Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Psalms 145:10
All thy works shall praise thee, O LORD; and thy saints shall bless thee.
10. All thy works shall give thanks unto thee ] Responding to Jehovah’s goodness and compassion. The works of creation are meant, which bear witness to the sovereignty of their Creator by their obedience to His laws, to His goodness by their manifold beauty, to His greatness by their immeasurable vastness and infinite variety.
thy saints ] Thy beloved, or, thy godly ones; those who are the objects of Thy lovingkindness, or who reflect Thy character in their own. See Appendix, Note I.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
All thy works shall praise thee – Or, do praise thee; that is, all thy works show what thou art, and combine in setting forth thy perfections. See the notes at Psa 19:1.
And thy saints shall bless thee – Or, do bless thee. All those who are holy in heaven and on earth, the angels around thy throne, and thy people below, all combine to proclaim thy praise.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Psa 145:10
All Thy works shall praise Thee, O Lord; and Thy saints shall bless Thee.
Twofold worship
I. Gods works.
1. They reveal Him–as the building the architect, or the book the author.
2. They obey Him–never transgress His orders, or neglect His behests.
II. Gods children.
1. They reveal Him more fully. There is more of God seen in the rays of reason, the sparks of fancy, the sensibility of conscience, the volitions of will, of one soul than in all the beauty of the landscape, or the brightness of the heavens.
2. They obey Him more loftily.
(1) Intelligently.
(2) Consciously.
(3) Freely.
(4) Happily. (D. Thomas, D. D.)
Concerning saints
Do not throw yourselves back in your seats, and say, This will be a sermon for saints, and therefore we need not attend. For the first clause of our text gives you a fair word and a kindly hint. All Thy works shall praise Thee, O Lord; for if you are not Jehovahs saints you yet are His works. Every created thing appears to praise God by its very existence. The heavens declare the glory of God, etc. Arouse thee, then. Thou art a creature, if not a new creature, in Christ Jesus. Adore thy Benefactor. Yet the text is mainly for a special people; Thy saints shall bless Thee. All throughout the Word of God there is kept up a very clear and sharp distinction between those that fear God and those that fear Him not. So note–
I. God has a people whom He calls His saints. Who are they? Are they all dead? It is supposed so, for it is the usage of the Popery around us to call men saints who have been long in their graves. Somebody wrote me the other day about his sainted mother. What did he mean? Had the Pope canonized her? Or did she become a saint by dying? When Paul wrote to the Churches he called the members of them saints. They were living men and women of whom he thus spake. They were like ourselves, and often inferior to ourselves. I believe that the Church of God to-day, as a whole, is better than the Church of Corinth. What is it to be a saint? Some people do not want to know, for with them it is a term of contempt. They say, Oh, he is one of your saints! They lay emphasis on the word saints; as if it were something disgraceful or at least hypocritical. Whenever I have that said to me (and it has happened more than once), I take my hat off out of respect for the title. I had rather be a saint than a Knight of the Garter. I have sometimes heard of the latter day saints. I do not know much about them, but I greatly prefer the every day saints. Holiness must be a part of ourselves; it must be our nature to be saintly. Saints are not perfect people. Some will say of themselves that they are free from sin. But I have never met with such. A certain great painter had been accustomed to perform great feats with his brush; but one day, having finished a picture, he laid down his palette, and said to his wife, My power to paint is gone! Oh, said she, how is that? Well, he answered, up to this day I have always been dissatisfied with my productions; but the last picture I have painted perfectly satisfied me, and therefore I am certain I shall never be able to paint anything worth looking at again. To be dissatisfied with oneself is to be capable of higher things, but to be satisfied is to have lost the very faculty of progress. We cannot, therefore, be satisfied with ourselves; still we know, also, that sin has not dominion over us, and in this we do and will rejoice. But saints are–
