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This psalm begins and ends with "Hallelujah;" for, as many others, it is designed to promote the great and good work of praising God. I. We are here called upon and urged to praise God, Ps 113:1-3. II. We are here furnished with matter for praise, and words are put into our mouths, in singing which we must with holy fear and love give to God the glory of, 1. The elevations of his glory and greatness, Ps 113:4,5. 2. The condescensions of his grace and goodness (Ps 113:6-9), which very much illustrate one another, that we may be duly affected with both.
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A Call to Praise God; God's Greatness and Condescension
简体中文
呼召人赞美神；神的伟大与俯就
¹ 你们要赞美耶和华。耶和华的仆人哪，你们要赞美，赞美耶和华的名。
² 耶和华的名是应当称颂的，从今时直到永远。
³ 从日出之地到日落之处，耶和华的名是应当赞美的。
⁴ 耶和华超乎万民之上；他的荣耀高过诸天。
⁵ 谁像耶和华我们的神呢？他坐在至高之处，
⁶ 自己谦卑观看天上地上的事。
⁷ 他从灰尘里抬举贫寒人，从粪堆中提拔穷乏人，
⁸ 使他们与王子同坐，就是与本国的王子同坐。
⁹ 他使不能生育的妇人安居家中，为多子的乐母。你们要赞美耶和华。
在本诗中——
一、我们被劝勉将荣耀归给神，归给他名所当得的荣耀。
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这邀请极为恳切：你们要赞美耶和华，再三地说：赞美他，赞美他；愿他的名为福——因为它是当受赞美的（诗113:1-3）。这表明：（1）这是一项必需、最卓越的本分，大蒙神喜悦，在信仰中占极大的地位。（2）这是我们应该大加丰盛的本分，应当常常从事，并被大大扩充。（3）这是我们非常退缩的本分，需要藉着"律上加律、线上加线"的吩咐来催促激发我们。（4）那些自己常常赞美神的人，也会邀请别人一同赞美，既因他们感到这工的分量，需要尽一切能召来的帮助（这是所有的心、所有的手都有事可作，而且都还嫌不够），又因他们感到其中的喜乐，愿意一切朋友都来分享。
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这邀请范围极广。当留意：（1）神从谁得着赞美——从他自己百姓而来；此处称他们为应当回应这呼召的人：耶和华的仆人哪，你们要赞美！他们最有理由赞美他；因为那些事奉他、作他仆人的人最认识他，也最多得他的恩惠。赞美他也是他们当尽的本分；那是他仆人当作的工：为他们的主说好话，尽所能地尊荣他，这是轻易可悦的事；他们若不作，谁应该作？有人将此解为利未人；但若如此，所有基督徒都是有君尊的祭司，为要宣扬那召他们出黑暗入奇妙光明者的美德（彼前2:9）。天使是耶和华的仆人；他们不需我们呼召去赞美神，然而他们确在赞美他，且赞美得比我们更好，这于我们乃是安慰。（2）他理当从谁得着赞美。〔1〕从一切世代（诗113:2）——从今时直到永远。莫让这工与我们一同止息，当让我们在更好的世界里继续行，又让接续我们的人在这世界里继续行。莫让我们的后裔退化，而当让神在世世代代中都被赞美——不仅在这一代。我们必须在我们的日子称颂耶和华，与诗人同说：他的名从今时直到永远都是应当称颂的。〔2〕从一切地方——从日出之地到日落之处——即遍及可居之地。凡享受日出之益处的人（那些如此行的人也必须料到太阳将落），都当为那光向众光之父献上感谢。耶和华的名是应当赞美的——理当被万国赞美；因为在每一个地方，从东到西，都有他智慧、权能与良善的明显证据与作为；可惜人类中竟有如此大的部分不认识他，将当单单归他的赞美归给别人，这实在可悲。但或许这里还有更深的含义：正如诗113:2让我们瞥见荣耀的国度，暗示神的名要永远为福（当时间不再有时，那赞美便是天上的工），照样这节让我们瞥见恩典的国度在福音的施行中。当教会不再局限于犹太民族，而是遍布全世界，当在各处都有人向我神献上香的祭（玛1:11），那时从日出之地到日落之处，耶和华的名必被赞美——各国中都有人如此行。
