Psalm 135 - Enduring Word Commentary vs Calvin John

Psalm 135

Psalm 135 – Praise for the Creator and the Redeemer

Psalm 135 is of note for its use of other passages from the Hebrew Scriptures. Almost every verse quotes the words or the idea of another Old Testament passage, including four different psalms, two passages from Deuteronomy, two from Jeremiah, and two from Exodus. Derek Kidner wrote of Psalm 135, “Every verse of this psalm either echoes, quotes or is quoted by some other part of Scripture.”

“The reader will be struck by the many allusions as well as direct citations to other passages of Scripture. The end result of the psalmist’s artistry is that the inspired creation stands on its own, even though it is dependent on other Scriptures for its poetic, liturgical, and idiomatic expressions.” (Willem VanGemeren)

A. The good God, Creator and Redeemer.

1. (1-2) A call to praise Yahweh.

Praise the LORD!
Praise the name of the LORD;
Praise Him, O you servants of the LORD!
You who stand in the house of the LORD,
In the courts of the house of our God,

a. Praise the LORD: Psalm 135 begins and ends with this phrase. It is a call for stirring, passionate praise to God, but not one that runs only on the fuel of emotion. This psalm gives many reasonable, logical reasons why we should praise the LORD.

i. Meyer described the characteristics of praise: “In this, we adore God for all that He is in Himself. Forgetting our own petty interests and concerns, our me and my and mine, we take our stand with angels and archangels and all the host of heaven in crying, Thou art worthy, O holy, holy, holy Lord! Heaven and earth are full of Thy great glory. Glory be unto Thee, O God Most High!”

ii. “To worship is to quicken the conscience by the holiness of God, to feed the mind with the truth of God, to purge the imagination by the beauty of God, to open the heart to the love of God, to devote the will to the purpose of God.” (Former Archbishop of Canterbury William Temple, cited in Boice)

b. Praise the name of the LORD: To praise the name of the LORD is to honor Him in all His character and attributes. The name was understood to represent the nature of the person.

c. Praise Him, O you servants of the LORD: As in the previous psalm (Psalm 134:1), this refers to the priests and Levites who would stand in the house of the LORD for priestly and temple duties.

d. In the courts of the house of our God: This may speak of the people of Israel in general, who as worshippers had no access to the house of the LORD (only priests could enter the holy place). The common man could stand in the courts of the house of our God. This was a call to all God’s people to praise Him.

i. “…in the courts, where the people also had a place, 2 Chronicles 4:9, and are required to bear a part in this heavenly Hallelujah.” (Trapp)

ii. “While the previous psalm greeted chiefly the Levites on night watch, this one has a great and varied throng in view, priestly and lay.” (Kidner)

iii. “‘Our God’ signifies possession, communion in possession, assurance of possession, delight in possession. Oh the unutterable joy of calling God our own!” (Spurgeon)

2. (3-4) Reasons to praise the LORD.

Praise the LORD, for the LORD is good;
Sing praises to His name, for it is pleasant.
For the LORD has chosen Jacob for Himself,
Israel for His special treasure.

a. For the LORD is good: In listing reasons why Yahweh should be praised, the psalmist began with the simple declaration of God’s goodness. This idea is presented many times in the Bible (as in Psalm 73:1 and 143:10; Mark 10:18).

i. “Do not only magnify the Lord because he is God; but study his character and his doings, and thus render intelligent, appreciative praise.” (Spurgeon)

ii. “It is impossible to keep the reasons for praise out of the summons to praise.” (Maclaren)

iii. We, as human beings, have ideas of good and evil because we are made in the image of God. Anyone who questions the goodness of God or His existence has to answer the question, “Where do we get our concept of good?”

iv. “What could be more basic than this, that God is good? Nothing at all, since this is God’s essential nature.” (Boice)

b. Sing praises to His name: One of the ways praise is shown is in song. God’s people should be a singing people.

