TITLE AND SUBJECT. This Psalm is one of
pure praise, and contains but little which requires exposition;
a warm heart full of admiring adoration of the Most High will
best of all comprehend this sacred hymn. Its subject is the
greatness and condescending goodness of the God of Israel, as
exhibited in lifting up the needy from their low estate. It may
fitly be sung by the church during a period of revival after it
has long been minished and brought low. With this Psalm begins
the Hallel, or Hallelujah of the Jews, which was sung at their
solemn feasts: we will therefore call it THE COMMENCEMENT OF THE
HALLEL. Dr. Edersheim tells us that the Talmud dwells upon the
peculiar suitableness of the Hallel to the Passover, "since
it not only recorded the goodness of God towards Israel, but
especially their deliverance from Egypt, and therefore
appropriately opened with Praise ye Jehovah, ye servants of
Jehovah, —and no longer servants of Pharaoh." Its
allusions to the poor in the dust and the needy upon the
dunghill are all in keeping with Israel in Egypt, and so also is
the reference to the birth of numerous children where they were
least expected.
DIVISION. No division need be made in
the exposition of this Psalm, except it be that which is
suggested by the always instructive headings supplied by the
excellent authors of our common version: an exhortation to
praise God, for his excellency, 1-5; for his mercy.
EXPOSITION
Verse 1. Praise ye the LORD, or Hallelujah,
praise to JAH Jehovah. Praise is an essential offering at all
the solemn feasts of the people of God. Prayer is the myrrh, and
praise is the frankincense, and both of these must be presented
unto the Lord. How can we pray for mercy for the future if we do
not bless God for his love in the past? The Lord hath wrought
all good things for us, let us therefore adore him. All other
praise is to be excluded, the entire devotion of the soul must
be poured out unto Jehovah only. Praise, O ye servants of the
LORD. Ye above all men, for ye are bound to do so by your
calling and profession. If God's own servants do not praise him,
who will? Ye are a people near unto him, and should be heartiest
in your loving gratitude. While they were slaves of Pharaoh, the
Israelites uttered groans and sighs by reason of their hard
bondage; but now that they had become servants of the Lord, they
were to express themselves in songs of joy. His service is
perfect freedom, and those who fully enter into it discover in
that service a thousand reasons for adoration. They are sure to
praise God best who serve him best; indeed, service is praise.
Praise the name of the LORD: extol his revealed character,
magnify every sacred attribute, exult in all his doings, and
reverence the very name by which he is called. The name of
Jehovah is thrice used in this verse, and may by us who
understand the doctrine of the Trinity in Unity be regarded as a
thinly veiled allusion to that holy mystery. Let Father, Son,
and Holy Spirit, all be praised as the one, only, living, and
true God. The close following of the words, "Hallelujah,
Hallelu, Hallelu, "must have had a fine effect in the
public services. Dr. Edersheim describes the temple service as
responsive, and says, "Every first line of a Psalm was
repeated by the people, while to each of the others they
responded by a Hallelu Jah or Praise ye the Lord"thus—
The Levites began: Hallelujah (Praise ye the Lord).
The people repeated: Hallelu Jah.
The Levites: Praise (Hallelu), O ye servants of
Jehovah.
The people responded: Hallelu Jah.
The Levites: Praise (Hallelu) the name of Jehovah.
The people responded: Hallelu Jah.
These were not vain repetitions, for the theme is one which
we ought to dwell upon; it should be deeply impressed upon the
soul, and perseveringly kept prominent in the life.
Verse 2. Blessed be the name of the LORD. While
praising him aloud, the people were also to bless him in the
silence of their hearts, wishing glory to his name, success to
his cause, and triumph to his truth. By mentioning the name, the
Psalmist would teach us to bless each of the attributes of the
Most High, which are as it were the letters of his name; not
quarrelling with his justice or his severity, nor servilely
dreading his power, but accepting him as we find him revealed in
the inspired word and by his own acts, and loving him and
praising him as such. We must not give the Lord a new name nor
invent a new nature, for that would be the setting up of a false
god. Every time we think of the God of Scripture we should bless
him, and his august name should never be pronounced without
joyful reverence. From this time forth. If we have never praised
him before, let us begin now. As the Passover stood at the
beginning of the year it was well to commence the new year with
blessing him who wrought deliverance for his people. Every
solemn feast had its own happy associations, and might be
regarded as a fresh starting place for adoration. Are there not
reasons why the reader should make the present day the opening
of a year of praise? When the Lord says, "From this time
will I bless you, "we ought to reply, "Blessed be
the name of the Lord from this time forth." And for
evermore: eternally. The Psalmist could not have intended that
the divine praise should cease at a future date however remote. "For
evermore" in reference to the praise of God must
signify endless duration: are we wrong in believing that it
bears the same meaning when it refers to gloomier themes? Can
our hearts ever cease to praise the name of the Lord? Can we
imagine a period in which the praises of Israel shall no more
surround the throne of the Divine Majesty? Impossible. For ever,
and more than "for ever, "if more can be, let him be
magnified.
