of the psalms, the preposition is dependent on the leading verb: "He has called to mind his mercy and truth for the present benefit of the house of Israel." Truth, fidelity to his engagements. See the same combination in Psa 92:8. The last clause is another citation from Isa 52:10, which shews that the salvation primarily meant is that of Israel. This, however is closely connected in prophecy with that of the Gentiles.

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

God was moved by none other means to gather his Church of the Jews and Gentiles, but because he would perform his promise.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

Verse 3. He hath remembered his mercy] His gracious promises to their forefathers.

And his truth] Faithfully accomplishing what he had promised. All this was fulfilled under the Gospel.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

3 He hath remembered his goodness Having spoken of the general manifestation of his salvation, he now celebrates his goodness more particularly to his own chosen people. God exhibited himself as a Father to Gentiles as well as Jews; but to the Jews first, who were, so to speak, the first-born. The glory of the Gentiles lay in their being adopted and in-grafted into the holy family of Abraham, and the salvation of the whole world sprung from the promise made to Abraham, as Christ said, “Salvation is of the Jews,” (John 4:22) The Psalmist therefore very properly observes, that God in redeeming the world remembered his truth, which he had given to Israel his people — language, too, which implies that he was influenced by no other motive than that of faithfully performing what he had himself promised. The more clearly to show that the promise was not grounded at all on the merit or righteousness of man, he mentions the goodness of God first, and afterwards his faithfulness, which stood connected with it. The cause, in short, was not to be found out of God himself, (to use a common expression,) but in his mere good pleasure, which had been testified long before to Abraham and his posterity. The word remembered is used in accommodation to man’s apprehension; for what has been long suspended seems to have been forgotten. Upwards of two thousand years elapsed from the time of giving the promise to the appearance of Christ, and as the people of God were subjected to many afflictions and calamities, we need not wonder that they should have sighed, and given way to ominous fears regarding the fulfillment of this redemption. When it is added, all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of God, this is not merely commendatory of the greatness of the salvation, meaning that it should be so illustrious that the report of it would reach the ends of the earth; but it signifies that the nations formerly immersed in delusions and superstitions would participate in it.

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.

3. He hath remembered] Though Israel in its despair said, “Jehovah hath forsaken me, and the Lord hath forgotten me” (Isa_49:14), the confidence of the earlier prophet (Mic_7:20) was not misplaced.

his mercy and his truth] His lovingkindness and his faithfulness. Cp. Psa_89:1 ff.; Psa_92:2; Luk_1:54.

all the ends &c.] The prediction of Isa_52:10 has been fulfilled.

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.

He hath remembered his mercy and his truth toward the house of Israel,.... His mercy promised them, in raising up a Saviour to them, one that should be the glory of them; and his truth, in fulfilling that and every other promise concerning him; see Luk 1:72,

all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God; either Christ himself, who is the salvation or Saviour of God's appointing, providing, and sending; or the salvation which he has wrought out, the Gospel declaring it; which has been sent throughout the world; and many in all parts of it, even in the most distant parts of it, in the very ends of it, have been made to see the nature, want, worth, and value of it; not every individual person in the world, but some in the several parts, and in the remote corners of it, whither the Gospel has been or will be sent; see Isa 52:10.

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

He hath remembered his mercy - Compare the notes at Luk 1:54-55 (note), Luk 1:72 (note), where this passage in the Psalms was not improbably referred to by Mary and Zacharias. The idea is, that God had called to mind his promise of mercy to his people; that he had not suffered it to pass out of his recollection; that he had kept his word.

And his truth - He has kept his promise; he has shown that he is a God of truth.

Toward the house of Israel - Toward his people.

All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God - This appears to have been quoted from Isa 52:10. See the notes at that passage. The resemblance in the language is so strong as to make it probable that the psalm was composed after the times of Isaiah, and not improbably to be used (as remarked above) in the dedication of the temple after the captivity. The whole psalm would be appropriate to celebrate that deliverance; while, at the same time, like the language in Isaiah, it would be adapted to celebrate a higher deliverance - under the Messiah - of which that was an emblem.

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

He hath now actually given that mercy which he had promised to the Israelites.

All the ends of the earth; all the inhabitants of the earth, from one end to another.

Have seen, i.e. enjoyed it, as this word is oft used, as hath been proved again and again.

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

Ver. 3. He hath remembered his mercy and his truth toward the house of Israel. To them Jesus came in the flesh, and to them was the gospel first preached; and though they counted themselves unworthy of eternal life, yet the covenant was not broken, for the true Israel were called into fellowship and still remain so. The mercy which endureth for ever, and the fidelity which cannot forget a promise, secure to the chosen seed the salvation long ago guaranteed by the covenant of grace.

All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God. Not to Abraham's seed alone after the flesh, but to the elect among all nations, has grace been given; therefore, let the whole church of God sing unto him a new song. It was no small blessing, or little miracle, that throughout all lands the gospel should be published in so short a time, with such singular success and such abiding results. Pentecost deserves a new song as well as the Passion and the Resurrection; let out hearts exult as we remember it. Our God, our own for ever blessed God, has been honoured by those who once bowed down before dumb idols; his salvation has not only been heard of but seen among all people, it has been experienced as well as explained; his Son is the actual Redeemer of a multitude out of all nations.