c. For it is pleasant: This is the second reason given to praise Yahweh – because it benefits the one who praises Him. This should never be the primary reason, because then worship has a focus on self-gratification. Yet worship does do us good, and there is nothing wrong with enjoying the fact that it is pleasant.

i. True praise is pleasant, “…an angelical exercise, and, to the spiritually minded man, very delicious. To others, indeed, who have no true notion of God but as of an enemy, it is but as music at funerals, or as the trumpet before a judge, no comfort to the mourning wife, or guilty prisoner.” (Trapp)

d. For the LORD has chosen Jacob for Himself: The psalmist listed a third reason to praise God – His choosing of Israel for His special treasure. He did not choose Israel because they were great, but because He is great in love.

i. God told Israel this in Deuteronomy 7:7-8: The LORD did not set His love on you nor choose you because you were more in number than any other people, for you were the least of all peoples; but because the LORD loves you, and because He would keep the oath which He swore to your fathers.

ii. “God’s choice exalts; for here the name is changed from Jacob, the supplanter, to Israel, the prince. The love of God gives a new name and imparts a new value; for the comparison to a royal treasure is a most honourable one.” (Spurgeon)

iii. Israel was called to praise God because He chose them; this is also a reason for the New Covenant believer. “Shall not we Christians, then, praise the same gracious Lord, who hath chosen us out of the world, who hath given unto us his gospel, who dwelleth in us by his Spirit, and who, by that Spirit, maketh us more than conquerors over our spiritual adversaries?” (Horne)

iv. For Himself: “It does not say, ‘unto heaven,’ – ‘unto certain privileges,’ – ‘unto certain favors.’ All that is quite true, but it does not say so here: ‘The Lord hath chosen Jacob unto himself.’ Oh, what a blessed choice is this – to be chosen unto God!” (Spurgeon)

e. His special treasure: This fulfills the declaration of God in Deuteronomy 7:6: For you are a holy people to the LORD your God; the LORD your God has chosen you to be a people for Himself, a special treasure above all the peoples on the face of the earth.

i. His special treasure: “The Hebrew word segullah signifieth God’s special jewels, God’s proper ones, or God’s secret ones, that he keeps in store for himself, and for his own special service and use. Princes lock up with their own hands in secret their most precious and costly jewels; and so doth God his.” (Brooks, cited in Spurgeon)

3. (5-7) Praising God who creates all things.

For I know that the LORD is great,
And our Lord is above all gods.
Whatever the LORD pleases He does,
In heaven and in earth,
In the seas and in all deep places.
He causes the vapors to ascend from the ends of the earth;
He makes lightning for the rain;
He brings the wind out of His treasuries.

a. I know that the LORD is great, and our Lord is above all gods: In declaring the greatness of God, the singer used two great titles or names for God. Yahweh, the covenant God of Israel (the LORD) is great, and Adonai, the Master of all (Lord) is above all gods. God is exalted above all the pretended deities of the pagans.

i. I know that the LORD is great: “On what a firm foundation does the psalmist plant his foot – ’I know!’ One loves to hear men of God speaking in this calm, undoubting, and assured confidence, whether it be of the Lord’s goodness or of the Lord’s greatness.” (Bouchier, cited in Spurgeon)

ii. All gods: “…or worshipped as gods by the heathen people. And therefore seeing they commonly praise and extol their idols, it becometh you not to be silent as to the praises of your God.” (Poole)

b. Whatever the LORD pleases He does: The psalmist exalted Yahweh as having ultimate power, with the ability to do whatever He desires. His power extends everywhere, in heaven and in earth, and in the seas and from the ends of the earth.

i. In the seas and in all deep places: “…in the visible seas, and in those invisible depths, both of earth, and of the waters which are contained in the bowels of the earth.” (Poole)

c. He makes lightning for the rain: This exalts Yahweh over the Canaanite idol Baal, who was thought of as the god of weather. Baal was sometimes depicted as holding a bolt of lightning, and was believed to be the one who sent the rain. The singer rebuked this, and sang of Yahweh as the Lord over lightning, rain, and the wind.

i. “The heathen divided the great domain; but Jupiter does not rule in heaven, nor Neptune on the sea, nor Pluto in the lower regions; Jehovah rules over all.” (Spurgeon)

ii. “The Psalmist teacheth us to restore the celestial artillery to its rightful owner, Jehovah, the God of Israel, and the Creator of the universe.” (Horne)

4. (8-12) Praising God who redeems His people.

