Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Psalms 113:1
Praise ye the LORD. Praise, O ye servants of the LORD, praise the name of the LORD.
1. For the structure of the verse with repetition of the verb cp. Psa 29:1. The same words recur in different order in Psa 135:1.
O ye servants of the Lord ] True Israelites, who as individuals answer to the calling of Israel to be “the servant of Jehovah” (Psa 136:22; Isa 41:8-9; al.). Cp. Psa 69:36; Isa 54:17.
the name of Jehovah, emphatically repeated thrice, is more significant than Jehovah simply would be. It is the compendious expression for His whole revelation of Himself, which is the object and ground of His servants’ praise.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
1 3. A call to praise Jehovah’s name universally and unendingly.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Praise ye the Lord – Margin, as in Hebrew, Hallelujah. See the notes at Psa 106:1.
Praise, O ye servants of the Lord – You who profess to serve and obey him; who acknowledge him as your God. In the original this is also the word Hallelu, halelu.
Praise the name of the Lord – Still the same word Hallelu. The name of the Lord is put here, as it is often, for the Lord himself.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Psa 113:1-9
Praise the name of the Lord.
Highest service and the highest Being
I. The highest service in which intelligent creatures can engage. What is praise? Not verbal laudation, however enthusiastic in feeling, appropriate in language, or transporting in music. What, then, is it to praise God? It is to have our whole souls, and being, attuned to His holy character, and to His benevolent purpose. A holy life is the only true anthem.
1. Because its inspiration can alone give worth to all other services.
2. Because it alone can harmoniously develop and satisfy all the faculties and aspirations of our nature. It is–
(1) A service for all men (verse 1).
(2) A service for all time (verse 2).
(3) A service for all space (verse 3).
II. The highest being that intelligent creatures can contemplate.
1. His character. All-wise, all-holy, all-merciful, etc.
2. His incomparableness (verse 4).
3. His condescension (verse 6).
4. His operation–
(1) Abroad in society (verse 7).
(2) At home in families (verse 9). He operates in families as well as abroad and in society. To Him the birth of every child must be ascribed. (Homilist.)
Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell
PSALM CXIII
An exhortation to bless God for his own excellencies, 1-6;
and for his great mercy to the poor and necessitous, 7-9.
NOTES ON PSALM CXIII
Ps 113, Ps 114, Ps 115, Ps 116, Ps 117, and Ps 118, form the great Hallel, and were sung by the Jews on their most solemn festivals, and particularly at the passover. To these reference is made by the evangelists, Mt 26:30, and Mr 14:26, there called the hymn which Jesus and his disciples sung at the passover, for the whole of the Psalms were considered as one grand hymn or thanksgiving. It was probably composed after the return from the captivity. It has no title but Hallelujah in the Hebrew and ancient Versions.
Verse 1. Praise, O ye servants] Probably an address to the Levites. The Anglo-Saxon has [A.S.], praise the Lord, ye knaves. Knapa or knave signified among our ancestors a servant; sometimes a male, a young man.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Ye servants of the Lord; ye Levites, who are peculiarly devoted to this solemn work, who sometimes are called Gods servants in a special sense, and all you faithful souls.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
1-3. Earnestness and zeal aredenoted by the emphatic repetitions.
servants of the Lordor,all the people of God.
name of the Lordperfections(Psa 5:11; Psa 111:9).
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
Praise ye the Lord,…. Or, “hallelujah”. This is the title of the psalm, as in the two preceding, and directs to the principal matter of it.
Praise, O ye servants of the Lord; meaning not the angels, nor all men, nor the priests and Levites only; but all the saints, who are a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices to God; who are servants, not of sin, nor of Satan, nor of men, but of God and Christ; and who serve the Lord willingly and cheerfully, with much pleasure and delight, in righteousness and holiness, with reverence and godly fear, and without trusting to and depending on their service for salvation: and one principal branch of their service is praise, especially under the Gospel dispensation; in which all legal sacrifices are abolished, and the sacrifice of praise is continued; and which is pleasant and delightful work, and yet there is a backwardness to it; and therefore there is need of such an exhortation to excite unto it, and to repeat it, as follows:
praise the name of the Lord; not any particular name, as Jehovah; but him himself, and the perfections of his nature; his holiness, justice, truth, faithfulness, power, goodness, grace and mercy. The repetition of the exhortation denotes either the abundance of praise to be given to the Lord, or the constancy and continuance of it; which ought to be done at all times, every day, since his mercies are new every morning. Some have thought the threefold repetition respects the trinity of Persons, who are each to be praised, as in Nu 6:24, but this is doubtful, and perhaps not sufficient to build such a doctrine on; and especially since the first of these exhortations is the title of the psalm: however, this is a certain truth, that Jehovah, Father, Son, and Spirit, are to be praised.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
The call, not limited by any addition as in Psa 134:1, or eve, after the manner of Psa 103:20., extended over the earth, is given to the whole of the true Israel that corresponds to its election by grace and is faithful to its mission; and its designation by “servants of Jahve” (Ps 69:37, cf. Ps 34:23), or even “servant of Jahve” (Psa 136:22), has come into vogue more especially through the second part of Isaiah. This Israel is called upon to praise Jahve; for the praise and celebration of His Name, i.e., of His nature, which is disclosed by means of its manifestation, is a principal element, yea, the proper ground and aim, of the service, and shall finally become that which fills all time and all space. laudatum ( est ), is equivalent to , laudabile (lxx, Vulgate), and this does not differ greatly from laudetur . The predictive interpretation laudabitur is opposed to the context (cf. moreover Khler on Mal 1:11).
Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament
| A Call to Praise God; God’s Greatness and Condescension. | |
1 Praise ye the LORD. Praise, O ye servants of the LORD, praise the name of the LORD. 2 Blessed be the name of the LORD from this time forth and for evermore. 3 From the rising of the sun unto the going down of the same the LORD‘s name is to be praised. 4 The LORD is high above all nations, and his glory above the heavens. 5 Who is like unto the LORD our God, who dwelleth on high, 6 Who humbleth himself to behold the things that are in heaven, and in the earth! 7 He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, and lifteth the needy out of the dunghill; 8 That he may set him with princes, even with the princes of his people. 9 He maketh the barren woman to keep house, and to be a joyful mother of children. Praise ye the LORD.
In this psalm,
I. We are extorted to give glory to God, to give him the glory due to his name.
1. The invitation is very pressing: praise you the Lord, and again and again, Praise him, praise him; blessed be his name, for it is to be praised, v. 1-3. This intimates, (1.) That it is a necessary and most excellent duty, greatly pleasing to God, and has a large room in religion. (2.) That it is a duty we should much abound in, in which we should be frequently employed and greatly enlarged. (3.) That it is work which we are very backward to, and which we need to be engaged and excited to by precept upon precept and line upon line. (4.) That those who are much in praising God themselves will court others to it, both because they find the weight of the work, and that there is need of all the help they can fetch in (there is employment for all hearts, all hands, and all little enough), and because they find the pleasure of it, which they wish all their friends may share in.
2. The invitation is very extensive. Observe, (1.) From whom God has praise–from his own people; they are here called upon to praise God, as those that will answer the call: Praise, O you servants of the Lord! They have most reason to praise him; for those that attend him as his servants know him best and receive most of his favours. And it is their business to praise him; that is the work required of them as his servants: it is easy pleasant work to speak well of their Master, and do him what honour they can; if they do not, who should? Some understand it of the Levites; but, if so, all Christians are a royal priesthood, to show forth the praises of him that has called them, 1 Pet. ii. 9. The angels are the servants of the Lord; they need not be called upon by us to praise God, yet it is a comfort to us that they do praise him, and that they praise him better than we can. (2.) From whom he ought to have praise. [1.] From all ages (v. 2) —from this time forth for evermore. Let not this work die with us, but let us be doing it in a better world, and let those that come after us be doing it in this. Let not our seed degenerate, but let God be praised through all the generations of time, and not in this only. We must bless the Lord in our day, by saying, with the psalmist, Blessed be his name now and always. [2.] From all places–from the rising of the sun to the going down of the same, that is, throughout the habitable world. Let all that enjoy the benefit of the sun rising (and those that do so must count upon it that the sun will set) give thanks for that light to the Father of lights. God’s name is to be praised; it ought to be praised by all nations; for in every place, from east to west, there appear the manifest proofs and products of his wisdom, power, and goodness; and it is to be lamented that so great a part of mankind are ignorant of him, and give that praise to others which is due to him alone. But perhaps there is more in it; as the former verse gave us a glimpse of the kingdom of glory, intimating that God’s name shall be blessed for ever (when time shall be no more that praise shall be the work of heaven), so this verse gives us a glimpse of the kingdom of grace in the gospel-dispensation of it. When the church shall no longer be confined to the Jewish nation, but shall spread itself all the world over, when in every place spiritual incense shall be offered to our God (Mal. i. 11), then from the rising to the setting of the sun the Lord’s name shall be praised by some in all countries.
II. We are here directed what to give him the glory of.
1. Let us look up with an eye of faith, and see how high his glory is in the upper world, and mention that to his praise, Psa 113:4; Psa 113:5. We are, in our praises, to exalt his name, for he is high, his glory is high. (1.) High above all nations, their kings though ever so pompous, their people though ever so numerous. Whether it be true of an earthly king or no that though he is major singulis–greater than individuals, he is minor universis–less than the whole, we will not dispute; but we are sure it is not true of the King of kings. Put all the nations together, and he is above them all; they are before him as the drop of the bucket and the small dust of the balance,Isa 60:15; Isa 60:17. Let all nations think and speak highly of God, for he is high above them all. (2.) High above the heavens; the throne of his glory is in the highest heavens, which should raise our hearts in praising him, Lam. iii. 41. His glory is above the heavens, that is, above the angels; he is above what they are, for their brightness is nothing to his,–above what they do, for they are under his command and do his pleasure,–and above what even they can speak him to be. He is exalted above all blessing and praise, not only all ours, but all theirs. We must therefore say, with holy admiration, Who is like unto the Lord our God? who of all the princes and potentates of the earth? who of all the bright and blessed spirits above? None can equal him, none dare compare with him. God is to be praised as transcendently, incomparably, and infinitely great; for he dwells on high, and from on high sees all, and rules all, and justly attracts all praise to himself.
2. Let us look around with an eye of observation, and see how extensive his goodness is in the lower world, and mention that to his praise. He is a God who exalts himself to dwell, who humbles himself in heaven, and in earth. Some think there is a transposition, He exalts himself to dwell in heaven, he humbles himself to behold on earth; but the sense is plain enough as we take it, only observe, God is said to exalt himself and to humble himself, both are his own act and deed; as he is self-existent, so he is both the fountain of his own honour and the spring of his own grace; God’s condescending goodness appears,
(1.) In the cognizance he takes of the world below him. His glory is above the nations and above the heavens, and yet neither is neglected by him. God is great, yet he despises not any, Job xxxvi. 5. He humbles himself to behold all his creatures, all his subjects, though he is infinitely above them. Considering the infinite perfection, sufficiency, and felicity of the divine nature, it must be acknowledged as an act of wonderful condescension that God is pleased to take into the thoughts of his eternal counsel, and into the hand of his universal Providence, both the armies of heaven and the inhabitants of the earth (Dan. iv. 35); even in this dominion he humbles himself. [1.] It is condescension in him to behold the things in heaven, to support the beings, direct the motions, and accept the praises and services, of the angels themselves; for he needs them not, nor is benefited by them. [2.] Much more is it condescension in him to behold the things that are in the earth, to visit the sons of men, and regard them, to order and overrule their affairs, and to take notice of what they say and do, that he may fill the earth with his goodness, and so set us an example of stooping to do good, of taking notice of, and concerning ourselves about, our inferiors. If it be such condescension for God to behold things in heaven and earth, what an amazing condescension was it for the Son of God to come from heaven to earth and take our nature upon him, that he might seek and save those that were lost! Herein indeed he humbled himself.
(2.) In the particular favour he sometimes shows to the least and lowest of the inhabitants of this meaner lower world. He not only beholds the great things in the earth, but the meanest, and those things which great men commonly overlook. Not does he merely behold them, but does wonders for them, and things that are very surprising, out of the common road of providence and chain of causes, which shows that the world is governed, not by a course of nature, for that would always run in the same channel, but by a God of nature, who delights in doing things we looked not for. [1.] Those that have been long despicable are sometimes, on a sudden, made honourable (v. 7, 8): He raises up the poor out of the dust, that he may set him with princes. First, Thus God does sometimes magnify himself, and his own wisdom, power, and sovereignty. When he has some great work to do he chooses to employ those in it that were least likely, and least thought of for it by themselves or others, to the highest post of honour: Gideon is fetched from threshing, Saul from seeking the asses, and David from keeping the sheep; the apostles are sent from fishing to be fishers of men. The treasure of the gospel is put into earthen vessels, and the weak and foolish ones of the world are pitched upon to be preachers of it, to confound the wise and mighty (1Co 1:27; 1Co 1:28), that the excellency of the power may be of God, and all may see that promotion comes from him. Secondly, Thus God does sometimes reward the eminent piety and patience of his people who have long groaned under the burden of poverty and disgrace. When Joseph’s virtue was tried and manifested he was raised from the prison-dust and set with princes. Those that are wise will observe such returns of Providence, and will understand by them the loving-kindness of the Lord. Some have applied this to the work of redemption by Jesus Christ, and not unfitly; for through him poor fallen men are raised out of the dust (one of the Jewish rabbies applies it to the resurrection of the dead), nay, out of the dunghill of sin, and set among princes, among angels, those princes of his people. Hannah had sung to this purport, 1 Sam. ii. 6-8. [2.] Those that have been long barren are sometimes, on a sudden, made fruitful, v. 9. This may look back to Sarah and Rebecca, Rachel, Hannah, and Samson’s mother, or forward to Elizabeth; and many such instances there have been, in which God has looked on the affliction of his handmaids and taken away their reproach. He makes the barren woman to keep house, not only builds up the family, but thereby finds the heads of the family something to do. Note, Those that have the comfort of a family must take the care of it; bearing children and guiding the house are put together, 1 Tim. v. 14. When God sets the barren in a family he expects that she should look well to the ways of her household, Prov. xxxi. 27. She is said to be a joyful mother of children, not only because, even in common cases, the pain is forgotten, for joy that a man-child is born into the world, but there is particular joy when a child is born to those that have been long childless (as Luke i. 14) and therefore there ought to be particular thanksgiving. Praise you the Lord. Yet, in this case, rejoice with trembling; for, though the sorrowful mother be made joyful, the joyful mother may be made sorrowful again, if the children be either removed from her or embittered to her. This, therefore, may be applied to the gospel-church among the Gentiles (the building of which is illustrated by this similitude, Isa. liv. 1, Sing, O barren! thou that didst not bear, and Gal. iv. 27), for which we, who, being sinners of the Gentiles, are children of the desolate, have reason to say, Praise you the Lord.
Fuente: Matthew Henry’s Whole Bible Commentary
Psalms 113
The Mercy of God
Scripture v. 1-9:
Verse 1 calls all to shout out Jehovah, or give out a loud praise or hallelujah to the Lord, “all ye servants of the Lord,” for this praise is a service due the “name of the Lord,” due his high honor, from all “the upright,” those who fear His name; It was especially true of Israel then, no less of the saved today, Psa 111:1; Psa 111:5-6; Psa 34:22; Psa 69:36; Psa 136:22; Ezr 5:11; Neh 1:10.
Verse 2 declares that “Blessed, or worthy, be (exists) the name of the Lord,” because of His wonders as the living God, His deliverance of and care for His people in the past, and the integrity of His covenant oath to bless them,” from this time forth and for evermore,” Dan 2:20. This, and each of the Psalms 113-118, was sung around the annual, Passover table of the Jews as the “greater hymn,” or “greater Hallel.”
Verse 3 adds that “From the rising of the sun (the far east) unto the going down of the same (the far west, around the world), the Lord’s name is to be praised, for His superior excellencies, as worthy, even to His second coming, Psa 18:3; Isa 59:19; Mal 1:11.
Verse 4 asserts “The Lord is high (exalted) above all nations” the Gentiles that then haughtily, with pride, oppressed Israel. Yet Jehovah was high above them all, Psa 47:2; And “His glory existed above the heavens,” and was over both them and the earth, in all His holiness, as ascribed Psa 8:1; Psa 19:1; Psa 103:20-21; Psa 148:13; Isa 6:1.
Verses 5, 6 challenge, just “who is (exists) like unto (to be compared with) the Lord our God, who dwelleth (continuously) on high!” The idea is none, is there? who “humbleth himself (continuously), to behold (observe) the things that are in heaven, and in the earth!” Psa 11:4; Psa 138:6.
So exalted is He in the essence of His being, His holiness in nature, justice in deeds, omnipotence, omniscience, and omnipresence, in all power, knowledge, and presence, that his concern is an act of exceeding humility on His part, See? Isa 57:15; Deu 3:24; Psa 73:25; Php_2:5-11. See also Job 4:18; Job 15:15.
Verses 7, 8 declare that He “raises up,” elevates, lifts the poor out of the dust of death, and the “needy out of the dunghill,” with a Divine purpose, manifested in His redemption of all men, even as He had of Israel, as expressed 1Sa 2:8; Isa 26:19; Dan 12:2; Act 2:31; 1Pe 3:21-22; Psa 44:25; Psa 107:41.
This he does, “That he may set him (the fallen, in sin) with princes (to a state of dignity and honor), even with the princes (rulers) of his people,” Job 36:7; Thus the Gentiles are redeemed, given high positions of ruling honor in His church, in the midst of Israel, in this and all succeeding ages, Mat 16:18; Luk 22:28-30; Eph 3:21.
Verse 9 concludes “He makes the barren woman to keep house,” where once she did not, and to be a joyful mother of children,” a caretaker of children, “praise ye the Lord.” This was true not only literally, but is also spiritually, Through the church, called from among the Gentiles, as His house, 1Ti 3:15-16; 1Sa 2:5; Gal 4:27.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
1 Praise, ye servants of Jehovah! This psalm contains abundant reasons for all men without exception to praise God. The faithful alone being endued with spiritual perception to recognize the hand of God, the prophet addresses them in particular. And if we consider how cold and callous men are in this religious exercise, we will not deem the repetition of the call to praise God superfluous. We all acknowledge that we are created to praise God’s name, while, at the same time, his glory is disregarded by us. Such criminal apathy is justly condemned by the prophet, with the view of stirring us up to unwearied zeal in praising God. The repetition, then, of the exhortation to praise him, ought to be considered as referring both to perseverance and ardor in this service. If, by the servants of God, some would rather understand the Levites, to whom the charge of celebrating his praises under the Law was committed, I am not much opposed to it, provided they do not exclude the rest of the faithful, over whom formerly God appointed the Levites as leaders and chief musicians, that he might be praised by all his people without exception. When the Holy Spirit addresses the Levites expressly in relation to the subject of God’s praises, it is designedly that, by their example, they may show the way to others, and that the whole Church may respond in one holy chorus. Now that we are all “a royal priesthood,” (1Pe 2:9) and as Zechariah testifies, (Zec 14:21) that under the reign of Christ, the meanest of the people shall be Levites, there is no question that, excepting unbelievers who are mute, the prophet invites us all in common to render this service unto God.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
INTRODUCTION
1. Another of the Hallelujah Psalms 2. Date and authorship unknown.
3. The first of six Psalms in the Jewish liturgy (113118) termed Hallel, or the Egyptian Hallel, as distinguished from the great Hallel. This Psalm continued to be received while the temple stood, and is still recited in Palestine eighteen times a year, apart from its customary, though not legal use, at the new moon. Outside of Palestine it is now yearly recited twenty-one times. At the family celebration of the Passover Psalms 113, 114. were sung before the meal, and indeed before the emptying of the second cup, and the others after the meal, and after the filling of the fourth cup.Moll.
A NOBLE PEOPLE AND A NOBLE SERVICE
(Psa. 113:1)
Nobility consists in those endowments which render the possessors worthy of honour. Nobility of service consists in the consecration of those endowments to the best being, for the best ends. This is nowhere fully the case except in the service of God.
I. The servants of God are a noble people. All Gods servants are noblemen. Abraham, Moses, Caleb, Job, Isaiah, Zerubbabel, and the promised Messiah, God speaks of as My servants. Christs designation of Himself is, I am among you as one that serveth. Nebuchadnezzar and Darius saw that Daniel and the three Hebrew youths were servants of God. Paul, Peter, Timothy, James, and Jude called themselves servants of God. All Israel was such ideally; all Christians are so actually.
1. Gods servant realises the noblest and most perfect ideal of life.
(1.) Some men live for pleasure.
(2.) Some for intellectual effort.
(3.) Some for moral excellence.
(4.) But Gods servants live for Him. And here they have what they can never otherwise have, a powerful motive for virtue, full mental culture, and all legitimate enjoyment, for the education and completion of their whole being, hence Gods service is the noblest ideal of life.
2. Gods servants have the noblest master. It ennobles the proudest peer in the land to be in the service of his sovereign.
3. Gods servants yield to the noblest claims. I have made thee for Myself. This was not based upon any merit in us, but upon His free love and mercy. And therefore Gods claims rest
(1.) Upon the right of property. We have rights over the products of our hand and brain. So has God.
(2.) Upon the right of sustenance and preservation. The basest ingratitude is that which ignores the right of those to whose generosity we owe our all.
(3.) Upon the right of redemption. Note the price by which it was effected, the curse from which it rescues, the dignities to which it elevates.
4. Gods servants have the noblest warrant for their service.
(1.) The warrant of reason. Their service is a reasonable service.
