Verse by Verse

⁶ Let everything that has breath praise the Lord
Praise the Lord!

The Psalter draws to a close with a final, emphatic exhortation to praise, the venue for which, continuing from (and confirming) the focus on God’s coming kingdom in the previous psalm, is here elevated to his heavenly sanctuary (lit., “holiness,” which may also refer to the holy of holies) — or perhaps, His “holy height” (Psalm 102:19; i.e., the “third heaven”)—as indicated by the parallelism with “his mighty expanse” (i.e., the sky). The enumeration of instruments in vs.3-5 with which to accompany this praise alludes to the span of praise offered to God throughout the Hebrew Bible, from the lyre and the pipe first mentioned in Genesis 4:21 (a few verses after which we are told that “men began to call upon the LORD”), and the timbrel and dancing employed by Miriam and the Israelite women in Exodus 15:20, to the harp and the cymbals that accompanies the praise of the restored exiles (Ezra 3:10; Nehemiah 12:27). Consistent with his focus on the citizens of God’s future kingdom, the psalmist concludes with a final exhortation, not to the “godly ones” of Israel alone, but to all that has a soul (referring to that “image” of Himself that God imparted exclusively to man)—i.e., humanity at large, comprised of redeemed Jews and redeemed Gentiles, who as “one new man” will one day lift up their voice in unison before the throne of God and cry out “Praise the Lord!” — Wechsler, pages 354-355.

Williams’ take:

This is the fifth Hallelujah Psalm; and as the last Psalm of the fifth Book may be entitled the Deuteronomy Psalm. …The Divine titles used are El and Jah. El is essentially the Almighty, Jah signifies the Ever-existing One, i.e., Jesus Christ the same yesterday and today and forever. …

In the day when He appears everything that hath breath will praise Him. … Thus Messiah the Blessed Man of Psalm 1 will be worshiped as the Blessed God of the last Psalm; whilst the intervening Psalms sing of the countless perfections of His nature and of His actions as both Son of Man and Son of God. — Williams, page 415.

Although Wechsler digs deeper, on this Psalm, he and Williams essentially agree on this one.

⁵ Let the saints be joyful in glory;
Let them sing aloud on their beds.

⁶ Let the high praises of God be in their mouth,
And a two-edged sword in their hand,

⁷ To execute vengeance on the nations,
And punishments on the peoples;

⁸ To bind their kings with chains,
And their nobles with fetters of iron;

⁹ To execute on them the written judgment—
This honor have all His saints.
Praise the Lord!

Taking up the note struck at the end of Psalm 148, this psalm narrows it focus once again to God’s people—specifically, His people as delineated by the expression “godly ones” (signifying the remnant of Israel whose future hope is “everlasting life,” and excluding those of Israel who have only “everlasting condemnation” in store), which occurs three times (vs.1, 5, 9). The focus of this psalm (and the following one) is ultimately on the hereafter, when the kingdom of God is established on earth and all of Israel represented therein are “godly ones.” [This] is suggested by (1) the expression “congregation of godly ones,” implying a unified and outwardly distinct group; (2) the parallelism with the ethnically comprehensive expression “Israel” and “sons of Zion” in v.2; (3) the explicit reference in the same verse to their King, who, in the view of the ensuing parallelism in v.3 can only be God; (4) the reference to God “beautifying” the afflicted ones with salvation (v.4), which, insofar as these “afflicted ones” are identical with the “godly ones” (as indicated by the surrounding parallelism), takes as its most likely reference to Christ’s future work of “perfecting” His godly ones by raising them up “imperishable” to inherit the kingdom of God; and (5) the reference in vs.7-9 to executing vengeance (i.e., just retribution, per the principle in Genesis 12:3) on the Gentiles and the judgment written—i.e., their final judgment as recorded in Scripture (e.g., Isaiah 45:14-17; Zechariah 12:6-9; Psalm 110:3-7). — Wechsler, pages 353-354.

Williams’ take:

This is the fourth Halley Psalm and corresponds to the Book of Numbers. At the close of that book Israel stands at the entrance of Canaan, her brows wreathed with victory over the Moabite and the Amorite. In this Psalm she stands at the entrance of the Millennial Kingdom crowned with victory over Anti-Christ and the False Prophet. …

“Beds,” or couches of glory (v.5) here mean thrones. Eastern princes are enthroned upon cushions or divans (Esther 7:8; Amos 6:4).

