GENERAL REMARKS. This Psalm has no title.
It is mainly made up of selections from other Scriptures. It has
been called a mosaic, and compared to a tessellated pavement. At
the outset, its first two verses (Ps 135:1-2) are taken from Ps
134:1-3; while the latter part of Ps 135:2 and the commencement
of Ps 135:3 put us in mind of Ps 116:19; and Ps 135:4 suggests
De 7:6. Does not Ps 135:5 remind us of Ps 95:3? As for Ps 135:7,
it is almost identical with Jer 10:13, which may have been taken
from it. The passage contained in Ps 135:13 is to be found in Ex
3:15, and Ps 135:14 in De 32:36. The closing verses, Ps
135:8-12, are in Psalms 136. From Ps 135:15 to the end the
strain is a repetition of Ps 115:1-18 This process of tracing
the expressions to other sources might be pushed further without
straining the quotations; the whole Psalm is a compound of many
choice extracts, and yet it has all the continuity and freshness
of an original poem. The Holy Spirit occasionally repeats
himself; not because he has any lack of thoughts or words, but
because it is expedient for us that we hear the same things in
the same form. Yet, when our great Teacher uses repetition, it
is usually with instructive variations, which deserve our
careful attention.
DIVISION. The first fourteen verses
contain an exhortation to praise Jehovah for his goodness (Ps
135:3), for his electing love (Ps 135:4), his greatness (Ps
135:5-7) his judgments (Ps 135:8-12), his unchanging character
(Ps 135:13), and his love towards his people. This is followed
by a denunciation of idols (Ps 135:15-18), and a further
exhortation to bless the name of the Lord. It is a song full of
life, vigour, variety, and devotion.
EXPOSITION
Verse 1. Praise ye the LORD, or, Hallelujah.
Let those who are themselves full of holy praise labour to
excite the like spirit in others. It is not enough for us to
praise God ourselves, we are quite unequal to such a work; let
us call in all our friends and neighbours, and if they have been
slack in such service, let us stir them up to it with loving
exhortations. Praise ye the name of the LORD. Let his
character be extolled by you, and let all that he has revealed
concerning himself be the subject of your song; for this is
truly his name. Specially let his holy and incommunicable
name of "Jehovah" be the object of your adoration. By
that name he sets forth his self existence, and his
immutability; let these arouse your praises of his Godhead.
Think of hint with love, admire him with heartiness, and then
extol him with ardour. Do not only magnify the Lord because he
is God; but study his character and his doings, and thus render
intelligent, appreciative praise. Praise him, O ye servants
of the Lord. If others are silent, you must not be; you must
be the first to celebrate his praises. You are
"servants", and this is part of your service; his
"name" is named upon you, therefore celebrate his name
with praises; you know what a blessed Master he is, therefore
speak well of him. Those who shun his service are sure to
neglect his praise; but as grace has made you his own personal
servants, let your hearts make you his court musicians. Here we
see the servant of the Lord arousing his fellow servants by
three times calling upon them to praise. Are we, then, so slow
in such a sweet employ? Or is it that when we do our utmost it
is all too little for such a Lord? Both are true. We do not
praise enough; we cannot praise too much. We ought to be always
at it; answering to the command here given—Praise, Praise,
Praise. Let the Three-in-one have the praises of our spirit,
soul, and body. For the past, the present, and the future, let
us render threefold hallelujahs.
Verse 2. Ye that stand in the house of the Lord, in
the courts of the house of our God. You are highly favoured;
you are the domestics of the palace, nearest to the Father of
the heavenly family, privileged to find your home in his house;
therefore you must, beyond all others, abound in thanksgiving.
You "stand; "or abide in the temple; you are constant
occupants of its various courts; and therefore from you we
expect unceasing praise. Should not ministers be celebrated for
celebrating the praises of Jehovah? Should not church officers
and church members excel all others in the excellent duty of
adoration? Should not all of every degree who wait even in his
outer courts unite in his worship? Ought not the least and
feeblest of his people to proclaim his praises, in company with
those who live nearest to him? Is it not a proper thing to
remind them of their obligations? Is not the Psalmist wise when
he does so in this case and in many others? Those who can call
Jehovah "our God" are highly blessed, and therefore
should abound in the work of blessing him. Perhaps this is the
sweetest word in these two verses. "This God is our God for
ever and ever." "Our God" signifies
possession, communion in possession, assurance of possession,
delight in possession. Oh the unutterable joy of calling God our
own!
Verse 3. Praise the LORD. Do it again; continue
to do it; do it better and more heartily; do it in growing
numbers; do it at once. There are good reasons for praising the
Lord, and among the first is this—for the LORD is good.
He is so good that there is none good in the same sense or
degree. He is so good that all good is found in him, flows from
him, and is rewarded by him. The word God is brief for good; and
truly God is the essence of goodness. Should not his goodness be
well spoken of? Yea, with our best thoughts, and words, and
hymns let us glorify his name. Sing praises unto his name,
for it is pleasant. The adjective may apply to the singing
and to the name—they are both pleasant. The vocal expression
of praise by sacred song is one of our greatest delights. We
were created for this purpose, and hence it is a joy to us. It
is a charming duty to praise the lovely name of our God. All
pleasure is to be found in the joyful worship of Jehovah; all
joys are in his sacred name as perfumes lie slumbering in a
garden of flowers. The mind expands, the soul is lifted up, the
heart warms, the whole being is filled with delight when we are
engaged in singing the high praises of our Father, Redeemer,
Comforter. When in any occupation goodness and pleasure unite,
we do well to follow it up without stint: yet it is to be feared
that few of us sing to the Lord at all in proportion as we talk
to men.
Verse 4. For the LORD hath chosen Jacob unto
himself. Jehovah hath chosen Jacob. Should not the sons of
Jacob praise him who has so singularly favoured them Election is
one of the most forcible arguments for adoring love. Chosen!
chosen unto himself!—who can be grateful enough for being
concerned in this privilege "Jacob have I loved", said
Jehovah, and he gave no reason for his love except that he chose
to love. Jacob had then done neither good nor evil, yet thus the
Lord determined, and thus he spake. If it be said that the
choice was made upon foresight of Jacob's character, it is,
perhaps, even more remarkable; for there was little enough about
Jacob that could deserve special choice. By nature Jacob was by
no means the most lovable of men. No, it was sovereign grace
which dictated the choice. But, mark, it was not a choice whose
main result was the personal welfare of Jacob's seed: the nation
was chosen by God unto himself, to answer the divine ends
and purposes in blessing all mankind. Jacob's race was chosen to
be the Lord's own, to be the trustees of his truth, the
maintainers of his worship, the mirrors of his mercy. Chosen
they were; but mainly for this end, that they might be a
peculiar people, set apart unto the service of the true God. And
Israel for his peculiar treasure. God's choice exalts; for here
the name is changed from Jacob, the supplanter, to Israel, the
prince. The love of God gives a new name and imparts a new
value; for the comparison to a royal treasure is a most
honourable one. As kings have a special regalia, and a selection
of the rarest jewels, so the Lord deigns to reckon his chosen
nation as his wealth, his delight, his glory. What an honour to
the spiritual Israel that they are all this to the Lord their
God! We are a people near and dear unto him; precious and
honourable in his sight. How can we refuse our loudest,
heartiest, sweetest music? If we did not extol him, the
stones in the street would cry out against us.
Verse 5. For I know that the LORD is great, and
that our Lord is above all gods. The greatness of God is as
much a reason for adoration as his goodness, when we are once
reconciled to him. God is great positively great comparatively,
and great superlatively—"above all gods." Of this
the Psalmist had an assured personal persuasion. He says
positively, "I know." It is knowledge worth
possessing. He knew by observation, inspiration, and
realization; he was no agnostic, he was certain and clear upon
the matter. He not only knows the greatness of Jehovah, but that
as the Adonai, or Ruler, "our Lord" is infinitely
superior to all the imaginary deities of the heathen, and to all
great ones besides.
"Let princes hear, let angels know,
How mean their natures seem;
Those gods on high, and gods below,
When once compared with him."
Many have thought to worship Jehovah, and other gods with
him; but this holy man tolerated no such notion. Others have
thought to combine their religion with obedience to the
unrighteous laws of tyrannical princes; this, also, the sweet
singer of Israel denounced; for he regarded the living God as
altogether above all men, who as magistrates and princes have
been called gods. Observe here the fourth of the five "fors."
Ps 135:3-5,14 contain reasons for praise, each set forth with
"for." A fruitful meditation might be suggested by
this.
Verse 6. Whatsoever the LORD pleased, that did he
in heaven, and in earth, in the seas, and all deep places.
