But you have exalted my horn like that of the wild ox. I am anointed with fresh oil.
Parallel Translations
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But you have exalted my horn like that of the wild ox. I am anointed with fresh oil.
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But my horn shalt thou exalt like the horn of an unicorn: I shall be anointed with fresh oil.
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(92-11) But my horn hast Thou exalted like the horn of the wild-ox; I am anointed with rich oil.
Cross-references (15)
Passages linked to Psalms 92:10 in the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge, ordered by reader-vote popularity; verse text shown in World English Bible.
- Psalms 23:5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil. My cup runs over.
- Psalms 89:17 For you are the glory of their strength. In your favor, our horn will be exalted.
- Psalms 45:7 You have loved righteousness, and hated wickedness. Therefore God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of gladness above your fellows.
- 2 Corinthians 1:21 Now he who establishes us with you in Christ and anointed us is God,
- Psalms 75:10 I will cut off all the horns of the wicked, but the horns of the righteous shall be lifted up.
- 1 John 2:20 You have an anointing from the Holy One, and you all have knowledge.
- 1 Samuel 2:10 Those who strive with Yahweh shall be broken to pieces. He will thunder against them in the sky. “Yahweh will judge the ends of the earth. He will give strength to his king, and exalt the horn of his anointed.”
- Psalms 89:24 But my faithfulness and my loving kindness will be with him. In my name, his horn will be exalted.
- Psalms 112:9 He has dispersed, he has given to the poor. His righteousness endures forever. His horn will be exalted with honor.
- Numbers 24:8 God brings him out of Egypt. He has as it were the strength of the wild ox. He shall consume the nations his adversaries, shall break their bones in pieces, and pierce them with his arrows.
- 1 Samuel 2:1 Hannah prayed, and said: “My heart exults in Yahweh! My horn is exalted in Yahweh. My mouth is enlarged over my enemies, because I rejoice in your salvation.
- Numbers 23:22 God brings them out of Egypt. He has as it were the strength of the wild ox.
- Psalms 132:17 I will make the horn of David to bud there. I have ordained a lamp for my anointed.
- Psalms 148:14 He has lifted up the horn of his people, the praise of all his saints, even of the children of Israel, a people near to him. Praise Yah!
- Luke 1:69 and has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David
Cross-references from openbible.info (CC BY 4.0)
Explain this verse (15 sources)
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Geneva Bible translators 1599 · Public Domain Thou wilt strengthen them with all power, and bless…
Thou wilt strengthen them with all power, and bless them with all felicity.
Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain.
John Trapp 1656 · Public Domain Psa 92:10 But my horn shalt thou exalt like…
Psa 92:10 But my horn shalt thou exalt like [the horn of] an unicorn: I shall be anointed with fresh oil.
Ver. 10. Like the horn of an unicorn] Which is very fair, hard, and well lifted up. See Num 23:26. I am in good plight.
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I shall be anointed] It is well for the present, and it will be better hereafter.
John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Matthew Poole 1685 · Public Domain But as for me and other righteous persons, (of…
But as for me and other righteous persons, (of whom he saith the same thing Psa 92:12) we shall be advanced to the height of honour, and true and lasting felicity.
Unicorn; of which See Poole "Deu 33:17".
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I shall be anointed; I shall have great cause of rejoicing and testifying my joy by anointing myself, as the manner was in feasts and all joyful solemnities.
Fresh oil; sweet and uncorrupted.
Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
John Gill 1763 · Public Domain Mine eyes also shall see my desire on mine…
Mine eyes also shall see my desire on mine enemies,.... The Targum supplies thus,
"shall see destruction;''
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Aben Ezra, shall see "the vengeance of God", as in Psa 58:10, and Kimchi, as we do, shall "see what I will", or "my desire"; which arose not from a revengeful spirit, or from a spirit of private revenge, but from a regard to the glory of God, and the honour of his name; and in no other view could the destruction of fellow creatures, though his enemies, be grateful to him:
and mine ears shall hear my desire of the wicked that rise up against me; he should see the ruin of some, and hear of the destruction of others; that which his eyes saw not, his ears should hear; the report would be brought to him; as in the latter day the voice of the angel will be heard, "Babylon is fallen"; and other voices heard in heaven, giving glory to God; an account of which will be acceptable to the saints, because of the justice of God, and the honour of it, as well as because it will make for their future peace and comfort, Rev 18:2.
John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
John Wesley 1765 · Public Domain Anointed - I shall have cause of testifying my…
Anointed - I shall have cause of testifying my joy by anointing myself, as the manner was at all joyful solemnities.
John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.