1. Those whom God hath set apart for Himself.
2. Called effectually by His grace. And they are to be known–
1. By their holy life. Without holiness no man shall see the Lord. A man is described in Scripture, not by his infirmities, but by the general run and current of his life. We say of a river that it runs to the south, although there may be eddies along the banks which run in an opposite direction. Still, these are an inconsiderable matter. The main stream of the Thames, wind as it may, runs ever towards the sea. And the main stream and current of the saints life is Godward. But, says one, holiness is imputed. It cannot be imputed. The righteousness of Christ is, but holiness is quite another term, and Gods Word never speaks of the imputation of holiness. Where shall we find these saints? Nowhere, says slander, but that is not true; there are many of them, the ornaments of our households, the pillars of our Churches, the delights of our communion and the glory of Christ. And they are Gods saints; Thy salts shall, etc. The devil has his saints, and Rome hers, and self-righteousness and ceremonialism theirs; but God has His own.
II. They are placed in the first rank. All Gods works shall praise Him, but His saints shall bless Him, because they are in a peculiar manner Gods works. He has twice created them: they stand in a covenant relation with Him. None but Christs own people can be said to be interested in the covenant of grace. I pray for them, said our Lord; I pray not for the world. Gods tenderest consideration is given to them. He cares for all His works, but His children, what care He gives to them. No farmer has as much care for his barn-door chickens as he has for his own little chicks indoors. Like as a father pitieth his children, so, etc. How God has loved us, and does so, even when we have forgotten Him. One said to me the other day, What will become of Gordon? I answered, He is safe enough, I believe; for he has given himself into the band of God, and He will take care of him. To this the questioner replied, somewhat flippantly, It may be so; but, you see, he is so dashing that he gives God a great deal to think of and to do. I did not like the expression, but still it is true of us all. The office of Preserver of men is no sinecure in the hands of God. And how God visits us. He visits the earth and waters it, but how He comes to His people. And at the end they shall be crowned with glory and honour.
III. They render a special homage. Gods works praise, but His saints bless Him. Praise has not in it those elements of warmth which belong to blessing God. You can praise a man and yet have no kind regard for him. No doubt after Waterloo the French soldiers praised Wellington, but none of them blessed him. They would say, He must be a marvellous warrior to have overcome Napoleon, but they could have no love for him. Praising God is good, but blessing him is better. The lily lifts itself upon its slender stem and displays its golden petals and its glittering ivory leaves; and so it praises God. And the sea, and the birds. But they cannot bless Him. Only His saints do that. Let us do so more and more. (C. H. Spurgeon.)
Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell
Verse 10. All thy works shall praise thee] Whom? The God who is good to all.
Thy saints] chasideycha, thy compassionate ones; those who are partakers of thy great mercy, Ps 145:8. These shall bless thee, because they know, they feel, that thou willest the salvation of all. The dark, the gloomy, the hard-hearted, the narrow-minded bigots, who never have had thy love shed abroad in their hearts, can unfeelingly deal in the damnation of their fellows.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
All thy works shall praise thee; objectively, they give men and angels just occasion to praise thee.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
10. blessas in Ps145:1, to praise with reverence, more than merely to praise.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
All thy works shall praise thee, O Lord,…. Not all his works or creatures in general; though these do objectively praise him, or are the cause rather of others praising him on their account: but those who are in a special manner the works of his hands, of his powerful and efficacious grace; when he has formed for himself, that they may show forth his praise; such as are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people: these in an eminent sense, in the best way and manner, praise their blessed Saviour and Redeemer; see Isa 43:21;
and thy saints shall bless thee: which are mentioned last, not as distinct from the former; but as explanative of them, as well as of their work: these are they that are set apart by the Lord, on whom his favours are bestowed; to whom Christ is made sanctification, and who are sanctified by his blood, and also by his Spirit; and, being sensible of the blessings of grace they receive from him, rise up and call him blessed, and ascribe blessing, honour, glory, and praise to him, for ever and ever.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
| Grateful Acknowledgments. | |
10 All thy works shall praise thee, O LORD; and thy saints shall bless thee. 11 They shall speak of the glory of thy kingdom, and talk of thy power; 12 To make known to the sons of men his mighty acts, and the glorious majesty of his kingdom. 13 Thy kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and thy dominion endureth throughout all generations. 14 The LORD upholdeth all that fall, and raiseth up all those that be bowed down. 15 The eyes of all wait upon thee; and thou givest them their meat in due season. 16 Thou openest thine hand, and satisfiest the desire of every living thing. 17 The LORD is righteous in all his ways, and holy in all his works. 18 The LORD is nigh unto all them that call upon him, to all that call upon him in truth. 19 He will fulfil the desire of them that fear him: he also will hear their cry, and will save them. 20 The LORD preserveth all them that love him: but all the wicked will he destroy. 21 My mouth shall speak the praise of the LORD: and let all flesh bless his holy name for ever and ever.
