Psalm 150:1–6

 ¹Praise the Lord! Praise God in His sanctuary;

Praise Him in His mighty firmament!

²Praise Him for His mighty acts;

Praise Him according to His excellent greatness!

³Praise Him with the sound of the trumpet;

Praise Him with the lute and harp!

⁴Praise Him with the timbrel and dance;

Praise Him with stringed instruments and flutes!

⁵Praise Him with loud cymbals;

Praise Him with clashing cymbals!

⁶Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.

Praise the Lord!

Commentary

Vs. 1 “Praise the Lord! Praise God in His sanctuary;

Praise Him in His mighty firmament!”

In this concluding Psalm it seems most appropriate that praising our God is the only theme. And in this, God’s praise is called for in His sanctuary, which must first be thought of as His heavenly sanctuary, for it is there with all His heavenly host with all the saints all around Him that His praise never ceases (Rev. 4:1-11; 5:8-14; 15:1-8; 7:9-17; 19:1-10 etc.). Thus, we will praise Him in His mighty firmament, but in saying that we will also render to Him all our praises down here.

Vs. 2 “Praise Him for His mighty acts;

Praise Him according to His excellent greatness!”

The reasons for our praising Him are because of His mighty acts, innumerable acts which down through the ages have brought about our creation and redemption, both individually and collectively. For if we recall anything in our lives down here it must be His ongoing faithfulness towards us. His mighty acts which saved us, time and again. Now the reason we also praise Him is because of who He is, for His excellent greatness demands our praise, all Mighty, all Knowing, Omni-Present and completely Sovereign and Self Existing our Lord God is Perfect and Holy in all of His Person and thus all of ways and doings, for it is our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ who alone is completely Sinless, for He is the Perfect Son of Man/Son of God.

Vs. 3 “Praise Him with the sound of the trumpet;

Praise Him with the lute and harp!”

Our manner of worship is now described and first mentioned is the trumpet, an instrument which has its origins in heaven and which was the loudest musical device then known. Therefore in considering the volume of it don’t think electric guitars, keyboards, or pianos etc. cannot be used in His worship and praise. For they can be used in declaring His praise if they are used with His reverence in mind. Praise Him with the lute and harp which in contrast to the then trumpet were the most melodic and soothing stringed instruments, and so once again these can take many forms and creative designs according to the skill of the craftsmen and cultures from which they come. The whole point then is to praise Him loudly and praise Him reverently, with whatever musical instruments and skill you have at hand. 

Vs. 4 Praise Him with the timbrel and dance;

Praise Him with stringed instruments and flutes!

Praising our Lord then is never an emotionless experience. For worshiping our Lord God apart from heart felt joy being expressed; here with timbrel and dance; is not right. Therefore our praising Him must entail our emotions, without any restrictions on the instruments we use to express our praise to Him. For the Scripture tell us to praise Him with our whole hearts an here with stringed instruments. Now just think of all the amazing stringed instruments in an orchestra and how some or all could be used in His worship, same with flutes, woodwind instruments, brass instruments of all sorts and types, for all have unique sounds that will only enhance our worship of Him as each helps express the immensity of our God and diversity of all His people, as we express our joy and delight in Him.

Vs. 5 “Praise Him with loud cymbals;

Praise Him with clashing cymbals!”

Let us not then forget about the percussion instruments, for these often are the backbone of any worship song, and here loud cymbals, yes clashing cymbals give voice to our Lord’s Mighty Awesomeness.

Vs. 6 “Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.

Praise the Lord!”

All of living creation is now invited to praise the Lord, to join in heaven and earth's choir, No one then should ever be forbidden from praising the Lord. Praise the Lord!

Scripture Quotations

New King James (1982): Thomas Nelson.

Psalm 149:1–9

¹Praise the Lord!

Sing to the Lord a new song,

And His praise in the assembly of saints.

²Let Israel rejoice in their Maker;

Let the children of Zion be joyful in their King.

³Let them praise His name with the dance;

Let them sing praises to Him with the timbrel and harp.

⁴For the Lord takes pleasure in His people;

He will beautify the humble with salvation.

⁵Let the saints be joyful in glory;

Let them sing aloud on their beds.

⁶Let the high praises of God be in their mouth,

And a two-edged sword in their hand,

⁷To execute vengeance on the nations,

And punishments on the peoples;

⁸To bind their kings with chains,

And their nobles with fetters of iron;

⁹To execute on them the written judgment—

This honor have all His saints. Praise the Lord!

Commentary

Vs. 1 “Praise the Lord!

Sing to the Lord a new song,

And His praise in the assembly of saints.”