Adam Clarke 1810 · Public Domain Verse 10. Like the horn of a unicorn.] ראים…
Verse 10. Like the horn of a unicorn.] ראים reeym, perhaps here, the oryx or buffalo. But the rhinoceros seems to be the real monoceros of the Scriptures.
I shall be anointed with fresh oil.] Perhaps the allusion is here not to any sacramental anointing, but to such anointings as were frequent among the Asiatics, especially after bathing, for the purpose of health and activity.
Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Albert Barnes 1834 · Public Domain But my horn shalt thou exalt - The horn…
But my horn shalt thou exalt - The horn is a symbol of strength or power (see the notes at Psa 18:2); and the meaning here is, that, while the wicked would be cut off, he would be prospered; that is, he had such confidence that he was the friend of God, that he believed God would honor him and exalt him. The psalmist here speaks of himself not so much with reference to his own particular case, but as the representative of the righteous. The idea is, that God will thus exalt “a righteous man.”
Like the horn of an unicorn - Supposed to be remarkable for the strength of its horn. On the animal here referred to, see the notes at Job 39:9; compare Psa 22:21.
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I shall be anointed with fresh oil - Oil pure and sweet; not old and rancid. That is, he would be made happy, cheerful, bright, and prosperous. Anointing with oil in the East was the symbol of all this, or was equivalent to what we mean by putting on festive apparel - holiday apparel. Compare the notes at Psa 23:5.
Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Daniel D. Whedon 1874 · Public Domain 10. But my horn shalt thou exalt—Thou shalt “exalt”…
10. But my horn shalt thou exalt—Thou shalt “exalt” me to power and honour.
Unicorn—Or buffalo. See on Psa_22:21. There is no animal of one horn which answers to the Hebrew ראם, (re’eem,) which, following the Septuagint and Vulgate, our translators have always rendered “unicorn.” The rhinoceros does not meet the Bible description, and far less the antelope. See more in note on Psa_22:21. Exalting the “horn” denotes strength and victory, and the figure is based upon the majestic and proud elevation of the “horns” of the wild buffalo when excited by danger. On his proverbial strength see Num_23:22.
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Fresh oil—Green oil. “Retaining,” says Calmet, “somewhat of the colour and fragrance of the plant.” Roberts thinks it is cold-drawn oil, which has been extracted from the berry or fruit without the process of boiling. “The orientals,” he says, “prefer this kind for anointing themselves to all others. It is considered the most precious and the most pure and efficacious. Nearly all the medicinal oils are thus extracted, and are very dear.”
Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges 1878 · Public Domain 10. But my horn hast thou exalted like (the…
10. But my horn hast thou exalted like (the horn of) a wild ox:
I am anointed with fresh oil.
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The poet speaks on behalf of Israel restored and glorified. The metaphor is derived from animals tossing their heads in the consciousness of vigour. God has restored to Israel a buoyant sense of life and power to repel its enemies. Cp. Psa_89:17; Psa_89:24. ‘Unicorn’ comes from the LXX through the Vulg.; but the now extinct wild ox (Bos primigenius) is doubtless the animal meant. Its strength and untameableness are described in Job_39:9 ff. Cp. Num_23:22; Deu_33:17. See Tristram’s Nat. Hist. of the Bible, pp. 146 ff.
The metaphor in the second line is taken from the use of oil on occasions of festivity (Psa_23:5; Psa_45:7; Isa_61:3), or as a restorative of strength. The rendering I am anointed is however doubtful. Some critics would follow the LXX and Symm. in reading the word with different vowels, and rendering, (and restored) my failing strength with fresh oil. “Israel is imagined as an old man, whose strength is restored through the use of oil” (Cheyne).
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers 1878 · Public Domain (10) Unicorn.—Better, buffalo. (See Num_23:22; Psa_22:21.)
(10) Unicorn.—Better, buffalo. (See Num_23:22; Psa_22:21.)
A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Pulpit Commentary 1880 · Public Domain But my horn shalt thou exalt like the horn…
But my horn shalt thou exalt like the horn of a unicorn; rather, of a wild ox. The Hebrew, like the Assyrian, reym, is certainly a species of wild cattle, whether the aurochs, or the bison, or the buffalo, may be doubted. The psalmist speaks in the name of Israel, or of God"s faithful ones generally, and confidently predicts their exaltation to glory and honour simultaneously with the destruction of God"s enemies. I shall be anointed with fresh oil . Oil was supposed to give vigour to the frame; and "fresh oil," or "green oil," would be the most efficient and the best.
The holy oil.
