Psalm LXXII
1. “For Salomon” indeed this Psalm’s title is fore-noted: but things are spoken of therein which could not apply to that Salomon king of Israel after the flesh, according to those things which holy Scripture speaketh concerning him: but they can most pertinently apply to the Lord Christ. Whence it is perceived, that the very word Salomon is used in a figurative sense, so that in him Christ is to be taken. For Salomon is interpreted peace-maker: and on this account such a word to Him most truly and excellently doth apply, through Whom, the Mediator, having received remission of sins, we that were enemies are reconciled to God. For “when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son.” The Same is Himself that Peace-maker.…Since then we have found out the true Salomon, that is, the true Peace-maker: next let us observe what the Psalm doth teach concerning Him.
2. “O God, Thy judgment to the King give Thou, and Thy justice to the King’s Son” (ver. 1). The Lord Himself in the Gospel saith, “The Father judgeth not any one, but all judgment He hath given to the Son:” this is then, “O God, Thy judgment to the King give Thou.” He that is King is also the Son of the King: because God the Father also is certainly King. Thus it hath been written, that the King made a marriage for His Son. But after the manner of Scripture the same thing is repeated. For that which he hath said in, “Thy judgment;” the same he hath otherwise expressed in, “Thy justice:” and that which he hath said in, “the King,” the same he hath otherwise expressed in, “to the King’s Son.”…But these repetitions do much commend the divine sayings, whether the same words, or whether in other words the same sense be repeated: and they are mostly found in the Psalms, and in the kind of discourse whereby the mind’s affection is to be awakened.
3. Next there followeth, “To judge Thy people in justice, and Thy poor in judgment” (ver. 2). For what purpose the royal Father gave to the royal Son His judgment and His justice is sufficiently shown when he saith, “To judge Thy people in justice;” that is, for the purpose of judging Thy people. Such an idiom is found in Salomon: “The Proverbs of Salomon, son of David, to know wisdom and discipline:” that is, the Proverbs of Salomon, for the purpose of knowing wisdom and discipline. So, “Thy judgment give Thou, to judge Thy people:” that is, “Thy judgment” give Thou for the purpose of judging Thy people. But that which he saith before in, “Thy people,” the same he saith afterwards in, “Thy poor:” and that which he saith before in, “in justice;” the same afterward in, “in judgment:” according to that manner of repetition. Whereby indeed he showeth, that the people of God ought to be poor, that is, not proud, but humble. For, “blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of Heaven.” In which poverty even blessed Job was poor even before he had lost those great earthly riches. Which thing for this reason I thought should be mentioned, because there are certain persons who are more ready to distribute all their goods to the poor, than themselves to become the poor of God. For they are puffed up with boasting wherein they think their living well should be ascribed to themselves, not to the grace of God: and therefore now they do not even live well, however great the good works which they seem to do.…
4. But seeing that he hath changed the order of the words (though he had first said, “O God, Thy judgment to the King give Thou, and Thy justice to the King’s Son,” putting judgment first, then justice), and hath put justice first, then judgment, saying, “To judge Thy people in justice, and Thy poor in judgment:” he doth more clearly show that he hath called judgment justice, proving that there is no difference made by the order in which the word is placed, because it signifieth the same thing. For it is usual to say “wrong judgment” of that which is unjust: but justice iniquitous or unjust we are not wont to speak of. For if wrong and unjust it be; no longer must it be called justice. Again, by putting down judgment and repeating it under the name of justice, or by putting down justice and repeating it under the name of judgment, he clearly showeth that he specially nameth that judgment which is wont to be put instead of justice, that is, that which cannot be understood of giving an evil judgment. For in the place where He saith, “Judge not according to persons, but right judgment judge ye;” He showeth that there may be a wrong judgment, when He saith, “right judgment judge ye:” lastly, the one He doth forbid, the other He doth enjoin. But when without any addition He speaketh of judgment, He would at once have just judgment to be understood: as is that which He saith, “Ye forsake the weightier matters of the Law, mercy and judgment.” That also which Jeremiah saith is, “making his riches not with judgment.” He saith not, making his riches by wrong or unjust judgment, or not with judgment right or just, but not with judgment: calling not anything judgment but what is right and just.
