Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Psalms 149:6
[Let] the high [praises] of God [be] in their mouth, and a twoedged sword in their hand;
6. high praises] Cp. Psa 66:17, note.
in their mouth ] Lit. throat (Psa 115:7).
a twoedged sword ] So the LXX and Jer.; cp. Jdg 3:16: but a sword of mouths means rather a devouring sword. So Nehemiah’s builders prayed (Neh 4:9) and built with sword in hand (Neh 4:16 ff.); and Judas Maccabaeus and his followers joined battle with Nicanor, “contending with their hands, and praying unto God with their hearts” ( 2Ma 15:26-27 ).
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Let the high praises of God be in their mouth – Margin, as in Hebrew, in their throat. Literally, Praises of God in their throat; and a sword of two edges in their hand. That is, In the very work of executing the purposes of God on his enemies, there should be the feeling and the language of praise. Their hearts should be full of confidence in God; they should feel that they are engaged in his service; and while they defend themselves, or inflict punishment on the enemies of God, they should chant His praise. The idea is, that even in the work of war they might feel that they were engaged in the service of God, and that the passions usual in war should be subdued and kept under by the consciousness that they are mere instruments in the hand of God to accomplish His purposes. Perhaps the Hebrew word rendered high praises – romemah – may imply more than mere praise. It may embrace anything that is lofty and exalted, and may mean here that they would have the consciousness that they were engaged in high and lofty aims; that they were carrying out the great designs of God; that they were executing purposes more momentous than their own could be – even the eternal purposes of the Most High. This would give an importance, a dignity, an elevation to their conduct which could spring from no other source.
And a two-edged sword in their hand – literally, a sword of edges; that is, a sword with an edge on both sides of the blade. Roman swords were often made in this manner. They were made for piercing as well as for striking. See the notes at Heb 4:12.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 6. Let the high praises of God] Let them sing songs the most sublime, with the loudest noise consistent with harmony.
And a two-edged sword in their hand] Perhaps there is an allusion here to the manner in which the Jews were obliged to labour in rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem: “Every one with one of his hands wrought in the work, and with the other hand held a weapon,” Ne 4:17.
The two-edged sword, in Hebrew, is pipiyoth, “mouth mouths.”
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
In their mouth, Heb. in their throat; which signifies vocal praise, and that with a loud voice.
A two-edged sword in their hand; not only to defend themselves from their enemies, but, as it follows, to revenge themselves upon them.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
6. high praisesor, “deeds.”They shall go forth as religious warriors, as once religious laborers(Ne 4:17).
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
[Let] the high [praises] of God [be] in their mouth,…. Or “throats” m; loudly declared by them. The word “praises” is not in the text, and so may be read, “the high things of God” n; or, “the heights of God”, as the Septuagint: and these are the perfections of God; as his omniscience, which is knowledge too high for a creature to attain unto, and even to conceive of; his omnipotence, for high is his right hand; his omnipresence, this is higher than heaven, deeper than hell, its measure is longer than the earth, and broader than the sea; his love, grace, and mercy, which are in the heavens; and his truth and faithfulness, which reach to the clouds; his eternity, immutability, and other attributes; all which should be often talked of and celebrated: also the high acts and works of God, those more inward and secret; as the thoughts of his heart, which are higher than ours, as the heavens than the earth; the everlasting love of God, which has an height not to be reached; the eternal choice of persons to grace and glory, before all time; the covenant of grace, which exceeds the mountains for height, as well as duration; and the glorious scheme of our peace, reconciliation, and redemption, contrived in the divine mind, and formed in Christ from everlasting: and others more outward, open, and manifest; as the works of creation and providence; of redemption by Christ; the operations of the Spirit, and the powerful success of the Gospel among Jews and Gentiles. The Vulgate Latin version and others render it, “the exaltations of God” o; Father, Son, and Spirit: Jehovah the Father should be exalted in the mouths of his saints, for his love to them, choice of them, covenant with them, the mission of his Son on their account, and the regeneration of them according to his abundant mercy; and Jehovah the Son should be exalted by them with their mouths and lips, as well as in their hearts, in his person, by honouring him as they do the Father, in his offices, kingly, priestly, and prophetic; and the Holy Spirit should be exalted, by ascribing the work of grace to him, the beginning, carrying on, and finishing of it;