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We have here
I A VERY BLESSED THING SPOKEN OF. Under this emblem the Holy Spirit is set forth. (Luk_4:18)
1. The holy oil told of was especially sacred. (See Exo_30:33 Psa_89:20)
2. It enobled those on whom it was poured. Constituting them prophets, princes, priests.
3. It invigorated and empowered for high service. This is especially true of the Holy Spirit. (Luk_24:49)
4. It was a bond of union. (Psa_133:1, Psa_133:2) And so the Holy Spirit. (Joh_17:21 Eph_4:3)
5. It is gladdening. (Psa_23:5 Heb_1:9)
6. Illuminating. (1Jn_2:27)
7. Sweetly fragrant. (Joh_12:3) In all these and yet other respects did the holy oil tell of the blessed Spirit of God.
II A VERY JOYFUL CONFIDENCE EXPRESSED. "I shall be anointed," etc. He does not say, "I hope;" but he is sure of what he affirms. Now, the grounds of this confidence are:
1. That it rested on God. He could not have spoken thus had it been resting only on man.
2. We are united with Christ, the Anointed One. "Of his fulness we all receive.
3. The Holy Spirit dwells within us.
4. The promises of God. So full, numerous, clear, strong.
5. The experience of Gods people in all ages. Daily strength has been given for daily need. Therefore we may well believe the text.
III AN INVALUABLE HELP TO OUR SPIRITUAL LIFE PROMISED.
1. It banishes fear.
(1) The fear of poverty. Israel, though they had only the day"s supply of manna, did not fear for the morrow. Nor need we, for we know that, though the sun will set, there shall be light tomorrow.
(2) The fear of temptation. We pray, "Lead us not into temptation;" but in spite of that, we may be so led; but we need not fear we shall be anointed with fresh oil.
(3) Of backsliding that we shall fall away.
(4) Of great trials; if they come, it will be well with us.
(5) Of bereavements. We say, "What shall we do then?" But when one prop is taken, another is given.
2. It inspires glad hope. Of usefulness in Christ"s service continued. Of full attainment in grace. Of strength sufficient for all need.
IV A PAINFUL CONTRAST SUGGESTED. The godless have no such hope. All that sustains them is fast running out, and there is no further supply. What shall they do in the end thereof? They will have had their good things, and there are no more. S.C.
The stability of human good lies with God.
God exalts the horn. God anoints with oil. "The horns in animals, where the Creator alone planted them, were their weapons of defence; and man, who lays all nature under tribute to enrich his stores of images and figures, very early made it synonymous with power, and then for what that will always confer upon the possessor. To exalt the horn means to advance in power, honour, and dominion." The unicorn of Scripture is, in all probability, the wild buffalo. Abbe Huc, in his travels, tells of having heard of an animal resembling the unicorn of heraldry; but we can hardly regard his work as trustworthy. Horns were, and are stilly worn by the women of the Lebanon; but the psalmist is much more likely to take his figure from the common features of animal life than from merely local customs of women. The figure of "anointing with fresh oil" is not easily explained. Attention is due to the suggestion that the use of oil in the toilet was the sign that a man was in health. When a man was sick, he refrained from his customary use of oil. So being anointed came to be the sign of good health. And established health is one of God"s best blessings. So we get the two ways in which God secures the stability of the good.
I HE LIFTS THEM OUT OF, KEEPS THEM ABOVE, THEIR CIRCUMSTANCES. Things may be always tending toward pulling down, depressing their horn. God is always raising it up, and keeping it up. This is a familiar thought to the psalmists: "He brought me up also out of a horrible pit, and out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings;" "Hold thou me up, and I shall be safe.
II HE RENEWS THEIR OWN VIGOUR AND VITALITY. And so his people are able to keep wrestling with evils, and winning victories over circumstances. God is the secret of stability, because he is both in the circumstances and in us. "What can harm you, if ye be followers of the thing that good is?" What, indeed, seeing that "he who is for you is more than all that be against you."! They who upset your good, must shift God"s relations to it, before they can reach you. R.T.
The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Charles H. Spurgeon 1885 · Public Domain Ver. 10. But my horn shalt thou exalt like…
Ver. 10. But my horn shalt thou exalt like the horn of an unicorn. The believer rejoices that he shall not be suffered to perish, but shall be strengthened and enabled to triumph over his enemies, by the divine aid. The unicorn may have been some gigantic ox or buffalo now unknown, and perhaps extinctamong the ancients it was the favourite symbol of unconquerable power; the psalmist adopts it as his emblem. Faith takes delight in foreseeing the mercy of the Lord, and sings of what he will do as well as of what he has done.
