THEOSISAugustine of Hippo
I did not believe that an explanation of Psalm 108 was necessary, as I have already interpreted it in Psalms 57 and 60, of which this psalm is a composition. The concluding part of Psalm 57 serves as the opening for this psalm with the line "Thy glory is above all the earth." The remainder connects with the last segment of Psalm 60, similar to how the concluding section of Psalm 135 aligns with that of Psalm 115, particularly the line "The images of the Gentiles are but gold and silver." Likewise, Psalms 14 and 53 maintain similarities throughout.
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Thus, the minor variations in Psalm 108 compared to the two referenced psalms are easily comprehensible; for example, in Psalm 57, the declaration "I will sing and praise; awake, my glory" transforms here into "I will sing and praise my glory." The initial psalm invites awakening for the purpose of song and praise. Moreover, while it states, "thy mercy is great unto heaven," in this psalm it reads, "thy mercy is great above the heavens," conveying the same notion that His greatness extends to the heavens and beyond. In Psalm 60, the words “I will rejoice, I will divide Shechem” are expressed as “I will exalt, and divide Shechem” here, highlighting that the division of Shechem alludes to an event following the Lord's exaltation. Therefore, the joy referred to pertains to His exaltation, which is why it is said, "Thou hast turned my heaviness into joy; Thou hast removed my garments of sorrow and clothed me with gladness." The term Ephraim is used to signify strength and is interpreted here as the "lifting up of my head." This strength stems from acceptance, as He empowers us by receiving and bearing fruit through us; the name Ephraim suggests “bearing fruit.” Acceptance is evident when we receive Christ, or when Christ, as the Head of the Church, elevates us. The confusing terms from the previous psalm are consistent here, as are references to our adversaries.
This psalm instructs us that titles appearing historical are best approached from a prophetic perspective, reflecting the intent behind the psalms' compositions. While this psalm combines sections from two distinct titles, it signifies that they converge on a shared purpose not merely in historical context, but in profound prophetic significance, with both subjects unified under the title "The Song or Psalm of David," which does not echo the titles of earlier psalms but emphasizes the name David. As stated in various forms in the past, God spoke to the ancestors through the prophets, as noted in Hebrews 1:1, yet the ultimate fulfillment was found in Him whom He sent later, for "all the promises of God are fulfilled in him" (2 Corinthians 1:20).