Unreliability of man God's steadfastness His kind ness to the needy Epilogue His restoration of his scattered people His rule in heaven and among men Put not your trust in princes, "Happy is he whose help is Jacob's God, Jehovah, who looseth the prisoners, Jehovah who raiseth up those bowed down, He upholdeth the fatherless and widow, But the way of the wicked he maketh crooked. 10 Jehovah will reign forever, Thy God, O Zion, to all generations. § 86. Jehovah's Gracious and Omnipotent Power, Ps. 1471-11 Ps. 147 1Praise Jehovah, for it is good,d Make melody to our God, for it is pleasant." He gathereth the outcasts of Israel, "He healeth the broken-hearted, "He counteth the number of the stars, 5Great is our Lord, and of mighty power, 1463 Lit., to whom there is no help. b1464 So I Mac. 263b and the requirements of the metre. Heb., his breath goeth forth, he It may be secondary, for it is $86 Ps. 147 contains two originally independent poems. They are still separate in the Gk. but have been united in the Heb., probably because they deal with the same theme and in very much the same way. Briggs (cf. Duhm's order: 1-3, 6, 7, 4, 5, 8-11) also finds two poems in 1-6 and 7-11; but 7-9 and 4-6 are too closely parallel in thought to be separated and 1-11 makes a complete and logical literary unit. Like the other hymns of thanksgiving in this collection, it was probably first sung to celebrate the Maccabean victories. d1471 Slightly revising the Heb. as the context and parallelism demand. 1471 A scribe has added from 331, praise is comely. Gk., praise is comely for our God. JEHOVAH'S OMNIPOTENT POWER 6Jehovah is the restorer of the afflicted, He casteth down the wicked to earth. "Sing to Jehovah with thanksgiving, Make melody upon the harp to our God, 8Who covereth the heavens with clouds, Who maketh the mountains put forth verdure, To the young ravens when they cry. 10 He delighteth not in the strength of the horse, "Jehovah taketh pleasure in his worshippers," In those who wait for his lovingkindness. § 87. Jehovah's Gracious Rule in Nature and in Israel's History, Ps. 14712-20 Ps. 147 12Praise Jehovah, O Jerusalem, Praise thy God, O Zion; 13 For he hath strengthened the bars of thy gates, 14 He maketh thy borders peace; He satisfieth thee with the finest of the wheat. 15He sendeth his command to the earth,h 16He giveth snow like wool, He scattereth the hoar-frost like ashes. 17 He casteth down his ice like morsels, The waters stand before his cold.i 18 He sendeth out his word and melteth them, He causeth his wind to change and the waters flow.j 19 He declareth his word to Jacob, His statutes and his ordinances to Israel. 20 He hath not dealt so with any other nation, Provisions for need of animal world His delight in his wor shippers His provisions for his people His rule in nature His especial revelation to Israel 11478 Or, revising, he maketh verdure grow on the mountains. 814710 Lit., those who fear him. § 87 This little liturgical ps. is richly suggestive of the spirit of the Jews in the days of Simon, when at last they were at comparative peace with the ring of attacking foes which in the earlier days of the Maccabean struggle had enmeshed them, 14. It voices the satisfaction and thanksgiving with which they viewed their unwonted prosperity. h14715 Cf. Gen. 1 for the same idea of Jehovah's rule by command. 114717 Restoring the Heb. as the next line demands, for it implies that the waters had been frozen by the cold. 114818 A change of the wind from the north to the east or south (the direction of the hot desert) brings a sudden rise of temperature in Palestine. All that is in the heavens All on earth Exordium § 88. Call to All Created Things to Praise Jehovah, Ps. 148 Ps. 148 1Praise ye Jehovah from the heavens, Praise him on the heights. 2Praise him, all his angels, Praise him, all his host. 3Praise him, sun and moon, Praise him, all ye stars of light. "Praise him, ye heavens of heavens, And ye waters that are above the heavens. For he commanded, and they were created, "Praise Jehovah from the earth, 13 Let them praise the name of Jehovah, His majesty is over earth and heaven, Of the Israelites, a people which is near to him. § 89. Thanksgiving for Recent Victories, Ps. 149 Ps. 149 1Sing to Jehovah a new song, And his praise in the assembly of the faithful. Let the sons of Zion exult in their King. §88 This ps. is an expansion of Ps. 10321. 22. It is further expanded in the Song of the Three Children. It is based on Gen. 1. Its broad outlook suggests the Greek or Maccabean period. Its place at the close of the Psalter indicates that it was one of the seven doxologies added to the earlier collections of hymns by the final editors of the book of Psalms. k1486 Or, slightly revising, which they may not transgress. 114814 I. e., given them might to repel and overthrow their foes. §89 Vs. well describes the author of this Maccabean ps., who was one of the Hasideans or faithful and who probably carried a two-edged sword in the wars of Judas and Simon. THANKSGIVING FOR RECENT VICTORIES "Let them praise his name in the dance, Make melody to him with timbrel and lyre. "For Jehovah delighteth in his people, Let them sing for joy on their beds. "Let the high praises of God be in their mouth," "To execute vengeance on the heathen, To bind their kings with chains, And their nobles with fetters of iron, "To execute on them the judgment written;" § 90. The Great Doxology, Ps. 150 Ps. 150 1Praise God for his holiness, 2Praise him for his deeds of might, Praise him for the abundance of his greatness. "Praise him with the blast of the horn, Praise him with harp and lyre, "Praise him with timbrel and dance, Praise him with strings and pipe, "Let everything that hath breath praise Jehovah! m 1496 Lit., in their throat. 1499 Not only in such books as Dt., but in the prophecies like Ezek. 38, 39, Is. 4115, Mic. 413, and Zech. 14. $90 This highly liturgical ps. was written as a closing doxology to the entire Psalter. It therefore corresponds to the shorter doxologies appended to the earlier collections. Cf. 4113, 7218-20, 8952, and 10648. It may be dated about 140 B.C. 1501 Lit., the spreading out of. In unison |