I shall be anointed with fresh oil. Strengthening shall be attended with refreshment and honour. As guests were anointed at feasts with perfumed unguents, so shall the saints be cheered and delighted by fresh outpourings of divine grace; and for this reason they shall not pass away like the wicked. Observe the contrast between the happiness of the brutish people and the joy of the righteous: the brutish men grow with a sort of vegetable vigour of their own, but the righteous are dealt with by the Lord himself, and all the good which they receive comes directly from his own right hand, and so is doubly precious in their esteem. The psalmist speaks in the first person, and it should be a matter of prayer with the reader that he may be enabled to do the same.
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Ver. 10. Thou shalt lift up, as a Reêym, my horn, seems to point to the mode in which the bovidoe use their horns, lowering the head and then tossing it up. William Houghton, in Smith's Bible Dictionary.
Ver. 10. The horn of an unicorn. After discussing the various accounts which are given of this animal by ancient and modern writers, Winer says, I do not hesitate to say, it is the Antelope Leucoryx, a species of goat with long and sharp horns. William Walford.
Ver. 10. If shall be anointed with fresh oil. Montanus has, instead of "fresh oil", given the literal meaning of the original virido oleo, "with green oil." Ainsworth also renders it: "fresh or green oil." The remark of Calmet is: "The plants imparted somewhat of their colour, as well as of their fragrance, hence the expression, `green oil.'"Harmer says, "I shall be anointed with green oil." Some of these writers think the term green, as it is in the original, signifies "precious fragrant oil"; others, literally "green" in colour; and others, "fresh" or newly made oil. But I think it will appear to mean "cold drawn oil", that which has been expressed or squeezed from the nut or fruit without the process of boiling. The Orientals prefer this kind to all others for anointing themselves; it is considered the most precious, the most pure and efficacious. Nearly all their medicinal oils are thus extracted; and because they cannot gain so much by this method as by the boiling process, oils so drawn are very dear. Hence their name for the article thus prepared is also patche, that is, "green oil." But this term, in Eastern phraseology, is applied to other things which are not boiled or raw: thus unboiled water is called patchi-tameer, "green water": patche-pal, likewise, "green milk", means that which has not been boiled, and the butter made from it is called "green butter"; and uncooked meat or yams are known by the same name. I think, therefore, the Psalmist alludes to that valuable article which is called "green oil", on account of its being expressed from the nut or fruit, without the process of boiling. Joseph Roberts's Oriental Illustrations.
Ver. 10. Anointed with fresh oil. Every kind of benediction and refreshment I have received, do receive, and shall receive, like one at a feast, who is welcomed as a friend, and whose head is copiously anointed with oil or fragrant balm. In this way, the spirits are gently refreshed, an inner joyousness excited, the beauty of the face and limbs, according to the custom of the country, brought to perfection. Or, there is an allusion to the custom of anointing persons at their solemn installation in some splendid office. Compare Ps 23:5 "Thou anointest my head with oil, "and Ps 45:7, "God, thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness." Martin Geier.
Ver. 10. (last clause). The phrase is not "I am anointed", hvm; but ytlb, imbutus sumperfusus sum; apparently in reference to the abundance of perfume employed on the occasion, viz., his being elected King over all the tribes, as indicative of the greater popularity of the act, or the higher measure of Jehovah's blessing on his people. The difference, indeed, between the first anointing of David and that of Saul, as performed by Samuel, is well worthy of notice on the present occasion. When Samuel was commanded to anoint Saul, he "took a vial of oil, and poured it upon his head." in private, 1Sa 16:13. Here we find the horn again made use of and apparently full to the brimDavid was soaked or imbued with it. John Mason Good.
Ver. 10. (last clause). Christian illumination, consecration, gladness, and graces, are all of them the anointing of the Spirit.
William Garrett Lewis, 1872.
Ver. 10. (last clause). The subject of David's confidence was
1. Very comprehensive, including renewed strength, fresh tokens of favour, confirmation in office, qualification for it, and new joys.
2. Well grounded, since it rested in God, and his promises.
3. Calming all fears.
4. Exciting hopes.
5. Causing pity for those who have no such confidence.
Psalms 92:11*
Charles H. Spurgeon's The Treasury of David (1869–1885) — public domain. Psalms only. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
The Biblical Illustrator 1887 · Public Domain But my horn shalt Thou exalt like the horn…
Psa_92:10
But my horn shalt Thou exalt like the horn of an unicorn: I shall be anointed with fresh oil.