Verse 3. From the rising of the sun unto the going
down of the same the LORD'S name is to be praised. From
early morn till eve the ceaseless hymn should rise unto
Jehovah's throne, and from east to west over the whole round
earth pure worship should be rendered unto his glory. So ought
it to be; and blessed be God, we are not without faith that so
it shall be. We trust that ere the world's dread evening comes,
the glorious name of the Lord will be proclaimed among all
nations, and all people shall call him blessed. At the first
proclamation of the gospel the name of the Lord was glorious
throughout the whole earth; shall it not be much more so ere the
end shall be? At any rate, this is the desire of our souls.
Meanwhile, let us endeavour to sanctify every day with praise to
God. At early dawn let us emulate the opening flowers and the
singing birds,
"Chanting every day their lauds,
While the grove their song applauds;
Wake for shame my sluggish heart,
Wake and gladly sing thy part."
It is a marvel of mercy that the sun should rise on the
rebellious sons of men, and prepare for the undeserving fruitful
seasons and days of pleasantness; let us for this prodigy of
goodness praise the Lord of all. From hour to hour let us renew
the strain, for each moment brings its mercy; and when the sun
sinks to his rest, let us not cease our music, but lift up the
vesper hymn—
"Father of heaven and earth!
I bless thee for the night,
The soft still night!
The holy pause of care and mirth,
Of sound and light.
Now far in glade and dell,
Flower cup, and bud, and bell
Have shut around the sleeping woodlark's nest,
The bee's long murmuring toils are done,
And I, the over wearied one,
Bless thee, O God, O Father of the oppressed!
With my last waking thought."
Verse 4. The Lord is high above all nations.
Though the Gentiles knew him not, yet was Jehovah their ruler:
their false gods were no gods, and their kings were puppets in
his hands. The Lord is high above all the learning, judgment,
and imagination of heathen sages, and far beyond the pomp and
might of the monarchs of the nations. Like the great arch of the
firmament, the presence of the Lord spans all the lands where
dwell the varied tribes of men, for his providence is universal:
this may well excite our confidence and praise. And his glory
above the heavens: higher than the loftiest part of creation;
the clouds are the dust of his feet, and sun, moon, and stars
twinkle far below his throne. Even the heaven of heavens cannot
contain him. His glory cannot be set forth by the whole visible
universe, nor even by the solemn pomp of angelic armies; it is
above all conception and imagination, for he is God—infinite.
Let us above all adore him who is above all.
Verse 5. Who is like unto the LORD our God? The
challenge will never be answered. None can be compared with him
for an instant; Israel's God is without parallel; our own God in
covenant stands alone, and none can be likened unto him. Even
those whom he has made like himself in some respects are not
like him in godhead, for his divine attributes are many of them
incommunicable and inimitable. None of the metaphors and figures
by which the Lord is set forth in the Scriptures can give us a
complete idea of him; his full resemblance is borne by nothing
in earth or in heaven. Only in Jesus is the Godhead seen, but he
unhesitatingly declared "he that hath seen me hath seen the
Father." Who dwelleth on high. In the height of his abode
none can be like him. His throne, his whole character, his
person, his being, everything about him, is lofty, and
infinitely majestic, so that none can be likened unto him. His
serene mind abides in the most elevated condition, he is never
dishonoured, nor does he stoop from the pure holiness and
absolute perfection of his character. His saints are said to
dwell on high, and in this they are the reflection of his glory;
but as for himself, the height of his dwelling place surpasses
thought, and he rises far above the most exalted of his
glorified people.
"Eternal Power! whose high abode
Becomes the grandeur of a God:
Infinite lengths beyond the bounds
Where stars revolve their little rounds."
"The lowest step around thy seat
Rises too high for Gabriel's feet;
In vain the tall archangel tries
To reach thine height with wondering eyes."
"Lord, what shall earth and ashes do?
We would adore our Maker too;
From sin and dust to thee we cry,
The Great, the Holy, and the High!"
Verse 6. Who humbleth himself to behold the things
that are in heaven, and in the earth! He dwells so far on
high that even to observe heavenly things he must humble
himself. He must stoop to view the skies, and bow to see what
angels do. What, then, must be his condescension, seeing that he
observes the humblest of his servants upon earth, and makes them
sing for joy like Mary when she said, "Thou hast regarded
the low estate of thine handmaiden." How wonderful are
those words of Isaiah, "For thus saith the high and lofty
One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the
high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and
humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive
the heart of the contrite ones." Heathen philosophers could
not believe that the great God was observant of the small events
of human history; they pictured him as abiding in serene
indifference to all the wants and woes of his creatures.
"Our Rock is not as their rock"; we have a God who is
high above all gods, and yet who is our Father, knowing what we
have need of before we ask him; our Shepherd, who supplies our
needs; our Guardian, who counts the hairs of our heads; our
tender and considerate Friend, who sympathizes in all our griefs.
Truly the name of our condescending God should be praised
wherever it is known.
Verse 7. He raiseth up the poor out of the dust.
