Bible Commentaries
Psalms 148

Verses 1-14

Psa 148:1-14

Psalms 148:1-14

THE WHOLE CREATION IS INVOKED TO PRAISE JEHOVAH!

"Praise ye Jehovah.

Praise ye Jehovah from the heavens:

Praise him in the heights.

Praise ye him, all his angels:

Praise ye him all his host.

Praise ye him, sun and moon:

Praise him all ye stars of light.

Praise him, ye heavens of heavens,

And ye waters that are above the heavens.

Let them praise the name of Jehovah;

For he commanded, and they were created.

He hath also established them forever and ever:

He hath made a decree which shall not pass away.

Praise Jehovah from the earth,

Ye sea monsters in all deeps;

Fire and hail, snow and vapor;

Stormy wind, fulfilling his word;

Mountains and all hills;

Fruitful trees and all cedars;

Beasts and all cattle;

Creeping things and flying birds;

Kings of the earth and all peoples;

Princes and all judges of the earth;

Both young men and virgins;

Old men and children:

Let them praise the name of Jehovah;

For his name alone is exalted.

And he hath lifted up the horn of his people,

The praise of all his saints;

Even of the children of Israel, a people near unto him.

Praise ye Jehovah."

There is not a word in this psalm which appears to us as needing any comment. Just as it stands, it is one of the most thrilling songs ever written. Kirkpatrick’s immortal hymn, "Hallelujah! Praise Jehovah", is nothing more than a poetic arrangement of this psalm set to music; and we submit it here as the most eloquent comment on Psalms 148 that we have ever seen. In this writer’s years as a song director, he frequently led this song, and more than once it became the "theme song" for radio programs conducted by the church. The congregations of worshippers attended by this writer have been singing this song for at least seventy-five years, and we have never heard of anyone who needed it to be explained to him!

Hallelujah! Praise Jehovah

Hallelujah! Praise Jehovah;

From the heavens praise his name;

Praise Jehovah in the highest;

All his angels praise proclaim.

All his hosts together praise him,

Sun and moon and stars on high;

Praise him O ye heaven of heavens,

And ye floods above the sky.

Let them praises give Jehovah!

They were made at his command;

Them forever he established;

His decree shall ever stand.

From the earth, O praise Jehovah,

All ye floods, ye dragons all,

Fire and hail and snow and vapors,

Stormy winds that hear his call.

All ye fruitful trees and cedars,

All ye hills and mountains high,

Creeping things and beasts and cattle,

Birds that in the heavens fly,

Kings of earth, and all ye people,

Princes great, earth’s judges all;

Praise his name young men and maidens,

Aged men and children small.

(the chorus)

Let them praises give Jehovah,

For his name alone is high,

And his glory is exalted

Far above the earth and sky.

- William J. Kirkpatrick

E.M. Zerr:

Psalms 148:1. A part of Strong’s definition of praise in the original is "to celebrate." The outstanding idea in the word is to give God the most respectful attention, and to accord him the credit for all the great and good things ever done or that exist. When dumb or inanimate things are called upon to praise God, it means that God deserves praise because of those things. When a call is made for praise to God, and no specific motive is mentioned, the phrase may be translated "Hallelujah." This definition of praise will not always be repeated, but attention will be called in the following verses to various creatures who are called upon to praise the Lord, or where things will be named for which he should be praised.

Psalms 148:2. The angels were the heavenly messengers or ministers of the Lord; the hosts were those who made up the Lord’s army.

Psalms 148:3. The sun, moon and stars were made by the Lord and are of great service to man; for that reason He should be praised.

Psalms 148:4. Heavens of heavens is a phrase for the sake of emphasis. ’Waters above refers to the event recorded in Genesis 1:6-7.

Psalms 148:5. The word of God was sufficient to bring the parts of the universe into physical existence. This is also the teaching in Psalms 33:6-9 and Hebrews 11:3.

Psalms 148:6. About six thousand years have passed since God brought the universe into being. In all of that time there has never been a variation in the revolutions of the earth around its axis, or of its orbital journeys around the sun, except those miraculously caused by the Creator himself, recorded in Joshua 10:12-14; 2 Kings 20:11.

Psalms 148:7. Let praise come from, or because of, the earth. Even the dragons and others of the creatures in the deeps are evidences of the praiseworthy might of God.

Psalms 148:8. The storms and other "weather conditions" fulfill the word of God by occurring just as He decreed they should.

Psalms 148:9. These are all inanimate things and cannot praise God, yet He should be praised because of them and their benefit to the living creatures of the earth.

Psalms 148:10. This verse lists things that are living but are not intelligent, as man, yet they exist by the power of God and for the benefit and control of the human being (Genesis 1:26), therefore he should praise the Lord for them.

Psalms 148:11. In several verses the writer mentioned inanimate things for which great praise was due to God. He then named some things that are living but not intellectual, and called for praise on account of them. And in the present verse the Psalmist calls upon the intelligent creatures, the ones who have been benefitted by the works of God, to give praise for the same. Even the greatest persons of the earth; kings, princes and judges, are bidden to praise the Lord, for they owe their greatness to Him.

Psalms 148:12. No class is exempt from obligation to praise the Lord, and none should desire to be excused from the service if they are appreciative of God’s goodness.

Psalms 148:13. Excellent is not merely a term of flattery; it describes a state of actual superiority. The name of the Lord is above all other names. There is only one thing in the universe any higher than the name of the Lord (ch. 138:2).

Psalms 148:14. Horn means power and authority. God gave his people a place of power among the nations of the earth because he loved them. This psalm closes with the familiar term, "Hallelujah."