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Book of Common Prayer

Daily Old and New Testament readings based on the Book of Common Prayer.

Duration: 861 days

Psalm 89:1-29

Psalm 89^[a]

A well-written song^[b] by Ethan the Ezrahite.

89 I will sing continually^[c] about the Lord’s faithful deeds;
to future generations I will proclaim your faithfulness.^[d]
²For I say, “Loyal love is permanently established;^[e]
in the skies you set up your faithfulness.”^[f]
³The Lord said,^[g]
“I have made a covenant with my chosen one;
I have made a promise on oath to David, my servant:
⁴‘I will give you an eternal dynasty^[h]
and establish your throne throughout future generations.’”^[i] (Selah)
⁵O Lord, the heavens^[j] praise your amazing deeds,
as well as your faithfulness in the angelic assembly.^[k]
⁶For who in the skies can compare to the Lord?
Who is like the Lord among the heavenly beings,^[l]
⁷a God who is honored^[m] in the great angelic assembly,^[n]
and more awesome than^[o] all who surround him?
⁸O Lord God of Heaven’s Armies!^[p]
Who is strong like you, O Lord?
Your faithfulness surrounds you.
⁹You rule over the proud sea.^[q]
When its waves surge,^[r] you calm them.
¹⁰You crushed the Proud One^[s] and killed it;^[t]
with your strong arm you scattered your enemies.
¹¹The heavens belong to you, as does the earth.
You made the world and all it contains.^[u]
¹²You created the north and the south.
Tabor and Hermon^[v] rejoice in your name.
¹³Your arm is powerful,
your hand strong,
your right hand^[w] victorious.^[x]
¹⁴Equity and justice are the foundation of your throne.^[y]
Loyal love and faithfulness characterize your rule.^[z]
¹⁵How blessed are the people who worship you!^[aa]
O Lord, they experience your favor.^[ab]
¹⁶They rejoice in your name all day long,
and are vindicated^[ac] by your justice.
¹⁷For you give them splendor and strength.^[ad]
By your favor we are victorious.^[ae]
¹⁸For our shield^[af] belongs to the Lord,
our king to the Holy One of Israel.^[ag]
¹⁹Then you^[ah] spoke through a vision to your faithful followers^[ai] and said:
“I have placed a young hero^[aj] over a warrior;
I have raised up a young man^[ak] from the people.
²⁰I have discovered David, my servant.
With my holy oil I have anointed him as king.^[al]
²¹My hand will support him,^[am]
and my arm will strengthen him.
²²No enemy will be able to exact tribute^[an] from him;^[ao]
a violent oppressor will not be able to humiliate him.^[ap]
²³I will crush his enemies before him;
I will strike down those who hate him.
²⁴He will experience my faithfulness and loyal love,^[aq]
and by my name he will win victories.^[ar]
²⁵I will place his hand over the sea,
his right hand over the rivers.^[as]
²⁶He will call out to me,
‘You are my father,^[at] my God, and the protector who delivers me.’^[au]
²⁷I will appoint him to be my firstborn son,^[av]
the most exalted of the earth’s kings.
²⁸I will always extend my loyal love to him,
and my covenant with him is secure.^[aw]
²⁹I will give him an eternal dynasty,^[ax]
and make his throne as enduring as the skies above.^[ay]