His will is carried out throughout all space. The king's warrant
runs in every portion of the universe. The heathen divided the
great domain; but Jupiter does not rule in heaven, nor Neptune
on the sea, nor Pluto in the lower regions; Jehovah rules over
all. His decree is not defeated, his purpose is not frustrated:
in no one point is his good pleasure set aside. The word
"whatsoever" is of the widest range and includes all
things, and the four words of place which are mentioned
comprehend all space; therefore the declaration of the text
knows neither limit nor exception. Jehovah works his will: he
pleases to do, and he performs the deed. None can stay his hand.
How different this from the gods whom the heathen fabled to be
subject to all the disappointments, failures, and passions of
men! How contrary even to those so called Christian conceptions
of God which subordinate him to the will of man, and make his
eternal purposes the football of human caprice. Our theology
teaches us no such degrading notions of the Eternal as that he
can be baffled by man. "His purpose shall stand, and he
will do all his pleasure." No region is too high, no abyss
too deep, no land too distant, no sea too wide for his
omnipotence: his divine pleasure travels post over all the realm
of nature, and his behests are obeyed.
Verse 7. He causeth the vapours to ascend from the
ends of the earth. Here we are taught the power of God in
creation. The process of evaporation is passed by unnoticed by
the many, because they see it going on all around them; the
usual ceases to be wonderful to the thoughtless, but it remains
a marvel to the instructed. When we consider upon what an
immense scale evaporation is continually going on, and how
needful it is for the existence of all life, we may well admire
the wisdom and the power which are displayed therein. All around
us from every point of the horizon the vapour rises, condenses
into clouds, and ultimately descends as rain. Whence the vapours
originally ascended from which our showers are formed it would
be impossible to tell; most probably the main part of them comes
from the tropical regions, and other remote places at "the
ends of the earth." It is the Lord who causes them to rise,
and not a mere law. What is law without a force at the back of
it? He maketh lightnings for the rain. There is an
intimate connection between lightning and rain, and this would
seem to be more apparent in Palestine than even with ourselves;
for we constantly read of thunderstorms in that country as
attending heavy down pours of rain. Lightning is not to be
regarded as a lawless force, but as a part of that wonderful
machinery by which the earth is kept in a fit condition: a force
as much under the control of God as any other, a force most
essential to our existence. The ever changing waters, rains,
winds, and electric currents circulate as if they were the life
blood and vital spirits of the universe. He bringeth the wind
out of his treasuries. This great force which seems left to
its own wild will is really under the supreme and careful
government of the Lord. As a monarch is specially master of the
contents of his own treasure, so is our God the Lord of the
tempest and hurricane; and as princes do not spend their
treasure without taking note and count of it, so the Lord does
not permit the wind to be wasted, or squandered without purpose.
Everything in the material world is under the immediate
direction and control of the Lord of all. Observe how the
Psalmist brings before us the personal action of Jehovah:
"he causeth", "he maketh", "he bringeth."
Everywhere the Lord worketh all things, and there is no power
which escapes his supremacy. It is well for us that it is so:
one bandit force wandering through the Lord's domains defying
his control would cast fear and trembling over all the provinces
of providence. Let us praise Jehovah for the power and wisdom
with which he rules clouds, and lightnings, and winds, and all
other mighty and mysterious agencies.
Verse 8. Who smote the firstborn of Egypt, both of
man and beast. Herein the Lord is to be praised; for this
deadly smiting was an act of justice against Egypt, and of love
to Israel. But what a blow it was! All the firstborn slain in a
moment! How it must have horrified the nation, and cowed the
boldest enemies of Israel! Beasts because of their relationship
to man as domestic animals are in many ways made to suffer with
him. The firstborn of beasts must die as well as the firstborn
of their owners, for the blow was meant to astound and
overwhelm, and it accomplished its purpose. The firstborn of God
had been sorely smitten, and they were set free by the Lord's
meting out to their oppressors the like treatment.
Verse 9. Who sent tokens and wonders into the midst
of thee, O Egypt, upon Pharaoh, and upon all his servants.
The Lord is still seen by the Psalmist as sending judgments upon
rebellious men; he keeps before us the personal action of God,
"who sent tokens", etc. The more distinctly God is
seen the better. Even in plagues he is to be seen, as truly as
in mercies. The plagues were not only terrible wonders which
astounded men, but forcible tokens or signs by which they were
instructed. No doubt the plagues were aimed at the various
deities of the Egyptians, and were a grand exposure of their
impotence; each one had its own special significance. The
judgments of the Lord were no side blows, they struck the nation
at the heart; he sent his bolts "into the midst of thee, O
Egypt!" These marvels happened in the centre of the proud
and exclusive nation of Egypt, which thought itself far superior
to other lands; and many of these plagues touched the nation in
points upon which it prided itself. The Psalmist addresses that
haughty nation, saying, "O Egypt", as though reminding
it of the lessons which it had been taught by the Lord's right
hand. Imperious Pharaoh had been the ringleader in defying
Jehovah, and he was made personally to smart for it; nor did his
flattering courtiers escape, upon each one of them the scourge
fell heavily. God's servants are far better off than Pharaoh's
servants: those who stand in the courts of Jehovah are
delivered, but the courtiers of Pharaoh are smitten all of them,
for they were all partakers in his evil deeds. The Lord is to be
praised for thus rescuing his own people, and causing their
cruel adversaries to bite the dust. Let no true Israelite forget
the song of the Red Sea, but anew let us hear a voice summoning
us to exulting praise: "Sing unto the Lord, for he hath
triumphed gloriously."
Verse 10. Who smote great nations, and slew mighty
kings. The nations of Canaan joined in the desperate
resistance offered by their monarchs, and so they were smitten;
while their kings, the ringleaders of the fight, were slain.
Those who resist the divine purpose will find it hard to kick
against the pricks. The greatness of the nations and the might
of the kings availed nothing against the Lord. He is prepared to
mete out vengeance to those who oppose his designs: those who
dream of him as too tender to come to blows have mistaken the
God of Israel. He intended to bless the world through his chosen
people, and he would not be turned from his purpose: cost what
it might, he would preserve the candle of truth which he had
lighted, even though the blood of nations should be spilt in its
defence. The wars against the Canaanite races were a price paid
for the setting up of a nation which was to preserve for the
whole world the lively oracles of God.
Verse 11. Sihon king of the Amorites, and Og king
of Bashan. These two kings were the first to oppose, and
they were amongst the most notable of the adversaries: their
being smitten is therefore a special object of song for loyal
Israelites. The enmity of these two kings was wanton and
unprovoked, and hence their overthrow was the more welcome to
Israel. Sihon had been victorious in his war with Moab, and
thought to make short work with Israel, but he was speedily
overthrown: Og was of the race of the giants, and by his huge
size inspired the tribes with dread; but they were encouraged by
the previous overthrow of Sihon, and soon the giant king fell
beneath their sword. And all the kingdoms Of Canaan. Many
were these petty principalities, and some of them were populous
and valiant; but they all fell beneath the conquering hand of
Joshua, for the Lord was with him. Even so shall all the foes of
the Lord's believing people in these days be put to the rout:
Satan and the world shall be overthrown, and all the hosts of
sin shall be destroyed, for our greater Joshua leads forth our
armies, conquering and to conquer. Note that in this verse we
have the details of matters which were mentioned in the bulk in
the previous stanza: it is well when we have sting of mercies in
the gross to consider them one by one, and give to each
individual blessing a share in our song. It is well to preserve
abundant memorials of the Lord's deliverance, so that we not
only sing of mighty kings as a class but also of "Sihon
king of the Amorites and Og king of Bashan" as distinct
persons.
Verse 12. And gave their land for an heritage, an
heritage unto Israel his people. Jehovah is Lord Paramount,
and permits men to hold their lands upon lease, terminable at
his pleasure. The nations of Canaan had become loathsome with
abominable vices, and they were condemned by the great Judge of
all the earth to be cut off from the face of the country which
they defiled. The twelve tribes were charged to act as their
executioners, and as their fee they were to receive Canaan as a
possession. Of old the Lord had given this land to Abraham and
his seed by a covenant of salt, but he allowed the Amorites and
other tribes to sojourn in it till their iniquity was full, and
then he bade his people come and take their own out of the
holders' hands. Canaan was their heritage because they were the
Lord's heritage, and he gave it to them actually because he had
long before given it to them by promise. The Lord's chosen still
have a heritage from which none can keep them back. Covenant
blessings of inestimable value are secured to them; and, as
surely as God has a people, his people shall have a heritage. To
them it comes by gift, though they have to fight for it. Often
does it happen when they slay a sin or conquer a difficulty that
they are enriched by the spoil: to them even evils work for
good, and trials ensure triumphs. No enemy shall prevail so as
to really injure them, for they shall find a heritage where once
they were opposed by "all the kingdoms of Canaan."
Verse 13. Thy name, O LORD, endureth for ever.
