Bible Commentaries
Psalms 113

Verse 1

Praise ye the LORD. Praise, O ye servants of the LORD, praise the name of the LORD.

Hallelujah — See Psalms 111:1 .

Praise, O ye servants of the Lord — None but such can do it, or are fit for it; and for such praise is comely, Psalms 147:1 , as unthankfulness is an ugly sin, but especially in ministers, those servants of the Lord, by a specialty.

Praise the name of the Lord — Ter repetit, Trinitatem subindicando, saith one; others note that by this threefold Praise ye, the psalmist taxeth men’s dulness, and exciteth their diligence to this divine duty.

Verse 2

Blessed be the name of the LORD from this time forth and for evermore.

Blessed be the name of the Lord — Praise him with utmost intention and extension of spirit and of speech. God is therefore called, by an appellative proper, The Blessed One, Baruc-hu, Mark 14:61 Luke 1:68 .

From this time, … — A nunc et usque.

Verse 3

From the rising of the sun unto the going down of the same the LORD’S name [is] to be praised.

From the rising of the sun — i.e. All the world over, in all places and at all times. North and south are not mentioned (but included), because not so well peopled.

Verse 4

The LORD [is] high above all nations, [and] his glory above the heavens.

The Lord is high, … — He looketh on the earth as on an ant hill. All nations to him are but as a drop of a bucket, Isaiah 40:15 Quantilla ergo es tu istius guttae particula? (Aug.).

And his glory above the heavens — These are far beneath him in glory as in situation. Angels understand him not fully.

Verse 5

Who [is] like unto the LORD our God, who dwelleth on high,

Who is like, … — See Psalms 89:6 . He is imparallel.

Who dwelleth on high — Heb. Who exalteth to dwell. Oh that we could fly a pitch any way proportionable by exalting his name together, Psalms 34:3 .

Verse 6

Who humbleth [himself] to behold [the things that are] in heaven, and in the earth!

Who humbleth himself — Lo, it is a condescension in God to vouchsafe to look out of himself upon the saints and angels, how much more upon us, since sin setteth us farther beneath a worm than a worm is beneath an angel!

Verse 7

He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, [and] lifteth the needy out of the dunghill;

He raiseth up the poor, … — David, for instance, besides many others, as Agathocles, Numa, Maximinianus, …, whom he raised from the lowest stair to the very highest step of honour and opulence.

Verse 8

That he may set [him] with princes, [even] with the princes of his people.

That he may set him with princes — See 1 Samuel 2:8 , Hannah’s song, whereof this seemeth to be an abridgment.

Verse 9

He maketh the barren woman to keep house, [and to be] a joyful mother of children. Praise ye the LORD.

He maketh the barren woman to keep house — Heb. to dwell in a house, that is, to have a house full of children, and so to build her husband’s house, Ruth 4:11 . This is applied to the Church (which is the theatre of the world, wherein God showeth his special providence and power), Isaiah 54:1 Galatians 4:26-27 .