The future tense should be used in verses 5-9. This section foretells the efficiency, the piety, and the equity of the government which Israel will exercise over the Nations of the earth. It will be efficient, for a two-edged sword will be in their hand; it will be pious, for the high praises of God will be in their mouths; it will be just, for it will exact vengeance; it will be impartial, for it will bind kings; and it will be legal, for it will execute the judgment written int he statute books of heaven. …

In that day, as predicted by Messiah Himself, His apostles will sit on twelve thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel; and, as foretold in the Scriptures, Israel will sit on thrones judging the nations of the earth. — Williams, page 414.

¹³ Let them praise the name of the Lord,
For His name alone is exalted;
His glory is above the earth and heaven.

¹⁴ And 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!

The psalmist underscores the praise due to God for—and hence from—the object of His work and solicitude throughout creation, organized here into three distinct venues: in the heavens (vs.1-6), on earth (vs.7-13), and among His people, Israel (v.14). Concerning God’s work in the heavens the psalmist moves from “highest” to “lowest,” starting with the heights (v.1)—i.e., the unseen, spiritual, or “holy” realm in which God “dwells” (cf. Job 16:19; 25:2; Psalm 102:19; this is the “third heaven” of which Paul speaks in 2 Corinthians 12:2) and which is also inhabited by His angels (= “His hosts” v.2), then the heavens comprising the region beyond the earth’s atmosphere (i.e., “the highest heavens” of v.4), containing the sun and moon and all the stars (v.3); then the heavens comprising the atmosphere, with its “waters … above” (i.e., clouds); all that fills these three “heavens” are obligated to praise God because He created and established them.

Concerning God’s work on earth (v.7) the psalmist starts with the waters around the edges of the land (inhabited by the sea creatures and all the deeps (including the depths not just of the ocean, but also of lakes and rivers (cf. Exodus 15:5); then the inanimate things that both affect the land (v.8) and cover it (v.9); then animal life (v.10); then human life and the authorities (i.e., kings, princes, judges) by which it is governed, all of whom are established by God irrespective of faith (cf. Romans 13:1; Proverbs 21:1) and, in the end, will praise His name alone (v.13; cf. Zechariah 14:9, 16).

And, finally, concerning God’s work among His people, Israel, the psalmist epitomizes God’s solicitude (since it is reviewed in detail in the previous two and following two psalms), and Israel’s consequent obligation of praise by (1) affirming that God has lifted up a horn for them (i.e., granted them strength [in every area]), (2) referring to them as His godly ones (lit., “recipients of [lovingkindness]), and (3) describing them as a people near to him (an allusion to Deuteronomy 4:7, signifying special access to God on the basis of relationship). — Wechsler, pages 352-353.

exalted the horn (v.14) — A metaphor, derived from animals tossing their heads, to denote overweening, defiant self-consciousness of strength.

Williams’ take:

This is the third of the last five Hallelujah Psalms. it corresponds to the third Book of the Pentateuch. Worship is the subject of that Book. This Psalm pictures a place of worship and describes the worshipers. …

This song pictures the happy estate of man and all living creatures under Messiah’s coming reign. — Williams, page 414-415.

¹⁹ He declares His word to Jacob,
His statutes and His judgments to Israel.

²⁰ He has not dealt thus with any nation;
And as for His judgments, they have not known them.

This psalm continues the focus of Psalm 146:6-10, reviewing the various expressions of God’s solicitude for Israel—and for which Israel’s responsive praise is not only obligated, but also good and pleasant. First and foremost in his ensuing review, the psalmist affirms that the Lord builds up Jerusalem (v.2)—referring here not to His “building” of the actual city, but rather, as borne out by the following parallel line, to His regathering of the outcasts of Israel. God also heals the brokenhearted (v.3), referring to His acts of delivering His people from oppression and distress at the hands of more powerful forces—hence the following emphasis on God’s sovereign authority (this being the point of His giving names to all of the stars) and strength (vs.4-5). The psalmist also points to the fact that, just as the Lord gives to every beast its food without showing favor (i.e., giving more food) to animals that are endowed with greater strength, such as the horse (vs.9-10a), so too He shows no favor towards the stronger when expressing His solicitude towards man (v.10b, in which “legs” symbolizes the muscular power that impels a warrior forward)—as particularly manifest in the history of Israel, who were not only not the strongest of peoples, but, from their inception (see Deuteronomy 7:7) onwards, among the fewest and weakest. It is in human weakness—provided that the weak are among those who fear (i.e., worship) the Lord and wait upon His lovingkindness—that God’s power is most manifest (2 Corinthians 12:9). — Wechsler, page 351.