He destroyed the firstborn of Egypt,
Both of man and beast.
He sent signs and wonders into the midst of you, O Egypt,
Upon Pharaoh and all his servants.
He defeated many nations
And slew mighty kings—
Sihon king of the Amorites,
Og king of Bashan,
And all the kingdoms of Canaan—
And gave their land as a heritage,
A heritage to Israel His people.

a. He destroyed the firstborn of Egypt: Yahweh also exalted Himself over the supposed gods of the Egyptians. This psalm refers back to the many plagues God inflicted on Egypt (He sent signs and wonders into the midst of you), with the greatest of them being the judgment of death on the firstborn of Egypt.

i. “Egypt was the theatre of the grand contest between the God of Israel and the gods of the heathen.” (Horne)

ii. Upon Pharaoh and all his servants: “God’s servants are far better off than Pharaoh’s servants: those who stand in the courts of Jehovah are delivered, but the courtiers of Pharaoh are smitten all of them, for they were all partakers in his evil deeds.” (Spurgeon)

b. He defeated many nations: Once Israel was free from Egypt, Yahweh also showed His greatness over all supposed gods by defeating nations and mighty kings that attacked His people.

i. “Psalmists are never weary of drawing confidence and courage for today from the deeds of the Exodus and the Conquest.” (Maclaren)

ii. “The victories over Sihon and Og are recounted in Numbers 21:21ff., 21:33ff.; cf. Deuteronomy 3:11.” (Kidner)

iii. “These two kings were the first to oppose, and they were among the most notable of the adversaries: their being smitten is therefore a special object of song for loyal Israelites.” (Spurgeon)

c. And gave their land as a heritage: God demonstrated His greatness over all the gods of the Canaanites by defeating the kingdoms of Canaan and giving their land to Israel, as a heritage to them – something passed on from generation to generation.

i. “Canaan was their heritage because they were the Lord’s heritage, and he gave it to them actually because he had long before given it to them by promise.” (Spurgeon)

B. Exalting God in all His greatness.

1. (13-14) The greatness of God’s fame.

Your name, O LORD, endures forever,
Your fame, O LORD, throughout all generations.
For the LORD will judge His people,
And He will have compassion on His servants.

a. Your name, O LORD, endures forever: In light of Yahweh’s incomparable greatness (just declared in the previous verses), the singer praised His unchanging name and His never-ending fame.

i. “God does not change. He is immutable, to use the proper theological word for his unchangeability. God is not only good; but he will also always be good. He is always the same in his eternal attributes. We will never find him to be less good than he has been to us in the past.” (Boice)

ii. Your fame: “The name was to increase in significance, as the Lord increased his activities in the history of redemption and revealed more of himself in history and revelation.” (VanGemeren)

b. For the LORD will judge His people: The good and great God will bring justice, righteousness, and compassion to His people. His goodness and greatness are for them, not against them.

i. “He will do them justice against their enemies.” (Clarke)

2. (15-18) The greatness of God in contrast to the empty folly of idols.

The idols of the nations are silver and gold,
The work of men’s hands.
They have mouths, but they do not speak;
Eyes they have, but they do not see;
They have ears, but they do not hear;
Nor is there any breath in their mouths.
Those who make them are like them;
So is everyone who trusts in them.

a. The idols of the nations are silver and gold: This is a striking contrast to the greatness of the all-powerful God who reigns in heaven. The goodness and greatness of Yahweh make the puny idols, the work of men’s hands, seem even emptier and more foolish.

i. “The psalmist returns to the motif of vanity of idolatry by an extensive quotation from Psalm 115:4-8.” (VanGemeren)

b. They have mouths, but they do not speak: As in several other passages in the Hebrew Scriptures, the Bible mocks those who make or worship idols. The one who makes the statue has a mouth, eyes, and ears superior to the idol itself.

