Bible Commentaries

Psalms 103:22 — Bless the Lord, all his works - All that he has made, animate and inanimate, intelligent and brute. It is not uncommon to call on the inanimate creation to join with intelligent beings in praising God. Compare Psalms 148:1-14. The same thing is often found in the “Paradise Lost,” and in fact occurs in all poetry.In all places of his dominion - Wherever he reigns, on earth, or in heaven; here or in distant worlds.Bless the Lord, O my soul - Ending the psalm as it began,

Psalms 113:4 — full of the manifestations of his glory; and far beyond the bounds of created things (if they have a boundary), God is there - without limit - the same God - worthy there of universal praise! Who can comprehend such a God? Compare the notes at Psalms 8:1.

Psalms 119:100 — therefore, like teachers, become a standard by which we measure our own attainments, as the boy hardly hopes to gain that amount of knowledge which he observes in people who are venerable in years, and who are remarkable for their acquirements. Compare Job 12:12 : “With the ancient is wisdom, and in length of days understanding.” Job 32:7 : “I said, Days should speak, and multitude of years should teach wisdom.” Compare 1 Kings 4:30-31. Yet the psalmist says that he “had” reached this point, and had even

Psalms 146:7 — who trust in God. It is because he has power to pronounce and execute a right judgment or sentence in regard to the oppressed and the wronged, and because it is characteristic of his nature that he does thus execute judgment. See the notes at Psalms 103:6 : “The Lord executeth right. eousness and judgment for all that are oppressed.”Which giveth food to the hungry - See the notes at Psalms 107:9 : “For he satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness.” This is the fourth

Psalms 24:10 — Who is this King of glory? - See the notes at Psalms 24:8.The Lord of hosts, he is the King of glory - On the meaning of the phrase, “the Lord of hosts,” see the notes at Isaiah 1:9. The essential idea is, that God rules over the universe of worlds considered as marshalled in order, or arrayed as hosts or armies are for battle. All are under His command. The stars in the sky, that seem to be marshalled and led forth in such perfect

Psalms 35:24 — Judge me, O Lord my God - Pronounce judgment, or judge between me and my enemies. Compare the notes at Psalms 26:1.According to thy righteousness - That is, “rightly.” Let there be a righteous judgment. The character of God, or the righteousness of God, is the highest standard of equity and justice, and the psalmist asks that he would manifest his real character

Psalms 44:20 — forgotten the name of our God - That is, if we have apostatized from him.Or stretched out our hands to a strange god - Or have been guilty of idolatry. The act of stretching out the hands, or spreading forth the hands, was significant of worship or prayer: 1Ki 8:22; 2 Chronicles 6:12-13; see the notes at Isaiah 1:15. The idea here is, that this was not the cause or reason of their calamities; that if this had occurred, it would have been a sufficient reason for what had taken place; but that no such cause

Psalms 44:5 — Through thee - By thy help. “Will we push down our enemies.” The word here rendered “push down” means literally to strike or push with the horns, spoken of horned animals, Exodus 21:28, Exodus 21:31-32. Then it is applied to a conqueror prostrating nations before him: Deu 33:17; 1 Kings 22:11.Through thy name - That is, acting under thine authority and by thy help. If he gave the commandment Psalms 44:4, it would be certain that

Psalms 47:2 — For the Lord most high - Yahweh, the Most High God; that is, who is exalted above all other beings. Compare Exodus 18:11; 1 Chronicles 16:25 Psa 96:4; 2 Chronicles 2:5; Psalms 95:3.Is terrible - literally, is to be feared; that is, reverenced and adored. There is an idea in the words “terrible” and “terror” which is not contained in the original, as if there were

Psalms 48:10 — merciful Being, would claim universal praise and adoration.Unto the ends of the earth - In every part of the world. The earth is frequently represented in the Scriptures as an extended plain, having ends, corners, or limits. See the notes at Isaiah 11:12; Revelation 7:1.Thy right hand is full of righteousness - The right hand is the instrument by which we accomplish anything. The idea here is, that in what God had done it seemed as if his hand - the instrument by which this bad been accomplished

