A SONG of praise to Jehovah on account of his goodness to his creatures generally, and to his church or chosen people in particular. Both these themes run through the psalm; but one is predominant in the first part, ver. 1-11; the other in the second, ver. 12-20. The four remaining psalms (cxlvii.-cl.), connected together, and distinguished from what goes before, by the Hallelujah with which they all begin and end; by their joyous tone, unmixed with lamentation or complaint; Ijy their frequent allusions to some great deliverance recently experienced; and by the peculiar way in which they bring together the exhibitions of God’s glory in the works of nature and in his dealings with the church; have not improbably been represented as a series, intended to commemorate the completion of the walls of Jerusalem by Nehemiah, an event described in the history itself, as putting an end to the reproach of Israel, and restoring the Holy City to its proper rank. See Neh. i. 3, ii. 5, 17, vi. 6, 7, 15, 16, vii. 4, ix. 6, 13, 14, X. 29, xii. 27, 35, 41, 48.
1. Hallelujah (praise ye Jah),/or it is good to celebrate our God, for it is sweet (and) praise becoming. This is made up of the beginnings of three other psalms. See above, Ps. xcii. 2 (1), cxxxv. 3, xxxiii. 1. Celebrate, make music to, with voice and instrument. See above, on Ps. vii. 18 (17). Instead of it is sweet some read he is lovely, i. e. a worthy object of supreme affection, as in Ps. cxxxv. 3. But even there the construction is a doubtful one, and here the first proposed above is recommended by the fact that the epithets before and after relate not to God himself but to his praise.
2. Building Jerusalem (is) Jehovah; the outcasts of Israel he gathers. The rebuilding of the walls in the days of Nehemiah, may be said to have completed the fulfilment of the promise in Isa. xi. 12, lvi. 8. Compare Ps. cvii. 8.
8. Hie (one) healing the broken-hearted and binding up their wounds. This was true as a general description, and specially exemplified in the deliverance which Israel had experienced. See above, on Ps. xxxiv. 19 (18), ciii. 8, and compare Isa. lxi. 1.
4. Telling the number of the stars—to all of them names he calls. The God who thus provides for Israel is the God of nature no less than of grace. Telling, counting, reckoning, estimating. Not determining beforehand, but simply doing what man cannot. See Gen. xv. 5, and compare Gen. xiii. 16, Num. xxiii. 10, Isa. lxv. 12. He not only counts but names them, calling them all by name. The verse is borrowed from Isa. xl. 26, where, as here, God’s knowledge and control of nature is presented as a source of consolation to his people.
5. Great is our Lord and of much power; to his understanding there is no number, i. e. it is incalculable and immense. Compare Isa. xl. 26, 28. Of much ‘power, or abundant in strength.
6. Raising up the humble (is) Jehovah, casting down the wicked to the very earth. See above, Ps. cxlvi. 8, 9. To the very earth, literally even to the earth.
7. Respond to Jehovah with thanksgiving; make music to our God with a harp. The first verb has its proper sense of answering or responding, as in Ps. cxix. 172. It may be doubted whether it ever has that of simply singing. Respond, i. e. to his manifold favours.
8. The (one) covering the heavens with clouds—the (one) providing for the earth rain—the (one) causing the mountains to put forth grass. The grass as produced by means of the rain, and the rain by means of the clouds. See above, on Ps. civ. 13.
9. Giving to the cattle its food—to the young ravens which cry. The first noun may also be translated beast, but still with reference to domestic animals, with which is contrasted in the other clause the raven, as a wild bird, unconnected with mankind, and as some suppose with allusion to its harsh and piercing cry. See above, on Ps. civ. 21, cxlv. 15, and compare Job xxxviii. 41. Young ravens, literally sons of the raven.
10. Hot in the strength of a horse does hi delight; not with the legs of a man is he pleased. The best explanation of the singular expressions in the last clause is, that the whole verse was intended to describe horse and foot, or cavalry and infantry, as forming the military}’ strength of armies. It is not to those who trust in these that God is disposed to extend favour, nor do these advantages at all attract him.
11. Pleased (is) Jehovah with those fearing him, with those hoping for his mercy. This implies the want of secular advantages, or at least an absence of reliance on them, and a sense of dependence upon God alone.
12. Laud, 0 Jerusalem, Jehovah! Praise thy God, 0 Zion! Here begins the second division of the psalm, in which the goodness of God to his people is the theme, and the people itself the object of address.
13. For he hath strengthened the bars of thy gates; he hath blessed thy sons in the midst of thee. Although the first clause admits of a general figurative application, it seems to contain an evident allusion to the historical occasion of the psalm, or at least to favour the opinion, that it was designed to celebrate the renewed fortifications of the Holy City.
14. (R is) he that makes thy border peace, (and with) the fat of wheat he satisfies t/tee. He that makes, literally the (one) placing. Border is put for all that it contains or bounds, thy territory or domain. To make it peace is to make it peaceful or to give it peace. See Isa. liv. 12. With the last clause compare Ps. lxxxi. 17, Deut. xxxii. 14.
15. He that sendeth his commandment (upon) earth very swiftly runs his word. The construction is like that in the preceding verse. He that sendeth, the (one) sending. Commandment, literally saying, what he says. Very swiftly, literally even to swiftness. The authoritative word of God is here personified as his messenger or agent, whose swift running signifies the prompt execution of the divine will.
16. He that gives snow like wool, hoar-frost like ashes sprinkles. As easily as a man scatters wool or ashes, does God cover the earth with snow or frost. The selection of phenomena peculiar to winter may have reference to the season when the psalm was written or originally sung. At the same time they were probably designed to serve as emblems of the long distress, to which the Restoration put an end, as spring does to winter. The comparisons in this verse are less striking to us than to the people of countries where snow and frost are less familiar.
17. He that sendeth his ice like crumbs. Before his cold who can stand? The second noun means scraps or morsels, but in usage is specially applied to food. See Gen. xviii. 5, Judges xix. 5. This seems to be descriptive of hail, which God sends upon the earth as easily and freely as man scatters crumbs or throws away the refuse of his food. The allusion to the feeding of domesticated animals, which some assume, is needless, though admissible.
18. He sends his word and melts them—he makes his wind blow—waters flow. Sends his word, utters his command. The plural pronoun (them) refers to snow, frost and ice, in ver. 16, 17. The winds meant are the warm winds of the spring, attended by a general thaw.
19. Declaring his word to Jacob, his statutes and his judgments to Israel. The God of Nature is the God of Revelation. He who thus controls the elements and seasons is the God of Israel, and will work spiritual changes corresponding to these natural phenomena, for the benefit of the people whom he has entrusted with the revelation of his will.
20. He has not done so to every nation—and (as for) judgments, they know nothing of them. This revelation to Israel is peculiar and exclusive. Every nation, and by implication, any one. This is, indeed, the only form in which that idea could be expressed in Hebrew. The last clause declares the other nations ignorant not only of his laws or judgments, but of any that deserve the name.
