Psalms 89:28
My mercy will I keep for him for evermore, and my covenant shall stand fast with him.
Original Language Analysis
לְ֭עוֹלָ֗ם
for him for evermore
H5769
לְ֭עוֹלָ֗ם
for him for evermore
Strong's:
H5769
Word #:
1 of 7
properly, concealed, i.e., the vanishing point; generally, time out of mind (past or future), i.e., (practically) eternity; frequentatively, adverbial
ל֣וֹ
will I keep
H8104
ל֣וֹ
will I keep
Strong's:
H8104
Word #:
2 of 7
properly, to hedge about (as with thorns), i.e., guard; generally, to protect, attend to, etc
ל֣וֹ
will I keep
H8104
ל֣וֹ
will I keep
Strong's:
H8104
Word #:
3 of 7
properly, to hedge about (as with thorns), i.e., guard; generally, to protect, attend to, etc
חַסְדִּ֑י
My mercy
H2617
חַסְדִּ֑י
My mercy
Strong's:
H2617
Word #:
4 of 7
kindness; by implication (towards god) piety; rarely (by opposition) reproof, or (subject.) beauty
וּ֝בְרִיתִ֗י
and my covenant
H1285
וּ֝בְרִיתִ֗י
and my covenant
Strong's:
H1285
Word #:
5 of 7
a compact (because made by passing between pieces of flesh)
Historical Context
God's hesed (covenant loyalty) sustained David through Saul's persecution, Absalom's rebellion, and his own grievous sins. The covenant stood firm through Solomon's apostasy, the kingdom's division, the Assyrian crisis, and even the Babylonian exile. Though the monarchy ended in 586 BCE, God preserved the Davidic line (Jehoiachin released from prison, 2 Kings 25:27-30; Zerubbabel leading the return, Ezra 3). The genealogies of Matthew 1 and Luke 3 trace Jesus back to David, demonstrating that God kept His hesed forever and His covenant stood fast.
Questions for Reflection
- How does God's promise to 'keep' His hesed for David 'for evermore' assure believers of the eternal security of salvation in Christ?
- What does it mean that God's covenant 'shall stand fast'—how is the reliability of God's covenant the foundation of Christian hope?
- How did Jesus's resurrection demonstrate that God had kept 'the sure mercies of David' (Acts 13:34) despite centuries of apparent covenant failure?
Analysis & Commentary
My mercy will I keep for him for evermore, and my covenant shall stand fast with him. God's commitment intensifies with promises of eternal duration. My mercy (ḥasdî, חַסְדִּי) again emphasizes hesed (חֶסֶד)—that covenant loyalty, steadfast love, and faithful kindness that is God's very nature. Will I keep for him (ʾe-šĕ-mār-lô, אֶשְׁמָר־לוֹ) uses šāmar (שָׁמַר), meaning to guard, watch over, preserve carefully—the same verb describing God keeping/guarding His covenant (Deuteronomy 7:9) and Israel keeping God's commandments.
For evermore (lə-ʿô-lām, לְעוֹלָם) means perpetually, forever, to the most distant time—underscoring the eternal nature of this covenant. My covenant shall stand fast with him employs ûḇ-rî-ṯî ne-ʾĕ-me-neṯ-lô (וּבְרִיתִי נֶאֱמֶנֶת־לוֹ). The verb ʾāman (אָמַן, from which we get "amen") in Niphal form means to be confirmed, established, sure, faithful. The "covenant" (bərîṯ, בְּרִית) is God's solemn, binding agreement—here specifically the Davidic covenant of 2 Samuel 7.
This double promise (hesed kept forever, covenant standing firm) assures that God's commitment to David's line cannot fail despite human unfaithfulness. When the exile came and Jerusalem fell, this promise seemed broken—but God's covenant proved "more steadfast" (2 Samuel 7:16). Fulfilled in Christ, whose resurrection proves God's faithfulness (Acts 13:34, quoting Isaiah 55:3: "I will give you the sure mercies of David"), this covenant stands eternally secure.