Psalms 89:36
His seed shall endure for ever, and his throne as the sun before me.
Study Note
Study Note
The divine oath 'his seed shall endure for ever, and his throne as the sun before me' is embedded in one of the most extensive meditations on the Davidic covenant in the Psalter (Psalm 89:3-4, 28-37), establishing the unconditional perpetuity of the Davidic line. The comparison 'as the sun before me' implies visibility, permanence, and cosmic regularity — the Davidic dynasty is as certain as the solar cycle that God himself maintains. Verses 38-45 then record an apparent total contradiction of this oath — the king 'cast off and abhorred' — making Psalm 89 one of the Bible's most candid laments over the gap between divine promise and historical reality. Early Christian interpretation resolved this tension by identifying the promised eternal seed with Jesus, whose resurrection vindicates the unconditional Davidic promise.
Other Translations
His seed shall endure for ever, And his throne as the sun before me.
His seed is to the age, And his throne <FI>is<Fi> as the sun before Me,
His seed will not come to an end for ever; the seat of his kingdom will be like the sun before me.
Cross References
As for me, this is my covenant with them, saith the Lord; My spirit that is upon thee, and my …
Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul …
Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon …
Thus saith the Lord; If ye can break my covenant of the day, and my covenant of the night, and …
And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.
And thine house and thy kingdom shall be established for ever before thee: thy throne shall be established for ever.
His seed also will I make to endure for ever, and his throne as the days of heaven.
Thy seed will I establish for ever, and build up thy throne to all generations. Selah.
His name shall endure for ever: his name shall be continued as long as the sun: and men shall be …
They shall fear thee as long as the sun and moon endure, throughout all generations.