Footnotes

Psalm 89:1 sn Psalm 89. The psalmist praises God as the sovereign creator of the world. He recalls God’s covenant with David, but then laments that the promises of the covenant remain unrealized. The covenant promised the Davidic king military victories, but the king has now been subjected to humiliating defeat.
Psalm 89:1 tn The meaning of the Hebrew term מַשְׂכִּיל (maskil) is uncertain. See the note on the phrase “well-written song” in the superscription of Ps 88.
Psalm 89:1 tn Or “forever.”
Psalm 89:1 tn Heb “to a generation and a generation I will make known your faithfulness with my mouth.”
Psalm 89:2 tn Heb “built.”
Psalm 89:2 sn You set up your faithfulness. This may allude to the Lord’s heavenly throne, which symbolizes his just rule and from which the Lord decrees his unconditional promises (see vv. 8, 14).
Psalm 89:3 tn The words “the Lord said” are supplied in the translation for clarification. It is clear that the words of vv. 3-4 are spoken by the Lord, in contrast to vv. 1-2, which are spoken by the psalmist.
Psalm 89:4 tn Heb “forever I will establish your offspring.”
Psalm 89:4 tn Heb “and I will build to a generation and a generation your throne.”
Psalm 89:5 tn As the following context makes clear, the personified “heavens” here stand by metonymy for the angelic beings that surround God’s heavenly throne.
Psalm 89:5 tn Heb “in the assembly of the holy ones.” The phrase “holy ones” sometimes refers to God’s people (Ps 34:9) or to their priestly leaders (2 Chr 35:3), but here it refers to God’s heavenly assembly and the angels that surround his throne (see vv. 6-7).
Psalm 89:6 tn Heb “sons of gods”; or “sons of God.” Though אֵלִים (ʾelim) is vocalized as a plural form (“gods”) in the Hebrew text, it is likely that the final mem (ם) is actually enclitic rather than a plural marker. In this case one may read “God.” Some, following a Qumran text and the LXX, also propose the phrase occurred in the original text of Deut 32:8. The phrase בְנֵי אֵלִים (v^ene ʾelim, “sons of gods” or “sons of God”) occurs only here and in Ps 29:1. Since the “sons of gods/God” are here associated with “the assembly of the holy ones” and “council of the holy ones,” the heavenly assembly (comprised of so-called “angels” and other supernatural beings) appears to be in view. See Job 5:1; 15:15 and Zech 14:5, where these supernatural beings are referred to as “holy ones.” In Canaanite mythological texts the divine council of the high god El is called “the sons of El.” The OT apparently uses the Canaanite phrase, applying it to the supernatural beings that surround the Lord’s heavenly throne.
Psalm 89:7 tn Heb “feared.”
Psalm 89:7 tn Heb “in the great assembly of the holy ones.”
Psalm 89:7 tn Or perhaps “feared by.”
Psalm 89:8 tn Traditionally “God of hosts.” The title here pictures the Lord as enthroned in the midst of the angelic hosts of heaven.
Psalm 89:9 tn Heb “the majesty of the sea.”
Psalm 89:9 tn Heb “rise up.”
Psalm 89:10 tn Heb “Rahab.” The name “Rahab” means “proud one.” Since it is sometimes used of Egypt (see Ps 87:4; Isa 30:7), the passage may allude to the exodus. However, the name is also used of the sea (or the mythological sea creature) which symbolizes the disruptive forces of the world that seek to replace order with chaos (see Job 9:13; 26:12). Isa 51:9 appears to combine the mythological and historical referents. The association of Rahab with the sea in Ps 89 (see v. 9) suggests that the name carries symbolic force in this context. In this case the passage may allude to creation (see vv. 11-12), when God overcame the great deep and brought order out of chaos.
Psalm 89:10 tn Heb “like one fatally wounded.”
Psalm 89:11 tn Heb “the world and its fullness, you established them.”
Psalm 89:12 sn Tabor and Hermon were two of the most prominent mountains in Palestine.
Psalm 89:13 sn The Lord’s arm, hand, and right hand all symbolize his activities, especially his exploits in war.
Psalm 89:13 tn Heb “is lifted up.” The idiom “the right hand is lifted up” refers to victorious military deeds (see Pss 89:42; 118:16).
Psalm 89:14 sn The Lord’s throne symbolizes his kingship.
Psalm 89:14 tn Heb “are in front of your face.” The idiom can mean “confront” (Ps 17:13) or “meet, enter the presence of” (Ps 95:2).
Psalm 89:15 tn Heb “who know the shout.” “Shout” here refers to the shouts of the Lord’s worshipers (see Pss 27:6; 33:3; 47:5).
Psalm 89:15 tn Heb “in the light of your face they walk.” The idiom “light of your face” probably refers to a smile (see Eccl 8:1), which in turn suggests favor and blessing (see Num 6:25; Pss 4:6; 31:16; 44:3; 67:1; 80:3, 7, 19; Dan 9:17).
Psalm 89:16 tn Heb “are lifted up.”
Psalm 89:17 tn Heb “for the splendor of their strength [is] you.”
