Praise ye the Lord - See the notes at Psalms 146:1.Praise ye the Lord from the heavens - On the part of the heavens. Let those who dwell in heaven begin the song.Praise him in the heights - All that are in the heights; to wit, in the highest parts of the universe, or the heavens. read more
Praise ye him, all his angels - Dwelling in the heavens. Compare the notes at Psalms 103:20.Praise ye him, all his hosts - See the notes at Psalms 103:21 and the notes at Isaiah 1:9. All his armies - referring to the angels considered as marshalled into hosts, of which God is the Head and Leader. read more
Praise ye him, sun and moon - The most conspicuous and glorious objects in the heavens, as apparent to the eyes of people.Praise him, all ye stars of light - A poetical expression to denote bright or shining stars. The phrase embraces all the stars as they strike the eyes of people. Each one has something special to it for which to praise God: and the entire groups - the immense multitudes, as such - should join in one chorus of praise. read more
Praise him, ye heavens of heavens - Referring to the idea that there is one heaven rising above another. See the notes at Psalms 68:33. See 1 Kings 8:27 : “Behold, the heaven and heaven of heavens cannot contain thee.” Compare 2 Chronicles 2:6.And ye waters that be above the heavens - Genesis 1:7 : “And God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament.” The allusion here is to the waters which seem to be above the lower... read more
Let them praise the name of the Lord - That is, Let them praise Yahweh himself - the name being often put for the person or thing referred to.For he commanded, and they were created - He showed his great power by merely speaking, and they came at once into being. Compare Psalms 33:6, note; Psalms 33:9, note. read more
He hath also stablished them forever and ever - He has made them firm, stable, enduring. That they may be eternal is possible; that they will not be, no one can prove. Matter, when created, has no necessary tendency to decay or annihilation; and the universe - the stars, and suns, and systems - which have endured so many million of ages may continue to exist any number of million of ages to come. Of course, however, all this is dependent on the will of God. On the meaning of this passage,... read more
Praise the Lord from the earth - From among those who dwell on the earth. In respect to terrestrial objects, let these also unite in the praise of God.Ye dragons - On the meaning of this word, see Psalms 91:13, note; Isaiah 13:22, note. The word may mean a great fish, a whale, a sea monster, or a serpent. It would seem to refer here to whales and sea monsters. See the notes at Revelation 12:3.And all deeps - All that are in the depths of the sea. Not merely the “dragons” or sea monsters, but... read more
Fire, and hail - Fire, when accompanied by hail; that is, the lightning. See Psalms 18:12.Snow, and vapors - Snow and clouds. It was not unnatural that these should be combined, or suggested together to the mind.Stormy wind - The storm; the tempest.Fulfilling his word - Obeying his command; accomplishing his purpose. Let the storm-wind, which seems to be so little under any control, speak his praise by showing how obedient it is to his will, and how exactly it carries out his designs. Its... read more
Mountains, and all hills - As being among the loftiest objects of earth, raising their heads highest toward the heavens.Fruitful trees, and all cedars - Fruitful trees, not as distinguished from those which are barren, but as distinguished from forest-trees, those whose nature is that they do not bear fruit. Of the latter, the cedar was the most prominent, and, therefore, is made the representative of the whole. read more
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Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Psalms 148
The author of this psalm is unknown. The occasion on which it was composed was probably the same as that on which the two previous psalms and the two following were written - each commencing and closing with a Hallelujah. That occasion was, most probably, as before remarked, the rebuilding of Jerusalem after the captivity, and the dedication of the temple.The psalm is, in general, a call on all parts of the universe to praise the Lord. It is properly divided into two portions. In the first... read more