Psalm 92:12-15: The Flourishing of the Righteous

By Richard D. Patterson

[Richard D. Patterson is Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Old Testament, Liberty University, Lynchburg, Virginia.]

Psalm 92 is one of the loveliest psalms in the Psalter. It is most often classified as a praise psalm. Estes calls it a declarative praise psalm,[1] while Anderson and VanGemeren note that it has features not only of descriptive praise but also of a hymn and individual thanksgiving.[2] Dahood calls it a “royal song of thanksgiving.”[3] Leupold observes that the praise is suitable for individual or congregational use, especially on the Sabbath Day.[4] According to the Mishnah certain psalms were selected for each day of the week and were sung by the Levites, “after the offering of the sacrifice.”[5] The various objects of praise as well as the literary elements within the psalm demonstrate the possibility of any of the above classifications.[6]

Clearly it is a praise psalm with hymnic qualities as seen in its tone of “exuberant praise of the Lord.”[7] Further, its basic elements of (a) the elevation of the object of praise (God), (b) together with the subordination of the author, and (c) a testimony to the object of praise as seen throughout the psalm argue that the psalm is one of praise. The psalm also has a structure that conforms to the normal pattern of a praise psalm, namely, an opening call or invitation to praise followed by the reasons for praise. The psalm opens on a high note of the benefit of praising the Lord together with His name as well as His covenant love and faithfulness (vv. 1-3), along with the reasons for doing so (v. 4). The great works of God are the next object of praise, which includes the eventual destruction of evildoers (vv. 5-9). By way of contrast, the psalmist praised the Lord for the defeat of his enemies (vv. 10-11), and closed with a climactic paean of praise for God’s blessings on the righteous (vv. 12-15). The psalm may be outlined as follows.

I.	A hymn of praise to the Lord for His covenant love and faithfulness (vv. 1-4)
II.	Praise to the Lord for His mighty deeds (vv. 5-9)
III.	Praise to the Lord for His deliverance, with concluding observations about God’s character and blessings for His own (vv. 10-15)

The unity of the psalm is enhanced through an inclusio. The final extolling of God’s character (v. 15) joins the opening praise of the Lord’s qualities associated with His name (vv. 1-2).

The focus of this study is on the psalm’s final four verses, which extol the wisdom of a righteous walk before the Lord.

The Basis of the Righteous Life

The closing verses of Psalm 92 record the psalmist’s observations on the benefits of the righteous life, together with praise to the Lord as the source of the believer’s righteousness on the human plane. The word translated “righteous” (צַדּיךְ) and its related forms “regularly deal with behavior that, usually by implication, accord[s] with some standard,” especially “right behavior or status in relation to some standard of behavior accepted in the community.”[8] It should be noted, however, that “the psalmists reflect not only on their own צְדָקָה, but more often on God’s צְדָקָה and what it means for their situation.”[9] Delitzsch suggests that the psalmist “passes from himself [in v. 11] to speak of the righteous” in verse 12 because “it is the congregation of the righteous in general, i.e., of those who regulate their life according to the divine order of salvation, into whose future he here takes a glance.”[10] A person’s association with Yahweh forms the basis of being a “righteous one” (צַדִּיק, v. 12) related to the Lord through His covenant love (חֶסֶד, v. 2), variously rendered “steadfast love” (ESV), “lovingkindness” (KJV), “loyal love” (NET), or “unfailing love” (NLT).[11] As VanGemeren observes, “The quality of God’s love guarantees the continual operation of all his benefits (perfections) toward his people, including righteousness, uprightness, justice, forgiveness, patience, and compassion.”[12] The prophet Hosea employed this word six times, especially to emphasize the basis of Israel’s relationship to Yahweh as one of covenant loyalty (Hos. 2:19; 12:6). This quality was sadly lacking in Israel (4:1; 6:4, 6; 10:12).

Glueck argues that God’s love is linked to the concept of covenant.[13] Yet the word “lovingkindness” in the King James Version, remains helpful in that the concept points to God’s great underlying affection for Israel—one which on a human plane could be described as love for a family member.[14] In a fuller sense, “Yahweh has decided in favor of Israel; he has promised life, care, alleviation of distress, and preservation—indeed, he has filled the whole earth with his kindness. He has thus granted fellowship with him to his people, to all mankind, to the whole world.”[15] Thus there is “the expansion of the realm of חֶסֶד from the fellowship of family and clan to the nation of Israel and finally the whole world.”[16]

The psalmist also acknowledged his indebtedness to God’s demonstrated faithfulness (אַמוּנָה, v. 2). Jepsen observes that this noun denotes “a way of acting which grows out of inner stability, ‘conscientiousness.’. . . emunah seems more to emphasize one’s own inner attitude than the conduct it produces.”[17] For God that means conduct that stems from and reflects His nature. God is trustworthy and He acts faithfully in accord with His being. Like חֶסֶד, אַמוּנָה is “a word that often belongs to the Covenant terminology, suggesting Yahweh’s dependability in the Covenant relationship. He has promised to bless his loyal servants and to punish the offenders, and in his faithfulness he implements his word.”[18] These facts prepare for the psalmist’s emphases in the praise that follows in verses 5-11. The psalmist praised the Lord’s “name” (v. 1), a term that indicates His revealed character and reputation.[19] Though Israel did not always reflect faithfulnesss (Jer. 5:1-3), it was a “prerequisite to a genuine life (Ps. 37:3).”[20] “Just as Yahweh is a God of אַמוּנָה, he likewise requires Israel to be a people of אַמוּנָה.”21

