Psalm 147:1-20

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Psalms 147:1-11

Here, I. The duty of praise is recommended to us. It is not without reason that we are thus called to it again and again: Praise you the Lord (Ps. 147:1), and again (Ps. 147:7), Sing unto the Lord with thanksgiving, sing praise upon the harp to our God (let all our praises be directed to him and centre in him), for it is good to do so; it is our duty, and therefore good in itself; it is our interest, and therefore good for us. It is acceptable to our Creator and it answers the end of our... read more

Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Psalms 147:12-20

Jerusalem, and Zion, the holy city, the holy hill, are here called upon to praise God, Ps. 147:12. For where should praise be offered up to God but where his altar is? Where may we expect that glory should be given to him but in the beauty of holiness? Let the inhabitants of Jerusalem praise the Lord in their own houses; let the priests and Levites, who attend in Zion, the city of their solemnities, in a special manner praise the Lord. They have more cause to do it than others, and they lie... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Psalms 147:1

Praise ye the Lord ,.... When he shall reign, as Kimchi connects this psalm with the preceding; the arguments used to engage men to this work are taken partly from the nature of it, as in the next clauses; and partly from what the Lord is and does, as in the following verses; for it is good to sing praises unto our God ; it being agreeably to his revealed will, what he enjoins, approves of, and accepts, and is profitable to his people, as well as makes his glory; see Psalm 92:1 .... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Psalms 147:2

The Lord doth build up Jerusalem ,.... Literally, after the Babylonish captivity, according to some; or rather when taken from the Jebusites by David; or spiritually the church, which is often called Jerusalem, even the Gospel church, of which Christ is the builder, his ministers are instruments, his people are the materials, and which, though now greatly fallen to decay, will be rebuilt by him in the latter day; when his work will be revived among his saints, his Gospel more powerfully... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Psalms 147:3

He healeth the broken in heart ,.... Christ is a physician; many are the diseases of his people; he heals them all by his blood, stripes, wounds; and among the rest their broken hearts, which none can cure but himself; hearts broken by the word, as a hammer, accompanied with a divine power; which have a true sense of sin, and godly sorrow for it; are truly contrite, such as the Lord has a respect unto, dwells with, and accepts of; and these he heals, and only he, by pouring in oil and wine,... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Psalms 147:4

He telleth the number of the stars ,.... Which no man can do exactly; see Genesis 15:5 ; the ancient astronomers pretended to tell them, as Aratus and Eudoxus F15 Vid. Augustin de Civ. Dei, l. 16. c. 23. , and fixed their number at a thousand and some odd; but then these were only such as were of some magnitude and influence, and such as commonly appeared; but since the use of telescopes many are seen which were not before; and especially those clusters of them in the Milky Way... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Psalms 147:5

Great is our Lord, and of great power ,.... "Our Lord" is our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of the whole earth; the Lord of his own people by creation, by redemption, by marriage, and by the conquest of his grace, and their voluntary submission to him; he is "great" in his person, offices, and grace, and therefore greatly to be praised; see Psalm 145:3 ; and particularly his "power" is very "great", as appears in the creation of all things out of nothing by him; in the sustaining and... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Psalms 147:6

The Lord lifteth up the meek ,.... The lowly and humble souls, such as are made so by the Spirit of God; he shows them their sinfulness, and want of righteousness; the insufficiency of their own, and need of Christ's; blowing a blast upon all their goodliness, so bringing down their natural pride and haughtiness, and causing them to submit to Christ, that he alone might be exalted; such as learn of him, who is meek and lowly, and become the followers of the humble Jesus; who being partakers... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Psalms 147:7

Sing unto the Lord with thanksgiving ,.... These are the words of the psalmist unto the Israelites, according to Aben Ezra and Kimchi; but may be an exhortation to all men, especially good men; who are capable of observing the following things concerning providential goodness and special grace, on account of which they are called upon to "sing unto the Lord": or to "answer" F17 ענו "respondete", Montanus, Cocceius; "alternis canite", Tigurine version, Piscator, Michaelis. ; to sing... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Psalms 147:8

Who covereth the heaven with clouds ,.... Which are exhalations of vapours out of the earth, and of waters out of the sea, by the sun, and formed into clouds; which are carried about in the air, and let down in showers of rain upon the earth, in proper places, for the good of the inhabitants; and sometimes, when necessary, the heavens are covered and become black with them, as in the times of Ahab, 2 Kings 18:35 ; and though they look dark, dull, and melancholy, yet are for great... read more

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