1. Touching this title there is no question. "O Lord who shall sojourn in Thy tabernacle?" (ver. 1). Although tabernacle be sometimes used even for an everlasting habitation: yet when tabernacle is taken in its proper meaning, it is a thing of war. Hence soldiers are called tent-fellows, as having their tents together. This sense is assisted by the words, "Who shall sojourn?" For we war with the devil for a time, and then we need a tabernacle wherein we may refresh ourselves. Which specially points out the faith of the temporal Dispensation, which was wrought for us in time through the Incarnation of the Lord. "And who shall rest in Thy holy mountain?" Here perhaps he signifies at once the eternal habitation itself, that we should understand by "mountain" the supereminence of the love of Christ in life eternal.
David. The word psalm being appropriated to some, while others are styled hymns, does not hinder the latter from being also psalms or spiritual songs, to be set to music: so the insertion of David, "the beloved's name "in some of these divine canticles, is no proof that the rest were not written by him. (Worthington)
The author describes the perfection of priests, contrasts the sanctity of those who shall inhabit Jerusalem with that of the wicked mentioned in the last psalm. Some copies have To the end in the title, while others omit it, with the Hebrew, St. Chrysostom
Hill. The Jews comforted themselves with the hopes of seeing Jerusalem rebuilt, Psalm cxxxi. 1. The prophets describe those who should return from captivity, as holy people, (Isaias xxvi. 3., and Sophonias iii. 13.; Calmet) a figure of the Church. (Haydock)
Heaven is also styled a tabernacle and mountain, (Apocalypse xv. 5., and Hebrews xii. 22.; Berthier) and is here chiefly (Haydock) meant. See ver. 5. (Worthington)...