二、此处指教我们当以何事归荣耀给他。
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让我们以信心的眼目仰望，看他荣耀在上的世界何其高超，并以此赞美他（诗113:4、5）。在赞美中我们当高举他的名，因为他是至高的，他的荣耀是至高的。（1）超乎万民之上——超乎他们的君王，无论其排场多么煊赫；超乎他们的百姓，无论其人数多么众多。一位地上的君王"虽大于个人，却小于全体"是否属实，我们不予讨论；但我们确知这在万王之王身上并不真实。把万民合起来，他仍在他们众人之上；他们在他的面前，如同桶里的一滴、天平上的微尘（赛60:15、17）。当让万民都高度地思想并谈论神，因为他高过他们众人。（2）高过诸天；他荣耀的宝座在最高层的天上，这应当提升我们在赞美中的心（哀3:41）。他的荣耀高过诸天——即高过天使；他高于他们的所是，因为他们的光辉与他的相比算不得什么；他高于他们的所行，因为他们服在他的命令之下，行他所喜悦的事；他也高于他们所能言述的他。他被高举超过一切颂赞和赞美——不仅超过我们的一切，也超过他们的一切。所以我们当以圣洁的希奇说：谁像耶和华我们的神呢？地上一切君王掌权者中谁能比？上面一切光明有福的灵中谁能比？无人能与他同等，无人敢与他相比。神当被赞美为超绝、无可比拟、无限伟大的那一位；因为他坐在至高之处，从高处俯视一切，统管一切，并理当吸引一切赞美归他自己。
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让我们以观察的眼目环顾，看他在下的世界其良善何其广大，并以此赞美他。他是那自己升高的神，自己屈尊观看天上地上的事。有人认为这里有倒装：他升到高处坐在天上，自己谦卑观看地上；但按我们所接受的，意思已经够清楚了，只是当留意：神被说为自己升高与自己谦卑，二者都是他自己的作为；他既自我存在，便也是自己尊荣的源头、自己恩典的源头。神俯就的良善显在——
（1）他对在他以下的世界所加的关注。他的荣耀超乎万民、超乎诸天，但二者都没有被他忽视。神为大，然而他不藐视任何人（伯36:5）。他谦卑自己，观看他所造的一切、他的众臣仆，尽管他无限地超越他们。考虑到神性的无限完全、自足与福乐，神竟乐意把天上诸军与地上居民都纳入他永恒旨意的思念之中、纳入他普遍护理的手中（但4:35），这必须被承认是奇妙的俯就之举——即便在这统管中他也谦卑自己。〔1〕他竟观看天上的事——扶持众天使的生存、引导他们的动作、悦纳他们的赞美与事奉——这于他已是俯就；因为他并不需要他们，也不因他们得益。〔2〕他竟观看地上的事——眷顾世人、留意他们、安排掌管他们的事务，并留意他们所说所行的，好叫地上充满他的美善——这更是俯就；他也以此为我们树立榜样，俯就而行善，留意 inferior，关怀不如自己的人。倘若神观看天上地下的事都是如此俯就，那么神的儿子从天降地，亲自披戴我们的本性，为要寻找拯救失丧的人，这是何等奇妙的俯就！在这事上他实在是谦卑了自己。
（2）他对这卑微的下层世界中最小、最低的居民有时所施的特殊恩惠。他不仅观看地上的大事，也观看最微小的事，以及大人物通常忽略的事。他不仅观看他们，更为他们行了奇事，行了非常出奇的事——超出护理的常规与因果的链条之外；这表明世界并非受某种自然规律统管（若是，便总在同一轨道上运行），而是受一位乐于行我们所未曾预料之事的自然之神所统管。〔1〕那些长久被人轻视的人，有时忽然被高举（诗113:7-8）：他从灰尘里抬举贫寒人，使他们与王子同坐。第一，神有时藉此荣耀他自己，并荣耀他自己的智慧、权能与主权。当某项大工要作时，他常拣选那些最不可能、自己也最想不到的人，把他们置于最高尊荣之位：基甸是从打麦场召来，扫罗是从找驴召来，大卫是从牧羊中召来；使徒们是从打鱼而被差遣去得人如得鱼。福音的宝贝放在瓦器里，世上软弱愚拙的被人指定作其传道人，为要使有智慧有能的蒙羞（林前1:27-28），使这能力的卓越显明是出于神，并使众人看见高举是出于他。第二，神有时藉此报答他百姓卓越的敬虔与忍耐——他们长久在贫穷与羞辱的重压下叹息。当约瑟的德行经过试验并显明之后，他从监牢的尘土中被抬举，与王子同坐。智慧人必观察护理这样的回报，并藉此明白耶和华的慈爱。有人将此应用于耶稣基督的救赎之工，并非不合宜；因为藉着他，堕落可怜的人从尘土中被抬举（一位犹太拉比将此应用于死人复活），不，从罪孽的粪堆中被抬举，与王子同坐——与众天使、他百姓的众王子同坐。哈拿曾如此唱（撒上2:6-8）。〔2〕那些长久不育的人，有时忽然被赐予后裔（诗113:9）。这可回顾撒拉、利百加、拉结、哈拿，以及参孙的母亲，也可前瞻以利沙伯；这样的例子屡见不鲜，在其中神垂顾了他使女的苦情，除去了她的羞辱。他使不能生育的妇人安居家中——不仅建立家室，更藉此使这家室的主母有事可为。当知：凡以家室为安慰的人，必当承担其照料之责；生养儿女与治理家务是并提的（提前5:14）。当神使不生育的妇人被立在一家之中，他期望她观察家里的道（箴31:27）。她被称为多子的乐母——不仅因为在通常情形下，因为一个男子出生在世界，那疼痛便被喜乐所忘；更是因为当孩子出生在久不生育的人家中时，有特殊的喜乐（如路1:14），所以也当有特殊的感恩。你们要赞美耶和华。然而在这种情况下，当存战兢而喜乐；因为忧愁的母亲虽被变为喜乐，喜乐的母亲也可能再变为忧愁——若孩子被取去或使她愁苦。因此，这也可应用于外邦人中的福音教会（其建立正是以此比喻说明，赛54:1：你这不怀孕不生养的，要发声歌唱；加4:27）；我们这些本为外邦罪人、作了荒凉之子的，因此有理由说：你们要赞美耶和华。