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Character: an ordination charge
The image of lifting up the horn denotes strength, courage, victory over enemies--the power and glory which rays out from the Christly life in the soul. In the legends of early Christianity we read that night and day a cloud of light shone round about Jesus; and the old masters used to paint a nimbus round His sacred head, by which they sought to express, or at least to suggest, the Divinity of our Lord. We do not blame them. The halo was there, though it rarely assumed the form of a visible Shechinah. It was the beauty of holiness--something to be felt and not seen. John said, We beheld His glory--the Shechinah occasionally shining forth, as in the Transfiguration. But that was at rare intervals, whereas the power of the holy life was always present. And here also is the hiding of His ministers power, in the bright, subtle aura, the throbbing, living light that streams from them, the Christlike character that rays out from the life of Jesus in the soul and makes the atmosphere bright and healing around about them. The true minister is not simply a speaker, not at all an actor--he is more; he is an influence, a spiritual force, a fragrance--subtle, pervading. All unconsciously we exert an influence for good or evil. Was there not a power of healing in the very shadow of Peter as it fell? There is that in every man, call it what you will, which adds to or detracts from all he may say or do. Character, the Greeks called it. You miss it in biography; it refuses to be put into words--but it is there; we all know it, we have all felt it. It is as inseparable from man as his own shadow. The psalmists horn was not the loose tantur which formed part of the Eastern headdress. What he meant was that as the horn grows out of the animal, even so the glory of the Divine life rays out in a luminous character. It is the life of Christ in the soul that will make our life beautiful to behold and powerful for good. Raphael, in sketching his figures, gave his first attention to the drawing and modelling of the limbs, adding the draperies only after he had satisfied himself as to these. He thus succeeded in imparting to them an air of inimitable ease and truthfulness; whereas Carlo Maratti, as Reynolds informs us, was of opinion that the disposition of drapery was a more difficult art than even that of drawing the human figure. The natural result was, that in Maratti the disposition of the drapery appears so artificial that he is inferior to Raphael even in that which gave him his best claim to reputation. Have a far greater care for the cultivation of sound principles than of the winning manners of the society man or the accomplishments of the drawing-room--all very well in their way. It has been not altogether inaptly remarked that good breeding is surface Christianity. A graceful address and the manners that maketh man may form a suitable finish to a noble character. But be you careful not to deal in varnish or veneer. Cultivate the Spirit of Christ--it will shed a lustre over any society. And how may this be attained? By Gods grace. Let not the simplicity of the reply blind you to the wealth of its meaning. For Thou art the glory of their strength. In Thy favour shall our horn be exalted. I am anointed with fresh oil. As guests were anointed at feasts with perfumes, so are believers cheered and delighted by fresh outpourings of Divine grace. The consciousness of Gods favour is the oil that maketh the face to shine; it transfigures life. As He prayed the fashion of His countenance was altered. It was the secret of the Lords Transfiguration. And the same truth applies to all Christians. Have we not seen men and women possessed with great ideas, their countenance all aglow with a sweet saintliness, in their eyes a deep, living light? You might well say that in their case the resurrection was already past, or that they had begun to put on the resurrection body. Dignity of mind will impress itself on the most homely countenance, and through determined spiritual preference we may obtain a spiritual body. But it means constant and unbroken communion with God. (M. O. Evans.)
I shall be anointed with fresh oil.--
The holy oil
The world, like the Athenians (Act_17:2), is ever craving for some new thing. And they will take immense trouble to gratify this craving. It is a proof in itself, were there none other, that the world has nothing really satisfying to offer. Its happiness is always in the next room. Real freshness, newness of heart and life, the secret of perpetual youth is to be found alone in Him in whom all things are become new. Now, of this freshness the psalmist speaks in our text. Let us inquire--
I. His meaning. What is this oil? It is undoubtedly the type of the Holy Spirit. Now, this oil was--
1. Sacred (Psa_89:20; Exo_30:33). The tabernacle and all its furniture were sanctified by it. And it tells of the Holy Spirit (Luk_4:18; Act_10:38)
2. Ennobling. Prophets, priests and kings were consecrated by it to their great offices. And those whom the Holy Spirit anoints are, now, made kings and priests unto God.
3. Invigorating, enabling. The Greek runners and wrestlers were anointed with oil, as it was supposed to give them strength and help in their contests. Undoubtedly it is so in the Christian race; this oil gives power for all we have to do or bear. The Churchs crying need is power from on high. All human strength will fail to win a single soul if the power of the Holy Ghost is wanting. For instance of counterfeited power (Act_19:13-17). Lay to heart Christs words (Luk_24:49).
4. Uniting (Psa_133:1-2). Strife, anger, wrath--all depart under the influence of this anointing.
5. Gladdening. A joyous face is often a sermon in itself. Gladness of heart which shines out of us, whether we will or no, is no mean testimony to the presence of the Christ within. God wants us to be glad (Heb_1:9). If we are not, press the inquiry (Job_15:11).
