Psalms · Chapter 135

Verse 1. Praise ye the Lord] This may be considered as the title, for it has none other.

Praise ye the name of the Lord] Perhaps the original יהוה שם ta wllh haleu eth shem Yehovah, should be translated, Praise ye the name Jehovah; that is, Praise God in his infinite essence of being, holiness, goodness, and truth.

Verses 1-3. O ye servants of the Lord — Ye priests and Levites, as in the former Psalm, or the people; that stand in the courts, &c. — Either in the sanctuary or the inner court, both which were appropriated to the priests and Levites; or in the outward court, which was for the people. Praise, &c., for the Lord is good — Bountiful and gracious, especially to you, and therefore he justly expects and deserves your praises. Sing praises, &c., for it is pleasant — Thus two reasons are assigned why they should praise the Lord, first, his goodness, and, secondly, the pleasantness of the employment. “The latter of these reasons hath a natural and necessary dependance on the former. A sense of the divine mercy will tune our hearts and voices to praise.”

1, 2, are repeated from Psalm 134:1, 2, using halleloo, (“praise ye,”) here, for barekoo, (“bless ye,”) there. House… courts—The former the place where the priests stood to officiate; the latter, where the people worshipped.

V. 2. Ye-Ye priest and Levites.

Verse 2. Ye that stand] Priests and Levites. For which he gives several reasons.

Verses 1-3. O ye servants of the Lord — Ye priests and Levites, as in the former Psalm, or the people; that stand in the courts, &c. — Either in the sanctuary or the inner court, both which were appropriated to the priests and Levites; or in the outward court, which was for the people. Praise, &c., for the Lord is good — Bountiful and gracious, especially to you, and therefore he justly expects and deserves your praises. Sing praises, &c., for it is pleasant — Thus two reasons are assigned why they should praise the Lord, first, his goodness, and, secondly, the pleasantness of the employment. “The latter of these reasons hath a natural and necessary dependance on the former. A sense of the divine mercy will tune our hearts and voices to praise.”

1, 2, are repeated from Psalm 134:1, 2, using halleloo, (“praise ye,”) here, for barekoo, (“bless ye,”) there. House… courts—The former the place where the priests stood to officiate; the latter, where the people worshipped.

Verse 3. The Lord is good] Here is the first reason why he should be praised; and a second is subjoined:—

For it is pleasant.] It is becoming to acknowledge this infinite Being, and our dependence on him; and it is truly comfortable to an upright mind to be thus employed.

Verses 1-3. O ye servants of the Lord — Ye priests and Levites, as in the former Psalm, or the people; that stand in the courts, &c. — Either in the sanctuary or the inner court, both which were appropriated to the priests and Levites; or in the outward court, which was for the people. Praise, &c., for the Lord is good — Bountiful and gracious, especially to you, and therefore he justly expects and deserves your praises. Sing praises, &c., for it is pleasant — Thus two reasons are assigned why they should praise the Lord, first, his goodness, and, secondly, the pleasantness of the employment. “The latter of these reasons hath a natural and necessary dependance on the former. A sense of the divine mercy will tune our hearts and voices to praise.”

3. Pleasant—That is, the employment is pleasant. Jehovah is not the subject of the adjective, which would not be reverent.

Verse 4. For the Lord hath chosen Jacob] This is a third reason. He has taken the Israelites for his peculiar people, wtlgs segullatho, his peculiar treasure; and now has brought them home to himself from their captivity and wanderings.

Verses 4, 5. For the Lord hath chosen Jacob, &c. — Here we have a third reason why the Israelites should praise the Lord, namely, “the circumstance of their having been selected from among the nations to be his church, to receive the law and the promises, to have his presence residing in the midst of them, and to be the guardians of the true faith and worship.” For I know that the Lord is great, &c. — Here he assigns a fourth reason for their praising God, “his superiority over the gods of the heathen, and, consequently, over those who worshipped them; from whence followed this comfortable inference, that he was able to protect and to defend his people against every enemy.” — Horne.

4. Chosen Jacob—Copied from Deuteronomy 7:6. Peculiar treasure—See Malachi 3:17, where the same word is rendered “jewels.” In these four verses Jehovah occurs four times; Jah, three times; and Elohim, once.

Verse 5. The Lord is great] Unlimited in his power: another reason. Is above all gods.] Every class of being, whether idolized or not; because he is the Fountain of existence. This is a fifth reason.

Verses 4, 5. For the Lord hath chosen Jacob, &c. — Here we have a third reason why the Israelites should praise the Lord, namely, “the circumstance of their having been selected from among the nations to be his church, to receive the law and the promises, to have his presence residing in the midst of them, and to be the guardians of the true faith and worship.” For I know that the Lord is great, &c. — Here he assigns a fourth reason for their praising God, “his superiority over the gods of the heathen, and, consequently, over those who worshipped them; from whence followed this comfortable inference, that he was able to protect and to defend his people against every enemy.” — Horne.