This Psalm might be titled “The Psalm of Redeemed”.  For it entails all the redeemed who sing to the Lord a new song. Therefore consider God does not bind us to sing the Psalms and worship songs and hymns of the past; (even though these are great and can and should be played and sung by everyone who is moved by them); each generation, each culture, has its own forms of music, and these when reverently played and sung can most definitely be used in the Lord’s worship and praise. Therefore, let us all who believe praise the Lord, and sing to Him a new song, songs composed by us, His redeemed children, in every generation. For we are to declare His praise in the assembly of the saints. Therefore, never stifle the generations coming up, but guide them in reverent worship of the Lord.

Vs. 2-3 ²Let Israel rejoice in their Maker;

Let the children of Zion be joyful in their King.

³Let them praise His name with the dance;

Let them sing praises to Him with the timbrel and harp.

Israel is now called upon to rejoice in their Maker, and to be joyful in their King, who is the Lord Jesus Christ. And so first is heard the worship songs and hymns of all the Gentiles, for we were redeemed first, (thus this millennial is ours, Rom. 11:25-27). But now at last when Israel finally comes home, the prodigal nation will enter into the New Millenia with their Maker and King leading them. On that Day Israel will rejoice in their Maker, and all the children of Zion will be joyful in their King ( Psalm 102:18-22). For they will praise His Name, the Lord Jesus Christ’s Name with dance, and they will all sing praises to Him with the timbrel and harp. This is Israel's assured future (Isaiah 43:21).

Vs. 4-9 “For the Lord takes pleasure in His people;

He will beautify the humble with salvation.

⁵Let the saints be joyful in glory;

Let them sing aloud on their beds.

⁶Let the high praises of God be in their mouth,

And a two-edged sword in their hand,

⁷To execute vengeance on the nations,

And punishments on the peoples;

⁸To bind their kings with chains,

And their nobles with fetters of iron;

⁹To execute on them the written judgment—

This honor have all His saints. Praise the Lord!”

Not only will the nation of Israel be joyful in the Lord, but the Lord Himself will take pleasure in all of His people, for He will beautify the humble with salvation, everyone who goes with Him into the New Millenia will be joyful in glory, all the saints will sing aloud on their beds, and all the high praises of God will be in their mouths (vs. 6). With Israel then firmly established with the Lord Jesus Christ (Jeremiah 23:5-6) the Psalm in verse six now turns to the Lord’s Vengeance (Psalm 110:5-7; Ezekiel 28:25-26; Micah 5:15 etc.), which He will execute on the nations while leading His people in this. And so, they will serve the Lord again in this, executing vengeance on the nations and punishments on the peoples as they did when they came out of Egypt and entered the promised land (vs. 7), they will bind all the unbelieving and rebellious nations kings with chains and their nobles with fetters of iron (vs. 8), they will then execute the written judgment on them (vs. 9). “This honor have all His saints. Praise the Lord!”

Scripture Quotations

New King James (1982): Thomas Nelson.

Psalm 148

 ¹Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord from the heavens;

Praise Him in the heights!

²Praise Him, all His angels;

Praise Him, all His hosts!

³Praise Him, sun and moon;

Praise Him, all you stars of light!

⁴Praise Him, you heavens of heavens,

And you waters above the heavens!

⁵Let them praise the name of the Lord,

For He commanded and they were created.

⁶He also established them forever and ever;

He made a decree which shall not pass away.

⁷Praise the Lord from the earth,

You great sea creatures and all the depths;

⁸Fire and hail, snow and clouds;

Stormy wind, fulfilling His word;

⁹Mountains and all hills;

Fruitful trees and all cedars;

¹⁰Beasts and all cattle;

Creeping things and flying fowl;

¹¹Kings of the earth and all peoples;

Princes and all judges of the earth;

¹²Both young men and maidens;

Old men and children.

¹³Let them praise the name of the Lord,

For His name alone is exalted;

His glory is above the earth and heaven.

¹⁴And He has exalted the horn of His people,

The praise of all His saints—

Of the children of Israel,

A people near to Him. Praise the Lord!

Preamble: This Psalm might be titled, “the Anthem of all of Creation.” For this is the only Psalm that calls upon all of God’s creation and all of His created beings to worship Him. To sing His praise and declare His glory to the exclusion of none. This then is heavens Psalm.

Commentary

Vs. 1 ¹Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord from the heavens;

Praise Him in the heights!

²Praise Him, all His angels;

Praise Him, all His hosts!

³Praise Him, sun and moon;

Praise Him, all you stars of light!

⁴Praise Him, you heavens of heavens,

And you waters above the heavens!

⁵Let them praise the name of the Lord,

For He commanded and they were created.

⁶He also established them forever and ever;

He made a decree which shall not pass away.