Ver. 3. He hath remembered his mercy and his truth. The psalmist very properly observes, that God in redeeming the world "remembered his truth, "which he had given to Israel his peoplelanguage, too, which implies that he was influenced by no other motive than that of faithfully performing what he had himself promised. The more clearly to show that the promise was not grounded at all on the merit or righteousness of man, he mentions the "mercy" of God first, and afterwards his "faithfulness" which stood connected with it. The cause, in short, was not to be found out of God himself, (to use a common expression,)but in his mere good pleasure, which had been testified long before to Abraham and his posterity. The word "remembered" is used in accommodation to man's apprehension; for what has been long suspended seems to have been forgotten. Upwards of two thousand years elapsed from the time of giving the promise to the appearance of Christ, and as the people of God were subjected to many afflictions and calamities, we need not wonder that they should have sighed, and given way to ominous fears regarding the fulfilment of this redemption. John Calvin.

Ver. 3. He hath remembered his mercy and his truth. His mercy moved him to make his promise, and his truth hath engaged him to perform it; and he hath been mindful of both, by scattering the blessed influences of his light and bounty over the face of the whole earth, and causing all nations to set and partake of the salvation of God. Matthew Hole(-1730).

Ver. 3. All the ends of the earth have seen, etc. O unhappy Judea. The ends of the earth have seen, the salvation of God, every land is moved to joy, the whole globe is glad, the floods clap their hands, the hills rejoice; yet the evil hearts of the Jews believe not, but are smitten with the penalty of unbelief in the darkness of their blindness. Gregory, in Lorinus.

Ver. 3. Have seen. There is a degree of point in the expression have seen; it implies actual faith, united with knowledge, that moves the will to love and to desire; for they cannot be said to have seen God's salvation, who, content with nominal faith never bestow a thought on the Saviour. Bellarmine.

Ver. 3. (first clause). The Lord's memory of his covenant. Times in which he seems to forget it; ways in which even in those times he proves his faithfulness; great deeds of grace by which at other times he shows his memory of his promises; and reasons why he must ever be mindful of his covenant.

Ver. 3. (last clause). All the ends of the earth.

1. Literally. Missionaries have visited every land.

2. Spiritually. Men ready to despair, to perish.

3. Prophetically. Dwell on the grand promises concerning the future, and the triumphs of the church. E.G.G.

Ver. 3. All the ends of the earth have seen, &c.

1. The greatest foreigners have seen it; many have "come from the east and the west; "Greeks, Peter's hearers, the Eunuch, Greenlanders, South Sea Islanders, Negroes, Red Indians, &c., &c.

2. The ripest saints have seen it; they are at the light end of the earth, stepping out of the wilderness into Canaan, &c.

3. The vilest sinners have seen it; those who have wandered so far that they could get no farther without stepping into hell. The dying thief. The woman who was a sinner. Those whom Whitefield called "the devil's castaways." W. J.

Psalms 98:4*

In these three verses we are taught how to praise the Lord.

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

3. He hath remembered—That is, to fulfil and make good his promise. Here is a recognition of covenant promise and relation toward the house of Israel.

Ends of the earth—A clear anticipation of the subjection of the Gentile nations to Christ. The judgments of Jehovah, like the miracles of Egypt, of the Red Sea, and of the wilderness, in Moses’s time, should cause the distant nations to tremble and submit.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

He hath remembered his mercy and his truth towards the house of Israel. The judgment of the nations involves mercy and deliverance to Israel, which is oppressed by them; and thus manifests God"s faithfulness towards them. All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God. (comp. ver. 2 and Isa_52:10)

The Lord"s memory.

This is regarding God as if he were a man, and acted as men act. Men find the memory of kindnesses they have done become a plea for showing further kindness. To have ever helped any one gives them a sort of natural claim on us to help them again. So the psalmist, full of joy in the blessings God was giving his people in his day, felt quite sure that God must have been recalling, remembering, what great things he had done, in olden days, for his people. We think our great pleas to urge before God are our needs and our deserts. But these are altogether surpassed by the pleas we may use. God"s honour, God"s promise, and what God has already done for us. But herein lies an important distinction between God"s feelings and man"s. Only the very noblest among men fail to be annoyed when past favours are made into a plea for new gifts. We are annoyed at the beggar who comes again and again so hopefully, because he has so often come successfully. God loves to bless those whom he has blessed. We may never think of him as tiring of blessing.

I WHAT MAY WE THINK THE LORD REMEMBERS? See two things.

(1) That he had to be very gentle and merciful toward us.

(2) That he had to keep his promise to help us. Remembers his mercy and truth; his loving kindness and faithfulness. See what persuasion to new "mercy and truth" is in such quickened memory.

1. The exercise of the passive graces purifies and ennobles character, and makes us more able to exercise them, and more anxious to find objects on which to exercise them. Do some act merely for a person, and you may find it tiresome to have to do it again. But show a kindness, be merciful, pitiful, tender, gracious, and you will want to be all these over and over again.

2. Every claim upon a man of truth is an establishing and confirming of his truth, and makes him more determined that men shall have absolute trust in his word. If it be thus with men, how much more so with God!

II HOW MAY WE VENTURE TO QUICKEN THE LORD"S MEMORY? By telling him freely what is in our memories concerning his dealings. This is the way of love. The lover tells his loved one his memories, and that is the best quickening of hers. R.T.

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

calls to mind

"remembers." See how "call to mind" is translated in Psalms 20:3. (See: Idiom)

all the ends of the earth ... all the earth

These are metonyms for the people of the earth. AT: "people from all over the world ... all people in the world" (See: Metonymy)

will see the victory of our God

The abstract noun "victory" can be translated using the verb "defeat." AT: "will see our God defeat his enemies" (See: Abstract Nouns)

burst into song

"suddenly begin singing happily"

sing for joy

"sing because you are happy"

sing praises

"sing praises to God"

translationWords

covenant faithfulness

faithful

house

Israel

God

joy

praise

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.