God's name is eternal, and will never be changed. His character
is immutable; his fame and honour also shall remain to all
eternity. There shall always be life in the name of Jesus, and
sweetness and consolation. Those upon whom the Lord's name is
named in verity and truth shall be preserved by it, and kept
from all evil, world without end. JEHOVAH is a name which shall
outlive the ages, and retain the fulness of its glory and might
for ever. And thy memorial, O LORD, throughout all
generations. Never shall men forget thee, O Lord. The
ordinances of thine house shall keep thee in men's memories, and
thine everlasting gospel and the grace which goes therewith
shall be abiding reminders of thee. Grateful hearts will for
ever beat to thy praise, and enlightened minds shall continue to
marvel at all thy wondrous works. Men's memorials decay, but the
memorial of the Lord abideth evermore. What a comfort to
desponding minds, trembling for the ark of the Lord! No,
precious Name, thou shalt never perish! Fame of the Eternal,
thou shalt never grow dim! This verse must be construed in its
connection, and it teaches us that the honour and glory gained
by the Lord in the overthrow of the mighty kings would never die
out. Israel for long ages reaped the benefit of the prestige
which the divine victories had brought to the nation. Moreover,
the Lord in thus keeping his covenant which he made with
Abraham, when he promised to give the land to his seed, was
making it clear that his memorial contained in promises and
covenant would never be out of his sight. His name endures in
all its truthfulness, for those who occupied Israel's land were
driven out that the true heirs might dwell therein in peace.
Verse 14. For the LORD will judge his people.
He will exercise personal discipline over them, and not leave it
to their foes to maltreat them at pleasure. When the correction
is ended he will arise and avenge them of their oppressors, who
for a while were used by him as his rod. He may seem to forget
his people, but it is not so; he will undertake their cause and
deliver them. The judges of Israel were also her deliverers, and
such is the Lord of hosts: in this sense—as ruling,
preserving, and delivering his chosen—Jehovah will judge his
people. And he will repent himself concerning his servants.
When he has smitten them, and they lie low before him, he will
pity them as a father pitieth his children, for he doth not
afflict willingly. The Psalm speaks after the manner of men: the
nearest description that words can give of the Lord's feeling
towards his suffering servants is that he repents the evil which
he inflicted upon them. He acts as if he had changed his mind
and regretted smiting them. It goes to the heart of God to see
his beloved ones oppressed by their enemies: though they deserve
all they suffer, and more than all, yet the Lord cannot see them
smart without a pang. It is remarkable that the nations by which
God has afflicted Israel have all been destroyed as if the
tender Father hated the instruments of his children's
correction. The chosen nation is here called, first, "his
people", and then "his servants:" as his people
he judges them, as his servants he finds comfort in them, for so
the word may be read. He is most tender to them when he sees
their service; hence the Scripture saith, "I will spare
them, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him."
Should not the "servants" of God praise him? He
plagued Pharaoh's servants; but as for his own he has mercy upon
them, and returns to them in love after he has in the truest
affection smitten them for their iniquities. "Praise him, O
ye servants of the Lord."
Verse 15. The idols of the heathen are silver and
gold, the work of men's hands. Their essential material is
dead metal, their attributes are but the qualities of senseless
substances, and what of form and fashion they exhibit they
derive from the skill and labour of those who worship them. It
is the height of insanity to worship metallic manufactures.
Though silver and gold are useful to us when we rightly employ
them, there is nothing about them which can entitle them to
reverence and worship. If we did not know the sorrowful fact to
be indisputable, it would seem to be impossible that intelligent
beings could bow down before substances which they must
themselves refine from the ore, and fashion into form. One would
think it less absurd to worship one's own hands than to adore
that which those hands have made. What great works can these
mock deities perform for man when they are themselves the works
of man? Idols are fitter to be played with, like dolls by babes,
than to be adored by grown up men. Hands are better used in
breaking than in making objects which can be put to such an
idiotic use. Yet the heathen love their abominable deities
better than silver and gold: it were well if we could say that
some professed believers in the Lord had as much love for him.
Verse 16. They have mouths. For their makers
fashioned them like themselves. An opening is made where the
mouth should be, and yet it is no mouth, for they eat not, they
speak not. They cannot communicate with their worshippers;
they are dumb as death. If they cannot even speak, they are not
even so worthy of worship as our children at school. Jehovah
speaks, and it is done: but these images utter never a word.
Surely, if they could speak, they would rebuke their votaries.
Is not their silence a still more powerful rebuke? When our
philosophical teachers deny that God has made any verbal
revelation of himself they also confess that their god is dumb.
Eyes have they, but they see not. Who would adore a blind
man—how can the heathen be so mad as to bow themselves before
a blind image? The eyes of idols have frequently been very
costly; diamonds have been used for that purpose; but of what
avail is the expense, since they see nothing? If they cannot
even see us, how can they know our wants, appreciate our
sacrifices, or spy out for us the means of help! What a wretched
thing, that a man who can see should bow down before an image
which is blind! The worshipper is certainly physically in
advance of his god, and yet mentally he is on a level with it;
for assuredly his foolish heart is darkened, or he would not so
absurdly play the feel.
Verse 17. They have ears, and very large ones,
too, if we remember certain of the Hindu idols. But they hear
not. Useless are their ears; in fact, they are mere
counterfeits and deceits. Ears which men make are always deaf:
the secret of hearing is wrapped up with the mystery of life,
and both are in the unsearchable mind of the Lord. It seems that
these heathen gods are dumb, and blind, and deaf—a pretty
bundle of infirmities to be found in a deity! Neither is
there any breath in their mouths; they are dead, no sign of
life is perceptible; and breathing, which is of the essence of
animal life, they never knew. Shall a man waste his breath in
crying to an idol which has no breath? Shall life offer up
petitions to death? Verily, this is a turning of things upside
down.
Verse 18. They that make them are like unto them.
they are as blockish, as senseless, as stupid as the gods they
have made, and, like them they are the objects of divine
abhorrence, and shall be broken in pieces in due time. So is
every one that trusteth in them. The idol worshippers are as
bad as the idol makers; for if there were none to worship, there
would be no market for the degrading manufacture. Idolaters are
spiritually dead, they are the mere images of men, their best
being is gone, they are not what they seem. Their mouths do not
really pray, their eyes see not the truth, their ears hear not
the voice of the Lord, and the life of God is not in them. Those
who believe in their own inventions in religion betray great
folly, and an utter absence of the quickening Spirit. Gracious
men can see the absurdity of forsaking the true God and setting
up rivals in his place; but those who perpetrate this crime
think not so: on the contrary, they pride themselves upon their
great wisdom, and boast of "advanced thought" and
"modern culture." Others there are who believe in a
baptismal regeneration which does not renew the nature, and they
make members of Christ and children of God who have none of the
spirit of Christ, or the signs of adoption. May we be saved from
such mimicry of divine work lest we also become like our idols.
Verse 19. Bless the LORD, O house of Israel.
All of you, in all your tribes, praise the one Jehovah. Each
tribe, from Reuben to Benjamin, has its own special cause for
blessing the Lord, and the nation as a whole has substantial
reasons for pouring out benedictions upon his name. Those whom
God has named "the house of Israel", a family of
prevailing princes, ought to show their loyalty by thankfully
bowing before their sovereign Lord. Bless the LORD, O house
of Aaron. These were elected to high office and permitted to
draw very near to the divine presence; therefore they beyond all
others were bound to bless the Lord. Those who are favoured to
be leaders in the church should be foremost in adoration. In
God's house the house of Aaron should feel bound to speak well
of his name before all the house of Israel.
Verse 20. Bless the LORD, O house of Levi.
These helped the priests in other things, let them aid them in
this also. The house of Israel comprehends all the chosen seed;
then we come down to the smaller but more central ring of the
house of Aaron, and now we widen out to the whole tribe of Levi.
Let reverence and adoration spread from man to man until the
whole lump of humanity shall be leavened. The house of Levi had
choice reasons for blessing God: read the Levite story and see.
Remember that the whole of the Levites were set apart for holy
service, and supported by tim tribes allotted to them; therefore
they were in honour bound above all others to worship Jehovah
with cheerfulness.
EXPLANATORY NOTES AND QUAINT SAYINGS
Jehovah, infinitude, immensity itself, in all things, to all
things, beyond all things, everywhere, wholly, essentially,
continually present: as Jehovah, constancy, immutability,
eternity itself, without any variableness, or shadow of change;
yesterday, today, and for ever the same. In a word, when we
think of the Most High God, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, we
should think of him as Jehovah, Unity in Trinity, Trinity in
Unity, Three Persons, One Being, One Essence, One Lord, One
Jehovah, blessed for ever. This is that glorious, that Almighty
Being, which the Psalmist here means when he saith, "Praise
ye the name of the LORD."—William Beveridge,
1636-1708.
