Psalm 149:5-9

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Psalms 149:1-5

We have here, I. The calls given to God's Israel to praise. All his works were, in the foregoing psalm, excited to praise him; but here his saints in a particular manner are required to bless him. Observe then, 1. Who are called upon to praise God. Israel in general, the body of the church (Ps. 149:2), the children of Zion particularly, the inhabitants of that holy hill, who are nearer to God than other Israelites; those that have the word and ordinances of God near to them, that are not... read more

Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Psalms 149:6-9

The Israel of God are here represented triumphing over their enemies, which is both the matter of their praise (let them give to God the glory of those triumphs) and the recompence of their praise; those that are truly thankful to God for their tranquillity shall be blessed with victory. Or it may be taken as a further expression of their praise (Ps. 149:6): let the high praises of God be in their mouth, and then, in a holy zeal for his honour, let them take a two-edged sword in their hand, to... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Psalms 149:5

Let the saints be joyful in glory ,.... In the glory put upon them now, being beautified with salvation; in the righteousness of Christ on them, and the grace of Christ in them, which makes them all glorious within; and in the glory they expect to have hereafter, both upon their bodies and souls, and in the hope of that, Romans 5:2 . Some copies of the Ethiopic version render it, "in his glory"; in the glory of Christ, asa divine Person and as Mediator, seen now in the glass of the Gospel,... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Psalms 149:6

Let the high praises of God be in their mouth ,.... Or "throats" F13 בגרונם "in gutture eorum", V. L. Pagninus, Montanus, Piscator, &c.; ; loudly declared by them. The word "praises" is not in the text, and so may be read, "the high things of God" F14 רוממות אל αι υψωσεις του θεου , Sept. "celsitudines", Schmidt. ; or, "the heights of God", as the Septuagint: and these are the perfections of God; as his omniscience, which is knowledge too high for a creature to... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Psalms 149:7

To execute vengeance upon the Heathen ,.... Either upon the Gentile world, in the first times of the Gospel; when the apostles, going there with the twoedged sword of the word, vehemently inveighed against the idolatry of the Heathens, and exhorted them to turn from their idols to serve the living God; and divine power going along with their ministry, multitudes were turned from them; through the success of the Gospel, the oracles of the Heathen were struck dumb, their priests were despised,... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Psalms 149:8

To bind their kings with chains, and their nobles with fetters of iron. Which is thought to allude to what was done to the Canaanitish kings, in the times of Joshua; and to the princes of Midian by Gideon; and to Agag by Saul; and to the Ammonites, Syrians, and others, by David: but it refers either to the first times of the Gospel, and the influence of the sword of the Spirit over the hearts of men; and on some very great personages, as kings and nobles, brought to Christ and his churches,... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Psalms 149:9

To execute upon them the judgment written ,.... In the law, according to the Targum; either upon the seven nations of the land of Canaan, Deuteronomy 7:12 ; or upon all the enemies of God and his people, Deuteronomy 32:41 ; or rather in the Gospel; which declares, that whoever believes in Christ shall be saved, but whoever believes not shall be damned, Mark 16:16 . And according to this twoedged sword or word of God, and the sentence pronounced by it, and judgment written in it, things... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Psalms 149:5

Let the saints be joyful in glory - Let them be gloriously joyful: seeing themselves so honored and so successful, let them be joyful. God has put glory or honor upon them; let them give him the thanks due to his name. Sing aloud upon their beds - While they are reclining on their couches. At their festal banquets, let them shout the praises of the Lord. In imitation of this we often have at our public entertainments the following words sung, taken from the Vulgate of Psalm 115:1 ; : ... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Psalms 149:6

Let the high praises of God - Let them sing songs the most sublime, with the loudest noise consistent with harmony. And a two-edged sword in their hand - Perhaps there is an allusion here to the manner in which the Jews were obliged to labor in rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem: "Every one with one of his hands wrought in the work, and with the other hand held a weapon," Nehemiah 4:17 . The two-edged sword, in Hebrew, is פיפיות pipiyoth , "mouth mouths." read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Psalms 149:7

To execute vengeance upon the heathen - This may refer simply to their purpose of defending themselves to the uttermost, should their enemies attack them while building their wall: and they had every reason to believe that God would be with them; and that, if their enemies did attack them, they should be able to inflict the severest punishment upon them. Punishments upon the people - The unfaithful and treacherous Jews; for we find that some, even of their nobles, had joined with... read more

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