The call to praise the Lord goes out not just to us on earth, but all of God's creation, to all things in heaven and all things on earth. Now the Lord’s praise originates in the heavens and reaches to its highest heights, where God’s angels are charged with leading the heavenly choir and God’s stars declare His light (Vs. 1-2, see Luke 2:14). For all of God’s creation is given a voice to declare His praise and reveal His glory. Therefore, the command also goes out to the sun and moon, and all the stars of light, to praise Him (vs. 3); then extends down to skies above and all the waters in them to Praise Him (vs. 4). For He commanded it and they were created, He brought them into their being from the very Word of His mouth, and by His Word He has established them forever and ever, for our Lord God made a decree which shall not pass away (vs. 5-6). Therefore when we lift our own heads and hands upward and praise to the Lord know for certain that we are not alone in singing the Lord's praises, for all of creation sings along with us! 

Vs. 7 ⁷Praise the Lord from the earth,

You great sea creatures and all the depths;

From the highest heights of heaven and all its hosts, to now all the expanse of the earth beneath; with all its great seas and oceans depths, and the great sea creatures in them, all are commanded to praise the Lord!

Vs. 8 ⁸Fire and hail, snow and clouds;

Stormy wind, fulfilling His word;

The command even goes out to all the “forces of nature”; “Fire and hail, snow and clouds, stormy wind…” for all of it the Lord created, and all of it He directs according to His own Will.

Vs. 9 ⁹Mountains and all hills;

Fruitful trees and all cedars;

All the immense and majestic mountains on earth and all the hills will also render their praise to the Lord, just as all the fruitful trees which brings forth their abundance on earth, and the cedars whose heights excel, whose wood is the most useful and fragrant will join in praising the Lord!

Vs. 10 ¹⁰Beasts and all cattle;

Creeping things and flying fowl;

From the beasts of the field to all the domesticated livestock; including every creeping thing; nothing on earth can contain itself, for all must join in this massive choir of praise! For even if mankind should somehow cease to be, (which will never be), all of God's creation would continue to declare His praise! 

Vs. 11-13 ¹¹Kings of the earth and all peoples;

Princes and all judges of the earth;

¹²Both young men and maidens;

Old men and children.

¹³Let them praise the name of the Lord,

For His name alone is exalted;

His glory is above the earth and heaven.

The call to praise the Lord now moves to all of mankind, from the kings of the earth (i.e. all the nations rulers and leaders), to all the people under them, to their princes and all their judges, to all praise the Lord, (vs. 11). For He created the thrones and seats of power from which they reign. And so from the seats of earthly power, now to the young men and women, old men and children, all peoples no matter their stature in this life let them all praise the Name of the Lord, for His Name, the Son of God’s Name, the Lord Jesus Christ is His Name by which we are saved, (Acts 4:12). Therefore, His Name alone is exalted, and His glory is above the earth and heaven. This Psalm then is a foretelling of the universal praise that will be heard in His Kingdom.

Vs. 14 ¹⁴And He has exalted the horn of His people,

The praise of all His saints—

Of the children of Israel,

A people near to Him. Praise the Lord!

Therefore it will be in the Millenia that the Lord Jesus Christ will have exalted the strength of His people Israel; they then will lead all of His saints (everyone who believes in Him) in singing His praises, for then they will be a people near to Him, (as they were always meant to be), Praise the Lord!

Scripture Quotations

New King James (1982): Thomas Nelson.

Psalm 147:1–20

 ¹Praise the Lord!

For it is good to sing praises to our God; (good for you good for others)

For it is pleasant, and praise is beautiful.

²The Lord builds up Jerusalem;

He gathers together the outcasts of Israel.

³He heals the brokenhearted

And binds up their wounds.

⁴He counts the number of the stars;

He calls them all by name.

⁵Great is our Lord, and mighty in power;

His understanding is infinite.

⁶The Lord lifts up the humble;

He casts the wicked down to the ground.

⁷Sing to the Lord with thanksgiving;

Sing praises on the harp to our God,

⁸Who covers the heavens with clouds,

Who prepares rain for the earth,

Who makes grass to grow on the mountains.

⁹He gives to the beast its food,

And to the young ravens that cry.

¹⁰He does not delight in the strength of the horse;

He takes no pleasure in the legs of a man.

¹¹The Lord takes pleasure in those who fear Him,

In those who hope in His mercy.

¹²Praise the Lord, O Jerusalem!

Praise your God, O Zion!

¹³For He has strengthened the bars of your gates;

He has blessed your children within you.

¹⁴He makes peace in your borders,

And fills you with the finest wheat.

¹⁵He sends out His command to the earth;

His word runs very swiftly.

¹⁶He gives snow like wool;

He scatters the frost like ashes;

¹⁷He casts out His hail like morsels;

Who can stand before His cold?

¹⁸He sends out His word and melts them;

He causes His wind to blow, and the waters flow.