5. For I know that the Lord is great—The word “great,” means absolutely supreme, as verse 6 and the whole following argument show. This is advanced as the ground and reason of all praise and adoration. The confident knowledge of this greatness is the language of experience, and is sustained by what follows.

V. 6. Seas-In the visible seas, and in the invisible depths both of the earth and of the waters.

Verse 6. Whatsoever the Lord pleased] All that he has done is right, and therefore it is pleasing in his sight. He is the author of all existence. Angels, men, spirits, the heavens, the earth, and all their contents, were made by him, and are under his control.

Verse 6. Whatsoever the Lord pleased — Either in the creation or government of the world; that did he in heaven and in earth — His power and jurisdiction are universal, and not like those of the heathen gods, confined, as their worshippers allowed, to their several countries; in the seas, and all deep places — In the visible seas, and in the invisible depths, both of the earth and of the waters. Here, then, the psalmist evinces the pre-eminence of Jehovah above the gods of the nations, by this consideration, that he at the beginning “created and formed those powers of nature whose operations in the heavens, the earth, and the waters, led the heathen world, after it had lost the knowledge of the Creator, to adore the creature as independent.”

Verse 6. In all deep places; all parts of the seas, where no soundings can be found.

V. 7. From-From all parts of the earth, from one end to another. Rain-An eminent instance of his good providence.

Verse 7. He causeth the vapours to ascend] Dr. Shaw thinks that the account here refers to the autumnal rains in the east. Of them he speaks as follows: “Seldom a night passes without much lightning in the north-west quarter, but not attended with thunder; and when this lightning appears in the west or south-west points, it is a sure sign of the approaching rain, which is often followed by thunder. A squall of wind and clouds of dust are the sure forerunners of the first rain.” This account induces Mr. Harmer to believe that the word µyacn nesiim, should be translated clouds, not vapours. It shows that God—

Maketh lightnings for the rain] The squalls of wind bring on these refreshing showers, and are therefore precious things of the treasuries of God; and when he thunders, it is the noise of waters in the heavens. See Jeremiah 10:13, which contains almost the same words as those in this verse: “When he uttereth his voice, there is a multitude of waters in the heavens; and he causeth the vapours to ascend from the ends of the earth; he maketh lightnings with rain, and bringeth forth the wind out of his treasuries.”

Verse 7. He causeth the vapours to ascend, &c. — “They who in old time paid their devotions to the elements, imagined those elements to be capable of giving or withholding rain at pleasure. Therefore we find the Prophet Jeremiah reclaiming that power to Jehovah, as the God who made and governed the world, Jeremiah 14:22. Among the Greeks and Romans we meet with a Jupiter, possessed of the thunder and the lightning, and an Æolus ruling over the winds. The psalmist teacheth us to restore the celestial artillery to its rightful owner. Jehovah, the God of Israel, and Creator of the universe, contrived the wonderful machinery of light and air, by which vapours are raised from the earth, compacted into clouds, and distilled into rain. At his command the winds are suddenly in motion, and as suddenly at rest again; we hear the sound, but cannot tell whence they come, or whither they go; as if they were taken from the secret store-houses of the Almighty, and then laid up till their service was required again.” He maketh lightnings for the rain — He makes thick clouds, which, being broken, produce lightnings, and so are dissolved into showers of rain. Or, he maketh lightnings with rain. “It is a great instance of the divine wisdom and goodness that lightning should be accompanied by rain, to soften its rage and prevent its mischievous effects.” — Horne. He bringeth the wind out of his treasures — Out of those secret places where he preserves them, and whence he brings them as he sees fit. Thus we read of treasures of snow and hail, Job 38:22, not that they are formally laid up in any certain places, but to signify that God hath them as much at his disposal as any man hath that which he hath laid up in his stores.

7. Here is a quotation from Jeremiah 10:13. See Genesis 2:6; Psalm 115:3. Lightnings for the rain, may signify “lightnings” as an accompaniment of “rain,” or as having a causal influence upon the formation of rain drops, both of which are true.

Verse 8. Who smote the first-born of Egypt] See the parallel passages.

Verse 8. Who smote the firstborn of Egypt — From the general works of nature he comes to God’s special works of providence toward his people. “Egypt was the theatre of the grand contest between the God of Israel and the gods of the heathen. The superiority of the former over the latter was shown in every possible way, by the miracles of Moses, which demonstrated all the powers of nature, to be under the dominion of Jehovah, and to act at his command, so that, instead of being able to protect, they were made to torment and destroy their deluded votaries.”