(2.) The warrant of conscience.
(3.) The warrant of love.
5. Gods servants are promised and enjoy the noblest rewards. God Himself. I will be their God. There are many subordinate rewards, but this comprehends and crowns them all.
II. Gods service is a noble service. Praise the name of the Lord. This injunction no doubt refers to acts of religious worship as such. But it suggests much more, for all the acts of religious life are worship. That ye should show forth the praises of Him, &c. Glorify God in your bodies and spirits which are His.
1. It is noble in the dignity of its sphere. It links man with God Himself. Man becomes a worker together with God, with Christ, who accomplishes His mighty undertakings by human agency; with the Holy Ghost, who uses man as His mouthpiece for conviction of sin, &c.
2. It is noble in the motive from which it springs. All life is noble or ignoble according as it is actuated by noble or ignoble aims. Gods servants aim at pleasing God. This motive animated our Lord, Joh. 8:29; Enoch, Heb. 11:5; Solomon, 2Sa. 7:29.
3. It is noble in the instruments by which it is accomplished. All that is morally worthy is pressed into this service; the mind purged from error; the will freed from prejudice; the heart emancipated from irregular passion and sin; the body a temple of the Holy Ghost.
4. It is noble in the freedom of its consecration. It is not pressed service, it is purely voluntary under the royal law of liberty.
5. It is noble in the uses which it serves. Doing the will of God on earth as it is done in heaven.
GRATITUDE
(Psa. 113:2)
Our text suggests
I. That there are grounds for gratitude. We bless God for blessing us. These grounds are universal. What hast thou that thou didst not receive? From Him descends every good and perfect gift.
1. Physical. The body with its organs, senses, members, susceptibilities of pleasure, provision for clothing, shelter, food, &c.
2. Mental. Literature, science, art, authors, poets, artists, are gifts from God.
3. Spiritual. The Bible, Gospel, means of grace, &c.
4. Political. Government, liberty.
II. That these grounds are often ignored.
1. Men lose sight of their benefactor. This may be
(1) Deliberate. Men dislike to be under an obligation. The Emperor Basil was saved when hunting by a courtier, and all Constantinople was speculating about the reward, when, to the astonishment of all, the preserver of his sovereign was ordered out to execution on the ground that the debt could never adequately be repaid. So men owe so much to God that the sense of obligation becomes burdensome, and they therefore endeavour to banish Him from their minds.
(2) Careless. Like the conduct of many children towards their parents. The blessings are so very regular that we forget their source.
2. Men make light of their blessings.
(1.) Of their physical gifts. Sin prostitutes them, and the attendant misery is charged upon God.
(2.) Of their mental gifts. The mind has wandered into unprofitable speculations, and is forthwith made responsible for the doubts and errors into which men fall. And men wish themselves dogs, without the power of thought.
(3.) Spiritual gifts, from their fancied sufficiency.
(4.) Political gifts, from love of lawlessness.
3. Men deny the utility of thankfulness. If man serves us we repay him, in kind if he needs it; or by gratitude which gratifies his spirit. But what kind of repayment or gratification can God receive? True, the divine benefactor is not dependent on mans gratitude or gifts; but this overlooks the duty of acknowledging a gift whether it advantages its giver or not.
III. That these grounds should be acknowledged by present thankfulness. The obligation commences the moment the gift is conferred, and should therefore be acknowledged forthwith.
1. Circumstances should not be allowed to interfere. Those circumstances are Gods gifts, and should not be turned into instruments for robbing Him of His rights.
2. Persons should not be allowed to interfere. The dearest human relative ought not to be so close as God. Debts incurred to man are not to be compared with those we owe to God.
3. Inclination should not be allowed to interfere. They do not interfere with our service to man, nor should they with our duty to God.
IV. That these grounds should be acknowledged by perpetual thankfulness. I have loved thee with an everlasting love. His mercy endureth for ever, therefore, &c. Learn
(i.) The evils of ingratitude. It narrows the intellect, contracts the heart, restricts the sphere of service, and engenders a cold, hard, barren selfishness.
(ii.) The advantages of thankfulness. It secures further blessings from God, enlarges the volume of manhood, and prepares for the service of heaven.
UNIVERSAL WORSHIP
(Psa. 113:3)
I. Gods name ought to be praised everywhere, because
1. Everywhere He is worthy of praise.
(1.) Gods government is everywhere founded and administered on principles of righteousness.
(2.) His beneficent provision for His creatures wantHis sun, His showers, His fruits, &c.is made everywhere.
(3.) His almighty protection, upholding the universe and protecting His creatures, is afforded everywhere.
(4.) His offers of mercy extend, without distinction of race or order, everywhere. His Son died for all, His Spirit strives with all, His Church welcomes all, and His heaven was made for all.
2. Everywhere He is acknowledged to exist. Sometimes this belief has been adulterated with error, but the substratum of the truth everywhere remains, and nothing can eradicate it. In all the great civilisations it has universally obtained. It has been said recently that a few savage tribes are without it, which, if true, is very unfortunate for atheism; for that would prove that unbelief in God is only possible to the most degraded and brutal barbarism. In all ages God has been the trust of mankind.
3. Everywhere, that is the end of Gods providential plan. All shall know the Lord from the least even unto the greatest. All nations shall do Him service. That is the grand destiny of the human race (Mal. 1:11; Rev. 5:8-14).
4. Everywhere, that is the law of mans true dignity. The history of the world shows that men are elevated and civilised in proportion to their recognition of the Most High. Everywhere it ennobles and sanctifies.
II. Gods name ought to be praised under all circumstances. Under all the various conditions revealed by the progress of the sun, should man render grateful homage.
1. In the business of the day, for He makes it possible.
2. In the family affairs of the day, for He controls them.
3. In the vicissitudes of the day. In prosperity or adversity, for He is the author of both.
4. In the transactions of government, for He is King of kings and Lord of lords.
5. And, since He giveth His beloved sleep, in the repose which follows the setting sun.
III. Gods name ought to be praised at all times.
1. In the beneficent march of the seasons, for they are led by Him.
2. In the gracious division of day and night, for it was fixed by Him.
3. Early in the morning, at noon (Daniel), at night (our Lord on Olivet); for all departments of the day are ordained by Him.
THE DIVINE GOVERNMENT OF NATIONS
(Psa. 113:4, clause 1)
The figure is that of God seated on His throne as King of kings and Lord of lords.
I. The divine government is personal. The Lord is high. Human governments are institutional. But, while God usually works through natural laws, &c., He can work without them, and is always superior to them. He maketh His sun to shine. He doeth according to His will, &c.
II. The divine government is exalted above all nations. Superior in its basis, aims, methods, to the best human government. It is superior in wisdom, comprehensiveness, sympathy, goodness, and resources, because directly administered by supreme wisdom, goodness, and power.
III. The divine government, from its exaltation, is suitable to the circumstances of all nations.
1. It is absolute perfection. Human legislation is made up of caprices, mistakes, changes. The great task of human governors is to alter, modify, or improve on the legislation of their predecessors, and thus it cannot be suited to all the circumstances of mankind. On the contrary, Gods laws are unalterable, because incapable of improvement, and because promulgated by the all-perfect mind.
2. It is founded on the reason of things, and, therefore, is not arbitrary. It does not contemplate classes, &c.; it is perfect equity, and all nations may expect even-handed justice from the hands of God.
IV. Gods government is benevolent towards all nations. Many societies are founded on the supposition that men were made for governments, and not governments for men. God rules for the express benefit of nations. They require, and so they receive, His control and care. But is this borne out by facts! Look at the miseries of nations. Answer
1. Much of this misery is self-inflicted. If men will break Gods laws they must take the consequences. All nations who are faithful to God are blessed.
2. These miseries are insignificant compared with their blessings. Our years of tyranny or depression must be balanced by the years of prosperity and freedom.
3. These miseries subserve benevolent and righteous ends. How often have famines been sent to drive a nation to its God. How often has God used a destructive war to expel a tyrant from his throne. Famine brought free trade. The Marian persecution inaugurated the Elizabethan reformation. The American war abolished slavery.
V. The divine government is administered by Christ. The Father hath committed all judgment into His hands. (Dan. 7:13-14; Php. 2:9.) Christ is qualified for this office.
1. By a personal acquaintance with His subjects.
(2.) By a personal relation with His subjects. He is a true King, not only the able but the kinsman of the race, born out of the bosom of humanity.
(3.) By an intense sympathy with His subjects.
(4.) By His accessibility to His subjects.
IN CONCLUSION. Let men and nations beware how they rebel against this government. Can they produce a better? They rebel against omnipotent goodness when they throw off their allegiance to God.
THE DIVINE GOVERNMENT OF HEAVEN
(Psa. 113:4, clause 2)
God rules in heaven; and the difference between His government there and His government here is, that here men break its laws and thwart its beneficent designs; yonder all is harmony and obedience. The Lord is high above all nations, but His glory is above the heavens. Here that glory is but faintly illustrated amidst the partial obedience of the best of His creatures and the rebellion of the rest; there fully. This government is based on the same principles, conducted by the same methods, and contemplates the same ends among glorified spirits as among men, and is acknowledged and obeyed;
I. Universally. Revelation 5.
II. Reverentially. Isa. 6:2. With twain he covered his face.
III. Swiftly. Isa. 6:2. With twain he did fly.
IV. Comprehensively. The ends of the divine government are the sole object of their service; they have no personal aims to secure, because in doing Gods will they secure all.
V. Continually. They rest not day nor night.
VI. Willingly. Their wills are in complete harmony with the will of God. Sin does not warp their inclination, and they are under no powerful restraint towards wrong.
VII. Perfectly. No sin blears their vision or blights their faculties. They see what is the perfect will of God, and do it with all the completeness of their being.
Let all Christians pray, Thy will be done on earth as it is done in heaven.
THE ABSOLUTE
(Psa. 113:5)
Verses5 and 6 in the original present a parallelism which is not preserved in the English version. As Hebrew poetry they would stand thus:
Who is like unto Jehovah, our God,
Who sits throned on high,
Who casts looks so low,
In the heavens and in the earth?
The italics of A. V. are of course supplied by the translators to make what appeared to be the best sense. We propose to treat the second and third lines (with Bunsen, Delitzsch, Hengstenberg, &c.) as a parenthesis. Our subject, therefore, is The Absolute; the incomprehensibleness of Deity. Who is like unto Jehovah, our God, in the heavens and in the earth? Notice
I. That the incomprehensibleness of God is generally acknowledged. Observe
1. How it is presented in the Bible. (Exo. 3:14; Exo. 15:11; Deuteronomy 4; 1Sa. 2:2; 1Ki. 8:12-27; Job. 5:9; Job. 11:7-9; Job. 37:5; Job. 37:23; Psa. 89:6; Psa. 145:3; Eccl. 16:21; Isaiah 40, 43; Rom. 11:33-34.)
2. How it is presented by philosophy. Socrates maintained that he only knew this, that he knew nothing. Plato: The Maker and Father of the worlds, it is difficult to discover, and when found impossible to make him known to all The Eleatic school held that we ought not to assert anything concerning the gods, for we have no knowledge of them. So the Stoics. Modern schools assert the same. Schelling says, God is that which is in itself and only from itself can be conceived. So indeed Hamilton, Mansel, Spenser, and Matthew Arnold. A God all known and comprehended is no God. That which I fully know and understand, is below, not above me, for I have mastered it. I have not to worship it, it must bow down to me. That which towers immeasurably above me, which I cannot scale and cannot fathom, before which I am as nothing, that and that alone, I fall down to and adorenot ignorance, but knowledge is the mother of devotion. Nevertheless, the sense of ignorance in the created mind, of immeasurable ignorance and infirmity, is preliminary and essential to all true adoration.Dr. J. Young.
3. How it is presented by heathen, religions. Seek fellowship with Zeus and Epictetus. Alas! it was the Zeus that was wanting. There was a yearning for God, for personal fellowship with God, for personal likeness to God. But who is the Zeus, the god of whom you talk, that I may believe on Him, was the cry which grew more hopeless and agonising generation by generation to which religion had no answer.Baldwin Brown.
II. That men have universally striven to solve the mystery, by taking up the challenge of our text. Sir W. Hamilton says, From Xenophanes to Leibnitz the infinite, the absolute, th unconditioned formed the highest principle of speculation. And, as the only way in which man can define anything is by a process of more or less adequate comparison and illustration, he has endeavoured to figure God, and thus much of theology in all ages has been but the projected shadow of human thought.
1. Much of natural theology has been constructed in this way. It assumes that God is, and then undertakes to show what God is like. Man is capable of fashioning and combining existing materials, and directing them to the accomplishment of new results. So he thinks of a God like himself, a creator. He is capable of directing his materials to serve a definite and intelligent end. So he ascribes skill and design to the creator, and by his observation of the adaptation of means to ends in the world, that belief is confirmed. He is a father or king ruling by laws which he enforces by rewards and punishments. So his maker is argued to be his governor, who will bless his obedience and punish his sin.
2. Much of both so-called orthodoxy and heterodoxy has been constructed in this way. Arianism arose out of the transfer of human paternity to the divine nature. Calvinism starts with a sovereignty of God built upon the idea of remorseless human despotism. Many other theories, particularly some prevalent in the present day, proceed upon the assumption that Gods thoughts are as our thoughts, and His ways as our ways.
3. The various heathen mythologies have been built up in this way. Very few are disposed to deny that the spiritual unity of God was the primitive belief of mankind. St. Paul shows the process from this to the most debasing forms of idolatry (Rom. 1:18-32). Sin darkened mans understanding and led his reason astray. It is easy to see how the divine attributes might have become dissociated, then made to represent independent divine forces, and then separate divine persons. It is also easy to see how these independent persons could be symbolised by natural powers and objects supposed to be most like them; and it is only a step further to manufacture a permanent symbol; and hence idol worship. Thus the progress of symbolism was first downwards from God, then upwards to Him. Nature worship was the earliest form of idolatry. Then human. The gods of nature were endowed with human attributes and forms, and heroes and ancestors were deified. The process went on till not a natural object, beautiful or monstrous, good or malign, and not a single human quality, good or bad, wise or ridiculous, but had its temple, peculiar, and in many cases consistent, worship, and its symbolical form. The difficulty became to distinguish what was not divine. What an exposition of Thou thoughtest I was altogether such an one as thyself!
4. The fundamental position of rationalism is, that man by his own reason can attain to a right conception of God. Fools, to dream that man can escape from himself, that human reason can draw aught but a human portrait of God! They do but substitute a marred and mutilated humanity for one exalted and entire; they add nothing to their conception of God as He is, but only take away a part of their conception of man.Mansel.
III. That the Bible gives us a revelation of all that may be known of God in a manner suited to our faculties and saving to our soul. The infinite cannot be grasped within our thoughts, nor within any limits, for on all sides it has no limits. To know God in His infinity is impossible, but to know much respecting the God who is infinite is quite another thing, and may be grandly possible.Dr. J. Young. The Biblical representations of God are very bold, but they are carefully guarded; and the difference between the symbolism which is the result of human speculation and that of divine revelation is, that the former degrades the Deity, the latter guides the human mind to transcend itself and lifts it up to the idea of infinite perfection. We may see notably in the mystery of the Incarnation, the light which was manifested, that He the Eternal Son might reveal to men the Father whom no man hath seen or can see. Parable after parable led men from earthly relations to those of the kingdom of heaven the sower, the householder, the bridegroom, the father, the king. But it was much more in Himself. It was through His human nature as the Son of Man that men were to approach to a knowledge of the divine mind. We who believe that the Word was in the beginning with God and was God, became flesh and tabernacled amongst us, can enter into the meaning of the words, The only begotten Son which is in the bosom of the Father He hath declared Him, and listen with awe and adoration to that which, if it were not true, would have been a blasphemy to make us shudder: Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? He that hath seen Me hath seen the Father.Plumptre.
IV. These considerations lead us to the following conclusions.
1. That the question of our text must remain unanswered. God, like every other great truth, is incapable of full definition, whether by words or illustrations.
The most perfect painting conveys no adequate idea of the sun. The most perfect model only faintly resembles a flower. The ablest disquisition leaves the mystery of life unsolved.
2. That God has given us similitudes of what is best and holiest within the grasp of mans feeble intelligence, that every one may be able to form some conception of His character and will. The hem of the garment was enough for the poor woman in the gospels; so our notions of power, wisdom, love, &c., are permitted faintly to illustrate the infinite perfections of God.
3. That God has given us these illustrations to lead us up to Himself. He tells man what He is like, that man may know by spiritual apprehension and indwelling what He is.
One day Martin Luther was catechising some peasants. Say thy creed, he said. I believe in God, the Father Almighty. What is it to be almighty? asked Martin. Indeed, I cannot tell, and Luther, with rugged beautiful honesty, said, Neither indeed, friend, can I; and if I were to tell you truly there is not a doctor in all Europe who could tell you what it is to be almighty; but if you will always remember that He is your Father Almighty, high enough to rule you, wise enough to teach you, strong enough to help you, kind enough to love you, it will be well and enough.Coley.
THE MAJESTY AND CONDESCENSION OF GOD
(Psa. 113:5-6)
The two extremes of Gods infinite perfections are exhibited in our text: Who sits throned on high, who casts looks so low. He is infinite in majesty, and demands our adoration; yet He is infinite in condescension, thus making our worship possible. The first attribute alone would appal us by its awful grandeur. The second alone would lead us to presume.
I. The majesty of God. Who sits throned on high.
1. Above the realm of space. There is nothing more sublime than the idea of infinite space. Of this we can understand little amid the contracted landscapes of our own country. We must stand where the mighty hills rear their cloud-capped pinnacles to heaven. But what is the grandest mountain range compared with the world of which it is but an excrescence! And what is the world itself but a speck in the system to which it belongs. And what is that system in comparison with those eighty millions of systems in the vast universe. And these are part of His ways; but how small a portion is heard of Him. Draw the line where we will, the immeasurable lies yet beyond, and above that immeasurable God sits throned.
2. Above all duration. Equally with the conception of space is that of time sublime. We cannot fix the mind on a continuous succession of periods without a corresponding elevation.
(1.) Look at the history of our own nation. We can trace it back till it is lost in hoar antiquity. But compare it with the history of the neighbouring continent. When Britain emerged from obscurity, Rome after a long and splendid history was approaching its fall. When Rome arose, the fortunes of Assyria were beginning to decline, and the monuments of Egypt were worn by the elemental battles of centuries; and before that comes patriarchal history and the years before the flood. Yet what is all this compared with scientifically recorded time! Millions upon millions of years may have elapsed between the creation of the first man and the beginning in which God created the heavens and the earth. And beyond that, before the mountains were brought forth, or ever Thou hadst formed the earth or the worldsfrom everlasting to everlasting Thou art God.
(2.) But this is only half the conception. How much there is of life remaining to us we know not. But beyond the limits of the longest life possible to us there is a vast ocean of time measurable only by the infinite mind; and beyond that is boundless eternity. Time reaches not to the steps of the eternal throne. No law of succession narrows in His doings. All things are ever before Him. He is the Everlasting nowpast, present, future; time and space, these creatures of His hand, are not, in relation to His infinite perfection.Bishop Wilberforce.
3. In the sense of exalted spirituality.
II. The condescension of God, who casts looks so low. God does not dwell in solitary and indifferent grandeur in the high and lofty place. He is the Governor of the universe; its Father and its Friend.
1. God condescends to loot on physical laws and employs them.
2. God condescends to look upon man and visits him. Adam, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, David, the Jewish nation, and at last through His Incarnate Son.
3. God condescends to look upon human governments and employs them. He doeth according to His will, &c. By Him kings reign, &c.
He sees with equal eye, as God of all,
A hero perish, or a sparrow fall;
Atoms and systems into ruin hurled:
There a bubble burst, and here a world.
Learn (i.) The danger of antagonism to God; (ii) The blessedness of the Divine condescension.
HUMAN EXALTATION
(Psa. 113:7-8)
1. Psa. 113:7-9 are almost word for word from the song of Hannah. (Cf. Song of Mary, Luk. 1:46-48.)
2. Human exaltation is the result of the Divine benignity. Had God never noticed our lost race it had remained for ever in misery and degradation. But Gods notice was Gods redemption. The sentiment of our text may be illustrated
I. In the various spheres of daily life, the poor have been lifted out of the dust, and have sat with princes.
1. In the scientific sphere,Sir Wm. Arkwright, the inventor of the spinning jenny, was once a barbers apprentice. Brindley, the engineer; Hugh Miller, the geologist; John Hunter, the physician, were day labourers. Thos. Edwards, the naturalist, was a shoemaker; Bewick, the engraver, a coalminer; Herschell, a bandsman; Faraday, the son of a poor blacksmith; Sir Isaac Newton, the son of a farmer; Davy, a country apothecarys assistant
2. In the artistic sphere,Turner, the painter, was a barber; Chantrey, a journeyman carver; Etty, a journeyman printer; Sir Thomas Lawrence, the son of a tavern-keeper; Inigo Jones, John Gibson, Romney, and Opie were labourers.
3. In the literary sphere,Shakespeare was the son of a butcher; John Foster, a weaver; Ben Jonson and Allan Cunningham, day labourers; Drew, a shoemaker; Adam Clarke, the son of a poor schoolmaster; Elihu Burritt, a blacksmith; Dr. Lee, the great Hebrew scholar, a carpenter.
4. In the judicial sphere,Lord Tenterden was once a barbers boy; Talfourd, the son of a brewer; Baron Pollock, son of a saddler; Lord Eldon, the son of a coal-fitter.