This is an instance of his gracious stoop of love: he frequently
lifts the lowest of mankind out of their poverty and degradation
and places them in positions of power and honour. His good
Spirit is continually visiting the down trodden, giving beauty
for ashes to those who are cast down, and elevating the hearts
of his mourners till they shout for joy. These up liftings of
grace are here ascribed directly to the divine hand, and truly
those who have experienced them will not doubt the fact that it
is the Lord alone who brings his people up from the dust of
sorrow and death. When no hand but his can help he interposes,
and the work is done. It is worth while to be cast down to be so
divinely raised from the dust. And lifteth the needy out of the
dunghill, whereon they lay like worthless refuse, cast off and
cast out, left as they thought to rot into destruction, and to
be everlastingly forgotten. How great a stoop from the height of
his throne to a dunghill! How wonderful that power which
occupies itself in lifting up beggars, all befouled with the
filthiness in which they lay! For he lifts them out of
the dunghill, not disdaining to search them out from amidst the
base things of the earth that he may by their means bring to
nought the great ones, and pour contempt upon all human
glorying. What a dunghill was that upon which we lay by nature!
What a mass of corruption is our original estate! What a heap of
loathsomeness we have accumulated by our sinful lives! What
reeking abominations surround us in the society of our fellow
men! We could never have risen out of all this by our own
efforts, it was a sepulchre in which we saw corruption, and were
as dead men. Almighty were the arms which lifted us, which are
still lifting us, and will lift us into the perfection of heaven
itself. Praise ye the Lord.
Verse 8. That he may set him with princes. The
Lord does nothing by halves: when he raises men from the dust he
is not content till he places them among the peers of his
kingdom. We are made kings and priests unto God, and we shall
reign for ever and ever. Instead of poverty, he gives us the
wealth of princes; and instead of dishonour, he gives us a more
exalted rank than that of the great ones of the earth. Even with
the princes of his people. All his people are princes, and so
the text teaches us that God places needy souls whom he favours
among the princes of princes. He often enables those who have
been most despairing to rise to the greatest heights of
spirituality and gracious attainment, for those who once were
last shall be first. Paul, though less than the least of all
saints was, nevertheless, made to be not a whit behind the very
chief of the apostles; and in our own times, Bunyan, the
blaspheming tinker, was raised into another John, whose dream
almost rivals the visions of the Apocalypse.
"Wonders of grace to God belong,
Repeat his mercies in your song."
Such verses as these should give great encouragement to those
who are lowest in their own esteem. The Lord poureth contempt
upon princes; but as for those who are in the dust and on the
dunghill, he looks upon them with compassion, acts towards them
in grace, and in their case displays the riches of his glory by
Christ Jesus. Those who have experienced such amazing favour
should sing continual hallelujahs to the God of their salvation.
Verse 9. He maketh the barren woman to keep house,
and to be a joyful mother of children. The strong desire of
the easterns to have children caused the birth of offspring to
be hailed as the choicest of favours, while barrenness was
regarded as a curse; hence this verse is placed last as if to
crown the whole, and to serve as a climax to the story of God's
mercy. The glorious Lord displays his condescending grace in
regarding those who are despised on account of their barrenness,
whether it be of body or of soul. Sarah, Rachel, the wife of
Manoah, Hannah, Elizabeth, and others were all instances of the
miraculous power of God in literally fulfilling the statement of
the psalmist. Women were not supposed to have a house till they
had children; but in certain cases where childless women pined
in secret the Lord visited them in mercy, and made them not only
to have a house, but to keep it. The Gentile church is a
spiritual example upon a large scale of the gift of fruitfulness
after long years of hopeless barrenness; and the Jewish church
in the latter days will be another amazing display of the same
quickening power: long forsaken for her spiritual adultery,
Israel shall be forgiven, and restored, and joyously shall she
keep that house which now is left unto her desolate. Nor is this
all, each believer in the Lord Jesus must at times have mourned
his lamentable barrenness; he has appeared to be a dry tree
yielding no fruit to the Lord, and yet when visited by the Holy
Ghost, he has found himself suddenly to be like Aaron's rod,
which budded, and blossomed, and brought forth almonds. Or ever
we have been aware, our barren heart has kept house, and
entertained the Saviour, our graces have been multiplied as if
many children had come to us at a single birth, and we have
exceedingly rejoiced before the Lord. Then have we marvelled
greatly at the Lord who dwelleth on high, that he has deigned to
visit such poor worthless things. Like Mary, we have lifted up
our Magnificat, and like Hannah, we have said, "There is
none holy as the Lord; for there is none beside thee: neither is
there any rock like our God." Praise ye the LORD. The music
concludes upon its key note. The Psalm is a circle, ending where
it began, praising the Lord from its first syllable to its last.
May our life psalm partake of the same character, and never know
a break or a conclusion. In an endless circle let us bless the
Lord, whose mercies never cease. Let us praise him in youth, and
all along our years of strength; and when we bow in the ripeness
of abundant age, let us still praise the Lord, who doth not cast
off his old servants. Let us not only praise God ourselves, but
exhort others to do it; and if we meet with any of the needy who
have been enriched, and with the barren who have been made
fruitful, let us join with them in extolling the name of him
whose mercy endureth for ever. Having been ourselves lifted from
spiritual beggary and barrenness, let us never forget our former
estate or the grace which has visited us, but world without end
let us praise the Lord. Hallelujah.