and a twoedged sword in their hand; which is no other than the word of God, Eph 6:17; one of its edges is the law, which sharply reproves and menaces for sin, threatening with curses, condemnation, and death; and which, in the Spirit’s hand, cuts deep into the hearts of men, lays open the corruption of their nature, and the swarms of sin which are in them; it causes pain and grief, working wrath in the conscience; it wounds and kills, and is therefore called the letter that kills, 2Co 3:6. The other edge is the Gospel, which cuts in pieces the best of men; all their works of righteousness, which it removes from their justification and salvation; and all their wisdom, holiness, freewill power, and creature abilities; and it cuts down the worst in man, his sinful as well as his righteous self; it teaches him to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts; it is useful to refute errors, and defend truth: and it is an instrument, and only a passive instrument, used by the Lord, as his power unto salvation; it is a sword, but only effectual as it is the sword of the Spirit; it is a part of the weapons of our warfare, and it is mighty, but only through God; it can do nothing of itself, but as it is in the hand of another; and it should be in the hands of all the saints in common, as well as in the hands of Gospel ministers, to withstand error, maintain truth, and repel the temptations of Satan. The Targum is,
“the praises of God in their throats, and as twoedged swords in their hands;”
making the praises of God and the twoedged swords to be the same: and so Jarchi and R. Jeshuah in Aben Ezra interpret them.
m “in gutture eorum”, V. L. Pagninus, Montanus, Piscator, c. n , Sept. “celsitudines”, Schmidt. o “Exaltationes Dei”, V. L. Pagninus, Montanus, Musculus, Gejerus, Michaelis so Ainsworth.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
The glance is here directed to the future. The people of the present have again, in their God, attained to a lofty self-consciousness, the consciousness of their destiny, viz., to subjugate the whole world of nations to the God of Israel. In the presence of the re-exaltation which they have experienced their throat is full of words and songs exalting Jahve ( , plural of , or, according to another reading, , Psa 56:1-13:17), and as servants of this God, the rightful Lord of all the heathen (Psa 82:8), they hold in their hand a many-mouthed, i.e., many edged sword (vid., supra, p. 580), in order to take the field on behalf of the true religion, as the Maccabees actually did, not long after: (2 Macc. 15:27). The meaning of Psa 149:9 becomes a different one, according as we take this line as co-ordinate or subordinate to what goes before. Subordinated, it would imply the execution of a penal jurisdiction over those whom they carried away, and would refer to prescriptive facts such as are recorded in Num 31:8; 1Sa 15:32. (Hitzig). But it would become the religious lyric poet least of all to entertain such an unconditional prospect of the execution of the conquered worldly rulers. There is just as little ground for thinking of the judgment of extermination pronounced upon the nations of Canaan, which was pronounced upon them for an especial reason. If Psa 149:9 is taken as co-ordinate, the “written judgment” ( Recht ) consists in the complete carrying out of the subjugation; and this is commended by the perfectly valid parallel, Isa 45:14. The poet, however, in connection with the expression “written,” has neither this nor that passage of Scripture in his mind, but the testimony of the Law and of prophecy in general, that all kingdoms shall become God’s and His Christ’s. Subjugation (and certainly not without bloodshed) is the scriptural for the execution of which Jahve makes use of His own nation. Because the God who thus vindicates Himself is Israel’s God, this subjugation of the world is , splendour and glory, to all who are in love devoted to Him. The glorifying of Jahve is also the glorifying of Israel.
Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament
| Israel Admonished to Praise God. | |
6 Let the high praises of God be in their mouth, and a twoedged sword in their hand; 7 To execute vengeance upon the heathen, and punishments upon the people; 8 To bind their kings with chains, and their nobles with fetters of iron; 9 To execute upon them the judgment written: this honour have all his saints. Praise ye the LORD.
