Psalms 92:10

92:7-15 God sometimes grants prosperity to wicked men in displeasure; yet they flourish but for a moment. Let us seek for ourselves the salvation and grace of the gospel, that being daily anointed by the Holy Spirit, we may behold and share the Redeemer's glory. It is from his grace, by his word and Spirit, that believers receive all the virtue that keeps them alive, and makes them fruitful. Other trees, when old, leave off bearing, but in God's trees the strength of grace does not fail with the strength of nature. The last days of the saints are sometimes their best days, and their last work their best work: perseverance is sure evidence of sincerity. And may every sabbath, while it shows forth the Divine faithfulness, find our souls resting more and more upon the Lord our righteousness.

But my horn shall thou exalt like the horn of an unicorn,.... Which is said to be very high and strong, see Deuteronomy 33:17 this may be understood of the establishment of David's kingdom, of his royal authority, power, and the glory of it, signified by his horn; which was fulfilled when he had subdued the neighbouring nations, and the kings of them, and was exalted above them, and had rest from all his enemies: and may be applied unto the Messiah, the horn of David, the horn of salvation raised up in his house, Psalm 132:17 and so may refer to exaltation at the right hand of God, and the strength and glory of his kingdom; see 1 Samuel 2:10 , and also may be interpreted of every good man, in opposition to the wicked; who, though low and abased, God will exalt and set them among princes, and cause them to inherit the throne of glory, and even to sit down on the same throne with Christ; see 1 Samuel 2:8 .

10 But my horn shalt thou exalt like the horn of an unicorn, I shall be anointed with fresh oil. 11 Mine eye also shall see my desire on mine enemies, and mine ears shall hear my desire of the wicked that rise up against me. Psalm 92:10 "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 extinct - among 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. Psalm 92:11 "Mine eye also shall see my desire on mine enemies." The words, "my desire," inserted by the translators, had far better have been left out. He does not say what he should see concerning his enemies, he leaves that blank, and we have no right to fill in the vacant space with words which look vindictive. He would see that which would be for God's glory, and that which would be eminently right and just. "And mine ears shall hear my desire of the wicked that rise up against me." Here, again, the words "my desire" are not inspired, and are a needless and perhaps a false interpolation. The good man is quite silent as to what he expected to hear; he knew that what he should hear would vindicate his faith in his God, and he was content to leave his cruel foes in God's hands, without an expression concerning his own desire one way or the other. It is always best to leave Scripture as we find it. The broken sense of inspiration is better let alone than pieced out with additions of a translator's own invention; it is like repairing pure gold with tinsel, or a mosaic of gems with painted wood.

Verse 10. - But my horn shalt thou exalt like the horn of an 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. Psalm 92:10

But as for me and other righteous persons, (of whom he saith the same thing Psalm 92:12 ) we shall be advanced to the height of honour, and true and lasting felicity. Unicorn; of which See Poole "Deu 33:17" . 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.

10 . But my horn hast thou exalted like (the horn of) a wild ox: I am anointed with fresh oil. 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. Psalm 89:17 ; Psalm 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. Numbers 23:22 ; Deuteronomy 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 ( Psalm 23:5 ; Psalm 45:7 ; Isaiah 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).

But my horn shalt thou exalt - The horn is a symbol of strength or power (see the notes at Psalm 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 Psalm 22:21. 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 Psalm 23:5.