5. In the army and navy,Bonaparte rose from the ranks; Sir Cloudesley Shovel was a shoemaker, and Warren Hastings was an East India clerk.
6. In the Church,Adrian IV. was a swineherd; Wolsey, the son of a butcher; Thomas a Beckett, of obscure origin, Bunyan a tinker; Whitfield, the son of an innkeeper; Martyn, the son of a miner; and Carey and Morrison were shoemakers.
7. In the field of discovery,Cook was a day labourer; Baffin, a man before the mast; Livingstone, a weaver; and Layard, a solicitors clerk. Many more might be adduced in the political, social, and commercial spheres, but these are sufficient to show that God blesses the diligent use of the powers He has given. Would that they all had been employed for Him.
II. In Gods method of Redemption. All men are by sin sunk in moral degradation. They are lost to self, lost to destiny, lost to God. When God looks upon them He raises them from their fall, and by the regenerating power of His Spirit they become Gods heirs, joint heirs with Jesus Christ, and are anointed kings and priests unto God, and look forward to a crown, a sceptre, and a throne.
III. In the history of the Christian Church. Its beginnings were of the humblest possible character. Its Founder was the reputed son of a carpenter; its first officers peasants or fishermen. For the first century, the wise and noble were conspicuous by their absence. Its beginnings everywhere are the same. It aims to seek and to save the lost, and it is the lost and degraded that it welcomes. Its beginnings are humble, but its progress is ever mighty. Philosophers and statesmen are proud to partake of its privileges on a level with the peasant and the slave, and kings receive their crowns from its hands.
IV. In the resurrection of the body. (1 Corinthians 15.)
IN CONCLUSION.(i.) All true greatness is the gift of God. (ii.) All true greatness commences with the recognition of God. (iii.) All greatness fails if it does not secure the consecration of God.
MOTHERHOOD: ITS BLESSINGS AND RESPONSIBILITIES
(Psa. 113:9)
There is no sweeter name to a child than mother, and no sweeter name to a mother than her childs. The two greatest curses of mankind are bad mothers and thankless children. Our text suggests
I. That children are the subject of fond and prayerful desire.
1. This desirableness is in certain quarters denied.
(1.) By a false political economy. Children beyond a certain number are said to be the fruitful cause of misery and pauperism. So thought the Hindoos, and till recently the waters of the Ganges and the jaws of the alligator were the all-sufficient check. So thought the Spartans, and the check with them was wholesale infanticide. Not more unnatural and not less vile are the artificial checks of modern civilisation (?). But that civilisation forgets that the miseries of the world proceed not from large families, but from the parental vices which it permits and sanctions.
(2.) By a false sentiment. Children are said to be a trouble and expense, and men blasphemously treat the advent of children with humorous resignation, if not with positive chagrin, and feel that society requires that demeanour. What makes children a trouble and expense but the indolence, hardheartedness, or extravagance of parents?
2. This desirableness is recognised by
(1) The nature of things. There is nothing addressing itself to nature to which the response is so quick, so universal, and so joyful as the coming of the young into the world. There is almost nothing possessing a spark of intelligence which has not this inward preparation for rejoicing at the birth of offspring. It is a bright day, or should be, in every household, in every neighbourhood, when a child is born, and a member added to society.H. W. Beecher.
(2) By the barren mother (see 1 Samuel 1, 2). Vain are all well-meant consolations. Tell her that they are but careful comforts, that she has her husband, and immunity from family cares, and she will tell you that she is willing to bear every anxiety, if she can only be the joyful mother of children.
(3) By a just moral sentiment, and a sound political economy. The object of existence can be but imperfectly attained without children. A family is a great incentive to industry. How many a wife has saved her husband from drunkenness and crime by the light and joy which children bring!
(4) By the word of God. Sarah, Rebecca, Rachel, Hannah, Manoahs wife, &c.
3. This desirableness is ennobling. Because it is
(1) in harmony with the will of God (Gen. 1:28).
(2) A desire to live for another.
(3) An evidence of the paternity of God, and in conformity with it.
II. That children are a mothers joy. This is now happily, thanks to the Bible, passed into a proverb, and children in all healthy circles are now regarded as a necessary element in the happiness of life. There is
1. The joy of expectation.
2. The joy of new maternity (Joh. 16:21).
3. The joy of giving birth to citizens of the kingdom of heaven. They are the Lords heritage under both testaments (Psa. 127:3).
4. The joy of training.
5. The joy of a nature ennobled and enlarged by maternity.
6. The joy of a HOME.
III. That children are a mothers care. He maketh a barren woman to keep house. He not only builds up the family, but thereby finds something for the heads to do.M. Henry. That being the case
1. Value them. Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones. Their value does not lie altogether in their charms, &c., but in the fact that they are rational immortal beings, lent that you may enable them to realise the fact that they are sons and daughters of the Lord Almighty.
2. Study them. Constant watchfulness, careful discrimination. It is not a virtue, but a vice that you are not guilty of to horses or dogs, to treat them all alike.
3. Provide for them (1Ti. 5:8)
(1) Sufficient maintenance.
(2) A good education.
(3) A bright prospect.
4. Consecrate them to, and train them up in the nurture and admonition of, the Lord.
IV. That children are divine gifts. He maketh. Thus are they uniformly regarded in the Bible.
IN CONCLUSION.God is on the side of little children, and He is on the side of parents who wish to bring up their children right and with some degree of teaching, and some degree of trust in God, you are adequate to lift your children from the plane of animalism, to the plane of social beings, and from that again to the plane of moral and spiritual beings; and when that is accomplished, the next change is to drop the animal altogether, and rise to the realm above, and be as the angels of GodH. W. Beecher.
Fuente: The Preacher’s Complete Homiletical Commentary Edited by Joseph S. Exell
Psalms 113
DESCRIPTIVE TITLE
A Song of Sublime Simplicity: reaching its Climax by Rejoicing with a Glad Mother!
ANALYSIS
Stanza I., Psa. 113:1-3, Praise Invited from Jehovahs Servants, for All Time, through All the World. Stanza II., Psa. 113:4-6, Jehovahs Incomparable Loftiness and Condescension in Contrast. Stanza III., Psa. 113:7-9, The Lowly are Exalted and the Barren Wife made Glad.
(P.R.I.) Praise ye Yah!
1
Praise O ye servants of Jehovah,
praise the name of Jehovah:
2
Let the name of Jehovah be blessed
from this time forth and to the ages:
3
From the rising of the sun unto the going in thereof
worthy to be praised is the name of Jehovah.
4
High above all nations is Jehovah,
above the heavens is his glory
5
Who is like unto Jehovah our God,
that on high sitteth,
6
that down low looketh,
In the heavens and on the earth?
7
Who raiseth out of the dust the poor,
from the dunghill[547] uplifteth the needy:
[547] Or: ash-heap.
8
To seat [him] with nobles,
with the nobles of his people.
9
Who giveth an abiding home to the barren of the house,
[now] mother of the sons to her joy!
(Nm.)[548]
[548] See 114 (beginning).
PARAPHRASE
Psalms 113
Hallelujah! O servants of Jehovah, praise His name.
2 Blessed is His name forever and forever.
3 Praise Him from sunrise to sunset!
4 For He is high above the nations; His glory is far greater than the heavens.
5 Who can be compared with God enthroned on high?
6 Far below Him are the heavens and the earth; He stoops to look,
7 And lifts the poor from the dirt, and the hungry from the garbage dump,
8 And sets them among princes!
9 He gives children to the childless wife, so that she becomes a happy mother. Hallelujah! Praise the Lord.
EXPOSITION
This is a Song of exquisite simplicity and grace. The momentary feeling that it starts with mincing steps, quickly gives place to the perception that its stairlike advances soon mount from the simple to the sublime. The servants of Jehovah are the only safe custodians of his praise. But, instead of keeping his praise to themselves, they are called upon to give it wing through all time and to the ends of the earth. So much already the first stanza embraces.
Jehovah is related to all nations, but high above them all: indeed, above the heavens is his gloryhis Messengers and Ministers are far beneath himhis throne is ever above them. Even in heaven, although he goeth high to sit, yet he bendeth low to look,which appears to settle a nice point as to the construction of the second stanza, and to intimate that even in heaven the condescension of Jehovah is recognised, and not merely here on earth. He is therefore incomparable both in the heavens and on the earth.
But the dust and the dunghill especially savour of earth. It is here that patience and hope especially need to be nursed; and silent sorrow most strongly commands our sympathy. Depressed in spirit was Hannah, before she became the mother of Samuel; and, in another way, more sorely tried, still, was Mary the mother of Jesus. The praises of Israel have been composed to help out the sorrows of sufferers into soothing and helpful expression; and the language of both Hannah and Mary is reflected or anticipated here, where, with striking significance, the last word is joy! (Cp., for the Mother City, Isa. 60:14-22; Isa. 66:7-14).
This psalm is the first of the series called The Hallelsometimes The Egyptian Hallelsung on occasion of the three great national festivals, the new moons and (portions of it) at the commencement of the New Year. At the Passover, this psalm and the next were sung at the beginning of the celebration, and the remaining four psalms (115118) after the pouring out of the fourth cup. That such a psalm as this should have been made the first of such a series is profoundly significant. Only to think it possible that a King wrote this psalm while waiting in patience for the birth of his Firstborn, is to catch a glimpse of Sacred Romance.
QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION
1.
What is the purpose and use of this psalm?
2.
There must be great benefit in praise or adoration to Jehovah. Why isnt it more prominent today?
3.
Our God is both high and low. In what sense?
4.
This is a psalm for the expectant mother. It is referred to Mary and Hannahjust how related?
5.
Sacred Romance might be involved. How?
Fuente: College Press Bible Study Textbook Series
(1) Ye servants of the Lordi.e., Israel. (See Psa. 69:36.)
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
1. Servants of the Lord The call is upon Israel, the professed servants of Jehovah, wherever residing. Those only who know God are prepared for this act of praise, and the whole psalm indicates that the most marked condescension of Jehovah toward his people, even the poorest and vilest, had been recently and freshly experienced. The verse is similar to Psa 135:1, except a slight transposition of words, and is more emphatic.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Psalms 113
Psa 113:6 Who humbleth himself to behold the things that are in heaven, and in the earth!
Psa 113:6
Php 2:5-8, “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.”
Psa 113:7 He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, and lifteth the needy out of the dunghill;
Psa 113:7
1Sa 2:8, “ He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, and lifteth up the beggar from the dunghill , to set them among princes, and to make them inherit the throne of glory: for the pillars of the earth are the LORD’S, and he hath set the world upon them.”
Fuente: Everett’s Study Notes on the Holy Scriptures
Praise of God’s Mercy toward the Lowly.
v. 1. Praise ye the Lord, v. 2. Blessed be the name of the Lord from this time forth and forevermore, v. 3. From the rising of the sun unto the going down of the same, v. 4. The Lord is high above all nations, v. 5. Who is like unto the Lord, our God, who dwelleth on high, v. 6. who humbleth Himself to behold the things that are in heaven and in the earth, v. 7. He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, v. 8. that He may set him with princes, even with the princes of His people, v. 9. He maketh the barren woman to keep house,
Fuente: The Popular Commentary on the Bible by Kretzmann
EXPOSITION
This is the first of the “Hallel” psalms, or of those sung at the Feasts of the Passover, Pentecost, and Tabernacles. It is a “Hallelujah psalm,” like the two preceding, but is not alphabetic. As a most joyful hymn of praise, it is selected by our Church to be one of the psalms for Easter Day.
The composition falls into three stanzas of three verses each. In the first (Psa 113:1-3) the servants of the Lord are called upon to praise him. In the second (Psa 113:4-6) God is praised in the heavens, with respect to his glory there. In the third (Psa 113:7-9) he is eulogized in respect of his great doings upon the earth.
Psa 113:1
Praise ye the Lord (comp. Psa 104:35; Psa 105:45; Psa 106:1, Psa 106:48; Psa 111:1; Psa 112:1). Praise, O ye servants of the Lord, praise the Name of the Lord. By “ye servants of the Lord,” all faithful Israelites are certainly intended; but the phrase need not be absolutely limited to them (comp. Psa 113:3).
Psa 113:2
Blessed be the Name of the Lord from this time forth and for evermore. The prayer here is that God may be praised through all time, as in the next verse it is that he may be praised through all space. In connection with the praise of God, limits of time and place are unsuitable (comp. Psa 115:18; Psa 121:8; Psa 125:1-5 :8; Psa 131:3; Isa 59:21; Mic 4:7).
Psa 113:3
From the rising of the sun unto the going down of the same (comp. Mal 1:3; i.e. all over the world, from the furthest east to the furthest west. The Lord’s Name is to be praised; or, “praised be the Name of the Lord” (Kay).
Psa 113:4
The Lord is high above all nations. As being “the great King over all the earth” (Psa 47:2). And his glory above the heavens. “The heaven, and heaven of heavens, cannot contain him” (2Ch 6:18). It is a “humbling of himself” to “behold the things that are in heaven and earth” (see Psa 113:6).
Psa 113:5
Who is like unto the Lord our God? (comp. Psa 89:6; Isa 40:18, Isa 40:25). The highest created being does not approach within anything but an immeasurable distance of God. Who dwelleth on high; or, “who sitteth enthroned on high.”
Psa 113:6
Who humbleth himself to behold the things that are in heaven, and in the earth. It is a condescension in God to regard even “the things that are in heaven,” since the very “heavens are not clean in his sight” (Job 15:15). Much more is it a condescension in him to behold the gross material things of earth. Yet he gives them his constant care and attention, since otherwise they would cease to be.
Psa 113:7
He raiseth up the poor out of the dust. Heaven is full of his glory, earth of his mercy and loving-kindness. The words of 1Sa 2:8 are, consciously or unconsciously, quoted. And lifteth the needy out of the dunghill; rather, from the dunghill (Revised Version).
Psa 113:8
That he may set him with princes. The words of 1Sa 2:8 are still followed. (For the sentiment, see also Job 36:7.) Historically, the statement is illustrated by the examples of Joseph, Saul, David, Daniel, Mordecai. Even with the princes of his people. Not merely with heathen princes, but with those who exercise sovereignty over Israel, as Joseph with Pharaoh, Daniel with Nebuchadnezzar and Cyrus, Mordecai with Ahasuerus or Xerxes.
Psa 113:9
He maketh the barren woman to keep house. Hannah’s song is still in the psalmist’s thoughts, and suggests this illustration (see 1Sa 2:5). But it must not be restricted to a literal interpretation. The true “barren woman” was Israel (Isa 54:1), whose curse of barrenness was ultimately removed, and who became, as here prophesied, a joyful mother of children (comp. Isa 49:12, Isa 49:18, Isa 49:20; Isa 54:2, Isa 54:3; Isa 60:5; Gal 4:27). Praise ye the Lord.
HOMILETICS
Psa 113:1-9
Reasons for reverential praise.
The force of the psalmist’s summons in the opening verse is felt as we proceed through the psalm itself, and when we reach the end of it; for there are brought out
I. THE CONSTANCY OF GOD‘S GOODNESS. In no less than three verses (1-3) the Lord’s Name is put for himself. This is significant of the Divine constancy. The name of the Lord is never dissociated from the same class of thoughts and deeds. It is so invariably connected with these that one stands for the other. His name and his character are inseparable; utter his name, and there instantly rise to our thought the attributes which distinguish him; to sing of his Name is not to praise an imaginary or ideal one, but the very Lord God himself. We worship him “with whom is no variableness nor shadow of turning.”
II. THE GREATNESS OF HIS GLORY. He manifests his presence, exercises his power, and makes known his goodness
(1) through all ages (Psa 113:2);
(2) over all the earth (Psa 113:3);
(3) in the highest heavens (Psa 113:4).
III. THE FACT OF HIS CONDESCENSION. (Psa 113:6.) “He humbleth himself; who casts looks so low;” “and looketh down so deep.” However we read it, the idea is that the “Most High God” interests himself in the children of men. He not only is concerned with the progress of our race generally, but he occupies his eternity with the intimate knowledge and practical government of each nation, province, family, individual soul. To the Infinite One nothing can be too small for his regard.
IV. HIS UPLIFTING POWER AND GRACE. (Psa 113:7.) Obviously it could not be expected that every godly man would rise in worldly position; that involves an actual impossibility; nor would that, if it were possible, be a desirable reward of piety. But the good manwho is the faithful, thrifty, reliable manis very often raised from obscurity to eminence, from lowliness to power. And the constant tendency of Christian worth and virtue is to convert poverty into competence, want into comfort, misery into cheerfulness, despair into peace. Indeed, this last is one of the ordinary and continual effects of piety. In the gospel of Christ, God is lifting up those that have been brought down into a sense of condemnation and shame to the holy and blessed heights of hope and joy. Christianity is everywhere and always an uplifting power.
V. HIS ENRICHING KINDNESS. (Psa 113:9.) We do not sufficiently realize the goodness of God in the domestic enrichment with which he blesses us; in all the love and all the happiness that come from the conjugal, parental, filial, fraternal relationships which his heart has conceived, which his hand is working for us. All these things bring into view
VI. HIS STRONG CLAIM ON OUR REVERENCE AND PRAISE. As the psalm begins and ends with a “hallelujah” so should our lives, in every part, be encircled with the utterance of heartfelt gratitude.
HOMILIES BY S. CONWAY
Psa 113:7, Psa 113:8
The overflowing gratitude of the saved soul.
How intense is the fervor of praise with which this psalm is full! The soul of the psalmist can scarce contain itself, and we are inevitably led to inquire into the reason and occasion of such gratitude. It is told of in the verses before us. No doubt the salvation spoken of was primarily a national one; it was Israel who had been so visited of God. It was Israel who was sunk so low in misery and degradation-sunk down to the dust and the dunghill, so poor and needy, so lonely, sad, and filled with reproach, like a woman to whom had been denied the gift of children. But by the grace and condescending compassion of God, she had been lifted up, and set among princes, and she had become joyful, like as a mother over her children. From Egypt’s slavery to the glories of the time of David and Solomon; from the misery and shame of the days of the destruction of Jerusalem, when they were carried into captivity, to the brighter times of the return and restoration;such deliverances as these it was which called forth the psalmist’s and the nation’s enthusiastic, grateful song. And the lesson for every nation or community which has been blessed of God with great prosperity, as our own nation has, is to remember the small beginnings, the humble place we once filled, and to give God all the praise for what he has wrought on our behalf. But we take our text as descriptive of spiritual deliveranceof God’s salvation of the soul. The gratitude of such soul is uttered here. And it rests on these grounds
I. THE DEPTHS FROM WHICH IT HAS BEEN UPLIFTED. They are described as the dust, the dunghill, the state of the barren woman. These images present an accumulation of shame, degradation, and distress. And the soul that has known the Holy Spirit’s conviction of sin will know that such images are fit and true. St. Paul called himself, to the last, “the chief of sinners.” Guilt, bondage to sin, vileness of heart and, perhaps, of life too, hopelessness, helplessness, and a fearful looking for of judgment,facts like these justify the strong images of the verses before us as telling of the soul unsaved.
II. THE HEIGHTS TO WHICH IT HAS BEEN RAISED. See again the images employed. And they are true. They express the ideas of honor, wealth, joy, strength, fruitfulness; and they are all realized in the experience of the saved soul now, and are to be realized infinitely more hereafter.
III. THE INFINITE CONDESCENSION OF GOD IN ALL THIS. The unbeliever has objected that it is monstrous to suppose that the great God, who controls the universe, amid which this earth of ours is a mere shred and insignificant fragment, can be concerned with the petty affairs of man, especially of a poor individual, worthless, and sinful man. But is it not true that he who governs the vast universe, worlds upon worlds, has yet been at the pains to paint and fashion the wing of the meanest insect in most exquisite and perfect manner? It’ he will stoop to that, he will stoop to me, poor wretched sinner though I be. I own it is wonderful; but it is true. Hallelujah!S.C.
HOMILIES BY R. TUCK
Psa 113:1
Servant-reasons for praise.
“Praise, O ye servants of the Lord.” This psalm is the first of the series called the “Hallel,” which was sung in connection with the annual Jewish festivals, and especially at the Passover and Feast of Tabernacles. This and the following psalm were sung before the second cup. We need not think, however, that these psalms were composed for use at the feasts with which they were afterwards associated. Only Jewish minds could recognize any particular fitness for such scenes. To us they are simply praise psalms. Here we notice that praise of the Divine Master is properly claimed from all the servants of the Divine Master.
I. PRAISE IS PROPERLY CLAIMED FROM ALL GOD‘S CREATION, “All thy works praise thee, in all places of thy dominion.” Poet-souls and pious souls find voice for Nature, and utter forth the joy in the Divine wisdom and goodness which all things seem to feel Many of the psalms are nature-psalms. When man is praiseful, he feels that everything around him is praiseful too.
II. PRAISE IS PROPERLY CLAIMED FROM THE MORAL BEINGS GOD HAS MADE. Inanimate things praise by answering the ends for which they are made, and meeting the conditions in which they are set. But moral beings praise by recognizing qualities and character in the Divine arrangements. They do not only see goodness, they see that only from a good and gracious Being can such goodness come. Man, as man, in distinction from man as sinner, or man as in special relations with God, is called to praise, as he recognizes the Divine providing, ruling, and overruling.
