This therefore gives an important character to this Psalm, the period of Israel's rejection, and the impossibility of praising the Lord in such circumstances. It is the Spirit thus in the Remnant faithful to the associations of God's glory with Israel, but for that reason incapable of uttering the Lord's songs. They might, with a sort of holy boldness, on God's own principles and holiness, yet with bowing of heart, say, as elsewhere, "Praise waiteth for thee in Zion." Jehovah had His own land, His own place-this He had made Israel's; were they to forget this? It would have been slighting His favor, renouncing the specialty of His mercy. Babylon they might, they had got into—their sins had brought them there—but there they must at least hang up their harps, weeping, because for them the place of this world's careless, apostate glory. For, indeed, if in sorrow they were identified with the place of God's glory in the earth, their portion, if the Spirit of righteousness was in them at all, was sorrow there. Well! the Lord too was very sore displeased with the heathen that were at ease—He was but a little angry, and they had helped forward the affliction. For good He suffered His people to be afflicted, for righteousness too now, but still they were beloved. Now the testimony to their righteousness in sorrow is rendered to them by the Spirit there, and this is the blessed point of this Psalm—even if carried away captive, they were those of whom Zion's sorrows were the sorrows; and in spirit, Jerusalem, the Urim of God's peace, preferred above their chief joy. They could say, when free, this in the truth of the Spirit of their state then. So shall it be in the latter day. All the intervening sorrow of a separate people in judgment is witnessed, and owned by the Spirit of God.
Then we have the three great powers of the world or cities concerned, Zion-but they were Zion's songs, not to be sung but there; Babylon—of it it could be said, for judgment, full judgment, was not yet come about, "Who art to be destroyed"—haughty evil, he would be blessed who executed the judgment on it. Then there was a third party—haters of the Lord, who would be found liars—implacable enemies of Jerusalem, hating it just because it was the Lord's, and they were envious of it; but as they dealt thus in the day of Jerusalem, the Lord would remember them. We see thus that deliverance from Babylon (and so we may add, it falls) precedes its destruction, and, before they can triumph in the setting up of Zion, they can, as delivered and with the Remnant's feelings, speak of their previous position as one that had been. Though Babylon was not destroyed, and Edom yet to come up in remembrance of judgment before God, Jerusalem was still to be spoken of as one remembered, not forgot; not as one which they possessed, and dwelt in in peace, as their glory; but is spoken of as remembered too, and yet in existence. There they had done so and so, and he would be happy that destroyed her; and Edom is still viewed as in power, to be visited of the Lord. It is thus a very instructive and pointed Psalm, as well as exceedingly beautiful in its spirit, and strength of association with the Lord in the scene of the appointed place of His favor, blessing, honor, and glory. The Lord would remember Edom—but Babylon was to have, it seems, some instrumental rewarder of her ways. The judgment on these two closes the Psalm.
Babylon and Jerusalem are two cities. Sorrow was their portion in one—the place of joy; joy in the other—the place of sorrow. It was, to the children of the Remnant, a strange land. Jerusalem was remembered. The remembrance of Jerusalem was more than the presence of other and foreign joy. Foreign joy, to sorrow, is the pressure of grief. Edom has her share in judgment, for she had a portion with Babylon, not in the captivity, but in hatred to the city. This was the point of the Psalm—Jerusalem. Babylon is the place of captivity—it is opposed in heart to Jerusalem; there the joy was centered. Hence Edom is brought in. Harps (Kinnorim) gave no pleasure in Babylon.
5, 6. These seem to be a sort of answer of Christ, as by His spirit in them; so accomplished indeed in truth in Him.