Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Psalms 22:23
Ye that fear the LORD, praise him; all ye the seed of Jacob, glorify him; and fear him, all ye the seed of Israel.
23. ye that fear the Lord ] Possibly coextensive with the seed of Jacob, but pointing rather to the inner circle of true believers who are in fullest sympathy with the Psalmist. See note on Psa 115:11.
seed of Jacob seed of Israel ] Cp. Isa 45:19; Isa 45:25.
fear him ] R.V., stand in awe of Him (Psa 33:8).
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
23, 24. Already he can imagine himself standing ‘in the great congregation.’ These are the words in which he summons them to praise.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Ye that fear the Lord – A phrase denoting those who are pious.
Praise him – This is language which may be supposed to be addressed by the speaker in the great congregation. In the previous verse he had said that he would praise God in the midst of the congregation; he here speaks as if he were in that congregation, and addressing them. He, therefore, calls on them to praise and honor God.
All ye the seed of Jacob, glorify him – The descendants of Jacob; that is, all who are true worshippers of God.
And fear him – Honour him, worship him. See the notes at Psa 5:7.
All ye the seed of Israel – Another name for Jacob Gen 32:28, and designed to denote also all who are true worshippers of Yahweh.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 23. Ye that fear the Lord] This is an exhortation to the Jews particularly, to profit by the preaching of the Gospel. Perhaps, by them that fear him, the Gentiles, and particularly the proselytes, may be intended. The Jews are mentioned by name: Glorify him, all ye seed of Jacob; fear him, all ye seed of Israel.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Praise him; partly for my sake, and chiefly for your own benefit received by my deliverance.
All ye the seed of Israel: the two universal particles seem to intimate that he speaks not only of the carnal, but also of the spiritual seed; which also is more than probable, by comparing this with Psa 22:27,28.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
Ye that fear the Lord, praise him,…. By whom are meant, not the proselytes among the Gentiles, as distinct from the Jews, which is the sense of some Jewish interpreters n; but all the people of God, whether Jews or Gentiles, who have the grace of filial and godly fear put into their hearts, with which they worship God, and walk before him in all holy conversation; which is not a fear of wrath, or a distrust of divine goodness; but is a reverential affection for God, and is consistent with the greatest degree of faith, the strongest expressions of spiritual joy and holy courage: it includes the whole worship of God, internal and external; and such who have it in their hearts, and before their eyes, are called upon by Christ to praise the Lord for him, for the unspeakable gift of his love; that he has not spared his son, but delivered him up for them, to undergo so much sorrow, and such sufferings as before related, to obtain salvation for them; and that he has delivered him out of them, raised him from the dead, and has given him glory;
all ye the seed of Jacob, glorify him; not the natural, but spiritual seed of Jacob, who walk in the steps of the faith of that man of God; these are exhorted to glorify the Lord with their bodies and spirits, which are his, being redeemed with the precious blood of Christ; by believing in him, glorying in him, and offering praise unto him;
and fear him, all ye the seed of Israel; who are the same with the seed of Jacob, Jacob and Israel being two names of the same person; and design not Israel according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit; the whole Israel of God, the all spiritual seed of Israel, who are justified in Christ, and are saved in him; they are the same with them that fear the Lord, and are here stirred up to exercise the grace of fear upon him; to fear him only, and not men, though ever so mighty and powerful, as before described in Ps 22:12; and that not only because of his power and greatness; but because of his grace and goodness, as shown forth in Christ Jesus.
n Midrash Tillim, Jarchi & Aben Ezra, in loc.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
23. Ye who fear Jehovah. Here, again, the Psalmist expresses more distinctly the fruit of public and solemn thanksgiving, of which I have spoken before, declaring, that by engaging in this exercise, every man in his own place invites and stirs up the church by his example to praise God. He tells us, that the end for which he will praise the name of God in the public assembly is to encourage his brethren to do the same. But as hypocrites commonly thrust themselves into the church, and as on the barn-floor of the Lord the chaff is mingled with the wheat, he addresses himself expressly to the godly, and those who fear God. Impure and wicked men may sing the praises of God with open mouth, but assuredly, they do nothing else than pollute and profane his holy name. It were, indeed, an object much to be desired, that men of all conditions in the world would, with one accord, join in holy melody to the Lord. But as the chief and most essential part of this harmony proceeds from a sincere and pure affection of heart, none will ever, in a right manner, celebrate the glory of God, except the man who worships him under the influence of holy fear. David names, a little after, the seed of Jacob and Israel, having a reference to the common calling of the people; and certainly, he put no obstacle in the way to hinder even all the children of Abraham from praising God with one accord. But as he saw that many of the Israelites were bastard and degenerate, he distinguishes true and sincere Israelites from them; and at the same time shows that God’s name is not duly celebrated, unless where there is true piety and the inward fear of God. Accordingly, in his exhortation he again joins together the praises of God and reverence towards him. — Fear him, ye seed of Israel, says he; for all the fair faces which hypocrites put on in this matter are nothing but pure mockery. The fear which he recommends is not, however, such as would frighten the faithful from approaching God, but that which will bring them truly humbled into his sanctuary, as has been stated in the fifth psalm. Some may be surprised to find David addressing an exhortation to praise God, (521) to those whom he had previously commended for doing so. But this is easily explained, for even the holiest men in the world are never so thoroughly imbued with the fear of God as not to have need of being continually incited to its exercise. Accordingly, the exhortation is not at all superfluous when, speaking of those who fear God, he exhorts them to stand in awe of him, and to prostrate themselves humbly before him.