The psalmist also praised the Lord’s integrity (v. 15). The imagery behind the word translated “upright” is that of “one who walks a path that is level and straight. Such is the course that God travels in all His dealings, for His actions are always consistent with His holy and just character.”[22] Because God is always consistent in what He says and does, the psalmist found in Him his “rock,” a term often used symbolically of God as a place of refuge (e.g., Deut. 32:15; Isa. 26:4). The imagery also connotes a foundation for stability and strength. The term “rock” is used in Scripture “with a wide variety of meanings, almost all associated with God, either as a secure foundation or stronghold or an obstacle to evildoers.”[23]

The source for the psalmist’s praise is not difficult to ascertain, for all of the terms he used here are often used of Israel’s God. In an earlier day Moses sang of these qualities, all of which are resident in the Lord Himself. “I will proclaim the name of the Lord. Oh, praise the greatness of our God! He is the Rock, his works are perfect, and all his ways are just. A faithful God who does no wrong, upright and just is he” (Deut. 32:3-4).[24]

Even the term “wickedness” (עֲלָתָה) in Psalm 92:15 is an echo of Moses’ song, being a feminine form of the Hebrew word עָוֶל, rendered “wrong” in Deuteronomy 32:4 (KJV, “iniquity”).

By implication, if the righteous are to “flourish” (Ps. 92:12), the Lord’s divine qualities are to be reflected in their lives (cf. 91:14-16; Hab. 2:4). They are to demonstrate covenant love and faithfulness, be steadfast and consistent in their lives, and be free of evil doing. In this way they will reproduce God’s character as their own and experience the abundant life that comes as a result of God’s blessing.

The Benefits of the Righteous Life

The psalmist pointed to some of God’s great blessings on the righ-teous. In colorful imagery rich in the culture of the ancient Near East he portrayed the righteous as those who will “flourish like a palm tree” (Ps. 92:12). Although several varieties of palm trees grew in the ancient Near East, the Hebrew noun for palm tree (תָּמָר) is commonly identified with the Phoenix dactylifera or date palm. “A characteristic feature of the palm is its straight trunk, unusually tough, which has no branches but ends in a circle of leaves.”[25] Walker observes that “the palm is the most remarkable of all trees. When fully grown the date palm is as high as a hundred feet, its shape quite distinctive and beautiful.”[26] A strong, durable tree, it “may live up to two hundred years, and it is only fully developed after thirty years.”[27] Harrison describes it as “one of the most characteristic trees of the Orient. The date palm ranges extensively from India to North Africa and is the principal desert foodplant.”[28] The palm tree can be found lining the banks of the rivers and canals of the ancient Near East.[29] Some areas were noted for their abundance of palm trees. Thus Jericho was called the “City of Palms” (cf. Deut. 34:3; Judg. 3:13; 2 Chron. 28:15).[30] En-Gedi on the western shore of the Dead Sea was also famous for its tall palm trees, even in the Hellenistic period.[31] Thus Josephus reports that “in that place grows the best kind of palm trees, and the opobalsamum.”[32]

In districts where the palm tree flourished its dates were a staple item in the diet. Harrison points out that “the dates, hanging down in immense clusters, were the chief food of many peoples, as they are for some modern peoples.”[33] Shewell-Cooper adds, “The date kernels provide food for animals, particularly camels, and the seeds are often made into beads.”[34] In addition, as Contenau points out, “The wood was employed for light building construction, such as roofing when only a small span was required, the plaited fibres formed ropes of remarkable strength, while the leaves were used both for covering the huts made of palm boughs, and, when cut and bound together, make very effective brooms for use against the all-pervading dust of the East.”[35]

Reference to palm tree plantations sacred to a local god are known as early as the third dynasty of Ur.[36] The palm tree is well attested in artistic representations and architectural ornamentations.[37] Certain religious ceremonies in ancient Babylonia also featured the use of palm leaves.[38] Contenau points out that in ancient Mesopotamian religious practice the crown of the palm tree symbolized the god Tammuz.[39] Saggs remarks that Tammuz was “originally a deified King of early Sumerian times. Lamentation for his death was the central feature of a popular fertility cult which spread widely in the Near East, even reaching Jerusalem (Ezekiel).”[40]

The biblical record reports the presence of palm trees at oases. On their way to Mount Sinai the Israelites “came to Elim, where there were twelve springs and seventy palm trees, and they camped there near the water” (Exod. 15:27; cf. Num. 33:9). As noted earlier, palm trees were featured in ornamentation. Such was the case for Solomon’s palace (1 Kings 6:29, 32, 35; 7:36) and in Ezekiel’s description of the future millennial temple (Ezek. 40:31). Palm fronds were employed in the Feast of Tabernacles. “On the first day you are to take choice fruit from the trees, and palm fronds, leafy branches and poplars, and rejoice before the Lord your God for seven days” (Lev. 23:40). As Jesus entered Jerusalem during the Passover season, the assembled crowd “took palm branches and went out to meet him shouting, ‘Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!’ ‘Blessed is the King of Israel!’ ” (John 12:13). Saints who will come out of the Great Tribulation (Rev. 7:14) will stand before the Lamb, “wearing white robes and . . . holding palm branches in their hands” (v. 9).

