CXLVIII. This glorious anthem, as it has been the model of countless hymns of praise, is best appreciated and understood by comparison with some of these. The “song of the three children,” found in the LXX. Version of Daniel, is no doubt an imitation, but in its elaboration and its artificial style... [ Continue Reading ]
FROM THE HEAVENS... IN THE HEIGHTS. — Some would render _ye of the heavens,_ but the parallelism is in favour of the Authorised Version. “Heavens” and “heights” in this verse, and “angels” and “hosts” in the next, are analogously parallel. The heights contain the heavens (comp. Job 16:19; Job 25:2),... [ Continue Reading ]
HEAVENS OF HEAVENS. — See Psalms 68:33, and references. Before passing downwards to the earth the invocation pauses to combine all the heights, which have been before addressed in the expression which denotes their position relatively to the earth; the highest heaven of all, and then the world of wa... [ Continue Reading ]
STABLISHED. — Literally, _made to stand,_ i.e., set them up. HE HATH MADE... — Rather, _he hath made an ordinance, and will not transgress it._ This is more obvious and natural than to supply a new subject to the second verb, “and none of them transgress it.” This anticipates, but only in form, the... [ Continue Reading ]
EARTH· — The invocation now passes downwards, and the first sound of terrestrial praise is to come, according to the order of Creation in Genesis 1, from the sea-monsters (for which see Note, Psalms 74:13; Psalms 91:13), the “deeps” being added to include all great waters in which such creatures are... [ Continue Reading ]
FIRE._ — Lightning,_ as in Psalms 18:12; Psalms 105:32. where it is also found with “hail.” VAPOURS. — The same Hebrew word in Genesis 19:28 and Psalms 119:83 is rendered “smoke,” and from the use of the cognate verb is certainly connected with “burning.” Hence we probably have here the figure _chia... [ Continue Reading ]
MOUNTAINS, AND ALL HILLS. — The invocation now alights on the crests of the highest mountains, and passes downward to the lower hills where vegetable life begins. FRUITFUL TREES. — Rather, _fruit trees;_ the fruit-bearing tree being representative of one division of the vegetable world, planted and... [ Continue Reading ]
So here we have _wild_ animals and _domesticated_ animals. (See Note, Psalms 50:10.) CREEPING THINGS. — This seems to include all the smaller creatures that move on the ground, in contrast with the birds that fly above it.... [ Continue Reading ]
ALL PEOPLE. — And now the whole animate and inanimate universe having been summoned, man takes his place as leader of the choir; and here the poet’s language is couched so as to include all, all ranks and nations, of every age, and each sex.... [ Continue Reading ]
EXCELLENT. — Rather, _exalted._ As in Isaiah 12:4. So LXX. and Vulg. ABOVE THE EARTH AND HEAVEN. — There is a fine artistic touch in the order of the words in this. All _heaven_ and _earth_ have been summoned to the chorus of praise, of Him who is now declared to be above _earth_ and _heaven. _... [ Continue Reading ]
HE HATH... — Render, _and he hath raised a horn for his people. Praise is for all His saints, for the sons of Israel, a people near Him._ The raising of the horn evidently implies some victory, or assurance of victory, which, no doubt, gave the first impulse for this song of praise. (See Introducti... [ Continue Reading ]