i. Eyes they have, but they do not see: “The eyes of idols have frequently been very costly; diamonds have been used for that purpose; but of what avail is the expense, since they see nothing?” (Spurgeon)

ii. “If they cannot even see us, how can they know our wants, appreciate our sacrifices, or spy out for us the means of help? What a wretched thing, that a man who can see should bow down before an image which is blind!” (Spurgeon)

iii. “The Rev. John Thomas, a missionary in India, was one day travelling alone through the country, when he saw a great number of people waiting near an idol temple. He went up to them, and as soon as the doors were opened, he walked into the temple. Seeing an idol raised above the people, he walked boldly up to it, held up his hand, and asked for silence. He then put his fingers on its eyes, and said, “It has eyes, but it cannot see! It has ears, but it cannot hear! It has a nose, but it cannot smell! It has hands, but it cannot handle! It has a mouth, but it cannot speak! Neither is there any breath in it!” Instead of doing injury to him for affronting their god and themselves, the natives were all surprised; and an old Brahmin was so convinced of his folly by what Mr. Thomas said, that he also cried out, “It has feet, but cannot run away!” The people raised a shout, and being ashamed of their stupidity, they left the temple, and went to their homes.” (Cited in Spurgeon’s Treasury of David)

c. Those who make them are like them: Though man is greater than the idol he makes, the creation and honoring of idols make a man or a woman lower. Idolatry never exalts man, but rather brings him low.

i. “It is forever true that man becomes like his god, approximates in character and conduct to that which he yields his homage.” (Morgan)

ii. “If we worship things that people produce, we will become as impotent and empty as those things, but if we worship God, by the grace of God we will become like God.” (Boice)

iii. “Like the material things idolaters serve, idolaters are spiritually dead, they are the mere images of men, their best being is gone, they are not what they seem. Their mouths do not really pray, their eyes see not the truth, their ears hear not the voice of the Lord, and the life of God is not in them.” (Spurgeon)

iv. “To put anything of our own creation, whether wealth, or fame, or power, in the place of God, is to begin a process of degradation, the end of which is destructive of everything of high possibility in life.” (Morgan)

3. (19-21) The people of God called to bless and praise Yahweh.

Bless the LORD, O house of Israel!
Bless the LORD, O house of Aaron!
Bless the LORD, O house of Levi!
You who fear the LORD, bless the LORD!
Blessed be the LORD out of Zion,
Who dwells in Jerusalem!
Praise the LORD!

a. Bless the LORD, O house of Israel: In a series of three statements, this psalm closes with a call to the descendants of Israel, Aaron, and Levi to honor God and give Him the recognition He deserves.

b. You who fear the LORD, bless the LORD: This may be a call to Gentiles who honored God to also join with Israel, the priests, and the Levites in praising and honoring Yahweh.

i. “It may be that this verse is intended to bring in God-fearing men who were not included under Israel, Aaron, and Levi. They were Gentile proselytes, and this verse opens the door and bids them enter.” (Spurgeon)

c. Blessed be the LORD out of Zion: Jerusalem was (and is) a special place to God, but His praise, His goodness, His greatness extend out of Zion. He is not a local deity; His power and greatness are not limited to Zion.

i. Who dwells in Jerusalem: “This clause may be added either to distinguish the true God from the gods which were worshipped in other places and countries; or as a reason why they should bless God, because he had blessed and honoured that place with his gracious and glorious presence.” (Poole)

d. Praise the LORD: It is fitting for such a soaring psalm to end as it began – to declare God’s praise, and to call upon others to do so also.