Of significance also is the fact that Deborah “held court under the Palm of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in the hill country of Ephraim, and the Israelites came to her to have their disputes settled” (Judg. 4:5). The spiritual associations connected with her palm tree “probably did have a religious significance.”[41] Thus it is not surprising that the palm tree occurs in prophetic contexts dealing with judging—in this case the Lord’s judgment. Thus Isaiah utilized imagery associated with the palm tree in portraying total judgment. He prophesied, “So the Lord will cut off from Israel both head and tail, both palm branch and reed in a single day” (Isa. 9:14). That judgment, pronounced as antinomy, is four-dimensional, presented horizontally from front to back and vertically from top to bottom with the regal crowning foliage of the palm tree representing the height (i.e., Israel’s leadership). Thus in the coming judgment Israel’s inept, self-centered, and devious leadership composed of elders and other prominent men and prophets (“the head” and “the tail,” v. 15) will be totally helpless to deliver the nation. “Because of this self-serving attitude on the part of the leaders of the nation the people can receive no truly objective guidance.”[42] Also Joel included the palm tree’s withering as evidence of the Lord’s judgment against His people (Joel 1:12). Therefore the people should note their deplorable spiritual condition and come with sincere repentance to the Lord.

Not to be forgotten is the fact that the natural grace and beauty of the palm tree are reflected in several women being named תָּמָר (“Tamar”) (e.g., Gen. 38:6; 2 Sam. 13:1; 14:27) and in mention of the palm in romantic settings (e.g., Song of Sol. 7:8). Of particular interest is the more usual imagery associated with the palm tree. Because of its association with oases and with being used for food or “as a sweetener or for making wine . . . it is not surprising that the palm frequently connoted fertility and a ‘blessing.’. . . The palm’s function as a symbol of fertility and life likely explains its extensive use as an image of the artwork of the Temple.”[43] The longevity of the palm tree is no doubt behind the statement in Psalm 92:14 about the righteous bearing fruit “in old age” and staying “fresh and green.”

The psalmist also referred to the cedar of Lebanon (v. 12). Walker describes this as “the greatest of all the trees of the Holy Land in the Scriptures. It is a noble evergreen, often one hundred and twenty feet tall and forty feet in girth, with branches that shoot horizontally from the trunk some ten feet from the ground. . . . It exudes a gum or balsam which makes the wood so fragrant that to walk in a grove of cedars is a delight. Some specimens of cedar of Lebanon are judged to be two thousand years old.”[44] Moreover, cedar trees “were esteemed for their fragrant durable wood (2 S. 5:11; 1 Ch. 22:4), which was more highly prized than the sycamore.”[45] Shewell-Cooper points out that cedar wood “is not attacked by insect pests; it is of a pleasant, warm, red color, and is free from knots.”[46] These qualities of the cedar did not escape the notice of the biblical writers, where the cedar “is usually mentioned with admiration.”[47]

The cedars of Lebanon were prized and much sought after in the ancient Near East. Thus the Amorite King Iahdun Lim of Mari boasted that he had done what no predecessor had done—he penetrated the “mountains of cedar and boxwood . . . and cut down their trees.”[48] An early king of Ur likewise boasted that the god Nergal “gave him Armånum and Ebla. He also granted him the Amanus, the Cedar Forest, and the Upper Sea.”[49] In an Egyptian treatise from the time of King Merikare of the First Intermediate Period, an earlier king boasted, “I pacified the entire West as far as the coast of the sea. It pays taxes, it gives cedar wood.”[50] The annals of the later Assyrian kings contain boasts of successful penetration into the mountains of Lebanon and at times mention the cutting down of their mighty cedars. On one campaign Tiglath-pileser I said, “At the command of Assur and Anu, the great gods, my lords, I went [to the Lebanon Mountains] (where) I cut down, and (whence) I brought these splendid beams of the temple of . . . where the great gods, my lords, continually abide.”[51] And Assur-nasir-pal reported, “The beams of cedar from Mount Amanus were an offering (or, I offered) to Esharra, to my temple, (where) I was sumptuously fashioning a chamber of rejoicing for the temple of Sin and Shamash, the gods of light.”[52] King Sennacherib boasted, “I have ascended the heights of the mountains, the utmost heights of Lebanon. I have cut down its tallest cedars” (2 Kings 19:23).[53] The Assyrian kings often speak of the use of cedar in their building operations.[54] And in the Ugaritic epic of Baal the building of a house of cedar for the storm god Baal is detailed. Thus the god El commanded, “Let a house like the other gods’ be built for Baal. . . . Let him complete his house of cedar!”[55] In a subsequent account Baal is even said to use a cedar tree as a weapon.[56]

In the Israelite ceremonial cleansing of the leper “two live clean birds and some cedar wood, scarlet yarn and hyssop” were to be used (Lev. 14:4). And in the ordinance of the red heifer the heifer was to be burned (Num. 19:5) and then the priest was “to take some cedar wood, hyssop and scarlet wool and throw them onto the burning heifer” (v. 6). Speculation abounds as to the reason for the use of cedar in this ritual, but one reason may be its pleasant aromatic qualities.[57] Walker suggests that “cedar seems to symbolize the tallest plant life in contrast to hyssop, the lowliest. Perhaps a merism is involved here.”[58] Ashley simply admits that neither passage (on the cleansing of the leper and the red heifer ritual) gives a clue for the reason cedar was used, but he suggests that in some way the cedar, hyssop, and scarlet yarn “are what might be called ritual detergents.”[59]

Because of its strength, durability, and resistance to insect infestation as well as its aromatic qualities, cedar was used in building constructions such as David’s house (2 Sam. 5:11; 7:2, 7), and Solomon’s temple (1 Kings 5:6-10; 6:9-36) and palace complex (7:2-7). Cedar was also a staple commodity in Solomon’s trading enterprises (10:27). Ezekiel reported that workmen outfitted the Phoenician merchant ships of Tyre with cedar masts (Ezek. 27:5), and in Ezra’s day Phoenician workmen were supplied with food and necessities, “so that they would bring cedar logs by sea from Lebanon to Joppa, as authorized by Cyrus king of Persia” (Ezra 3:7).

