Verse 2
Who coverest thyself with light - Light, insufferable splendor, is the robe of the Divine Majesty. Light and fire are generally the accompaniments of the Supreme Being, when he manifests his presence to his creatures. He appeared thus to Abraham when he made a covenant with him, Genesis 15:17 ; and to Moses when he appointed him to bring the people out of Egypt, Exodus 3:2 ; and when he gave him his law on Sinai, Exodus 19:18 . Moses calls God a consuming fire, Deuteronomy 4:24 . When Christ was transfigured on the mount, his face shone like the sun, and his garment was white as the light, Matthew 17:2 . And when the Lord manifests himself to the prophets, he is always surrounded with fire, and the most brilliant light.
Bishop Lowth has some fine remarks on the imagery and metaphors of this Psalm. The exordium, says he, is peculiarly magnificent, wherein the majesty of God is described, so far as we can investigate and comprehend it, from the admirable construction of nature; in which passage, as it was for the most part necessary to use translatitious images, the sacred poet has principally applied those which would be esteemed by the Hebrews the most elevated, and worthy such an argument; for they all, as it seems to me, are taken from the tabernacle. We will give these passages verbally, with a short illustration: -
לבשת והדר הוד hod vehadar labashta .
"Thou hast put on honor and majesty."
The original, לבשת , is frequently used when speaking of the clothing or dress of the priests.
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