英文原文
A Call to Praise God; God's Greatness and Condescension
¹ Praise ye the LORD. Praise, O ye servants of the LORD, praise the name of the LORD.
² Blessed be the name of the LORD from this time forth and for evermore.
³ From the rising of the sun unto the going down of the same the LORD's name is to be praised.
⁴ The LORD is high above all nations, and his glory above the heavens.
⁵ Who is like unto the LORD our God, who dwelleth on high,
⁶ Who humbleth himself to behold the things that are in heaven, and in the earth!
⁷ He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, and lifteth the needy out of the dunghill;
⁸ That he may set him with princes, even with the princes of his people.
⁹ He maketh the barren woman to keep house, and to be a joyful mother of children. Praise ye the LORD.
In this psalm,
I. We are extorted to give glory to God, to give him the glory due to his name.
1. The invitation is very pressing: praise you the Lord, and again and again, Praise him, praise him; blessed be his name, for it is to be praised, Ps 113:1-3. This intimates, (1.) That it is a necessary and most excellent duty, greatly pleasing to God, and has a large room in religion. (2.) That it is a duty we should much abound in, in which we should be frequently employed and greatly enlarged. (3.) That it is work which we are very backward to, and which we need to be engaged and excited to by precept upon precept and line upon line. (4.) That those who are much in praising God themselves will court others to it, both because they find the weight of the work, and that there is need of all the help they can fetch in (there is employment for all hearts, all hands, and all little enough), and because they find the pleasure of it, which they wish all their friends may share in.
