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<< PSALM CII. >>
The Time to Favour Zion
A Prayer of the afflicted, when he is overwhelmed,
and poureth out his complaint before Jehovah.
1. Hear my prayer, O Jehovah,
And let my cry come unto thee.
2. Hide not thy face from me in the day of my distress:
Incline thine ear unto me;
In the day when I call answer me speedily.
3. For my days consume away like smoke,
And my bones are burned as a firebrand.
4. My heart is smitten like grass, and withered;
For I forget to eat my bread.
5. By reason of the voice of my groaning
My bones cleave to my flesh.
6. I am like a pelican of the wilderness;
I am become as an owl of the waste places.
7. I watch, and am become like a sparrow
That is alone upon the housetop.
8. Mine enemies reproach me all the day;
They that are mad against me do curse by me.
9. For I have eaten ashes like bread,
And mingled my drink with weeping,
10. Because of thine indignation and thy wrath:
For thou hast taken me up, and cast me away.
11. My days are like a shadow that declineth;
And I am withered like grass.
12. But thou, O Jehovah, wilt abide for ever;
And thy memorial name unto all generations.
13. Thou wilt arise, and have mercy upon Zion;
For it is time to have pity upon her,
Yea, the set time is come.
14. For thy servants take pleasure in her stones,
And have pity upon her dust.
15. So the nations shall fear the name of Jehovah,
And all the kings of the earth thy glory.
16. For Jehovah hath built up Zion;
He hath appeared in his glory;
17. He hath regarded the prayer of the destitute,
And hath not despised their prayer.
18. This shall be written for the generation to come;
And a people which shall be created shall praise
Jehovah.
19. For he hath looked down from the height of his sanctuary;
From heaven did Jehovah behold the earth;
20. To hear the sighing of the prisoner;
To loose those that are appointed to death;
21. That men may declare the name of Jehovah in Zion,
And his praise in Jerusalem;
22. When the peoples are gathered together,
And the kingdoms, to serve Jehovah.
23. He weakened my strength in the way;
He shortened my days.
24. I said, O my God, take me not away in the midst of
my days:
Thy years are throughout all generations.
25. Of "old didst thou lay the foundation of the earth;
And the heavens are the work of thy hands. •
26. They shall perish, but thou shalt endure;
Yea, all of them shall wax old like a garment;
As a vesture shalt thou change them, and they shall
be changed:
27. But thou art the same,
And thy years shall have no end.
28. The children of thy servants shall continue,
And their seed shall be established before thee.
1. Hear my prayer, O Jehovah,
And let my cry come unto thee.
2. Hide not thy face from me in the day of my distress:
Incline thine ear unto me;
In the day when I call answer me speedily.
3. For my days consume away like smoke,
And my bones are burned as a firebrand.
4. My heart is smitten like grass, and withered;
For I forget to eat my bread.
5. By reason of the voice of my groaning
My bones cleave to my flesh.
6. I am like a pelican of the wilderness;
I am become as an owl of the waste places.
7. I watch, and am become like a sparrow
That is alone upon the housetop.
8. Mine enemies reproach me all the day;
They that are mad against me do curse by me.
1- 12. Prayer of the Lord when He was in temptations even to despair, which state is described. P. P,
3. See Psalm xvii. 6. A. 3869
See Psalm iv. 7. A. 10579
See Psalm xxvii. 8, 9. R. 939
See Psalm xiii. 2. E. 412
9. For I have eaten ashes like bread,
And mingled my drink with weeping,
10. Because of thine indignation and thy wrath:
For thou hast taken me up, and cast me away.
10, 11. The signification of ashes is falsities. A. 7520
11. My days are like a shadow that declineth;
And I am withered like grass.
12. But thou, O Jehovah, wilt abide for ever;
And thy memorial name unto all generations.
13. Thou wilt arise, and have mercy upon Zion;
For it is time to have pity upon her,
Yea, the set time is come.
14. For thy servants take pleasure in her stones,
And have pity upon her dust.
15. So the nations shall fear the name of Jehovah,
And all the kings of the earth thy glory.
16. For Jehovah hath built up Zion;
He hath appeared in his glory;
17. He hath regarded the prayer of the destitute,
And hath not despised their prayer.
