Psalm 89:3–4 reaffirms the Davidic Covenant which is fulfilled in Jesus of Nazareth, the descendant of David.
In Psalm 89:3-4Psalm 89:3-4 commentary, commentary the psalmist declares, “I have made a covenant with My chosen; I have sworn to David My servant” (v. 3). God’s promise to David is both particular and unbreakable. By calling DavidMy chosen, the LORD underscores the special purpose for which He selected David, who reigned as king of Israel from around 1010 B.C. to 970 B.C. This covenant echoes God’s earlier commitment in 2 Samuel 7:12-132 Samuel 7:12-13 commentary to raise up a royal descendant from David’s line. When first chosen to be king, David was not an impressive figure.
Even God’s prophet, Samuel, was admonished by God for judging by outward appearances. Samuel mistakenly thought that David’s tall, strong, older brother Eliab was to be God’s anointed (1 Samuel 16:71 Samuel 16:7 commentary). David was the runt of his family. Though handsome, David was young and looked down upon by his own brother (1 Samuel 16:121 Samuel 16:12 commentary, 17:2817:28 commentary). King Saul thought David would be slain by Goliath due to how young he was (1 Samuel 17:331 Samuel 17:33 commentary). He was a poor, humble shepherd boy from the little town of Bethlehem who became king by the LORD’s own choosing (1 Samuel 16:131 Samuel 16:13 commentary). Throughout the Bible, God often exalts the ordinary to demonstrate His power and plan. God can use anyone to accomplish His will, even the lowliest of people (Luke 1:52Luke 1:52 commentary). God chose David.
When the psalmist records God saying, “I have made a covenant with My chosen” (v. 3), it emphasizes God’s love and grace. God is the one who initiates these relationships (1 John 4:101 John 4:10 commentary, 1919 commentary). A covenant from God is more than a legal contract: it is a solemn, divine promise that God will fulfill. God keeps His promises (Psalms 105:8Psalms 105:8 commentary, commentaryHebrews 10:53Hebrews 10:53 commentary). For the people of Israel (and ultimately for all who would trust in the Messiah), this covenant was a beacon of hope. God’s covenant with David told the Israelites that no matter how dark their circumstances seemed, God would be faithful to His word. He would always preserve Israel and the promised Messiah. God’s promises are anchored in His own character, which never changes (James 1:17James 1:17 commentary).
David is called My servant to highlight his role in God’s grand story. David rose to fame on the battlefield, defeating the giant Philistine champion Goliath (1 Samuel 17:501 Samuel 17:50 commentary), and as king, he extended Israel’s borders beyond what many thought possible, yet he remained submissive to the ultimate authority of the LORD. David was “a man after [God’s] own heart” (1 Samuel 13:141 Samuel 13:14 commentary). David, though sinful just like every human, lived his life in obedience to God. Whatever God willed was what David wanted. As a faithful servant, David sought and submitted to God’s priorities and plans. David’s life—both his successes and failures—further revealed the depth of God’s steadfast grace. His throne became a symbol of the divine promise that one of his descendants would reign forever (2 Samuel 7:162 Samuel 7:16 commentary). This verse sets the stage for the next line of the psalm and invites us to see the covenant as a living pledge that extends beyond David’s own lifetime.
God expands this promise when He proclaims: “I will establish your seed forever and build up your throne to all generations” (v. 4). We can see the eternal significance of David’s line, reaching far beyond the king’s earthly reign (1010-970 B.C.). The phrase your seed forever signals continuity. This is not a temporary agreement; rather, it is a foundation stone in God’s grand blueprint to bless and save the world. David’s seed, his heir, a king descending from his bloodline, will be king forever. It is God who will establish this heir, and God who will build up David’s throne to all generations. This speaks of the future Messianic kingdom where Jesus Christ will reign. Because Jesus obeyed God’s plan by dying on the cross as the sacrifice for all mankind’s sin, God rewarded Him with kingship over all things:
“For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Philippians 2:9-11Philippians 2:9-11 commentary)
Jesus, the eternal Son of God, was born a man descended from David, so God could fulfill this promise by establishing David’s seed, Jesus, forever, when Jesus was raised to eternal life, never to die again, and rewarded Him with the throne over all creation, to all generations.