5. “Let the mountains bear peace to the people, and the hills justice” (ver. 3). The mountains are the greater, the hills the less. These are without doubt those which another Psalm hath, “little with great.” For those mountains did exult like rams, and those hills like lambs of the sheep, at the departure of Israel out of Egypt, that is, at the deliverance of the people of God from this world’s servitude. Those then that are eminent in the Church for passing sanctity, are the mountains, who are meet to teach other men also, by so speaking as that they may be faithfully taught, by so living as that they may imitate them to their profit: but the hills are they that follow the excellence of the former by their own obedience. Why then “the mountains peace: and the hills justice”? Would there perchance have been no difference, even if it had been said thus, Let the mountains bear justice to the people and the hills peace? For to both justice, and to both peace is necessary: and it may be that under another name justice herself may have been called peace. For this is true peace, not such as unjust men make among them. Or rather with a distinction not to be overlooked must that be understood which he saith, “the mountains peace, and the hills justice”? For men excelling in the Church ought to counsel for peace with watchful care; lest for the sake of their own distinctions by acting proudly they make schisms and dissever the bond of union. But let the hills so follow them by imitation and obedience, that they prefer Christ to them: lest being led astray by the empty authority of evil mountains (for they seem to excel), they tear themselves away from the Unity of Christ.…
6. Thus also most pertinently may be understood, “let the mountains bear peace to the people,” namely, that we understand the peace to consist in the reconciliation whereby we are reconciled to God: for the mountains receive this for His people.…“Let the mountains, therefore, receive peace for the people, and the hills justice:” so that in this manner, both being at one, there may come to pass that which hath been written, “justice and peace have kissed one another.” But that which other copies have, “let the mountains receive peace for the people, and let the hills:” I think must be understood of all sorts of preaching of Gospel peace, whether those that go before, or those that follow after. But in these copies this followeth, “in justice He shall judge the poor of the people.” But those copies are more approved of which have that which we have expounded above, “let the mountains bear peace to the people, and the hills justice.” But some have, “to Thy people;” some have not to “Thy,” but only “to the people.”
7. “He shall judge the poor of the people, and shall save the sons of the poor” (ver. 4). The poor and the sons of the poor seem to me to be the very same, as the same city is Sion and the daughter of Sion. But if it is to be understood with a distinction, the poor we take to be the mountains, but the sons of the poor the hills: for instance, Prophets and Apostles, the poor, but the sons of them, that is, those that profit under their authority, the sons of the poor. But that which hath been said above, “shall judge;” and afterwards, “shall save;” is as it were a sort of exposition in what manner He shall judge. For to this end He shall judge, that He may save, that is, may sever from those that are to be destroyed and condemned, those to whom He giveth “salvation ready to be revealed at the” last time. For by such men to Him is said, “Destroy not with ungodly men my soul:” and, “Judge Thou me, O God, and sever my cause from the nation unholy.” We must observe also that he saith not, He shall judge the poor people, but, “the poor of the people.” For above when he had said, “to judge Thy people in justice and Thy poor in judgment,” the same he called the people of God as His poor, that is, only the good and those that belong to the right hand side. But because in this world those for the right and those for the left feed together, who, like lambs and goats at the last are to be put asunder; the whole, as it is mingled together, he hath called by the name of the People. And because even here he putteth judgment in a good sense, that is, for the purpose of saving: therefore he saith, “He shall judge the poor of the people,” that is, shall sever for salvation those that are poor among the people. “And He shall humble the false-accuser.” No false-accuser can be more suitably recognised here than the devil. False accusation is his business. “Doth Job worship God gratis?” But the Lord Jesus doth humble him, by His grace aiding His own, in order that they may worship God gratis, that is, may take delight in the Lord. He humbled him also thus; because when in Him the devil, that is, the prince of this world, had found nothing, he slew Him by the false accusations of the Jews, whom the false-accuser made use of as his vessels, working in the sons of unbelief. …