Verse 1. Praise him, O ye servants of the LORD.
For ye will do nothing out of place by praising your Lord as
servants. And if ye were to be for ever only servants, ye
ought to praise the Lord; how much more ought those servants to
praise the Lord who have obtained the privilege of sons?—Augustine.
Verse 1. Praise, praise, praise. When duties
are thus inculcated, it notes the necessity and excellency
thereof; together with our dulness and backwardness
thereunto.—John Trapp.
Verses 1-2, 21. Praise. To prevent any feeling of
weariness which might arise from the very frequent repetition of
this exhortation to praise God, it is only necessary to remember
that there is no sacrifice in which he takes greater delight
than in the expression of praise. Thus (Ps 1:14),
"Sacrifice unto the Lord thanksgiving, and pay thy vows
unto the Most High; "and (Ps 116:12-13), "What shall I
render unto the LORD for all his benefits toward me? I will take
the cup of salvation, and call upon the name of the LORD."
Particular attention is to be paid to those passages of
Scripture which speak in such high terms of that worship of God
which is spiritual; otherwise we may be led, in the exercise of
a misguided zeal, to spend our labour upon trifles, and in this
respect imitate the example of too many who have wearied
themselves with ridiculous attempts to invent additions to the
service of God, while they have neglected what is of all other
things most important. That is the reason why the Holy Spirit so
repeatedly inculcates the duty of praise. It is that we may not
undervalue, or grow careless in this devotional exercise. It
implies, too, an indirect censure of our tardiness in proceeding
to the duty; for he would not reiterate the admonition were we
ready and active in the discharge of it.—John Calvin.
Verses 1-3. As Gotthold was one day passing a
tradesman's house, he heard the notes of a Psalm, with which the
family were concluding their morning meal. He was deeply
affected, and, with a full heart, said to himself: O my God, how
pleasing to my ears is the sound of thy praise, and how
comforting to my soul the thought that there are still a few who
bless thee for thy goodness. Alas, the great bulk of mankind
have become brutalized, and resemble the swine, which in harvest
gather and fatten upon the acorns beneath the oak, but show to
the tree, which bore them, no other thanks than rubbing off its
bark, and tearing up the sod around it. In former times, it was
the law in certain monasteries, that the chanting of the praise
of God should know no interruption, and that one choir of monks
should, at stated intervals, relieve another in the holy
employment. To the superstition and trust in human works, of
which there may have been here a mixture, we justly assign a
place among the wood, hay, and stubble (1Co 3:12). At the same
time it is undeniably right that thy praise should never cease;
and were men to be silent, the very stones would cry out. We
must begin eternal life here below, not only in our conscience,
but also with our praise. Our soul ought to be like a flower,
not merely receiving the gentle influence of heaven, but, in its
turn, and as if in gratitude, exhaling also a sweet and pleasant
perfume. It should be our desire, as it once was that of a pious
man, that our hearts should melt and dissolve like incense in
the fire of love, and yield the sweet fragrance of praise: or we
should be like the holy martyr who professed himself willing to
be consumed, if from his ashes a little flower might spring and
blossom to the glory of God. We should be ready to give our very
blood to fertilize the garden of the church, and render it more
productive of the fruit of praise. Well then, my God, I will
praise and extol thee with heart and mouth to the utmost of my
power. Oh, that without the interruptions which eating, and
drinking, and sleep require, I could apply myself to this
heavenly calling! Every mouthful of air which I inhale is mixed
with the goodness which preserves my life; let every breath
which I exhale be mingled at least with a hearty desire for thy
honour and praise. Hallelujah! Ye holy angels, ye children of
men, and all ye creatures, praise the Lord with me, and let us
exalt his name together.—Christian Scriver Gotthold,1629-1693.
Verse 3. Praise the LORD. Hallelujah (praise to
Jah!) for good (is) Jehovah. Make music to his name, for it
is lovely. The last words may also he translated, he is
lovely, i.e. an object worthy of supreme attachment.—Joseph
Addison Alexander.
Verse 3. Praise the LORD; for the LORD is good.
That is, originally, transcendently, effectively; he is good,
and doeth good (Ps 119:68), and is therefore to be praised with
mind, mouth, and practice.—John Trapp.
Verse 3. Sing praises unto his name; for it is
pleasant. The work of praising God hath a sort of reward
joined with it. When we praise God most we get much benefit by
so doing: it is so comely in itself, so pleasant unto God, and
profitable to the person that offereth praises, so fit to cheer
up his spirit, and strengthen his faith in God, whose praises
are the pillars of the believer's confidence and comfort, that a
man should be allured thereunto: "Sing praises unto his
name; for it is pleasant; "and this is the second
motive or reason to praise God the first being that "the
Lord is good".—David Dickson.
Verse 4. For the LORD hath chosen, etc. God's
distinguishing grace should make his elect lift up many a
humble, joyful, and thankful heart to him.—John Trapp.
Verse 4. Jacob, Israel. Praise the Lord for
enroling you in this company. To quicken you in this work of
praise, consider what you were; you were not a people, God
raised you up from the very dunghill to this preferment;
remember your past estate. Look, as old Jacob considered what he
had been when God preferred him (Ge 32:10); "With my staff
I passed over this Jordan, and now I am become two bands;
"so do you say, I am a worthless creature, it is God that
hath taken me into his grace, praised be the Lord that hath
chosen me. Then consider how many are left to perish in the wide
world. Some live out of the church's pale that never heard of
Christ, and many others have only a loose general form of
Christianity. Oh! blessed be God that hath chosen me to be of
the number of his peculiar people. It is said (Zec 13:8),
"And it shall come to pass in all the land, saith the Lord,
that two parts shall be cut off and die, but the third shall be
left therein." We pass through many bolters before we come
to be God's peculiar people, as the corn is ground, bolted,
searched before it comes to be fine flour. Many have not the
knowledge of God, and others live in the church but are carnal;
and for me to be one of his peculiar people, a member of
Christ's mystical body, oh! what a privilege is this! And then
what moved him to all this? Nothing but his own free grace.
Therefore praise the Lord.—Thomas Manton.
Verse 4. His peculiar treasure. The Hebrew word
scgullah signifieth God's special jewels, God's proper
ones, or God's secret ones, that he keeps in store for himself,
and for his own special service and use. Princes lock up with
their own hands in secret their most precious and costly jewels;
and so doth God his: "For the LORD hath chosen Jacob
unto himself, and Israel for his peculiar treasure", or
for his secret gain.—Thomas Brooks.
Verse 4. His peculiar treasure. Will not a man
that is not defective in his prudentials secure his jewels?
"They shall be mine in that day when I make up my jewels,
and I will spare them as a father his son that serveth
him:" Mal 3:17. If a house be on fire, the owner of it will
first take care of his wife and children, then of his jewels,
and last of all, of his lumber and rubbish. Christ secures first
his people, for they are his jewels; the world is but lumber and
rubbish.—Richard Mayhew.
Verse 5. For I know. The word "I"
is made emphatic in the original. Whatever may be the case with
others, I have had personal and precious experience of the
greatness of Jehovah's power, and of his infinite supremacy
above all other gods. The author of the Psalm may either speak
for all Israel as a unit, or he may have framed his song so that
every worshipper might say this for himself as his own
testimony.—Henry Cowles.
Verse 5. For I know that the LORD is great,
etc. On what a firm foundation does the Psalmist plant his
foot—"I know!" One loves to hear men of God
speaking in this calm, undoubting, and assured confidence,
whether it be of the Lord's goodness or of the Lord's greatness.
You may perhaps say, that it required no great stretch of faith
or knowledge, or any amount of bravery, to declare that God was
great; but I think that not many wise nor mighty had in the
Psalmist's days attained unto his knowledge or made his
confession, that Jehovah, the God of Israel, was "above
all gods." Baal and Chemosh, and Milcom and Dagon,
claimed the fealty of the nations round about; and David, in the
Court of Achish, would have found his declaration as unwelcome,
as it would have been rejected as untrue. Moses once carried a
message from Jehovah to the king of Egypt, and his reply was,
"Who is the Lord, that I should obey his voice? I know not
the Lord; "and even of Jehovah's peculiar treasure, all
were not Israel that were of Israel. There is a knowledge that
plays round the head, like lightning on a mountain's summit,
that leaves no trace behind; and there is a knowledge that, like
the fertilizing stream, penetrates into the very recesses of the
heart, and issues forth in all the fruits of holiness, of love,
and peace, and joy for evermore.—Barton Bouchier.
