Verse 52. - Blessed be the Lord forevermore. Amen, and Amen. This detached verse, not necessarily from the same hand as the rest of the psalm, winds up, with the usual refrain, the Third Book.

89:38-52 Sometimes it is not easy to reconcile God's providences with his promises, yet we are sure that God's works fulfil his word. When the great Anointed One, Christ himself, was upon the cross, God seemed to have cast him off, yet did not make void his covenant, for that was established for ever. The honour of the house of David was lost. Thrones and crowns are often laid in the dust; but there is a crown of glory reserved for Christ's spiritual seed, which fadeth not away. From all this complaint learn what work sin makes with families, noble families, with families in which religion has appeared. They plead with God for mercy. God's unchangeableness and faithfulness assure us that He will not cast off those whom he has chosen and covenanted with. They were reproached for serving him. The scoffers of the latter days, in like manner, reproach the footsteps of the Messiah when they ask, Where is the promise of his coming? 2Pe 3:3,4. The records of the Lord's dealings with the family of David, show us his dealings with his church, and with believers. Their afflictions and distresses may be grievous, but he will not finally cast them off. Self-deceivers abuse this doctrine, and others by a careless walk bring themselves into darkness and distress; yet let the true believer rely on it for encouragement in the path of duty, and in bearing the cross. The psalm ends with praise, even after this sad complaint. Those who give God thanks for what he has done, may give him thanks for what he will do. God will follow those with his mercies, who follow him with praises.Blessed be the Lord for evermore,.... In this world, and in the world to come, as the Targum; for reproaches and afflictions for Christ's sake, since they work together for good; as Job blessed the Lord in the midst of his troubles, Job 1:21, or rather the psalmist, viewing, by a spirit of prophecy, Christ rising from the dead, ascending to heaven, sitting at the right hand of God, and interceding for the application of all the blessings of the covenant; and now, seeing all before objected and complained of was reconcilable to the love, covenant, and oath of God, breaks out into this benediction, and with it closes the psalm; which agrees with Christ, not only as God over all, blessed for ever, but as Mediator, who, as such, is made most blessed for evermore; see Psalm 21:6. These are not the words of the copier of the Psalms, blessing God for assistance in prosecuting the work thus far, which is the sense of some Jewish writers mentioned by Aben Ezra and Kimchi, but of the psalmist himself:

Amen, and Amen; which words are added to express the wish and faith of the psalmist; and the word is repeated to denote the vehemence and strength of the same. Here ends the third part of the book of Psalms, and so the Syriac version closes it. See Gill on Psalm 41:13. See Gill on Psalm 72:20.