Midrash su Salmi 30:4

“Better than both of them is one who has not yet been, who has not seen the evil actions that are done under the sun” (Ecclesiastes 4:3).
“Better than both of them is one who has not yet been” – these are the one thousand generations that were in God’s mind to have created. How many of them were eliminated? Rabbi Yoḥanan says in the name of Rabbi Eliezer son of Rabbi Yosei HaGelili: Nine hundred and seventy-four generations, as it is stated: “He commanded the matter for one thousand generations” (Psalms 105:8).⁷God intended to give the Torah after one thousand generations, but He actually gave the Torah after just twenty-six generations.
Rabbi Yehoshua interpreted the verse regarding the Israelites at the time that they stood before Mount Sinai. Once they performed that act,⁸The sin of the Golden Calf Moses did not leave any corner of the ground on the mountain upon which he did not prostrate himself in prayer asking for mercy upon Israel, but he was not answered. Five angels of destruction harassed him: Anger, Destruction, Annihilation, Wrath, and Fury. Moses was fearful of them. What did he do? He relied on the actions of the patriarchs, and immediately mentioned them and said: “Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel Your servants” (Exodus 32:13). The Holy One blessed be He said to him: ‘Moses, what claims do the patriarchs of the world have against Me? If I come to be exacting with them, I have claims against them. I have a claim against Abraham, who said: “How will I know that I will inherit it” (Genesis 15:8)? I have a claim against Isaac, as it is stated: “Isaac loved Esau” (Genesis 25:28), but I hated him, as it is stated: “And Esau I hated” (Malachi 1:3). I have a claim against Jacob, who said: “My way is hidden from the Lord” (Isaiah 40:27).’ Once [Moses] said: “To whom You took an oath by Yourself” (Exodus 32:13), for the sake of Your name, at that moment, the Holy One blessed be He was filled with mercy, as it is stated: “The Lord reconsidered…” (Exodus 32:14). Immediately, three of the angels of destruction, Anger, Destruction, and Annihilation, departed, and two remained: Wrath and Fury. That is what is written: “For I was in dread due to the Wrath and the Fury” (Deuteronomy 9:19). He said before Him: ‘Master of the universe, am I able to withstand the two of them? You bear one and I will bear one.’ That is what is written: “Arise, Lord, in Your wrath [be’appekha]…” (Psalms 7:7).⁹This is expounded to mean that God will arise against His angel, Wrath [af]. From where is it derived that Moses withstood one, the angel of Fury [Ḥema]? It is as it is stated: “He said He would destroy them, were it not for Moses, His chosen one, who stood before Him in the breach to turn back His fury” (Psalms 106:23).¹⁰This is expounded to mean that Moses stood in the breach against the angel of destruction, Fury [Ḥema]. It is regarding that moment that he said: “I praise the dead […more than the living]” (Ecclesiastes 4:2), like me and my associates.¹¹Solomon thus states from the perspective of Moses: The dead, namely Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, were able to have a greater effect than the living, namely my associates and me.
Rabbi Shmuel bar Naḥman interpreted the verse regarding David. When Solomon built the Temple, he requested that fire descend from the heavens, but it did not descend. He sacrificed one thousand burnt offerings, but it did not descend. He prayed twenty-four prayers, but it did not descend, until he said: “Remember the good deeds of David your servant” (II Chronicles 6:42), [and then] it descended immediately, as it is stated: “When Solomon concluded praying, the fire descended” (II Chronicles 7:1). Rabbi Yuda ben Rabbi Le’ai and the Rabbis: Rabbi Yuda ben Rabbi Le’ai said: David came to life at that time. The Rabbis say: He brought his coffin. They do not disagree;¹²They do not disagree based on their own reasoning but based on verses (Etz Yosef, citing Yefe To’ar). the one who said David came to life at that time, that is what David himself said: “Lord, You have raised my soul from the grave…” (Psalms 30:4), and another verse says: “Lord God, do not reject the face of Your anointed” (II Chronicles 6:42), as he is alive before You. The one who said: He brought his coffin, that is what is written: “Remember the good deeds of David Your servant” (II Chronicles 6:42). It is regarding that moment that he said: “I praise the dead […more than the living]” (Ecclesiastes 4:2), like me and my associates.
Rabbi Yehuda ben Rabbi Simon interpreted the verse regarding Ezekiel. When he stood in the valley and said: “Dry bones, heed the word of the Lord” (Ezekiel 37:4), immediately, “the bones came together, each bone to its bone…” (Ezekiel 37:7). He said to them: ‘Initially I said to you: “Heed the word of the Lord, house of Jacob” (Jeremiah 2:4), but you did not heed; and now you are heeding. During your lifetimes you did not heed; after your deaths you heeded.’ Regarding that moment it is stated: “I praise the dead […more than the living]” (Ecclesiastes 4:2), like me and my associates.¹³The generation of Ezekiel did not heed the word of God, but those who had already died were heeding His word after death.

