Psalm 147:12-13

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 147:12

Praise the Lord, O Jerusalem ,.... The inhabitants of it, as Kimchi; not Jerusalem in a literal sense, for this respects future time, as Aben Ezra; the world to come, the times of the Messiah: and intends the spiritual Jerusalem, as Arama; that which is free, the mother of us all; the Gospel church, and the members of it; which have great reason to praise the Lord, for their special blessings and peculiar privileges; see Galatians 4:26 ; praise thy God, O Zion ; not the house and... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Psalms 147:13

For he hath strengthened the bars of thy gates ,.... Of Jerusalem, of Zion the church of God. Gates are for the letting in of persons into the city of our God; which are Christ, faith in him, and a profession of it; see Isaiah 26:1 , "bars" are for the security of those that, are in it, and to keep out the enemy: and these, "strengthened", denote the utmost safety of the true members of Christ and his church; who have nothing to fear from their spiritual enemies, sin, law, Satan, the... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Psalms 147:13

He hath strengthened the bars of thy gates - He has enabled thee to complete the walls of Jerusalem. From the former part of the Psalm it appears the walls were then to progress; from this part, they appear to be completed, and provisions to be brought into the city, to support its inhabitants. The gates were set up and well secured by bars, so that the grain, etc., was in safety. read more

John Calvin

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Psalms 147:12

Verse 12 12.Celebrate Jehovah, O Jerusalem! Having spoken in general of the mercies of God, he again addresses his discourse to the Lord’s people, who alone, as we have remarked already, can appreciate them, calling upon them to recognize with thanksgiving the blessings which others riot upon without acknowledgment. Under the name of Jerusalem, he comprises the whole Church, for in that place the faithful then held their religious assemblies, and flowed together as it were to the standard of... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Psalms 147:1-20

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Psalms 147:12

Praise the Lord, O Jerusalem . The other exhortations to praise in the psalm are general ( Psalms 147:1 , Psalms 147:7 ); now a special call is made on Jerusalem to give him praise, since Jerusalem has lately experienced special mercies ( Psalms 147:13 , Psalms 147:14 ). Praise thy God, O Zion (comp. Psalms 146:10 ). read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Psalms 147:12-20

National well-being. Piety and patriotism, that go so well together and were so intimately bound together in the mind of the Jews, are here very closely associated. We, too, are convinced that the future of our country will be determined by its faithfulness or unfaithfulness to the Lord whom it professes to serve. There are four features of national well-being here. I. SECURITY . ( Psalms 147:13 .) "He hath strengthened the bars of thy gates." Jerusalem was surrounded by its... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Psalms 147:13

For he hath strengthened the bars of thy gates. The strength of gates in the ancient world depended wholly upon their bars, which were generally strong beams of wood passed across from side to side of the gateway, about midway up the gate, having their ends inserted into strong iron hooks or clamps, which were let into the stonework of the walls. The "bars" of the gates of Jerusalem are mentioned in Nehemiah repeatedly ( Psalms 3:3 , Psalms 3:6 , 13, 14, 15; Psalms 7:3 ). He hath... read more

Albert Barnes

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Psalms 147:12

Praise the Lord, O Jerusalem ... - In addition to this general praise in which all may unite, there are special reasons why Jerusalem and its inhabitants should praise God: just as now, in addition to the general reasons pertaining to all people why they should praise God, there are special reasons why Christians - why his redeemed people - should do it. What those reasons, as pertaining to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, were, is specified in the following verses. read more

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