18. This shall be written for the generation to come;
And a people which shall be created shall praise
Jehovah.
13, 19. Nevertheless those that are out of the church expect compassion, that they may become a church. P. P.
14, 15. By the stones of Zion which the servants of Jehovah desire are understood Divine truths, for by Zion upon which Jehovah shall have mercy is understood the church which is in celestial love. E. 717.
14-17, 22, 23. See Psalm ii. 6-8, 12. R. 612.
Treating of the Lord's advent and the redemption of the faithful by Him. His advent is signified by the time to pity Zion, and by the set time. Truths which are to be restored and are restored, are signified by the stones which His servants desire. The establishment of the church and worship of the Lord from Divine truths is also described by the words following. E. 850.
16, 17. See Psalm xix. 2. A. 9429.
See Psalm xix. 2. R. 629.
16, 17, 19. This passage treats of reformation. By the nations which shall fear the name of Jehovah are understood those who are in good, and by the kings of the earth those who are in truths derived from good. By building Zion is understood the establishment of the church, Zion standing for the church. The people which shall be created and shall praise the Lord signify all those who are reformed. E. 294.
19. To create, to form, and to make almost everywhere hi the prophets signify — with a difference — to regenerate. A. 16.
Mention is made of creating, of forming and making, and in other places of a creator, a former, and a maker. By creating is signified what is new which was not before, by forming is signified quality and by making effect. A. 10373.
By creating in the spiritual sense of the Word is signified forming, establishing, and regenerating. J. 4.
See Psalm li. 12. R. 254.
To be created signifies to be regenerated. T. 573.
See Psalm li. 12. T. 773.
See Psalm li. 12. Coro. 23.
19-21. Sanctuary stands for heaven as to the truth of faith. A. 8330.
20. 21. The prisoners stand for those who are in vastations and temptations. A. 5037.
20-23. He hears and has compassion, and a church is formed of such. P. P.
21. See Psalm lxviii. 7. R. 99.
Spiritual life is solely with those who go to the Lord, and at the same time shun evils as sins. Those who have no spiritual life are here meant by the dead, because spiritual death is meant. R. 525.
They are called the dead, because spiritual death is damnation, and damnation is the lot of those who believe that life is from nature, and thus that the light of nature is the light of life, and thereby hide, suffocate, and extinguish every idea of God, of heaven, and of eternal life. I. 10.
21. That men may declare the name of Jehovah in Zion,
And his praise in Jerusalem;
22. When the peoples are gathered together,
And the kingdoms, to serve Jehovah.
23. He weakened my strength in the way;
He shortened my days.
24. I said, O my God, take me not away in the midst of
my days:
Thy years are throughout all generations.
25. Of "old didst thou lay the foundation of the earth;
And the heavens are the work of thy hands.
26. They shall perish, but thou shalt endure;
Yea, all of them shall wax old like a garment;
As a vesture shalt thou change them, and they shall
be changed:
24, 25. Let Him not fail in temptations before that comes to pass. P. P.
25, 28, 29. See Psalm lxi. 7, 8. A. 2906.
26, See Psalm xi. 2, 3. R. 902.
26, 27. A new heaven and a new earth, and that the first heaven and the first earth were passed away. D. P., Page 7.
26-29. By the earth which God hath formed, and by the heavens the work of His hands which shall perish are signified the same as in Rev. xxi. 1. Since the face of the earth and heavens in the spiritual world will be altogether changed at the day of the last judgment, and there will be a new earth and new heavens in the place of the former, therefore it is said, that they shall all wax old — see verse 27. They are compared to garments, because garments signify external truths, such as appertain to those who are in the former heaven and former earth, which heaven and earth do not continue or endure, because they are not in internal truths. The state of Divine truth which shall endure from the Lord to eternity is signified by verse 28. The years of God signify states of Divine truth. Verse 29 signifies that angels and the men who are receptacles of Divine truth shall have eternal
life, and that the truths of doctrine with them shall endure to eternity. E. 768.
That heaven and the church perish not, but may be established. P. P.
Verses quoted. D. P., Page 33.
28. Years stand for times, and it is shown that with God there is no time. A. 893.
Author: EMANUEL SWEDENBORG (1688-1772)
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