Verse 6. Whatsoever the LORD pleased, that did he,
etc. He was not forced to make all that he made, but all that he
willed he made. His will was the cause of all things which he
made. Thou makest a house, because if thou didst not make it
thou wouldest be left without a habitation: necessity compels
thee to make a home, not free will. Thou makest a garment,
because thou wouldest go about naked if thou didst not make it;
thou art therefore led to making a garment by necessity, not by
free will. You plant a mountain with vines, you sow seed,
because if thou didst not do so, thou wouldest not have food;
all such things thou doest of necessity. God has made all things
of his goodness. He needed nothing that he made; and therefore
he hath made all things that he willed. He did whatsoever he
willed in the heaven and earth: do you do all that you will even
in your field? You will many things, but can not do all you wish
in thy own house. Thy wife, perchance, gainsays thee, thy
children gainsay thee, sometimes even thy servant contumaciously
gainsays thee, and thou doest not what thou wiliest. But thou
sayest, I do what I will, because I punish the disobedient and
gainsayer. Even this you do not when you will.—Augustine.
Verse 6. Whatsoever the LORD pleased, that did he,
etc. God's will obtains and hath the upper hand everywhere. Down
man, down pope, down devil; you must yield; things shall not be
as you will, but as God will! We may well say, "Who hath
resisted his will?" Ro 9:19. Many, indeed, disobey, and sin
against the will of his precept; but none ever did, none ever
shall, frustrate or obstruct the will of his purpose; for he
will do all his pleasure, and in his way mountains shall become
a plain.—William Slater (-1704), in "The
Morning Exercises."
Verse 6. Upon the Arminian's plan (if absurdity can
deserve the name of a plan), the glorious work of God's
salvation, and the eternal redemption of Jesus Christ, are not
complete, unless a dying mortal lends his arm; that is, unless
he, who of himself can do nothing, vouchsafe to begin and
accomplish that which all the angels in heaven cannot do;
namely, to convert the soul from Satan to God. How contrary is
all this to the language of Scripture—how repugnant to the
oracles of truth "Whatsoever the Lord pleased, that did he
in heaven and in earth."—Ambrose Serle (-1815), in
"Horoe Solitariae."
Verse 6. In heaven and in the earth, etc. His
power is infinite. He can do what he will do everywhere; all
places are there named but purgatory; perhaps he can do nothing
there, but leaves all that work for the Pope.—Thomas Adams.
Verse 6. In the seas, and all deep places. He
did wonders in the mighty waters: more than once he made the
boisterous sea a calm, and walked upon the surface of it; and as
of old he broke up the fountains of the great deep, and drowned
the world; and at another time dried up the sea, and led his
people through the depths, as through a wilderness; so he will
hereafter bind the old serpent, the devil, and cast him into the
abyss, into the great deep, the bottomless pit, where he will
continue during the thousand years' reign of Christ with his
saints.—John Gill.
Verse 6. The word "pleaseth" limits
the general note or particle "all" unto all
works which in themselves are good, or else serve for good use,
and so are pleasing to the Lord for the use sake. He doth not
say that the Lord doth all things which are done, but all things
which he pleaseth, that is, he doth not make men sinful and
wicked, neither doth he work rebellion in men, which is
displeasing unto him; but he doth whatsoever is pleasing, that
is, all things which are agreeable to his nature. And whatsoever
is according to his will and good pleasure, that he doth, for
none can hinder it. This is the true sense and meaning of the
words.—George Walker, in "God made visible in his
Works", 1641.
Verse 6. Whatsoever the LORD pleased, that did,
etc. With reference to, the government of Providence, it is said
of God, that "he doeth according to his will in the army of
heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth." Even
insensible matter is under his control. Fire and hail, snow and
vapour, and stormy wind, fulfil his word: and with reference to
intelligent agents, we are told that he maketh the most
refractory, even the Wrath of man, to praise him, and the
remainder of wrath he restrains. The whole Bible exhibits
Jehovah as so ordering the affairs of individuals, and of
nations, as to secure the grand purpose he had in view in
creating the world,—viz., the promotion of his own glory, in
the salvation of a multitude which no man can number, of all
nations, and kindreds, and tribes, and peoples, and tongues. One
of the most prominent distinctions between divine revelation and
ordinary history is, that when the same general events are
narrated, the latter exhibits—(it is its province so to
do—it is not able indeed to do more,)the agency of man, the
former, the agency of God. Profane history exhibits the
instruments by which Jehovah works; the finger of divine
revelation points to the unseen but almighty hand which wields
and guides the instrument, and causes even Herod and Pontius
Pilate, together with the Jews and the people of Israel, to do
what the hand and the counsel of God determined before to be
done.—George Payne, in "Lectures on Christian
Theology," 1850.
Verse 7. He causeth the vapours to ascend, etc.
Dr. Halley made a number of experiments at St. Helena as to the
quantity of water that is daily evaporated from the sea, and he
found that ten square inches of the ocean's surface yielded one
cubic inch of water in twelve hours—a square mile therefore
yields 401,448,960 cubic inches, or 6,914 tons of water. From
the surface of the Mediterranean Sea during a summer's day there
would pass off in invisible vapour five thousand millions of
tons of water. This being only for one day, the quantity
evaporated in a year would be 365 times greater, and in two
thousand years it would amount to four thousand billions of
tons, which evaporation would in time empty the Mediterranean
Sea; but we have good reason for believing that there is as much
water there now as in the time of the Romans, therefore the
balance is kept up by the downpour of rain, the influx of the
rivers, and the currents from the Atlantic. Now let us consider
the amount of power required for all this evaporation. Mr.
Joule, whose experiments have given to the world so much
valuable information, says that if we had a pool of water one
square mile and six inches in depth to be evaporated by
artificial heat, it would require the combustion of 30,000 tons
of coal to effect it; therefore to evaporate all the water that
ascends from the earth it would take 6,000,000,000,000 (six
billion) tons, or more than all the coal that could be stowed
away in half a dozen such worlds as this; and yet silently and
surely has the process of evaporation been going on for millions
of years.—Samuel Kinns, in "Moses and Geology",
1882.
Verse 7. He causeth the vapours to ascend, etc.
There is no physical necessity that the boiling point of water
should occur at two hundred and twelve degrees of the Fahrenheit
scale. As far as we know, it might have been the same with the
boiling points of oil of turpentine, alcohol or ether. We shall
see the benevolence of the present adjustment by noticing some
of the consequences which would follow if any change were made.
The amount of vapour given off at ordinary temperatures by any
liquid depends on the temperature at which it boils. If the
boiling point of water were the same as that of alcohol, the
vapour given off by the ocean would be two and a half times as
much as at present. Such an excess of aqueous vapour would
produce continual rains and inundations, and would make the air
too damp for animal, and too cloudy for vegetable, life. If
water boiled at the same temperature as ether, the vapour rising
from the ocean would be more than twenty-five times as much as
at present. In such a state of things no man could see the sun
on account of the clouds; the rain would be so excessive as to
tear up the soil and wash away plants; inundations would be
constant, and navigation would be impossible in the inland
torrents which would take the place of our rivers. In winter the
snow of one day might bury the houses. If, on the other hand,
water boiled at the same temperature with oil of turpentine, the
vapour given off by the ocean would be less than one fourth of
its present amount. In this case rain would be a rarity, like an
eclipse of the sun, the dryness of the desert of Sahara would be
equalled in a large part of the globe, which would, therefore,
be bare of vegetation, and incapable of sustaining animal life.
Plants would be scorched by unclouded sunshine, springs and
rivulets would be dry, and inland navigation would cease; for
nearly all the rain would be absorbed by the porous earth. We
see, then, that the boiling point of water has been adjusted to
various relations. It is adjusted to the capacity of space to
contain aqueous vapour h transparent state; if it were higher
than two hundred and twelve degrees, earth would be scorched by
an unclouded sun; if it were lower, it would under continual
shade. It is suited to the demand of plants for water; if it
were higher, they would suffer from drought; if it were lower,
they would torn up by floods. It is in harmony with the texture
of the soil: if it higher, the earth would absorb all the rain
which falls; if it were lower, the would often be washed away by
the surface torrents after a shower. It is to the elevation of
the continents above the sea; if it were higher, rivers their
present inclination would be so shallow as to be often dry; if
it lower, most rivers would be so deep as to be torrents, while
the land would covered with floods.—Professor Hemholtz.
Verse 7. To ascend from the ends of the earth.
Rains in England are introduced by a southeast wind. "Vapour
brought to us by such a wind have been generated in countries to
the south and east of our island. It is fore, probably, in the
extensive valleys watered by the Meuse, the Moselle, the Rhine,
if not from the more distant Elbe, with the Oder and the Weser,
the water rises, in the midst of sunshine, which is soon
afterwards to form our clouds, and pour down our
thundershowers." "Drought and sunshine in part of
Europe may be necessary to the production of a wet season in
another" (Howard on the Climate of London).—William
Whewell (1795-1866), in "The Bridgewater
Treatise" Astronomy and General Physics. 1839.