III. PRAISE IS PROPERLY CLAIMED FROM THE SERVANTS WHO DO GOD‘S WILL. There may be a special call intended here to the officials of the templepriests and Levites; but the term “servant” is used by the Prophet Isaiah of the whole people, of every person called to a ministry, and of Messiah. And the Apostle Paul delights to speak of himself as the servant, bond-servant, slave, of Jesus Christ. All God’s people who have come into personal relations with him, and have received his regime rating grace, think of themselves as consecrated to his service, as having become his servants. It may be shown that they, in a special way, feel the duty of praise, and find reasons for praise. Servant-praise is based:
1. On knowledge. The intimacy with the Master is a continually fresh revelation.
2. On experience. The servant never forgets the grace that brought him into the servant-relation.
3. On office; for it is servant-work to secure the honor of the Master.R.T.
Psa 113:3
Universal praise.
“From the rising of the sun unto the going down of the same, the Lord’s Name is to be praised.” These figures may be taken as representing two notes of universality.
1. From morning to evening, covering all time.
2. From east to west, covering all space. Note that the two conditions of human thought are “time” and “space.” All space is filled with reasons for praise. All time should be filled with the spirit of praise.
I. TIME FILLED WITH PRAISE. It cannot be expected that our whole days should be occupied with formal acts of worship; though such a pious soul as David will even envy the priests of the temple, who spend all their time in praise. We need to see clearly that “praise” is a cherished spirit of trustfulness, obedience, and holy joy in God; that this can be with us, abiding with us, while we are occupied with our commonplace, everyday avocations; and that this spirit of praise ever gladly seizes fitting opportunities for formal expression. In this sense the good man’s praise is universal; it covers all his time. It is cherished always; it is expressed often. And the relation of the frequent expression to the constant feeling may wisely be pointed out. Neglecting expression means fading feeling. Restraining the lips means losing the heart’s joy and gratitude. If a good man’s praise is not universal, as including all his time, it will soon become only weak impulse and sentiment.
II. SPACE FILLED WITH PRAISE. East and west are broader, larger suggestions than north and south. They cover all the zones in which man, in his multitudes, can dwell. So they include all humanity. It may be noted that this was a strange conception for the exclusive Jew; but in the time of the restoration from the Captivity the diffusion of the knowledge of God among the heathen had already begun. God’s work is in all space. God’s appeal is made to every man. God’s goodness hallows every life. God therefore rightly claims universal praise. But there is an element in the redeemed man’s praise which makes him the fitting leader of the universal choir. All the world over, man, should
(1) extol his character;
(2) magnify every high and sacred attribute;
(3) glory in all his mighty and gracious works; and
(4) honor the Name by which he is known.R.T.
Psa 113:5
Likenesses to God.
“Who is like unto the Lord our God?” The precise point here may be thus expressed: “Who as he combines majesty with condescension?” Both heaven and earth, glorious and wonderful though they are, are alike immeasurably below the majesty of God. The psalmist evidently has the idolatry in mind which seeks for suggestions of God’s figure either in heaven or in earth. No fitting ones can be found. They are all made things; and the maker is always grander than the things he makes. No manufactured article can ever do more than suggest something about the man who designed or made it; it can never give an adequate and complete impression of him. Think of the sun as the sublimest of all created things, but it is no more fitting to represent God, it is no more worthily a likeness of God, than the images, hideous or beautiful, which idolatry or paganism may design God absolutely refuses to permit any likeness to be made of him after anything in heaven, or earth, or under the earth. Nothing material must be permitted to limit our large, free, spiritual thought of him.
I. LIKENESSES TO GOD IN THE HEAVENS. Men naturally look up into the heavens first, because that is the sphere of mystery, and that inspires awe and leads to adoration. It does so to the uncultured, but how much more it does to the cultured, who know that the seemingly little star Uranus is eighty times larger than the earth, Neptune a hundred and fifty times larger, Saturn more than seven hundred times larger, and Jupiter more than fourteen hundred times larger! The general sentiment of humanity has found in our sun the best likeness of God; but, though this should bring to men sublime ideas of grandeur, purity, and power, even the sun is unworthy to represent God.
II. LIKENESSES TO GOD IN THE EARTH. The apostle regards it as a degrading descent, that men, unsatisfied with sun-figures, “changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and four-footed beasts, and creeping things.” It is an impressive proof of the uselessness of the material to represent the immaterial, that men who once look to the material for figures of God always tend to go lower and lower in the scale. Nowadays, though we are not likely to worship the sun or manufactured idols, there are still thought-ideals, thought-idols, which may be as unworthy to represent the eternal God as the images of our heathen brothers.R.T.
Psa 113:6
The relative value of earthly things.
There is no absolute value in them. God cannot be thought of as interested in them for their own sakes. He humbles himself to regard them because of the relation his people bear to them, and because of the influence they have upon his people. Of him it has been suggestively said, “He stoops to view the skies, and bows to see what angels do.” This we say of God, because we have the revelation of him as a Moral Being, with moral as well as natural attributes. Once let a being take a moral view of things, and the material can never afterwards be the all-important thing to him. Once let us take the moral view, and we must always take it; for us the moral must have eternal precedency.
I. GOD CANNOT BE THOUGHT OF AS INTERESTED IN EVENTS FOR THEIR OWN SAKES. There is no quality in things. Even we men are not supremely interested in the things we make; we are concerned about the purposes for which we make them, and the uses to which they may be put. We go, in thought, past the things themselves. Even when God is pictured as calling each day’s work of creation “very good,” we are reminded that his eye was upon the moral beings for whom he was arranging it all. It would help us in gaining right views of God if we would clearly see that material creation is not his end, but his means to secure a higher end.
II. GOD MUST BE THOUGHT OF AS INTERESTED IN EVENTS FOE THE SAKE OF HIS PEOPLE. Material things, earthly events, human relations, do variously influence the moral beings that God has made; and these various influences we may think of as God’s supreme concern. It is not right to sayGod made everything for the sake of man. This only fills man with pride. It is right to say that God made everything for the sake of his purpose in man and through him. Illustrate from the parental relation to the mere incidents and events of the boy’s life. Parents would not turn aside to consider the events if the boy were not in them. It is the boy they consider, not the events. All their concern is the influence of the events on the character and life of the boy. Transfer this to the larger, sublimer family sphere of the heavenly Father, and then our point comes out clearly. God concerns himself with his world for the sake of his purpose through his people.R.T.
Psa 113:7
God the Remover of disabilities.
“He raiseth up the poor out of the dust.” The expressions used in this and the following verse are taken from the song of Hannah (see 1Sa 2:1-10), and similar expressions are found in the song of the Virgin Mary (see Luk 1:51-53). Historical illustrations of the passage may be found in the careers of Gideon, King Saul, and David. The psalmist may have in mind the restoration of the nation from the Babylonish captivity, which was an extreme national humiliation. As a fact of Divine dealing, this removing of disabilities may be illustrated from the preacher’s own experience and observation. But we can so fully recognize the Divine wisdom in such dealings in general as to remove all thought of Divine favoritism or mere sovereignty. Two of the reasons guiding Divine conduct may be considered.
I. GOD GRACIOUSLY RECOGNIZES AND REWARDS CHARACTER. Some of the best features of human character can only gain expression and culture under the pressure of poverty, burdens, and disabilities. It is the misfortune of many men that they cannot be noblest-typed characters because they have never known trouble and strain. There are qualities of character in the favored ones which the poor and tried ones cannot attain; but they are not so important as the qualities of the humbled and suffering ones, which the favored few cannot attain. Since God is specially interested in character, he is concerned for the poor and needy, and finds in them persons who are fitted for responsible positions. The rise of men of lowly station to offices of influence is mainly due to the power of character, and the Divine recognition of character. It may be shown that, though this is largely true, it must be taken with some qualifications, seeing that men do sometimes rise through force of mind, or characteristic qualities, which are quite distinct from moral and religious character.
II. GOD FINDS IN THOSE UNDER DISABILITIES FITTING PERSONS FOR HIS SERVICE. Here it may be pointed out that times of disability are often the schooling of the men God wants for his work. Poverty, toil, strain, burden, make the training-ground for the Lord’s heroes. And the man who is placed under any special form of disability may comfort himself with the assurance that the Lord is needing him, and so needs to have him disciplined, polished, furbished, by this trying experience.R.T.
Psa 113:9
The mission of the children.
Here is an evident allusion to the joy of Hannah, when her prayer was heard, and Samuel came as the firstborn of a family. “The Lord visited Hannah, so that she bare three sons and two daughters,” and her adversary could provoke her no more. It is remarked that the Rabbins actually speak of a man’s wife as his house; and the same form of speech is current at the present day among the Arabs. This joy men have in children, which is characteristic of every age and nation, which is, indeed, the universal sentiment, leads us to consider the mission of the children. Why do they come in helplessness, and take so long growing up to their manhood and womanhood?
I. CHILDREN ARE SENT TO CULTURE CHARACTER. This is the other side of the truth with which we are familiarthat children have characters which we must culture. There is a good sense in which children are sent into the world to “train their parents.” What they can do is seen in the immediate effect their coming has upon their mothers. It changes them from thoughtless, self-centered maidens into thoughtful, self-denying women. And an equal influence, though not quite so evident, is seen in the father. Family life cultures all the graces, the stronger ones no less than the milder; and it lays the burden of personal example upon the parents; for a child makes demand of father and mother that they will show him the ideal goodness. Each element of refined and Christly character may be dealt with, and special stress may be laid upon “patience” and “charity” in the sense of going outside ourselves for our interests.
II. CHILDREN ARE SENT TO KEEP UP OUR INTEREST IN MORALS. This point is seldom dwelt on. Yet it is evident that the children come just at the time in our lives when material interestsbusiness, societybecome so absorbing. Moral and religious interests would pass out of our thought if it were not that every day brings to us concern for the children, and that must be a moral concern. The children break into the monotony of material middle-life associations. Everyday morals for every parent, and morals and religion for most parents, are brought closely to mind. The children are God’s voice reminding man of eternal things.R.T.
HOMILIES BY C. SHORT
Psa 113:5-8
The Divine nature and character.
“Who is like unto the Lord our God,” etc.? The views we form of God’s nature and character are of the highest importance.
I. GOD‘S INCOMPARABLE MAJESTY. (See the fortieth chapter of Isaiah.) But his moral greater than his physical greatness.
II. GOD‘S CONDESCENSION. “Humbleth himself to behold the things that are in heaven and in the earth.” Displays a deep and everlasting interest in the works of his hands.
1. Great men stoop to inferior things for the purposes of science. But God has a perfect knowledge of all things.
2. Men stoop to the wants and miseries of others, but do not relinquish their rank and station. But God in Christ came in the form of a servant (Php 2:6-8).
3. Great men die for their country or their friends, but not for their enemies. “God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners [and enemies], Christ died for us.”
III. GOD‘S REDEEMING COMPASSION.
1. Man‘s character as a sinner is described. He is called poor and needy. Poor and needy indeed! As a sinner, he has no real treasure, and not even any hope.
2. His misery is indicated. In the dust and on the dunghilla miserable outcast.
3. His glorious elevation by the redeeming love of God. (1Sa 2:8.) He is translated to a seat with princes. “Who hath made us kings and priests unto God.”S.
Fuente: The Complete Pulpit Commentary
Psalms 113.
An exhortation to praise God for his excellency, and for his mercy.
THIS and the five following psalms, were by the Jews called hallel, or hymns; they were made use of at the feasts of the new moons, and on other solemn occasions, especially on the paschal night, after they had eaten the lamb. The evangelist alludes to this custom, Mat 26:30.; Mar 14:26. The intention of this psalm is, to excite men to praise God for his good providence, several instances of which are here mentioned; and particularly his mercy to the Gentile world, in making the barren woman a joyful mother of children.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Psalms 113
1Praise ye the Lord.
Praise, O ye servants of the Lord,
Praise the name of the Lord.
2Blessed be the name of the Lord from this time forth and for evermore.
3 From the rising of the sun unto the going down of the same
The Lords name is to be praised.
4 The Lord is high above all nations,
And his glory above the heavens.
5 Who is like unto the Lord our God,
Who dwelleth on high,
6 Who humbleth himself to behold
The things that are in heaven, and in the earth!
7 He raiseth up the poor out of the dust,
And lifteth the needy out of the dunghill;
8 That he may set him with princes,
Even with the princes of his people.
9 He maketh the barren woman to keep house,
And to be a joyful mother of children.
Praise ye the Lord.
EXEGETICAL AND CRITICAL
Contents and Composition.An exhortation is sent forth to praise Jehovah at all times and throughout the world (Psa 113:1-3) as the God who, though infinitely exalted, yet beholds even things that are most abased (Psa 113:4-6), and exalts, blesses, and gladdens the feeble, the despised, and the mourning (Psa 113:7-9). No special connection with the people of Israel after the exile (Hengst. and the ancients) is discoverable. Just as uncertain is any allusion to Jonathans elevation, 1Ma 10:63 (Hitzig), or the assumption that there is a close connection between this Psalm and the following, and that it was composed in view of the passover (Kster, Ewald). [It is thus supposed to be connected with the deliverance from Egypt pictured in Psalms 114.J. F. M.] But even the frequent, and, in some cases, unexpected use of the so called chirek compaginis1 (comp. Ewald, 211) is no evidence of antiquity, but indicates design.
In the liturgy, the so-called Hallel (Psalms 113-118), also termed the Egyptian Hallel, as distinguished from the Great Hallel. Psalms 136. begins with this Psalm. The latter designation is also applied sometimes by the Talmud and Midrash to Psalms 120, 136, and to Psa 135:4-21. By some Christian writers it is wrongly applied to the Hallel in the more restricted sense. This Psalm continued to be recited while the Temple stood, and is still recited in Palestine, eighteen times a year, apart from its customary, though not legal, use at the new moon. Outside of Palestine, it is now yearly recited twenty-one times on account of the addition of three great feast-days. At the family celebration of the passover Psalms 113, 114 were sung before the meal, and indeed before the emptying of the second cup, and Psalms 115-118 after the meal, and after the filling of the fourth cup (comp. the expositors on Mat 27:30; Mar 14:26).This Psalm is the Old Test magnificat. [Perowne: The Psalm may be said to be a connecting link between the Song of Hannah and the Magnificat of the Virgin.J.F.M.]
Psa 113:1. Servants of Jehovah. This phrase is more expressive here than in Pss. 134, 135:20, and pre-supposes a specific conception of the relation in which Israel as a whole stood to God as His servant (Psa 136:22), and in which their individual living members Psa 34:23; 69:37) were embraced.
Psa 113:5-6. A connection in the thought might be considered possible between verse 6b and Psa 113:5 a (Deu 3:24). But we are prevented by the structure of the sentences from assuming such connection here (Geier, Hengst., Camphausen). The angels in heaven (Calvin) are, at all events, not to be thought of. The simplest course is to supply: upon all things. For this affords the most comprehensive conception of every thing that exists and transpires there (J. H. Mich. and others). But the restriction to seeing generally (Hupfeld), as contrasted with looking down, is unsuitable; for although the throne of God is usually mentioned as existing in heaven, yet the exaltation of God over heaven and earth is distinctly expressed (Psa 148:3). [The true rendering of Psa 113:5-6 accordingly is: Who is like Jehovah our God, who sitteth throned on high, who stoopeth down to see (what is done) in heaven and on earth? (Perowne). The literal construction of the second and third clauses is, who maketh high to sit, who maketh low to see. For the thought comp. Isa 57:15.J. F. M.]
Psa 113:7-9. Psa 113:7-8 are taken verbatim from the song of Hannah (1Sa 2:8), and Psa 113:9 probably follows 1Sa 2:5. A barren spouse was not assured of being allowed to remain in the house. Not until she became a mother did she gain a firm position. The application of the figure to the Church (Isa 54:1 ff) does not justify a typical interpretation of this passage (The older expositors and Hengst. following the Chald. and the Rabbins).One who is shut out from society in Syria and Palestine lies upon the mezbele (dung and ash-heap), calling upon the passers-by for alms during the day, and at night cowering in the ashes warmed by the sun (Del.). [Psa 113:9 b. is correctly: a joyful mother of the children. Delitzsch: The poet presents the scene so vividly to himself, that he points, as though with his finger, at the children with which God has blessed her. The article is suspected without reason by Olshausen and Hupfeld. These critics, especially the former one, run to an excess in their attempts to amend the text.J. F. M.]
DOCTRINAL AND ETHICAL
1. As God has given Himself a name that is above every name, and has therein revealed His nature for all times and the whole world, so will He be invoked always and everywhere by His servants by this name, and bids His Church in all places of the earth be mindful of this part of its service to Him.
2. Gods infinite exaltation above all created beings does not separate Him from those in need of help, or remove Him to an unapproachable distance, or place Him in solitude and out of relation to them, but is united in an incomparable manner with a careful regard for the least as well as for the greatest.
3. This mindfulness of them is no mere observing or purposeless gazing, but actual condescension to the insignificant, despised, and afflicted, so that they may be raised from their misery, and that the Church may ever have renewed occasion to praise Him.
HOMILETICAL AND PRACTICAL
The condescension of the Highest as the strongest and ever-renewed ground of His praise in the Church.God acts as befits His name; do we render Him the thanks which are His due?Can it be said of us: As the Master so the servant?God indeed condescends to the most distressed of men who mourn in obscurity; but what He does in a corner of the earth serves to manifest and exalt His glory, and shall make His name an object of praise for all time and through the whole world.Who is like our God? A question, (1) of confession, (2) of thanksgiving, (3) of trust.
Starke: If we are to praise God rightly, we must be His servants and believing children; for those who serve Satan and their own bodies, and are the slaves of Mammon, are not fit for such a service.Gods praise is as worthy of a place in His true service as any other of its elements; this is why we are so often called upon to engage in it.It is not unbecoming to God to care for what is debased. What it was no dishonor to create, it is no dishonor to preserve.The exaltation of the wretched is an unassailable testimony to the merciful providence of God, and to the reward that is bestowed upon the pious and godly.He that is raised from a low station to great honor, must know that God has done it, and must not become uplifted, else God may set him down again.He who is to be advanced to positions of peculiar importance has no need to anticipate Gods time. When His time and hour come, He will know how to place him where He would have him.
Selnecker: There are many servants and friends of the Lord throughout the world. Their lives and teaching should therefore be such as that God shall not be dishonored, but honored by them.Franke: The word our is a word of faith. He who has truly given his heart to God, may trust in Him with joy, and need fear nothing.Rieger: In all Gods words and works are to be found precious traces of His greatness and exaltation and condescending love.Faith unites the lofty and the condescending in God, and they are equally dear and precious.Richter: The natural man, even though he be learned, takes no delight in contemplating Gods greatness in lowering Himself. It is faith alone which can harmonize the two, and rejoice that the condescending Lord of the universe does yet favor this little earth so highly, and glorify Himself in things that are insignificant.Guenther: What are all the exaltation and glory of this world compared to the glory of the kingdom of God?Diedrich: If the poor Church will be dismayed at times, the servants of the supreme God of mercy must only strike up again the hallelujah, the song of mercy and freedom, and all distress will disappear.Taube: The small regard the great; and the great God regards the small; the child of the dust seeks self-made heights of greatness; and He who is truly high and exalted will dwell with those who are of a broken and contrite spirit. Wonderful and adorable way for the salvation of the world!
[Scott: In His providence the Lord sometimes raises men from the most abject to the most honorable stations of society, and it is well when they acquit themselves properly in their new dignities. But this is His constant method in the kingdom of grace. He takes us debtors, beggars, nay, rebels and traitors, from the dust, the dung-hill, or the dungeon, to be His favorites and His children, to be kings and priests unto Him: and thus He numbers us with the princes of His chosen people.J. F. M.]
Footnotes:
[1][Because it was formerly supposed to have been employed to unite its own word euphonically with the following. See Bttcher, Gr. 584. It is generally, though not exclusively, attached to the construct, state. See Green. Gr. 61, 6 a, 218. According to Ewald, it is only used artificially by later poets.J. F. M.]
Fuente: A Commentary on the Holy Scriptures, Critical, Doctrinal, and Homiletical by Lange
CONTENTS
The general subject of this psalm is praise. The sacred writer calls upon all to praise the Lord, from sun-rise to sun-set. Every individual of intelligent creation is supposed to be interested in this service.
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
The prophet Malachi looking into gospel days, declared, that the name of Jehovah should be great among the Gentiles, from the rising of the sun to the going down of the same, Mal 1:11 . To this most reasonable service, the servants of the Lord are here called; and the subjects of creation, providence, and redemption, furnish out endless matter for devout souls to enlarge upon. And oh! thou blessed Jesus, how dust thou, as the servant of Jehovah, set a glorious example to all thy redeemed! Though thou wert Lord of all, yet didst thou condescend to be servant of all, and didst even wash thy disciple’s feet, in token of thine unequalled humility, and to teach us to do as thou hast done, Joh 13:13-15 . Truly, Lord I am thy servant: thou hast loosed my bonds, Psa 116:16 .
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
PSALMS
XI
AN INTRODUCTION TO THE BOOK OF PSALMS
According to my usual custom, when taking up the study of a book of the Bible I give at the beginning a list of books as helps to the study of that book. The following books I heartily commend on the Psalms:
1. Sampey’s Syllabus for Old Testament Study . This is especially good on the grouping and outlining of some selected psalms. There are also some valuable suggestions on other features of the book.
2. Kirkpatrick’g commentary, in “Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges,” is an excellent aid in the study of the Psalter.
3. Perowne’s Book of Psalms is a good, scholarly treatise on the Psalms. A special feature of this commentary is the author’s “New Translation” and his notes are very helpful.
4. Spurgeon’s Treasury of David. This is just what the title implies. It is a voluminous, devotional interpretation of the Psalms and helpful to those who have the time for such extensive study of the Psalter.
5. Hengstenburg on the Psalms. This is a fine, scholarly work by one of the greatest of the conservative German scholars.