The greatness and goodness of him who is optimus et maximus—the best and greatest of beings, were celebrated in the former part of the psalm; here, in these verses, we are taught to give him the glory of his kingdom, in the administration of which his greatness and goodness shine so clearly, so very brightly. Observe, as before,
I. From whom the tribute of praise is expected (v. 10): All God’s works shall praise him. They all minister to us matter for praise, and so praise him according to their capacity; even those that refuse to give him honour he will get himself honour upon. But his saints do bless him, not only as they have peculiar blessings from him, which other creatures have not, but as they praise him actively, while his other works praise him only objectively. They bless him, for they collect the rent or tribute of praise from the inferior creatures, and pay it into the treasury above. All God’s works do praise him, as the beautiful building praises the builder or the well-drawn picture praises the painter; but the saints bless him as the children of prudent tender parents rise up and call them blessed. Of all God’s works, his saints, the workmanship of his grace, the first-fruits of his creatures, have most reason to bless him.
II. For what this praise is to be given: They shall speak of thy kingdom. The kingdom of God among men is a thing to be often thought of and often spoken of. As, before, he had magnified God’s greatness and goodness in general, so here he magnifies them with application to his kingdom. Consider then,
1. The greatness of his kingdom. It is great indeed, for all the kings and kingdoms of the earth are under his control. To show the greatness of God’s kingdom, he observes, (1.) The pomp of it. Would we by faith look within the veil, we should see, and, believing, we should speak of the glory of his kingdom (v. 11), the glorious majesty of it (v. 12), for he has prepared his throne in the heavens, and it is high and lifted up, and surrounded with an innumerable company of angels. The courts of Solomon and Ahasuerus were magnificent; but, compared with the glorious majesty of God’s kingdom, they were but as glow-worms to the sun. The consideration of this should strike an awe upon us in all our approaches to God. (2.) The power of it: When they speak of the glory of God’s kingdom they must talk of his power, the extent of it, the efficacy of it–his power, by which he can do any thing and does every thing he pleases (v. 11); and, as a proof of it, let them make known his mighty acts (v. 12), that the sons of men may be invited to yield themselves his willing subjects and so put themselves under the protection of such a mighty potentate. (3.) The perpetuity of it, v. 13. The thrones of earthly princes totter, and the flowers of their crowns wither, monarchies come to an end; but, Lord, thy kingdom is an everlasting kingdom. God will govern the world to the end of time, when the Mediator, who is now entrusted with the administration of his kingdom, shall deliver it up to God, even the Father, that he may be all in all to eternity. His dominion endures throughout all generations, for he himself is eternal, and his counsels are unchangeable and uniform; and Satan, who has set up a kingdom in opposition to him, is conquered and in a chain.