Like the palm tree, cedar is mentioned in the romantic literature of the Song of Solomon (1:17; 8:9). Shulamith’s beloved is described in appearance as “like Lebanon, choice as its cedars” (5:15).

Like the palm tree, the cedar is referred to in many passages that exhibit figurative language and imagery.[60] Thus Behemoth’s tail is said to “sway like a cedar” (Job 40:17). Balaam describes Israel’s soon-to-come life in the promised land as being “like cedars beside the waters” (Num. 24:6). That is, their life was to be characterized by strength and durability, enjoying constant refreshment and vitality because of divine blessings. In hyperbolic language reminiscent of the vocabulary of the unbelieving spies’ earlier report, the dwellers in Canaan known as Amorites were reported to be “tall as the cedar” (Amos 2:9).

When King Amaziah of Judah issued a challenge to King Jehoash of Israel, the latter responded to him in the language of a fable. “A thistle in Lebanon sent a message to a cedar in Lebanon, ‘Give your daughter to my son in marriage.’ Then a wild beast in Lebanon came along and trampled the thistle underfoot” (2 Kings 14:9). In another fable the leading men of Shechem were portrayed as “cedars of Lebanon,” while Abimelech was pictured as a lowly thornbush. “The thornbush said to the trees, ‘If you really want to anoint me king over you, come and take refuge in my shade; but if not, then let fire come out of the thornbush and consume the cedars of Lebanon!’ ” (Judg. 9:15). As Wolf observes, “The thorn was a menace to agriculture and had the quality of burning quickly (Ps. 58:9). Since it provided little if any shade, its refuge is spoken of sarcastically.”[61] In glowing terms a future repentant and restored Israel will enjoy the constant blessings of God. Therefore Israel will exude a fragrance like that of Lebanon because of its cedars (Hos. 14:5-6).[62]

The cedar appears often in contexts expressing judgment (e.g., Isa. 2:13-14; Zech. 11:1-2). Thus although Judah’s kings lived in a fine palace lined with cedars from Lebanon (Jer. 22:14-15, 23), they and their palace would face the Lord’s fiery judgment (vv. 6-7; cf. Zeph. 2:14). Similarly Ezekiel portrayed Nebuchadnezzar’s taking of Jehoiachin into captivity by an allegory in which an eagle took hold of “the top of a cedar . . . and carried it away into a land of merchants, where he planted it in a city of traders” (Ezek. 17:3-4). Yet in a future day God will take “a shoot from the very top of a cedar and plant it” (v. 22). “On the mountain heights of Israel I will plant it; it will produce branches and bear fruit and become a splendid cedar” (v. 23). Alexander remarks, “This Messianic kingdom would be great and fruitful as a stately cedar tree (v. 23). All the birds would nest in its branches—perhaps a figure of the nations of the world (cf. Dan. 4:17, 32, 34-37; Matt. 13:31-32).”[63] Here, as so often in oracles of judgment, punishment is blended with future hope.[64]

References to the cedar appear often in the praise psalms of the Old Testament. Yahweh the Creator planted the majestic cedars of Lebanon (Ps. 104:16), and therefore the cedars are invited (148:9) along with all humankind and nature to praise the Lord (vv. 7-14). In a play on the Exodus motif God is portrayed as One who transplanted a vine from Egypt to the promised land, which became so prosperous and strong that even the mighty cedars were “covered . . . with its branches” (80:10). As Leupold observes, “Since this is a mountainous land, the description may well continue by stating that the mountainsides became, as it were, covered with terraced vineyards; and the lusty growth of the vine produced branches that could be likened to the sturdy limbs of the cedars, which are hereby something stronger than a grammatical superlative described as thriving under the special providence of God.”[65]

Even as the valuable cedar was used in the furnishings of the temple, so the righteous are pictured in Psalm 92:13 as “planted in the house of the Lord” and flourishing “in the courts of our God” (v. 13).[66] In this metaphorical description the flourishing tree in the temple courts suggests where the righteous may best experience the nearness and provision of God.

In verse 14 the psalmist observed that the righteous “will still bear fruit in old age.” In a strongly agrarian culture like that of early Israel it would not be surprising to find such words as “fruit” and “fruitfulness” often in their literature. “Not counting three dozen occurrences of fruitful [in the Bible], the word fruit appears more than two hundred times in English translations.”[67] In Psalm 92 “fruit” is to be understood metaphorically, just as it is in 1:3, which compares the blessed, righteous man (vv. 1-2, 6) to a fruit-bearing tree. “He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not whither. Whatever he does prospers” (v. 3). Jeremiah wrote that the basis of fruit-bearing is trust in the Lord. “Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him. He will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream” (Jer. 17:7-8).