Psalm 135

1. Praise ye the name of Jehovah Though this Psalm begins almost in the same manner with the preceding, the Psalmist would not appear to be addressing the Levites exclusively, but the people generally, since the reasons given for praising God are equally applicable to all God’s children. No mention is made of night watching, or of their standing constantly in the Temple. But indeed, as it was the special duty of the priests to take the lead in this devotional exercise, to give out, if we might use such an expression, and sing the praises of God before the people, there is no reason why we should not suppose that they are primarily addressed, and stirred up to their duty. We need only to examine the words more closely in order to be convinced that the people are included as next in order to the priests. (156) For the Psalmist addresses the servants of God who stand in the temple, then those who are in the courts, whereas no notice was taken of the courts in the former Psalm. Mention seems to be made of courts in the plural number, because the priests had their court; and then there was another common to all the people, for by the law spoken of, (Lev 16:17,) they were prohibited from entering the sanctuary. To prevent any feeling of disgust which might arise from the very frequent repetition of this exhortation to the praises of God, it is only necessary to remember, as was already observed, that there is no sacrifice in which he takes greater delight than the expression of our gratitude. Thus, (Psa 50:14,)

“Sacrifice unto the Lord thanksgiving,

and pay your vows to the Most High;”

and, (Psa 116:12,)

“What shall I render unto the Lord for all his benefits? I will take the cup of salvation, and call upon the name of the Lord.”

Particular attention is to be paid to those passages of Scripture which speak in such high terms of that worship of God which is spiritual; otherwise we may be led, in the exercise of a misguided zeal, to spend our labor upon trifles, and in this respect imitate the example of too many who have wearied themselves with ridiculous attempts to invent additions to the service of God, while they have neglected what is of all other things most important. This is the reason why the Holy Spirit so repeatedly inculcates the duty of praise. It is that we may not undervalue, or grow careless in this devotional exercise. It implies, too, an indirect censure of our tardiness in proceeding to the duty, for he would not reiterate the admonition were we ready and active in the discharge of it. The expression in the end of the verse — because it is sweet, admits of two meanings — that the name of God is sweet, as in the previous clause it was said that God is good — or, that it is a sweet and pleasant thing to sing God’s praises. The Hebrew word נעים naim, properly signifies beautiful or comely, and this general signification answers best. (157)



(156) “Et quand on advisera de bien pres aux mots, on y trouvera que le peuple est adjoint, etc.”—Fr.

(157) “Signifie proprement chose bien seante ou belle: et ce sens general convient mieux.” — Fr.



4. For God hath chosen Jacob Other reasons are given afterwards why they should praise God, drawn from his government of the world. But as it was only the children of Abraham who were favored with the knowledge of God at that time, and were capable of praising him, the Psalmist directs them to the fact of their having been chosen by God to be his peculiar people, as affording matter for thanksgiving. The mercy was surely one of incomparable value, and which might well stir them up to fervent gratitude and praise, adopted as they were into favor with God, while the whole Gentile world was passed by. The praise of their election is given by the Psalmist to God — a clear proof that they owed the distinction not to any excellency of their own, but to the free mercy of God the Father which had been extended to them. He has laid all without exception under obligation to his service, for

“he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good.”

(Mat 5:45.)

But he bound the posterity of Abraham to him by a closer tie, such as that by which he now adopts men generally into his Church, and unites them with the body of his only-begotten Son. (158)

(158) “Comme c’est aujourd’huy de tous ceux qu’il adopte en sa bergerie, et ente au corps de son fils unique.” — Fr.



