To the chief Musician upon Gittith, a Psalm of David. Some think this psalm was composed when the ark was brought to the house of Obededom the Gittite; and that it was delivered to him and his sons, as others were to Asaph, to Jeduthun, to the sons of Korah, &c.
But against this lies a strong objection, that Obededom and his sons were porters, and not singers, 1Ch 26:4; and for the same reason "gittith" cannot be the name of a musical instrument which was kept in his family, and presided over by them .
Some are of opinion this word had its name from Gath; and that this psalm was wrote by David when he was there ; or that it is the name of a musical instrument invented and made there, and which was brought from thence : And so the Targum paraphrases it;"upon the harp which was brought from Gath.'
'A word like this signifies "winepresses": and hence the Septuagint, Vulgate Latin, and Ethiopic versions, render it "for the winepresses": which Theodoret interprets of churches, where Christ the true vine is gathered by believers, and they prepare the mystic wine.
Some think the psalms which bear this name were composed for the feast of tabernacles: when, having got in their vintage, they filled their presses, and squeezed their grapes, and therefore gave thanks; it was usual, even with the Heathens , to make use of the harp, and other instruments of music, at the gathering of the grapes to be squeezed and pressed.
Some of the Jewish writers apply it to the times of Edom's destruction, who was to be trodden down as in a winepress, foretold in Isa 63:1; and others interpret it of the times of Gog and Magog, when the prophecy in Joe 3:13; shall be fulfilled and some have thought this psalm to be a song of praise, like one of those sung by them that tread in the winepress; the time of vintage being a time of joy.
The ancient Christian writers explain it of the sufferings of Christ, when he trod the winepress of his Father's wrath. But the word "gittith" is either the first word of some song, as Aben Ezra thinks; or the name of the tune, as Kimchi; or rather of the musical instrument to which this psalm was set and sung.
Though the author of the epistle to the Hebrews, Heb 2:6; citing some passages from this psalm, only says, "one in a certain place testified"; without mentioning either the number of the psalm, or the name of the writer; yet it is certain that David was the penman of it: and both from the testimony of that writer, and from a citation of Christ himself, it is evident that the subject of this psalm is the Messiah, and that it belongs to his times; see Heb 2:6.
So the Syriac scholiast;"the eighth psalm is concerning Christ our Redeemer.'' Aben Ezra in loc. R. Moses apud ibid. Ben Melech in loc. vide Kimchi ibid. Jarchi in loc. Vide Godwin. Synops. Antiqu. Heb.
l. 2. s. 1. c. G. Phurnutus de Natura Deorum, p. 84. Rabbini apud Jarchium in loc. Midrash Tillim apud Viccars. in loc.Ver. 1. O Lord our God,.... Jehovah, the one God, who is Lord of all angels and men, and in an especial manner Lord and King of saints;how excellent [is] thy name in all the earth!
by the "name" of God is not meant any particular name of his, by which he is called; but either himself, his nature and perfections; or rather that by which he is made known, and particularly his Gospel; see Joh 17:6; this is excellent in its nature, it being good news, and glad tidings of good things, which display the love, grace, mercy, and kindness of God to men, as well as his wisdom, power, truth, and faithfulness; and in the subject matter of it, Christ and his righteousness, and life and salvation by him, the spiritual blessings of grace it publishes, and the exceeding great and precious promises it contains; and in its usefulness for the enlightening, quickening, and converting sinners, and for the comforting and reviving of drooping saints.
It is the glorious Gospel of the blessed God, and excels the law in glory. It cannot well be said how glorious it is; it is marvellously excellent; and that "in all the earth", being carried by the apostles, who were sent by Christ with it, into all the world; where it has shone out, and appeared gloriously to Gentiles as well as Jews.
This clause shows that this is said by David prophetically of Gospel times; for not in his time, nor in any period under the Old Testament, was the name of the Lord glorious and excellent in all the earth.
His name was great in Israel, but not in all the world. He showed his word, and gave his statutes and ordinances to Jacob; but as for the Gentiles, they were without them, and were strangers to the covenants of promise, Ps 76:1; but this was true of the first times of the Gospel; and will be still more fully accomplished when the prophecies in Mal 1:11; shall be fulfilled;who hast set thy glory above the heavens: meaning his Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, the brightness of his glory; in whom is all the fulness of the Godhead, the glory of all the divine perfections; so called Ps 63:2; and the setting of him above the heavens designs the exaltation of him at the right hand of God; where angels, principalities, and powers, became subject to him, and he was made higher than the heavens, Heb 7:26.