Scholars have interpreted the reference to fruit-bearing in Psalm 92:14 in various ways. Ross says the righteous believer’s fruitfulness stands in stark contrast to the state of the unrigh-teous, for the palm and cedar trees “picture fruitfulness and vitality . . . under God’s good hand.”[68] Leupold says faith results in fruit-bearing. “The strong faith that a wholesome life in God supplies has in many cases made such lives productive of much good even after others of a similar age have long ceased to produce. Faith seems to impart a certain spiritual resiliency so that, still speaking in terms of the tree, such persons may be said to be fresh, i.e., full of sap, and green with the color of a healthy plant as it were.”[69] Anderson says the fruit-bearing is a “portrayal of the age of the godly man; he will know strength and vigour even in his old age.”[70] M’Caw and Motyer relate fruitfulness to permanence and nourishment, which stem from the strength and refreshment that are found in God, the Rock.[71] Allen relates fruit-bearing to the praise of God during worship services in the temple.[72]

Schaefer observes that “what is unique about the image here is that the palm tree and the Lebanon cedar are transplanted to the temple.”[73]VanGemeren adds that the imagery of the righteous being like flourishing trees in the temple speaks of a life of “strength, longevity, and desirability,” which “suggests the closeness of the righteous to their God.”[74]

From the New Testament perspective that nearness is achieved by means of the imputation of Christ’s righteousness to the believer (Rom. 3:23-25; 5:12-21; 2 Cor. 5:21; cf. Eph. 4:24) and is maintained by the believer’s union with Christ (Gal. 2:20; Col. 1:27). As Paul reminded the Roman believers, “So, my brothers, you also died to the law through the body of Christ, that you might belong to another, to him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit to God” (Rom. 7:4). Jesus disclosed to His disciples that true spiritual fruit-bearing comes from abiding in Him (John 15:4-16). Although these words refer primarily to Jesus’ disciples during His later hours on earth, by extension this truth applies to all believers. As Morris remarks, “The man who so abides in Christ and has Christ abide in him keeps on bearing fruit in quantity. . . . Thus should anyone not abide in Christ he is thrown out like a branch. . . . These are strong words which emphasize the necessity of remaining in vital contact with Christ if fruitfulness is to continue.”[75]

Enjoying the presence of the Lord means a life of full satisfaction, for only a good “tree” can bear good “fruit” (Matt. 7:17; cf. Isa. 3:10). In a deeper sense abiding in Christ and being filled with “the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding” enables one to “live a life worthy of the Lord . . . in every way; bearing fruit in every good work” (Col. 1:9-10).

Analogically the emphasis on the palm and cedar trees gives a clue as to the personal benefits of a close walk with God. The palm tree emphasizes the vitality and productivity of believers’ lives in God’s presence—even into advanced age. The palm also reminds believers that they can be a source of spiritual food and refreshment to others as they share the gospel. Jesus is the great example here, for He told His disciples, “I have food to eat that you know nothing about. . . . My food . . . is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work” (John 4:32, 34). Jesus “disclosed that his chief passion in life, stronger even than the appetite of food was to do the Father’s will. There was a task waiting to be finished which the Father had committed to him and in which he wanted the disciples to have a part.”[76]

The grace associated with the palm tree can also be reflected in a grace that is of greater worth than mere charm or beauty. As the recipients of God’s unmerited favor believers are to serve the Lord in a manner that reflects God’s grace and therefore is attractive to others. Peter urged his readers to be sources of God’s grace not only by personally growing in the grace and knowledge of Christ (2 Pet. 3:18), but also by communicating the gospel message to others. “Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in various forms” (1 Pet. 4:10). Moreover, as they grow in grace, believers reflect the graciousness of the Lord Himself (Pss. 103:8; 112:4-9). Even as the palm tree serves as an image of grace, fertility, and blessing, so the righteous may be channels of God’s blessings to others (cf. Gen. 12:2; Zech. 8:13; 1 Pet. 3:8-9).[77]

The strength inherent in the cedar tree reminds believers to “be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power” (Eph. 6:10), for the Lord is indeed their source of strength (cf. Exod. 15:2). As the Lord instructed Joshua (Josh. 1:7-9), so believers have a sourcebook (the Scriptures) for maintaining and utilizing God-given strength and the presence of God to provide proper guidance for life’s journey (Ps. 46:1-3; Phil. 4:13; 1 Pet. 4:11).[78] As recipients of God’s strength, believers may, like the cedar, become increasingly resistant to the infectious evils of sin, which so easily sidetrack others.

United to Christ, they have a ready resource to aid them (2 Cor. 5:17; Heb. 4:14-16; cf. 1 Pet. 4:1-2).

Believers can therefore lead lives that will bear a fragrance like a cedar of Lebanon (Hos. 14:6). The secret to enjoying a life that is attractive and pleasing to the Lord lies in the surrender of oneself to the Lord (Rom. 12:1-2) in order to be able to manifest God’s love and faithfulness (cf. Ps. 92:2). Far superior to the sweet savor offerings of the Old Testament (Lev. 1; 3; 6:8-13; 7:11-34), Christians should exude a pleasing “fragrance” to others. Paul charged the Ephesians, “Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God” (Eph. 5:1-2). Even as Christ was a “fragrant offering,” so Christians, united to Him (2 Cor. 5:17), are to live sacrificial lives (Rom. 12:1-2) that bear a distinct “fragrance.” Speaking of their being in Christ’s “triumphal procession” (2 Cor. 2:14), Paul declared, “For we are to God the aroma of Christ to those who are being saved and those who are perishing. To the one we are the smell of death; to the other, the fragrance of life” (vv. 15-16).