5. For I know that Jehovah is great We have here a general description of the power of God, to show the Israelites that the God they worshipped was the same who made the world, and rules over all according to his will, neither is there any other besides him. He would not exclude others when he speaks of having known himself the greatness of God, but is rather to be considered as taking occasion from his own experience to stir up men generally to attend to this subject, and awake to the recognition of what lies abundantly open to observation. The immensity of God is what none can comprehend; still his glory, so far as was seen fit, has been sufficiently manifested to leave all the world without excuse for ignorance. How can one who has enjoyed a sight of the heavens and of the earth shut his eyes so as to overlook the Author of them without sin of the deepest dye? It is with the view, then, of stirring us up more effectually, — that the Psalmist makes reference to himself in inviting us to the knowledge of God’s glory; or rather he reprehends our carelessness in not being alive enough to the consideration of it. The second part of the verse makes the truth of the observation which I have already stated still more apparent, — that the Psalmist’s design was to retain the Israelites in the service and fear of the one true God, by a declaration to the effect that the God who covenanted with their Fathers was the same who created heaven and earth, No sooner had he made mention of Jehovah than he adds his being the God of Israel. It follows as a necessary consequence, that all who depart from this God prefer a god who has no claim to the title, and that Jews and Turks, for example, in our own day, are guilty of mere trifling when they pretend to worship God the Creator of the world. Where persons have diverged from the law and from the gospel, any show of piety they may have amounts to a renunciation of the true God. The Psalmist had, therefore, in his eye when he clothed God with a specific title,, to limit the Israelites to that.God who was set forth in the doctrine of the Law. If by אלהים, Elohim, we understand the false gods of the Gentiles — the title is given them only by concession, for it could not be properly assigned to what are mere lying’ vanities; and the meaning is, that God’s greatness altogether eclipses any pretended deity. But the expression would seem to include the angels, as has been already observed, in whom there is some reflection of divinity, as being heavenly principalities and powers, but who are exalted by God, and assigned such a subordinate place as may not interfere with his glory. (160)



(160) “Tellement qu’il les embrasse et range en leur ordre, afin que sa grandeur ne soit nullement obscurcie par eux.” — Fr.



6. Whatsoever doth please him, etc. This is that immeasurable greatness of the divine being, of which he had just spoken. He not only founded heaven and earth at first, but governs all things according to his power. To own that God made the world, but maintain that he sits idle in heaven, and takes no concern in the management of it, is to cast an impious aspersion upon his power; and yet the idea, absurd as it is, obtains wide currency amongst men. They would not say, perhaps, in so many words, that they believed that God slept in heaven, but in imagining, as they do, that he resigns the reins to chance or fortune, they leave him the mere shadow of a power, such as is not manifested in effects; whereas Scripture teaches us that it is a real practical power, by which he governs the whole world as he does according to his will. The Psalmist expressly asserts every part of the world to be under the divine care, and that nothing takes place by Chance, or without determination. According to a very common opinion, all the power necessary to be assigned to God in the matter, is that of a universal providence, which I do not profess to understand. The distinction here made between the heavens, earth, and waters, denotes a particular governments. The term חפר , chaphets, is emphatical. The Holy Spirit declares that he does whatsoever pleases him. That confused sort of divine government which many talk of, amounts to no more than a certain maintenance of order in the world, without due counsel. No account whatever is made of his will in this way, for will implies counsel and method. Consequently there is a special providence exerted in the government of the various parts of the world, there is no such thing as chance, and what appears most fortuitous, is in reality ordered by his secret wisdom. We are not called to inquire why he wills events which contradict our sense of what his administration should be, but if we would not unsettle the very foundations of religion, we must hold by this as a firm principle, that nothing happens without, the divine will and decree. (161) His will may be mysterious, but it is to be regarded with reverence, as the fountain of all justice and rectitude, unquestionably entitled as it is to our supreme consideration. For farther information upon this subject the reader may consult Psa 115:0.



(161) “Neantmoins si nous ne voulons arracher tons les rudimens de la vraye religion, ceci doit demeurer ferme,”etc. — Fr.