Williams’ take:

Israel’s redemption from Egypt, the healing of the wounds there inflicted, and her formation into a nation, illustrate the greater deliverance now awaiting her, and which she will celebrate when the kingdoms of the earth become the Kingdoms of her Messiah. …

[God’s] power over nature, and His ability to make it serve His creatures, is recognized by His people and excites their praise (vs.7-18). In verses 10-11 He distinguishes between physical and spiritual strength. …

[God’s] election of Israel as the depository of His Word, and as the channel of its communication to the world (vs.19-20), moved both Moses and Paul to wonder and worship (Deuteronomy 4:8; Romans 3:2 and 11:33). — Williams, page 413.

¹⁰ The Lord shall reign forever—
Your God, O Zion, to all generations.
Praise the Lord!

That the final five psalms are intended as a distinct unit is indicated by the fact that each one (and hence the unit as a whole) is framed by the identical exhortation “Praise the LORD!”—reflecting as well as the shared focus of each psalm on the central theme of god’s praise, both its basis and its extent. Given this thematic focus, it became an established practice in early Jewish tradition (continued to this day) to recite these five psalms, together with Psalm 145, as part of the daily morning liturgy. Though none of these five psalms has a heading, early Jewish tradition (in the Septuagint) attributes the first three to the post-exilic prophets Haggai and Zechariah. — Wechsler, page 349

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The psalmist follows a call to praise by exhorting Israel (explicitly referenced as his addressees in v.10) not to trust in princes who are mere mortal men, an din whom there is therefore no salvation. Then, after affirming the blessedness of the one who adheres to this principle (i.e. of trusting/hoping in God rather than in human leaders), the psalmist considers the various ways in which God’s solicitude is expressed towards His people (in vs.6-9), culminating (in v.10) with an allusion to that solicitude as finally and ideally manifest when He establishes His reign over Zion forever (cf. Ezekiel 43:7ff; Zechariah 14:9ff; Revelation 21:2ff). — Wechsler, page 350.

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The God of Jacob (v.5); Your God, O Zion (v.10). The distinctive and trustworthy character described in vs.7-9 belongs to this God exclusively and to no other; the God who is known to Israel and in Zion. This is the exclusivism of the Old Testament. The abstract concept of “deity” is not enough for a man to trust; nor is any other claimant to the title “god.” Only one God is worthy of trust and He is to be found only in Jacob and Zion. — Guthrie, page 544.

strangers (v.9) — foreigners living in Israel, often refugees without personal possessions

¹⁷ The Lord is righteous in all His ways,
Gracious in all His works.

¹⁸ The Lord is near to all who call upon Him,
To all who call upon Him in truth.

¹⁹ He will fulfill the desire of those who fear Him;
He also will hear their cry and save them.

²⁰ The Lord preserves all who love Him,
But all the wicked He will destroy.

²¹ My mouth shall speak the praise of the Lord,
And all flesh shall bless His holy name
Forever and ever.

It is an acrostic Psalm, the verses beginning in the Hebrew with the successive letters of the alphabet. Somehow the couplet for the fourteenth letter, Nun, has dropped out of the text as it has come down to us. The Septuagint, however, supply the omission thus: “The Lord is faithful in His words, and holy in all His works.” The place of this verse is between verses 13 and 14 in our English Bibles. — Meyer, page 176.

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This psalm is structured as an alphabetic acrostic … although excluding the 14th letter, which further enables the organization of this psalm into three stanzas of seven verses each. These numerical elements of the psalm’s structure in turn reinforce and sharpen our understanding of its content—to wit: that each of the three stanzas describe the complete/perfect (=”7″) expression of a distinct aspect of “God’s name,” all three of which serve as the collective basis for blessing him to the utmost/superlative (=”3″) degree. — Wechsler, page 347.