Like palm and cedar trees, believers’ lives are to be beautiful (cf. Isa. 61:1-3; 1 Pet. 3:3-4), and this comes through being near the Lord (Ps. 73:28) and by being fruitful by means of the indwelling Holy Spirit (Gal. 5:21-22; cf. Isa. 32:17; Phil. 1:9-11). And like those trees, believers can be useful as instruments in God’s hands (cf. 2 Tim. 2:21; 1 Pet. 4:10). In the ultimate sense all that believers are, have, and do is by God’s grace (Rom. 2:4; Eph. 1:7; 3:16; Phil. 1:6; James 1:17-18) and the Lord’s strength (Exod. 15:2, 13; Isa. 45:24; Phil. 4:13; 1 Pet. 4:11). Believers may humbly pray, “May the favor of the Lord our God rest upon us; establish the work of our hands for us—yes, establish the work of our hands” (Ps. 90:17).

The righteous flourish and bear fruit because of their proximity to “the courts of our God” (92:13). As Schaefer observes, the palm and cedar trees “evoke the idea of transplanted, fresh growth, fertile throughout the years. By an optical trick the poet superimposes the arboreal image on the upright person in the temple, and tree and person fade into each other and exchange features. The just person in God’s house is sturdy, thrives and bears fruit even in advanced maturity.”[79] And Cohen remarks, “Like the trees which flourish when their roots are imbedded in rich soil, the righteous derive their sustenance from the Temple and therefore grow luxuriantly.”[80] The righteous bear fruit even in old age because their lives reflect a lifetime of commitment to the Lord (cf. 37:3-6; 91:14-16).

Psalm 92 ends on a high note of praise to God, which also points to the secret of successful living into old age. This comes through living in the conscious presence of the One who is the God of love, faithfulness, and integrity and who provides a rock-solid foundation for righteous living. When this is done, dedicated older believers can look back on their lives of commitment and service to the Lord, while continuing to enjoy a useful life in God’s presence, with each day being a fresh opportunity to serve Him further.[81] Their continued testimony can echo that of the psalmist, who wrote, “The Lord is upright; he is my Rock, and there is no wickedness in him” (92:15).[82]