Psalm 89:17 tn Heb “you lift up our horn,” or if one follows the marginal reading (Qere), “our horn is lifted up.” The horn of an ox underlies the metaphor (see Deut 33:17; 1 Kgs 22:11; Ps 92:10). The horn of the wild ox is frequently a metaphor for military strength; the idiom “exalt/lift up the horn” signifies military victory (see 1 Sam 2:10; Pss 75:10; 89:24; 92:10; Lam 2:17).
Psalm 89:18 tn The phrase “our shield” refers metaphorically to the Davidic king, who, as God’s vice-regent, was the human protector of the people. Note the parallelism with “our king” here and with “your anointed one” in Ps 84:9.
Psalm 89:18 sn The basic sense of the word “holy” is “set apart from that which is commonplace, special, unique.” The Lord’s holiness is first and foremost his transcendent sovereignty as the ruler of the world. He is “set apart” from the world over which he rules. At the same time his holiness encompasses his moral authority, which derives from his royal position. As king he has the right to dictate to his subjects how they are to live; indeed his very own character sets the standard for proper behavior. This expression is a common title for the Lord in the book of Isaiah.
Psalm 89:19 tn The pronoun “you” refers to the Lord, who is addressed here. The quotation that follows further develops the announcement of vv. 3-4.
Psalm 89:19 tc Many medieval mss read the singular here, “your faithful follower.” In this case the statement refers directly to Nathan’s oracle to David (see 2 Sam 7:17).
Psalm 89:19 tc The MT reads עֵזֶר (ʿezer, “help, strength”), thus “I have placed help on a warrior,” which might effectively mean “I have strengthened a warrior.” The BHS note suggests reading נֵזֶר (nezer, “crown”), similar to the sentiment of anointing in the next verse. HALOT suggests reading עֹזֶר (ʿozer, “hero”) based on an Ugaritic cognate which means “young man, hero, warrior” (HALOT 811 s.v. II עזר). Craigie treats it similarly, taking עזר as “lad/boy/stripling,” parallel to “young man” in the next line, and seeing either David and Saul or David and Goliath as the historical referent (P. C. Craigie, Psalms [WBC], 19:410).
Psalm 89:19 tn Or perhaps “a chosen one.”
Psalm 89:20 tn The words “as king” are supplied in the translation for clarification, indicating that a royal anointing is in view.
Psalm 89:21 tn Heb “with whom my hand will be firm.”
Psalm 89:22 tn Heb “an enemy will not exact tribute.” The imperfect is understood in a modal sense, indicating capability or potential.
Psalm 89:22 tn The translation understands the Hiphil of נָשַׁא (nashaʾ) in the sense of “act as a creditor.” This may allude to the practice of a conqueror forcing his subjects to pay tribute in exchange for “protection.” Another option is to take the verb from a homonymic verbal root meaning “to deceive,” “to trick.” Still another option is to emend the form to יִשָּׂא (yissaʾ), a Qal imperfect from נָאַשׂ (naʾas, “rise up”) and to translate “an enemy will not rise up against him” (see M. Dahood, Psalms [AB], 2:317).
Psalm 89:22 tn Heb “and a son of violence will not oppress him.” The imperfect is understood in a modal sense, indicating capability or potential. The reference to a “son of violence” echoes the language of God’s promise to David in 2 Sam 7:10 (see also 1 Chr 17:9).
Psalm 89:24 tn Heb “and my faithfulness and my loyal love [will be] with him.”
Psalm 89:24 tn Heb “and by my name his horn will be lifted up.” The horn of an ox underlies the metaphor (see Deut 33:17; 1 Kgs 22:11; Ps 92:10). The horn of the wild ox is frequently a metaphor for military strength; the idiom “exalt/lift up the horn” signifies military victory (see 1 Sam 2:10; Pss 75:10; 92:10; Lam 2:17).
Psalm 89:25 tn Some identify “the sea” as the Mediterranean and “the rivers” as the Euphrates and its tributaries. However, it is more likely that “the sea” and “the rivers” are symbols for hostile powers that oppose God and the king (see v. 9, as well as Ps 93:3-4).
Psalm 89:26 sn You are my father. The Davidic king was viewed as God’s “son” (see 2 Sam 7:14; Ps 2:7). The idiom reflects ancient Near Eastern adoption language associated with covenants of grant, by which a lord would reward a faithful subject by elevating him to special status, referred to as “sonship.” Like a son, the faithful subject received an “inheritance,” viewed as an unconditional, eternal gift. Such gifts usually took the form of land and/or an enduring dynasty. See M. Weinfeld, “The Covenant of Grant in the Old Testament and in the Ancient Near East,” JAOS 90 (1970): 184-203, for general discussion and some striking extra-biblical parallels.
Psalm 89:26 tn Heb “the rocky summit of my deliverance.”
Psalm 89:27 sn The firstborn son typically had special status and received special privileges.
Psalm 89:28 tn Heb “forever I will keep for him my loyal love and will make my covenant secure for him.”
Psalm 89:29 tn Heb “and I will set in place forever his offspring.”
Psalm 89:29 tn Heb “and his throne like the days of the heavens.”