6. Illumining and guiding (1Jn_2:27). And--
7. Perfuming, fragrant. See the fragrance of Marys alabaster box of ointment. And we are to be a sweet savour of Christ.
II. The condition of this anointing.
1. Union with the anointed one--Christ.
2. Abiding in Christ. If we walk after the flesh, this anointing cannot rest on us. Upon mans flesh it shall not be poured. Are we in communion with Him now? (E. W. Moore, M.A.)
Fresh grace confidently expected
David is very positive. He does not say, I hope, but, I shall be. And this is not wonderful, for the subject of this psalm is the ever living God. Now, on this confidence of David, note--
I. It was a confidence full of meaning. For it meant--
1. That his strength would be renewed. It was a common belief amongst Orientals that anointing with oil added to a mans vigour. So David felt and knew that whenever it was required God would renew his strength.
2. That he should be afresh assured of the Divine favour. To anoint a man with oil was a token of his welcome to your house. His feet were washed that he might be refreshed, and then the guest worthy of especial honour was anointed with perfumed nard. David had the favour of God as a shepherd boy, he found it anew as a warrior, and he had yet other tokens when he became King of Israel. Every favour received is a pledge of more to follow. Dawn is the earnest of noon.
3. That he should be confirmed in his estate. It is noteworthy that David was anointed three times. First of all by Samuel, in prospect of his ultimately becoming king; a second time by the men of Judah, when he reigned over a part of the nation; and a third time at Hebron, when the whole Israelitish nation came together, and he was solemnly elected to be their king, Perhaps he recollected this, and looking upon these various anointings as confirmations of his kingly state, he felt that God would yet further confirm him therein. There were many rebellions against him, but they were all futile. Now, we are kings and priests unto God, and Satan, if he could, would soon bring our kingdom and priesthood to an end; but it is written, Thou maintainest my lot.
4. That he should be qualified for his office by the bestowal of fresh grace. This was the meaning of the anointing whether of king or priest. This is a very sweet confidence for us. If you are a minister of the Gospel, you will have a thousand reasons for feeling yourself to be incompetent, and you might well throw down the staff of your pastorate, and leave work, if you were not sure that your sufficiency is of God.
5. That he should have more cause of delight. Anointing was intended to give pleasure. There are some now-a-days who would like to strike out everything from mortal life which gives pleasure. We have societies now which are anti to every mortal thing that is pleasant and agreeable, and if there remains one solitary enjoyment in this vale of tears which has not some society opposed to it, I have no doubt that some genius will commence a crusade against it to-morrow. The theory is that all wholesome things are nasty, and that all gratifications are deadly. Now, I do not believe in this theory for ordinary life, much less for spiritual life. Men used of old to anoint the heads of their guests to give them pleasure, and they were never blamed for it; and the Lord intends that His people should have the richest pleasure in their souls. He is the happy God, and would have those around Him happy. He never intended this world to be a great workhouse, a great drill shed, or a convict settlement, so arranged that labour should banish joy. He has made this world to be a happy lodging for His dear children till He shall call them home. I believe the Lord intended His people to be the happiest people under the sun. When I see certain of them repining, complaining, fretting, worrying, and calling that state of mind experience, I pray, The Lord save me from that experience. Our Lord Jesus was sorrowful not as our example but as our substitute; He was put to grief that we might be joyous; He bore our load that we might have no load to carry. We which have believed do enter into rest, and in that rest we discover new joys each day. The banks of the river, the streams whereof make glad the city of God, are not dark with weeping willows, or dreary with a jungle of thorns and thistles, but they are lovely with the rose of Sharon and the lilies of the valley, and among its shady groves the righteous lie down at peace. Yes, we did rejoice, we have rejoiced, and we mean to rejoice again.