EXPLANATORY NOTES AND QUAINT SAYINGS
Whole Psalm. With this Psalm begins the Hallel,
which is recited at the three great feasts, at the feast of the
Dedication (Chanucca) and at the new moons, and not on
New Year's day and the day of Atonement, because a cheerful song
of praise does not harmonise with the mournful solemnity of
these days. And they are recited only in fragments during the
last days of the Passover, for "my creatures, saith the
Holy One, blessed be He, were drowned in the sea, and ought ye
to break out into songs of rejoicing?" In the family
celebration of the Passover night it is divided into two parts,
the one half, Psalm 113-114, being sung before the repast,
before the emptying of the second festal cup, and the other
half, Psalm 115-118, after the repast, after the filling of the
fourth cup, to which the umnhsantev (Mt 26:30 Mk 14:26), or
singing a hymn, after the institution of the Lord's Supper,
which was connected with the fourth festal cup, may refer.
Paulus Burgensis styles Psalm 113 to Psalm 118 Alleluja
Judaeorum magnum. (The great Alleluiah of the Jews). This
designation is also frequently found elsewhere. But according to
the prevailing custom, Psalm 113-118, and more particularly
Psalm 115-118, are called only Hallel, and Psalm 136,
with its "for his mercy endureth for ever" repeated
twenty-six times, bears the name of "The Great Hallel"
(lwdgh llh).—Frank Delitzsch.
Whole Psalm. The Jews have handed down the tradition,
that this Psalm, and those that follow on to the 118th, were all
sung at the Passover; and they are denominated "The
Great Hallel." This tradition shows, at all events,
that the ancient Jews perceived in these six psalms some link of
close connection. They all sing of God the Redeemer, in some
aspect of his redeeming character; and this being so, while they
suited the paschal feast, we can see how appropriate they would
be in the lips of the Redeemer, in his Upper Room. Thus—
In Psalm 113, he sang praise to him who redeems from the
lowest depth.
In Psalm 114, he sang praise to him who once redeemed Israel,
and shall redeem Israel again.
In Psalm 115, he uttered a song—over earth's fallen
idols—to him who blesses Israel and the world.
In Psalm 116, he sang his resurrection song of thanksgiving
by anticipation.
In Psalm 117, he led the song of praise for the great
congregation.
In Psalm 118 (just before leaving the Upper Room to go to
Gethsemane), he poured forth the story of his suffering,
conflict, triumph and glorification.—A. A. Bonar.
Whole Psalm. An attentive reader of the Book of Psalms
will observe that almost every one of them has a view to
Christianity. Many, if not most of the psalms, were without
doubt occasioned originally by accidents of the life that befell
their royal author; they were therefore at the same time both
descriptive of the situation and life, the actions and
sufferings, of King David, and predictive also of our Saviour,
who was all along represented by King David, from whose loins he
was descended according to the flesh. But this Psalm
appears to be wholly written with a view to Christianity.
It begins with an exhortation to all true servants and zealous
worshippers of God, to "praise his name, "at
all times, and in all places; "from this time forth and
for evermore, "and "from the rising of the sun
unto the going down thereof." And the ground of this
praise and adoration is set forth in the following verses to
be,—first, the glorious majesty of his Divine nature; and
next, the singular goodness of it as displayed to us in his
works of providence, particularly by exalting those who are
abased, and his making the barren to become fruitful. His
lifting the poor out of the mire, and making the barren woman to
become fruitful, may, at first sight, seem an odd mixture of
ideas. But a right notion of the prophetic language will solve
the difficulty; and teach us, that both the expressions are in
fact very nearly related, and signify much the same thing. For
by the "poor" are here meant those who are
destitute of all heavenly knowledge (the only true and real
riches) and who are sunk in the mire and filth of sin. So,
again, his making "the barren woman to keep house, and
to be a joyful mother of children, "is a prophetic
metaphor, or allusion to the fruitfulness of the Church in
bringing forth sons or professors of the true religion. My
interpretation of both these expressions is warrantable from so
many parallel passages of Scripture. I shall only observe that
here the profession of the Christian faith throughout the whole
earth is foretold; as also the particular direction or point of
the compass, toward which Christianity should by the course of
God's providence be steered and directed, viz., from East to
West, or "from the rising of the sun unto the going down
of the same."—James Bate, 1703-1775.
Verse 1. Praise ye the LORD. Praise. The wllh
is repeated. This repetition is not without significance. It is
for the purpose of waking us up out of our torpor. We are all
too dull and slow in considering and praising the blessings of
God. There is, therefore, necessity for these stimuli. Then this
repetition signifies assiduity and perseverance in sounding
forth the praises of God. It is not sufficient once and again to
praise God, but his praises ought to be always sung in the
Church.—Mollerus.
Verse 1. Praise ye the Lord. This praising God
rests not in the mere speculation or idle contemplation of the
Divine excellence, floating only in the brain, or gliding upon
the tongue, but in such quick and lively apprehensions of them
as to sink down into the heart, and there beget affections
suitable to them; for it will make us love him for his goodness,
respect him for his greatness, fear him for his justice, dread
him for his power, adore him for his wisdom, and for all his
attributes make us live in constant awe and obedience to him.