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The repetition at the end of the psalm of David’s opening declaration, “And I will bless They name forever and ever,” underscores the them of the psalm itself. So too, the specific reference to “God’s name” (rather than just “God”) indicates a specific thematic focus on God’s “reputation” as based on His manifest deeds of deliverance and victory (both spiritual and physical). … Especially prominent in this section is the notion of God’s “greatness,” as borne out by the three-fold use of the Hebrew root g-d-l (“to be great”): in v.3 (“Great is the LORD … His greatness is unsearchable”) and v.6 (“I will tell of They greatness). — Wechsler, pages 347-348.

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[Verses 8-14] emphasize the glory of God’s name (i.e., reputation) as manifest in His dominion—specifically, His dominion as characterized by (1) the glory (vs.11a, 12b) and everlasting extent (v.13) of that over which He rules (i.e., His kingdom in vs. 11-13); (2) the rule itself, which, like the Ruler, is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and great in lovingkindness; and (3) the “citizens” of His kingdom, who are described as “recipients of hesed). Wechsler, page 348.

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Saints (v.10) — This title (Heb. hasid) is related to “steadfast love (Heb. hesed), and therefore denotes primarily those who have been the object of the covenant love of the Lord; it then advances to include also the thought of their responsive love toward Him. — Guthrie, page 544.

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David concludes (vs.15-21) on the specific ways in which God’s hesed, referenced in the previous section, is expressed towards the citizens of His kingdom—both now as well as in the hereafter—to wit: He supplies their need for physical sustenance in due time (v.15); even more, He satisfies their desire (vs. 16 and 19); He is near to them (an allusion to Deuteronomy 4:7, signifying special access to God on the basis of relationship); He saves them; and He keeps (or “preserves,” “guards”) them, meaning that, from the moment that their status as “citizens” in God’s kingdom is granted, as expressed through their faith here and now, He maintains that status forever. — Wechsler, pages 348-349.

Williams’ take:

In Psalm 22:25, Messiah said, “My praise shall be of Thee in the great congregation.” This vow He here fulfills on ascending the throne of Jehovah at Jerusalem (1 Chronicles 29:23). As Viceroy He acts for God the Great King, addressing Him as “My God the King.” Before Him stands “the great congregation” composed of the princes and people of Israel, and the representatives of all nations. This mighty anthem is then sung. Messiah leads the song, and the great congregation responds. The subjoined arrangement has been suggested:

Messiah sings: “I will extol Thee,” etc., (vs.1-2).
The great congregation responds: “Great is Jehovah,” etc., (vs.3-4).
Messiah sings: “I will speak,” etc., (v.5).
The congregation responds, “and men shall speak” etc., (v.6).
Messiah sings: “Yea, I will declare,” etc., (v.6).
The congregation responds: “They shall abundantly” etc., (vs.7-20).
Messiah sings: “My mouth shall speak” etc., (v.21).
The response: “And all flesh shall bless,” etc., (v.21). — Williams, page 412.

¹¹ Rescue me and deliver me from the hand of foreigners,
Whose mouth speaks lying words,
And whose right hand is a right hand of falsehood—

¹² That our sons may be as plants grown up in their youth;
That our daughters may be as pillars,
Sculptured in palace style;

¹³ That our barns may be full,
Supplying all kinds of produce;
That our sheep may bring forth thousands
And ten thousands in our fields;

¹⁴ That our oxen may be well laden;
That there be no breaking in or going out;
That there be no outcry in our streets.

¹⁵ Happy are the people who are in such a state;
Happy are the people whose God is the Lord!

[This psalm] is partly compiled of passages taken from other Psalms, as 8:4, and 18:13-15. But the last verses (9-15) are a valuable addition. — Meyer, page 174.

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In most Jewish congregations in Israel, this psalm—which focuses on God’s dominion over both His own people (v.2) and the hostile Gentile nations that surround them—is recited at the beginning of prayers for the end of the Sabbath (i.e., on Saturday night, ushering in the new [lunar] week) as well as on Israeli Memorial Day, honoring soldiers killed in the line of duty as well as the thousands of civilians killed in acts of terror and aggression. — Wechsler, page 344.