The Israel of God are here represented triumphing over their enemies, which is both the matter of their praise (let them give to God the glory of those triumphs) and the recompence of their praise; those that are truly thankful to God for their tranquillity shall be blessed with victory. Or it may be taken as a further expression of their praise (v. 6): let the high praises of God be in their mouth, and then, in a holy zeal for his honour, let them take a two-edged sword in their hand, to fight his battles against the enemies of his kingdom. Now this may be applied, 1. To the many victories which God blessed his people Israel with over the nations of Canaan and other nations that were devoted to destruction. These began in Moses and Joshua, who, when they taught Israel the high praises of the Lord, did withal put a two-edged sword in their hand; David did so too, for, as he was the sweet singer of Israel, so he was the captain of their hosts, and taught the children of Judah the use of the bow (2 Sam. i. 18), taught their hands to war, as God had taught his. Thus he and they went on victoriously, fighting the Lord’s battles, and avenging Israel’s quarrels on those that had oppressed them; then they executed vengeance upon the heathen (the Philistines, Moabites, Ammonites, and others, 2 Sam. viii. 1, c.) and punishments upon the people, for all the wrong they had done to God’s people, <i>v. 7. Their kings and nobles were taken prisoners (v. 8) and on some of them the judgment written was executed, as by Joshua on the kings of Canaan, by Gideon on the princes of Midian, by Samuel on Agag. The honour of this redounded to all the Israel of God; and to him who put it upon them they return it entirely in their hallelujahs. Jehoshaphat’s army had at the same time the high praises of God in their mouth and a two-edged sword in their hand, for they went forth to war singing the praises of God, and then their sword did execution, 2 Chron. xx. 23. Some apply it to the time of the Maccabees, when the Jews sometimes gained great advantages against their oppressors. And if it seem strange that the meek should, notwithstanding that character, be thus severe, and upon kings and nobles too, here is one word that justifies them in it; it is the judgment written. They do not do it from any personal malice and revenge, or any bloody politics that they govern themselves by, but by commission from God, according to his direction, and in obedience to his command; and Saul lost his kingdom for disobeying a command of this nature. Thus the kings of the earth that shall be employed in the destruction of the New-Testament Babylon will but execute the judgment written,Rev 17:16; Rev 17:17. But, since now no such special commissions can be produced, this will by no means justify the violence either of subjects against their princes or of princes against their subjects, or both against their neighbours, under pretence of religion; for Christ never intended that his gospel should be propagated by fire and sword or his righteousness wrought by the wrath of man. When the high praises of God are in our mouth with them we should have an olive-branch of peace in our hands. 2. To Christ’s victories by the power of his gospel and grace over spiritual enemies, in which all believers are more than conquerors. The word of God is the two-edged sword (Heb. iv. 12), the sword of the Spirit (Eph. vi. 17), which it is not enough to have in our armoury, we must have it in our hand also, as our Master had, when he said, It is written. Now, (1.) With this two-edged sword the first preachers of the gospel obtained a glorious victory over the powers of darkness; vengeance was executed upon the gods of the heathen, by the conviction and conversion of those that had been long their worshippers, and by the consternation and confusion of those that would not repent (Rev. vi. 15); the strongholds of Satan were cast down (2Ch 10:4; 2Ch 10:5); great men were made to tremble at the word, as Felix; Satan, the god of this world, was cast out, according to the judgment given against him. This is the honour of all Christians, that their holy religion has been so victorious. (2.) With this two-edged sword believers fight against their own corruptions, and, through the grace of God, subdue and mortify them; the sin that had dominion over them is crucified; self, that once sat king, is bound with chains and brought into subjection to the yoke of Christ; the tempter is foiled and bruised under their feet. This honour have all the saints. (3.) The complete accomplishment of this will be in the judgment of the great day, when the Lord shall come with ten thousands of his saints, to execute judgment upon all,Jud 1:14; Jud 1:15. Vengeance shall then be executed upon the heathen (Ps. ix. 17), and punishments, everlasting punishments, upon the people. Kings and nobles, that cast away the bands and cords of Christ’s government (Ps. ii. 3), shall not be able to cast away the chains and fetters of his wrath and justice. Then shall be executed the judgment written, for the secrets of men shall be judged according to the gospel. This honour shall all the saints have, that, as assessors with Christ, they shall judge the world, 1 Cor. vi. 2. In the prospect of that let them praise the Lord, and continue Christ’s faithful servants and soldiers to the end of their lives.