Verse 7. From the surface of the earth raising the
vapours. The whole description is beautifully exact and
picturesque. Not "the ends", or even
"summits" or "extreme mountains", for the
original is in the singular number (huq), but from the whole of
the extreme layer, the superficies or surface of
the earth; from every point of which the great process of
exhalation is perpetually going on to supply the firmament with
refreshing and fruitful clouds.—John Mason Good.
Verse 7. He maketh lightnings for the rain.
When the electrical clouds are much agitated, the rain generally
falls heavily, and if the agitation is excessive, it hails. As
the electricity is dissipated by the frequent discharges the
cloud condenses, and there comes a sudden and heavy rain; but
the greater the accumulation of electricity, the longer is the
rain delayed. Thus connected as the electrical phenomena of the
atmosphere are with clouds, vapour, and rain, how forcibly are
we struck with these appropriate words in the Scriptures.—Edwin
Sidney, in "Conversations on the Bible and Science,"
1866.
Verse 7. He maketh lightnings for the rain. Dr.
Russell, in his description of the weather at Aleppo, in
September, tells us, that seldom a night passes without much lightning
in the north west quarter, but not attended with thunder,
and that when this lightning appears in the west or south
west points, it is a sure sign of the approaching rain,
which is often followed with thunder. This last clause,
which is not perfectly clear, is afterwards explained in his
more enlarged account of the weather of the year 1746, when he
tells us that though it began to be cloudy on the 4th of
September, and continued so for a few days, and even
thundered, yet no rain fell till the 11th, which shows that
his meaning was, that the lightning in the west or south
west points, which is often followed with thunder, is a sure
sign of the approach of rain. I have before mentioned that a
squall of wind and clouds of dust are the usual forerunners of
these first rains. Most of these things are taken notice of in
Ps 135:7 Jer 10:13 51:16; and serve to illustrate them.
Russell's account determines, I think, that the Nesiim, which
our translators render vapours, must mean, as they
elsewhere translate the word, clouds. It shows that God "maketh
lightnings for the rain", they, in the west and south
west points, being at Aleppo the sure prognostics of
rain. The squalls of wind bring on these refreshing showers, and
are therefore "precious things" of the
"treasuries" of God.—Thomas Harmer.
Verse 7. He maketh lightnings for the rain. The
Psalmist mentions it as another circumstance calling for our
wonder, that lightnings are mixed with rain, things quite
opposite in their nature one from another. Did not custom make
us familiar with the spectacle, we would pronounce this mixture
of fire and water to be a phenomenon altogether incredible. The
same may be said of the phenomena of the winds. Natural causes
can be assigned for them, and philosophers have pointed them
out; but the winds, with their various currents, are a wonderful
work of God. He does not merely assert the power of God, be it
observed, in the sense in which philosophers themselves grant
it, but he maintains that not a drop of rain falls from heaven
without a divine commission or dispensation to that effect. All
readily allow that God is the author of rain, thunder, and wind,
in so far as he originally established this order of things in
nature; but the Psalmist goes farther than this, holding that
when it rains, this is not effected by a blind instinct of
nature, but is the consequence of the decree of God, who is
pleased at one time to darken the sky with clouds, and at
another to brighten it again with sunshine.—John Calvin.
Verse 7. He maketh lightnings for the rain. It
is a great instance of the divine wisdom and goodness, that
lightning should be accompanied by rain, to soften its rage, and
prevent its mischievous effects. Thus, in the midst of judgment,
does God remember mercy. The threatenings in his word against
sinners are like lightning; they would blast and scorch us up,
were it not for his promises made in the same word to penitents,
which, as a gracious rain, turn aside their fury, refreshing and
comforting our frightened spirits.—George Horne.
Verse 7. He bringeth the wind out of his
treasuries. That is, say some, out of the caves and hollow
places of the earth; but I rather conceive that because the wind
riseth many times on a sudden, and as our Saviour saith (Joh
3:8), we cannot tell whence it cometh, therefore God is said
here to bring it forth, as if he had it locked up in readiness
in some secret and hidden treasuries or store houses.—Arthur
Jackson.
Verse 7. He bringeth the wind. The winds are,
with great beauty, represented as laid up by him as jewels in a
treasure house. Indeed, few verses better express creative
control, than those in which the winds, which make sport of
man's efforts and defy his power, are represented as thus ready
to spring forth at God's bidding from the quarters where they
quietly sleep. The occasion comes, the thoughts of Jehovah find
expression in his providence, and his ready servants leap
suddenly forth: "He bringeth the winds out of his
treasuries." But this bringing forth is not for
physical purposes only; it is for great moral and spiritual ends
also. Take one illustration out of many. His people were on the
edge of deepest and most brutish idolatry. They were ready to
fall into a most degraded form of idol worship, when he offered
to them that ever yearning heart of Fatherly love: "Thus
saith the Lord, Learn not the way of the heathen." Their
god is only "the tree cut out of the forest", silvered
over, or decked with gold; "upright as the palm tree, but
speaks not: the stock is a doctrine of vanities; but the Lord is
the true God; he maketh lightnings with rain; he bringeth the
wind out of his treasures." Jer 10:2-16. Thus, too, the
words of Agur to Ithiel and Ucal, "He hath gathered the
wind in his fists." Pr 30:4.—John Duns, in
"Science and Christian Thought," 1868.
Verse 8. Who smote the firstborn of Egypt. The
first born only were smitten; these were singled out in every
family with unerring precision, the houses of the Israelites,
wherever the blood of the lamb was sprinkled on the door posts,
being passed over. The death of all those thousands, both of man
and beast, took place at the same instant—"at
midnight." Is God unrighteous, then, that taketh vengeance?
No; this is an act of retribution. The Egyptians had slain the
children of the Israelites, casting their infants into the
river. Now the affliction is turned upon themselves; the delight
of their eyes is taken from them; all their firstborn are dead,
from the firstborn of Pharaoh that sat upon his throne, unto the
firstborn of the captive that was in the dungeon.—Thomas S.
Millington, in "Signs and Wonders in the Land of Ham,"
1873.
Verse 8. And beast. The Egyptians worshipped
many animals, and when the firstborn of the sacred animals died
the circumstance greatly increased the impressiveness of the
plague as an assault upon the gods of Egypt.—C. H. S.
Suggested by Otto Von Gerlach.
Verses 8-12. Worthy is Jahve to be praised, for he is
the Redeemer out of Egypt. Worthy is he to be praised, for he is
the Conqueror of the Land of Promise.—Franz Delitzsch.
Verse 10. Who smote great nations, etc. It is
better that the wicked should be destroyed a hundred times over
than that they should tempt those who are as yet innocent to
join their company. Let us but think what might have been our
fate, and the fate of every other nation under heaven at this
hour, had the sword of the Israelites done its work more
sparingly. Even as it was, the small portions of the Canaanites
who were left, and the nations around them, so tempted the
Israelites by their idolatrous practices that we read
continually of the whole people of God turning away from his
service. But, had the heathen lived in the land in equal
numbers, and, still more, had they intermarried largely with the
Israelites, how was it possible, humanly speaking, that any
sparks of the light of God's truth should have survived to the
coming of Christ? Would not tim Israelites have lost all their
peculiar character; and if they had retained the name of Jehovah
as of their God, would they not have formed as unworthy notions
of his attributes, and worshipped him with a worship as
abominable as that which the Moabites paid to Chemosh or the
Philistines to Dagon? But this was not to be, and therefore the
nations of Canaan were to be cut off utterly. The Israelites'
sword, in its bloodiest executions, wrought a work of mercy for
all the countries of the earth to the very end of the world.
They seem of very small importance to us now, those perpetual
contests with the Canaanites, and the Midianites, and the
Ammonites, and the Philistines, with which the Books of Joshua
and Judges and Samuel are almost filled. We may half wonder that
God should have interfered in such quarrels, or have changed the
course of nature, in order to give one of the nations of
Palestine the victory over another. But in these contests, on
the fate of one of these nations of Palestine the happiness of
the human race depended. The Israelites fought not for
themselves only, but for us. It might follow that they should
thus be accounted the enemies of all mankind,—it might be that
they were tempted by their very distinctness to despise other
nations; still they did God's work,—still they preserved
unhurt the seed of eternal life, and were the ministers of
blessing to all other nations, even though they themselves
failed to enjoy it.—Thomas Arnold, 1795-1842.
Verse 9. Who sent tokens and wonders.—"Tokens",
that is, signs or evidences of the Divine power. "Wonders",
things fitted to impress the mind with awe; things outside of
the ordinary course of events; things not produced by natural
laws, but by the direct power of God. The allusion here is, of
course, to the plagues of Egypt, as recorded in Exodus.—Albert
Barnes.
