Testimonia — Early Christian Bible Commentary

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Psalms 21

1The king rejoices in your strength, LORD! How greatly he rejoices in your salvation!

2You have given him his heart’s desire, and have not withheld the request of his lips. Selah.

3For you meet him with the blessings of goodness. You set a crown of fine gold on his head.

4He asked life of you and you gave it to him, even length of days forever and ever.

5His glory is great in your salvation. You lay honor and majesty on him.

6For you make him most blessed forever. You make him glad with joy in your presence.

7For the king trusts in the LORD. Through the loving kindness of the Most High, he shall not be moved.

8Your hand will find out all of your enemies. Your right hand will find out those who hate you.

9You will make them as a fiery furnace in the time of your anger. The LORD will swallow them up in his wrath. The fire shall devour them.

10You will destroy their descendants from the earth, their posterity from among the children of men.

11For they intended evil against you. They plotted evil against you which cannot succeed.

12For you will make them turn their back, when you aim drawn bows at their face.

13Be exalted, LORD, in your strength, so we will sing and praise your power.

Early Christian commentary

c. 190 AD | Irenaeus of Lyons

72. And again the same prophet (says) thus concerning the sufferings of Christ: Behold how the righteous is destroyed, and no man layeth it to heart; and righteous men are taken away, and no man understandeth. For from the face of iniquity is the taking away of the righteous: peace shall be his burial, he hath been taken away from the midst. And who else is perfectly righteous, but the Son of God, who makes righteous and perfects them that believe on Him, who like unto Him are persecuted and put to death? But in saying: Peace shall be his burial, he declares how on account of our redemption He died: for it is in the peace of redemption: and (also he declares) that by His death those who aforetime were enemies and opposed to one another, believing with one accord upon Him, should have peace with one another, becoming friends and beloved on account of their common faith in Him; as indeed they have become. But in saying: He hath been taken away from the midst, he signifies His resurrection from the dead. Moreover because He appeared no more after His death and burial, the prophet declares that after dying and rising again He was to remain immortal, (saying) thus: He asked life, and thou gavest (if) him, and length of days for ever and ever. Now what is this that he says, He asked life, since He was about to die? He proclaims His resurrection from the dead, and that being raised from the dead He is immortal. For He received both life, that He should rise, and length of days for ever and ever, that He should be incorruptible.

Commentary · The Demonstration of the Apostolic Preaching, Section 72 · Original source