This psalm is entitled "Maschil of Ethan the Ezrahite." In the margin this is rendered, "A Psalm for Ethan the Ezrahite to give instruction." On the word Maschil, see the notes at the title to Psalm 42:1-11. As both Heman (Ps. 88 title) and Ethan, in the title before us, are mentioned as Ezrahites, it would seem that they were of the same family, and were probably brethren. Ethan and Heman, in connection with Zimri, and Calcol, and Dara, five of them in all, are mentioned as "the sons of Zerah," grandsons of Judah, 1-Chronicles 2:6. If these were the persons referred to, and if they were the authors of these two psalms, then the period of the composition of these psalms was laid far back in the history of the Hebrew people, far anterior to the time of David. Compare 1-Chronicles 2:6-12. It is hardly probable, however, that they were composed at so early a period in the Jewish history; and there are some things in this psalm, which cannot be reconciled with such a supposition (compare Psalm 89:3, Psalm 89:20, Psalm 89:35, Psalm 89:39, Psalm 89:49), and which make it certain that it was either composed by David, or after the time of David. The probability, therefore, seems to be that these names, "Heman" and "Ethan," were either the names of some persons subsequent to the time referred to in 1-Chronicles 2:6, (see General Introduction, Section 2 (5)); or that these their names were given to classes of "the sons of Korah" who had charge of the music, and that the psalms were composed by some persons of those classes. As thus composed, they might be spoken of as the psalms of Heman and Ethan.
There are no certain methods of ascertaining when the psalm before us was composed, or what was the occasion of its composition. DeWette supposes that it must have been written about the time of the exile, as the family of David is represented in the psalm as dishonored and dethroned - and yet before the exile, as there is no mention of the destruction of the city and temple. He accords, therefore, with the opinion of Venema that it was not far from the time of the death of Josiah, 2-Chronicles 35:20-24. The author he supposes to be either a successor of David - an humbled monarch - or, someone who personates the king, and who represents the calamity of the king as his own. Hengstenberg also supposes that it was composed between the time of the death of Josiah and the Babylonian exile. There is a strong probability in the psalm itself that it was composed at such a period, but it is impossible to determine the exact time, or the precise occasion. The burden of the psalm is, that most precious promises had been made to David of the perpetuity of his throne, but that now these promises scorned to fail; that reverses and calamities had come which threatened to overturn his throne, and to bring his kingdom to an end. His "crown" had been "profaned" and "cast to the ground." See Psalm 89:38-44.
The psalm consists properly of three parts:
I. The promise made to David in respect to the perpetuity of his throne, Ps. 89:1-37. The illustration of this occupies a considerable part of the psalm.
II. The fact that this promise seemed to be disregarded; that the "covenant" had been "made void;" that the "crown" had been "profaned," and "cast to the ground," Psalm 89:38-45.
III. An earnest plea for the divine interposition in the fulfillment of the promise, and the restoration of the divine favor and mercy, Psalm 89:46-52.

The psalmist shows God's great mercy to the house of David, and the promises which he had given to it of support and perpetuity, vv. 1-37; complains that, notwithstanding these promises, the kingdom of Judah is overthrown, and the royal family nearly ruined, Psalm 89:38-45; and earnestly prays for their restoration, Psalm 89:46-52.
It is most probable that this Psalm was composed during the captivity. Of Ethan and Heman we have already seen something in the introduction to the preceding Psalm; see also the parallel places in the margin. The title should probably be translated, - To give instruction to Ethan the Ezrahite. The Chaldee has, "A good instruction, delivered by Abraham, who came from the east country." The Septuagint and Ethiopic have Nathan the Israelite; the Arabic has Nathan the Israelite.
The Psalm divides itself into two grand parts; the first extends, verses 1-37, in which the psalmist shows God's mercy to the house of David, and the promises which he has given to it of support and perpetuity. The second part begins with Psalm 89:38, and ends with the Psalm; and in it the author complains that notwithstanding these promises, the kingdom of Judah is overthrown and the royal family ruined; and he entreats the Lord to remember his covenant made with that family, and restore them from their captivity.

INTRODUCTION TO PSALM 89
Maschil of Ethan the Ezrahite. Who this Ethan was is not certain. Kimchi takes him to be the same with Ethan the wise man, a grandson of Judah, 1-Kings 4:31. But seeing he lived some hundreds of years before the times of David, it is not likely that he should be the writer of this psalm; for David is made mention of in it, which could not be, unless it can be thought to be by a spirit of prophecy; which indeed is the opinion of Doctor Lightfoot (k), who takes this Ethan to be the penman of this psalm; and who
"from the promise, Genesis 15:1 sings joyfully the deliverance (of Israel); that the raging of the Red sea should be ruled, Psalm 89:9, and Rahab, or Egypt, should be broken in pieces, Psalm 89:10, and that the people should hear the joyful sound of the law, Psalm 89:15, and as for the name of David in it, this, he says, might be done prophetically; as Samuel is thought to be named by Moses, Psalm 99:6, which psalm is held to be made by him; or else might be put into it, in later times, by some divine penman, endued with the same gift of prophecy, who might improve the ground work of this psalm laid by Ethan, and set it to an higher key; namely, that whereas he treated only of bodily deliverance from Egypt, it is wound up so high as to reach the spiritual delivery by Christ; and therefore David is often named, from whence he should come.''
There was another Ethan, a singer, in David's time; and it is more probable that he is the person, who might live to the times of Rehoboam, and see the decline of David's family, and the revolt of the ten tribes from it; or perhaps it was one of this name who lived in the times of the Babylonish captivity, and saw the low estate that David's family were come into; to which agrees the latter part of this psalm; and, in order to comfort the people of God, he wrote this psalm, showing that the covenant and promises of God, made with David, nevertheless stood firm, and would be accomplished: the title of the Septuagint version calls him Etham the Israelite; and the Arabic version Nathan the Israelite: the Targum makes him to be Abraham, paraphrasing it
"a good understanding, which was said by the hand of Abraham, that came from the east.''
But whoever was the penman of this psalm, it is "maschil", an instructive psalm, a psalm causing to understand; it treats concerning the covenant of grace, and the promises of it; and concerning the mercy and faithfulness of God, in making and keeping the same; and concerning the Messiah and his seed, his church and people; and the stability and duration of all these: many passages in it are applied to the Messiah by Jewish writers, ancient and modern; and Psalm 89:20 is manifestly referred to in Acts 13:22.