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David underscores both the depth and all-encompassing nature of his personal connection to God by describing Him with expressions in which the possessive pronoun “my” predominates. David expands and enhances his devotional focus by pondering … why God would condescend to enter into intimate relationship (this being the sense of “take knowledge of”) with any human. The implicit answer is, of course, that God is not only holy, righteous, and just, but also merciful, gracious, and loving. — Wechsler, page 345.

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In vs.5-11, David affirms God’s role as the one who both protects Israel and determines her military success. … As in Isaiah 8:7, the enemies of Israel are described with the imagery of “great waters” (v.7), emphasizing their greater number and military prowess, and hence David’s ultimate reliance on God to rescue him and his people. Also, the reference to the evil sword (v.10) may allude to the sword of Goliath (1 Samuel 17:45 and 51) who is himself a biblical symbol of Gentile opposition to God and His people. — Wechsler, pages 345-346.

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In vs.12-15 David implored God’s continued solicitude in providing for his people’s physical-material needs. … This last section should be taken to refer to the messianic kingdom. The two-fold “How blessed are the people” in v.15 hearkens back to David’s conclusion of Psalm 2. — Wechsler, page 346.

¹¹ Revive me, O Lord, for Your name’s sake!
For Your righteousness’ sake bring my soul out of trouble.

¹² In Your mercy cut off my enemies,
And destroy all those who afflict my soul;
For I am Your servant.

Early Jewish attribution identifies the occasion for this psalm as the time when David was forced to flee Jerusalem by his son Absalom (2 Samuel 15-18). Whether or not this tradition is true, it is worth noting that (1) in verses 2 and 7 David clearly affirms the possibility that his persecution by the enemy may be an expression of God’s just chastisement, which is consistent with his view of Absalom’s coup (2 Samuel 16:8-11), and (2) David is unusually restrained with respect to imprecation in this psalm, focusing primarily on God’s deliverance and spiritual guidance (vs.8 and 10) and making only one very general imprecatory statement in v.12 concerning his collective “enemies,” all of which is consistent with his loving attitude towards Absalom. — Wechsler, page 342.

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David begins his prayer by imploring God to hear him, not because David himself merits a hearing, but on the basis of God’s own faithfulness and righteousness. This spiritually honest (and accurate) attitude of self-introspection—which is one of the main qualifiers of David as “a man after (God’s) own heart” (1 Samuel 13:14)—is further borne out by this affirmation in v.2 that his current persecution by “the enemy” (v.3) may well be intended as an expression of … chastisement. — Wechsler, page 343.

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The extremely close parallels between elements of the phraseology in v.5 and that in Psalm 44:1-2 indicates that the specific “work” of God to which David here refers is the exodus. … By his statement “I remember … I meditate …” David is thus affirming his confidence in God’s faithfulness: just as He upheld His promise to the Israelites through the patriarchs, so too would He uphold His promise to David (2 Samuel 7:8-16). — Wechsler, page 343.

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Most important to David was … that God’s glory be manifested in his life (v.11) … as the result of David’s obedience and devotion. For this reason he affirms the potential necessity of God’s chastisement, though in affirming its necessity—which implies, of course, a recognition of his sin—he nonetheless asks God to bring that chastisement to an end, while at the same time imploring God to teach him to do His will (v.10). — Wechsler, page 244.

Williams’ take:

As in the two prior Psalms so here Messiah prays from out of the depths and darkness of Sheol. … In the second verse He pleads for the justification of His people, and in the last verses for the destruction of their enemies. … The enemy of verses 3 and 4 is death—the last enemy that is to be destroyed. In these two verses are fore-told Messiah’s death on the cross. … The depth of anguish was deepened by the remembrance of the glory which He had with the Father before and at creation (v.5). The language of intense suffering, of full subjection of will, and of confident expectation of the promised resurrection, are all expressed in verses 6-11.

God’s true servants in all dispensations may, with David, use the words of this Psalm as a vehicle of prayer and faith in times of deep trial; but only One could suffer fully the sorrows here revealed. — Williams, pages411-412.

I think I agree with Williams here that the psalm is Messianic, but at the same time reflects a prayer of David and one that we can use when facing hardship.