Psalms 84

To the chief Musician upon Gittith, A Psalm for the sons of Korah.

The blessings of the worshippers of Jehovah, and the forms and excellency of true worship, are the themes of this psalm, of which the author has a lively apprehension and a true subjective experience. The psalmist and the nation are, however, in some great calamity, (Psalms 84:8-9;) absent from, yet longing, “even fainting, for the courts of Jehovah,” (Psalms 84:2;) and now can come to Zion only through the “valley of tears.” (Psalms 84:6;) yea, the temple and altars were in ruins, (Psalms 84:3;) still a tone of joy and hopefulness pervades the psalm, the human ground of which hope is the “anointed” One, for whom special prayer is now made, (Psalms 84:9.) Through him the nation and national worship should revive. We must refer the psalm to the recent close of the period of the captivity, when many of the exiles had returned and were reviving the national life and religion by laying the foundations of the second temple. Ezra 3:8-13. The principal divisions are two: the first a meditation, Psalms 84:1-7; the second a prayer, Psalms 84:8-12.TITLE:

Chief Musician Precentor.

Upon Gittith See title of Psalms 8:0.

For the sons of Korah Or, Korahites, a Levitical family in the time of David, a branch of which was devoted to temple music, (1 Chronicles 6:33;) called, also, Kohathites. See title of Psalms 42:0