Notes

1. Daniel J. Estes, Handbook on the Wisdom Books and Psalms (Grand Rapids: Baker, 2005), 163. Claus Westermann classifies Psalm 92 as a “psalm of narrative praise by the individual” (The Psalms [Minneapolis: Augsburg, 1980], 72).
2. A. A. Anderson, Psalms (73-150), New Century Bible Commentary (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1983), 660; and Willem A. VanGemeren, “Psalms,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, vol. 5 (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1991), 602.
3. Mitchell Dahood, Psalms II: 51-100, Anchor Bible (Garden City: Doubleday, 1968), 336.
4. H. C. Leupold, Exposition of the Psalms (reprint, Grand Rapids: Baker, 1969), 657-58.
5. C. Hassell Bullock, An Introduction to the Poetic Books of the Old Testament (Chicago: Moody, 1979), 148. See also Franz Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Psalms (reprint, Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1955), 3:66; J. J. Stewart Perowne, The Book of Psalms (reprint [2 vols. in 1], Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1966), 2:177-81; and Konrad Schaefer, Psalms (Collegeville, MN: Liturgical, 2001), 230.
6. Nahum M. Sarna alone dismisses the thought that the psalm is primarily one of praise of the Lord: “The hymn is not what it pretends to be, a praise of God’s just rule, but a blind defense of the doctrine of material retribution” (The Psalms [New York: KTAV, 1969], 841).
7. Tremper Longman III, How to Read the Psalms (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity, 1988), 24.
8. David J. Reimer, “צדק,” in New International Dictionary of Old Testament Theology and Exegesis, ed. Willem A. VanGemeren (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1997), 3:750.
9. Ibid., 759.
10. Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Psalms, 3:70.
11. For an excellent discussion of this Hebrew word see D. A. Baer and R. P. Gordon, “חֶסֶד,” in New International Dictionary of Old Testament Theology and Exegesis, 2:211-18.
12. VanGemeren, “Psalms,” 5:236.
13. Nelson Glueck, Óesed in the Bible, trans. Alfred Gottschalk (Cincinnati: Hebrew Union College Press, 1967; reprint, New York: KTAV, 1975).
14. The Indo-Germanic root for the word “kind” indicates origin or kinship (cf. German, kind, “child”). See Richard D. Patterson, Hosea (Richardson, TX: Biblical Studies, 2008), 71.
15. H.-J. Zobel, “חֶסֶד,” in Theological Dictionary of the Old Testament, ed. G. Johannes Botterweck and Helmer Ringgren, trans. David E. Green, vol. 5 (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1986), 62.
16. Ibid., 63.
17. Alfred Jepsen, “אָמַ˜,” in Theological Dictionary of the Old Testament, trans. John T. Willis, vol. 1 (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1974), 317.
18. Anderson, Psalms, 288. Not surprisingly, God’s love and faithfulness are paired in contexts expressing covenant relationships (e.g., Pss. 89:24; 98:3).
19. The word “name” became a technical term for God (cf. Dan. 9:18-19; Amos 2:7; 9:12), and was later applied by the writers of the New Testament and the early church fathers to Christ (e.g., Acts 4:12; 5:41; 3 John 7; Ignatius, Eph 3:1; 7:1; Ignatius, Phil. 10:1; 2 Clement 13:1, 4; and often in Hermas).
20. Jepsen,” 1:318.
21. R. W. L. Moberly, “אמ˜,” in New International Dictionary of Old Testament Theology and Exegesis, 1:430.
22. Patterson, Hosea, 144.
23. Leland Ryken, James C. Wilhoit, Tremper Longman III, eds., Dictionary of Biblical Imagery (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity, 1998), 733.
24. Unless noted otherwise, all Scripture quotations are from the New International Version.
25. Fauna and Flora of the Bible (London: United Bible Societies, 1972), 160.
26. Winifred Walker, All the Plants of the Bible (New York: Harper & Brothers, 1937), 160.
27. Fauna and Flora of the Bible, 161.
28. R. K. Harrison, “Palm Tree,” in International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, ed. Geoffrey W. Bromiley (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1986), 3:649.
29. See the remarks of A. T. Olmstead, History of Assyria (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1951), 10.
30. See also Josephus, TheAntiquities of the Jews, xiv.4.1, in Josephus Complete Works, trans. William Whiston (London: Pickering & Inglis, 1960), 292; and idem, The Jewish Wars, iv.8.3 (ibid., 539).
31. See A. F. Rainey, “En-Gedi,” in International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, 2:82.
32. Josephus, The Antiquities of the Jews ix.1.2.
33. Harrison, “Palm Tree,” 3:649.
34. W. F. Shewell-Cooper, “Palm Tree,” in Zondervan Pictorial Encyclopedia of the Bible, ed. Merrill C. Tenney and Steven Barabas (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1975), 4:587. “Because the ancient historian Herodotus states that a palm can produce bread, wine, and ‘honey,’ there is reason to believe that he calls the liquor ‘honey’ and that some of the references to honey in the OT are therefore to the date palm liquor—and not to the common honey from bees” (ibid.).
35. Georges Contenau, Everyday Life in Babylon and Assyria (New York: Norton, 1966), 74.
36. Ibid., 73-74.
37. See Olmstead, History of Assyria, 286.
38. Ibid., 407.
39. Contenau, Everyday Life in Babylon and Assyria, 173.
40. H. W. F. Saggs, Everyday Life in Babylonia and Assyria (London: B. T. Batsford, 1965), 193. Saggs adds that the idea that Tammuz was a god who died and rose again and therefore became the center of a savior cult is unsupported by the evidence. Alexander Heidel shows that although in ancient Mesopotamian mythology some gods were able to be liberated from the realm of the dead (e.g., Ishtar and Tammuz who “annually died at the height of summer and rose again with the annual spring”), there is a vast difference between Mesopotamian belief in death and the afterlife and that of the Old Testament (The Gilgamesh Epic and Old Testament Parallels [Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1963], 207). In the case of Mesopotamia “there is no evidence that an actual resurrection of a human being from the dead was believed to have taken place at any time; nor is there any indication of a belief in some future resurrection of the flesh” (ibid., 208). After discussing several Old Testament passages Heidel concludes, “It is therefore quite obvious that the eschatology of the Old Testament did not develop from that of the Babylonians and Assyrians” (ibid., 223).
41. Roland de Vaux, Ancient Israel: Its Life and Institutions, trans. John McHugh (New York: McGraw-Hill, 1961; reprint, Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1997), 278-79. Robert G. Boling remarks that because Deborah had a tree named after her, this was “a setting in which she was responsible for Yahwist oracular inquiry” (Judges, Anchor Bible [Garden City, NY: Doubleday, 1973], 95).
42. John N. Oswalt, The Book of Isaiah Chapters 1-39, New International Commentary on the Old Testament (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1986), 255.
