Psalm 132

Psalm 132 belongs to Book V of the Psalms (Psalms 107–150). It is the thirteenth of the fifteen Songs of Ascents (Psalms 120–134) and the longest of them. The preceding Psalm 131 is a humble confession of hope in the LORD, like that of a weaned child. Psalm 132 follows it with a song about David, Zion, and the promises made to the Davidic dynasty.

Structure

• Verses 1–5: The psalmist asks the LORD to remember the oath David swore to Him. David vowed that he would neither enter his house nor sleep until he had found a dwelling place for the LORD.
• Verses 6–7: The psalmist recounts hearing of it at Ephratah and finding it "in the fields of the wood." He then calls the people to go into the tabernacle and worship at God's footstool.
• Verses 8–10: The psalmist asks the LORD to arise into His rest together with "the ark of thy strength." He prays that the priests may be clothed with righteousness, that the saints may shout for joy, and that God will not turn away the face of His anointed.
• Verses 11–12: The psalmist relates the oath the LORD swore to David: He will set David's offspring on his throne, and if David's descendants keep His covenant, they will sit upon the throne forever.
• Verses 13–18: The LORD chooses Zion as His eternal resting place. He declares that He will bless the city's provision, clothe its priests with salvation, make the horn of David to bud, ordain a lamp for His anointed, and clothe David's enemies with shame.

Key Verses

• Psalm 132:5 "Until I find out a place for the LORD, an habitation for the mighty God of Jacob." This verse shows David's zeal to provide a dwelling place for God.
• Psalm 132:11 "Of the fruit of thy body will I set upon thy throne." This passage is a poetic expression of the Davidic covenant.
• Psalm 132:14 "This is my rest for ever." This verse declares that Zion has been chosen as God's dwelling place.

People and Places

• David: King of Israel. Verses 1–10 concern David's oath, and verses 11–18 concern the promise David received.
• Jacob: He appears in the divine title "the mighty God of Jacob."
• Ephratah: An ancient name for Bethlehem or for the surrounding region.
• Ark of the covenant: Referred to in verse 8 as "the ark of thy strength."
• Zion: A name for Jerusalem. Here it is portrayed as the dwelling place God has chosen.

Points for Reflection

• Two corresponding oaths: Verses 1–10 present David's oath to the LORD, and verses 11–18 present the LORD's oath to David. The books of Samuel contain no record of David swearing an oath in the exact words of the psalm. However, 2 Samuel 6, which recounts the bringing of the ark to Jerusalem, and 2 Samuel 7, in which Nathan delivers God's promise to David after David expresses his desire to build a temple, are read as the background of the psalm.
• Interpreting verse 6: The phrase "the fields of the wood" can also be read in Hebrew as "the fields of Jaar." For this reason, many interpreters take it as a reference to Kiriath-jearim, where the ark remained for a long time. Interpreters differ over whether "Ephratah" refers to Bethlehem or to a region associated with Kiriath-jearim.
• Connection with 2 Chronicles: Verses 8–10 appear in nearly identical words at the close of Solomon's prayer at the dedication of the temple (2 Chronicles 6:41–42).
• The anointed one: The term originally refers to a king of David's line. Christian tradition also reads it as a messianic prophecy looking forward to Jesus Christ. The "horn" in verse 17 is understood to signify strength, and the "lamp" to signify the unbroken continuation of the dynasty.
• Connection with the New Testament: In Acts 2:30, Peter states that God had sworn with an oath to David to set one of his descendants on his throne. The expression in Zechariah's song in Luke 1:69, "And hath raised up an horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David," also echoes this psalm.