What is the meaning of "from everlasting to everlasting" (Psalm 41:13)?

Such, then, is man, and towards Him who in grace has come to be his Deliverer. But if he is thus in his innermost heart revealed, God manifests Himself at length in behalf of the object of his enmity. This is not needful here to be told at length, for it has been again and again the subject of these psalms; but it is clearly enough shown out in the words of the same Speaker who has been heard throughout. He is answered in resurrection, raised up for the recompense of friends and foes alike. The enmity of His adversaries cannot prevail against Him in whom Jehovah delights. His perfection is owned, and in it He is sustained, and set before the face of God forever. There is but One of whom all this could be said, and the psalm as a whole speaks of Him, as we have seen. It is thus a most suited close to this precious first book of the divine counsels as to Christ.

The formal close in the last verse is, I believe, indicated by the number as the voice of man universally at last, giving praise to the God of Israel, the Eternal, from that eternity before time began, and now on to eternity — a praise therefore which contemplates all time from first to last, the period of the creature and his failure, and of the dishonor done to the glorious Creator by his means. It is sealed with the Old Testament "verily, verily," which the Christ of the New has taken up and made His own.

Looking into the whole collection, we learn that it is divided into five books — viz. 1 — 41; 42 — 72; 73 — 89; 90 — 106; 107 — 150. Each of the first four have at their close a doxology, connected with which we meet with the significant word "Amen." "Blessed be Jehovah the God of Israel from everlasting and to everlasting. Amen, and Amen" (Ps. 41:13). "Blessed be Jehovah, the God of Israel, who only does wondrous things. And blessed be His glorious name for ever: and let the whole earth be filled with His glory. Amen, and Amen" (Ps. 72:18-19). "Blessed be Jehovah for evermore. Amen, and Amen" (Ps. 89:52). "Blessed be Jehovah the God of Israel from everlasting to everlasting: and let all the people say Amen, hallelujah" (Ps. 106:48). Then the whole collection terminates with a call on everything that has breath to praise Jah, the Psalmist striking the keynote, "Hallelu-Jah" — i.e. praise ye the Lord (150:6). What a day that will be! Hallelujah having first resounded throughout the vault of heaven (Rev. 19:1, 3-4, 6), that joyful note will be taken up on earth, and everything that has breath will praise Him.

On the other hand, as we have said, there will be those whom Jehovah will preserve and keep alive; and they shall be blessed upon earth. Such cry to Him in 40:13-17, and will be heard, those being ashamed and confounded together that seek the saint's soul, or life, to destroy it (14). Now of the preservation of such saints Ps. 41 treats, however much they may have been exposed in the past to the three kinds of trial noticed in the earlier part of this paper. Are they called to endure persecution (2), or sickness at the hand of God (3, 4), or to be tried by the tongue of slander (5), or to be betrayed by a familiar friend (9)? Whatever the trial may be, out of all will Jehovah deliver the one who shall consider the poor (1), for here we are on the ground of keeping the law, so that one will be upheld in his integrity, and be set by Jehovah before His face for ever. Fittingly, then, a doxology follows, with which this book closes, as we have already seen. What more can the saints on earth enjoy than being before Jehovah's face for ever? With that surely is connected all earthly blessing! And how fully will they be able to say from the heart, "Blessed be Jehovah the God of Israel, from everlasting, and to everlasting. Amen and Amen."

At the end of each of the first four books of the Psalms Amen is added. Ps. 41:13; Ps. 72:19; Ps. 89:52; Ps. 106:48. In these instances it is not another acquiescing in what is said, but the writer adds Amen at the end, signifying 'may it so be,' and three times it is repeated.

No creature is eternal. It would not be a creature if it were. Only the true God is eternal: He is from everlasting to everlasting. Man fills his day like the hireling, departs hence and is no more, but God lives for ever. We are creatures of time. There was a moment in which we came into existence, and we can number the days since then. We know that the moment is fast approaching when we must go to our long home, and leave the mourners to go about the streets. We may have reigned as kings, or worn the chains of slavery; we may have been honoured by the world, or despised by the grand and great; but whoever and whatever we may have been or possessed, our tenure of all is but for a moment as far as life on earth is concerned. Everything is subject to the vicissitudes of a changing creation, and of a universe in which it seems everything is subject to decay.

God is called the Father of eternity, and the eternal God. He is said, too, to inhabit eternity. The word must be taken in its full unlimited bearing, as shewing the infinity of Deity in regard to what we call time. We are lost when we attempt to think of eternity. Time, to us, is what comes in between events which our minds can take account of, as space is what we conceive as the distance between bodies. There is no time with Him who is the First and the Last, who is, was, and is to come, nor are there measurements of space with Him who fills heaven and earth. "Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever Thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting Thou art God."

olam, signifying 'everlasting,' 'never ending.' It is often translated 'for ever:' "his mercy endureth for ever," 1 Chr. 16:41; and 'everlasting:' "the everlasting God." Gen. 21:33; Ps. 90:2; Ps. 93:2; Ps. 103:17. "I will make thee an eternal excellency." Isa. 60:15.

qedem, 'ancient, that which is before.' "The eternal God is thy refuge." Deut. 33:27. "Art thou not from everlasting?" Hab. 1:12. "God is my King of old." Ps. 74:12.

"From eternity, from the beginning, or ever the earth was;" long ere "the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy" at the laying of its foundations; before the morning stars themselves, or the sons of God, had begun to be; before ages had commenced to run, or time to be reckoned, God was; and He was "the living God."

But in the same verse God answers Him (as Hebrews 1:10-12 confirms), "Your years are throughout all generations." His death on earth did not affect this at all. In fact, His years had no beginning, and will have no end: of old He had laid the foundations of the earth (v. 25). He Himself was from eternity, but not so the creation, which he Himself had brought into existence, — both earth and the heavens.