¹⁹He declares His word to Jacob,

His statutes and His judgments to Israel.

²⁰He has not dealt thus with any nation;

And as for His judgments, they have not known them.

Praise the Lord!

Preamble: Psalm 147 is thought to have been written after the exiled Israelites were returned from Babylon. That said there is a clear Messianic view within in it, foretelling the Lord Jesus Christ’s Reign when He prospers Jerusalem once again.

Commentary

Vs. 1 “Praise the Lord!

For it is good to sing praises to our God;

For it is pleasant, and praise is beautiful.”  

This will be our song when we wake up in the Millennial dawn, when Lord Jesus Christ Reigns and He restores Jerusalem, all people there will be greatly refreshed in their souls and spirits, and this will be our desire everyday to praise the Lord, to sing praises to our God; for worshiping our Lord and Savior is pleasant, and His praise is beautiful resounding in the hearts of all who love Him.

Vs. 2-3 ²The Lord builds up Jerusalem;

He gathers together the outcasts of Israel.

³He heals the brokenhearted

And binds up their wounds.

It is the Lord who builds Jerusalem, thus when the returning Israelite captives came back from Babylon, and they and their high priest Ezra and their governor Nehemiah rebuilt the Temple and Jerusalem, they could only return it to a shadow of its former glory. Therefore, this verse is not speaking of them and their mighty efforts, rather as it states is speaking of the Lord. For it is He who builds (not rebuilds) Jerusalem. It is He who gathers together all the outcasts of Israel, and it is He who heals all the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds. This then will be His exclusive work on the Day that He does this for all His people (see Deut. 30:1-10 vs. 3; Isaiah 11:1-12:6; 27:12-13; 56:6-8; Jeremiah 29:13-14; 32:37-44; Ezekiel 34:11-16; 39:28-29 etc.). Therefore on that Day the Lord’s Greatness and His Goodness will be personally known to all of Israel! 

Vs. 4 “He counts the number of the stars;

He calls them all by name.”

As evidence of the Lord’s capabilities to do this the Psalmist now directs us to consider the stars. For just as the Lord directs all the stars; counts, names, and numbers all of them, so He knows each one of us who believe in Him by our name. Not one of us then shall ever be lost or forgotten by Him (consider Isaiah 49:14-26, vs. 16; John 10:28-30).

Vs. 5 “Great is our Lord, and mighty in power;  

His understanding is infinite.”

Great then is our Lord, and mighty in power, His understanding is infinite. For even while directing the highest of heavens, He is always effortlessly working out all His plans for all His people, even as history turbulently winds down to its finial end. For our Lord’s plans are never thwarted, nor His understanding challenged by anyone or anything. Even Israel’s rebellion does not leave the Lord at a loss as what to do. For by His understanding, He always does justly while working out our salvation. For it is the Lord’s understanding of all things, of what is coming and what He will do, which He reveals to us through His Word, which stands forever!

Vs. 6 “The Lord lifts up the humble;

He casts the wicked down to the ground.”

It is the Lord who lifts up the humble; it is He who exalts them; and not they themselves as the proud do, therefore in doing so justly, He also deals with all the wicked whom He casts down to the ground. Their place then is to be found in the depths of the pit. 

Vs. 7-9 ⁷Sing to the Lord with thanksgiving;

Sing praises on the harp to our God,

⁸Who covers the heavens with clouds,

Who prepares rain for the earth,

Who makes grass to grow on the mountains.

⁹He gives to the beast its food,

And to the young ravens that cry.

Great delight then wells up in the heart of everyone who sees and considers the righteous and gracious Works of the Lord. Therefore the Psalmist now calls upon his brethren (on us all) to sing our praises to our Lord and Savior on the harp, for that was the most emotive musical instrument then. Therefore for us whatever musical instrument moves you, use it to make and sing your own praises to our Lord and Savior. For our Lord covers the sky with the clouds so He can bring forth His showers of blessings on the earth. He even makes the grass grow on mountains and hills for all the animals who dwell there, indeed every form of wildlife is fed by Him, even the young ravens who cry out for food are fed by His hand. This verse then declares just some of the providential care that our God has for all of His creation.

Vs. 10-11 ¹⁰He does not delight in the strength of the horse;

He takes no pleasure in the legs of a man.

¹¹The Lord takes pleasure in those who fear Him,

In those who hope in His mercy.

Now as to His looking upon us, His creation, the Lord does not delight in the strength of the horse, nor does He take pleasure in the legs of a man, as carnal mankind does, who always looks to the physical stature and capabilities first to make their assessment of a person or a being. For the Lord always looks at the heart as a measure of man, of his fitness for His service (1 Samuel 16:7). For the Lord takes pleasure in those who fear Him, who hope in His mercy. Therefore the meek and the humble, the repentant and believing are His chosen people, but the proud and self-sufficient He knows from a far (Psalm 138:6).

