Bible Commentaries
Psalms 145

Verse 1

I will extol thee, my God, O king; and I will bless thy name for ever and ever.

Psalms 145:1-21.-An alphabetically-acrostic psalm of thanksgiving of David's house and Israel, literal and spiritual, when their troubles shall have ended. The Septuagint interpolate after Psalms 145:13 a verse beginning with an omitted Hebrew letter nun (n), 'Faithful is the Lord in all His words, and holy in all His works.' The Chaldaic rejects it.

David's Psalm of praise, [ tªhilaah (H8416)]. The Hebrew here occurs in no other title. Its recurrence in the last verse of this psalm proves the originality of the title. The plural, Tehilliym, 'psalms,' is applied to the whole collection. Tªhilaah (H8416) here corresponds designedly in sound to Tªpilaah (H8605) in Psalms 142:1-7, title, and Psalms 143:1. The Prayer-psalms (Tephillah) are sure to be followed by the Praise-psalms (Tehillah).

I will extol thee, my God, O King - (Psalms 30:1.) The address, "O King," on the part of the earthly king, is a recognition of God as the only true King. All other kings are but His vicegerents. By Him kings do rule (Psalms 144:10: cf. Psalms 20:9; Psalms 24:8; Psalms 24:10; Psalms 29:10).

And I will bless thy name forever and ever - (Psalms 34:1.) I, the representative of the race of David, to whom thou hast promised everlasting continuance, will, in the person of my seed, bless thee "forever and ever." Compare the promise in 2 Samuel 7:1-29, and Psalms 138:8. Thy ever-enduring mercy will call forth my and my seed's ever-continuing praise.

Verse 2

Every day will I bless thee; and I will praise thy name for ever and ever.

Every day will I bless thee - (Psalms 68:19.)

And I will praise thy name forever and ever - (Psalms 69:30.)

Verse 3

Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised; and his greatness is unsearchable.

Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised. Psalms 48:1 is drawn from this by the sons of Korah. This verse begins the detailed description of what is comprehended in 'the name of the Lord' (Psalms 145:2).

And his greatness is unsearchable - (Job 5:9; Job 11:7; Romans 11:33) His unsearchable greatness is only equalled And his greatness is unsearchable - (Job 5:9; Job 11:7; Romans 11:33.) His unsearchable greatness is only equalled by His unsearchable goodness, as manifested under the Gospel in "the unsearchable riches of Christ" (Ephesians 3:8).

Verse 4

One generation shall praise thy works to another, and shall declare thy mighty acts.

One generation shall praise thy works to another, and shall declare thy mighty acts. God's "works" are His glorious manifestations of mercy and righteousness.

Verse 5

I will speak of the glorious honour of thy majesty, and of thy wondrous works.

I will speak of the glorious honour of thy majesty, and of thy wondrous works - literally, 'the honour of the glory of thy majesty, and the matters (or words: cf. Psalms 105:27, margin) of thy wonders.' David's heart so over-flows with gratitude that he feels words inadequate to express his exuberant feelings: therefore he heaps word upon word to set forth in some measure the matchless glory and majesty of God. Compare a similar accumulation, Psalms 18:2; Psalms 62:7.

Verse 6

And men shall speak of the might of thy terrible acts: and I will declare thy greatness.

And men shall speak of the might of thy terrible acts; and I will declare thy greatness. The Qeri' reads thus, in the singular; but the Khethibh reads the plural, 'thy great deeds;' which answers better to the parallel, "thy terrible acts." The thought in Psalms 145:3 is resumed here.

Verse 7

They shall abundantly utter the memory of thy great goodness, and shall sing of thy righteousness. They shall abundantly utter the memory of thy great goodness, and shall sing (literally, with loud eulogies) of thy righteousness. "Abundantly utter" - literally, 'sputter forth,' as from a bubbling, overflowing fountain: implying the inexhaustible fullness of the theme which calls forth from men unceasing and glorious praises (note, Psalms 19:2). The "goodness" is not here His loving- kindness toward us, but God's own essential goodness [ Towb (H2896)], whence the former flows (Psalms 119:68.)

Verse 8

The LORD is gracious, and full of compassion; slow to anger, and of great mercy.

The Lord is gracious, and full of compassion; slow to anger, and of great mercy - (Psalms 103:8.) But the Hebrew here for "great" is different from that in Psalms 103:8 [ rab (H7227), plenteous; margin, 'great of mercy;' and is the same as the Hebrew in Psalms 145:3 gaadowl (H1419)], which refers to God's own inherent greatness. Thus, it is implied that the greatness of God's love is commensurate with His own infinite greatness.