2. The goodness of his kingdom. His royal style and title are, The Lord God, gracious and merciful; and his government answers to his title. The goodness of God appears in what he does,
(1.) For all the creatures in general (Psa 145:15; Psa 145:16): He provides food for all flesh, and therein appears his everlasting mercy, Ps. cxxxvi. 25. All the creatures live upon God, and, as they had their being from him at first, so from him they have all the supports of their being and on him they depend for the continuance of it. [1.] The eye of their expectation attends upon him: The eyes of all wait on thee. The inferior creatures indeed have not the knowledge of God, nor are capable of it, and yet they are said to wait upon God, because they seek their food according to the instinct which the God of nature has put into them (and they sow not, neither do they reap, Matt. vi. 26), and because they take what the God of nature has provided for them, in the time and way that he has appointed, and are content with it. [2.] The hand of his bounty is stretched out to them: Thou givest them their meat in due season, the meat proper for them, and in the proper time, when they need it; so that none of the creatures ordinarily perish for want of food, no, not in the winter. Thou openest thy hand freely and liberally, and satisfiest the desire of every living thing, except some of the unreasonable children of men, that will be satisfied with nothing, but are still complaining, still crying, Give, give.
(2.) For the children of men in particular, whom he governs as reasonable creatures.
[1.] He does none of them any wrong, for (v. 17) the Lord is righteous in all his ways, and not unrighteous in any of them; he is holy, and acts like himself, with a perfect rectitude in all his works. In all the acts of government he is just, injurious to none, but administering justice to all. The ways of the lord are equal, though ours are unequal. In giving laws, in deciding controversies, in recompensing services, and punishing offences, he is incontestably just, and we are bound to own that he is so.
[2.] He does all of them good, his own people in a special manner.
First, He supports those that are sinking, and it is his honour to help the weak, v. 14. He upholds all that fall, in that, though they fall, they are not utterly cast down. Many of the children of men are brought very low by sickness and other distresses, and seem ready to drop into the grave, and yet Providence wonderfully upholds them, raises them up, and says, Return, Ps. cx. 3. If all had died who once seemed dying, the world would have been very thin. Many of the children of God, who have been ready to fall into sin, to fall into despair, have experienced his goodness in preventing their falls, or recovering them speedily by his graces and comforts, so that, though they fell, they were not utterly cast down, Ps. xxxvii. 24. If those who were bowed down by oppression and affliction are raised up, it was God that raised them. And, with respect to all those that are heavy-laden under the burden of sin, if they come to Christ by faith, he will ease them, he will raise them.
Secondly, He is very ready to hear and answer the prayers of his people, Psa 145:18; Psa 145:19. In this appears the grace of his kingdom, that his subjects have not only liberty of petitioning, but all the encouragement that can be to petition. 1. The grant is very rich, that God will be nigh to all that call upon him; he will be always within call of their prayers, and they shall always find themselves within reach of his help. If a neighbour that is near is better than a brother afar off (Prov. xxvii. 10), much more a God that is near. Nay, he will not only be nigh to them, that they may have the satisfaction of being heard, but he will fulfil their desires; they shall have what they ask and find that they seek. It was said (v. 16) that he satisfies the desire of every living thing, much more will he fulfil the desire of those that fear him; for he that feeds his birds will not starve his babes. He will hear their call and will save them; that is hearing them to purpose, as he heard David (that is, saved him) from the horn of the unicorn, Ps. xxii. 21. 2. The proviso is very reasonable. He will hear and help us, (1.) If we fear him, if we worship and serve him with a holy awe of him; for otherwise how can we expect that he should accept us? (2.) If we call upon him in truth; for he desires truth in the inward part. We must be faithful to God, and sincere in our professions of dependence on him, and devotedness to him. In all devotions inward impressions must be answerable to the outward expressions, else they are not performed in truth.
Thirdly, He takes those under his special protection who have a confidence and complacency in him (v. 20): The Lord preserves all those that love him; they lie exposed in this world, but he, by preserving them in their integrity, will effectually secure them, that no real evil shall befal them.
[3.] If any are destroyed they may thank themselves: All the wicked he will destroy, but they have by their wickedness fitted themselves for destruction. This magnifies his goodness in the protection of the righteous, that with their eyes they shall see the reward of the wicked (Ps. xci. 8); and God will by this means preserve his people, even by destroying the wicked that would do them a mischief.