This is to praise God, without which all other courting and
complimenting of him is but mere flattery and hypocrisy...God
Almighty endowed us with higher and nobler faculties than other
creatures, for this end, that we should set forth his praise;
for though other things were made to administer the matter and
occasion, yet man alone was designed and qualified to exercise
the act of glorifying God...In short, God Almighty hath so
closely twisted his own glory and our happiness together, that
at the same time we advance the one we promote the other.—Matthew
Hole, 1730.
Verse 1. Praise, O ye servants of the LORD.
From the exhortation to praise God, and the declaration of his
deserving to be praised; learn, that as it is all men's duty to
praise the Lord, so in special it is the duty of his ministers,
and officers of his house. First, because their office doth call
for the discharge of it publicly. Next, because as they should
be best acquainted with the reasons of his praise, so also
should they be the fittest instruments to declare it. And
lastly, because the ungodly are deaf unto the exhortation, and
dumb in the obedience of it; therefore when he hath said, "Praise
ye the Lord, " he subjoins, "Praise, O ye
servants of the Lord."—David Dickson.
Verse 1. Ye servants of the LORD. All men owe
this duty to God, as being the workmanship of his hands;
Christians above other men, as being the sheep of his pasture;
preachers of the word above other Christians, as being pastors
of his sheep, and so consequently patterns in word, in
conversation, in love, in spirit, in faith, in pureness. 1Ti
4:12.—John Boys.
Verses 1-3.
Hallelujah, praise the Lord!
Praise, ye servants, praise his name!
Be Jehovah's praise adored,
Now and evermore the same!
Where the orient sunbeams gleam.
Where they sink in ocean's stream,
Through the circuit of his rays
Be your theme Jehovah's praise.
Richard Mant.
Verse 2. Blessed be the name of the LORD. Let
then, O man, thy labouring soul strive to conceive (for 'tis
impossible to express) what an immense debt of gratitude thou
owest to him, who by his creating goodness called thee out of
nothing to make thee a partaker of reason and even a sharer of
immortality with himself; who by his preserving goodness designs
to conduct thee safe through the various stages of thy eternal
existence; and who by his redeeming goodness hath prepared for
thee a happiness too big for the comprehension of a human
understanding. Canst thou receive such endearments of love to
thee and all mankind with insensibility and coldness? ...In the
whole compass of language what word is expressive enough to
paint the black ingratitude of that man who is unaffected by,
and entirely regardless of, the goodness of God his Creator and
the mercies of Christ?—Jeremiah Seed, 1747.
Verse 2. Blessed be the name of the LORD, etc.
No doubt the disciples that sat at that paschal table would
repeat with mingled feelings of thanksgiving and sadness that
ascription of praise. Blessed be the name of the LORD from
this time forth and for evermore. But what Israelite in all
the paschal chambers at Jerusalem on that night, as he sang the
hallel or hymn, or which of the disciples at the sorrowing board
of Jesus, could have understood or entered into the full meaning
of the expression, "from this time forth?" From
what time? I think St. John gives us a clue to the very hour and
moment of which the Psalmist, perhaps unconsciously, spake. He
tells us, that when the traitor Judas had received the sop, he
immediately went out; and that when he was gone out to clench as
it were and ratify his treacherous purpose, Jesus said, "Now
is the Son of man glorified, and God is glorified in Him."
From that time forth, when by the determinate counsel and
foreknowledge of God, the Son of man was about to be delivered
into the hands of wicked men, and crucified and slain, as Jesus
looked at those around him, as sorrow had indeed filled their
hearts, and as with all seeing, prescient eye he looked onwards
and beheld all those that should hereafter believe on him
through their word, with what significance and emphasis of
meaning may we imagine the blessed Jesus on that night of
anguish to have uttered these words of the hymn, "Blessed
be the name of the LORD from this time forth and for
evermore"! "A few more hours and the covenant will
be sealed in my own blood; the compact ratified, when I hang
upon the cross." And with what calm and confident assurance
of triumph does he look upon that cross of shame; with what
overflowing love does he point to it and say, "And I, if I
be lifted up, will draw all men unto me"! It is the very
same here in this Paschal Psalm; and how must the Saviour's
heart have rejoiced even in the contemplation of those
sufferings that awaited him, as he uttered this prediction, "From
the rising of the sun unto the going down of the same the LORD'S
name is to be praised"! "That which thou sowest is
not quickened except it die:" and thus from that hour to
the present the Lord hath added daily to the church those whom
in every age and in every clime he hath chosen unto salvation,
till, in his own appointed fulness of time, from the east and
from the west, from the north and from the south, all nations
shall do him service, and the "earth be filled with the
knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea."—Barton
Bouchier.
Verse 2. From this time forth and for evermore.
The servants of the Lord are to sing his praises in this life to
the world's end; and in the next life, world without end.—John
Boys.
Verse 3. From the rising of the sun unto the going
down of the same. That is everywhere, from east to west.
