\<>\. This is the first of the songs of degrees that bears the name of David: and Kimchi thinks they only were written by him which have his name to them; though he, Abendana, and others, are of opinion that this psalm was composed with a view to the captives in Babylon; who are here represented,…

I was glad when they said unto me Or, “I rejoiced in”, or “because of, those that said unto me” [[1]]; or, “in what was said unto me”. For it may regard not only the time when he had this pleasure of mind, but the persons who gave it, as well as the ground and reason of the things said unto him, as…

Our feet shall stand within thy gates, O Jerusalem. ] Which is to be understood not merely literally of the city of Jerusalem, and of continuance in the possession of it, it being lately taken out of the hands of the Jebusites; but spiritually of the church of God, which is often called by this…

Jerusalem is builded as a city that is compact together. ] In David’s time the upper and lower city were joined together, the streets regularly built, the houses contiguous, not straggling about, here and there one [[2]].

Whither the tribes go up, the tribes of the Lord The twelve tribes of Israel; the males of them went up three times a year to Jerusalem to worship, at the feasts of passover, pentecost, and tabernacles; and was typical of the church of Christ, where the worship of God is carried on, his word…

For there are set thrones of judgment In Jerusalem as the Targum; here were courts of judicature, and thrones for the judges to sit upon, to execute judgment and justice to the people; the thrones of the house of David; the Targum is, “thrones in the house of the sanctuary, for the kings of the…

Pray for the peace of Jerusalem This is said to the persons that solicited the psalmist to go into the house of the Lord; to the truly godly among the tribes that went thither to worship; to his brethren and companions, for whose sake he wished well to Zion; to praying souls, who should not be…

Peace be within thy walls The word say might be supplied; for this, with the following, seem to be petitions the psalmist puts into the mouths of those he desires to pray for Jerusalem’s peace; and he directs them to pray in this manner, to take with them such words as these, and pray to the Lord.

For my brethren and companions’ sakes Who were regenerated by the spirit of God; adopted into his family, and children of the same father; stood in the same relation to Christ the firstborn, and members of the same church; and so brethren: partners in the same blessings and promises of the…

Because of the house of the Lord our God Not because of his own palace, nor because of his own house and family; nor because of his own personal interest; though all were concerned in the peace of Jerusalem: but chiefly because of the sanctuary of the Lord, as the Targum; because of the worship and…