I will sing of the mercies of the LORD forever: with my mouth will I make known your faithfulness to all generations.
Read Chapter 89
Augustine of Hippo
AD 430
1. Understand, beloved, this Psalm, which I am about to explain, by the grace of God, of our hope in the Lord Jesus Christ, and be of good cheer, because He who promised, will fulfil all, as He has fulfilled much: for it is not our own merit, but His mercy, that gives us confidence in Him. He Himself is meant, in my belief, by "the understanding of Aethan the Israelite:" which has given this Psalm its title. You see then, who is meant by Aethan: but the meaning of the word is "strong." No man in this world is strong, except in the hope of God's promises: for as to our own deservings, we weak, in His mercy we are strong. Weak then in himself, strong in God's mercy, the Psalmist thus begins: "I will sing of Thy mercies, O Lord, for ever: with my mouth will I make known Thy truth unto all generations" (ver. 1).
2. Let my limbs, he saith, serve the Lord: I speak, but it is of Thine I speak. "With my mouth will I make known Thy truth:" if I obey not Thee, I am not Thy servant: if I speak...
Ezrahite. Septuagint, "Israelite "as in the former psalm. The Jews think that Ethan or Eman lived during the Egyptian bondage. But this psalm was rather composed by one of the captives at Babylon who bewails the destruction of the kingdom of Juda, under Sedecias. After he had detailed the promises of God, (ver. 39.; Calmet) David might write it in the person (Haydock) of Ethan, or Idithun, 1 Paralipomenon xxv., and 3 Kings. iv. 31. (Worthington)
Most of the Fathers explain it of Christ's kingdom. See Psalm cxxxi. 11., and Jeremias xxxiii. 17. (Calmet)
The sceptre or administration of affairs was to continue in the tribe of Juda till his coming, as it really did, though kings were not always at the head of the people. (Berthier)
