John Gill Commentary Psalms 132

Lord, remember David, [and] all his afflictions .

Which prayer might be put up by David on his own account, as Nehemiah does, (Nehemiah 13:22); and be considered as a petition to the Lord that he would remember his mercy and lovingkindness to him, and him with the favour he bears to his own people, as he elsewhere prays; that he would remember his covenant with him, and his promise to him, on which he had caused him to hope; and sympathize with him, and support him under all his trials and exercises, in his kingdom and family.

Or, if it is considered as Solomon's, it may be a request that the Lord would remember the promise he had made to David, that his son should build a house for him, which he desired he might be enabled to do; that he would remember the covenant of royalty he had made with him, that he should not lack a son to sit upon his throne; and particularly that he would remember the promise of the Messiah, that should be of his seed.

Also "his afflictions", his toil and labour of mind, his great anxiety about building a house for God; the pains he took in finding out a place for it, in drawing the pattern of it, in making preparations for it, and in the charges he gave his son concerning it: the Septuagint and other versions render it "his humility" ^F17 ; which agrees with the subject of the preceding psalm, and may particularly respect what he expressed to Nathan when this affair of building the temple was much upon his mind, (2 Samuel 7:2 2 Samuel 7:18).

Moreover, respect in all this may be had by the authors of this psalm, or those herein represented, to the Messiah, who is the antitype of David; in his name, which signifies "beloved"; in his birth, parentage, and circumstances of it; in the comeliness of his person, and in his characters and offices, and who is often called David, (Psalms 89:3Psalms 89:20Psalms 89:35); see (Jeremiah 30:9) (Ezekiel 37:23Ezekiel 37:24) (Hosea 3:5).

And so is a petition that God would remember the covenant of grace made with him; the promise of his coming into the world; his offering and sacrifice, as typified by the legal ones; and also remember them and their offerings for his sake; see (Psalms 20:3).

Likewise "all his afflictions" and sufferings he was to endure from men and devils, and from the Lord himself, both in soul and body; and so as to accept of them in the room and stead of his people, as a satisfaction to his justice. Or, "his humility" in the assumption of human nature, in his carriage and behaviour to all sorts of men, in his ministrations to his disciples, in seeking not his own glory, but his Father's, and in his sufferings and death, which was foretold of him, (Zechariah 9:9).

FOOTNOTES:

• F17: (wtwne) (praothtov autou) , Sept. "mansuetudinis ejus", V. L. so Syr. Arab. Ethiop.

How he swore to the Lord, [and] vowed to the mighty [God]
of Jacob .
] Whom Jacob called so, (Genesis 49:24); and to whom he vowed a vow, and is the first we read of that did make one, and it was concerning the house of God, (Genesis 28:17Genesis 28:20Genesis 28:21); and who had an experience of the might and power of God in protecting and defending him from his brother Esau.

Of this oath and vow of David no mention is made elsewhere, but no doubt they were made; see (Psalms 119:106).

Of the Messiah's swearing, though upon another account, to whom this may be applied, see (Isaiah 45:23) (Revelation 10:1Revelation 10:2Revelation 10:5Revelation 10:6).

Surely I will not come into the tabernacle of my house
The new house and palace David built for himself after he came to the throne, made of cedar, (2 Samuel 5:11) (7:2) ; not that he should never enter into it till he had found a dwelling for God, but that he should not go into it with pleasure till that was done; for this and what follows are hyperboles, as Kimchi observes, and signify that he should have no peace nor satisfaction of mind till this was accomplished. It may be applied to our Lord's ascension to heaven, which was not till after he had purchased the church with his blood, which is the temple and habitation of God;

nor go up into my bed ;
or "the bed that made for me" ^F18 ; the royal bed, a bed of down, with soft pillows, fit for a person of such dignity to lie down on. Ainsworth renders it "the pallets of my bed"; the phrase of going up agrees with the custom of the eastern countries, who have galleries in their chambers where they are set; at one end of each chamber in their houses there is a little gallery raised three, four, or five feet above the floor, with a balustrade in the front of it, with a few steps likewise leading up to it; here they place their beds; so that when they went to bed they might with great propriety be said to go up to it; but this David could not do with pleasure, so long as there was no place and habitation for God.

FOOTNOTES:

• F18: (yewuy vre) "lectum strati mei, vel stratorum meorum", Gejerus, Michaelis.

I will not give sleep to mine eyes, [or] slumber to mine
eyelids .
Not that he never would or did take any sleep till this thing was brought about he had so much at heart; but that he could not and would not suffer himself to sleep comfortably and quietly because of it. Aben Ezra interprets it of sleep at noon; the phrases express his great desire and solicitude to have this affair accomplished, and his eager and diligent pursuit of it; see (Proverbs 6:4) ; of the eager desire of Christ to suffer and die for his people, that they might be brought near to God, and be his dwelling place, see (Luke 12:50) (22:15) .

Until I find a place for the Lord
To build a house on for the Lord; which it seems was unknown till the times of David; for though mention had been made of a place the Lord would choose to cause his name to dwell in, yet the particular place was not pointed out, (Deuteronomy 12:11Deuteronomy 12:18Deuteronomy 12:21) . David was very solicitous to find it out, and did, (1 Chronicles 22:1) ;

an habitation for the mighty [God] of Jacob; (See Gill on Psalms 132:2); or "habitations", or "tabernacles" ^F20 ; the temple, which is meant, consisting of three parts, the court, the holy place, and the holy of holies; this was typical of the human nature of Christ, the temple of his body, the tabernacle of God's pitching, (John 2:19) (Hebrews 8:2) (9:11) ; in which the fulness of the Godhead dwells, the glory of God is seen, and through whom he grants his presence to his people; and also of the church of God, the temple of the living God, where he dwells and is worshipped: and that this might be a fit habitation for God was the great desire of the Messiah, and not only the end and issue of his sufferings and death, but also the design of his preparations and intercession in heaven, (John 14:2John 14:3) (John 17:23John 17:24) (Revelation 21:3) .

FOOTNOTES:

• F20: (twnkvm) "habitacula", Pagninus, Montanus; "tabernacula", Musculus, Vatablus, Cocceius.