Lastly, The psalmist concludes, 1. With a resolution to give glory to God himself (v. 21): My mouth shall speak the praise of the Lord. When we have said what we can, in praising God, still there is more to be said, and therefore we must not only begin our thanksgivings with this purpose, as he did (v. 1), but conclude them with it, as he does here, because we shall presently have occasion to begin again. As the end of one mercy is the beginning of another, so should the end of one thanksgiving be. While I have breath to draw, my mouth shall still speak God’s praises. 2. With a call to others to do so too: Let all flesh, all mankind, bless his holy name for ever and ever. Some of mankind shall be blessing God for ever; it is a pity but that they should be all so engaged.
Fuente: Matthew Henry’s Whole Bible Commentary
10. All thy works, etc. Though many would suppress God’s praises, observing a wicked silence regarding them, David declares that they shine forth everywhere, appear of themselves, and are sounded, as it were, by the very dumb creatures. He then assigns the special work of declaring them to believers, who have eyes to perceive God’s works, and know that they cannot be employed better than in celebrating his mercies. What is added — they shall speak the glory of thy kingdom — I consider to have reference only to believers. If any incline to think that these words rather apply to God’s creatures universally, I would not object to that view. But the particular kind of speaking or teaching which David here refers to, applies only to saints. Accordingly I have retained the future tense of the verbs, rather than the optative mood, as others have done. In using the term kingdom, David intimates that this is the tendency of the manifestation of God’s works, to reduce the whole world to a state of order, and subject it to his government. He insists upon the excellency of this kingdom, that men may know that things are to be considered as in disorder and confusion, unless God alone be acknowledged supreme. He denies it to be transitory, like all earthly kingdoms, asserting that it will stand fast for ever. And to call our attention more particularly to its everlasting nature, he breaks out into an admiring exclamation, and addresses his discourse to God.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
All these are so many delightful relations of the grace and glory of Jehovah, with the blessings connected with his government, in the kingdoms of nature and providence, and of redemption.
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Psa 145:10 All thy works shall praise thee, O LORD; and thy saints shall bless thee.
Ver. 10. All thy works shall praise thee ] i.e. Minister matter of thy praise.
And thy saints shall bless thee
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
saints = favoured or beloved ones. Compare Psa 16:10.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Gods Bountiful Provision
Psa 145:10-21
There is more happiness in the world than we are disposed to think. Gods works give praise to Him. Take, for instance, the gladness of one summer day, when from the little green lizards upward there is a perfect murmur of enjoyment in the stilly heat. Shall we not trust God, to whom the care of all things is as easy as the opening of the hand is to us? Psa 104:28.
Psa 145:13 is graven in the keystone of a very old building in Damascus, once a Christian church but for many centuries a mosque. The words are still true and are nearer historical fulfillment today than ever, Psa 145:18. The Lord is always nigh, though we do not perceive or realize His presence, and it is good to affirm it as we pray. To utter these words often during ones daily life is to practice the presence of God, after the manner of the Christian mystics. But some cannot do as much; they can only desire, Psa 145:19. But He whose love notices the faintest yearning after Himself will fulfill it. See Psa 145:19. We shall praise God worthily when we see Him as He is!
Fuente: F.B. Meyer’s Through the Bible Commentary
All thy: Psa 19:1, Psa 96:11-13, Psa 98:3-9, Psa 103:22, Psa 104:24, Psa 148:1-13, Isa 43:20, Isa 44:23, Rom 1:19, Rom 1:20
and thy saints: Psa 22:23, Psa 30:4, Psa 32:11, Psa 97:12, Psa 135:19-21, Psa 148:14, Isa 43:21, Heb 13:15, 1Pe 2:5, 1Pe 2:9, Rev 7:9-12, Rev 19:5, Rev 19:6
Reciprocal: Job 36:24 – magnify Job 37:14 – consider Psa 31:23 – saints Psa 57:9 – General Psa 96:2 – bless Psa 111:3 – honourable Psa 113:1 – O Psa 118:2 – General Psa 149:5 – the saints Psa 150:6 – Let every thing Mat 6:13 – thine Eph 3:18 – with
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Moreover, He exercises His powerful works under the constraints of His mercy. Because of these things, all of God’s works and people will praise Him.