6. Maclaren on the Psalms, in “The Expositor’s Bible,” is the work of the world’s safest, sanest, and best of all works that have ever been written on the Psalms.
7. Thirtle on the Titles of the Psalms. This is the best on the subject and well worth a careful study.
At this point some definitions are in order. The Hebrew word for psalm means praise. The word in English comes from psalmos , a song of lyrical character, or a song to be sung and accompanied with a lyre. The Psalter is a collection of sacred and inspired songs, composed at different times and by different authors.
The range of time in composition was more than 1,000 years, or from the time of Moses to the time of Ezra. The collection in its present form was arranged probably by Ezra in the fifth century, B.C.
The Jewish classification of Old Testament books was The Law, the Prophets, and the Holy Writings. The Psalms was given the first place in the last group.
They had several names, or titles, of the Psalms. In Hebrew they are called “The Book of Prayers,” or “The Book of Praises.” The Hebrew word thus used means praises. The title of the first two books is found in Psa 72:20 : “The prayers of David the son of Jesse are ended.” The title of the whole collection of Psalms in the Septuagint is Biblos Psalman which means the “Book of Psalms.” The title in the Alexandrian Codex is Psalterion which is the name of a stringed instrument, and means “The Psalter.”
The derivation of our English words, “psalms,” “psalter,” and “psaltery,” respectively, is as follows:
1. “Psalms” comes from the Greek word, psalmoi, which is also from psallein , which means to play upon a stringed instrument. Therefore the Psalms are songs played upon stringed instruments, and the word here is used to apply to the whole collection.
2. “Psalter” is of the same origin and means the Book of Psalms and refers also to the whole collection.
3. “Psaltery” is from the word psalterion, which means “a harp,” an instrument, supposed to be in the shape of a triangle or like the delta of the Greek alphabet. See Psa 33:2 ; Psa 71:22 ; Psa 81:2 ; Psa 144:9 .
In our collection there are 150 psalms. In the Septuagint there is one extra. It is regarded as being outside the sacred collection and not inspired. The subject of this extra psalm is “David’s victory over Goliath.” The following is a copy of it: I was small among my brethren, And youngest in my father’s house, I used to feed my father’s sheep. My hands made a harp, My fingers fashioned a Psaltery. And who will declare unto my Lord? He is Lord, he it is who heareth. He it was who sent his angel And took me from my father’s sheep, And anointed me with the oil of his anointing. My brethren were goodly and tall, But the Lord took no pleasure in them. I went forth to meet the Philistine. And he cursed me by his idols But I drew the sword from beside him; I beheaded him and removed reproach from the children of Israel.
It will be noted that this psalm does not have the earmarks of an inspired production. There is not found in it the modesty so characteristic of David, but there is here an evident spirit of boasting and self-praise which is foreign to the Spirit of inspiration.
There is a difference in the numbering of the psalms in our version which follows the Hebrew, and the numbering in the Septuagint. Omitting the extra one in the Septuagint, there is no difference as to the total number. Both have 150 and the same subject matter, but they are not divided alike.
The following scheme shows the division according to our version and also the Septuagint: Psalms 1-8 in the Hebrew equal 1-8 in the Septuagint; 9-10 in the Hebrew combine into 9 in the Septuagint; 11-113 in the Hebrew equal 10-112 in the Septuagint; 114-115 in the Hebrew combine into 113 in the Septuagint; 116 in the Hebrew divides into 114-115 in the Septuagint; 117-146 in the Hebrew equal 116-145 in the Septuagint; 147 in the Hebrew divides into 146-147 in the Septuagint; 148-150 in the Hebrew equal 148-150 in the Septuagint.
The arrangement in the Vulgate is the same as the Septuagint. Also some of the older English versions have this arangement. Another difficulty in numbering perplexes an inexperienced student in turning from one version to another, viz: In the Hebrew often the title is verse I, and sometimes the title embraces verses 1-2.
The book divisions of the Psalter are five books, as follows:
Book I, Psalms 1-41 (41 chapters)
Book II, Psalms 42-72 (31 chapters)
Book III, Psalms 73-89 (17 chapters)
Book IV, Psalms 90-106 (17 chapters)
Book V, Psalms 107-150 (44 chapters)
They are marked by an introduction and a doxology. Psalm I forms an introduction to the whole book; Psa 150 is the doxology for the whole book. The introduction and doxology of each book are the first and last psalms of each division, respectively.
There were smaller collections before the final one, as follows:
Books I and II were by David; Book III, by Hezekiah, and Books IV and V, by Ezra.
Certain principles determined the arrangement of the several psalms in the present collection:
1. David is honored with first place, Book I and II, including Psalms 1-72.
2. They are grouped according to the use of the name of God:
(1) Psalms 1-41 are Jehovah psalms;
(2) Psalms 42-83 are Elohim-psalms;
(3) Psalms 84-150 are Jehovah psalms.
3. Book IV is introduced by the psalm of Moses, which is the first psalm written.
4. Some are arranged as companion psalms, for instance, sometimes two, sometimes three, and sometimes more. Examples: Psa 2 and 3; 22, 23, and 24; 113-118.
5. They were arranged for liturgical purposes, which furnished the psalms for special occasions, such as feasts, etc. We may be sure this arrangement was not accidental. An intelligent study of each case is convincing that it was determined upon rational grounds.
All the psalms have titles but thirty-three, as follows:
In Book I, Psa 1 ; Psa 2 ; Psa 10 ; Psa 33 , (4 are without titles).
In Book II, Psa 43 ; Psa 71 , (2 are without titles).
In Book IV, Psa 91 ; Psa 93 ; Psa 94 ; Psa 95 ; Psa 96 ; Psa 97 ; Psa 104 ; Psa 105 ; Psa 106 , (9 are without titles).
In Book V, Psa 107 ; III; 112; 113; 114; 115; 116; 117; 118; 119; 135; 136; 137; 146; 147; 148; 149; 150, (18 are without titles).
The Talmud calls these psalms that have no title, “Orphan Psalms.” The later Jews supply these titles by taking the nearest preceding author. The lack of titles in Psa 1 ; Psa 2 ; and 10 may be accounted for as follows: Psa 1 is a general introduction to the whole collection and Psa 2 was, perhaps, a part of Psa 1 . Psalms 9-10 were formerly combined into one, therefore Psa 10 has the same title as Psa 9 .
QUESTIONS
1. What books are commended on the Psalms?
2. What is a psalm?
3. What is the Psalter?
4. What is the range of time in composition?
5. When and by whom was the collection in its present form arranged?
6. What the Jewish classification of Old Testament books, and what the position of the Psalter in this classification?
7. What is the Hebrew title of the Psalms?
8. Find the title of the first two books from the books themselves.
9. What is the title of the whole collection of psalms in the Septuagint?
10. What is the title in the Alexandrian Codex?
11. What is the derivation of our English word, “Psalms”, “Psalter”, and “Psaltery,” respectively?
12. How many psalms in our collection?
13. How many psalms in the Septuagint?
14. What about the extra one in the Septuagint?
15. What is the subject of this extra psalm?
16. How does it compare with the Canonical Psalms?
17. What is the difference in the numbering of the psalms in our version which follows the Hebrew, and the numbering in the Septuagint?
18. What is the arrangement in the Vulgate?
19. What other difficulty in numbering which perplexes an inexperienced student in turning from one version to another?
20. What are the book divisions of the Psalter and how are these divisions marked?
21. Were there smaller collections before the final one? If so, what were they?
22. What principles determined the arrangement of the several psalms in the present collection?
23. In what conclusion may we rest concerning this arrangement?
24. How many of the psalms have no titles?
25. What does the Talmud call these psalms that have no titles?
26. How do later Jews supply these titles?
27. How do you account for the lack of titles in Psa 1 ; Psa 2 ; Psa 10 ?
XII
AN INTRODUCTION TO THE BOOK OF PSALMS (CONTINUED)
The following is a list of the items of information gathered from the titles of the psalms:
1. The author: “A Psalm of David” (Psa 37 ).
2. The occasion: “When he fled from Absalom, his son” (Psa 3 ).
3. The nature, or character, of the poem:
(1) Maschil, meaning “instruction,” a didactic poem (Psa 42 ).
(2) Michtam, meaning “gold,” “A Golden Psalm”; this means excellence or mystery (Psa 16 ; 56-60).
4. The occasion of its use: “A Psalm of David for the dedication of the house” (Psa 30 ).
5. Its purpose: “A Psalm of David to bring remembrance” (Psa 38 ; Psa 70 ).
6. Direction for its use: “A Psalm of David for the chief musician” (Psa 4 ).
7. The kind of musical instrument:
(1) Neginoth, meaning to strike a chord, as on stringed instruments (Psa 4 ; Psa 61 ).
(2) Nehiloth, meaning to perforate, as a pipe or flute (Psa 5 ).
(3) Shoshannim, Lilies, which refers probably to cymbals (Psa 45 ; Psa 69 ).
8. A special choir:
(1) Sheminith, the “eighth,” or octave below, as a male choir (Psa 6 ; Psa 12 ).
(2) Alamoth, female choir (Psa 46 ).
(3) Muth-labben, music with virgin voice, to be sung by a choir of boys in the treble (Psa 9 ).
9. The keynote, or tune:
(1) Aijeleth-sharar, “Hind of the morning,” a song to the melody of which this is sung (Psa 22 ).
(2) Al-tashheth, “Destroy thou not,” the beginning of a song the tune of which is sung (Psa 57 ; Psa 58 ; Psa 59 ; Psa 75 ).
(3) Gittith, set to the tune of Gath, perhaps a tune which David brought from Gath (Psa 8 ; Psa 81 ; Psa 84 ).
(4) Jonath-elim-rehokim, “The dove of the distant terebinths,” the commencement of an ode to the air of which this song was to be sung (Psa 56 ).
(5) Leannoth, the name of a tune (Psa 88 ).
(6) Mahalath, an instrument (Psa 53 ); Leonnoth-Mahaloth, to chant to a tune called Mahaloth.
(7) Shiggaion, a song or a hymn.
(8) Shushan-Eduth, “Lily of testimony,” a tune (Psa 60 ). Note some examples: (1) “America,” “Shiloh,” “Auld Lang Syne.” These are the names of songs such as we are familiar with; (2) “Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing” and “There Is a Fountain Filled with Blood,” are examples of sacred hymns.
10. The liturgical use, those noted for the feasts, e.g., the Hallels and Hallelujah Psalms (Psalms 146-150).
11. The destination, as “Song of Ascents” (Psalms 120-134)
12. The direction for the music, such as Selah, which means “Singers, pause”; Higgaion-Selah, to strike a symphony with selah, which means an instrumental interlude (Psa 9:16 ).
The longest and fullest title to any of the psalms is the title to Psa 60 . The items of information from this title are as follows: (1) the author; (2) the chief musician; (3) the historical occasion; (4) the use, or design; (5) the style of poetry; (6) the instrument or style of music.
The parts of these superscriptions which most concern us now are those indicating author, occasion, and date. As to the historic value or trustworthiness of these titles most modern scholars deny that they are a part of the Hebrew text, but the oldest Hebrew text of which we know anything had all of them. This is the text from which the Septuagint was translated. It is much more probable that the author affixed them than later writers. There is no internal evidence in any of the psalms that disproves the correctness of them, but much to confirm. The critics disagree among themselves altogether as to these titles. Hence their testimony cannot consistently be received. Nor can it ever be received until they have at least agreed upon a common ground of opposition.
David is the author of more than half the entire collection, the arrangement of which is as follows:
1. Seventy-three are ascribed to him in the superscriptions.
2. Some of these are but continuations of the preceding ones of a pair, trio, or larger group.
3. Some of the Korahite Psalms are manifestly Davidic.
4. Some not ascribed to him in the titles are attributed to him expressly by New Testament writers.
5. It is not possible to account for some parts of the Psalter without David. The history of his early life as found in Samuel, 1 and 2 Kings, and 1and 2 Chronicles, not only shows his remarkable genius for patriotic and sacred songs and music, but also shows his cultivation of that gift in the schools of the prophets. Some of these psalms of the history appear in the Psalter itself. It is plain to all who read these that they are founded on experience, and the experience of no other Hebrew fits the case. These experiences are found in Samuel, 1 and 2 Kings, and 1 and 2 Chronicles.
As to the attempt of the destructive critics to rob David of his glory in relation to the Psalter by assigning the Maccabean era as the date of composition, I have this to say:
1. This theory has no historical support whatever, and therefore is not to be accepted at all.
2. It has no support in tradition, which weakens the contention of the critics greatly.
3. It has no support from finding any one with the necessary experience for their basis.
4. They can give no reasonable account as to how the titles ever got there.
5. It is psychologically impossible for anyone to have written these 150 psalms in the Maccabean times.
6. Their position is expressly contrary to the testimony of Christ and the apostles. Some of the psalms which they ascribe to the Maccabean Age are attributed to David by Christ himself, who said that David wrote them in the Spirit.
The obvious aim of this criticism and the necessary result if it be Just, is a positive denial of the inspiration of both Testaments.
Other authors are named in the titles, as follows: (1) Asaph, to whom twelve psalms have been assigned: (2) Mosee, Psa 90 ; (3) Solomon, Psa 72 ; Psa 127 ; (4) Heman, Psa 80 ; (5) Ethem, Psa 89 ; (6) A number of the psalms are ascribed to the sons of Korah.
Not all the psalms ascribed to Asaph were composed by one person. History indicates that Asaph’s family presided over the song service for several generations. Some of them were composed by his descendants by the game name. The five general outlines of the whole collection are as follows:
I. By books
1. Psalms 1-41 (41)
2. Psalms 42-72 (31)
3. Psalms 73-89 (17)
4. Psalms 90-106 (17)
5. Psalms 107-150 (44)
II. According to date and authorship
1. The psalm of Moses (Psa 90 )
2. Psalms of David:
(1) The shepherd boy (Psa 8 ; Psa 19 ; Psa 29 ; Psa 23 ).
(2) David when persecuted by Saul (Psa 59 ; Psa 56 ; Psa 34 ; Psa 52 ; Psa 54 ; Psa 57 ; Psa 142 ).
(3) David the King (Psa 101 ; Psa 18 ; Psa 24 ; Psa 2 ; Psa 110 ; Psa 20 ; Psa 20 ; Psa 21 ; Psa 60 ; Psa 51 ; Psa 32 ; Psa 41 ; Psa 55 ; Psa 3:4 ; Psa 64 ; Psa 62 ; Psa 61 ; Psa 27 ).
3. The Asaph Psalms (Psa 50 ; Psa 73 ; Psa 83 ).
4. The Korahite Psalms (Psa 42 ; Psa 43 ; Psa 84 ).
5. The psalms of Solomon (Psa 72 ; Psa 127 ).
6. The psalms of the era of Hezekiah and Isaiah (Psa 46 ; Psa 47 ; Psa 48 )
7. The psalms of the Exile (Psa 74 ; Psa 79 ; Psa 137 ; Psa 102 )
8. The psalms of the Restoration (Psa 85 ; Psa 126 ; Psa 118 ; 146-150)
III. By groups
1. The Jehovistic and Elohistic Psalms:
(1) Psalms 1-41 are Jehovistic;
(2) Psalms 42-83 are Elohistic Psalms;
(3) Psalms 84-150 are Jehovistic.
2. The Penitential Psalms (Psa 6 ; Psa 32 ; Psa 38 ; Psa 51 ; Psa 102 ; Psa 130 ; Psa 143 )
3. The Pilgrim Psalms (Psalms 120-134)
4. The Alphabetical Psalms (Psa 9 ; Psa 10 ; Psa 25 ; Psa 34 ; Psa 37 ; 111:112; Psa 119 ; Psa 145 )
5. The Hallelujah Psalms (Psalms 11-113; 115-117; 146-150; to which may be added Psa 135 ) Psalms 113-118 are called “the Egyptian Hallel”
IV. Doctrines of the Psalms
1. The throne of grace and how to approach it by sacrifice, prayer, and praise.
2. The covenant, the basis of worship.
3. The paradoxical assertions of both innocence & guilt.
4. The pardon of sin and justification.
5. The Messiah.
6. The future life, pro and con.
7. The imprecations.
8. Other doctrines.
V. The New Testament use of the Psalms
1. Direct references and quotations in the New Testament.
2. The allusions to the psalms in the New Testament. Certain experiences of David’s life made very deep impressions on his heart, such as: (1) his peaceful early life; (2) his persecution by Saul; (3) his being crowned king of the people; (4) the bringing up of the ark; (5) his first great sin; (6) Absalom’s rebellion; (7) his second great sin; (8) the great promise made to him in 2Sa 7 ; (9) the feelings of his old age.
We may classify the Davidic Psalms according to these experiences following the order of time, thus:
1. His peaceful early life (Psa 8 ; Psa 19 ; Psa 29 ; Psa 23 )
2. His persecution by Saul (Psa 59 ; Psa 56 ; Psa 34 ; Psa 7 ; Psa 52 ; Psa 120 ; Psa 140 ; Psa 54 ; Psa 57 ; Psa 142 ; Psa 17 ; Psa 18 )
3. Making David King (Psa 27 ; Psa 133 ; Psa 101 )
4. Bringing up the ark (Psa 68 ; Psa 24 ; Psa 132 ; Psa 15 ; Psa 78 ; Psa 96 )
5. His first great sin (Psa 51 ; Psa 32 )
6. Absalom’s rebellion (Psa 41 ; Psa 6 ; Psa 55 ; Psa 109 ; Psa 38 ; Psa 39 ; Psa 3 ; Psa 4 ; Psa 63 ; Psa 42 ; Psa 43 ; Psa 5 ; Psa 62 ; Psa 61 ; Psa 27 )
7. His second great sin (Psa 69 ; Psa 71 ; Psa 102 ; Psa 103 )
8. The great promise made to him in 2Sa 7 (Psa 2 )
9. Feelings of old age (Psa 37 )
The great doctrines of the psalms may be noted as follows: (1) the being and attributes of God; (3) sin, both original and individual; (3) both covenants; (4) the doctrine of justification; (5) concerning the Messiah.
There is a striking analogy between the Pentateuch and the Psalms. The Pentateuch contains five books of law; the Psalms contain five books of heart responses to the law.
It is interesting to note the historic controversies concerning the singing of psalms. These were controversies about singing uninspired songs, in the Middle Ages. The church would not allow anything to be used but psalms.
The history in Samuel, 1 and 2 Kings, and 1 and 2 Chronicles, and in Ezra and Nehemiah is very valuable toward a proper interpretation of the psalms. These books furnish the historical setting for a great many of the psalms which is very indispensable to their proper interpretation.
Professor James Robertson, in the Poetry and Religion of the Psalms constructs a broad and strong argument in favor of the Davidic Psalms, as follows:
1. The age of David furnished promising soil for the growth of poetry.
2. David’s qualifications for composing the psalms make it highly probable that David is the author of the psalms ascribed to him.
3. The arguments against the possibility of ascribing to David any of the hymns in the Hebrew Psalter rests upon assumptions that are thoroughly antibiblical.
The New Testament makes large use of the psalms and we learn much as to their importance in teaching. There are seventy direct quotations in the New Testament from this book, from which we learn that the Scriptures were used extensively in accord with 2Ti 3:16-17 . There are also eleven references to the psalms in the New Testament from which we learn that the New Testament writers were thoroughly imbued with the spirit and teaching of the psalms. Then there are eight allusions ‘to this book in the New Testament from which we gather that the Psalms was one of the divisions of the Old Testament and that they were used in the early church.
QUESTIONS
1. Give a list of the items of information gathered from the titles of the psalms.
2. What is the longest title to any of the psalms and what the items of this title?
3. What parts of these superscriptions most concern us now?
4. What is the historic value, or trustworthiness of these titles?
5. State the argument showing David’s relation to the psalms.
6. What have you to say of the attempt of the destructive critics to rob David of his glory in relation to the Psalter by assigning the Maccabean era as the date of composition?
7. What the obvious aim of this criticism and the necessary result, if it be just?
8. What other authors are named in the titles?
9. Were all the psalms ascribed to Asaph composed by one person?
10. Give the five general outlines of the whole collection, as follows: I. The outline by books II. The outline according to date and authorship III. The outline by groups IV. The outline of doctrines V. The outline by New Testament quotations or allusions.
11. What experiences of David’s life made very deep impressions on his heart?
12. Classify the Davidic Psalms according to these experiences following the order of time.
13. What the great doctrines of the psalms?
14. What analogy between the Pentateuch and the Psalms?
15. What historic controversies concerning the singing of psalms?
16. Of what value is the history in Samuel, 1 Kings and 2 Chronicles, and in Ezra and Nehemiah toward a proper interpretation of the psalms?
17. Give Professor James Robertson’s argument in favor of the Davidic authorship of the psalms.
18. What can you say of the New Testament use of the psalms and what do we learn as to their importance in teaching?
19. What can you say of the New Testament references to the psalms, and from the New Testament references what the impression on the New Testament writers?
20. What can you say of the allusions to the psalms in the New Testament?
XVII
THE MESSIAH IN THE PSALMS
A fine text for this chapter is as follows: “All things must be fulfilled which were written in the Psalms concerning me,” Luk 24:44 . I know of no better way to close my brief treatise on the Psalms than to discuss the subject of the Messiah as revealed in this book.
Attention has been called to the threefold division of the Old Testament cited by our Lord, namely, the Law, the Prophets, and the Psalms (Luk 24:44 ), in all of which were the prophecies relating to himself that “must be fulfilled.” It has been shown just what Old Testament books belong to each of these several divisions. The division called the Psalms included many books, styled Holy Writings, and because the Psalms proper was the first book of the division it gave the name to the whole division.
