Bible Commentaries
Psalms 149

Verse 1

Praise ye the LORD. Sing unto the LORD a new song, and his praise in the congregation of saints.

Psalms 149:1-9.-Call to Israel to praise God for salvation, with music and dances (Psalms 149:1-5); anticipation of victory over the God-opposed nations, and of the Lord's judgment along with His saints (Psalms 149:6-9). Sing unto the Lord a new song, (and) his praise in the congregation of saints - answering to Psalms 148:14, "the praise of all his saints." As He is the source of "praise," i:e., glory, to them, so they give praise, i:e., glory, to Him. This marks the close connection of the two psalms. On the "new song," cf. Isaiah 42:10; Psalms 144:9.

Verse 2

Let Israel rejoice in him that made him: let the children of Zion be joyful in their King.

Let Israel rejoice in him that made him: let the children of Zion be joyful in their king. This, therefore, refers to the coming time, when Christ shall be manifested as Zion's King; the antitype to Jesus' first entrance as a King on the donkey's colt into His capital, Jerusalem (Matthew 21:5; Zechariah 9:9).

Verse 3

Let them praise his name in the dance: let them sing praises unto him with the timbrel and harp.

Let them praise his name in the dance. So the Septuagint, Chaldaic, Arabic, Vulgate, Ethiopic. Gejer, etc., take it as margin, 'with the pipe.' The Hebrew admits of either translation here and Psalms 150:4. I prefer the English version. Rhythmical movements, accompanied with music, were usual on solemn occasions of joy (Exodus 15:20-21; Psalms 30:11; Jeremiah 31:4; Jeremiah 31:13).

Verse 4

For the LORD taketh pleasure in his people: he will beautify the meek with salvation.

For the Lord taketh pleasure in his people - (Psalms 147:10-11.)

He will beautify the meek with salvation - parallel to Psalms 147:6. "The meek" are the literal, Israel, heretofore crushed down, primarily (with 'beautify," cf. Isaiah 52:1, "put on thy beautiful garments, O Jerusalem"); then, in the secondary sense, the spiritual Israel, one of whose leading graces is meekness (Matthew 5:5).

Verse 5

Let the saints be joyful in glory: let them sing aloud upon their beds.

Let the saints be joyful in glory. The words "in glory," express the state whereto God hath exalted them (Psalms 85:9; Psalms 112:9, end; 148:14), on account of which they are now called on to "be joyful." Heretofore, on the contrary, the state of Israel had been one of "great affliction and reproach" (Nehemiah 1:3; Nehemiah 4:4: contrast 4:6; 6:16).

Let them sing aloud upon their beds - whereon heretofore they have afflicted themselves with grief for their shame (Hosea 7:14). Now, in their waking moments in the night, they sing songs of joy to God (Job 35:10; Psalms 42:8).

Verse 6

Let the high praises of God be in their mouth, and a twoedged sword in their hand;

Let the high praises of God (be) in their mouth. "High praises of God" - i:e., praises extolling God on high (Psalms 66:17).

And a two-edged sword in their hand - such as Nehemiah and his fellow-workmen had in one hand, while with the other they worked at building the wall (Nehemiah 4:16-18). Even when they were giving thanks, they still carried swords in their hands (cf. Nehemiah 12:31, which describes a procession to the temple, in which perhaps they still bore their swords; but see note, Psalms 149:7).

Verse 7

To execute vengeance upon the heathen, and punishments upon the people;

To execute vengeance upon the heathen - as the Maccabees (according to the prophetic anticipation here) subsequently did upon Antiochus Epiphanes' hosts. The fuller accomplishment of this scripture is in the triumphs of the spiritual Israel, the Church, by "the sword of the Spirit, the Word of God," "sharper than any two-edged sword" (Mark 6:20; Acts 24:25; 2 Corinthians 10:4; Ephesians 6:17; Hebrews 4:12). As it is written of the Captain of our salvation (Revelation 1:16). The full accomplishment shall be when He shall come again "in righteousness to judge and to make war, and the armies in heaven shall follow Him, and out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations" - namely, the anti-Christian hosts confederated against Him and his saints.

Verse 8

To bind their kings with chains, and their nobles with fetters of iron;

To bind their kings with chains, and their nobles with fetters of iron - just as Joseph, when exalted from a dungeon to be lord of Egypt, next to the monarch Pharaoh, could 'bind at his pleasure' those who had formerly bound him (Psalms 105:22); so the saints reigning next to Christ the King, shall rule those who once bare rule over them, (Psalms 2:1-12). Isaiah 60:11, shows that the earthly Jerusalem and Israel shall bear the moral supremacy over the Gentile nations (Isaiah 45:14). Compare the type, Joshua 10:23-24. The final and heavenly Jerusalem shall be the city into which the "kings of the earth do bring their glory and honour" (Revelation 21:24).

Verse 9

To execute upon them the judgment written: this honour have all his saints. Praise ye the LORD.

To execute upon them the judgment written - in Deuteronomy 32:41; Deuteronomy 32:43. Compare also Enoch's prophecy, Jude 1:14-15, where, as here, the saints are associated with the Lord in "executing judgment."

This honour have all his saints - parallel to Psalms 148:14, "the praise of all His saints." "This honour" - namely, the honour of sharing with the Lord in judging the world (Daniel 7:22; Luke 22:29-30; Revelation 3:21; Revelation 20:4) - this shall be the crowning of their glory.