II. The confidence of our text is well guarded. When we rest in God we may boast as we will. I stood the other day by a spring, pleased to see it bubble up constantly with cool, refreshing water. One who came thither to fetch water for her house said to me, It is always the same, sir, always the same; I never knew the sharpest frost to freeze it, or the most burning summer to dry it; the stream is equally full at all times of the year. This was very different from a fountain which I often pass, which more than half the year bears the notice, This drinking fountain is closed during the winter; and very different from those brooks in our own and other lands which live upon the rains, and therefore do not contain a drop of water in the time of drought. Why does the spring always remain the same? Because it has tapped the great fountains. There is a deep that croucheth beneath, there are vast secret reservoirs in the bowels of the earth, and if you can set them abroad, you are sure of a perpetual supply. Now, if you live upon God, you can say, All my fresh springs are in Thee. And all this is so because of our union with Christ. Every Christian is a part of Christ. And because the Holy Spirit dwells in us. It was a good day for the poor widow of Zarephath in which Elijah came to live with her. If I had been in her case I should have felt that I was safe enough, for if God did not think of me He would think of Elijah. O, child of God, know ye not that ye are the temples of the Holy Ghost? Look, too, at the promises of Gods Word. They are to me a gradual revelation. I cannot realize, grasp and understand them except by degrees. I have one for to-day, but I shall find another open for me to-morrow. The train which starts from London to go to the North continues to traverse the distance day by day--how is it supplied with water? Why, there are trenches between the rails in several different places, and from them the engine drinks as it rushes along; it is supplied as it runs. This is just what our Heavenly Father has done for you. You are on the road to heaven, but between here and there there are many stores of grace waiting for you. Our experience has proved that we shall be afresh anointed. We have been so many a time already. Changes are appointed for us as long as we are here. David said, My mountain standeth firm; I shall never be moved, but in a very little time he sang another hymn. When I hear brethren so very confident I am reminded of a story I have heard of the olden times, when a young gentleman who had never travelled before went over Hounslow Heath, and was accosted by another gentleman who rode by his side and joined in an interesting conversation. Our friend said at last, I have always been told by my father that this is a very dangerous heath, but the old gentleman, I think, was exceedingly nervous, for we have come all this way without being molested by highwaymen. Yes, said the other, but now is the time for you to stop and deliver; and he clapped his pistol to his ear. It often happens when we say that we shall have no more temptations that our confidence is in itself a temptation. But when times of sore trial come the Lord has appeared for us.
III. This confidence calms all our fears. Sometimes we are filled with fear on account of our soul poverty. Our text is the answer to it. I am poor, but I shall receive my daily pension. Imagine two Israelites talking together one day, and one of them says to the other, Your cupboard seems to be very empty, I fear you are improvident. But, says the other, do you know, we gathered this morning an omer full of manna, and it exactly supplied my family. I have a wife and a troop of boys with mighty appetites, and very soon the omer which had been full was empty, but we look for more to-morrow. Nothing in the house! said the other, do you not feel distressed? No, not at all. Why not? Because I believe the manna will fall to-morrow morning, and that there will be just as much as I shall want, so that I have no need to lay by any in store. Very imprudent, said the other. I believe we ought to make hay while the sun shines. If you will come to my house, I will show you the good stock of manna which I have carefully laid by. No, said the other, I do not care to see it just now, but I will tell you what I will do; I will come down to-morrow at dinner-time and see it. So the man gathered in the morning his own manna fresh, and his family have been satisfied with it and delighted, and after they have eaten he says, I will go down and see my rich friends manna; he was much better off last night than I was. He goes to his friends door, but his friend does not seem pleased to see him. I have come to see your manna that you stored up so carefully. But the other blushes, and owns that he has none to show. Why not? his friend inquires. Well, the fact is, I do not want you to come into my tent at all. I must come forth from it myself. There is a most detestable smell all through the tent. I had to take away the manna and bury it, for it bred worms, and stank. Ah, said the other, then, after all, I. did well to live upon daily manna, and to have no stock in hand; and you did foolishly to lay by a store. Beloved, it calms our fears about our poverty when we remember that the granary of heaven is not exhausted, and that as each morning breaks we shall find the dew of grace lying about our tent.
IV. And this assurance tends to raise our hopes. As to our holding on to the end, as to our useful service, as to full fellowship with Christ.
V. This makes us feel great pity for those who cannot hope to be anointed with fresh oil. Such are all those who are destitute of faith. The present may please you for the present, but there are evil times coming. It is a blessed thing to be so rich that there is no end to your wealth, and nobody can say that but a Christian. It is a blessed thing to have a stream at your foot, which will never fail; and nobody has such a river but a Christian. O the utter, utter poverty of the man who lives and dies without Christ. God grant it may not be so for us. (C. H. Spurgeon.)
Anointed with fresh oil
I. Christian illumination is the anointing of the sacred Spirit (2Co_1:21; 1Jn_2:20; 1Jn_2:27).
1. The conversion of man is effected through the influence of Gods truth applied to the heart by the Holy Spirit. It is in the very essence of this process that the verities of Scripture impress themselves with such resistless energy over the whole man that he is compelled to yield to their influence. It is, however, the influence of Truth--reasonable, genial, and gratifying to its subject.
2. The subsequent growth in grace of the man who has become a believer is effected by the same Almighty and gracious influence. The Word of God is the nutriment of faith.
3. Nothing short of close personal dealing with the Spirit of God in prayer will maintain the proper influence of Divine truths over our understanding, our conscience, and our affections.
II. Christian consecration is the anointing of the Spirit. Great is the change made in the individual who is the subject of such consecration. The disciple who declares to the servant-maid, I know not the man, is hard to identify with him who, on the temple steps, exclaims, In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk. The result of such an anointing upon our Churches would be incalculable good; the growth of holy enjoyment, and the increase of holy usefulness, would elicit from all quarters of the land the joyful shouts proclaiming a present God, and wonders wrought by His power.