The object of this discussion is to sketch the psalmist’s outline of the Messiah, or rather, to show how nearly a complete picture of our Lord is foredrawn in this one book. Let us understand however with Paul, that all prophecy is but in part (1Co 13:9 ), and that when we fill in on one canvas all the prophecies concerning the Messiah of all the Old Testament divisions, we are far from having a perfect portrait of our Lord. The present purpose is limited to three things:
1. What the book of the Psalms teaches concerning the Messiah.
2. That the New Testament shall authoritatively specify and expound this teaching.
3. That the many messianic predictions scattered over the book and the specifications thereof over the New Testament may be grouped into an orderly analysis, so that by the adjustment of the scattered parts we may have before us a picture of our Lord as foreseen by the psalmists.
In allowing the New Testament to authoritatively specify and expound the predictive features of the book, I am not unmindful of what the so-called “higher critics” urge against the New Testament quotations from the Old Testament and the use made of them. In this discussion, however, these objections are not considered, for sufficient reasons. There is not space for it. Even at the risk of being misjudged I must just now summarily pass all these objections, dismissing them with a single statement upon which the reader may place his own estimate of value. That statement is that in the days of my own infidelity, before this old method of criticism had its new name, I was quite familiar with the most and certainly the strongest of the objections now classified as higher criticism, and have since patiently re-examined them in their widely conflicting restatements under their modern name, and find my faith in the New Testament method of dealing with the Old Testament in no way shattered, but in every way confirmed. God is his own interpreter. The Old Testament as we now have it was in the hands of our Lord. I understand his apostle to declare, substantially, that “every one of these sacred scriptures is God-inspired and is profitable for teaching us what is right to believe and to do, for convincing us what is wrong in faith or practice, for rectifying the wrong when done, that we may be ready at every point, furnished completely, to do every good work, at the right time, in the right manner, and from the proper motive” (2Ti 3:16-17 ).
This New Testament declares that David was a prophet (Act 2:30 ), that he spake by the Holy Spirit (Act 1:16 ), that when the book speaks the Holy Spirit speaks (Heb 3:7 ), and that all its predictive utterances, as sacred Scripture, “must be fulfilled” (Joh 13:18 ; Act 1:16 ). It is not claimed that David wrote all the psalms, but that all are inspired, and that as he was the chief author, the book goes by his name.
It would be a fine thing to make out two lists, as follows:
1. All of the 150 psalms in order from which the New Testament quotes with messianic application.
2. The New Testament quotations, book by book, i.e., Matthew so many, and then the other books in their order.
We would find in neither of these any order as to time, that is, Psa 1 which forecasts an incident in the coming Messiah’s life does not forecast the first incident of his life. And even the New Testament citations are not in exact order as to time and incident of his life. To get the messianic picture before us, therefore, we must put the scattered parts together in their due relation and order, and so construct our own analysis. That is the prime object of this discussion. It is not claimed that the analysis now presented is perfect. It is too much the result of hasty, offhand work by an exceedingly busy man. It will serve, however, as a temporary working model, which any one may subsequently improve. We come at once to the psalmist’s outline of the Messiah.
1. The necessity for a Saviour. This foreseen necessity is a background of the psalmists’ portrait of the Messiah. The necessity consists in (1) man’s sinfulness; (2) his sin; (3) his inability of wisdom and power to recover himself; (4) the insufficiency of legal, typical sacrifices in securing atonement.
The predicate of Paul’s great argument on justification by faith is the universal depravity and guilt of man. He is everywhere corrupt in nature; everywhere an actual transgressor; everywhere under condemnation. But the scriptural proofs of this depravity and sin the apostle draws mainly from the book of the Psalms. In one paragraph of the letter to the Romans (Rom 3:4-18 ), he cites and groups six passages from six divisions of the Psalms (Psa 5:9 ; Psa 10:7 ; Psa 14:1-3 ; Psa 36:1 ; Psa 51:4-6 ; Psa 140:3 ). These passages abundantly prove man’s sinfulness, or natural depravity, and his universal practice of sin.
The predicate also of the same apostle’s great argument for revelation and salvation by a Redeemer is man’s inability of wisdom and power to re-establish communion with God. In one of his letters to the Corinthians he thus commences his argument: “For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent. Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of this world? Hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? -For after that in the wisdom of God, the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preach-ing to save them that believe.” He closes this discussion with the broad proposition: “The wisdom of this world is foolishness with God,” and proves it by a citation from Psa 94:11 : “The Lord knoweth the thoughts of the wise, that they are vain.”
In like manner our Lord himself pours scorn on human wisdom and strength by twice citing Psa 8 : “At that time Jesus answered and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent and hast revealed them unto babes. Even so, Father: for so it seemed good in thy sight” (Mat 11:25-26 ). “And when the chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children that were crying in the temple and saying, Hosanna to the Son of David; they were sore displeased, and said unto him, Hearest thou what these say? And Jesus saith unto them, Yea; have ye never read, Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected praise?” (Mat 21:15-16 ).
But the necessity for a Saviour as foreseen by the psalmist did not stop at man’s depravity, sin, and helplessness. The Jews were trusting in the sacrifices of their law offered on the smoking altar. The inherent weakness of these offerings, their lack of intrinsic merit, their ultimate abolition, their complete fulfilment and supercession by a glorious antitype were foreseen and foreshown in this wonderful prophetic book: I will not reprove thee for thy sacrifices; And thy burnt offerings are continually before me. I will take no bullock out of thy house, Nor he-goat out of thy folds. For every beast of the forest is mine, And the cattle upon a thousand hills. I know all of the birds of the mountains; And the wild beasts of the field are mine. If I were hungry, I would not tell thee; For the world is mine, and the fulness thereof. Will I eat the flesh of bulls, Or drink the blood of goats? Psa 50:8-13 .
Yet again it speaks in that more striking passage cited in the letter to the Hebrews: “For the law having a shadow of good things to come, not the very image of the things, can never with the same sacrifices year by year, which they offer continually, make the comers thereunto perfect. For then would they not have ceased to be offered? because that the worshipers, once purged should have no more consciousness of sins. But in those sacrifices there is a remembrance made of sins year by year. For it is impossible that the blood of bulls and goats should take away sins. Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldst not, But a body didst thou prepare for me; In whole burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hadst no pleasure: Then said I, Lo, I am come (In the roll of the book it is written of me) To do thy will, O God. Saying above, Sacrifice and offering and whole burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin thou wouldst not, neither hadst pleasure therein, (the which are offered according to the law), then hath he said, Lo, I am come to do thy will, O God. He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second” (Heb 10:1-9 ).
This keen foresight of the temporary character and intrinsic worthlessness of animal sacrifices anticipated similar utterances by the later prophets (Isa 1:10-17 ; Jer 6:20 ; Jer 7:21-23 ; Hos 6:6 ; Amo 5:21 ; Mic 6:6-8 ). Indeed, I may as well state in passing that when the apostle declares, “It is impossible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins,” he lays down a broad principle, just as applicable to baptism and the Lord’s Supper. With reverence I state the principle: Not even God himself by mere appointment can vest in any ordinance, itself lacking intrinsic merit, the power to take away sin. There can be, therefore, in the nature of the case, no sacramental salvation. This would destroy the justice of God in order to exalt his mercy. Clearly the psalmist foresaw that “truth and mercy must meet together” before “righteousness and peace could kiss each other” (Psa 85:10 ). Thus we find as the dark background of the psalmists’ luminous portrait of the Messiah, the necessity for a Saviour.
2. The nature, extent, and blessedness of the salvation to be wrought by the coming Messiah. In no other prophetic book are the nature, fullness, and blessedness of salvation so clearly seen and so vividly portrayed. Besides others not now enumerated, certainly the psalmists clearly forecast four great elements of salvation:
(1) An atoning sacrifice of intrinsic merit offered once for all (Psa 40:6-8 ; Heb 10:4-10 ).
(2) Regeneration itself consisting of cleansing, renewal, and justification. We hear his impassioned statement of the necessity of regeneration: “Behold, I was shapen in iniquity and in sin did my mother conceive me. Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts,” followed by his earnest prayer: “Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me,” and his equally fervent petition: “Wash me thoroughly from mine iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. Purge me with hyssop and I shall be clean; wash me and I shall be whiter than snow” (Psa 51 ). And we hear him again as Paul describes the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputes righteousness without works, saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, And whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not reckon sin Psa 32:1 ; Rom 4:6-8 .
(3) Introduction into the heavenly rest (Psa 95:7-11 ; Heb 3:7-19 ; Heb 4:1-11 ). Here is the antitypical Joshua leading spiritual Israel across the Jordan of death into the heavenly Canaan, the eternal rest that remaineth for the people of God. Here we find creation’s original sabbath eclipsed by redemption’s greater sabbath when the Redeemer “entered his rest, ceasing from his own works as God did from his.”
(4) The recovery of all the universal dominion lost by the first Adam and the securement of all possible dominion which the first Adam never attained (Psa 8:5-6 ; Eph 1:20-22 ; Heb 2:7-9 ; 1Co 15:24-28 ).
What vast extent then and what blessedness in the salvation foreseen by the psalmists, and to be wrought by the Messiah. Atoning sacrifice of intrinsic merit; regeneration by the Holy Spirit; heavenly rest as an eternal inheritance; and universal dominion shared with Christ!
3. The wondrous person of the Messiah in his dual nature, divine and human.
(1) His divinity,
(a) as God: “Thy throne, O God, is forever and ever” (Psa 45:6 and Heb 1:8 ) ;
(b) as creator of the heavens and earth, immutable and eternal: Of old didst thou lay the foundation of the earth; And the heavens are the work of thy hands. They shall perish, but thou shalt endure; Yea, all of them shall wax old like a garment; As a vesture shalt thou change them, and they shall be changed. But thou art the same, And thy years shall have no end Psa 102:25-27 quoted with slight changes in Heb 1:10-12 .
(c) As owner of the earth: The earth is the Lord’s and the fulness thereof; The world, and they that dwell therein, Psa 24:1 quoted in 1Co 10:26 .
(d) As the Son of God: “Thou art my Son; This day have I begotten thee” Psa 2:7 ; Heb 1:5 .
(e) As David’s Lord: The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, Until I make thine enemies thy footstool, Psa 110:1 ; Mat 22:41-46 .
(f) As the object of angelic worship: “And let all the angels of God worship him” Psa 97:7 ; Heb 1:6 .
(g) As the Bread of life: And he rained down manna upon them to eat, And gave them food from heaven Psa 78:24 ; interpreted in Joh 6:31-58 . These are but samples which ascribe deity to the Messiah of the psalmists.
(2) His humanity, (a) As the Son of man, or Son of Adam: Psa 8:4-6 , cited in 1Co 15:24-28 ; Eph 1:20-22 ; Heb 2:7-9 . Compare Luke’s genealogy, Luk 3:23-38 . This is the ideal man, or Second Adam, who regains Paradise Lost, who recovers race dominion, in whose image all his spiritual lineage is begotten. 1Co 15:45-49 . (b) As the Son of David: Psa 18:50 ; Psa 89:4 ; Psa 89:29 ; Psa 89:36 ; Psa 132:11 , cited in Luk 1:32 ; Act 13:22-23 ; Rom 1:3 ; 2Ti 2:8 . Perhaps a better statement of the psalmists’ vision of the wonderful person of the Messiah would be: He saw the uncreated Son, the second person of the trinity, in counsel and compact with the Father, arranging in eternity for the salvation of men: Psa 40:6-8 ; Heb 10:5-7 . Then he saw this Holy One stoop to be the Son of man: Psa 8:4-6 ; Heb 2:7-9 . Then he was the son of David, and then he saw him rise again to be the Son of God: Psa 2:7 ; Rom 1:3-4 .
4. His offices.
(1) As the one atoning sacrifice (Psa 40:6-8 ; Heb 10:5-7 ).
(2) As the great Prophet, or Preacher (Psa 40:9-10 ; Psa 22:22 ; Heb 2:12 ). Even the method of his teaching by parable was foreseen (Psa 78:2 ; Mat 13:35 ). Equally also the grace, wisdom, and power of his teaching. When the psalmist declares that “Grace is poured into thy lips” (Psa 45:2 ), we need not be startled when we read that all the doctors in the Temple who heard him when only a boy “were astonished at his understanding and answers” (Luk 2:47 ); nor that his home people at Nazareth “all bear him witness, and wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth” (Luk 4:22 ); nor that those of his own country were astonished, and said, “Whence hath this man this wisdom?” (Mat 13:54 ); nor that the Jews in the Temple marveled, saying, “How knoweth this man letters, having never learned?” (Joh 7:15 ) ; nor that the stern officers of the law found their justification in failure to arrest him in the declaration, “Never man spake like this man” (Joh 7:46 ).
(3) As the king (Psa 2:6 ; Psa 24:7-10 ; Psa 45:1-17 ; Psa 110:1 ; Mat 22:42-46 ; Act 2:33-36 ; 1Co 15:25 ; Eph 1:20 ; Heb 1:13 ).
(4) As the priest (Psa 110:4 ; Heb 5:5-10 ; Heb 7:1-21 ; Heb 10:12-14 ).
(5) As the final judge. The very sentence of expulsion pronounced upon the finally impenitent by the great judge (Mat 25:41 ) is borrowed from the psalmist’s prophetic words (Psa 6:8 ).
5. Incidents of life. The psalmists not only foresaw the necessity for a Saviour; the nature, extent, and blessedness of the salvation; the wonderful human-divine person of the Saviour; the offices to be filled by him in the work of salvation, but also many thrilling details of his work in life, death, resurrection, and exaltation. It is not assumed to cite all these details, but some of the most important are enumerated in order, thus:
(1) The visit, adoration, and gifts of the Magi recorded in Mat 2 are but partial fulfilment of Psa 72:9-10 .
(2) The scripture employed by Satan in the temptation of our Lord (Luk 4:10-11 ) was cited from Psa 91:11-12 and its pertinency not denied.
(3) In accounting for his intense earnestness and the apparently extreme measures adopted by our Lord in his first purification of the Temple (Joh 2:17 ), he cites the messianic zeal predicted in Psa 69:9 .
(4) Alienation from his own family was one of the saddest trials of our Lord’s earthly life. They are slow to understand his mission and to enter into sympathy with him. His self-abnegation and exhaustive toil were regarded by them as evidences of mental aberration, and it seems at one time they were ready to resort to forcible restraint of his freedom) virtually what in our time would be called arrest under a writ of lunacy. While at the last his half-brothers became distinguished preachers of his gospel, for a long while they do not believe on him. And the evidence forces us to the conclusion that his own mother shared with her other sons, in kind though not in degree, the misunderstanding of the supremacy of his mission over family relations. The New Testament record speaks for itself:
Son, why hast thou thus dealt with us? behold, thy father and I sought thee sorrowing. And he said unto them. How is it that ye sought me? Knew ye not that I must be in my Father’s house? And they understood not the saying which he spake unto them Luk 2:48-51 (R.V.).
And when the wine failed, the mother of Jesus saith unto him, They have no wine. And Jesus saith unto her, Woman, what have I to do with thee? Mine hour is not yet come. Joh 2:3-5 (R.V.).
And there come his mother and his brethren; and standing without; they sent unto him, calling him. And a multitude was sitting about him; and they say unto him. Behold, thy mother and thy brethren without seek for thee. And he answereth them, and saith, Who is my mother and my brethren? And looking round on them that sat round about him, he saith, Behold, my mother and my brethren) For whosoever shall do the will of God, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother Mar 3:31-35 (R.V.).
Now the feast of the Jews, the feast of tabernacles, was at hand. His brethren therefore said unto him, Depart hence, and go into Judea, that thy disciples also may behold thy works which thou doest. For no man doeth anything in secret, and himself seeketh to be known openly. If thou doest these things, manifest thyself to the world. For even his brethren did not believe on him. Jesus therefore saith unto them, My time is not yet come; but your time is always ready. The world cannot hate you; but me it hateth, because I testify of it, that its works are evil. Go ye up unto the feast: I go not up yet unto this feast; because my time is not fulfilled. Joh 7:2-9 (R.V.).
These citations from the Revised Version tell their own story. But all that sad story is foreshown in the prophetic psalms. For example: I am become a stranger unto my brethren, And an alien unto my mother’s children. Psa 69:8 .
(5) The triumphal entry into Jerusalem was welcomed by a joyous people shouting a benediction from Psa 118:26 : “Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord” (Mat 21:9 ); and the Lord’s lamentation over Jerusalem predicts continued desolation and banishment from his sight until the Jews are ready to repeat that benediction (Mat 23:39 ).
(6) The children’s hosanna in the Temple after its second purgation is declared by our Lord to be a fulfilment of that perfect praise forecast in Psa 8:2 .
(7) The final rejection of our Lord by his own people was also clear in the psalmist’s vision (Psa 118:22 ; Mat 21:42-44 ).
(8) Gethsemane’s baptism of suffering, with its strong crying and tears and prayers was as clear to the psalmist’s prophetic vision as to the evangelist and apostle after it became history (Psa 69:1-4 ; Psa 69:13-20 ; and Mat 26:36-44 ; Heb 5:7 ).
(9) In life-size also before the psalmist was the betrayer of Christ and his doom (Psa 41:9 ; Psa 69:25 ; Psa 109:6-8 ; Joh 13:18 ; Act 1:20 ).
(10) The rage of the people, Jew and Gentile, and the conspiracy of Pilate and Herod are clearly outlined (Psa 2:1-3 ; Act 4:25-27 ).
(11) All the farce of his trial the false accusation, his own marvelous silence; and the inhuman maltreatment to which he was subjected, is foreshown in the prophecy as dramatically as in the history (Mat 26:57-68 ; Mat 27:26-31 ; Psa 27:12 ; Psa 35:15-16 ; Psa 38:3 ; Psa 69:19 ).
The circumstances of his death, many and clear, are distinctly foreseen. He died in the prime of life (Psa 89:45 ; Psa 102:23-24 ). He died by crucifixion (Psa 22:14-17 ; Luk 23 ; 33; Joh 19:23-37 ; Joh 20:27 ). But yet not a bone of his body was broken (Psa 34:20 ; Joh 19:36 ).
The persecution, hatred without a cause, the mockery and insults, are all vividly and dramatically foretold (Psa 22:6-13 ; Psa 35:7 ; Psa 35:12 ; Psa 35:15 ; Psa 35:21 ; Psa 109:25 ).
The parting of his garments and the gambling for his vesture (Psa 22:18 ; Mat 27:35 ).
His intense thirst and the gall and vinegar offered for his drink (Psa 69:21 ; Mat 27:34 ).
In the psalms, too, we hear his prayers for his enemies so remarkably fulfilled in fact (Psa 109:4 ; Luk 23:34 ).
His spiritual death was also before the eye of the psalmist, and the very words which expressed it the psalmist heard. Separation from the Father is spiritual death. The sinner’s substitute must die the sinner’s death, death physical, i.e., separation of soul from body; death spiritual, i.e., separation of the soul from God. The latter is the real death and must precede the former. This death the substitute died when he cried out: “My God, My God, why hast thou forsaken me.” (Psa 22:1 ; Mat 27:46 ).
Emerging from the darkness of that death, which was the hour of the prince of darkness, the psalmist heard him commend his spirit to the Father (Psa_31:35; Luk 23:46 ) showing that while he died the spiritual death, his soul was not permanently abandoned unto hell (Psa 16:8-10 ; Act 2:25 ) so that while he “tasted death” for every man it was not permanent death (Heb 2:9 ).
With equal clearness the psalmist foresaw his resurrection, his triumph over death and hell, his glorious ascension into heaven, and his exaltation at the right hand of God as King of kings and Lord of lords, as a high Driest forever, as invested with universal sovereignty (Psa 16:8-11 ; Psa 24:7-10 ; Psa 68:18 ; Psa 2:6 ; Psa 111:1-4 ; Psa 8:4-6 ; Act 2:25-36 ; Eph 1:19-23 ; Eph 4:8-10 ).
We see, therefore, brethren, when the scattered parts are put together and adjusted, how nearly complete a portrait of our Lord is put upon the prophetic canvas by this inspired limner, the sweet singer of Israel.
QUESTIONS
1. What is a good text for this chapter?
2. What is the threefold division of the Old Testament as cited by our Lord?
3. What is the last division called and why?
4. What is the object of the discussion in this chapter?
5. To what three things is the purpose limited?
6. What especially qualifies the author to meet the objections of the higher critics to allowing the New Testament usage of the Old Testament to determine its meaning and application?
7. What is the author’s conviction relative to the Scriptures?
8. What is the New Testament testimony on the question of inspiration?
9. What is the author’s suggested plan of approach to the study of the Messiah in the Psalms?
10. What the background of the Psalmist’s portrait of the Messiah and of what does it consist?
11. Give the substance of Paul’s discussion of man’s sinfulness.
12. What is the teaching of Jesus on this point?
13. What is the teaching relative to sacrifices?
14. What the nature, extent, and blessedness of the salvation to be wrought by the coming Messiah and what the four great elements of it as forecast by the psalmist?
15. What is the teaching of the psalms relative to the wondrous person of the Messiah? Discuss.
16. What are the offices of the Messiah according to psalms? Discuss each.
17. Cite the more important events of the Messiah’s life according to the vision of the psalmist.
18. What the circumstances of the Messiah’s death and resurrection as foreseen by the psalmist?
Fuente: B.H. Carroll’s An Interpretation of the English Bible
XVI
THE MESSIANIC PSALMS AND OTHERS
We commence this chapter by giving a classified list of the Messianic Psalms, as follows:
The Royal Psalms are:
Psa 110 ; Psa 2 ; Psa 72 ; Psa 45 ; Psa 89 ;
The Passion Psalms are:
Psa 22 ; Psa 41 ; Psa 69 ;
The Psalms of the Ideal Man are Psa 8 ; Psa 16 ; Psa 40 ;
The Missionary Psalms are:
Psa 47 ; Psa 65 ; Psa 68 ; Psa 96 ; Psa 100 ; Psa 117 .
