Read & Study the Bible Online - Bible Portal
Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Psalms 150:1-6

We are here, with the greatest earnestness imaginable, excited to praise God; if, as some suppose, this psalm was primarily intended for the Levites, to stir them up to do their office in the house of the Lord, as singers and players on instruments, yet we must take it as speaking to us, who are made to our God spiritual priests. And the repeated inculcating of the call thus intimates that it is a great and necessary duty, a duty which we should be much employed and much enlarged in, but which... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Psalms 150:2

Praise him for his mighty acts ,.... The creation of all things out of nothing; the sustaining of all beings; the government of the world; the redemption of man by Christ, and the wonderful works done by him on earth; the work of grace upon the hearts of his people, and the preservation of them in grace to glory; praise him according to his excellent greatness ; or, "according to the multitude of his greatness" F20 כרב גדלו "secundum multudinem magnitudinie ejus", V. L. Montanus,... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Psalms 150:3

Praise him with the sound of the trumpet ,.... Which was used in calling the assembly together, for worship and on other occasions; and at the feast of blowing of trumpets, and in the year of jubilee, Numbers 10:1 ; and by the priests in temple service, 1 Chronicles 16:6 ; and was typical of the Gospel, which gives a certain and joyful sound, and is the cause and means of praising God, Isaiah 27:13 ; praise him with the psaltery ; to which psalms were sung; and harp ; which... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Psalms 150:4

Praise him with the timbrel and dance ,.... Or "pipe" F21 ומחול "et tibia", Tigurine version, Junius & Tremellius, Piscator, Gejerus. ; See Gill on Psalm 149:3 ; praise him with stringed instruments ; or divers "kinds" F23 במנים "varia symphonia", Cocceius. of instruments not named, as R. Saadiah Gaon; and which, as Aben Ezra says, had all one sound or note; what they were is not known, as also many of them that are particularly mentioned; and organs ; which... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Psalms 150:5

Praise him upon the loud cymbals ,.... Or "cymbals of hearing" F24 בצלצלי שמע "in cymbalis auditus", Montanus, Vatablus. ; that were heard with pleasure and delight, and afar off: the Septuagint and Vulgate Latin versions render it, "well sounding cymbals", which give a grateful sound to the ear; these were made of brass, 1 Chronicles 15:19 ; to which the apostle alludes, 1 Corinthians 13:1 ; praise him upon the high sounding, cymbals ; or "cymbals of shouting" F25 ... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Psalms 150:6

Let everything that hath breath praise the Lord ,.... Even the brute creatures, as in a preceding; but more especially man, in whom God has breathed the breath of life, and is become not only a living but a rational soul; and more especially spiritual men, converted persons, whether Jews or Gentiles; on whom the Spirit of the Lord has breathed, and whom he has quickened; and who breathe in prayer after divine things; and who also have abundant reason to bless and praise his name for what he... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Psalms 150:2

For his mighty acts - Whether manifested in creation, government, mercy or justice. His excellent greatness - גדלו כרב kerob gudlo , according to the multitude of his magnitude, or of his majesty. After the manyfoldness of his mickleness - Anglo-Saxon. After the mykelnes of his greathede - Old Psalter. Let the praise be such as is becoming so great, so holy, and so glorious a Being. read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Psalms 150:3

The sound of the trumpet - שופר sophar , from its noble, cheering, and majestic sound; for the original has this ideal meaning. With the psaltery - נבל nebel ; the nabla, a hollow stringed instrument; perhaps like the guitar, or the old symphony. And harp - כנור kinnor , another stringed instrument, played on with the hands or fingers. read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Psalms 150:4

Praise him with the timbrel - תף toph , drum, tabret, or tomtom, or tympanum of the ancients; a skin stretched over a broad hoop; perhaps something like the tambarine. Anglo-Saxon; the glad pipe. Taburne; Old Psalter. And dance - מחול machol , the pipe. The croude or crowthe: Old Psalter; a species of violin. It never means dance; see the note on Psalm 149:3 . Crwth signifies a fiddle in Welsh. Stringed instruments - מנים minnim . This literally signifies strings put in... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Psalms 150:5

Loud cymbals - צלצלים tseltselim . Two hollow plates of brass, which, being struck together, produced a sharp clanging sound. This instrument is still in use. What the high-sounding cymbals meant I know not; unless those of a larger make, struck above the head, and consequently emitting a louder sound. read more

Group of Brands