These western parts of the world are particularly prophesied of
to enjoy the worship of God after the Jews which were in the
east; and these islands of ours that lie in the sea, into which
the sun is said to go down, which is an expression of the old
Greek poets; and the prophet here useth such a word in the
Hebrew, where the west is called, according to the vulgar
conceit, the sunset, or the sun's going down, or going in.—Samuel
Torshell, 1641.
Verses 4-5. The LORD is high...The LORD our God
dwelleth on high. But how high is he? Answer
1. So high, that all creatures bow before him and do homage
to him according to their several aptitudes and abilities. John
brings them all in, attributing to him the crown of glory,
putting it from themselves, but setting it upon his head, as a
royalty due only to him. (Re 5:13)
(a) Some by way of subjection, stooping to him: angels and
saints worship him, acknowledging his highness, by denying their
own, but setting up his will as their supreme law and
excellency.
(b) Others acknowledge his eminency by their consternation
upon the least shining forth of his glory; when he discovers but
the emblems of his greatness, devils tremble, men quake, Jas
2:19; Isa 33:14.
(c) Thirdly, even inanimate creatures, by compliance with,
and ready subjection to, the impressions of his power, Hab
3:9-11 Isa 48:13 Da 4:35.
2. He is so high that he surmounts all created capacity to
comprehend him, Job 11:7-9. So that indeed, in David's phrase,
his greatness is "unsearchable, " Ps 145:3. In
a word, he is so high,
(a) That no bodily eye hath ever, or can possibly see him.
(b) Neither can the eye of the understanding perfectly reach
him. He dwells in inaccessible light that no mortal eye can
attain to.—Condensed from a sermon by Thomas Hedges,
entitled, "A Glimpse of God's Glory, "1642.
Verse 6. Who humbleth himself. Whatever may be
affirmed of God, may be affirmed of him infinitely, and whatever
he is, he is infinitely. So the psalmist, in this place, does
not speak of God as humble, but as infinitely and superlatively
so, humble beyond all conception and comparison; he challenges
the whole universe of created nature, from the highest immortal
spirit in heaven to the lowest mortal on earth, to show a being
endued with so much humility, as the adorable majesty of the
great God of Heaven and earth...If some instances of the Divine
humility surprise, the following may amaze us: To see the great
King of heaven stooping from his height, and condescending
himself to offer terms of reconciliation to his rebellious
creatures! To see offended majesty courting the offenders to
accept of pardon! To see God persuading, entreating and
beseeching men to return to him with such earnestness and
importunity, as if his very life were bound up in them, and his
own happiness depended upon theirs! To see the adorable Spirit
of God, with infinite long suffering and gentleness, submitting
to the contempt and insults of such miserable, despicable
wretches as sinful mortals are! Is not this amazing?—Valentine
Nalson, 1641-1724.
Verse 6. Who humbleth himself to behold. If it
be such condescension for God to behold things in heaven and
earth, what an amazing condescension was it for the Son of God
to come from heaven to earth and take our nature upon him, that
he might seek and save them that were lost! Here indeed he
humbled himself.—Matthew Henry.
Verse 7. He raiseth up the poor, etc. There is
no doubt a reference in this to the respect which God pays even
to the lower ranks of the race, seeing that "he raiseth
up the poor, and lifteth up the needy." I have no doubt
there is reference throughout the whole of this psalm to
evangelical times; that, in this respect, it is a prophetic
psalm, including a reference especially to Christianity, as it
may be called by eminence and distinction the religion of the
poor—its greatest glory. For when John the Baptist sent two
disciples to Jesus, to know whether he was the Messiah or not,
the answer of our Lord was, "The blind see, the lepers are
cleansed, the dead are raised"—all extraordinary
events—miracles, in short, which proved his divine commission.
And he summed up the whole by saying, "The poor have the
gospel preached unto them; "as great a miracle as any—as
great a distinction as any. There never was a religion but the
true religion, in all its various dispensations, that had equal
respect to all classes of society. In all others there was a
privileged class, but here there is none. Perhaps one of the
most interesting views of Christianity we can take is its
wonderful adaptation to the character and circumstances of the
poor. What an opportunity does it furnish for the manifestation
of the bright and mild graces of the Holy Spirit! What sources
of comfort does it open to mollify the troubles of life! and how
often, in choosing the poor, rich in faith, to make them heirs
of the kingdom, does God exalt the poor out of the dust, and the
needy from the dunghill!—Richard Watson.
Verse 7. He raiseth up the poor, etc. Gideon is
fetched from threshing, Saul from seeking the asses, and David
from keeping the sheep; the apostles from fishing are sent to be
"fishers of men." The treasure of the gospel is put
into earthen vessels, and the weak and the foolish ones of the
world pitched upon to be preachers of it, to confound the
"wise and mighty" (1Co 1:27-28), that the excellency
of the power may be of God, and all may see that promotion comes
from him.—Matthew Henry.
Verse 7. He raiseth up the poor. The highest
honour, which was ever done to any mere creature, was done out
of regard to the lowest humility; the Son of God had such regard
to the lowliness of the blessed virgin, that he did her the
honour to choose her for the mother of his holy humanity. It is
an observation of S. Chrysostom, that that very hand which the
humble John Baptist thought not worthy to unloose the shoe on
our blessed Saviour's feet, that hand our Lord thought worthy to
baptize his sacred head.—Valentine Nalson.