Verse 9

The LORD is good to all: and his tender mercies are over all his works.

The Lord is good to all - much more to His own people, who appreciate and ever praise His goodness.

And his tender mercies are over all his works. How much more over His children? (Psalms 103:13.) If He has a compassionate regard for His creatures, the works of His hands in the kingdom of nature, and 'feedeth the young ravens which cry' (Psalms 147:9), He surely will 'not forsake the works of His own hands' (Psalms 138:8) in the kingdom of grace, of which David's enduring seed, Messiah, is the head.

Verse 10

All thy works shall praise thee, O LORD; and thy saints shall bless thee.

All thy works shall praise thee, O Lord - either consciously with the voice, or in silent eloquence by their very being (Psalms 19:1-3; Psalms 103:22).

Verse 11

They shall speak of the glory of thy kingdom, and talk of thy power;

They shall speak of the glory of thy kingdom - manifested only in part now on earth, but hereafter to be fully revealed when Messiah shall take His great power and reign (Psalms 103:19; Revelation 11:15; Revelation 11:17).

Verse 12

To make known to the sons of men his mighty acts, and the glorious majesty of his kingdom.

To make known to the sons of men his mighty acts. From the address to God in the second person, "thy" (Psalms 145:11), the Psalmist passes to the third person, "His," as he herein turns to the world to exhort its inhabitants to celebrate Him.

Verse 13

Thy kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and thy dominion endureth throughout all generations.

Thy kingdom is an everlasting kingdom - literally, 'a kingdom of all eternities' (or ages). When the now haughty kingdoms of this world shall have passed away, the kingdom of Messiah, the Son of David, shall endure. So Daniel 2:44; Daniel 4:34.

Verse 14

The LORD upholdeth all that fall, and raiseth up all those that be bowed down.

The Lord upholdeth all that fall - namely, the godly when they fall (Psalms 37:17; Psalms 37:24).

And raiseth up all (those that be) bowed down. Psalms 146:8 borrows this verse.

Verse 15

The eyes of all wait upon thee; and thou givest them their meat in due season.

The eyes of all wait upon thee; and thou givest them their meat in due season. Psalms 104:27 borrows this. He who feeds all His creatures by His providence will never allow His elect to wait on Him for sustenance for body and soul in vain.

Verse 16

Thou openest thine hand, and satisfiest the desire of every living thing.

Thou openest thine hand, and satisfiest the desire of every living thing (Psalms 104:28) - literally, 'Thou satisfiest every living thing with their desire' [ raatsown (H7522)]: cf. Psalms 145:19. The original passage is Deuteronomy 33:23. The blessing, in its special fullness, belongs to the people of God alone: in a wider sense, all now in some degree enjoy the promiscuous scatterings of His bounty, whereby 'He gives us rain from heaven, and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness' (Acts 14:17).

Verse 17

The LORD is righteous in all his ways, and holy in all his works.

The Lord is righteous in all his ways, and holy in all his works. The Hebrew for "holy," chaciyd (H2623) [ hagios (G40)], is not that which expresses God's hallowed and unapproachable sanctity, qadowsh (H6918). Chaciyd (H2623), as applied to God, expresses goodness, and clement benignity, in giving and forgiving [ hosios (G3741)]. It is applied to the Father's "Holy One" (Psalms 16:10). As applied to man, it means pious, including also a loving spirit toward man. The Septuagint, Arabic, and Vulgate translate as the English version, "holy;" but the Chaldaic and Syriac, 'merciful.' Righteousness and loving-kindness are often combined in descriptions of the Lord in His relations to men.

Verse 18

The LORD is nigh unto all them that call upon him, to all that call upon him in truth. The Lord is nigh unto all them that call upon him - (Deuteronomy 4:7; Psalms 24:6,18; James 4:8.)

To all that call upon him in truth - not in hypocrisy and formalism. An anticipation of Gospel spirituality (John 4:24).

Verse 19

He will fulfil the desire of them that fear him: he also will hear their cry, and will save them.

He will fulfill the desire of them that fear him (Psalms 145:16; Psalms 34:15) - when it is expedient for them, and conformable to the will and Word of God. God hears His people as truly when He withholds what is for their hurt as when He grants what is for their good. The physician knows better than the patient what is for the good of the sufferer.

He also will hear their cry, and will save them - (Psalms 37:40.)

Verse 20

The LORD preserveth all them that love him: but all the wicked will he destroy.

The Lord preserveth all them that love him. In Psalms 145:19 it was "them that fear Him;" therefore the fear meant is not slavish, but that of children, who at the same time love God.