Vs. 12-14 ¹²Praise the Lord, O Jerusalem!

Praise your God, O Zion!

¹³For He has strengthened the bars of your gates;

He has blessed your children within you.

¹⁴He makes peace in your borders,

And fills you with the finest wheat.

The call to praise the Lord is now directed exclusively towards Jerusalem. For all there to praise their God, O Zion! For it is the Lord who has strengthened the bars of your gates, it is He who gives you security, it is He who keeps back the enemy from entering your city. This is His Work and will be His everlasting Work when Jerusalem receives the Lord Jesus Christ as their King. Indeed, He has blessed your children within you, and during His Reign they will live many days, for He makes peace in your borders and fills you with the finest wheat, so you no longer fear invasion or starvation (see Isaiah 60:18; 65:20-22 etc.). This then is Jerusalem’s future, but first they must return to Him to have it all.

Vs. 15-18 ¹⁵He sends out His command to the earth;

His word runs very swiftly.

¹⁶He gives snow like wool;

He scatters the frost like ashes;

¹⁷He casts out His hail like morsels;

Who can stand before His cold?

¹⁸He sends out His word and melts them;

He causes His wind to blow, and the waters flow.

Again, the Lord’s Sovereign Power is declared for Word runs very swiftly to accomplish His Will at His command. For it is He who gives snow like wool and scatters the frost like ashes. It is who He casts out His hail like morsels, raining it down on the earth to accomplish His purposes. Indeed, who can stand before His cold? For our survival is not within ourselves. And so, it is He who sends out His Word and He melts the snow changing the season and renewing the earth. He even causes His wind to blow and once again the waters flow. These then are just mere samples of our Lord’s Sovereignty and Power over all of His creation. Nothing then is to hard for our Lord to accomplish for us. 

Vs. 19-20 ¹⁹He declares His word to Jacob,

His statutes and His judgments to Israel.

²⁰He has not dealt thus with any nation;

And as for His judgments, they have not known them.

Praise the Lord!

And so it is to Jacob, His chosen people, that God declares His Word. For all of God’s Word has come down to us through His chosen people. From Moses and all the Old Testament prophets to the Lord Jesus Christ and all of His chosen apostles, we have been given God’s Word. For to Israel first He declared all His Word and all His judgments. No other nation then has ever received this honor to be chosen to be His people and bring forth His Word into this world. Praise the Lord!

Scripture Quotations

New King James (1982): Thomas Nelson.

Psalm 146:1–10

 ¹Praise the Lord!

Praise the Lord, O my soul!

²While I live I will praise the Lord;

I will sing praises to my God while I have my being.

³Do not put your trust in princes,

Nor in a son of man, in whom there is no help.

⁴His spirit departs, he returns to his earth;

In that very day his plans perish.

⁵Happy is he who has the God of Jacob for his help,

Whose hope is in the Lord his God,

⁶Who made heaven and earth,

The sea, and all that is in them;

Who keeps truth forever,

⁷Who executes justice for the oppressed,

Who gives food to the hungry.

The Lord gives freedom to the prisoners.

⁸The Lord opens the eyes of the blind;

The Lord raises those who are bowed down;

The Lord loves the righteous.

⁹The Lord watches over the strangers;

He relieves the fatherless and widow;

But the way of the wicked He turns upside down.

¹⁰The Lord shall reign forever—

Your God, O Zion, to all generations. Praise the Lord!

Commentary

Vs. 1-2 ¹Praise the Lord!

Praise the Lord, O my soul!

²While I live I will praise the Lord;

I will sing praises to my God while I have my being.

The Psalm opens with a personal declaration to praise the Lord! Which the Psalmist then answers in the affirmative by saying that he will praise the Lord, and that they (I) will sing praises to my God while I have my being. This Psalm then is an encouragement for us all to do the same, to praise the Lord here and now, and sing praises to our God as long as we also have our being. For believing in the Lord Jesus Christ isn’t an intellectual exercise whereby one learns doctrine about the Lord, and then can recite it back to another in a catechism etc. No believing in the Lord Jesus Christ is first and foremost a heartfelt thing, for He must first captivate you through His Words and deeds before He can take a lasting hold in your heart and life. Again, intellectual knowledge of the Lord is good, and sound doctrine is essential to believing in Him, but if it is not mixed with a heart of faith then it profits you nothing (Heb. 4:2).

Vs. 3-4 ³Do not put your trust in princes,

Nor in a son of man, in whom there is no help.

⁴His spirit departs, he returns to his earth;

In that very day his plans perish.

