Bible Commentaries

Psalms 21:13 — or that he might so triumph over all his enemies as to reign supreme.So will we sing and praise thy power - That is, as the result of thy being thus exalted to proper honor, we will unite in celebrating thy glory and thy power. Compare Revelation 7:10-12; Revelation 12:10; Revelation 19:1-3. This will be the result of all the triumphs which God will achieve in the world, that the holy beings of all worlds will gather around his throne and “sing and praise his power.” The “thought” in the psalm is

Psalms 31:21 — a strongly fortified city where he was safe from the fear of his enemies; or, that he had interposed in his behalf, and had given him protection as if he had brought him into such a strongly fortified place. Jarchi supposes that the city of “Keilah” 1 Samuel 23:7 is here intended. But this is improbable. All that the passage necessarily implies is, that God had given him protection as if he had been placed in a strongly fortified town where he would be safe from danger.

Psalms 31:22 — endeavor to escape. It is not “haste” in the sense of an opinion formed too quickly, or formed rashly; it is “haste” in the sense of terror leading to sudden flight, or an effort to escape. See an illustration of this idea in the case of David himself, in 1 Samuel 23:26.I am cut off - That is, I shall certainly be cut off or destroyed.From before thine eyes - Either, in thy very presence; or, so that I shall not be admitted into thy presence. I shall be cut down, and suffered no more to come before thee

Psalms 37:8 — wickedness of the world. The supreme direction belongs to God, and he will dispose of it in the best way.And forsake wrath - That is, as above, in regard to the existence of evil, and to the conduct of wicked men.Fret not thyself in any wise - See Psalms 37:1. Let the mind be entirely calm and composed.To do evil - So as to lead you to do evil. Do not allow your mind to become so excited that you will indulge in harsh or malignant remarks; or so as to lead you to do wrong to any man, however wicked he may

Psalms 38:11 — My lovers - See the notes at Psalms 31:11. The reference here is to those who professed to be his friends.And my friends - The word used here means properly an acquaintance, a companion, a friend, Job 2:11; Job 19:21; then, a lover, a friend, a neighbor. The phrase here would be synonymous

Psalms 39:8 — would be consistent and proper for God to remove his calamity, and deliver him from the evils which had come upon him.Make me not the reproach of the foolish - Of the wicked; of those who are foolish, because they are wicked. See the notes at Psalms 14:1. The prayer here is, that God would not suffer him to become an object of reproach to wicked and foolish men; that is, as the passage implies, that God would not so continue to treat him as if he were a sinner as to justify to themselves their reproaches

Psalms 44:21 — any such alienation from him in the hearts of the people, he would know it. The fact that God knows the heart, or that he understands all the secret thoughts, purposes, and motives of people, is one that is everywhere affirmed in the Scriptures. See 1 Chronicles 28:9; Romans 8:27; compare the notes at Revelation 2:23.

Psalms 47:7 — the original. The Hebrew is, “Sing a Maschil” - משׂכיל maśkı̂yl; that is, Sing, or play, a didactic psalm or tune; that is, a song or ode adapted to convey valuable lessons of instruction. See the word explained in the notes at the title to Psalms 32:1-11. The idea is, that the occasion was one on which “such” a psalm or song would be especially appropriate; an occasion on which great lessons or truths had been taught by the dealings of God, which it became his people now to set forth in a becoming

Psalms 48:11 — daughters of Judah be glad - The phrase “daughters of Judah” “may” denote the smaller cities in the tribe of Judah, that surrounded Jerusalem as the “mother” city - in accordance with an usage quite common in the Hebrew Scriptures. See the notes at Isaiah 1:8. Perhaps, however, the more obvious interpretation is the correct one, as meaning that the women of Judah had special occasion to rejoice on account of their deliverance from so great danger, and from the horrors which usually attended the siege or

Psalms 48:12 — word used has a more direct reference to a solemn procession.And go round about her - The word used here - from נקף nâqaph - to fasten together, to join together, means to move round in a circle, as if persons joined together (see the notes at Job 1:5), and would refer here properly to a solemn procession moving round the city, and taking a deliberate survey of its entire circuit.Tell the towers thereof - That is, Take the number of the towers. See how numerous they are; how firm they remain; what