Verse 10. Who smote great nations, etc. Let us
not stand in fear of any enemies that rise up against us, and
conspire to hinder the peace of the church, and stop the passage
of the gospel; when God begins to take the cause of his people
into his own hand, and smiteth any of his enemies on the
jawbone, the rest are reserved to the like destruction. For
wherefore doth God punish his adversaries, and enter into
judgment with them? Wherefore doth he visit them, and strike
them down with his right hand? Is it only to take vengeance, and
to show his justice in their confusion? No, it serveth for the
comfort and consolation of his servants, that howsoever God be
patient, yet in the end they shall not escape.—William
Attersoll, 1618.
Verse 11. Sihon king of the Amorites, and Og.
Notice is taken of two kings, Sihon and Og, not as being more
powerful than the rest, but because shutting up the entrance to
the land in front they were the most formidable enemies met
with, and the people, besides, were not as yet habituated to
war.—John Calvin.
Verse 11. Sihon king of the Amorites. When
Israel arrived on the borders of the Promised Land they
encountered Sihon. (Nu 21:21.) He was evidently a man of very
great courage and audacity. Shortly before the time of Israel's
arrival he had dispossessed the Moabites of a splendid
territory, driving them south of the natural bulwark of the
Arnon with great slaughter and the loss of a great number of
captives (Nu 21:26-29). When the Israelite host appears, he does
not hesitate or temporize like Balak, but at once gathers his
people together and attacks them. But the battle was his last.
He and all his host were destroyed, and their district from
Arnon to Jabbok became at once the possession of the conqueror.
Josephus (Ant. 4:5,2) has preserved some singular details of the
battle, which have not survived in the text either of the Hebrew
or 70. He represents the Amorite army as containing every man in
the nation fit to bear arms. He states that they were unable to
fight when away from the shelter of their cities, and that being
especially galled by the slings and arrows of the Hebrews, and
at last suffering severely from thirst, they rushed to the
stream and to the recesses of the ravine of the Arnon. Into
these recesses they were pursued by their active enemy and
slaughtered in vast numbers. Whether we accept these details or
not, it is plain, from the manner in which the name of Sihon
fixes itself in the national mind, and the space which his image
occupies in the official records, and in the later poetry of
Israel, that he was a truly formidable chieftain.—George
Grove, in Smith's Dictionary of the Bible. 1863.
Verse 15. The work of men's hands. Therefore they
should rather, if it were possible, worship man, as their
creator and lord, than be worshipped by him.—Matthew Pool,
1624-1679.
Verses 15-17. The Rev. John Thomas, a missionary in
India, was one day travelling alone through the country, when he
saw a great number of people waiting near an idol temple. He
went up to them, and as soon as the doors were opened, he walked
into the temple. Seeing an idol raised above the people, he
walked boldly up to it, held up his hand, and asked for silence.
He then put his fingers on its eyes, and said, "It has
eyes, but it cannot see! It has ears, but it cannot hear! It has
a nose, but it cannot smell! It has hands, but it cannot handle!
It has a mouth, but it cannot speak! Neither is there any breath
in it!" Instead of doing injury to him for affronting their
god and themselves, the natives were all surprised; and an old
Brahmin was so convinced of his folly by what Mr. Thomas said,
that he also cried out, "It has feet, but cannot run
away!" The people raised a shout, and being ashamed of
their stupidity, they left the temple, and went to their
homes.—From "The New Cyclopcedia of Illustrative
Anecdote," 1875.
Verse 16-17. Mouths, eyes, ears. So many members as
the images have, serving to represent perfections ascribed to
them, so many are the lies.—David Dickson.
Verses 16-17. They can neither speak in answer
to your prayers and inquiries, nor see what you do or
what you want, nor hear your petitions, nor smell
your incenses and sacrifices, nor use their hands either
to take anything from you, or to give anything to you; nor so
much as mutter, nor give the least sign of apprehending
your condition or concerns.—Matthew Pool.
Verse 16-17. Mouths, but they speak not: ears, but
they hear not.
A heated fancy or imagination
May be mistaken for an inspiration.
True; but is this conclusion fair to make—
That inspiration must be all mistake?
A pebble stone is not a diamond: true;
But must a diamond be a pebble too?
To own a God who does not speak to men,
Is first to own, and then disown again;
Of all idolatry the total sum
lase having gods that are both deaf and dumb.
—John Byron, 1691-1763.
Verse 18. Like them shall be those making them,
every one who (is) trusting in them. If the meaning had been
simply, those who make them are like them, Hebrew usage
would have required the verb to be suppressed. Its insertion,
therefore, in the future form (wyhy) requires it to be rendered
strictly shall be, i.e., in fate as well as character.
Idolaters shall perish with their perishable idols. See Isa
1:31.—Joseph Addison Alexander.
Verse 18. People never rise above the level of their
gods, which are to them their better nature.—Andrew Robert
Faussett.
Verse 18. They that make them are like unto them.
Idolatry is a benumbing sin, which bereaveth the idolater of the
right use of his senses.—David Dickson.
Verse 18. They that make them, etc. Teacheth
us, that the idol, the idol maker, and all such also as serve
idols, are not only beastly and blockish before men, but shall
before God, in good time, come to shame and confusion.—Thomas
Wilcocks, 1549-1608.
Verse 18. Like unto them. A singular
phenomenon, known as the Spectre of the Brocken, is seen on a
certain mountain in Germany. The traveller who at dawn stands on
the topmost ridge beholds a colossal shadowy spectre. But in
fact it is only his own shadow projected upon the morning mists
by the rising sun; and it imitates, of course, every movement of
its creator. So heathen nations have mistaken their own image
for Deity. Their gods display human frailties and passions and
scanty virtues, projected and magnified upon the heavens, just
as the small figures on the slide of a magic lantern are
projected, magnified, and illuminated upon a white sheet.—From
Elan Foster's New Cyclopoedia of Illustrations, 1870.
Verse 18. Like unto them. How many are like
idol images, when they have eyes, ears, and mouths as though
they had none: that is, when they do not use them when and how
they should!—Christoph Starke.
Verse 19. Bless the LORD. Blessing of God is to
wish well to, and speak well of God, out of goodwill to God
himself, and a sense of his goodness to ourselves. God loves
your good word, that is, to be spoken of well by you; he
rejoiceth in your well wishes, and to hear from you expressions
of rejoicings in his own independent blessedness. Though God
hath an infinite ocean of all blessedness, to which we can add
nothing, and he is therefore called by way of eminency,
"The Blessed One" (Mr 14:61), a title solely proper
and peculiar to him, yet he delights to hear the amen of
the saints, his creatures, resounding thereto; he delights to
hear us utter our "so be it."—Thomas Goodwin.
Verse 19. Bless the LORD. And not an idol (Isa
66:3), as the Philistines did their Dagon, and as Papists still
do their he saints and she saints.—John Trapp.
Verse 20. Bless the LORD, O house Of Levi. In
Ps 115:1-18 the exhortation given is to trust or hope
in the Lord; here, to bless him. The Levites are
mentioned in addition to the house of Aaron, there being two
orders of priesthood. Everything else in the two Psalms is the
same, except that, in the last verse, the Psalmist here joins
himself, along with the rest of the Lord's people, in blessing
God.—Franz Delitzsch.
Verse 20. Ye that fear the LORD, bless the LORD.
These are distinct from the Israelites, priests, and Levites,
and design the proselytes among them of other nations that truly
feared God, as Jarchi notes; and all such persons, whoever and
wherever they are, have reason to bless the Lord for the fear of
him they have, which is not from nature but from grace; and for
the favours shown them, the blessings bestowed upon them, the
good things laid up for them, and the guard that is about them,
which the Scriptures abundantly declare, and experience
confirms.—John Gill.
Verse 20. Ye that fear the LORD, bless the LORD.
In Scripture it is quite common to find this "fear"
put for holiness itself, or the sum of true religion. It is not,
therefore, such a fear as seized the hearts of our first parents
when, hearing the voice of the Lord God, they hid themselves
amongst the trees of the garden; nor such as suddenly quenched
the noise of royal revelry in the night of Babylon's overthrow;
nor such as, on some day yet future, shall drive despairing
sinners to the unavailing shelter of the mountains and rocks. It
is not the fear of guilty distrust, or of hatred, or of
bondage—that fear which hath torment, and which perfect love
casteth out; but a fear compatible with the highest privileges,
attainments, and hopes of the Christian life. It is the fear of
deep humility and reverence, of filial subjection, and adoring
gratitude; the fear which "blesseth the Lord", saying,
"His mercy endureth for ever."—John Lillie
(1812-1867), in "Lectures on the Epistles of
Peter."
Verse 21. The conclusion, Ps 135:21, alludes to the
conclusion of the preceding Psalm. There, the Lord blesses thee
out of Zion; here, let him be blessed out of Zion. The praise
proceeds from the same place from which the blessing issues. For
Zion is the place where the community dwells with God.—E.
