24 But my faithfulness and my loving kindness will be with him. In my name, his horn will be exalted.
*Minor differences ignored. Grouped by changes, with first version listed as example.
My truth and my mercy shall be with him. God shows that he will continue to exercise without intermission that grace which he had manifested towards David at first. These words are as if he had said, that to prove himself faithful to his word, he would be always gracious and bountiful. Thus We see that God, not only at the outset, furnished David with testimonies of his goodness, but that he always continued to deal with him in the same merciful way. This has a reference to the whole Church of Christ, so that the divine goodness is manifested in the whole course of our salvation, and not only at our first entrance upon it, as these shufflers and sophists the Sorbonists foolishly talk. [1] The horn of David denotes here, as it often does in other places, his glory, dignity, and power. The meaning therefore is, that by the grace of God, this kingdom shall always flourish and prosper.
1 - "I will make him my first-born; i.e., as the eldest son of a family ranks the highest, and receives the most from his father, so shall David be first in the order of kings, who, when they are legitimate sovereigns, may be regarded as the sons of God, their common Father: comp. Genesis 27:1, etc.; Exodus 4:22; Deuteronomy 21:17; Psalm 2:7; Colossians 1:15. In Isaiah 14:30, by the first-born of the poor, is meant the extreme of that class, they who are the poorest of the poor." -- Cresswell.
But my faithfulness and my mercy shall be with him - I will at the same time be faithful to him, and merciful. These attributes of my nature shall be always attendant on him, as if they were his own.
And in my name - By me; or - He, acting in my name, and in my cause, shall be exalted.
Shall his horn be exalted - See the notes at Psalm 89:17.
But my faithfulness and my (t) mercy [shall be] with him: and in my name shall his (u) horn be exalted.
(t) I will mercifully perform my promise to him despite his infirmities and offences.
(u) His power, glory and estate.
But my faithfulness and my mercy shall be with him,.... The "faithfulness" of God was and is with Christ, in performing promises made to him respecting his work, and strength to do it, as man, and the glory that should follow; and also those made to his people in him, relating to grace here, and happiness hereafter: and though there was no "mercy" shown to Christ, as the surety of his people, but he was dealt with in strict justice; yet, as Mediator of the covenant, the special mercy of God is with him, even every blessing of it, called "the sure mercies of David"; and is only communicated through him; he is the mercy seat, from whence mercy is dispensed, and the propitiation through whom God is merciful to men; the words may be rendered, "my truth and my grace" (e), as they are by the Targum; and both are with Christ, the truth of doctrine, and all the fulness of grace, justifying, sanctifying, pardoning, adopting, and persevering grace, John 1:14,
and in my name shall his horn be exalted, or "his glory", as the Targum; his power and dominion, of which the horn is an emblem; and his glory is displayed in having the same name his Father has: his name is expressive of his nature, being, and perfections, the name Jehovah; and his name of title and office "King of Kings, and Lord of lords"; or his name the Word of God, as the Targum; who, as such, is the brightness of his Father's glory: or the sense is, that, by the power of God, he should be raised from the dead, and have glory given him, and be exalted at his right hand, and made Lord and Christ; or by means of the Gospel, which is the name of the Lord, John 17:6, his kingdom and dominion should be spread in the world; see 1-Samuel 2:10.
(e) "et veritas mea, et gratia mea", Cocceius, Gejerus, Michaelis.
*More commentary available at chapter level.