Psalms 68:10 — the people in the wilderness, he returns here, though without expressly mentioning it, to the land of promise, and to what God had done there for his people. The word tendered “congregation” - חיה châyâh - means properly a beast, an animal, Genesis 1:30; Genesis 2:19; Genesis 8:19; Genesis 37:20. Then it comes to be used as a collective noun, meaning a herd or flock; thus, a troop of people, an array or host, 2 Samuel 23:11, 2 Samuel 23:13; and it is applied here to the people, under the idea so

Psalms 68:8 — The earth shook - See Exodus 19:16-18.The heavens also dropped at the presence of God - That is, dropped down rain and food. The idea is that the very heavens seemed to be shaken or convulsed, so that rain and food were shaken down - as ripe fruit falls from a tree that is shaken.

Psalms 74:14 — Thou brakest the heads of leviathan in pieces - On the meaning of the word “leviathan,” see the notes at Job 41:1. The word is used here as descriptive of sea monsters.And gavest him to be meat - Gavest him for “food.”To the people inhabiting the wilderness - That is, the sea monsters were killed, and, being thrown on shore, were gathered for food. The “inhabitants

Psalms 74:15 — the river in any respect; as if the waters in the very springs and fountains, and the waters in the channel of the river flowing from those springs and fountains, had been so restrained and divided that there was a safe passage through them. Joshua 3:14-17.Thou driedst up mighty rivers - Margin, “rivers of strength.” The Hebrew - איתן 'êythân - (compare Deuteronomy 21:4; Amos 5:24; 1 Kings 8:2) - means rather perennial, constant, ever-flowing. The allusion is to rivers or streams that flow constantly,

Psalms 75:4 — I said unto the fools - To the wicked people in rebellion. Folly and wickedness in the Bible are synonymous terms, as they are identical in fact. See the notes at Psalms 14:1.Deal not foolishly - Act not foolishly; carry not out your wicked plans. Do not pursue your schemes of wickedness and folly, for they cannot be successful, and they will only tend to involve you in ruin.And to the wicked - The wicked people engaged

Psalms 78:72 — his heart.” That is, he was upright and pure in the administration of his government.And guided them by the skillfulness of his hands - literally, “by the understanding of his hands” - as if the hand had been endued with intelligence. Compare Psalms 144:1 : “Which teacheth my hands to war, and my fingers to fight.” See also Psalms 137:5. The idea is, that he administered the government with integrity and uprightness. This is a beautiful tribute to the integrity and purity of the administration of

Psalms 82:3 — no natural protectors, were likely to be wronged or oppressed; that they had none to defend their claims; and that magistrates, therefore, as if they were their natural protectors, should see that their rights were maintained. See the notes at Isaiah 1:17.Do justice to the afflicted and needy - See that justice is done them; that they are not wronged by persons of wealth, of power, and of rank. Such care does religion take of those who have no natural guardians. The poor and the needy - the widow

Psalms 89:11 — from it; all that constitutes the earth, with all its mountains, seas, rivers, people, animals, minerals, harvests, cities, towns, monuments - the productions of nature, the works of power, and the achievements of art. Compare the notes at Psalms 24:1.Thou hast founded them - They all have their foundation in thee; that is, thou hast caused them all to exist. They have no independent and separate basis on which to rest.

Psalms 90:13 — people when he was leading them to the promised land.How long? - How long shall this continue? How long shall thy wrath rage? How long shall the people still fall under thy hand? This question is often asked in the Psalms. Psalms 4:2; Psalms 6:3; Psalms 13:1-2; Psalms 35:17; Psalms 79:5, et al.And let it repent thee - That is, Withdraw thy judgments, and be merciful, as if thou didst repent. God cannot literally “repent,” in the sense that he is sorry for what he has done, but he may act “as if” he repented;

Psalms 96:7 — Give unto the Lord - Ascribe unto the Lord - to Yahweh. This is extracted literally from 1 Chronicles 16:28.O ye kindreds of the people - Hebrew, “Families” of the people: people, as united by family ties. The idea is that of worship not merely as individuals, nor as a mere “aggregate” of individuals united by no common bonds, but as those