43. “Palm Tree,” in Dictionary of Biblical Imagery, 623.
44. Walker, All thePlants of the Bible, 52.
45. R. K. Harrison, “Cedar, Cedarwood,” in International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, 1:626.
46. W. E. Shewell-Cooper, “Cedar,” in Zondervan Pictorial Encyclopedia of the Bible, 1:770.
47. Larry L. Walker, “אֶרֶז,” in New International Dictionary of Old Testament Theology and Exegesis, 1:511.
48. Douglas Frayne, “Mari,” in The Context of Scripture, ed. W. W. Hallo and K. Lawson Younger Jr. (Brill: Leiden, 2000), 2:260.
49. Burkhart Kienast, “Inscription of Narām-Sªn: Campaign against Armānum and Ebla,” in The Context of Scripture, 2:245.
50. Miriam Lichtheim, “Merikare,” in The Context of Scripture, 1:64. Although the king in question would seem to be King Khety, Lichtheim remarks, “Since the order of the kings in this dynasty has not yet been fully clarified, it has not been determined which of the several Khetys preceded Merikare” (ibid., 1:61). For text, translation, and critical notes on Merikare, see Miriam Lichtheim, Ancient Egyptian Literature (Berkeley, CA: University of California Press, 1973), 1:97-109.
51. Daniel David Luckenbill, Ancient Records of Assyria and Babylonia (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1926, 1927), 1:96-97.
52. Ibid., 1:167.
53. See Richard D. Patterson and Hermann J. Austel, “1 & 2 Kings,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, vol. 4 (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1988), 267.
54. Luckenbill discusses the use of cedar in the building of palaces or temples by Tiglath-pileser III, Esarhaddon, and Ashurbanipal (Ancient Records of Assyria and Babylonia, 1:288; 2:268, 376).
55. Michael David Coogan, ed. and trans., Stories from Ancient Canaan (Philadelphia: Westminster, 1978), 101. See also Dennis Pardee, “The Baʿlu Myth,” in The Context of Scripture, 1:260. The actual building of the house follows.
56. See Coogan, Stories from Ancient Canaan, 105; and Pardee, “The Baʿlu Myth,” 1:263.
57. C. F. Keil suggests that “cedar-wood was thrown into the fire, as the symbol of the incorruptible continuance of life” (The Pentateuch, Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament, trans. James Martin [Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1956], 3:124). In the cleansing of the leper Jacob Milgrom thinks that the use of cedar was linked to ceremonial ritual purification rites in ancient Mesopotamia (Leviticus 1-16, Anchor Bible [New York: Doubleday, 1991], 835). In the Akkadian Enuma Elish, Marduk cleansed himself after his victory over Tiamat, anointing his body with cedar oil (Benjamin R. Foster, “Epic of Creation,” in The Context of Scripture, 1:399).
58. Walker, “אֶרֶז,” 1:511.
59. Timothy R. Ashley, The Book of Numbers, New International Commentary on the Old Testament (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1993), 366.
60. See “Tree, Trees,” in Dictionary of Biblical Imagery, 890-92.
61. Herbert Wolf, “Judges,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, vol. 3 (1992), 439. For an excellent discussion of the Abimelech narrative see Daniel I. Block, Judges, Ruth, New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman, 1999), 308-36.
62. Although the word “cedar” does not occur in the Hebrew text, it is generally assumed that the reference is to the cedars of Lebanon; hence “cedar” appears in many translations.
63. Ralph H. Alexander, “Ezekiel,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, vol. 6 (1986), 822. Although Daniel I. Block notes the existence of an earlier widespread mythological motif known as the “cosmic tree” as well as Isaiah’s prophecy concerning a messianic shoot (Isa. 11:1-11), he declares, “Whatever its antecedents, Ezekiel’s tree bears its own stamp” (The Book of Ezekiel Chapter 1-24, New International Commentary on the Old Testament [Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1997], 551).
64. Richard D. Patterson, “Old Testament Prophecy,” in A Complete Literary Guide to the Bible, ed. Leland Ryken and Tremper Longman III (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1993), 302-3.
65. Leupold, Exposition of the Psalms, 583.
66. Similarly in Psalm 52:8 the psalmist described himself as “an olive tree flourishing in the house of God.”
67. “Fruit, Fruitfulness, “ in Dictionary of Biblical Imagery, 310-11.
68. Allen P. Ross, “Psalms,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary, Old Testament, ed. John F. Walvoord and Roy B. Zuck (Wheaton, IL: Victor, 1985; reprint, Colorado Springs: Cook, 1996), 861.
69. Leupold, Exposition of the Psalms, 2:662.
70. Anderson, Psalms, 664.
71. Leslie S. M’Caw and J. A. Motyer, “Psalms,” in The New Bible Commentary Revised, ed. Donald Guthrie and J. A. Motyer (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1979), 510.
72. Leslie C. Allen, “Psalms,” in International Bible Commentary, ed. F. F. Bruce (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1986), 620. And Delitzsch remarks that those who center their life in the temple “live long in unbroken strength, in order, in looking back upon a life rich in experiences of divine acts of righteousness and lovingkindness, to confirm the confession which Moses, in Deut. xxxii. 4, places at the head of his great song” (Biblical Commentary on the Psalms, 3:71).
73. Schaefer, Psalms, 231.
74. VanGemeren, “Psalms,” 5:606.
75. Leon Morris, The Gospel according to John, New International Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1971), 671.
76. Merrill C. Tenney, John: The Gospel of Belief (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1976), 96.
77. Paul charged Timothy to “be strong in the grace that is in Jesus Christ” (2 Tim. 2:1), in order to be a channel of grace flowing out to many others (vv. 2-7).
78. Of interest is the point that the Hebrew verb translated “be very courageous” (Josh. 1:6-7, 9) in the Septuagint (ajndrivzou, “be a man”), is reflected in Paul’s charge to the Corinthian believers (1 Cor. 16:13, ajndrivzesqe).
79. Schaefer, Psalms, 231.
80. A. Cohen, The Psalms, Soncino Books of the Bible, 13th ed. (London: Soncino, 1985), 306.
81. The psalmist did not entertain the idea of “retirement” in the modern sense of the term. The psalmist’s example should serve as an encouragement to America’s growing senior population. According to a report by the Orange County Commission on Aging, from 1900 to 2000 the number of older Americans increased 1100 percent, with the number of those eighty-five or older being thirty-four times higher.
82. R. E. O. White suggests that the psalmist was stating that he has seen “the righteous flourishing (vv. 12-13), like graceful palms, like strong enduring cedars, fresh and fruitful in sheltered sacred courts (cf. Ps. 52:8). So they testify, to the end, the upright ways of God” (“Psalms,” in Evangelical Commentary on the Bible, ed. Walter A. Elwell [Grand Rapids: Baker, 1989], 390).