Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Psalms 118:16

The right hand of the LORD is exalted: the right hand of the LORD doeth valiantly.

Psa 118:16

The right hand of the Lord is exalted; the right hand of the Lord doeth valiantly.

Mighty to save

I. The triumphs of the Lord Jesus. He did not come as a man of war, for He is the prince of peace; He came not here with shield and buckler, but He came with a body fitted to suffer, and with a heart strong to endure. The Christ of God came in lowliness and in shame; but for all that He fought great battles in the midst of His weakness, and won for Himself wondrous spiritual victories.

II. The triumphs of the Church of Christ. The Church began with feeble numbers, with small wealth, and with comparatively little talent, but she was clothed with the Holy Ghost, and was therefore mighty.

III. The triumphs of grace in individuals. Do you remember when you sought to escape from the multitude of your sins? Do you recollect when they compassed you about like bees? You could not count your sins–you had forgotten them; they seemed dead and buried, but they all came to life again, and they swarmed about you. They buzzed about you at your table; they stung you in your sleep; in your dreams they harassed you; at your work you had no peace because of them. And dost thou mind the place, the spot of ground, where thou didst meet with Jesus? Oh let your soul go back to your spiritual birthday; ring the bells of your heart again; hang out the streamers of your soul for that happy day when Jesus washed your sins away. (C. H. Spurgeon.)

The power of God displayed in the redemption of man

I. A sublime attribute of god. The right hand of the Lord represents His power in its loftiest manifestation, its sovereignty, its resistlessness, its omnipotence.

II. Signal achievements which, by the operation of that Divine attribute, are performed.

1. The personal history and work of the Messiah.

2. The application of the work of the Messiah to individual men.

3. The progress of the economy founded upon the work of the Messiah, and its wide diffusion throughout the earth.

III. The emotions which the contemplation of these achievements produces in pious minds. Our rejoicing is to be connected with, and ensured by, practical manifestations. They are these: implicit trust on the Saviours mediation; abounding gratitude for the Saviours goodness; devoted obedience to the Saviours commandments; zealous activity for the Saviours glory. And as those, who are set apart by Him to be the instruments in the advancement of His empire, by our self-denial, our activity, and our prayers, we are to attempt the ingathering of His people, and the advancement of those grand and wonderful designs we have presented, which are to be fulfilled in the recovery of the world. (J. Parsons.)

Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell

Verse 16. The right hand of the Lord is exalted] Jehovah lifted up his right hand, and with it performed prodigies of power.

Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible

Is exalted; hath appeared evidently, and wrought powerfully and gloriously on my behalf.

Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole

16. right hand . . . is exaltedHispower greatly exerted.

Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

The right hand of the Lord is exalted,…. Lifted up, very eminent and conspicuous, easily to be observed in the instances before given, and become great and glorious in power; see Ex 15:6. The power of God is superior to all enemies; and is beyond conception and expression; and is able to do for his people above all they are able to ask or think;

the right hand of the Lord doth valiantly: or “acts powerfully”. This is repeated for the confirmation of it, and to show how much the righteous were affected with it, and how desirous they were of glorifying of it; “the right hand of the Lord”, being three times mentioned, may have respect to the three divine Persons in the Godhead, whose right hand or power is the same: and as the right hand of the Father has done powerfully in the instances given, so the right hand of the Son has worked mightily in vanquishing all enemies, sin, Satan, death, and the world; in obtaining the salvation of his people, and in raising himself from the dead: and so the right hand of the Holy Spirit has wrought powerfully on Christ, on whom he rested as the Spirit of might, and through whom Christ offered himself to God, and by whom he was raised from the dead; and also in the conversion of sinners, and in helping, assisting, strengthening, and protecting the saints.

Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible

(16) Is exalted.Here evidently the attitude of a warrior. The hand is lifted up to strike.

Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)

Psa 118:16 The right hand of the LORD is exalted: the right hand of the LORD doeth valiantly.

Ver. 16. The right hand of the Lord is exalted ] By right hand here some understand the humanity of Christ, God’s hand and our handle, whereby we come to take hold of God.

The right hand of the Lord doeth valiantly ] Thrice he celebrateth God’s right hand; to set forth his earnest desire to say the utmost; or in reference to the sacred Trinity, as some will have it, Haec est vox Epinicii.

Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)