1._Rejoice in Jehovah, ye righteous. _Here the inspired writer addresses believers or the righteous by name, because they alone are capable of proclaiming the glory of God. Unbelievers, who have never tasted his goodness, cannot praise him from the heart, and God has no pleasure in his name being pr... [ Continue Reading ]
2._Praise Jehovah upon the harp. _It is evident that the Psalmist here expresses the vehement and ardent affection which the faithful ought to have in praising God, when he enjoins musical instruments to be employed for this purpose. He would have nothing omitted by believers which tends to animate... [ Continue Reading ]
3._Sing unto him a new song. _As the Psalmist afterwards treats of the mighty works of God, and particularly concerning the preservation of the Church, it is not wonderful that he exhorts the righteous to sing a new, that is, a rare and choice song. The more closely and diligently that believers con... [ Continue Reading ]
4._For the word of Jehovah is right. _As I have just remarked, the Psalmist first sets forth God’s general providence by which he governs the whole world; and he tells us that he so exerts his power in the whole course of his operations, that the most perfect equity and faithfulness shine forth ever... [ Continue Reading ]
5._He loveth righteousness and judgment. _This is a confirmation of the preceding verse, and intimates to us that God of his own nature loves righteousness and equity. It therefore follows, that froward affections cannot hurry him, after the manner of men, to evil devices. At first sight, indeed, th... [ Continue Reading ]
6._By the word of Jehovah. _That he may stir us up to think more closely of God’s works, he brings before us the creation of the world itself; for until God be acknowledged as the Creator and Framer of the world, who will believe that he attends to the affairs of men, and that the state of the world... [ Continue Reading ]
7._He gathered together the waters of the sea as into a heap. _(676) Here the Psalmist does not speak of all that might have been said of every part of the world, but under one department he comprehends all the rest. He celebrates, however, a signal and remarkable miracle which we see in looking on... [ Continue Reading ]
8._Let all the earth fear Jehovah. _The Psalmist concludes that there is just reason why the whole world should reverently submit itself to the government of God, who gave it being, and who also preserves it. _To fear Jehovah, _and _to stand in awe of him, _just means to do honor to, and to reverenc... [ Continue Reading ]
10._Jehovah scattereth the counsel of the nations. _After briefly touching upon the creation of the world, the Psalmist returns to his former subject, namely, to show that the events which daily come to pass are undoubted proofs of the providence of God. And lest any man should be surprised, that he... [ Continue Reading ]
11._The counsel of Jehovah. _The prophet extols the infinite power of God in such a manner as that he may build up our faith in its greatness; for he does not here commend a counsel of God which is hidden in heaven, and which he would have us to honor and revere at a distance. But as the Lord everyw... [ Continue Reading ]
12._Blessed are the people whose God is Jehovah. _This verse excellently agrees with the preceding, because it would profit us little to observe what is said of the stability of God’s counsel if that counsel referred not to us. The prophet, therefore, in proclaiming that they are blessed whom God re... [ Continue Reading ]
13._Jehovah looked down from heaven. _The Psalmist still proceeds with the same doctrine, namely, that human affairs are not tossed hither and thither fortuitously, but that God secretly guides and directs all that we see taking place. Now he here commends God’s inspection of all things, that we on... [ Continue Reading ]
15._He who fashioned their hearts altogether. _It appears that this is added for the express purpose of assuredly persuading believers, that, however the wicked might craftily, deceitfully, and by secret stratagems, attempt to withdraw themselves from God’s sight, and hide themselves in caverns, yet... [ Continue Reading ]
It therefore follows, _A king is not saved for the multitude of his host, etc _By this the inspired writer means to teach us, that the safety of men’s lives depends not upon their own strength, but upon the favor of God. He names particularly _kings _and _giants _rather than others; because, as they... [ Continue Reading ]
17._A horse is a deceitful thing for safety. _In this verse, the Psalmist, by the figure synecdoche under the name of _horse, _is to be understood as meaning any kind of help. The sense is, that in general those who conceive that their life is well protected by earthly means, are commonly disappoint... [ Continue Reading ]
18._Behold, the eye of Jehovah is upon them that fear him. _Having shown that what men account their best defences often profit them nothing, or rather are utterly worthless, when men depend upon them; the Psalmist now shows, on the other hand, that believers, although they are neither men of great... [ Continue Reading ]
Again, when it is affirmed, that God, in times of famine and dearth, has remedies in readiness to preserve the lives of the godly, we are taught that the faithful only pay due honor to his providence when they allow not their hearts to despond in the extremest indigence; but, on the contrary, raise... [ Continue Reading ]
20._Our soul waiteth upon Jehovah. _What the Psalmist has hitherto spoken concerning God’s providence, and particularly concerning that faithful guardianship by which he protects his people, he has spoken not so much from himself as from the mouth of the Holy Spirit. He now, therefore, in the name o... [ Continue Reading ]
21._Surely our heart shall rejoice in him. _As the particle כי _, ki, _which is twice employed in this verse, has various meanings in Hebrew, it may be understood in a twofold sense here. If we expound it affirmatively in both clauses, the sense will be, that believers glory both in their joy and in... [ Continue Reading ]
22._Let thy mercy be on us, O Jehovah! _At length the psalm concludes with a prayer, which the sacred writer offers in the name of all the godly, that God would make them feel from the effect that they have not relied on the divine goodness in vain. In the meantime, the Spirit, by dictating to us th... [ Continue Reading ]