Bibelkommentare

This is also a Psalm of David, and the last of the series in this part of the collection. It is entitled simply, "Of Praise," or, in the Hebrew, "Praise by David," or "Praise of David;" that is, one of David's songs of praise. It is an "alphabetical" psalm; that is, each verse begins with a letter of the Hebrew alphabet. The arrangement in this respect is complete, except that the Hebrew letter nun (נ n, "n") is omitted, for which no reason can be assigned, unless it was from a desire that the psalm might consist of three equal parts of seven verses each. In the Septuagint, Syriac, Arabic, Latin Vulgate, and Aethiopic versions, this omission is attempted to be supplied by inserting between Psalm 145:13-14 a verse which in Hebrew would begin with the Hebrew letter nun (נ n, "n"), - נאמן, etc.: - "Faithful is the Lord in all his words, and holy in all his works." This is taken from Psalm 145:17 of the psalm by the change of a word in the beginning - "faithful" for "righteous," נאמן for צדיק. There is no authority for this, however, in the MSS., and it is evidently an attempt to supply what seemed to be an omission or defect in the composition of the psalm. The verse is not in the Chaldee Paraphrase, or in the version of Aquila and Theodotion; and it is certain that as early as the time of Origen and Jerome it was not in the Hebrew text. The Masorites and the Jewish commentators reject it. The sense is in no way affected by the insertion or omission of this, since the verses of the psalm have no necessary connection in meaning - the composition, as in most of the alphabetical psalms, being made up of independent sentiments suggested in part at least by the necessity of commencing each verse with a particular letter.

The psalm does not admit of any particular analysis, and it is impossible now to ascertain the occasion on which it was written.

I will extol thee ... - I will lift thee up; I will lift up thy name and praise, so that it may be heard afar.

And I will bless thy name forever and ever - I will bless or praise thee. I will do it now; I will do it in all the future. I will do it in time; I will do it in eternity. See the notes at Psalm 30:1.

Every day will I bless thee ... - Compare Psalm 92:2; Psalm 55:17. As we receive blessings from God every day (compare Lamentations 3:23), it is proper that we should render to him daily thanks; as God is the same always - "yesterday, today, and forever" - it is proper that he should receive from day to day the tribute of praise; as we are daily dependent on him - one day as much as another - our recognition of that dependence should be daily; and as he will always be unchangeably the same, it will be proper that he should be praised forever and ever. Two things are apparent from this verse:

(1) that a truly religious man "will" worship God every day;

(2) that it is the fixed purpose of a truly religious man to continue this forever.

Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised - See Psalm 96:4, note; Psalm 18:3, note.

And his greatness is unsearchable - See Job 5:9, note; Job 9:10, note; Job 11:7-8, notes.

One generation shall praise thy works ... - Shall praise thee on account of thy works or thy doings. That is, Thy praise shall be always kept up on the earth. See the notes at Isaiah 38:19; notes at Psalm 19:2. One generation shall transmit the knowledge of thy works to another by praise - by hymns and psalms recording and celebrating thy praise. Successive generations of people shall take up the language of praise, and it shall thus be transmitted to the end of time.

And shall declare thy mighty acts - Thy works of strength or power. God's greatness - his infinity - is in itself a just ground of praise, for we should rejoice that there is One Infinite Eternal Being; and as all that greatness is employed in the cause of truth, of law, of good order, of justice, of kindness, of mercy, it should call forth continued praise in all parts of his dominions.

I will speak - That is, in my acts of praise. I will not be ashamed to be known as his worshipper; I will publicly declare my belief in his existence, his greatness, his goodness.

Of the glorious honor of thy majesty - The glory of the honor of thy majesty. This accumulation of epithets shows that the heart of the psalmist was full of the subject, and that he labored to find language to express his emotions. It is beauty; it is glory; it is majesty: it is all that is great, sublime, wonderful - all combined - all concentrated - in one Being.

And of thy wondrous works - Margin, "things," or "words." The reference is to wondrous deeds or acts considered as the subject of discourse or praise.

And men shall speak of the might of thy terrible acts - The force, the power of those things done by thee which are suited to inspire fear or reverence. The great power displayed in those acts shall be a ground or reason for celebrating thy praise. The manifestations of that power will so deeply impress the minds of people, that they will be led to speak of them.

And I will declare thy greatness - Hebrew, "And thy greatness, I will declare it." In respect to that, I will recount it, or I will make it known to others.

They shall abundantly utter the memory of thy great goodness - Hebrew, The memory of the greatness of thy goodness they will pour forth. The word rendered "abundantly utter" means to bud forth, to gush out, to flow, as a fountain. Proverbs 18:4; Proverbs 1:23; Proverbs 15:2, Proverbs 15:28. It is applied to words as poured forth in praise. The meaning is, that the heart is full, as a fountain is full of water, and that it naturally overflows, or seeks to discharge itself. The thought of the goodness of God fills the heart, and makes it overflow with gratitude.

And shall sing of thy righteousness - They shall shout for joy at the displays of thy justice; at the manifestations of thy righteous character.