The psalmist summoned everything above the earth to praise God. This included the angels as well as the stars, planets, sun, moon, and clouds, to which the writer attributed the ability to praise by personification. read more
1. Praise for establishing the heavens 148:1-6 read more
Psalms 148Another anonymous psalm stresses the importance of praising God. This one calls on the heavens to praise Him for establishing them, and the earth to bless Him for exalting Israel. Each major section of the psalm begins with a call to worship ("Praise the LORD"), and the whole poem ends with the same call, forming an inclusio. "Praise" appears 13 times in the 14 verses of this psalm. read more
These heavenly entities should praise Yahweh because He created them all by His command. The order of creation in this psalm generally follows the order of Genesis 1, though the writer took some poetic liberty. Furthermore, these created things continue to exist as they do because God made a decree that they should endure as long as He wills. The Canaanites worshipped the stars and planets, so this psalm would have been a polemic against their idolatry. read more
Parallel to the heavenly multitudes, the psalmist next called on all of the earthly multitudes to praise Yahweh. Again he personified inanimate objects and listed various representative groups. Some merisms express the totality of the group, such as "old men and children" (Psalms 148:12), an expression that represents people of all ages. The pagans also worshipped creatures and natural formations, which this psalm shows are Yahweh’s creations. [Note: On the subject of God’s direct... read more
2. Praise for exalting Israel 148:7-14 read more
These earthly entities should praise Yahweh because He is greater than anything in heaven and on earth. Only His name is worthy of exaltation. In particular, God had raised up a king (strong one, horn) for His chosen people Israel. This person had become the praise of all His saints in Israel, the nation close to His heart."Thus far the psalmist has not said anything about the people of God. He has made reference to the ’angels’ of God (Psalms 148:2) in heaven but has left out any reference to... read more
This is the ’Gloria in Excelsis’ of the Psalter, wherein all created things, animate and inanimate, are called upon to praise Jehovah.1. From the heavens] i.e. angels and the heavenly bodies. 4. Waters that be above the heavens] So God divided the waters: see Genesis 1:6, Genesis 1:7. 6. Which shall not pass] RM’which none shall transgress.’8. Vapours] smoke or steam: cp. Psalms 119:83. 13. Excellent] RV ’exalted.’14. RM ’a horn for his people, a praise for all his saints,’ i.e. the giving... read more
CXLVIII.This glorious anthem, as it has been the model of countless hymns of praise, is best appreciated and understood by comparison with some of these. The “song of the three children,” found in the LXX. Version of Daniel, is no doubt an imitation, but in its elaboration and its artificial style loses much of the lyric fire of the original. And of the rest, Isaac Taylor truly says: “It is but feebly and as afar off, that the ancient liturgies—except so far as they merely copied their... read more
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Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible - Psalms 148:14
14. exalteth the horn—established power (Psalms 75:5; Psalms 75:6). praise of—or literally, "for" his saints—that is, occasions for them to praise Him. They are further described as "His people," and "near unto Him," sustaining by covenanted care a peculiarly intimate relation. read more