Psalms 22:3

An appeal to God's moral character, as the Holy One of Israel. The Heb. word for holyis derived from a root signifying separation. It characterises God negatively, as separate from the limitations and imperfections of the world and man; and positively, it comes to express the essential nature of God in its moral aspect, as pure, righteous, faithful, supremely exalted. In virtue of His holiness he cannot be false to His covenant. Cp. Habakkuk's plea (Habakkuk 1:12); and for another side of the truth, Isaiah 5:16.

O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel Rather as R.V. marg., O thou that art enthroned upon the praises of Israel: a bold adaptation of the phrase that sittest enthroned upon the cherubim(2 Samuel 6:2; 2 Kings 19:15; Psalms 80:1; Psalms 99:1). The praises of Israel, ascending like clouds of incense, form as it were the throne upon which Jehovah sits. They are a perpetual memorial of His mighty acts in times past (Exodus 15:11; Psalms 78:4; Isaiah 63:7); and surely He cannot have ceased to give occasion for those praises (Psalms 22:25)! The P.B.V. is based on an untenable construction of the words, in its rendering, And thou continuest holy, O thou worship of Israel, and it takes praises of Israelto mean God Himself as the object of Israel's praises.