The predictions before David of the coming Messiah are, (1) the seed of the woman; (2) the seed of Abraham; (3) the seed of Judah; (4) the seed of David.
The prophecies of history concerning the Messiah are, (1) a prophet like unto Moses; (2) a priest after the order of Melchizedek; (3) a sacrifice which embraces all the sacrificial offerings of the Old Testament; (4) direct references to him as King, as in 2Sa 7:8 ff.
The messianic offices as taught in the psalms are four, viz: (1) The Messiah is presented as Prophet, or Teacher (Psa 40:8 ); (2) as Sacrifice, or an Offering for sin (Psa 40:6 ff.; Heb 10:5 ff.) ; (3) he is presented as Priest (Psa 110:4 ); (4) he is presented as King (Psa 45 ).
The psalms most clearly presenting the Messiah in his various phases and functions are as follows: (1) as the ideal man, or Second Adam (8); (2) as Prophet (Psa 40 ); (3) as Sacrifice (Psa 22 ) ; (4) as King (Psa 45 ) ; (5) as Priest (Psa 110 ) ; (6) in his universal reign (Psa 72 ).
It will be noted that other psalms teach these facts also, but these most clearly set forth the offices as they relate to the Messiah.
The Messiah as a sacrifice is presented in general in Psa 40:6 . His sufferings as such are given in a specific and general way in Psa 22 ; Psa 41 ; Psa 69 . The events of his sufferings in particular are described, beginning with the betrayal of Judas, as follows:
1. Judas betrayed him (Mat 26:14 ) in fulfilment of Psa 41:9 .
2. At the Supper (Mat 26:24 ) Christ said, “The Son of man goeth as it is written of him,” referring to Psa 22 .
3. They sang after the Supper in fulfilment of Psa 22:22 .
4. Piercing his hands and feet, Psa 22:16 .
5. They cast lots for his vesture in fulfilment of Psa 22:18 .
6. Just before the ninth hour the chief priests reviled him (Mat 27:43 ) in fulfilment of Psa 22:8 .
7. At the ninth hour (Mat 27:46 ) he quoted Psa 22:1 .
8. Near his death (Joh 19:28 ) he said, in fulfilment of Psa 69:21 , “I thirst.”
9. At that time they gave him vinegar (Mat 27:48 ) in fulfilment of Psa 69:21 .
10. When he was found dead they did not break his bones (Joh 19:36 ) in fulfilment of Psa 34:20 .
11. He is represented as dead, buried, and raised in Psa 16:10 .
12. His suffering as a substitute is described in Psa 69:9 .
13. The result of his crucifixion to them who crucified him is given in Psa 69:22-23 . Compare Rom 11:9-10 .
The Penitential Psalms are Psa 6 ; Psa 32 ; Psa 38 ; Psa 51 ; Psa 102 ; Psa 130 ; Psa 143 . The occasion of Psa 6 was the grief and penitence of David over Absalom; of Psa 32 was the blessedness of forgiveness after his sin with Bathsheba, the wife of Uriah; Psa 38 , David’s reference to his sin with Bathsheba; Psa 51 , David’s penitence and prayer for forgiveness for this sin; Psa 102 , the penitence of the children of Israel on the eve of their return from captivity; Psalm 130, a general penitential psalm; Psa 143 , David’s penitence and prayer when pursued by Absalom.
The Pilgrim Psalms are Psalms 120-134. This section of the psalter is called the “Little Psalter.” These Psalms were collected in the days of Ezra and Nehemiah, in troublous times. The author of the central psalm of this collection is Solomon, and he wrote it when he built his Temple. The Davidic Psalms in this collection are Psa 120 ; Psa 122 ; Psa 124 ; Psa 131 ; Psa 132 ; Psa 133 . The others were written during the building of the second Temple. They are called in the Septuagint “Songs of the Steps.”
There are four theories as to the meaning of the titles, “Songs of the Steps,” “Songs of Degrees,” or “Songs of Ascents,” viz:
1. The first theory is that the “Songs of the Steps” means the songs of the fifteen steps from the court of the women to the court of Israel, there being a song for each step.
2. The second theory is that advanced by Luther, which says that they were songs of a higher choir, elevated above, or in an elevated voice.
3. The third theory is that the thought in these psalms advances by degrees.
4. The fourth theory is that they are Pilgrim Psalms, or the songs that they sang while going up to the great feasts.
Certain scriptures give the true idea of these titles, viz: Exo 23:14-17 ; Exo 34:23-24 ; 1Sa 1:3 ; 1Ki 12:27-28 : Psa 122:1-4 ; and the proof of their singing as they went is found in Psa_42:4; 100; and Isa 30:29 . They went, singing these psalms, to the Feasts of the Passover, Pentecost, and Tabernacles. Psa 121 was sung when just in sight of Jerusalem and Psa 122 was sung at the gate. Psa 128 is the description of a good man’s home and a parallel to this psalm in modern literature is Burns’s “Cotter’s Saturday Night.” The pious home makes the nation great.
Psa 133 is a psalm of fellowship. It is one of the finest expressions of the blessings that issue when God’s people dwell together in unity. The reference here is to the anointing of Aaron as high priest and the fragrance of the anointing oil which was used in these anointings. The dew of Hermon represents the blessing of God upon his people when they dwell together in such unity.
Now let us look at the Alphabetical Psalms. An alphabetical psalm is one in which the letters of the Hebrew alphabet are used alphabetically to commence each division. In Psalms 111-112, each clause so begins; in Psa 25 ; Psa 34 ; Psa 145 ; each verse so begins; in Psa 37 each stanza of two verses so begins; in 119 each stanza of eight verses so begins, and each of the eight lines begins with the same letter. In Psa 25 ; 34 37 the order is not so strict; in Psa 9 and Psa 10 there are some traces of this alphabetical order.
David originated these alphabetical psalms and the most complete specimen is Psa 119 , which is an expansion of the latter part of Psa 19 .
A certain group of psalms is called the Hallelujah Psalms. They are so called because the word “Hallelujah” is used at the beginning, or at the ending, and sometimes at both the beginning and the ending. The Hallelujah Psalms are Psalm 111-113; 115-117; 146-150. Psa 117 is a doxology; and Psalms 146-150 were used as anthems. Psa 148 calls on all creation to praise God. Francis of Assisi wrote a hymn based on this psalm in which he called the sun his honorable brother and the cricket his sister. Psa 150 calls for all varieties of instruments. Psalms 113-118 are called the Egyptian Hallel. They were used at the Passover (Psalm 113-114), before the Supper and Psalm 115-118 were sung after the Supper. According to this, Jesus and his disciples sang Psalms 115-118 at the last Passover Supper. These psalms were sung also at the Feasts of Pentecost, Tabernacles, Dedication, and New Moon.
The name of God is delayed long in Psa 114 . Addison said, “That the surprise might be complete.” Then there are some special characteristics of Psa 115 , viz: (1) It was written against idols. Cf. Isa 44:9-20 ; (2) It is antiphonal, the congregation singing Psa 115:1-8 , the choir Psa 115:9-12 , the priests Psa 115:13-15 and the congregation again Psa 115:16-18 . The theme of Psa 116 is love, based on gratitude for a great deliverance, expressed in service. It is appropriate to read at the celebration of the Lord’s Supper and Psa 116:15 is especially appropriate for funeral services.
On some special historical occasions certain psalms were sung. Psa 46 was sung by the army of Gustavus Adolphus before the decisive battle of Leipzig, on September 17, 1631.Psa 68 was sung by Cromwell’s army on the occasion of the battle of Dunbar in Scotland.
Certain passages in the Psalms show that the psalm writers approved the offering of Mosaic animal sacrifices. For instance, Psa 118:27 ; Psa 141:2 seem to teach very clearly that they approved the Mosaic sacrifice. But other passages show that these inspired writers estimated spiritual sacrifices as more important and foresaw the abolition of the animal sacrifices. Such passages are Psa 50:7-15 ; Psa 4:5 ; Psa 27:6 ; Psa 40:6 ; Psa 51:16-17 . These scriptures show conclusively that the writers estimated spiritual sacrifices as more important than the Mosaic sacrifices.
QUESTIONS
1. What are the Royal Psalms?
2. What are the Passion Psalms?
3. What are the Psalms of the Ideal Man?
4. What are the Missionary Psalms?
5. What are the predictions before David of the coming Messiah?
6. What are the prophecies of history concerning the Messiah?
7. Give a regular order of thought concerning the messianic offices as taught in the psalms.
8. Which psalms most clearly present the Messiah as (1) the ideal man, or Second Adam, (2) which as Prophet, or Teacher, (3) which as the Sacrifice, (4) which as King, (5) which as Priest, (6) which his universal reign?
9. Concerning the suffering Messiah, or the Messiah as a sacrifice, state the words or facts, verified in the New Testament as fulfilment of prophecy in the psalms. Let the order of the citations follow the order of facts in Christ’s life.
10. Name the Penitential Psalms and show their occasion.
11. What are the Pilgrim Psalms?
12. What is this section of the Psalter called?
13. When and under what conditions were these psalms collected?
14. Who is the author of the central psalm of this collection?
15. What Davidic Psalms are in this collection?
16. When were the others written?
17. What are they called in the Septuagint?
18. What four theories as to the meaning of the titles, “Songs of the Steps,” “Songs of Degrees,” or “Songs of Ascents”?
19. What scriptures give the true idea of these titles?
20. Give proof of their singing as they went.
21. To what feasts did they go singing these Psalms?
22. What was the special use made of Psa 121 and Psa 122 ?
23. Which of these psalms is the description of a good man’s home and what parallel in modern literature?
24. Expound Psa 133 .
25. What is an alphabetical psalm, and what are the several kinds?
26. Who originated these Alphabetical Psalms?
27. What are the most complete specimen?
28. Of what is it an expansion?
29. Why is a certain group of psalms called the Hallelujah Psalms?
30. What are the Hallelujah Psalms?
31. Which of the Hallelujah Psalms was a doxology?
32. Which of these were used as anthems?
33. Which psalm calls on all creation to praise God?
34. Who wrote a hymn based on Psa 148 in which he called the sun his honorable brother and the cricket his sister?
35. Which of these psalms calls for all varieties of instruments?
36. What is the Egyptian Hallel?
37. What is their special use and how were they sung?
38. Then what hymns did Jesus and his disciples sing?
39. At what other feasts was this sung?
40. Why was the name of God delayed so long in Psa 114 ?
41. What are the characteristics of Psa 115 ?
42. What is the theme and special use of Psa 116 ?
43. State some special historical occasions on which certain psalms were sung. Give the psalm for each occasion.
44. Cite passages in the psalms showing that the psalm writers approved the offering of Mosaic animal sacrifices.
45. Cite other passages showing that these inspired writers estimated spiritual sacrifices as more important than the Mosaic sacrifices.
Fuente: B.H. Carroll’s An Interpretation of the English Bible
Psa 113:1 Praise ye the LORD. Praise, O ye servants of the LORD, praise the name of the LORD.
Ver. 1. Hallelujah ] See Psa 111:1 .
Praise, O ye servants of the Lord
Praise the name of the Lord
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
“Praise ye Jah.” Here the scope is manifestly wider. Israel may be Jehovah’s earthly centre, but His name shall be praised from east to west, from that day and evermore. Who is like to Him, and to Him as thus displayed in His ways with His poor loved one, no longer in the dust but exalted, no longer barren but the glad mother of sons? Hallelujah!
Fuente: William Kelly Major Works (New Testament)
NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: Psa 113:1-4
1Praise the Lord!
Praise, O servants of the Lord,
Praise the name of the Lord.
2Blessed be the name of the Lord
From this time forth and forever.
3From the rising of the sun to its setting
The name of the Lord is to be praised.
4The Lord is high above all nations;
His glory is above the heavens.
Psa 113:1 This verse has the same imperative repeated three times for emphasis (BDB 237, KB 248, Piel imperative; see same technique in Psa 96:1-2). It starts out like Psalms 111; Psalms 112 (see note at Psa 111:1). This Psalm reveals why YHWH should be praised.
1. He is above all nations, Psa 113:4
2. His glory is above the heavens, Psa 113:4
3. he is unique (see SPECIAL TOPIC: MONOTHEISM ), Psa 113:5
4. He humbles Himself to know and be involved in the lives of His faithful followers, Psa 113:6 (cf. Psa 18:35 c)
5. He cares for those who are socially ostracized and who have no power, Psa 113:7-9 (cf. Psa 109:31)
a. the poor
b. the needy
c. the barren
the Lord See SPECIAL TOPIC: NAMES FOR DEITY .
O servants of the Lord The AB (p. 131) changes the vowels and makes this the works of the Lord. This form (BDB 714) is found in Ecc 9:1.
If the MT is correct, servants would refer to
1. angels (cf. Psa 103:20-22)
2. worshipers in the temple (cf. Deu 32:43; Psa 34:22; Psa 69:36; Psa 105:25; Psa 135:14)
3. Levites/priests in the temple (cf. Psa 134:1; Psa 135:1-2)
the name of the Lord See Special Topic: The Name of YHWH.
Psa 113:2 Blessed This verb (BDB 138, KB 159, Pual participle combined with the jussive form of theverb to be) is parallel to praise (cf. Psa 145:21).
Psa 113:2-3 a These two lines are parallel and in figurative language to express the extent of the praise of YHWH
1. for all time, Psa 113:2 b
2. in all places, Psa 113:3 a
Psa 113:4 high above all nations This verse tells why He should be praised.
1. He is high above all nations (cf. Psa 97:9; Psa 99:2)
2. His glory is above the heavens (cf. Psa 8:1; Psa 57:11; Psa 148:13)
glory See SPECIAL TOPIC: GLORY (DOXA) .
Fuente: You Can Understand the Bible: Study Guide Commentary Series by Bob Utley
The third of these three Hallelujah Psalms (111, 113). The Psalms of this group are called the Hallel Psalms (113, 118). Psalms 113 and 114 were sung before the Paschal meal (but after the second of the four cups of wine); 115, 118 after it. The last probably sung by the Lord Jesus (Mat 26:30). Praise ye THE LORD. Hebrew Hallelu-Jah.
THE LORD. Hebrew Jah. App-4.
the LORD. Hebrew. Jehovah. App-4.
name. See note on Psa 20:1.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Psa 113:1-9 begins and ends with Hallelujah.
Praise ye the LORD. Praise, O ye servants of the LORD, praise the name of Yahweh. Blessed be the name of the LORD ( Psa 113:1-2 )
Or blessed be the name Yahweh.
from this time forth and for evermore. From the rising of the sun unto the going down of the same Yahweh’s name is to be praised ( Psa 113:2-3 ).
So you see, again here is the compounding of thought with poetry. The compounding of the idea of praising the Lord. Blessed be the Lord from the rising of the sun and so forth. And this to them is beautiful poetry because you’re compounding the thought and the idea.
Yahweh is high above all nations, his glory above the heavens ( Psa 113:4 ).
And again, even in that, the contrast, “above the nations, above the heavens.”
Who is like unto Yahweh our God, who dwells on high, who humbles himself to behold the things that are in heaven, and in the earth! He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, he lifts the needy out of the dunghill; That he may set him with princes, even with the princes of his people. He makes the barren woman to keep house, and to be a joyful mother of children. Hallelujah ( Psa 113:5-9 ).
And so the psalmist just exalting over God. “
Fuente: Through the Bible Commentary
We will read, this evening, two passages in the Word of God; the first will be Psalms 113.
Psa 113:1. Praise ye the LORD. Praise, O ye servants of the LORD, praise the name of the LORD.
Three times are you stirred up to this duty of praise. Adore the Sacred Trinity with threefold praise. There is a trinity in you: let spirit, soul, and body praise the Lord. Let the past, the present, and the future make another threefold chord; and for each of these, Praise ye the Lord. Praise, O ye servants of the Lord, praise the name of the Lord.
Psa 113:2-3. Blessed be the name of the LORD from this time forth and for evermore. From the rising of the sun unto the going down of the same the LORDS name is to be praised.
From the rising of the sun until the going down of the same the Lords name is to be praised. In hours of morning light, when the dew is on the grass, and our soul is full of gladness, and in the hours of the setting sun, when the day is weary, and the night seems coming on, still let the Lord have the praise that is his due, for he is always to be praised. There is never an hour in which it would be unseemly to praise God. For everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven; but the praising of God is never out of season. All time and all eternity may be dedicated to this blessed work.
Psa 113:4-5. The LORD is high above all nations, and his glory above the heavens. Who is like unto the LORD our God, who dwelleth on high,
The loftiness, the majesty, the sublimity of God are attributes that are terrible in themselves; yet they minister much joy to those who love the Lord. For, you know, we can never make too much of those whom we love; and if we see them exalted, then is our soul glad. Would you wish to have a little God? Would you wish to have a God who had but little honour, or little power? No; you ascribe to him all conceivable and all inconceivable greatness, and you exult as you think what a high and mighty God he is.
Who is like unto Jehovah our God,
who dwelleth on high?
Psa 113:6. Who humbleth himself to behold the things that are in heaven, and in the earth!
It enables us to get some faint idea of the greatness of God when we read that he has to humble himself even to look at the things in heaven, perfect and spotless though they be. Dr. Watts truly sings,
The lowest step around thy seat
Rises too high for Gabriels feet;
In vain the tall archangel tries
To reach thine height with wondring eyes.
All the faculties of all the angels cannot comprehend the Infinite. When the Lord looks down to us, how much he must humble himself! If he humbleth himself to see the things in heaven which are clear and pure, what humility is required that he may look upon the things on the earth!
Psa 113:7-8. He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, and lifteth the needy out of the dunghill; that he may set him with princes, even with the princes of his people.
Have you never noticed that, in all these joyous songs to God, there is almost always one of these notes, that God abases the proud, and exalts the humble? This was the basis of Hannahs song; and it was the pith and marrow of Marys Magnificat: He hath put down the mighty from their seats, and exalted them of low degree. This wonderful turning of things upside down; this withering of the green tree, and making the dry tree to flourish; this killing that which liveth, and quickening that which is dead; this emptying of the full, and filling of the empty; this casting down the mighty from their thrones, and lifting the poor out of the dust; this is always one of the highest reasons for exulting joy. What a truth there is for you and for me tonight, if we feel ourselves to be spiritually so poor that the dunghill is no offense to us, because we feel ourselves to be even more offensive than the filthy things that are cast away by men! What a mercy it is that the Lord lifteth the needy out of the dunghill; that he may set him with princes, even with the princes of his people!
Psa 113:9. He maketh the barren woman to keep house, and to be a joyful mother of children. Praise ye the LORD.
Does your soul feel barren? May the Lord grant unto it an abundant fruitfulness! Looking back upon the past year, perhaps you have had many barren times, or times that you have thought to be barren. If you are a minister of the gospel, I should not wonder if those have been your most fruitful seasons. When you have been most empty, God has been pleased to feed the people through you. O dear brothers and sisters, those very times of spiritual experience which are most humiliating and most painful are often the most soul-enriching to us, and they also bring the greatest glory to God!
Now we will read a New Testament story, in order that we may see how some men did not praise the Lord as they should have done. You will find the narrative in the seventeenth chapter of the Gospel according to Luke, at the eleventh verse.
This exposition consisted of readings from Psalms 113, and Luk 17:11-19.
Fuente: Spurgeon’s Verse Expositions of the Bible
Psa 113:1-9
Psalms 113
PRAISING JEHOVAH FOR EXALTING THE HUMBLE
This is another of the “Hallelujah Psalms,” this time with the words “Praise Ye Jehovah” (Hallelujah) occurring both at the beginning and the end of the Psalm.
Psa 113:1-9
“Praise ye Jehovah.
Praise, Oh ye servants of Jehovah.
Blessed be the name of Jehovah
From this time forth and forevermore.
From the rising of the sun unto the going down of the same
Jehovah’s name is to be praised.
Jehovah is high above all nations,
And his glory above the heavens.
Who is like unto Jehovah our God,
That hath his seat on high,
That humbleth himself to behold
The things that are in heaven and in the earth?
He raiseth up the poor out of the dust,
And lifteth up the needy from the dunghill;
That he may set him with princes,
Even with the princes of the people.
He maketh the barren woman to keep house,
And to be a joyful mother of children.
Praise ye Jehovah.”
“In Judaism, Psalms 113-118 are known as the Egyptian Hallel (`Hallel’ means `Praise’). Psalms 113 and Psalms 114 were sung before the Passover meal; and Psalms 115-118 were sung after it. They were also sung at the feasts of Pentecost, Tabernacles, and Dedication (Hanukkah, or the Feast of Lights). Delitzsch adds that, “The Hallel was also sung on New Year’s Day and on the Day of Atonement.
One of these customary closing songs (Psalms 115-118), “Must have been the one that Jesus and his apostles sang following the Last Supper (Mat 26:30).
“From this time forth and forevermore” (Psa 113:2). This expression also occurs in Psa 115:8; Psa 121:8; Psa 125:2; Psa 131:3. It means for one to praise God regularly and consistently throughout one’s whole life.
“That humbleth himself to behold the things that are in heaven and in the earth.” The marginal reading gives this: “That humbleth himself to regard the heavens and the earth.” The RSV reads it, “Who looks far down upon the heavens and the earth.”
