Bible Commentaries
Psalms 95

Verse 1

O come, let us sing unto the LORD: let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation.

O come, let us sing unto the Lord — It is thought by this beginning that this psalm was not penned by David for private use, but for public assemblies, to be sung by the congregation on the sabbath and such like times. It may very well be that they began their morning sacrifice with this psalm, as the Latin Church also afterwards did their matins, or morning service.

Let us make a joyful noise — With a clear and loud voice, as of a trumpet; singing with grace in our hearts unto the Lord.

Verse 2

Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise unto him with psalms.

Let us come before his presence — Heb. prevent his face, be there with the first. "Let us go speedily … I will go also," Zechariah 8:21 . Let praise wait for God in Sion, Psalms 65:1 . Rabbi Gaon, Praeveniamus et ante diem iudicii, Let us make haste, saith he, to do it, before the day of judgment; and lest we be taken with our task undone. Others, Let us anticipate his face, that is, prepare our hearts at home, before we come into the public; or, let us give thanks for mercies already received, that we may make way for more.

With psalms — Oratione prorsa et vorsa.

Verse 3

For the LORD [is] a great God, and a great King above all gods.

For the Lord is a great God — Understand it of Christ, as the apostle also does, Hebrews 3:4 1 Corinthians 10:4

Above all gods — Whether reputed so, or deputed, as kings.

Verse 4

In his hand [are] the deep places of the earth: the strength of the hills [is] his also.

In his hand are the deep places — Heb. searching, that is, much searched after, but found to be unsearchable.

The strength of the hills — Heb. The heights, such as will sport a bird to get to the top of them. Depths and heights are his, A òåú , volucris volans in altum (R. Solom.).

Verse 5

The sea [is] his, and he made it: and his hands formed the dry [land].

The sea is his, … — Canute confuted his flatterers (who told him that all things in his dominions were at his beck and check) by laying his command on the sea to come up no higher into his land, but it obeyed him not.

And his hands formed the dry land — Worship him, therefore, Revelation 4:8-11

Verse 6

O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the LORD our maker.

O come, let us worship and bow down — With our whole bodies prostrate on the ground, our hands and feet stretched out (Kimchi). The Jews’ gesture of adoration at this day is the bowing forward of their bodies, for kneeling they use none (no more do the Grecians), neither stir they their bonnets in their synagogues to any man, but remain still covered.

The Lord our maker — Who hath not only created us, but advanced us, as he did Moses and Aaron, 1 Samuel 12:6 .

Verse 7

For he [is] our God; and we [are] the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand. To day if ye will hear his voice,

The people of his pasture — Whom he turns not out into commons and fallows, but feeds among lilies, Song of Solomon 2:16 .

And the sheep of his hand — His cades brought up at hand, eating of his meat and drinking of his cup, and lying in his bosom, as Uriah’s ewe lamb did, 2 Samuel 12:3 .

Today if ye will hear his voice — i.e. While the day of grace lasteth, which is not long, 2 Corinthians 6:2 . Qui paenitenti veniam spospondit, peccanti crastinum non promisit, saith Gregory.

Verse 8

Harden not your heart, as in the provocation, [and] as [in] the day of temptation in the wilderness:

Harden not your heart — By unbelief, and the deceitfulness of sin, Hebrews 3:12-13 , which gradually affirms the heart against God.

As in the provocation — As your fathers did at Massah and Meribah; be not you as good at resisting the Holy Ghost as they were, Acts 7:51 .

Verse 9

When your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my work.

When your fathers tempted me — Ten times, all along the wilderness, Numbers 14:22 , though

They saw my work — Both mercies and judgments, Psalms 98:8 , yet they were refractory and unmalleable.

Verse 10

Forty years long was I grieved with [this] generation, and said, It [is] a people that do err in their heart, and they have not known my ways:

Was I grieved — Litigavi, vel cum taedio pertuli.

That do err in their hearts — Wandering, though not so wide as to miss of hell.

They have not known — viz. Practically and savingly.

Verse 11

Unto whom I sware in my wrath that they should not enter into my rest.

Unto whom I sware — When put past all patience, Patientia laesa fit furor.

Should not enter, … — Thus God sweareth cum reticentia, to show how greatly he was incensed.