The Psalm now moves into the realm of one’s trust. Some people trust in princes; men in authority, politicians, or other powerful figures who captivate them. Others just a son of man in general; maybe a husband, or a father, or some strong figure whom they admire and adore. Nonetheless they are all mere mortal men, they are all fallible, they all have weaknesses and limitations, they all have a sin nature, and ultimately, they cannot deliver or save you from yours. Therefore, you should never put them on a pedestal so as to place your trust in them. For soon enough their lives come to an end, and their spirit departs from them on that day, and then their body returns to the dust from which it came, and on that very day all of their plans perish, for again they cannot save themselves on that day, much less you.

Vs. 5-7 ⁵Happy is he who has the God of Jacob for his help,

Whose hope is in the Lord his God,

⁶Who made heaven and earth,

The sea, and all that is in them;

Who keeps truth forever,

⁷Who executes justice for the oppressed,

Who gives food to the hungry.

The Lord gives freedom to the prisoners.

In contrast then to men of power and privilege of this world are us all who have the God of Jacob as our trust, who look to Him for our help, for our hope is in the Lord God. For it is He who created the heavens and the earth, the sea and all that is in them; not Darwin, not evolution, but the Lord our God. Therefore, it is the Lord our God who keeps truth forever, whose moral and ethical standards never change, for He is now swayed by public opinion, nor is He moved by lust for money. For He is Most Just, therefore He doesn’t honor nor favor the rich, nor the tyrant, nor the greedy, rather He gives justice to the oppressed and food for the hungry. Indeed, the Lord gives freedom to prisoners; to anyone who turns to Him in faith He hears their cries, and He releasees them from their chains and bondages (vs. 7).

Vs. 8 “The Lord opens the eyes of the blind;

The Lord raises those who are bowed down;

The Lord loves the righteous.”

It is the Lord who opens the eyes of the blind, who helps them see Him in His Word and in all His ways. Obviously, these passages are speaking of the Lord Jesus Christ who does this all, both literally and spiritually, for He cares for us all, therefore He raises those who are bowed down…, yes, He raises us to new heights! For the Lord loves the righteous, He always stands with them. This then is just another example of His righteous and ongoing Work in this world.

Vs. 9 “The Lord watches over the strangers;

He relieves the fatherless and widow;

But the way of the wicked He turns upside down.”

Where the affluent turn a blind eye, there the Lord excels in doing justly, for He watches over the stranger; He relives the fatherless and the widow, in His Law there are many statutes that declare His heart and mind towards them all (consider Exodus 22:21-24; 23:9, 12; Lev. 19:10, 33-34; 23:2; 24:22; 25:6-7; Num. 35:15; Deut. 1:16; 10:18-19; 14:29; 16:11, 14; 24:17, 19-21; 26:10-13; 27:19). Those then who mistreat or wrong them are only setting themselves against God (consider Ezekiel 7:5-7; 22:1-7; 29-31; Malachi 3:5 etc.).

Vs. 10 “The Lord shall reign forever—  

Your God, O Zion, to all generations. Praise the Lord!”

This finial verse then foresees and celebrates the Lord’s eternal Reign, for our God shall Reign out of Zion to all generations, “Praise the Lord!” 

Scripture Quotations

New King James (1982): Thomas Nelson.

Psalm 145 A Praise of David.

 ¹I will extol You, my God, O King;

And I will bless Your name forever and ever.

²Every day I will bless You,

And I will praise Your name forever and ever.

³Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised;

And His greatness is unsearchable.

⁴One generation shall praise Your works to another,

And shall declare Your mighty acts.

⁵I will meditate on the glorious splendor of Your majesty,

And on Your wondrous works.

⁶Men shall speak of the might of Your awesome acts,

And I will declare Your greatness.

⁷They shall utter the memory of Your great goodness,

And shall sing of Your righteousness.

⁸The Lord is gracious and full of compassion,

Slow to anger and great in mercy.

⁹The Lord is good to all,

And His tender mercies are over all His works.

¹⁰All Your works shall praise You, O Lord,

And Your saints shall bless You.

¹¹They shall speak of the glory of Your kingdom,

And talk of Your power,

¹²To make known to the sons of men His mighty acts,

And the glorious majesty of His kingdom.

¹³Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,

And Your dominion endures throughout all generations.

¹⁴The Lord upholds all who fall,

And raises up all who are bowed down.

¹⁵The eyes of all look expectantly to You,

And You give them their food in due season.

¹⁶You open Your hand

And satisfy the desire of every living thing.

¹⁷The Lord is righteous in all His ways,

Gracious in all His works.

¹⁸The Lord is near to all who call upon Him,

To all who call upon Him in truth.

¹⁹He will fulfill the desire of those who fear Him;

He also will hear their cry and save them.

²⁰The Lord preserves all who love Him,

But all the wicked He will destroy.

²¹My mouth shall speak the praise of the Lord,

And all flesh shall bless His holy name

Forever and ever.