Verse 7. And lifteth the needy out of the dunghill;
which denotes a mean condition; so one born in a mean place, and
brought up in a mean manner, is sometimes represented as taken
out of a dunghill; and also it is expressive of a filthy one;
men by sin are not only brought into a low estate, but into a
loathsome one, and are justly abominable in the sight of God,
and yet he lifts them out of it: the phrases of raising up
and lifting out suppose them to be fallen, as men are in
Adam, fallen from a state of honour and glory, in and out of
which they cannot deliver themselves; it is Christ's work, and
his only, to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to help or lift
up his servant Israel. Isa 49:6 Lu 1:54; see 1Sa 2:8.—John
Gill.
Verse 7. The poor...the needy. Rejoice, then,
in the favourable notice God taketh of you. The highest and
greatest of beings vouchsafes to regard you. Though you are poor
and mean, and men overlook you; though your brethren hate you,
and your friends go far from you, yet hear! God looketh down
from his majestic throne upon you. Amidst the infinite variety
of his works, you are not overlooked. Amidst the nobler services
of ten thousand times ten thousand saints and angels, not one
of your fervent prayers or humble groans escapes his ear.—Job
Orton, 1717-1783.
Verse 7. Almighty God cannot look above himself, as
having no superiors; nor about himself, as having no equals; he
beholds such as are below him; and therefore the lower a man is,
the nearer unto God; he resists the proud, and gives grace to
the humble, 1Pe 5:5. He pulls down the mighty from their seat,
and exalteth them of low degree. The Most High hath special eye
to such as are most humble; for, as it followeth in our text, "he
taketh up the simple out of the dust, and lifteth the poor out
of the dirt."—John Boys.
Verse 7. Dunghill. An emblem of the deepest
poverty and desertion; for in Syria and Palestine the man who is
shut out from society lies upon the mezbele (the dunghill
or heap of ashes), by day calling upon the passers by for alms,
and by night hiding himself in the ashes that have been warmed
by the sun.—Franz Delitzsch.
Verse 7. Dunghill. The passages of the Bible,
in which the word occurs, all seem to refer, as Parkhurst
remarks, to the stocks of cow dung and other offal stuff, which
the easterns for want of wood were obliged to lay up for
fuel.—Richard Mant.
Verses 7, 8. These verses are taken almost word for
word from the prayer of Hannah, 1Sa 2:8. The transition to the "people"
is all the more natural, as Hannah, considering herself at the
conclusion as the type of the church, with which every
individual among the Israelites felt himself much more closely
entwined than can easily be the case among ourselves, draws out
of the salvation imparted to herself joyful prospects for the
future.—E. W. Hengstenberg.
Verse 8. Even with the princes of his people.
It is the honour that cometh from God that alone exalts.
Whatever account the world may take of a poor man, he may be
more precious in the eyes of God than the highest among men. The
humble poor are here ranked, not with the princes of the earth,
but with "the princes of his people." The
distinctions in this world, even among those who serve the same
God, are as nothing in his sight when contrasted with that
honour which is grounded on the free grace of God to his own.
But here, also, the fulness of this statement will only be seen
in the world to come, when all the faithful will be owned as
kings and priests unto God.—W. Wilson.
Verse 9. Ye maketh the barren woman to keep house,
etc. Should a married woman, who has long been considered
sterile, become a mother, her joy, and that of her husband and
friends, will be most extravagant. "They called her Malady,
"that is, "Barren, ""but she has given us
good fruit." "My neighbours pointed at me, and said, Malady:but
what will they say now?" A man who on any occasion
manifests great delight, is represented to be like the barren
woman who has at length borne a child. Anything which is
exceedingly valuable is thus described: "This is as
precious as the son of the barren woman"; that is, of her
who had long been reputed barren.—Joseph Roberts.
Verse 9. He maketh the barren woman to keep house,
etc. As baseness in men, so barrenness in women is accounted a
great unhappiness. But as God lifteth up the beggar out of the
mire, to set him with princes, even so doth he "make the
barren woman a joyful mother of children." He governs
all things in the private family, as well as in the public weal.
Children and the fruit of the womb are a gift and heritage that
cometh of the Lord, Ps 127:3; and therefore the Papists in
praying to S. Anne for children, and the Gentiles in calling
upon Diana, Juno, Latona, are both in error. It is God only who
makes the barren woman "a mother, "and that "a
joyful mother." Every mother is joyful at the first,
according to that of Christ, "a woman when she travaileth
hath sorrow, because her hour is come: but as soon as she is
delivered of the child, she remembereth no more the anguish, for
joy that a man is born into the world." Divines apply this
also mystically to Christ, affirming that he made the church of
the Gentiles, heretofore "barren, ""a joyful
mother of children, "according to that of the prophet:
"Rejoice, O barren, that didst not bear; break forth
into joy and rejoice, thou that didst not travail with child:
for the desolate hath more children than the married wife, saith
the Lord, "Isa 54:1. Or it may be construed of true
Christians: all of us are by nature barren of goodness,
conceived and born in sin, not able to think a good thought (2Co
3:5); but the Father of lights and mercies makes us fruitful and
abundant always in the work of the Lord (1Co 15:58); he giveth
us grace to be fathers and mothers of many good deeds, which are
our children and best heirs, eternizing our name for ever.—John
Boys.