8, 9. These verses present an illustration of the greatness and majesty of God (see verse 5) in the redemption of his people from Egypt. See notes on Psalm 78:43-53; 105:26-38. Smote the firstborn—Only the last of the ten plagues, as being the most terrible, is specified. Both of man and beast—Hebrew, from man to beast—all grades of living creatures.

8, 9. These verses present an illustration of the greatness and majesty of God (see verse 5) in the redemption of his people from Egypt. See notes on Psalm 78:43-53; 105:26-38. Smote the firstborn—Only the last of the ten plagues, as being the most terrible, is specified. Both of man and beast—Hebrew, from man to beast—all grades of living creatures.

Verses 10-12. Who smote great nations, &c. — “The victories gained by Israel over Sihon and Og, in their passage to Canaan, and afterward over the idolatrous kings of that country, are further proofs of the same point. For Israel therefore conquered because Jehovah fought for them, and put them in possession of that good land when the iniquity of its old inhabitants was full, and cried to heaven for vengeance.”

10-12. Smote… nations—From the judgments of Egypt, the writer passes over the desert life of the Israelites, and proceeds to narrate the conquest of the land east of Jordan. Sihon king of the Amorites—The Amorites had conquered the territory from Arnon to Jabbok from the Moabites and Ammonites long before Moses. See Numbers 12:21-31. The latter nations reasserted their title afterward, but failed to maintain it. Judges x,

11. Og king of Bashan—Numbers 21:32-35; Deuteronomy 3. His kingdom embraced all the land north of the Jabbok. The kingdoms of Canaan—All the land west of the Jordan. See notes on Psalm 136:17-21.

Verses 10-12. Who smote great nations, &c. — “The victories gained by Israel over Sihon and Og, in their passage to Canaan, and afterward over the idolatrous kings of that country, are further proofs of the same point. For Israel therefore conquered because Jehovah fought for them, and put them in possession of that good land when the iniquity of its old inhabitants was full, and cried to heaven for vengeance.”

10-12. Smote… nations—From the judgments of Egypt, the writer passes over the desert life of the Israelites, and proceeds to narrate the conquest of the land east of Jordan. Sihon king of the Amorites—The Amorites had conquered the territory from Arnon to Jabbok from the Moabites and Ammonites long before Moses. See Numbers 12:21-31. The latter nations reasserted their title afterward, but failed to maintain it. Judges x,

11. Og king of Bashan—Numbers 21:32-35; Deuteronomy 3. His kingdom embraced all the land north of the Jabbok. The kingdoms of Canaan—All the land west of the Jordan. See notes on Psalm 136:17-21.

Verses 10-12. Who smote great nations, &c. — “The victories gained by Israel over Sihon and Og, in their passage to Canaan, and afterward over the idolatrous kings of that country, are further proofs of the same point. For Israel therefore conquered because Jehovah fought for them, and put them in possession of that good land when the iniquity of its old inhabitants was full, and cried to heaven for vengeance.”

10-12. Smote… nations—From the judgments of Egypt, the writer passes over the desert life of the Israelites, and proceeds to narrate the conquest of the land east of Jordan. Sihon king of the Amorites—The Amorites had conquered the territory from Arnon to Jabbok from the Moabites and Ammonites long before Moses. See Numbers 12:21-31. The latter nations reasserted their title afterward, but failed to maintain it. Judges x,

11. Og king of Bashan—Numbers 21:32-35; Deuteronomy 3. His kingdom embraced all the land north of the Jabbok. The kingdoms of Canaan—All the land west of the Jordan. See notes on Psalm 136:17-21.

Verses 13, 14. Thy name, O Lord, endureth for ever — These wonderful works of thine shall never be forgotten. They, together with the land which thou gavest us through them, and which we yet enjoy, are an everlasting monument of thy power and goodness, and an obligation upon, and an encouragement to us, to trust in thee, in all our present or future difficulties. For the Lord will judge his people — Will, in due time, plead the cause of his people, or give judgment for them. And he will repent himself, &c. — He will recall that severe sentence which for their sins he had passed upon them.

V. 14. Judge-Will in due time plead the cause of his people. Repent-He will recall that severe sentence which for their sins he had passed upon them.

Verse 14. The Lord will judge his people] He will do them justice against their enemies.

Verses 13, 14. Thy name, O Lord, endureth for ever — These wonderful works of thine shall never be forgotten. They, together with the land which thou gavest us through them, and which we yet enjoy, are an everlasting monument of thy power and goodness, and an obligation upon, and an encouragement to us, to trust in thee, in all our present or future difficulties. For the Lord will judge his people — Will, in due time, plead the cause of his people, or give judgment for them. And he will repent himself, &c. — He will recall that severe sentence which for their sins he had passed upon them.