In the phrase and build up your throne to all generations (v. 4), we see how the psalmist anticipates an everlasting kingdom. Outside of Jesus Christ, the life of any dynasty eventually ends. All kings in history are human, and therefore die. Kingdoms fall. Yet here, the LORD speaks of an enduring kingdom that surpasses normal earthly and human limitations. The prophets later echo this incredible promise when they portray the coming Messiah as the rightful heir of David’s throne (Isaiah 9:7Isaiah 9:7 commentary, commentaryJeremiah 23:5-6Jeremiah 23:5-6 commentary). This throne’s permanence is grounded not in human might but in God keeping His word and enacting His perfect power to accomplish His will.
A partial fulfillment of this promise in Jesus, the descendant of David who came to earth in humility (Matthew 1:1Matthew 1:1 commentary, commentaryLuke 1:32-33Luke 1:32-33 commentary). In Luke’s gospel, the angel Gabriel speaks to Mary and announces that her child “will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David” (Luke 1:32-33Luke 1:32-33 commentary). This signifies that Jesus has begun to fulfill the Davidic covenant in His first advent on earth—He is the rightful king from David’s lineage, and He has established a spiritual kingdom open to all who believe (John 18:36John 18:36 commentary).
While believers await the complete fulfillment—when Christ returns to establish His reign on earth (Revelation 19:11-16Revelation 19:11-16 commentary)—Psalm 89:3-4Psalm 89:3-4 commentary points us to the covenant on which this redemptive plan is founded. Generation after generation can look to God’s faithfulness, knowing that the promises He made so long ago still stand, and that they find their hope in Jesus (2 Corinthians 1:202 Corinthians 1:20 commentary).
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Psalm 89:3-4 meaning
In Psalm 89:3-4Psalm 89:3-4 commentary, commentary the psalmist declares, “I have made a covenant with My chosen; I have sworn to David My servant” (v. 3). God’s promise to David is both particular and unbreakable. By calling David My chosen, the LORD underscores the special purpose for which He selected David, who reigned as king of Israel from around 1010 B.C. to 970 B.C. This covenant echoes God’s earlier commitment in 2 Samuel 7:12-132 Samuel 7:12-13 commentary to raise up a royal descendant from David’s line. When first chosen to be king, David was not an impressive figure.
Even God’s prophet, Samuel, was admonished by God for judging by outward appearances. Samuel mistakenly thought that David’s tall, strong, older brother Eliab was to be God’s anointed (1 Samuel 16:71 Samuel 16:7 commentary). David was the runt of his family. Though handsome, David was young and looked down upon by his own brother (1 Samuel 16:121 Samuel 16:12 commentary, 17:2817:28 commentary). King Saul thought David would be slain by Goliath due to how young he was (1 Samuel 17:331 Samuel 17:33 commentary). He was a poor, humble shepherd boy from the little town of Bethlehem who became king by the LORD’s own choosing (1 Samuel 16:131 Samuel 16:13 commentary). Throughout the Bible, God often exalts the ordinary to demonstrate His power and plan. God can use anyone to accomplish His will, even the lowliest of people (Luke 1:52Luke 1:52 commentary). God chose David.
When the psalmist records God saying, “I have made a covenant with My chosen” (v. 3), it emphasizes God’s love and grace. God is the one who initiates these relationships (1 John 4:101 John 4:10 commentary, 1919 commentary). A covenant from God is more than a legal contract: it is a solemn, divine promise that God will fulfill. God keeps His promises (Psalms 105:8Psalms 105:8 commentary, commentary Hebrews 10:53Hebrews 10:53 commentary). For the people of Israel (and ultimately for all who would trust in the Messiah), this covenant was a beacon of hope. God’s covenant with David told the Israelites that no matter how dark their circumstances seemed, God would be faithful to His word. He would always preserve Israel and the promised Messiah. God’s promises are anchored in His own character, which never changes (James 1:17James 1:17 commentary).