What did Solomon do? Our sages of blessed memory said: He raised the coffin of his father, David, and prostrated himself before it, praying: O Lord God, turn not away the face of Thine anointed. R. Berechiah declared in the name of R. Helbo: At that time David came to life, as you may understand for yourself from David’s own words: O Lord, Thou broughtest up my soul from the netherworld; Thou didst keep me alive, that I should not go down to the pit (Ps. 30:4). Solomon said: Master of the Universe, make it go in for his sake: Remember the good deeds of David Thy servant (II Chron. 6:42). And his prayers were answered immediately, as it is said: O Lord God, turn not away the face of Thine anointed. What is written after that? Now when Solomon had made an end of praying, the fire came down from heaven, etc. (ibid. 7:1). The Holy Spirit then cried out, saying: Wherefore I praise the dead that are already dead (Eccles. 4:2). Thereupon Solomon began to pray: Lift up your heads, O ye gates, and be ye lifted up, ye everlasting doors; that the King of glory may come in (Ps. 24:7). The gates wanted to crush his head, for they thought that he had called himself the King of glory. They said to him: Who is this King of glory? (ibid., v. 10), and he replied: The Lord of hosts, He is the King of glory. When he responded in this way, they were appeased. If they had not been, they would have fallen on his head and crushed him.

...Why was the Holy Blessed One called the King of glory?  Because He distributes glory to those who fear Him.  How so?  A king of flesh and blood, no one rides on his horse, and no one sits on his throne. But the Holy Blessed One had Solomon sit upon His throne, as it says "Solomon sat on the throne of the Lord as king" (I Chronicles 29:23).  And [the Holy Blessed One] had Elijah ride on His horse.  What is the horse of the Holy Blessed One? Whirlwind and storm! As it says "God travels in whirlwind and storm and clouds are the dust on His feet" (Nachum 1:3) and it is written "Elijah ascended in the storm to heaven" (II Kings 2:11).  A king of flesh and blood, no one uses his scepter, but the Holy Blessed One, gave His scepter to Moses, as it says "Moses took the staff of God in his hand" (Exodus 4:20).  A king of flesh and blood, no one wears his crown, but the Holy Blessed One will have the Messiah wear His crown.  What is the crown of the Holy Blessed One? Finest gold, as it says "His head is finest gold, His locks are curled, black as a raven." (Song of Songs 5:11),  and it is written, "You have set upon his head a crown of fine gold" (Psalms 21:4). A king of flesh and blood, no one wears his clothing, but Israel wears the clothing of the Holy Blessed One.  What is the clothing of the Holy Blessed One? Strength, as it says "the LORD is robed, girded with strength" (Psalms 93:1), and He gave it to Israel as it says "God gives strength to Israel, God blesses His people with peace" (Psalms 29:11)... 

"And it was on the day that Moses had finished" (Numbers 7:1). So did Rabbi Tanchuma bar Abba open [his discourse from] (Proverbs 30:4), "Who has ascended heaven and come down": That is the Holy One, blessed be He, as it is stated (Psalms 47:6), "God rises in acclamation." [This is] as is done with a king of flesh and blood when he passes from place to place. What do they do? They bring torches and beacons and blow in front of him with trumpets and shofars. So did they do in front of the Holy One, blessed be He, as it is stated (Psalms 98:6), "With trumpets and the sound of the shofar, sound off in front of the King Lord." "And came down," [when] He came down upon Mount Sinai, as it is stated (Exodus 19:20), "And the Lord came down upon Mount Sinai." "Who has gathered up the wind (ruach) in the hollow of his hand" (Psalms 30:4, cont.). That is the Holy One, blessed be He, as it is stated (Job 12:10), "In His hand is every living soul, and the breath (ruach) of all mankind." "Who has wrapped the waters in His garment?" That is the Holy One, blessed be He, as it is stated (Job 26:8), "He wrapped up the waters in His clouds." "Who has made rise all the extremities of the earth?" That is the Holy One, blessed be He, since He revives the dead, as it is stated (Isaiah 26:19), "Let your dead live, My corpses shall rise."And it is also written (I Samuel 2:6), "The Lord kills and gives life." "What is His name?" The Lord, as it is stated (Isaiah 42:8), "I am the Lord, that is My name." "And what is His son’s name?" Israel, as it is stated (Exodus 4:22), "So does the Lord say, 'Israel is My firstborn son.'"