7. Causing the clouds to ascend The Psalmist touches upon one or two particulars, in illustration of the point that nothing takes place of itself, but by the hand and counsel of God. Our understandings cannot comprehend a thousandth part of God’s works, and it is only a few examples which he brings forward to be considered in proof of the doctrine of a divine providence which he had just announced. He speaks of the clouds ascending from the ends of the earth; for the vapours which rise out of the earth form clouds, when they accumulate more densely together. Now who would think that the vapours which we see ascending upwards would shortly darken the sky, and impend above our heads? It strikingly proves the power of God, that these thin vapours, which steam up from the ground:, should form a body over-spreading the whole atmosphere. The Psalmist mentions it as another circumstance calling for our wonder, that lightnings are mixed with rain, things quite opposite in their nature one from another. Did not custom make us familiar with the spectacle, we would pronounce this mixture, of fire and water to be a phenomenon altogether incredible. (162) The same may be said of the phenomena of the winds. Natural causes can be assigned for them, and philosophers have pointed them out; but the winds, with their various currents, are a wonderful work of God. He does not merely assert the power of God, be it observed, in the sense in which philosophers themselves grant it, but he maintains that not a drop of rain falls from heaven without a divine commission or dispensation to that effect. All readily allow that God is the author of rain, thunder, and wind, in so far as he originally established this order of things in nature; but the Psalmist goes farther than this, holding that when it rains, this is not effected by a blind instinct of nature, but is the consequence of the decree of God, who is pleased at one time to darken the sky with clouds, and at another to brighten it again with sunshine.

(162) “Si c e meslange du fen et de l’eau n’estoit cognu par usage, qui ne diroit que c’est une merveille,” etc. —Fr.



8. He smote the first-born of Egypt He now reverts to those more special benefits, by which God had laid his Church and chosen people under obligation to his service. As it was the Lord’s believing people only whom he addressed, the chief point singled out as the subject of praise is God’s having adopted them, small as they were in numbers, from the mass of the human family. Again, there was the fact of his having set himself in opposition, for their sakes, to great kingdoms and mighty nations. The wonderful works done by God in Egypt and in Canaan were all just so many proofs of that fatherly love which he entertained for them as his chosen people. It is not strictly according to historic order to begin with mentioning the destruction of the first-born of Egypt; but this is instanced as a memorable illustration of the great regard God had for the safety of his people, which was such that he would not spare even so mighty and wealthy a nation. The scope of the passage is to show that God, in delivering his people, had abundantly testified his power and his mercy.



10. He smote great nations He comes now to speak of the end for which God delivered them from their bondage. He did not lead his people out of Egypt, and then leave them to wander as they might, but brought them forth that he might settle them in the promised inheritance. This the Psalmist mentions as another signal proof of the favor of God, and his unwearied kindness to them; for having once taken the children of Abraham by the hand, he led them on, in the continued exercise of his power, till he put them in possession of the promised land. He takes occasion to extol God’s power, from the circumstance that it was only after the slaughter of many enemies that they came to the peaceable possession of the country. And it was a striking illustration of the divine goodness to manifest this preference for the Israelites, who were but a multitude of inconsiderable persons, while those opposed to them were mighty kings and powerful nations. Notice is taken of two kings, Sihon and Og, not as being more powerful than the rest, but because shutting up the entrance to the land in front they were the first formidable enemies met with (164) and the people, besides, were not as yet habituated to war. As the crowning act of the Lord’s goodness, the Psalmist adds, that the Israelites obtained firm possession of the land. One has said —

“Non minor est virtus quam quaerere, parta tueri,”

“It is no less an achievement to keep possession than to acquire it;” and as the Israelites were surrounded with deadly enemies, the power of God was very eminently displayed in preserving them from being rooted out and expelled again, an event which must have repeatedly taken place, had they not been firmly settled in the inheritance.

(164) “Sed quia praecluso terrae aditu in primis erant formidabiles.” — Lat. “Mais pource qu’ils estoyent les plus a redouter, a cause qu’ils tenoyent l’entree de la terre fermee.” —Fr.