W. Hengstenberg.
Verse 21. Praise ye the LORD. When the song of
praise is sung unto God, the work of his praise is not ended,
but must be continued, renewed, and followed still: "Praise
ye the LORD."—David Dickson.
Verse 21. Bless, Praise. We are not only to
bless God, but to praise him: "All thy works shall praise
thee, O LORD; and thy saints shall bless thee." Blessing
relateth to his benefits, praise to his excellencies. We bless
him for what he is to us, we praise him for what he is in
himself. Now, whether we bless him, or praise him; it is still
to increase our love to him, and delight in him; for God is not
affected with the flattery of empty praises; yet this is an
especial duty, which is of use to you, as all other duties are.
It doth you good to consider him as an infinite and eternal
Being, and of glorious and incomprehensible majesty. It is
pleasant and profitable to us.—Thomas Manton.
HINTS TO THE VILLAGE PREACHER
Verses 1-4.
1. The Employment. Praise three times commended, and in three
respects.
a) With respect to God: not his works merely, but himself.
b) With respect to ourselves: it is pleasant and profitable.
c) With respect to others: it best recommends our religion to
all who hear it. All others are religions of fear, ours of joy
and praise.
2. The Persons: servants in attendance at his house, who
stand there by appointment, ready to hear, ready to obey.
3. The Motives.
a) In general. It is due to God, because he is good; and it
is pleasant to us: Ps 135:3.
b) In particular. Those who are specially privileged by God
should specially praise him. Ps 135:4. "This people have I
formed for myself; they shall show forth my praise."—G.
R.
Verse 1. Praise ye the LORD.
1. The Lord ought to be praised.
2. He ought to be praised by you.
3. He ought to be praised now:let us remember his present
favours.
4. He ought to be praised in everything for ever.
Verse 1. Praise him, O ye servants of the LORD.
1. Praise him for the privilege of serving him.
2. Praise him for the power to serve him.
3. Praise him for the acceptance of your service.
4. Praise him as the chief part of your service.
5. Praise him that others may be induced to engage in his
service.
—W. H. J. P.
Verse 2. What is at this day "the house of the
Lord"? Who may be said to stand in it? What special reasons
have they for praise?
Verse 2. The nearer to God, the dearer to God; and the
better our place, the sweeter our praise.—W. B. H.
Verse 2-5. Our God, Our Lord. Sweet subject.
See our Exposition.
Verse 3. Praise the Lord,
1. For the excellence of his nature.
2. For the revelation of his name.
3. For the pleasantness of his worship.
Verse 4. It is a song of praise, and therefore
election is mentioned because it is a motive for song.
1. The Choice—"The Lord hath chosen."
Divine. Sovereign. Gracious. Immutable.
2. The Consecration—"Chosen Jacob to
himself." To know him. To preserve his truth. To maintain
his worship. To manifest his grace. To keep alive the hope of
the Coming One.
3. The Separation—implied in the special choice. By
being taken into covenant: Abraham and his seed. By receiving
the covenant inheritance: Canaan. By redemption. By power and by
blood out of Egypt. Wilderness separation. Settled establishment
in their own land.
4. The Elevation. In name—from Jacob to Israel. In
value—from worthless to precious. In purpose and use—crown
jewels. In preservation kept as treasures. In delight—God
rejoices in his people as his heritage.
Verse 5. I know that the LORD is great.
1. By observing nature and providence.
2. By reading his word.
3. By my own conversion, comfort, and regeneration.
4. By my after experience.
5. By my overpowering communion with him.
Verse 5. Delicious dogmatism. "I know,"
etc.
1. What I know.
a) The Lord,
b) That he is great.
c) That he is above all.
2. Why I know it.
a) Because he is "our Lord."
b) By his operations in nature, providence, and grace (Ps
135:6-13).
3. My incorrigible obstinacy in this regard is proof against
worshippers of all other gods: which gods are effeminate;
without sovereignty; no god, or any god.—W. B. H.
Verse 6. Whatsoever the LORD pleased, that did he.
God's good pleasure in the work of grace. Seen, not in the death
of the wicked, Eze 33:11; but in the election of his people, 1Sa
12:22; in the infliction of suffering on the substitute, Isa
53:10; in the provision of all fulness for his people in Christ,
Col 1:19; in the arrangement of salvation by faith in Christ,
Joh 6:39; in instituting preaching as the means of salvation,
1Co 1:21; in the adoption of believers as his children, Eph 1:5;
in their sanctification, 1Th 4:3; in their ultimate triumph and
reign, Lu 12:32.—C. A. D.
Verse 6. (last words). The power of God in
places of trouble, change, and danger—seas;and in
conditions of sin, weakness, despair, perplexity—in all deep
places.
Verses 6-12. The Resistless Pleasure of Jehovah.
1. Behold it as here exemplified:
a) Ruling all nature.
b) Overturning a rebellious nation.
c) Making sport of kings and crowns.
d) Laying a fertile country at the feet of the chosen.
2. Be wise in view thereof.
a) Submit to it: it sweeps the seas, and lays hands on earth
and heaven.
b) Think not to hide from it: the "ends of the
earth" and "all deep places" are open to it; it
is swifter than its own lightnings.
c) Be awed by its majesty: God's way is strewn with crowns
and the bones of kings.
d) Seek its protection: its mightiest efforts are in defence
of those it favours.
e) Let the Lord's people fear not with so great a God, and so
exhaustless an armoury.—W. B. H.
Verse 13. Thy name, O LORD, endureth for ever.
1. As the embodiment of perfection:God's attributes
and glory.
2. As the object of veneration:"Holy and reverent
is his name."
3. As the cause of salvation:"For my name's
sake", etc.
4. As the centre of attraction:"In his name shall
the Gentiles trust." "Our desire is to the remembrance
of thy name." "Where two or three are gathered in my
name", etc.
5. As a plea in supplication:"For thy name's
sake, pardon", etc. "Hitherto ye have asked nothing in
my name."
6. As a warrant for action:"Whatsoever ye do, do
all in the name", etc.
7. As a refuge in tribulation:"The name of the
Lord is a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it, and is
safe." "I have kept them in thy name."
8. As a mark of glorification:"I will write upon
him the name of my God."
9. As a terror to transgressors:"My name is
dreadful among the heathen."—W. J.
Verse 14. The LORD will judge his people.
Others would like to do it, but must not. The world has seven
judgment days in every week, but shall not be able to condemn
the saints. He himself will judge. How will he judge them
1. Their persons, as to whether they are in or out of Christ.
2. Their principles, as to whether they are genuine or spurious.
3. Their prayers, as to whether they are availing or useless.
4. Their profession, as to whether it is true or false.
5. Their procedure, as to whether it is good or bad.—W. J.
Verse 14.
1. The position of believers his people.
2. The discipline of God's family.
3. The tenderness of the Lord to them.
4. The safety of believers: they are still the Lord's.
Verse 15. Silver and gold. These are idols in
our own land, among worldlings, and with some professors. Show
the folly and wickedness of loving riches, and the evils which
come of it.
Verses 16-17. The Portrait of many,
1. "Mouths, but they speak not." No prayer,
praise, confession.
2. "Eyes, but they see not." Discern not,
understand not, take no warning; do not look to Christ.
3. "Ears, but they hear not." Attend no
ministry, or are present but unaffected; hear not God.
4. "Neither is there any breath in their
mouths." No life, no tokens of life, no prayer and
praise which are the breath of spiritual life.
Verse 18.
1. Men make idols like themselves.
2. The idols make their makers like themselves. Describe both
processes.
Verse 19. House of Israel. The Lord's great
goodness to all his people, perceived and proclaimed, and the
Lord praised for it.
Verse 19. House of Aaron. God's blessing on
Aaron's house typical of his grace to those who are priests unto
God.
Verses 19-21.
1. The Exhortation.
a) To bless the Lord.
b) To bless him in his own house.
2. To whom it is addressed.
a) To the house of Israel, or the whole church.
b) To the house of Aaron, or ministers of the sanctuary.
c) To the house of Levi, or the attendants upon ministers,
and assistants in the services.
d) To all who fear God, wherever they may be. Even they who
fear God are invited to praise him, which is a sure sign that he
delighteth in mercy.—G. R.
Verse 20. The Levites, their history, duties, rewards,
and obligations to bless God.
Verse 20. (second clause).
1. The fear of God includes all religion.
2. The fear of the Lord suggests praise.
3. The fear of the Lord renders praise acceptable.
Verse 21.
1. The double fact.
a) Blessing perpetually ascending from Zion to God.
b) God perpetually blessing his people by dwelling with them in
Zion.
2. The double reason for praise, which is found in the double
fact, and concerns every member of the church.