Verse 9. The barren woman is the poor,
forsaken, distressed Christian church, whom the false church
oppresses, defies, and persecutes, and regards as useless,
miserable, barren, because she herself is greater and more
populous, the greatest part of the world.—Joshua Arndt,
1626-1685.
Verse 9. Praise ye the Lord. We may look
abroad, and see abundant occasion for praising God,—in his
condescension to human affairs,—in his lifting up the poor
from the humblest condition,—in his exalting those of lowly
rank to places of honour, trust, wealth, and power; but, after
all, if we wish to find occasions of praise that will most
tenderly affect the heart, and be connected with the warmest
affections of the soul, they will be most likely to be found in
the domestic circle—in the mutual love—the common joys the
tender feelings—which bind together the members of a
family.—Albert Barnes.
Verse 9. Praise ye the LORD. The very hearing
of the comfortable changes which the Lord can make and doth make
the afflicted to find, is a matter of refreshment to all, and of
praise to God from all.—David Dickson.
HINTS TO THE VILLAGE PREACHER
Whole Psalm. The psalm contains three parts:
1. An exhortation to God's servants to praise him.
2. A form set down how and where to praise him, ver. 2, 3.
3. The reasons to persuade us to it.
(a) By his infinite power, ver. 4, 5.
(b) His providence, as displayed in heaven and earth, verse
6.—Adam Clarke.
Verse 1. The repetitions show,
1. The importance of praise.
2. Our many obligations to render it.
3. Our backwardness in the duty.
4. The heartiness and frequency with which it should be
rendered.
5. The need of calling upon others to join with us.
Verse 1.
1. To whom praise is due: "the Lord."
2. From whom it is due: "ye servants of the Lord."
3. For what is it due: his "name."
a. For all names descriptive of what he is in himself.
b. For all names descriptive of what he is to his servants.—G.
R.
Verses 1, 9. Praise ye the Lord.
1. Begin and end life with it, and do the same with holy
service, patient suffering, and everything else.
2. Fill up the interval with praise. Run over the intervening
verses.
Verse 2.
1. The work of heaven begun on earth: to praise the name of
the Lord.
2. The work of earth continued in heaven: "and for
evermore." If the praise begun on earth be continued in
heaven, we must be in heaven to continue the praise.—G. R.
Verse 2.
1. It is time to begin to praise: "from this time."
Is there not special reason, from long arrears, from present
duty, etc.?
2. There is no time for leaving off praise: "and for
evermore." None supposable or excusable.
Verse 3. God is to be praised.
1. All the day.
2. All the world over.
3. Publicly in the light.
4. Amidst daily duties.
5. Always—because it is always day somewhere.
Verse 3.
1. Canonical hours abolished.
2. Holy places abolished—since we cannot be always in them.
3. Every time and place consecrated.
Verses 5-6.
1. The greatness of God as viewed from below, ver. 5.
2. The condescension of God as viewed from above, ver. 6.
(a) In creation.
(b) In the Incarnation.
(c) In redemption.—G. R.
Verses 5-6. The unparalleled condescension of God.
1. None are so great, and therefore able to stoop so low.
2. None are so good, and therefore so willing to stoop.
3. None are so wise, and therefore so able to
"behold" or know the needs of little things.
4. None are infinite, and therefore able to enter into
minutiae and sympathize with the smallest grief: Infinity is
seen in the minute as truly as in the immense.
Verse 6.
1. The same God rules in heaven and earth.
2. Both spheres are dependent for happiness upon his beholding
them.
3. They both enjoy his consideration.
4. All things done in them are equally under his inspection.
Verse 7. The gospel and its special eye to the poor.
Verses 7-8.
1. Where men are? In the dust of sorrow and on the dunghill
of sin.
2. Who interferes to help them? He who dwelleth on high.
3. What does he effect for them? "Raiseth, lifteth,
setteth among princes, among princes of his people."
Verse 8. Elevation to the peerage of heaven; or, the
Royal Family increased.
Verse 9. For mothers' meetings. "A joyful mother
of children."
1. It is a joy to be a mother.
2. It is specially so to have living, healthy, obedient
children.
3. But best of all to have Christian children. . . . Praise
is due to the Lord who gives such blessings.
Verse 9.
1. A household God, or, God in the Household: "He maketh,
"etc. Have you children? It is of God. Have you lost
children? It is of God. Have you been without children? It is of
God.
2. Household worship, or, the God of the Household:
"Praise ye the Lord."
(a) In the family.
(b) For family mercies.—G. R.
WORK UPON THE HUNDRED AND THIRTEENTH PSALM
There are Expositions of Psalms 113 and 114
in the Works of John Boys, Dean of Canterbury, 1638; folio
edition, pp. 846-861.