13. O Jehovah! thy name is for ever There are many reasons why the name of God ought always to be kept up in the world, but here the Psalmist speaks more especially of that everlasting praise which is due to him for preserving his Church and people, the cause being immediately added — that God will judge his people The whole world is a theater for the display of the divine goodness, wisdom, justice, and power, but the Church is the orchestra, as it were — the most conspicuous part of it; and the nearer the approaches are that God makes to us the more intimate and condescending the communication of his benefits, the more attentively are we called to consider them. The term judging in the Hebrew expresses whatever belongs to just and legitimate government, (166) the future tense denoting continued action apparently, as it often does, so that what the Psalmist says is tantamount to this — that God would always watch over and preserve his people, and that being thus under God’s guardian care, they would be placed in safety. Or we may suppose that the Psalmist employs the future tense to teach us that, under affliction, we must have a sustained hope, not giving way to despondency, though God may seem to have overlooked and deserted us, since whatever temporary delays there may be of his help, he will appear as our judge and defender at the proper season, and when he sees that we have been sufficiently humbled. This may recommend itself the more to be the true meaning, because the Psalmist seems to allude to the expression of Moses, (Deu 32:36,) whose very words indeed, he quotes. As some alleviation under the divine chastisements which the people would suffer, Moses foretold that God would come forth as their judge, to help and deliver them when in extremity. And this the writer of the present Psalm, whoever he may have been, makes use of with a general application to the Church, declaring that God would never allow it to be altogether destroyed, since upon the event of its destruction he would cease to be a King. To propose changing the tense of the verb into the past, and understand it of God having shown himself to be the judge of his people against the Egyptians, puts a feeble sense upon the passage, and one which does not suit with the context, either of this Psalm or of the address of Moses. The Hebrew verb נחם, nacham, means either to repent, or to receive comfort, and both meanings answer sufficiently well. On the,one hand, when God returns in mercy to his people, though this implies no change in him, yet there is a change apparent in the event itself. Thus he is said to repent when he begins to show mercy to his people, instead of manifesting his displeasure in just judgments against them. Again, he is said to receive consolation, or to be appeased and reconciled towards his people, when in remembrance of his covenant, which endures for ever, he visits them with everlasting mercies, though he had corrected them for a moment. (Isa 54:8.) The meaning, in short, is, that the displeasure of God towards his people is but temporary, and that, in taking vengeance upon their sins, he remembers mercy in the midst of wrath, as Habakkuk says. (Hab 3:2.) Thus God is spoken of as man, manifesting a father’s affection, and restoring his children, who deserved to have been cast off, because he cannot bear’ that the fruit of his own body should be torn from him. Such is the sense of the passage — that God has a compassion for his people because they are his children, that he would not willingly be bereaved of them and left childless, that he is placable towards them, as being dear to him, and that having recoginsed them as his offspring, he cherishes them with a tender love.

(166) “Le mot de juger selon les Hebrieux,, contient en soy toutes les parties d’un juste et legitime gouvernement. —Fr.



15. The images of the nations, etc. As the whole of this part of the Psalm has been explained elsewhere, it is needless to insist upon it, and repetition might be felt irksome by the reader. I shall only in a few words, therefore, show what is the scope of the Psalmist. In upbraiding the stupidity of the heathen, who thought that they could not have God near them in any other way than by resorting to idol worship, he reminds the Israelites of the signal mercy which they had enjoyed, and would have them abide the more deliberately by the simplicity and purity of God’s worship, and avoid profane superstitions. He declares, that idolaters only draw down heavier judgments upon themselves, the more zealous they are in the service of their idols. And there is no doubt, that, in denouncing the awful judgments which must fall upon the worshippers of false gods, it is his object to deter such as had been brought up under the word of God from following their example. In Psa 115:0. the exhortation given is to trust or hope in the Lord; here, to bless him. The Levites are mentioned in addition to the house of Aaron, there being two orders of priesthood. Every thing else in the two Psalms is the same, except that, in the last verse:, the Psalmist here joins himself, along with the rest of the Lord’s people, in blessing God. He says, out of Zion, for when God promised to hear their prayers from that place, and to communicate from it the rich display of his favor, he thereby gave good ground why they should praise him from it. (169) The reason is stated, that he dwelt in Jerusalem; which is not to be understood in the low and gross sense that he was confined to any such narrow residence; but in the sense, that he was there as to the visible manifestation of his favor, experience showing, that while his majesty is such as to fill heaven and earth, his power and grace were vouchsafed in a particular manner to his own people.

(169) “Quant et quant aussi il donnoit occasion et matiere de luy chanter louanges.” — Fr.