David is called My servant to highlight his role in God’s grand story. David rose to fame on the battlefield, defeating the giant Philistine champion Goliath (1 Samuel 17:501 Samuel 17:50 commentary), and as king, he extended Israel’s borders beyond what many thought possible, yet he remained submissive to the ultimate authority of the LORD. David was “a man after [God’s] own heart” (1 Samuel 13:141 Samuel 13:14 commentary). David, though sinful just like every human, lived his life in obedience to God. Whatever God willed was what David wanted. As a faithful servant, David sought and submitted to God’s priorities and plans. David’s life—both his successes and failures—further revealed the depth of God’s steadfast grace. His throne became a symbol of the divine promise that one of his descendants would reign forever (2 Samuel 7:162 Samuel 7:16 commentary). This verse sets the stage for the next line of the psalm and invites us to see the covenant as a living pledge that extends beyond David’s own lifetime.
God expands this promise when He proclaims: “I will establish your seed forever and build up your throne to all generations” (v. 4). We can see the eternal significance of David’s line, reaching far beyond the king’s earthly reign (1010-970 B.C.). The phrase your seed forever signals continuity. This is not a temporary agreement; rather, it is a foundation stone in God’s grand blueprint to bless and save the world. David’s seed, his heir, a king descending from his bloodline, will be king forever. It is God who will establish this heir, and God who will build up David’s throne to all generations. This speaks of the future Messianic kingdom where Jesus Christ will reign. Because Jesus obeyed God’s plan by dying on the cross as the sacrifice for all mankind’s sin, God rewarded Him with kingship over all things:
“For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
(Philippians 2:9-11Philippians 2:9-11 commentary)
Jesus, the eternal Son of God, was born a man descended from David, so God could fulfill this promise by establishing David’s seed, Jesus, forever, when Jesus was raised to eternal life, never to die again, and rewarded Him with the throne over all creation, to all generations.
In the phrase and build up your throne to all generations (v. 4), we see how the psalmist anticipates an everlasting kingdom. Outside of Jesus Christ, the life of any dynasty eventually ends. All kings in history are human, and therefore die. Kingdoms fall. Yet here, the LORD speaks of an enduring kingdom that surpasses normal earthly and human limitations. The prophets later echo this incredible promise when they portray the coming Messiah as the rightful heir of David’s throne (Isaiah 9:7Isaiah 9:7 commentary, commentary Jeremiah 23:5-6Jeremiah 23:5-6 commentary). This throne’s permanence is grounded not in human might but in God keeping His word and enacting His perfect power to accomplish His will.
A partial fulfillment of this promise in Jesus, the descendant of David who came to earth in humility (Matthew 1:1Matthew 1:1 commentary, commentary Luke 1:32-33Luke 1:32-33 commentary). In Luke’s gospel, the angel Gabriel speaks to Mary and announces that her child “will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David” (Luke 1:32-33Luke 1:32-33 commentary). This signifies that Jesus has begun to fulfill the Davidic covenant in His first advent on earth—He is the rightful king from David’s lineage, and He has established a spiritual kingdom open to all who believe (John 18:36John 18:36 commentary).
While believers await the complete fulfillment—when Christ returns to establish His reign on earth (Revelation 19:11-16Revelation 19:11-16 commentary)—Psalm 89:3-4Psalm 89:3-4 commentary points us to the covenant on which this redemptive plan is founded. Generation after generation can look to God’s faithfulness, knowing that the promises He made so long ago still stand, and that they find their hope in Jesus (2 Corinthians 1:202 Corinthians 1:20 commentary).