Psalm 145:13

Thy kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and thy dominion endureth throughout all generations.

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(13) See margin, and comp. Daniel 4:3; Daniel 4:34. But it is not necessary to see any dependence between the passages because of the recurrence of phrases which must have been of daily use in the theocracy.

The nun stanza, which should come after Psalm 145:13, has most probably dropped away. The LXX. and Vulg., Syriac, and Ethiopic have here a variation of Psalm 145:17, which would, in Hebrew, give a verse beginning with the required letter; but it is unknown to the other ancient versions, is rejected by the Jewish writers, and, though found in one Hebrew MS., is apparently suspicious there. But these arguments can hardly weigh against the improbability that, in an artificial composition, one letter (and that an easy one for the purpose) should have been either purposely or accidentally omitted in the original draft, especially when we reflect how extremely unlikely it was that the LXX. should trouble themselves to supply a verse in order to keep up an arrangement of which they took no other notice, perhaps even hardly observed it.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

145:10-21 All God's works show forth his praises. He satisfies the desire of every living thing, except the unreasonable children of men, who are satisfied with nothing. He does good to all the children of men; his own people in a special manner. Many children of God, who have been ready to fall into sin, to fall into despair, have tasted his goodness in preventing their falls, or recovering them speedily by his graces and comforts. And with respect to all that are heavy laden under the burden of sin, if they come to Christ by faith, he will ease them, he will raise them. He is very ready to hear and answer the prayers of his people. He is present every where; but in a special way he is nigh to them, as he is not to others. He is in their hearts, and dwells there by faith, and they dwell in him. He is nigh to those that call upon him, to help them in all times of need. He will be nigh to them, that they may have what they ask, and find what they seek, if they call upon him in truth and sincerity. And having taught men to love his name and holy ways, he will save them from the destruction of the wicked. May we then love his name, and walk in his ways, while we desire that all flesh should bless his holy name for ever and ever.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Thy kingdom is an everlasting kingdom ... - See Psalm 10:16, note; Daniel 4:34, note. The meaning is, that the reign of God will continue forever and ever. It will never pass away as other dominions do; it will not change as dynasties do among people; it will not be overthrown as they are; its great principles will stand firm forever and ever. Compare the notes at Psalm 72:17.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

13. (Compare Da 4:3, 34).

Matthew Poole's Commentary

No text from Poole on this verse.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

Thy kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,.... So it is opposed to all other kingdoms and monarchies, which have had or will have an end; as the Babylonian, Persian, Grecian, and Roman; with all other states which will be on the spot when this kingdom is set up in its glory, and will continue for ever, Daniel 2:44; and the King of it is opposed to all other kings, who die, and their kingdoms are no more to them; but he never dies, he lives for evermore; he is the living God, and so an everlasting King: nor will his kingdom cease at the end of the thousand years, nor when delivered to the Father; only it shall be in a different place and form, and shall remain for ever; for his saints will reign for ever and ever, and he with them. Or it may be rendered, "a kingdom of all worlds" (e), or "ages"; Christ's kingdom reaching to all worlds; heaven, earth, and hell: or which, according to Arama, takes in the world above, below, and middle; and regards all times past, present, and to come:

and thy dominion endureth throughout all generations: in this world, and that to come; there is no end of it, Isaiah 9:7. This psalm is written alphabetically, as is observed on the title of it; but the letter "nun" is here wanting, the reason of which Kimchi professes his ignorance of: but Jarchi gives a reason for it, such an one as it is, which he has from the Talmud (f); because David, by a spirit of prophecy, foresaw the grievous fall of the people of Israel, the prophecy of which begins with this letter, Amos 5:2. Nor is the order always strictly observed in alphabetical psalms; in the thirty-seventh psalm the letter "ain" is wanting, and three in the twenty-fifth psalm. The Septuagint, Vulgate Latin, Syriac, Arabic, and Ethiopic versions, supply this defect here, by inserting these words, "the Lord is faithful in all his words, and holy in all his works", as if they were begun with the word but they seem to be taken from Psalm 145:17, with a little alteration.

(e) "reguum omnium seculorum", V. L. Pagninus, Montanus, Vatablus, Musculus, Junius & Tremellius, Piscator, Cocceius. (f) T. Bab. Beracot, fol. 4. 2.