(521) It is “praise God,” both in the Latin and French versions; but the train of thought seems to require that it should be “fear God.”
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(23, 24) These verses contain the substance of the poets joyful announcement.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
23. Ye that fear the Lord The call is to spiritual Israel. Psa 22:23-24, as Bishop Lowth suggests, contain the praise song of the preceding verse, which the psalmist now puts into the mouth of the Church.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
‘You who fear YHWH, praise Him. All you, the seed of Jacob, glorify Him. And stand in awe of Him, all you the seed of Israel.’
And in fulfilment of His promise He calls on all who fear YHWH to praise Him, and all ‘the seed of Jacob/Israel’ (representing God’s true people) to glorify Him and stand in awe of Him. Note the close connection with ideas in Isaiah 41-49 where the seeds of Jacob and Israel are constantly in mind, are closely connected with the Servant, and are to be restored. Now the Servant will fulfil His promised ministry to them (Isa 49:6).
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
Here is the first declaration of his name unto Israel, after the flesh; and that they should be gathered unto him to praise him. Yes, Jesus shall have a church, a seed to serve him, to call him blessed.
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Psa 22:23 Ye that fear the LORD, praise him; all ye the seed of Jacob, glorify him; and fear him, all ye the seed of Israel.
Ver. 23. Ye that fear the Lord, praise him ] viz. For your redemption by Christ’s death and resurrection. Neither are any fit for such a purpose but such as fear the Lord. Excellent words become not a fool’s mouth, saith Solomon; Christ would not suffer the devil to confess him. To be praised by a praiseless person is no praise, saith Seneca.
All ye seed of Jacob
All ye the seed of Israel
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Ye: i.e. the Gentiles of Psa 18:49; Psa 117:1. Deu 32:43. Isa 11:1, Isa 11:10. word as in third line.
that fear = that stand in awe. Hebrew. gur. Not the same Jacob . . . Israel. See notes on Gen 32:28; Gen 43:6; Gen 45:26, Gen 45:28.
fear = revere. Referring to Israel. Hebrew. yare’. Not the same word as in first line and Psa 22:25.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
fear
(See Scofield “Psa 19:9”).
Fuente: Scofield Reference Bible Notes
Ye that: Psa 115:11, Psa 115:13, Psa 135:19, Psa 135:20, Psa 145:19, 1Ch 16:8-13, Luk 1:50
all ye: Psa 105:3-7, Psa 106:5, Psa 107:1, Psa 107:2, Psa 135:19, Psa 135:20
glorify: Psa 50:23, Isa 25:3, Luk 2:20, 1Co 6:19, 1Co 6:20, 1Co 10:31, Rev 15:4
all ye the: Psa 22:30, 1Ch 16:13
Reciprocal: Psa 34:9 – fear Psa 50:15 – glorify Psa 57:9 – General Psa 66:16 – and I will Psa 118:4 – General Psa 118:21 – General Psa 145:6 – And men Psa 145:10 – and thy saints Isa 45:25 – the seed Luk 20:38 – a God Act 21:20 – they glorified
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Psa 22:23-25. Ye that fear the Lord, praise him Not only for my sake, (they are the words of the risen and exalted Saviour,) but chiefly for your own benefit, received through my deliverance from death, and exaltation to Gods right hand, by which I am made head over all things, for the good of my church and people. All ye seed of Jacob, &c. He first addresses himself to his ancient people, to whom the gospel was first to be preached. How long, O Lord, holy and true, shall thy once highly favoured nation continue deaf to this gracious call of thine? For he hath not despised thee, &c. He hath not rejected, but graciously accepted, my humiliation and sufferings, as a propitiation and sacrifice for the sins of the world, which acceptance is testified by my resurrection from the dead: inasmuch as the discharge of the surety proves the payment of the debt. This is the great subject of praise and thanksgiving in the church of Christ. My praise shall be of thee in the great congregation In the universal church, made up of Jews and Gentiles, as the following verses explain it. I will pay my vows before them that fear him Those praises and services which, in my distress, I vowed to return unto thee when thou didst deliver me. The vow of Christ was to build and consecrate to Jehovah a spiritual temple, in which the spiritual sacrifices of prayer and praise should be continually offered. This vow he performed, after his resurrection, by the hands of his apostles, and still continues to perform, by those of his ministers, carrying on the work of edification in the great congregation of the Gentile Christian Church. The vows of Christ cannot fail of being performed. Happy are they whom he vouchsafeth to use as his instruments in the performance of them. Horne.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
22:23 Ye that fear the LORD, {n} praise him; all ye the seed of Jacob, glorify him; and fear him, all ye the seed of Israel.
(n) He promises to exhort the Church that they by his example might praise the Lord.
Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes
David next called on the congregation of Israel to join him in praising God because He had come to his aid (cf. Psa 22:1-2). David had evidently made vows to God during the time of his distress that he now promised to pay. Vows in Israel were promises to give God something if God would do a certain thing for the person vowing, or because He had already done a certain thing for him or her. People sometimes vowed material things, but often they promised to give praise.
Psa 22:26 describes a reversal of the bad conditions previously referred to as characteristic of David in his misery (cf. Psa 22:14-15; Psa 22:17). These words would have encouraged God’s people to keep praying and trusting in the Lord.