Preamble: This excerpt from Psalm 145’s Bible Commentary has been copied from the Believers Bible Commentary on Logos Bible study software version 10 (see below)

Psalm 145: The Missing Nun

David’s “Psalm of Praise” is an acrostic, each verse beginning with a successive letter of the Hebrew alphabet. However, in the traditional (Masoretic) Hebrew text, the letter “nun,” corresponding to our “n,” is missing between verses 13 and 14. The ancient Greek, Syriac, and Latin versions add the following: “The Lord is faithful in all His words, and gracious in all His works.” In the twentieth century this same line—the missing “nun” line—was also found in Hebrew in the Dead Sea Scrolls.^[1]

Commentary

Vs. 1-3 ¹I will extol You, my God, O King;

And I will bless Your name forever and ever.

²Every day I will bless You,

And I will praise Your name forever and ever.

³Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised;

And His greatness is unsearchable.

David begins with a passionate declaration, saying, that he will extol our God and King, that he will bless His Name forever and ever. For it is by His Name, the Lord Jesus Christ’s Name, that we who believe in Him now have remission of all of our sins and everlasting life (John 3:16; Acts 4:12). This then is the sound of our hearts and the song of all the redeemed, of everyone who has experienced God’s great goodness given us freely through Jesus Christ’s Crucifixion death and His Resurrection from the dead, thus of everyone who now has everlasting life! Everyday then that we now live here on earth is a bonus! Everyday then is a chance to bless His Name and declare His praise, to be His witness and do His works, to reveal our glorious King and His glorious Kingdom of heaven to one and to all, by the lives that we know live as God’s new creations in Christ. For our Lord is great, and He is to be greatly praised, nothing then should be held back in our worship of Him, for His greatness is unsearchable!

Vs. 4 “One generation shall praise Your works to another,

And shall declare Your mighty acts.”

David in his prophetic vision now sees all the generations of the Lord’s redeemed praising the Lord’s works and declaring His mighty acts. Tell all people then what our God has done for you, what He has done through you, wherever and whenever you have a listening ear, tell all people about our Lord and Saviors mighty acts!

Vs. 5 “I will meditate on the glorious splendor of Your majesty,

And on Your wondrous works.”

David himself then lead in this, he will not only praise our Lord, but he will meditate on the glorious splendor of Lord and God’s majesty, on all His wonderous works. He then will be captivated by the Lord and not this fleeting world (consider 1 John 2:15-17). How about you?

Vs. 6-7 ⁶Men shall speak of the might of Your awesome acts,

And I will declare Your greatness.

⁷They shall utter the memory of Your great goodness,

And shall sing of Your righteousness.

Godly men, righteous men, redeemed people in all generations shall all speak of the might of our Lord’s awesome acts. For the Lord’s mighty acts exceedingly excel all that David’s mighty men ever did (see 1Chr. 11:10-47). Indeed, men in this life always love to extol their own mighty acts, or those of their war heroes, or sports stars, but none of these can even come close to what the Lord our God has done. For all their mighty works throughout their all their lifetimes in all their generations, cannot even come close to what the Lord Jesus Christ did on that faithful Day. For all their works will be forgotten, but the memory of our Lord and Saviors great Work and goodness will never be forgotten! All His works will be held in everlasting remembrance, and of His Righteousness, it will be sung of forever!

Vs. 8 “The Lord is gracious and full of compassion,

Slow to anger and great in mercy.”

The Lord’s greatness is most clearly seen and experienced in His Nature towards us all. For our Lord is always gracious and full of compassion, and He desires the same from us all, for He is not violent, nor easily angered, indeed his soul hates those who love violence (Psalm 11:5), for He is slow to anger, for His desire is never first for judgment, but always mercy, if mercy can be had, for He is great in mercy towards all who call upon Him in truth (Rom. 10:13). If you want and need mercy then come to the One from whom it may be found, the Lord Jesus Christ.

Vs. 9 “The Lord is good to all,

And His tender mercies are over all His works.”

Can there be a more truer statement, I think not. For every living and breathing thing owes its life and existence to Him. And yet we are not mere “things” to Him who loves us and created us. Instead, we are the ones whom His tender mercies go out to. For time and again He renews and refreshes the earth and all things in it and on it, plant life, animal life, and especially our human lives, all have been and are the recipients of His tender mercies over all His works. If it were not for Satan and sin actively destroying, and seeking to destroy us in His creation, we would all be continually experiencing this. Nonetheless the world we live in is broken, and we ourselves have been broken and corrupted by sin, which is why we all need redemption, which we all can have by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ who then makes us new creations by God’s Spirit in preparation for His Kingdom and the new heavens and the new earth where righteousness will dwell and God’s tender mercies will always and continually be felt and experienced by all forever!