(Psalm 89:1-4) God's mercy and truth, and his covenant.
(Psalm 89:5-14) The glory and perfection of God.
(Psalm 89:15-18) The happiness of those in communion with him.
(v. 19-37) God's covenant with David, as a type of Christ.
(Psalm 89:38-52) A calamitous state lamented, Prayer for redress.

Prayer for a Renewal of the Mercies of David
After having recognised the fact that the double inscription of Ps 88 places two irreconcilable statements concerning the origin of that Psalm side by side, we renounce the artifices by which Ethan (איתן)
(Note: This name איתן is also Phoenician in the form יתן, Itan, Ἰτανός; ליתן, litan, is Phoenician, and equivalent to לעלם.))
the Ezrahite, of the tribe of Judah (1-Kings 5:11 1-Kings 4:31, 1-Chronicles 2:6), is made to be one and the same person with Ethan (Jeduthun) the son of Kushaiah the Merarite, of the tribe of Levi (1-Chronicles 15:17; 1-Chronicles 6:29-32; 1-Chronicles 6:44-47), the master of the music together with Asaph and Heman, and the chief of the six classes of musicians over whom his six sons were placed as sub-directors (1 Chr. 25).
The collector has placed the Psalm of the two Ezrahites together. Without this relationship of the authors the juxtaposition would also be justified by the reciprocal relation in which the two Psalm stand to one another by their common, striking coincidences with the Book of Job. As to the rest, however, Ps 88 is a purely individual, and Psalm 89 a thoroughly nationally Psalm. Both the poetical character and the situation of the two Psalm are distinct.
The circumstances in which the writer of Psalm 89 finds himself are in most striking contradiction to the promises given to the house of David. He revels in the contents of these promises, and in the majesty and faithfulness of God, and then he pours forth his intense feeling of the great distance between these and the present circumstances in complaints over the afflicted lot of the anointed of God, and prays God to be mindful of His promises, and on the other hand, of the reproach by which at this time His anointed and His people are overwhelmed. The anointed one is not the nation itself (Hitzig), but he who at that time wears the crown. The crown of the king is defiled to the ground; his throne is cast down to the earth; he is become grey-headed before his time, for all the fences of his land are broken through, his fortresses fallen, and his enemies have driven him out of the field, so that reproach and scorn follow him at every step.
There was no occasion for such complaints in the reign of Solomon; but surely in the time of Rehoboam, into the first decade of whose reign Ethan the Ezrahite may have survived king Solomon, who died at the age of sixty. In the fifth year of Rehoboam, Shishak (שׁישׁק = Σέσογχις = Shishonk I), the first Pharaoh of the twenty-second (Bubastic) dynasty, marched against Jerusalem with a large army gathered together out of many nations, conquered the fortified cities of Judah, and spoiled the Temple and Palace, even carrying away with him the golden shields of Solomon - a circumstance which the history bewails in a very especial manner. At that time Shemaiah preached repentance, in the time of the greatest calamity of war; king and princes humbled themselves; and in the midst of judgment Jerusalem accordingly experienced the gracious forbearance of God, and was spared. God did not complete his destruction, and there also again went forth דברים טובים, i.e., (cf. Joshua 23:14; Zac 1:13) kindly comforting words from God, in Judah. Such is the narrative in the Book of Kings (1-Kings 14:25-28) and as supplemented by the chronicler (2-Chronicles 12:1-12).
During this very period Psalm 89 took its rise. The young Davidic king, whom loss and disgrace make prematurely old, is Rehoboam, that man of Jewish appearance whom Pharaoh Sheshonk is bringing among other captives before the god Amun in the monumental picture of Karnak, and who bears before him in his embattled ring the words Judhmelek (King of Judah) - one of the finest and most reliable discoveries of Champollion, and one of the greatest triumphs of his system of hieroglyphics.
(Note: Vid., Blau, Sisags Zug gegen Juda, illustrated from the monument in Karnak, Deutsche Morgenlnd. Zeitschr. xv. 233-250.)
Ps. 89 stands in kindred relationship not only to Ps 74, but besides Psalm 79:1-13, also to Ps 77-78, all of which glance back to the earliest times in the history of Israel. They are all Asaphic Psalm, partly old Asaphic (Ps 77, Ps 78), partly later ones (Ps 74, Psalm 79:1-13). From this fact we see that the Psalm of Asaph were the favourite models in that school of the four wise men to which the two Ezrahites belong.