Fuente: Matthew Henry’s Whole Bible Commentary
(6) High praises.Literally, exaltations of celebration, i.e., hymns of praise.
Mouth.Rather, throat.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
6. The high praises of God Hebrew, The exaltations of God; that is, those praises which exalt God in the eyes of his universe.
In their mouth Hebrew, In their throat, as indicating loud sounding praise. In Isa 58:1, the same word is rendered “cry aloud.” The loud sounding instruments of music, enumerated Psa 149:3, and Psalm cl, 3-5, indicate the greatest joy.
A two-edged sword This is not the sword of war, but of administrative justice, as appears in the following verses. A nation that would honour God with loud and exulting praises, must jealously guard the foundations of government and defend the rights of the people. Figuratively, “a two edged sword” denotes the word of God. Heb 4:12; Rev 1:16
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Psa 149:6. Let the high praises, &c. That is, “Let them not, however, lay aside all thoughts of warlike preparations, and be drowned in the ease of a sluggish peace; but let them, at the same time that they are singing victorious hymns to the honour of God, be in readiness to oppose, and gain fresh victories over the heathen, who are still his and their enemies.” Mudge renders this verse in the imperfect tense: The exaltation of God was in their mouth, &c. Jehoshaphat marched out to meet the enemy, with the Levites singing psalms before him. See the 8th verse verified, Jdg 1:7.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Psa 149:6 [Let] the high [praises] of God [be] in their mouth, and a twoedged sword in their hand;
Ver. 6. Let the high praises (or the exaltations) of God be in their mouth] Heb. in their throat. So Isa. lviil. 1, “Cry aloud”; Heb. cry in the throat, set up thy note.
– Sic clames, ut Stentora vincas.
And a two-edged sword in their hand ] Such an invincible power shall the saints have, as whereby they shall subdue all their enemies, corporal and spiritual. See Heb 13:12 Rev 1:16 ; Rev 19:15 . There was more than metal and form in Goliath’s sword, delivered by the priest to David; whose arm was not so much strengthend by it as his faith: so is every good Christian’s by that two-edged sword of the Spirit; he may well write upon it, as that renowned Talbot in the reign of Henry VI did upon his sword, in blunt and boisterous language, Sum Talbotti I am Talbot (this was engraven upon the one side of the blade, and upon the other) pro vincere inimicos meos For to conquer my enemies (Speed). See 2Co 10:4-5 .
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
high praises = extollings.
GOD. Hebrew El. App-4.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
the high: Psa 96:4, Neh 9:5, Dan 4:37, Luk 2:14, Rev 19:6
mouth: Heb. throat, Psa 115:7, Psa 145:3-5
and a twoedged: Heb 4:12, Rev 1:16
Reciprocal: Jos 11:21 – Joshua destroyed Jdg 3:16 – two edges Jdg 5:2 – for the avenging Est 8:13 – avenge themselves Est 9:5 – smote Psa 137:8 – happy Isa 12:1 – O Lord Isa 24:21 – the Lord Isa 45:14 – in chains Jer 50:28 – to declare Eze 39:13 – a renown Dan 2:34 – which Zec 9:13 – made Zec 12:6 – they Rev 19:14 – the armies
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
3. A way to rejoice in the Lord 149:6-9
The Lord’s will for Israel was that she overcome and defeat God’s enemies on the earth. This would establish righteousness in the world and exalt the God of Israel as the sovereign Lord (cf. Deu 32:1-6; Deu 32:23; Jos 1:1-8). Israel praised and glorified God, not just in word but also in deed, by carrying out His will for her (cf. Neh 4:9; Neh 4:16-23). These verses may grate on the sensibilities of Christians who have a different way of obeying God today. Nevertheless, when the psalmist composed this hymn, Israel’s destruction of wicked neighbors was her way of expressing obedience to God.
This psalm is a helpful reminder, to us who are believers, that praising God does not just involve praising Him with our lips. It must also include obeying Him with our lives.