Geneva Study Bible

Thy kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and thy dominion endureth throughout all generations.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

13. This verse is found also, in Aramaic, in Daniel 4:3, cp. 34 (Aram. Dan. 3:33, Daniel 4:31).

an everlasting kingdom] Lit. a kingdom of all the ages, past alike and future. With the LXX βασιλεία πάντων τῶν αἰωνων, cp. 1 Timothy 1:17 τῷ βασιλεῖ τῶν αἰώνων, ‘unto the king of the ages.’ See also Psalm 10:16; Psalm 29:10; Exodus 15:18; Jeremiah 10:10.

throughout all generations] In (or over) generation and generation, each successive generation.

The verse beginning with Nûn, which is missing in the Hebrew text, is thus supplied in the LXX and Versions dependent on it, and in the Syr.;

Faithful Is the Lord in [all] his words,

And holy in all his works[86].

[86] πιστὸς Κύριος ἐν [πᾶσιν, אc.a RT] τοῖς λόγοις αὐτοῦ, καὶ ὅσιος ἐν πᾶσι τοῖς ἔργοις αὐτοῦ.

The Heb. found in the lower margin of one late Heb. MS נֶאֱמָן יְהֹוָה בְּכָל־דְּבָוָיו וְחָסִיד בְּל־מַעֲשָׂיו is probably only a re-translation from the LXX.

If this verse is genuine, it must have been lost at an early date, for it is not found in any of the later versions[87]. Against its genuineness it is argued that the first line is suggested by the occurrence of the word for ‘faithful’ (nĕ’emân) in the same position in Psalm 111:7 b, and by the language of Deuteronomy 7:9, and that the second line is simply taken from Psalm 145:17. It may however be genuine. It is not likely that the Nûn verse was originally omitted: it was not necessary for the LXX to supply it: and the Psalm contains many imitations and is not free from repetitions.

[87] The verse is given in Lagarde’s ed. of Jerome’s Version; but it is not found in some good MSS and is obelised in others, and is probably an interpolation from the Vulg. with which it agrees exactly.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 13. - Thy kingdom is an everlasting kingdom (comp. Daniel 4:3, 34). It is inconceivable that God's kingdom should come to an end. He cannot will it to cease, and so dethrone himself. Much less can any other, and necessarily inferior, power overthrow it. And thy dominion endureth throughout all generations. This is rather an anti-climax, since the generations of men will one day cease; but it was a customary phrase (Psalm 33:11; Psalm 45:17; Psalm 49:11; Psalm 61:6; Psalm 62:5, etc.), and brought home to men the thought that his special "dominion" was over them. Psalm 145:13

Keil and Delitzsch Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament

This memorable utterance of Jahve concerning Himself the writer of Psalm 103, which is of kindred import, also interweaves into his celebration of the revelation of divine love in Psalm 145:8. Instead of רב־חסד the expression here, however, is וגדול חסד (Kerמ, as in Nahum 1:3, cf. Psalm 89:29, with Makkeph וּגדל־). The real will of God tends towards favour, which gladly giving stoops to give (חנּוּן), and towards compassion, which interests itself on behalf of the sinner for his help and comfort (רחוּם). Wrath is only the background of His nature, which He reluctantly and only after long waiting (ארך אפּים) lets loose against those who spurn His great mercy. For His goodness embraces, as Psalm 145:9 says, all; His tender mercies are over all His works, they hover over and encompass all His creatures. Therefore, too, all His works praise Him: they are all together loud-speaking witnesses of that sympathetic all-embracing love of His, which excludes no one who does not exclude himself; and His saints, who live in God's love, bless Him (יברכוּכה written as in 1 Kings 18:44): their mouth overflows with the declaration (יאמרוּ) of the glory of the kingdom of this loving God, and in speaking (ידבּרוּ) of the sovereign power with which He maintains and extends this kingdom. This confession they make their employ, in order that the knowledge of the mighty acts of God and the glorious majesty of His kingdom may at length become the general possession of mankind. When the poet in Psalm 145:12 sets forth the purpose of the proclamation, he drops the form of address. God's kingdom is a kingdom of all aeons, and His dominion is manifested without exception and continually in all periods or generations (בּכל־דּור ודר as in Psalm 45:18, Esther 9:28, a pleonastic strengthening of the expression בּדר ודר, Psalm 90:1). It is the eternal circumference of the history of time, but at the same time its eternal substance, which more and more unfolds and achieves itself in the succession of the periods that mark its course. For that all things in heaven and on earth shall be gathered up together (ἀνακεφαλαιώσασθαι, Ephesians 1:10) in the all-embracing kingdom of God in His Christ, is the goal of all history, and therefore the substance of history which is working itself out. With Psalm 145:13 (cf. Daniel 3:33, Daniel 4:31, according to Hitzig the primary passages) another paragraph is brought to a close.