“He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, and lifteth up the needy from the dunghill” (Psa 113:7). The RSV reads, “He raises the poor from the dust, and lifts the needy from the ash heap.” This verse breathes the spirit of “The Magnificat,” the marvelous song of the virgin Mary. “He hath put down princes from their thrones and exalted them of low degree.” (Luk 1:52).
“The dunghill, or ash heap” (Psa 113:7). This appears to have been the city dump, or its equivalent. Delitzsch tells us that, “In Syria and Palestine the man who has been shut out from society lies upon the mezbele (the dunghill, or ash heap), by day calling upon passers-by for alms, and by night hiding himself in the ashes that have been warmed by the sun.
“He maketh the barren woman to keep house, and to be a joyful mother of children” (Psa 113:9). The psalmist here has adopted some of the phrases from 1Sa 2:8, where they are found in the Song of Hannah, indicating that the psalmist was referring to her as an example of the “barren woman” who became the joyful mother of children.
This verse is also equally true of Sarah; and the plural “children” does not deny this. In the scriptures, “child” is sometimes understood as “children.” In Gen 21:7, Sarah is quoted as saying, “Who would have said unto Abraham, that Sarah should have given children suck? for I have borne him a son.”
This usage of the word “children” is still current in the world. As E. M. Zerr stated it, “When the captain of a sinking ship orders that women and children should enter the lifeboats first; that cannot mean that a woman with only one child would be denied.
Leupold declares that, “all commentators agree that the psalm is post-exilic.
Also, he noted that “the barren woman” here is Israel, the nation itself. After Israel’s return from Babylon, she could have been compared to a poor man sitting and begging on the city dump, or to a childless woman mourning her barrenness. “Thus the psalm is to be thought of as a word of comfort in evil and depressing times, that it was written for the `worm’ Jacob (Isa 41:14), and for the `afflicted and storm-tossed one’ (Isa 54:11).
E.M. Zerr:
Psa 113:1. For comments on the first clause see those at Psa 112:1. The servants of the Lord are those who have such respect for Him that they will wish to obey his law. It is further appropriate that such people will praise the Lord.
Psa 113:2. To be blessed means literally to be happy. It would not make good sense to say that the name of the Lord is happy. It is good usage, however, to say that the name of the Lord brings happiness to men. Such happiness will endure always. Verse 3. In other words, all of man’s waking hours should be filled with praise for the goodness of the Lord.
Psa 113:4. High above all nations means His power or authority is supreme. His glory is logically above the heavens because he was the creator of them all.
Psa 113:5. Dwelleth on high denotes the exalted position of His dwelling. For the distinctive meaning of Lord and God see the comments at Psa 86:12.
Psa 113:6. The pronoun who refers to the person who will observe the things of creation, and give God the credit for such works. True humility will prompt a man to make such an observation, while pride will cause him to ignore all such evidences of divine power; even denying the existence of a Supreme Being.
Psa 113:7. When dust and dunghill are used figuratively, they refer to the humiliating situation of many poor people. It has special application when that situation has been imposed upon them by the more fortunate ones.
Psa 113:8. True merit is often hidden from view by the opposition of jealous enemies. God recognizes it, however, and will reward the humble and worthy persons with proper exaltation. Jesus taught this lesson in Mat 23:12 and many other places.
Psa 113:9. This does not mean that a barren woman would not have a house in which to live. The leading thought will be recognized by considering the verse as a whole. When God acts with compassion on behalf of a childless wife, it turns her into a happy housekeeper with children. The case of Hannah is a noted instance of it, recorded in 1 Samuel 1.
Fuente: Old and New Testaments Restoration Commentary
This is the first of six psalms which constitute the Hallel or Hymn of Praise, which the Hebrews sang at Passover, Pentecost, and the Feast of Tabernacles. This group is necessarily of special interest to us because in all probability, these psalms were sung by our Lord and His disciples on that dark night in which He was betrayed. While we shall read them and think of them as the songs of the ancient people, we cannot help thinking of them as uttered by that Voice which was and is the perfect music.
The first psalm celebrates the name of Jehovah on two accounts. He is high, yet He is lowly; above the nations and above the heavens, ye t humbling Himself to behold the heavens and the earth. This is a startling way of stating the fact. The thing which exalts man, the contemplation and consideration of the creation and its glories, humbles God, so far is He above creation in the awful majesty of His essential life. Yet how He humbles Himself! Think of these words passing the lips of Him Who humbled Himself, and became obedient unto death. Then notice the evidences of Gods humility and height. He stoops to lift, for He raiseth the poor, lifteth up the needy, and turns barreness into the joy of motherhood. Again, think how amid the deepening shadows the Incarnate Word sang with a little band of men of the purpose of His humbling, and try and imagine the joy set before Him, and so approach to an understanding of how He endured.
Fuente: An Exposition on the Whole Bible
the Mighty God Uplifteth the Lowly
Psa 113:1-9; Psa 114:1-8
We detect the song of Samuels mother in the first of these psalms. She sang the Old Testament Magnificat and it was embalmed by the psalmist here. Thus it passed into the psalter of the Church. Note the universality of this ascription of praise. For all time, Psa 113:2; through all the earth, Psa 113:3; and above all heavens, Psa 113:4. What a wonderful God is ours! Heaven cannot contain Him, but He lifts the poor and needy out of the dust. Largeness is not greatness, and the babe in the cot is more important than the palace.
In Psa 114:1-8 Egypt represents the tyranny of sin; but we have been redeemed. Like Israel we have gone forth. We belong no more to the present world with its strange tongue. Ours is the language of Canaan, our home. This exodus of ours has made us the temple and sanctuary of God. If once the Church realized that she is God-possessed, she would become irresistible. Seas would divide, rivers would start back, mountains would cleave, and the hills would remove. Impossible would be blotted from our vocabulary. The power that made Sinai tremble gave earth water-springs. When the soul finds its all in God, the world ceases to affright or attract it, and the rocks yield refreshing streams.
Fuente: F.B. Meyer’s Through the Bible Commentary
Psalm 113
Hallelujah! Praise His Name!
This third Hallelujah Psalm begins with a Hallelujah and ends with Hallelujah. It is given in the Authorized Version as Praise ye the Lord (as in all these Psalms). It would be more sublime to maintain this grand old Hebrew word Hallelujah. His Name is praised. Praise the name of the Lord–Blessed be the Name of the Lord. Yea from the rising of the sun unto the going down, from one end of the earth unto the other, the Lords Name is praised. He is above all nations. What Hannah so beautifully uttered in her song of Praise has come. He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, and lifteth the needy out of the dunghill; that He may set him with princes, even with the Princes of His people. That is Israel redeemed by Him. And so is the barren woman, a joyful mother of children.
Fuente: Gaebelein’s Annotated Bible (Commentary)
– Title This and the following five Psalms form what is called by the Hebrews the great Hallel, or praise; which was sung on their most solemn festivals, and particularly after the celebration of the Passover. – See Mat 26:30. Mar 14:
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
THE LORDS NAME BE PRAISED!
Praise the name of the Lord.
Psa 113:1
I. As God has given Himself a name that is above every name, and has therein revealed His nature for all times and the whole world, so will He be invoked always and everywhere by His servants by this name, and bids His Church in all places of the earth be mindful of this part of its service to Him.
II. Gods infinite exaltation above all created beings does not separate Him from those in need of help, or remove Him to an unapproachable distance, or place Him in solitude and out of relation to them, but is united in an incomparable manner with a careful regard for the least as well as for the greatest.
III. This mindfulness of them is no mere observing or purposeless gazing, but actual condescension to the insignificant, despised, and afflicted, so that they may be raised from their misery, and that the Church may ever have renewed occasion to praise Him.
Illustrations
(1) From this psalm to Psalms 118 is the Hallel which is recited at the three great feasts. In the family celebration of the Passover night, it is divided into two parts, the one half, Psalms 113, 114, being sung before the repast, and the other half, Psalms 115-118, after the repast; to which the words, When they had sung a hymn (St. Mat 26:30) may refer.
(2) By mentioning the name of Jehovah the Psalmist would teach us to bless each of the attributes of the Most High, which are, as it were, the letters of His name; not quarrelling with His justice or His severity, nor servilely dreading His power, but accepting Him as we find Him revealed in the inspired Word, and by His own acts; and loving Him and praising Him as such. We must not give the Lord a new name, nor invent a new nature, for that would be the setting up of a false god.
Fuente: Church Pulpit Commentary
The glory of Jehovah’s Name.
1. And now the third Hallelujah celebrates Jehovah’s Name, now to be one, according to the testimony of the prophet, over all the earth. All servants of Jehovah are exhorted to praise it: to show thus that their obedience springs out of joyful adoration; the only service which can have value for Him. And the answer rings out joyfully: “Blessed be Jehovah’s Name! from this time even for ever.” The full worship, too, is seen coming in: “from the rising of the sun to the going down of it, Jehovah’s Name shall be praised.”
2. Well may it be! for the whole scene of this praise is His creation. “He is high above all nations:” yea, “Jehovah’s glory is above the heavens.” The Incomparable One! He has placed His dwelling on high; but He sees, and with tender interest, all that is in heaven and on earth. This leads to the next verse in which we see how deep this interest goes, and how wonderful are the results of it.
3. For He is Abraham’s God, the God of resurrection: this still told in Old Testament style, and to which the Christian revelation only has given its full glory. Yet the features of it can be still discerned and have been from the beginning. For He “raiseth the exhausted from the dust; He lifteth up the needy from the dunghill:” “an emblem of the deepest poverty and desertion; for in Syria and Palestine, the man who is shut out from society lies upon the mezbele (the dunghill or heap of ashes,) by day calling the passers-by for alms, and by night hiding himself in the ashes that have been warmed by the sun” (Delitzsch).
Out of this misery and degradation God yet raises up, to put a wretch like this among the nobles (nedibhim; the men of princely liberality) -yea, the nobles of his people. This is a repetition of Hannah’s words; and Hannah’s own case is before the psalmist’s mind, that case so memorable indeed for Israel: “He maketh the barren to keep house, a joyful mother of sons.” Mary’s song, at the beginning of the New Testament, reminds us, could we ever forget it, that one birth, impossible but for the stooping of God to man, has filled here for us the place of all others. And herewith has come for every recipient of divine grace now, the promise and the power of a resurrection; by which those worse degraded than the dwellers on the dunghill are raised to higher place than that of princes! Hallelujah!
Fuente: Grant’s Numerical Bible Notes and Commentary
Psa 113:1-3. Praise, O ye servants of the Lord Ye Levites, who are peculiarly devoted to this solemn work, and sometimes termed Gods servants, in a special sense, and all you faithful souls. Blessed be the name of the Lord from this time, &c. Let not the work of praising God die with us, but let those that come after us praise him; yea, let him be praised through all the generations of time, and let us and all his saints praise him in eternity. From the rising of the sun, &c. Throughout the habitable world, from one end of it to the other; the Lords name is to be praised That is, it ought to be praised in all nations, because all nations enjoy the benefit of his glorious works of creation and providence: and in all nations there are most manifest proofs of his infinite wisdom, power, and goodness. All nations, also, were to be redeemed by the Messiah, and it is his gracious purpose and promise to bring all nations to the knowledge of his truth.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
This and the five following psalms form the great HALLEL, or hymn of praise, sung at the passover and other festivals of the Jews. They celebrate, as the word imports, the shinings forth, eradiations, or manifestations of divine wisdom, power and love, in Gods dealings with Israel; and shadow forth the richer displays of grace and truth which should be afforded to the christian church. None of the psalms of the Hallel have any title, except the word Hallelujah; nor is the author of them distinctly named, but they exhibit the style and spirit of David.
Psa 113:1. Praise ye the Lord, This phrase is the literal rendering of Hallelujah.
Psa 113:4. The Lord is high above all nations. He is never compared to creatures, but to show that he is incomparable. Exo 15:11. Mic 7:18.
Psa 113:9. He makes the barren woman to keep house. The critics have noticed five of the scripture characters, descended from mothers who had been barren for many years, namely, Isaac, Joseph, Samson, Samuel, and John the Baptist.
REFLECTIONS.
The whole gentile world are here exhorted to praise God with his chosen servants in the sanctuary, for he is high above all nations, and his divine perfections and evangelical glory fill the earth. No god, no prince is like unto him. Let Israel glory in her king.
He must be praised for his providence and grace. In Davids time he took many worthy men from the crowd, and seated them with the princes of his people. In the day when he published his gospel, he chose the poor of this world, rich in faith, and heirs of the promises; yea, things that were not, to bring to nought things that are. And since the reformation from popery, what has not God done for many poor ministers? What gifts, what grace, what honour has he not conferred upon them? Yea also, how has he blessed and prospered the little of his pious and industrious people in a temporal view. Truly we owe our all to his distinguishing grace. He makes the barren woman to keep house. Sarah received her Isaac, Rachel her Joseph, and Hannah her Samuel, a prince in Israel, and father of the nation. But these words are applicable to the barren wastes of the gentiles, who as a desolate woman had more children than she who had a husband. Therefore sing, oh barren; thy prosperity proceedeth from the Lord.
Fuente: Sutcliffe’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
CXIII. God on High Cares for the Lowly.
Psa 113:7. The dunghill is like Jobs, waste and refuse heaped up outside the village and still the refuge of lepers and diseased persons of one kind or another.
Fuente: Peake’s Commentary on the Bible
PSALM 113
The celebration of the Name of the Lord.
Psalm 111, presents the wonderful works of the Lord whereby His glory is secured, and His people redeemed. Psalm 112 presents a millennial picture in which, as a result of the Lord’s works and government, His people are brought into blessing, and the wicked come under judgment. Psalm 113 completes this series of psalms by showing that God’s ways in government will lead to His Name being exalted in all the earth.
(vv. 1-4) The servants of the Lord called to praise the name of the Lord from this time – the time of God’s public intervention in the government of the world. His name will be blessed through all time – for evermore; – throughout the whole world – from the rising of the sun to the going down thereof; and above all, whether it be all nations, or all creation.
(vv. 5-9) Furthermore, the greatness of the Lord is set forth in His condescending grace. The One whose dwelling is on high, humbles Himself to look on the heavens and the earth. And looking upon the earth He raises up the poor; He lifts up the needy; and He blesses the hopeless, for He makes the barren to be the joyful mother of children. Little wonder, that over the wide world, and throughout all time, His servants will say, Praise ye the Lord.
Fuente: Smith’s Writings on 24 Books of the Bible
113:1 Praise ye the LORD. {a} Praise, O ye servants of the LORD, praise the name of the LORD.
(a) By this often repetition he stirs up our cold dullness to praise God, seeing his works are so wonderful, and that we are created for the same cause.
Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes
Psalms 113
Psalms 113-118 constitute the "Egyptian Hallel." The designation "Egyptian Hallel" originated because of the emphasis on Egypt in Psalms 114. Hallel is the imperative singular form of the Hebrew word (lit. praise, cf. Hallelujah) and is a command to praise. The Jews sang the "Egyptian Hallel" (113-118) and the "Great Hallel" (120-136), two collections of psalms, at the three yearly feasts that all the males had to attend: Passover, Pentecost, and Tabernacles. Most of the "Great Hallel" psalms are pilgrimage songs. The Jews also used these psalms on other holy days, including their new moon festivals. At Passover it was customary to sing Psalms 113, 114 before the meal and 115-118 and 136 after it (cf. Mat 26:30; Mar 14:26). A third collection of Hallel psalms (146-150) was incorporated into the daily prayers of synagogue worship after the destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70.
"There was more relevance in these psalms to the Exodus-the greater Exodus-than could be guessed in Old Testament times." [Note: Kidner, Psalms 73-150, p. 401.]
This psalm of descriptive praise calls on God’s servants to praise Him because, even though He occupies an exalted position, He has humbled Himself to lift up the lowly (cf. Php 2:7). It expresses thoughts similar to Hannah’s prayer (1Sa 2:1-10) and Mary’s Magnificat (Luk 1:46-55). [Note: J. J. Stewart Perown, The Book of Psalms , 2:322.]
Fuente: Expository Notes of Dr. Constable (Old and New Testaments)
1. Call to praise the Lord’s name 113:1-3
The person of God represented by His name deserves praise from all His servants forever. The rising and setting of the sun describe the east and west, not just daylight hours. In other words, God is worthy of universal praise.
Fuente: Expository Notes of Dr. Constable (Old and New Testaments)
Psa 113:1-9
THIS pure burst of praise is the first of the psalms composing the Hallel, which was sung at the three great feasts (Passover, Pentecost, and the Feast of Tabernacles), as well as at the festival of Dedication and at the new moons. “In the domestic celebration of the Passover night the Hallel is divided into two parts; the one half, Psa 113:1-9 and Psa 114:1-8, being sung before the repast, before the emptying of the second festal cup, and the other half, Psa 115:1-18; Psa 116:1-19; Psa 117:1-2; Psa 118:1-29, after the repast, after the filling of the fourth cup, to which the having sung a hymn in Mat 26:30 and Mar 14:26 may refer” (Delitzsch, in loc.).
Three strophes of three verses each may be recognised, of which the first (Psa 113:1-3) summons Israel to praise Jehovah, and reaches out through all time and over all space, in longing that Gods name may be known and praised. The second strophe (Psa 113:4-6) magnifies Gods exalted greatness; while the third (Psa 113:7-9) adores His condescension, manifested in His stooping to lift the lowly. The second and third of these strophes, however, overlap in the song, as the facts which they celebrate do. Gods loftiness can never be adequately measured, unless His condescension is taken into account; and His condescension never sufficiently wondered at, unless His loftiness is felt.
The call to praise is addressed to Israel, whose designation “servants of Jehovah” recalls Isa 11:1-16s characteristic use of that name in the singular number for the nation. With strong emphasis, the name of Jehovah is declared as the theme of praise. Gods revelation of His character by deed and word must precede mans thanksgiving. They, to whom that Name has been entrusted, by their reception of His mercies are bound to ring it out to all the world. And in the Name itself, there lies enshrined the certainty that through all ages it shall be blessed, and in every spot lit by the sun shall shine as a brighter light, and be hailed with praises. The psalmist has learned the world wide significance of Israels position as the depository of the Name, and the fair vision of a universal adoration of it fills his heart. Psa 113:3 b may be rendered “worthy to be praised is the name,” but the context seems to suggest the rendering above.
The infinite exaltation of Jehovah above all dwellers on this low earth and above the very heavens does not lift Him too high for mans praise, for it is wedded to condescension as infinite. Incomparable is He; but still adoration can reach Him, and men do not clasp mist, but solid substance, when they grasp His Name. That incomparable uniqueness of Jehovah is celebrated in Psa 113:5 a in strains borrowed from Exo 15:11, while the striking description of loftiness combined with condescension in Psa 113:5 b and Psa 113:6 resembles Isa 57:15. The literal rendering of Psa 113:5 b and Psa 113:6 a is, “Who makes high to sit, Who makes low to behold,” which is best understood as above. It may be questioned whether “On the heavens and on the earth” designates the objects on which His gaze is said to be turned; or whether, as some understand the construction, it is to be taken with “Who is like Jehovah our God?” the intervening clauses being parenthetical; or whether, as others prefer, “in heaven” points back to “enthroned on high,” and “on earth” to “looks far below.” But the construction which regards the totality of created things, represented by the familiar phrase “the heavens and the earth,” as being the objects on which Jehovah looks down from His inconceivable loftiness, accords best with the context and yields an altogether worthy meaning. Transcendent elevation, condescension, and omniscience are blended in the poets thought. So high is Jehovah that the highest heavens are far beneath Him, and, unless His gaze were all-discerning, would be but a dim speck. That He should enter into relations with creatures, and that there should be creatures for Him to enter into relations with, are due to His stooping graciousness. These “far-darting looks are looks of tenderness, and signify care as well as knowledge. Since all things lie in His sight, all receive from His hand.
The third strophe pursues the thought of the Divine condescension as especially shown in stooping to the dejected and helpless and lifting them. The effect of the descent of One so high must be to raise the lowliness to which He bends. The words in Psa 113:7-8 are quoted from Hannahs song. {1Sa 2:8} Probably the singer has in his mind Israels restoration from exile, that great act in which Jehovah had shown His condescending loftiness, and had lifted His helpless people as from the ash heap, where they lay as outcasts. The same event seems to be referred to in Psa 113:9 under a metaphor suggested by the story of Hannah whose words have just been quoted. The “barren” is Israel. {comp. Isa 54:1} The expression in the original is somewhat obscure. It stands literally “the barren of the house,” and is susceptible of different explanations; but probably the simplest is to regard it as a contracted expression for the unfruitful wife in a house, “a housewife, but yet not a mother. Such a one has in her husbands house no sure position, If God bestows children upon her, He by that very fact makes her for the first time thoroughly at home and rooted in her husbands house” (Delitzsch, in loc.). The joy of motherhood is tenderly touched in the closing line, in which the definite article is irregularly prefixed to “sons,” as if the poet “points with his finger to the children with whom God blesses her” (Delitzsch, u.s.). Thus Israel, with her restored children about her, is secure in her home. That restoration was the signal instance of Jehovahs condescension and delight in raising the lowly. It was therefore the great occasion for world wide and age-long praise.
The stager did not know how far it would be transcended by a more wonderful, more heart-touching manifestation of stooping love, when “The Word became flesh.” How much more exultant and world filling should be the praises from the lips of those who do know how low that Word has stooped, and how high He has risen, and how surely all who hold His hand will be lifted from any ash heap and set on His throne, sharers in the royalty of Him who has been partaker of their weakness!