Psalms 84:5

“Blessed is the man whose strength is in thee, &e.] Or, “for thee”, as some choose to render the words; who have bodily strength from the Lord, for his worship and service, to go up to his house, and serve him: this, with what follows in the two next verses, seem to refer to the males in Israel going up from different parts of the land to Jerusalem to worship, who had strength so to do; when the women and children, for want thereof, stayed at home, which was their infelicity, as it was the happiness of the males that they had ability for such a journey and service: the Targum is, “whose strength is in thy Word;” the essential Word, the Messiah, who have spiritual strength in and from him;…”

“Blessed is the man whose strength is in thee - Not merely are they blessed who dwell there permanently, but the man also whose heart is there; who feels that his strength is in God alone who loves to go there when opportunity is afforded him, treading his way to Zion. The idea is, that all strength must come from God; that this Strength is to be obtained by waiting on him (compare the notes at Isaiah 40:31), and that, therefore, it is a privilege thus to wait on God. Compare Psalms 84:7. In whose heart are the ways of them - literally, “The ways in their heart.” DeWette renders this, “Who thinketh on the ways, or paths, to Jerusalem.” The word “ways” may refer either to the ways or paths…”

“Whose strength - Who trusteth in thee as his only strength. Thy ways - Blessed are they whose hearts are set upon Zion and their journey is thither. Psalms 84:6”

“84:5-7 The pilgrimage to Jerusalem reenacted the Exodus, when God marvelously provided for his people (see 78:15-16; 105:41). The psalmist imagines the pains of travel turning to the joy of arrival. 84:5 Travelers needed strength to meet the challenges of pilgrimage by foot along unpaved paths, in all kinds of weather and with the possibility of assaults.”

“strength: Psa 28:7, Psa 28:8; Isa 45:24; Zac 10:12; Co2 12:9; Phi 4:13 in whose: Psa 40:8, Psa 42:4, Psa 55:14; Isa 26:9; Jer 31:33, Jer 50:4, Jer 50:5; Mic 4:2 Psalms 84:6”

“This second half takes up the "blessed" of the distichic epode (epoodo's) of the first, and consequently joins member to member chain-like on to it. Many hindrances must be cleared away if the poet is to get back to Zion, his true home; but his longing carries the surety within itself of its fulfilment: blessed, yea in himself blessed, is the man, who has his strength (עוז only here plene) in God, so that, consequently, the strength of Him to whom all things are possible is mighty in his weakness. What is said in Psa 84:6 is less adapted to be the object of the being called blessed than the result of that blessed relationship to God. What follows shows that the "high-roads" are not to be…”