Psalm 92:2

To shew forth thy lovingkindness in the morning, and thy faithfulness every night,

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(2) Lovingkindness . . . faithfulness.—The two most prominent features in the display of the covenant relation of God towards His people. The connection of lovingkindness or grace with the morning, and faithfulness or truth with the evening, is only a result of the Hebrew poetic style; and yet there is a fitness in the association. Love breaks through the clouds of doubt as the morning light rises on the night; and thoughts of God’s unerring and impartial justice best suit the evening—the trial time of the day.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

92:1-6 It is a privilege that we are admitted to praise the Lord, and hope to be accepted in the morning, and every night; not only on sabbath days, but every day; not only in public, but in private, and in our families. Let us give thanks every morning for the mercies of the night, and every night for the mercies of the day; going out, and coming in, let us bless God. As He makes us glad, through the works of his providence for us, and of his grace in us, and both through the great work of redemption, let us hence be encouraged. As there are many who know not the designs of Providence, nor care to know them, those who through grace do so, have the more reason to be thankful. And if distant views of the great Deliverer so animated believers of old, how should we abound in love and praise!

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

To show forth thy loving-kindness - To celebrate thy mercy; thy goodness; thy love.

In the morning - That is, there is a fitness in doing this in the morning; or, there are special reasons why we should do this at that time.

(a) We have been preserved through the dangers of the night; dangers when we were asleep, unconscious, and defenseless.

(b) Life is then, as it were, a new gift - for we are raised from "the image of death" - sleep - and we should regard life then "as if" we had been raised from the dead.

(c) To praise God in the morning will have a good influence on us, in promoting cheerfulness; in making us benignant and kind; in preparing us for the toils and trials of the day.

There is no better preparation for a day, in view of its burdens, cares, toils, and trials, than a thankful, cheerful mind in the morning. He who begins a day with a sour, a morose, a complaining, an irritable spirit - who has been preserved through the night, and sees nothing to be thankful for in the morning - will be a miserable man through the day, and will make all miserable around him. He who sees nothing to be thankful for in the morning will see nothing to hope for in the day; he who has no gratitude for the past, will have no bright anticipations of the future.

And thy faithfulness - Faithfulness in the laws of nature; in thy promises; in thy character: in thy providential dealings with people.

Every night - Margin, in the nights." The reference is to the return of evening; and the meaning is, that it is a good thing, or that it is appropriate to contemplate the faithfulness of God at the close of every day.

(a) The mind is then calm, after the toils of the day are over.

(b) The time - evening - its stillness - its twilight - its approaching darkness - all is favorable for reflection.

(c) There is much in every day to be thankful for, and it is well to recall it at night.

(d) It has a happy effect on the mind when we are about to lie down to rest, to recall the mercies of God; to reflect on what he has done for us; to gather, from his kindness in the past, lessons of confidence and hope for the times to come.

We lie down at night more calmly in proportion as we are disposed at the close of a day to think of the mercies which we have received at the hand of God; and the recalling of those mercies to remembrance with the voice, and with instruments of praise, is always an appropriate mode of closing a day.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

2. in the morning, … every night—diligently and constantly (Ps 42:8).

loving kindness—literally, "mercy."

faithfulness—in fulfilling promises (Ps 89:14).

Matthew Poole's Commentary

To adore and celebrate thy goodness and truth continually, and especially at those two solemn times of morning and evening, which on every day, and especially upon the sabbath day, were devoted to the worship and service of God.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

To show forth thy lovingkindness in the morning,.... God has shown forth his lovingkindness in Christ, and Christ has shown it in a ministerial way; and saints should show it forth also with their lips, to warm the hearts of one another, and encourage distressed minds; this should be a part, and a considerable one, of their thanksgiving and praise; as it will appear to be, when the objects of it are considered, not angels, but men, and these the worst and vilest; the instances of it in election, redemption, calling, adoption, and eternal life; and the freeness, earliness, and immovableness of it; and this is to be done in the "morning", not of the sabbath day only, but every other day, giving praise and thanks for the mercies of the night. Jarchi interprets it of the time of salvation:

and thy faithfulness every night: or "in the nights" (b); not the night and goings out of the sabbath only, so Arama; but every other night, observing and declaring the faithfulness and truth of God in his counsels and covenant, in his word and promises, and in the preservation of his people, and the continuance of favours to them; particularly praising his name, and giving thanks unto him openly for the mercies of the day past: morning and night being mentioned may have some respect to the morning and evening sacrifices; and may signify that our sacrifices of praise should be offered up to God continually, Hebrews 13:15.

(b) "in noetibus", Pagninus, Montanus, Tigurine version, &c.

Geneva Study Bible

To shew forth thy lovingkindness in the {b} morning, and thy faithfulness every night,

(b) For God's mercy and fidelity in his promises toward his, bind them to praise him continually both day and night.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

2. Morning and evening are natural times for prayer (Psalm 5:3; Psalm 63:6; Psalm 55:17, &c.); lovingkindness and faithfulness are the attributes which move God to make and keep His covenant with His people (Psalm 89:1, note). The division of the verse into two parallel clauses is rhythmical, not logical (cp. Psalm 90:16), but there is an appropriateness in the connexion of lovingkindness with the morning (Psalm 30:5; Psalm 59:16; Psalm 90:14; Lamentations 3:23), and faithfulness with the night.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 2. - To show forth thy loving kindness in the morning, and thy faithfulness every night. The suitableness of worship every morning and evening has been almost universally felt. The Mosaic Law provided for it by the establishment of the morning and evening sacrifice (Exodus 29:38, 39), with the accompanying ritual. Jewish piety added a noonday prayer (Psalm 55:17; Daniel 6:10), and Christian zeal established the "seven hours of prayer." Morning and evening still, however, remain, by common acknowledgment, the most appropriate times for worship. Psalm 92:2

Keil and Delitzsch Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament

The Sabbath is the day that God has hallowed, and that is to be consecrated to God by our turning away from the business pursuits of the working days (Isaiah 58:13.) and applying ourselves to the praise and adoration of God, which is the most proper, blessed Sabbath employment. It is good, i.e., not merely good in the eyes of God, but also good for man, beneficial to the heart, pleasant and blessed. Loving-kindness is designedly connected with the dawn of the morning, for it is morning light itself, which breaks through the night (Psalm 30:6; Psalm 59:17), and faithfulness with the nights, for in the perils of the loneliness of the night it is the best companion, and nights of affliction are the "foil of its verification." עשׂור beside נבל (נבל) is equivalent to נבל עשׂור in Psalm 33:2; Psalm 144:9 : the ten-stringed harp or lyre. הגּיון is the music of stringed instruments (vid., on Psalm 9:17), and that, since הגה in itself is not a suitable word for the rustling (strepitus) of the strings, the impromptu or phantasia playing (in Amos 6:5, scornfully, פּרט), which suits both Psalm 9:17 (where it is appended to the forte of the interlude) and the construction with Beth instrumenti.