III. Christian gladness is the anointing of the Spirit (Psa_45:7; Heb_1:9). Gladness is the inheritance of the saints, and, in regard to it, we often need to be anointed with fresh oil. Exhortations to joy are frequent in both the Old and New Testament. Joy is one of the foundations of the kingdom of grace in the heart, which is righteousness, joy, and peace. This holy gladness rests on the twofold basis of a firm, constant belief in the all-pervading providence of God, and a confident assurance of participation in His forgiving mercy, manifested in the Lord Jesus Christ.
IV. Christian graces are the anointing of the Spirit (Gal_5:22-23). There is a legend which represents St. Francis as having looked so long and so eagerly on the body of the suffering Saviour, that the prints of the nails were reproduced in his hands, and the mark of the spear in his side. There is another legend, which affirms that Veronica possessed a napkin with which the Lord Jesus wiped His brow on the way to Calvary; which cloth was said to bear upon it a perfect representation of the Saviours countenance. These fables have lying behind them an important fact--the assimilating power of communion with Christ (2Co_3:18). (W. G. Lewis.)
Freshness
I. Its excellency.
1. In our devotions.
2. In our feelings. Whether it be exultation or depression, let it be true, not superficial or simulated.
3. In utterance Nature, pure and unsophisticated, is the best instrument for grace.
4. In labour. We ought to serve the Lord to-day with just as much novelty in it as there was ten years ago. I may even venture to say thirty years ago. Talk of Jesus as if you were telling news. Is it not always glad tidings, fresh from heaven?
II. The fear of its departure.
1. Christian people can lose the freshness of their own selves by imitating one another. By adopting as our model some one form of the Christian life, other than that which is embodied in the person of our Lord, we shall soon manufacture a set of paste gems, but the diamond flash and glory will be unknown.
2. Another way of spoiling your freshness is by repression. The feebler sort of Christians dare not say, feel, or do, until they have asked their leaders leave.
3. If we want to keep up our freshness, however, the main thing is never to fall into neglect about our souls. Do you know what state the man is generally in when you are charmed by his freshness? Is he not in fine health?
III. Hope of its renewal. Let us not think that we must grow stale and heavenly things grow old with us.
1. For, first, our God in whom we trust renews the face of the year. He is beginning His work again in the fair processes of nature. The dreary winter has passed away. The time of the singing of birds is coming on, and the sweet flowers are peeping out from their graves, enjoying a resurrection of glory and beauty. Now, this is the God whom we serve; and if we have been passing through our winter-time, let us look out for our spring, if any of you have been growing cold of late--if any of you have grown stale and mechanical, and have fallen into ruts, come, took up: look up, and pray the great Renewer to visit you.
2. Moreover, there is an excellent reason why you may expect to have all your freshness coming back again: it is because Christ dwells in you. Do you not know it? Christ is formed in you the hope of glory; and, if so, your glory will be fresh about you, for He never grows stale. It is God that said of Him, Thou hast the dew of Thy youth.
3. Then there is the other grand doctrine of the indwelling of the Holy Ghost. If your bodies are the temples of the Holy Ghost, shall He not be always to you a fountain of new life--a spring of fresh delights? Why, it must be so. (C. H. Spurgeon.)
The Biblical Illustrator, edited by Joseph S. Exell (c. 1880s–1900s) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
unfoldingWord translationNotes 2017 · CC BY-SA 4.0 You have lifted up my horn like the horn…
You have lifted up my horn like the horn of the wild ox
The psalmist speaks of God as if he had made him as strong as a wild animal. Here his "horn" represents his strength. AT: "You have made me as strong as a wild ox" (See: Metonymy and Simile)
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I am anointed with fresh oil
Possible meanings are that the oil that God has put on the psalmist is a metaphor for God 1) making him happy "you have made me very happy" or 2) making him strong, "you have made me strong" or 3) enabling him to defeat his enemies, "you have enabled me to defeat my enemies." (See: Metaphor)
My eyes have seen the downfall of my enemies; my ears have heard of the doom of my evil foes
The words "eyes" and "ears" are synecdoches for the person who sees and hears. The lines may be combined. AT: "I have seen and heard of the defeat of my evil enemies" (See: Synecdoche)
translationWords
horn
cow
anoint
oil
unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.
Tyndale Open Study Notes 2022 · CC BY-SA 4.0 92:10 as strong as a wild ox: The Lord…
92:10 as strong as a wild ox: The Lord allows the psalmist to share his exaltation (92:8), thus ensuring victory.
Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.