Isaiah 59:15-21

¹⁵Honesty has disappeared;
the one who tries to avoid evil is robbed.
The Lord watches and is displeased,^[a]
for there is no justice.

The Lord Intervenes

¹⁶He sees there is no advocate;^[b]
he is shocked^[c] that no one intervenes.
So he takes matters into his own hands;^[d]
his desire for justice drives him on.^[e]
¹⁷He wears his desire for justice^[f] like body armor,^[g]
and his desire to deliver is like a helmet on his head.^[h]
He puts on the garments of vengeance^[i]
and wears zeal like a robe.
¹⁸He repays them for what they have done,
dispensing angry judgment to his adversaries
and punishing his enemies.^[j]
He repays the coastlands.^[k]
¹⁹In the west, people respect^[l] the Lord’s reputation;^[m]
in the east they recognize his splendor.^[n]
For he comes like a rushing^[o] stream
driven on by wind sent from the Lord.^[p]
²⁰“A protector^[q] comes to Zion,
to those in Jacob who repent of their rebellious deeds,”^[r] says the Lord.

²¹“As for me, this is my promise to^[s] them,” says the Lord. “My Spirit, who is upon you, and my words, which I have placed in your mouth, will not depart from your mouth or from the mouths of your children and descendants from this time forward,”^[t] says the Lord.

Philippians 2:5-11

⁵You should have the same attitude toward one another that Christ Jesus had,^[a]

⁶^[b] who though he existed in the form of God^[c]
did not regard equality with God
as something to be grasped,
⁷but emptied himself
by taking on the form of a slave,^[d]
by looking like other men,^[e]
and by sharing in human nature.^[f]
⁸He humbled himself,
by becoming obedient to the point of death
—even death on a cross!
⁹As a result God highly exalted him
and gave him the name
that is above every name,
¹⁰so that at the name of Jesus
every knee will bow
—in heaven and on earth and under the earth—
¹¹and every tongue confess
that Jesus Christ is Lord
to the glory of God the Father.

Footnotes

Philippians 2:5 tn Grk “Have this attitude in/among yourselves which also [was] in Christ Jesus,” or “Have this attitude in/among yourselves which [you] also [have] in Christ Jesus.”
Philippians 2:6 sn This passage has been typeset as poetry because many scholars regard this passage as poetic or hymnic. These terms are used broadly to refer to the genre of writing, not to the content. There are two broad criteria for determining if a passage is poetic or hymnic: “(a) stylistic: a certain rhythmical lilt when the passages are read aloud, the presence of parallelismus membrorum (i.e., an arrangement into couplets), the semblance of some metre, and the presence of rhetorical devices such as alliteration, chiasmus, and antithesis; and (b) linguistic: an unusual vocabulary, particularly the presence of theological terms, which is different from the surrounding context” (P. T. O’Brien, Philippians [NIGTC], 188-89). Classifying a passage as hymnic or poetic is important because understanding this genre can provide keys to interpretation. However, not all scholars agree that the above criteria are present in this passage, so the decision to typeset it as poetry should be viewed as a tentative decision about its genre.
Philippians 2:6 sn The Greek term translated form indicates a correspondence with reality. Thus the meaning of this phrase is that Christ was truly God.
Philippians 2:7 tn See the note on the word “slaves” in 1:1.
Philippians 2:7 tn Grk “by coming in the likeness of people.”sn The Greek expression underlying by looking like other men is similar to Paul’s wording in Rom 8:3 (“in the likeness of sinful flesh”). The same word “likeness” is used in both passages. It implies that there is a form that does not necessarily correspond to reality. In Rom 8:3, the meaning is that Christ looked like sinful humanity. Here the meaning is similar: Jesus looked like other men (note anthrōpoi), but was in fact different from them in that he did not have a sin nature.
Philippians 2:7 tn Grk “and by being found in form as a man.” The versification of vv. 7 and 8 (so also NRSV) is according to the versification in the NA²⁸ and UBS⁵ editions of the Greek text. Some translations, however, break the verses in front of this phrase (NKJV, NASB, NIV, NLT). The same material has been translated in each case; the only difference is the versification of that material.sn By sharing in human nature. This last line of v. 7 (line d) stands in tension with the previous line, line c (“by looking like other men”). Both lines have a word indicating form or likeness. Line c, as noted above, implies that Christ only appeared to be like other people. Line d, however, uses a different term that implies a correspondence between form and reality. Further, line c uses the plural “men” while line d uses the singular “man.” The theological point being made is that Christ looked just like other men, but he was not like other men (in that he was not sinful), though he was fully human.

New English Translation (NET)

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Book of Common Prayer

Psalm 89[a]

A well-written song[b] by Ethan the Ezrahite.

Footnotes

The Lord Intervenes

Footnotes

Footnotes

Psalm 89^[a]

A well-written song^[b] by Ethan the Ezrahite.