Psalms 52:2 — Thy tongue deviseth mischiefs - The word rendered “mischiefs” means(a) desire, cupidity: Proverbs 10:3; then(b) fall, ruin, destruction, wickedness: Psalms 5:9; Psalms 38:12.The meaning here is, that he made use of his tongue to ruin others. Compare Psalms 50:19. The particular thing referred to here is the fact that Doeg sought the ruin of others

Psalms 57:1 — Be merciful unto me, O God - The same beginning as the former psalm - a cry for mercy; an overwhelming sense of trouble and danger leading him to come at once to the throne of God for help. See the notes at Psalms 56:1.For my soul trusteth in thee - See the notes at Psalms 56:3. He had nowhere else to go; there was no one on whom he could rely but God.Yea, in the shadow of thy wings will I make my refuge - Under the protection or covering of his wings - as young birds

Psalms 74:18 — The idea is, that religion - the true religion - had been reproached by the foe. They had treated that religion as if it were false; they had reproached God as if he were a false God, and as if he were unable to defend his people. Compare Isaiah 36:4-10, Isaiah 36:13-20; Isaiah 37:10-13, Isaiah 37:23. The prayer here is, that God would remember that these words of reproach were against himself, and that he would regard them as such.And that the foolish people have blasphemed thy name - Have blasphemed

Psalms 74:6 — “But now the carvings of it together, at once, with sledge and hammers they beat down.” The carved work refers evidently to the ornaments of the temple. The word used here - פתוח pittûach - is rendered engraving, carved work, or carving; Exodus 28:11, Exodus 28:21, Exodus 28:36; Exodus 39:6, Exodus 39:14, Exodus 39:30; Zechariah 3:9; 2 Chronicles 2:14. It is the very word which in 1 Kings 6:29 is applied to the ornaments around the walls of the temple - the “carved figures of cherubim, and palm

Psalms 78:17 — And they sinned yet more against him - literally, “They added to sin against him.” The idea is, that his mercies, and the proofs of his presence were only made the occasion of greater sin on their part. This may have been in two ways;(1) their sin was thus more aggravated, as being committed against greater light; and(2) they evinced more and more their depravity, in proportion as he bestowed mercies on them - not an uncommon thing with people.By provoking the Most High - literally,

Psalms 84:1 — where his worship was celebrated. The plural form is used here probably because the tabernacle and the temple were divided into two parts or rooms, and each might be regarded as in a proper sense the dwelling-place of God. See the notes at Matthew 21:12, following.O Lord of hosts! - Yahweh of hosts; Yahweh, controlling - ruling - guiding - marshalling - all the armies of heaven and earth: compare the notes at Isaiah 1:9; notes at Psalms 24:10.

Psalms 84:11 — and the Latin Vulgate render this, “For the Lord loveth mercy and truth.” Our translation, however, is the correct one. The sun gives light, warmth, beauty, to the creation; so God is the source of light, joy, happiness, to the soul. Compare Isaiah 60:19; Revelation 21:23; Revelation 22:5.And shield - See Psalms 84:9.The Lord will give grace and glory - Grace, or favor, here; glory, or honor, in the world to come. He will bestow all needful favor on his people in this life; he will admit them to glory

Psalms 96:12 — Let the field be joyful ... - This is taken - with the change of a single letter, not affecting the sense - from 1 Chronicles 16:32-33. It is a call on the fields - the cultivated portions of the earth - to rejoice in the reign of God. As if conscious of the beauty with which he clothes them, and of the happiness which they confer on man in their beauty and in the

Isaiah 10:2 — To turn aside - Their sentences have the effect, and are designed to have, to pervert justice, and to oppress the poor, or to deprive them of their rights and just claims; compare Isaiah 29:21; Proverbs 27:5.The needy - daliym - דלים dalı̂ym. Those of humble rank and circumstances; who have no powerful friends and defenders. “From judgment.” From obtaining justice.And to take away - To take away by violence and oppression. The word גזל gāzal,

Isaiah 8:17 — calamities were coming, yet he would still trust in God only.That hideth his face - This is a figurative expression, denoting the withdrawing of his favor and protection. He would leave them, and give them to deserved punishment; compare Job 23:9; Job 13:24; Psalms 44:24; Psalms 10:1; Psalms 104:29.And I will look for him - I will expect aid from him, and will believe that his promises of final protection will yet be fulfilled; compare Habakkuk 2:3 : For the vision is yet for an appointed time, But