1. 1) This is a clear text for the authorities, and this is an excellent passage to confirm this status, namely the authorities, because it contains their rightful praise. First, that it is pleasing to God; second, that it is protected by God; third, that one is obligated to pray for it; fourth, that its position is an exceedingly arduous one. For she is in many tribulations. The cause of this is that she has the most powerful enemy, namely the devil, who cannot bear that there should be peace,
1) Note of the original: "1-July".
for he is a murderer, Joh. 8, 44. Where he can, he causes bloodshed; so it goes over the pious king. But it is a great grace that the authorities can be sure that they serve God more than any Carthusian monk, because the other people enjoy the peace that they, the authorities, provide. But she herself, who provides peace, does not enjoy it. This work of the authorities emulates the Godhead, so to speak, because it provides peace for others, which it does not have itself.
V. 2. May the Lord hear you in your distress.
2 First of all, he says that the authorities are in trouble and have tribulations, but at the same time he teaches where to look for help and how God uses to help. Pray, he says; therefore, put away all human suggestions. For every authority that is pious has the devil so strongly against it that all its counsels are swallowed up and destroyed. Therefore he says, "The Lord hear thee." It is a matter of prayer, you have an office that will not be governed by human counsel; as ours, who are now at Augsburg, also complain about this.
The name of the God of Jacob protect you.
This is our armor and our weapons. "The name of the Lord is a strong lock" [Prov. 18, 1O]. This, then, is the description of the help and victory of kings, namely, this is the name of the LORD. But how does one get it? Through prayer. Therefore it is necessary that one with a humble heart forsake his own attempts and trust in the name of the Lord alone. For wherever the name of the Lord is written in the Scriptures, faith is required.
The name of the God of Jacob.
4 With this he indicates a certain place, so that not everyone is free to speculate and write about God as he pleases; for he has called himself "The God of Jacob. This, however, is not to be understood merely as a teaching, but it is also a prayer of the church, and thus both are connected to each other, teaching and praying, so that one teaches and prays at the same time.
V. 3. He sends you help from the holy place.
Here he now interprets how God's name helps. By bow and sword? No: "He sends help from the holy place", from the place in which he dwells, namely, in a hidden way. As if he wanted to say: God will send you help in a way, at a time and through persons who are unknown to you, and whom you alone have to believe: that I have so freely presented the matter to our Lord God that I do not insist on the landgrave, on my lord, and on the king.
that we do not know where off or where on.
V. 4. He remembers all your grain offerings.
He does not only ask for help, but also that he would promote everything, works, words and suggestions. "Sacrifice" means the best works. "He remembereth" 2c., that is, you must please him in all your works, that you be not in sins. He pardon thee, he incline thee, that thou mayest remember and believe that he is favorable unto thee, and that thy sacrifice is acceptable unto him. In those days they sacrificed cattle, but now, in the time of the gospel, we have other sacrifices, namely, an anxious spirit and thank offerings, Ps. 50:23, 51:19.We have other sacrifices now, namely a sorrowful spirit and an offering of thanksgiving, Ps. 50:23, 51:19, that He may be pleased with us when we are in a sorrowful spirit, weeping and wailing; that He may give us such a mind that we may believe that such is pleasing to God, and know by the testimony of the Holy Spirit that He takes care of us, and remembers such of our tears that we may boast: I know that such a sacrifice is pleasing to you. Now these are the sacrifices of Christians.
And your burnt offering must be fat.
7 This is spoken after the manner of Hebrews. "Fat," that is, lovely, pleasant. So also: The fat ones in Israel, that is, those who are well off, rich and respected. So he asks here that it not be a foolish, meager, unwilling sacrifice, since not a drop of fat flows from it.
1) In the original: "it".
2) "Our Junker", that is Melanchthon. Cf. Köstlin, Martin Luther, Vol. II, p. 657 uä p. 225, 2).
8 You see that the prophet has used a very beautiful arrangement here. First of all, he asks the Lord to be merciful to him, to give him forgiveness of sins and the Holy Spirit, so that he will be protected against sin and will not have an evil conscience. In sum, God wants to make him a theologian. Now he will also make him a lawyer.
