Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Psalms 102:15
So the heathen shall fear the name of the LORD, and all the kings of the earth thy glory.
15. So the nations &c.] The restoration of Zion will be the prelude to the conversion of the world. God’s manifestation of His power and His faithfulness towards His people will win the homage of all the nations. This is a fundamental thought in Isaiah 40-66. See especially Isa 59:19; Isa 60:3.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
So the heathen – The nations. That is, The surrounding people, who hear what thou hast done for thy people, will see the evidence that thou art God, and learn to love and worship thee.
Shall fear the name of the Lord – Shall reverence and honor thee.
And all the kings of the earth thy glory – The sovereigns of the earth will be especially affected and impressed with thy majesty. If this refers to the return from the captivity at Babylon, then it means that that event would be particularly suited to impress the minds of the rulers of the world, as showing that God had all nations under his control; that he could deliver a captive people from the grasp of the mighty; that he was the friend of those who worshipped him, and that he would frown on oppression and wrong.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 15. So the heathen shall fear the name of the Lord] It is granted that after the edict of Cyrus to restore and rebuild Jerusalem, which was about four hundred and ninety years before Christ, the name of the true God was more generally known among the heathen; and the translating the Sacred Writings into Greek, by the command of Ptolemy Philadelphus, king of Egypt, about two hundred and eighty-five years before the Christian era, spread a measure of the light of God in the Gentile world which they had not before seen. Add to this, the dispersion of the Jews into different parts of the Roman empire, after Judea became a Roman province, which took place about sixty years before the advent of our Lord; and we may consider these as so many preparatory steps to the conversion of the heathen by the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. And to this last general illumination of the Gentile world the psalmist must allude here, when he speaks of “the heathen fearing God’s name, and all the kings of the earth his glory.”
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Which was in some sort fulfilled when the rebuilding of the temple and city of God was carried on and finished through so many and great difficulties and oppositions, to the admiration, envy, and terror of their enemies, as we read, Neh 6:16; compare Psa 126:2; but much more truly and fully in building of the spiritual Jerusalem by Christ, unto whom the Gentiles were gathered, and the princes of the world paid their acknowledgments.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
15-17. God’s favor to the Churchwill affect her persecutors with fear.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
So the Heathen shall fear the name of the Lord,…. Whose name is reverend, and to be feared; especially the glorious and fearful name “Jehovah”, expressive of the divine existence, of his eternity and immutability; though the name of the Lord frequently signifies himself, and here particularly the Messiah, the Son of God, in whom the name of the Lord is; the King of saints, whom all men will fear in the latter day, when the set time to favour Zion is come; will stand in awe of him, be careful of offending him, and will serve and worship him; even the very Heathen, who knew not God, and had no fear of him before their eyes, or in their hearts; the Pagan nations, whose kingdoms will become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; see Re 11:15
and all the kings of the earth thy glory; which may be supplied thus, either “all the kings of the earth shall see thy glory”, or shall fear thee because of “thy glory”; the glory of Christ’s person, as the Son of God; the glory of his offices, as Prophet, Priest, and King; especially the glory of his kingly office, to which that of the kings of the earth is not to be compared; the glory of his works of creation, providence, and redemption; and as it will be held forth in the Gospel, with which the earth will now be full, and so be filled with the glory of the Lord, Ps 72:19, and will be so remarkable and conspicuous as to be taken notice of by the kings of the earth, even by all of them, who, when the glory of the Lord shall be risen in Zion, will come to the brightness of it, and look upon it, and admire it, and fear because of it, Isa 60:1.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
With we are told what will take place when that which is expected in Psa 102:14 comes to pass, and at the same time the fulfilment of that which is longed for is thereby urged home upon God: Jahve’s own honour depends upon it, since the restoration of Jerusalem will become the means of the conversion of the world – a fundamental thought of Isa 40:1 (cf. more particularly Isa 59:19; Isa 60:2), which is also called to mind in the expression of this strophe. This prophetic prospect (Isa 40:1-5) that the restoration of Jerusalem will take place simultaneously with the glorious parusia of Jahve re-echoes here in a lyric form. , Psa 102:17, states the ground of the reverence, just as Psa 102:20 the ground of the praise. The people of the Exile are called in Psa 102:18 , from , to be naked: homeless, powerless, honourless, and in the eyes of men, prospectless. The lxx renders this word in Jer 17:6 , and its plural, formed by an internal change of vowel, , in Jer 48:6 , which are only particularizations of the primary notion of that which is stark naked, neglected, wild. Psa 102:18 is an echo off Psa 22:25. In the mirror of this and of other Psalms written in times of affliction the Israel of the Exile saw itself reflected.
Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament
15. And the nations shall fear the name of Jehovah The prophet here describes the fruit which would result from the deliverance of the ancient tribes; which is, that thereby God’s glory would be rendered illustrious among nations and kings. He tacitly intimates, that when the Church is oppressed, the Divine glory is at the same time debased; even as the God of Israel was, no doubt, at the period referred to, derided by the ungodly, as if he had been destitute of the power to succor his people. It is therefore declared, that if he redeem them, it will afford such a remarkable proof of his power as to constrain the Gentiles to reverence him whom they contemned.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(15) Heathen.The same result of the restoration of the Holy City, viz., the recognition of Jehovahs power and glory by the heathen, occupies the great prophecy, Isaiah 40-46.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
15. So the heathen shall fear the name Both the exile and the deliverance shall bear such marks of the supremacy and providence of Jehovah, that the nations shall be impressed with fear of his name. The result of all will be glory to God. This was literally true.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Psa 102:15-17. So the heathen shall fear the name, &c. Then shall the nations fear thy name, O Lord;ver. 16. When the Lord shall have built up Sion, and his glory shall again be seen in Jerusalem;ver. 17. When he shall have regarded the prayer of the destitute, and not have rejected their petition. See Bishop Hare, and Green.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Psa 102:15 So the heathen shall fear the name of the LORD, and all the kings of the earth thy glory.
Ver. 15. So the heathen shall fear, &c. ] By the restoration of Jerusalem, where the Messiah was to be born and manifested, the everlasting gospel shall be preached, and the Gentiles converted to the faith.
And all the kings of the earth
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
heathen = nations.
name. See note on Psa 20:1.
glory. Always mentioned in connection with Messiah’s sufferings. Compare verses: Psa 102:1-12. See App-71.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
heathen i.e. nations.
fear (See Scofield “Psa 19:9”).
Fuente: Scofield Reference Bible Notes
Psa 67:2-4, Psa 68:31, Psa 68:32, Psa 72:11, Psa 86:9, Psa 138:4, 1Ki 8:43, Isa 55:5, Isa 60:3-22, Zec 8:20-23, Rev 11:15, Rev 21:24
Reciprocal: Jos 2:11 – for the Lord Psa 148:11 – Kings Isa 35:2 – they shall Isa 45:6 – General Isa 59:19 – shall they Isa 64:2 – to make Jer 19:3 – Hear Eze 37:28 – the heathen Dan 9:19 – thine Oba 1:21 – and the Act 10:2 – one
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Psa 102:15. So the heathen shall fear the Lord, &c. Shall have high thoughts of him and his people, and even the kings of the earth shall be affected with his glory. They shall think better of the church of God than they have done, when God, by his providence, thus puts honour upon it; and they shall be afraid of doing any thing against it, when they see God taking its part. Thus it is said, Est 8:17, that many of the people of the land became Jews, for the fear of the Jews fell upon them. This promise was in some sort fulfilled, when the rebuilding of the temple and city of God was carried on and completed, to the admiration, envy, and terror of their enemies, notwithstanding the many and great difficulties and oppositions which the Jews had to encounter, Neh 6:16; Psa 126:2; but it was much more truly and fully accomplished in the building of the spiritual Jerusalem by Christ, unto whom the Gentiles were gathered, and to whom the princes of the world paid their acknowledgments.