Ver. 14. He will repent him concerning his servants. When they repent under his rod, he also repents, remembering that they are but dust.

14. Repent himself concerning his servants—That is, will change his method of treating them, and turn away his judgments, and remember mercy, when they turn to him. The author here undoubtedly glances at the recent deliverance from Babylon.

Verse 15. The idols of the heathen] This verse and the following, to the end of the 18th, {Psalm 135:15-18} are almost word for word the same as verses 4-8 of Psalm 115., where see the notes. {Psalm 115:4-8}

Verses 15-18. The idols of the heathen are silver and gold — Here he sets forth the difference between the God of Israel and the idols of the nations, as also between the worshippers of each, all tending to confirm the truth of what was asserted, verse 5, I know that the Lord is great, and that our Lord is above all gods. Of these verses, see the notes on Psalm 115:4, 5.

15-18. A repetition, with some verbal alterations, of Psalm 115:4-8, which see.

Verses 15-18. The idols of the heathen are silver and gold — Here he sets forth the difference between the God of Israel and the idols of the nations, as also between the worshippers of each, all tending to confirm the truth of what was asserted, verse 5, I know that the Lord is great, and that our Lord is above all gods. Of these verses, see the notes on Psalm 115:4, 5.

15-18. A repetition, with some verbal alterations, of Psalm 115:4-8, which see.

Verse 17. To this verse one of Kennicott’s MSS. adds the 6th and 7th verses of Psalm cxv. {Psalm 115:6, 7}

Verses 15-18. The idols of the heathen are silver and gold — Here he sets forth the difference between the God of Israel and the idols of the nations, as also between the worshippers of each, all tending to confirm the truth of what was asserted, verse 5, I know that the Lord is great, and that our Lord is above all gods. Of these verses, see the notes on Psalm 115:4, 5.

15-18. A repetition, with some verbal alterations, of Psalm 115:4-8, which see.

Verses 15-18. The idols of the heathen are silver and gold — Here he sets forth the difference between the God of Israel and the idols of the nations, as also between the worshippers of each, all tending to confirm the truth of what was asserted, verse 5, I know that the Lord is great, and that our Lord is above all gods. Of these verses, see the notes on Psalm 115:4, 5.

15-18. A repetition, with some verbal alterations, of Psalm 115:4-8, which see.

Verse 19. Bless the Lord. O house, &c.] See similar verses, Psalm 115:9-13, and the notes there.

Verses 19-21. Bless the Lord, O house of Israel — He who proved himself to be infinitely superior to the objects of heathen idolatry, is no less superior to every object on which deluded men can place their affections. Let the house of Israel, therefore, the house of Levi, and the house of Aaron, the church, the ministers thereof; and let all who fear the Lord, though not of the house of Israel, bless and praise his holy name, in his temple here below, until they shall be admitted to do it for evermore in that which is above: see Horne.

19, 20. These verses are taken from Psalm 115:9-11, where see notes. To the enumeration of “Israel,” “house of Aaron,” and “those who fear the Lord,” in the latter passage, and in Psalm 118:2-4, we have added in the text the house of Levi, by which language the common priesthood, as distinguished from the highpriesthood, is meant.

Verses 19-21. Bless the Lord, O house of Israel — He who proved himself to be infinitely superior to the objects of heathen idolatry, is no less superior to every object on which deluded men can place their affections. Let the house of Israel, therefore, the house of Levi, and the house of Aaron, the church, the ministers thereof; and let all who fear the Lord, though not of the house of Israel, bless and praise his holy name, in his temple here below, until they shall be admitted to do it for evermore in that which is above: see Horne.

19, 20. These verses are taken from Psalm 115:9-11, where see notes. To the enumeration of “Israel,” “house of Aaron,” and “those who fear the Lord,” in the latter passage, and in Psalm 118:2-4, we have added in the text the house of Levi, by which language the common priesthood, as distinguished from the highpriesthood, is meant.

Verse 21. Blessed be the Lord out of Zion] Who has once more restored our temple and city, and now condescends to dwell with us in Jerusalem.

Verses 19-21. Bless the Lord, O house of Israel — He who proved himself to be infinitely superior to the objects of heathen idolatry, is no less superior to every object on which deluded men can place their affections. Let the house of Israel, therefore, the house of Levi, and the house of Aaron, the church, the ministers thereof; and let all who fear the Lord, though not of the house of Israel, bless and praise his holy name, in his temple here below, until they shall be admitted to do it for evermore in that which is above: see Horne.

21. Same as Psalm 134:3, which see.