Psalms 132:18

His enemies will I clothe with shame, With the garments of shame, as the Targum; very different from the clothing of Zion's priests; all that are incensed against Christ as a King and Saviour shall

His enemies will I clothe with shame: but upon himself shall his crown flourish. His enemies will I clothe with shame - with disappointment in their hope of glorying over his downfall.

Clothe with shame; for the shameful and unexpected disappointment of all their vain hopes and wicked designs. Upon himself; upon him and his posterity, which are nothing else but a man’ s self multiplied.

Psalms 132:18 His enemies will I clothe with shame: but upon himself shall his crown flourish.Ver. 18. His enemies will I clothe with shame] Shame shall be the promotion of all such fools as set against Christ and his people; yea, they shall be clothed with it; so that it shall be conspicuous to all men. But upon himself shall his crown flourish] His royal diadem, whereby he is separated (Nezer) and distinguished from other men. Alexander dropped his diadem once into the water, and because he who fetched it out, put it on his own head while he swam out with it, he cut off his head. Our Edward IV hanged one for saying he would make his son owner of the crown; though he only meant his own house (having a crown for the sign) in Cheapside.

(18) Crown (nezer).—As the distinctive use of this word in Israel—by its derivation meaning mark of separation—was for the golden plate, inscribed “Holiness to the Lord,” worn on the high priest’s mitre (see Exodus 29:6; Exodus 39:30), we cannot be wrong in seeing here a special allusion to the same. This allusion is rendered more probable by the use of the word rendered “flourish” (properly, shine), a cognate to which was the technical name given to this golden plate. (See the reference in Exodus 39, above.) It is also possibly alluded to in Psalms 89:39, the only other place in the psalms where the word occurs, though as the word is used of the royal crown in 2 Samuel 1:10, &c, the allusion is not certain. But if the Maccabæan hypothesis is correct, the use of the word, instead of the more usual word for “crown,” is interesting. “One relic of the ancient insignia has been preserved, which was probably prized as the most precious of all. It was the golden plate affixed to the turban, inscribed ‘Holiness to Jehovah,’ which was believed to have come down from the time of Aaron, and which, treasured through all the vicissitudes of the Jewish state, was carried to Rome by Titus, and seen there by the great Jewish Rabbi, in the time of Hadrian” (Stanley, J. C. 3:353).

Verse 18. His enemies will I clothe with shame] Every opponent of the Christian cause shall be confounded. But upon himself shall his crown flourish.] There shall be no end of the government of Christ's kingdom. From Psalms 132:11-18, the spiritual David and his posterity are the subjects of which the Psalm treats. ANALYSIS OF THE HUNDRED AND THIRTY-SECOND PSALM This Psalm is divided into three parts: - I. A petition, before which is David's care and vow to settle the ark, and with what reverence they would settle it in the temple; and he sets down the solemn prayer then used, Psalms 132:1-10. II. An explication of the promises made unto David for the continuance of his kingdom in his posterity, Psalms 132:11-12, and God's love to his Church, Psalms 132:13. III. A prophecy, spoken in the person of God, for the stability of Christ's Church; and the blessings upon the people, the priests, and the house of David, Psalms 132:14-18. I. In all prayer a man must reflect upon God's promise; otherwise he cannot pray in faith. 1. "Lord, remember David:" Thy promises made to him. First he prays for the king; then for the ecclesiastics, Psalms 132:8-9; then for the people, Psalms 132:8. 2. "And all his afflictions:" Many he had before he was king; and one of the greatest was the settling of the ark. Now this his ardent and sincere desire appears by his oath. And now, - 1. "How he sware unto the Lord," c. 2. The substance of which was, "Surely I will not come," &c. Now this is hyperbolical for we must not conceive that he went not into his house or bed till he found out a place to build God's house. But see the note. 1. "I will not come into - my house:" So as to forget to build God's house. 2. "Nor go up into my bed:" Or let any thing make me forget the work. 3. "I will not give sleep," c.: But make provision for building the temple. And here the prophet inserts two verses by way of gratitude. First, he exults for the news of the ark: "Lo, we heard of it at Ephratah," &c. By Ephratah some understand the land of Ephraim, in which the ark remained at Shiloh. Being afterwards sent home, it was found in the field of Joshua thence conveyed to the house of Amminadab, who dwelt in Kirjath-jearim, that signifies a woody city. Hence, David might well say, "And found it in the fields of the wood," c. And the place for the ark being found, he calls on Israel, saying, 1. "We will go into his tabernacles." Now the ark is rested in Mount Zion. 2. "And we will worship," &c. Not make rash approaches to the ark, but come with reverence, and bow in his presence. The ark being brought into the temple, he uses this solemn form: - 1. "Arise, O Lord," &c. He prays and invites him to dwell in his temple. 2.

18. will I clothe with shame] The opposite of salvation, Psalms 132:16. Cp. Psalms 35:26; Job 8:22. upon himself] Upon David in the person of his representative, who is called David in Ezekiel 34:23-24. shall his crown flourish] The expression is a peculiar one. (1) The word for ‘crown’ (nçzer) used here as in Psalms 89:39, means (a) ‘consecration,’ (b) ‘a crown’ or ‘diadem,’ as the mark of consecration to an office. It is used not only of a king’s crown, but of the high-priest’s diadem (Exodus 29:6). (2) The verb yâtsîts, ‘flourish,’ or rather ‘sparkle,’ ‘glitter,’ is cognate to the word tsîts, which denotes the glittering plate of gold bearing the inscription “Holiness to Jehovah” which the High-priest wore on his turban, and which is called in Exodus 29:30, “the plate of the holy diadem.” This phraseology seems intended to suggest that David’s representative will have high-priestly as well as royal dignity. Cp. Jeremiah 30:21; Zechariah 6:11-13.

His enemies will I clothe with shame - They shall be so confounded that shame shall seem to cover them as a garment. See the notes at Psalms 109:29. That is, David would be triumphant.

18. Clothe with shame—Contrasted with the clothing of the priests. Psalms 132:16.