Vs. 10-13 ¹⁰All Your works shall praise You, O Lord,

And Your saints shall bless You.

¹¹They shall speak of the glory of Your kingdom,

And talk of Your power,

¹²To make known to the sons of men His mighty acts,

And the glorious majesty of His kingdom.

¹³Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,

And Your dominion endures throughout all generations.

In response to the Lord’s graciousness towards us all, His own works shall praise Him, yes, all His saints shall bless Him. Indeed, all of the Lords saints shall speak of the glory of the Lord’s Kingdom, which has no end, and of the Lord’s Power which has no limits! And this we will do to make known to the sons of men our Lord’s mighty acts and the glorious majesty of His Kingdom. For the Lord has no equal, and His Kingdom’s majesty cannot be compared to anything on earth, for it to has no equal! For the Lord’s Kingdom is an everlasting Kingdom and His dominion (rule) endures throughout all generations (now see Daniel 2:44 and 4:1-36, vs. 34-36 where the great Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar declares this and praises Him after the Lord had humbled him, especially see the angel’s prophecy in Luke 1:33 of the Lord Jesus Christ, as well as 1 Tim. 1:17; 1 Peter 1:11 etc.).

Vs. 14 “The Lord upholds all who fall,

And raises up all who are bowed down.”

Moving and captivating are the verses in this Psalm, and this verse in particular is one that reveals to us all just how caring and kind our Lord and Savior is towards all who fall and all who are bowed down (i.e. humble themselves before Him). For in our Lord’s eyes mercy triumphs over judgment (James 2:13). And so, though the world may mock and rejoice when you fall, the Lord does not (Ezekiel 33:11). For He upholds all who fall, and He raises up all who are bowed down, all who are brought low by their life’s circumstances or their sins, our Lord delights in raising men and women up, not running them down (see Psalm 107), saving them, not seeing them condemned (John 3:17; also, Luke 9:56; 19:10 etc.). For the restoration of our persons and souls is His speciality, this is His Purpose in coming to earth, for this is His and all of heavens delight, our salvation and restoration (John 3;16; Luke 15:6-7)! Therefore, He raises up everyone who is brought low who humbles themselves before Him (see 1 Samuel 2:7-8; Psalm 107, vs.41-43; Psalm 113:7-9; 146:8; Ezekiel 33:11; Luke 1:50-55; Luke 15 etc.). Everyone then who turns to Him and believes in Him will be lifted up by Him to new and everlasting life!

Vs. 15-16 ¹⁵The eyes of all look expectantly to You,

And You give them their food in due season.

¹⁶You open Your hand

And satisfy the desire of every living thing.

All of creation then, from the beasts of the field, to the birds of the air, to all of the marine life, even insects, all of it looks expectantly to the Lord for its sustenance, for He marvelously provides for all, for He opens His hand and He satisfies the desire of every living thing! For nature has not been left to run on “autopiloted”, it is run and ruled by the Lord our God who watches over all!

Vs. 17 “The Lord is righteous in all His ways,

Gracious in all His works.”

Everything then that the Lord our God does is done in righteousness, all of His ways are born out of His Righteousness. Just as all of His works are gracious towards us.

Vs. 18 “The Lord is near to all who call upon Him,

To all who call upon Him in truth.”

As for His Works towards us, there is no partiality with Him, He does not favor the rich over the poor, nor does He favor the religious person over the non religious person, rather He is near to all who call upon Him in truth, for everyone and anyone who calls upon the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ in truth will be saved by Him (John 14:6; Rom. 10:9-10, 13).

Vs. 19 “He will fulfill the desire of those who fear Him;

He also will hear their cry and save them.”

God then will fill the desire of all who fear Him, for that is who the Gospel is for everyone who fears Him, who believes His Word will be saved by Him, for He hears our cries to Him.

Vs. 20 “The Lord preserves all who love Him,

But all the wicked He will destroy.”

Therefore, all who love Him will be preserved by Him; especially on the Day of His wrath when He judges all; but all the wicked (every unrepentant and unbelieving individual) will be destroyed by Him.

Vs. 21 “My mouth shall speak the praise of the Lord,

And all flesh shall bless His holy name

Forever and ever.”

Therefore, just as surely as David’s mouth shall speak of the praises of the Lord so shall my mouth (every redeemed person’s mouth who also feared the Lord and repented and believed) shall now and forever speak the praises of our Lord and Savior, and in His Kingdom all flesh shall bless Him forever and ever, amen.  

Scripture Quotations

New King James (1982): Thomas Nelson.

 Additional Quotations

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^[1] MacDonald, W. (1995). Believer’s Bible Commentary: Old and New Testaments (A. Farstad, Ed.; p. 777). Thomas Nelson.