V. 5: He will give you whatever your heart desires.
If God is reconciled, and we believe this, then everything that we only think about or consider will happen, if one only says: Dear Lord, you rule, you give happiness to it. Therefore it is also indicated herewith that all attempts are in vain and of no value if presumption is added to them. So now our adversaries do nothing with fear, and do not give God so much honor that they say, "Lord, if this is not pleasing to you, you hinder it; [but] badly defined, they do not even ask our Lord God whether he also wants it or not. But when a man asks God, as David does here, and says, "If it pleases you, O Lord, do it," it is not a human request, but of the Holy Spirit, who prepares the heart so that it can ask with humility. For thus it is said, "The Lord doeth what the godly desire" [Ps. 145:19]. If a prince says: Lord God, I want to get, I want to change this 2c., if you like it, help.
And fulfill all your stops.
10. that it may go abundantly, as thou hast posted it.
V. 6. We boast that you help us.
(11) When God hears those who call upon Him, there is no need for us to be triumphant and rejoice, for it is said, "Thine is the help. If help were with us, the devil would cheat us.
And in the name of our God, we throw up paniers.
12. degel (XXX) means an ensign, a panier; dagal (XXX), an ensign, a panier.
1) definirt - established, decided.
raise. From this it is clear that he speaks and prays for the king who is preparing for war, and I believe that David made this psalm so that his people would pray it as often as he went out to battle.
May the Lord grant you all your requests.
He asked in good order: Firstly for religion, secondly for the world regiment, and finally for the king's nobles.
V. 7. Now I realize that the Lord helps His anointed.
(14) Hitherto he has taught and exhorted with his prayer; now he adds the promises. When a king stands thus, he says, God necessarily helps him; for a prince or regent can do nothing more. If he has his sacrifices, of which I have said [§ 6], and likewise, if he takes diligent care of his outward regiment, and calls upon God, he therefore goes under the banner of the Lord. Then it follows that the Lord helps him. But there is an emphasis on the word "HErr"; as if he wanted to say: He does not help himself. Methinks that the Psalm was David's guide to all his victories; it will have been his guns and armor. And indeed, if it were done after him, you should see that the Psalm should also confidently strike among the Turks.
And hear him, in his holy heaven.
(15) Before he said he was in Zion; here he says, "in heaven," and makes a great Lord of him; for he speaks of heaven in the plural, that is, of the whole heaven, so that even the enemies' heaven must be under our God's heaven.
His right hand helps tremendously.
016 He comforteth himself against all his enemies, saying, If he help, it is a mighty help. Now he will fight against his adversaries, he will laugh at them and mock them. He makes them so low, they could not be lower.
V. 8. Those rely on chariots and horses.
17 He confesses that they have chariots and horses, that they are too mighty for us. But what
1524 L-xvii, i7t-i76. Short Au[1. on the first 25 Psalms. Ps. 20. 21. W. iv, 2074-2078. 1525
Are the chariots and the grates against Him who is called the LORD in heaven? What is all this without God? So he diminishes all these things by holding them against God. What is the Turk? What does he have more than a spear and a horse? What is his power more than horse and chariot? If, on the other hand, we have the Lord on our side, we will win the victory without difficulty.
But we remember the name of the Lord our God.
18 We praise the name of the Lord, and there we go. These are two adventurous armies against each other. Here is nothing at all according to the appearance of the world; there also is nothing at all according to the eyes of God. But because the name of the Lord remains, we want to be on top; as he now adds and says what the outcome will be.
V. 9. They have fallen down and fallen, but we stand upright.
They are proud and fall down. But who does this? The name of the Lord. We who are overthrown come up again; but they stand and are overthrown and beaten to the ground. This is a comforting promise for us, but also a prophecy against the enemies.
V. 10. Help, Lord.
This is the resolution: O dear Lord, help now and always, if we may.
May the King hear us when we call.
21 Here a change of person takes place, and it is a prayer for future victory. You have helped us so far, help us further, you are the right king 2c. It is a glorious psalm from the authorities and for the authorities.