2. The invitation is very extensive. Observe, (1.) From whom God has praise—from his own people; they are here called upon to praise God, as those that will answer the call: Praise, O you servants of the Lord! They have most reason to praise him; for those that attend him as his servants know him best and receive most of his favours. And it is their business to praise him; that is the work required of them as his servants: it is easy pleasant work to speak well of their Master, and do him what honour they can; if they do not, who should? Some understand it of the Levites; but, if so, all Christians are a royal priesthood, to show forth the praises of him that has called them, 1Pe 2:9. The angels are the servants of the Lord; they need not be called upon by us to praise God, yet it is a comfort to us that they do praise him, and that they praise him better than we can. (2.) From whom he ought to have praise. [1.] From all ages (Ps 113:2)—from this time forth for evermore. Let not this work die with us, but let us be doing it in a better world, and let those that come after us be doing it in this. Let not our seed degenerate, but let God be praised through all the generations of time, and not in this only. We must bless the Lord in our day, by saying, with the psalmist, Blessed be his name now and always. [2.] From all places—from the rising of the sun to the going down of the same, that is, throughout the habitable world. Let all that enjoy the benefit of the sun rising (and those that do so must count upon it that the sun will set) give thanks for that light to the Father of lights. God's name is to be praised; it ought to be praised by all nations; for in every place, from east to west, there appear the manifest proofs and products of his wisdom, power, and goodness; and it is to be lamented that so great a part of mankind are ignorant of him, and give that praise to others which is due to him alone. But perhaps there is more in it; as the Ps 113:2 gave us a glimpse of the kingdom of glory, intimating that God's name shall be blessed for ever (when time shall be no more that praise shall be the work of heaven), so this verse gives us a glimpse of the kingdom of grace in the gospel-dispensation of it. When the church shall no longer be confined to the Jewish nation, but shall spread itself all the world over, when in every place spiritual incense shall be offered to our God (Mal 1:11), then from the rising to the setting of the sun the Lord's name shall be praised by some in all countries.
II. We are here directed what to give him the glory of.
1. Let us look up with an eye of faith, and see how high his glory is in the upper world, and mention that to his praise, Ps 113:4,5. We are, in our praises, to exalt his name, for he is high, his glory is high. (1.) High above all nations, their kings though ever so pompous, their people though ever so numerous. Whether it be true of an earthly king or no that though he is major singulis—greater than individuals, he is minor universis—less than the whole, we will not dispute; but we are sure it is not true of the King of kings. Put all the nations together, and he is above them all; they are before him as the drop of the bucket and the small dust of the balance, Isa 60:15,17. Let all nations think and speak highly of God, for he is high above them all. (2.) High above the heavens; the throne of his glory is in the highest heavens, which should raise our hearts in praising him, La 3:41. His glory is above the heavens, that is, above the angels; he is above what they are, for their brightness is nothing to his,—above what they do, for they are under his command and do his pleasure,—and above what even they can speak him to be. He is exalted above all blessing and praise, not only all ours, but all theirs. We must therefore say, with holy admiration, Who is like unto the Lord our God? who of all the princes and potentates of the earth? who of all the bright and blessed spirits above? None can equal him, none dare compare with him. God is to be praised as transcendently, incomparably, and infinitely great; for he dwells on high, and from on high sees all, and rules all, and justly attracts all praise to himself.
2. Let us look around with an eye of observation, and see how extensive his goodness is in the lower world, and mention that to his praise. He is a God who exalts himself to dwell, who humbles himself in heaven, and in earth. Some think there is a transposition, He exalts himself to dwell in heaven, he humbles himself to behold on earth; but the sense is plain enough as we take it, only observe, God is said to exalt himself and to humble himself, both are his own act and deed; as he is self-existent, so he is both the fountain of his own honour and the spring of his own grace; God's condescending goodness appears,
(1.) In the cognizance he takes of the world below him. His glory is above the nations and above the heavens, and yet neither is neglected by him. God is great, yet he despises not any, Job 36:5. He humbles himself to behold all his creatures, all his subjects, though he is infinitely above them. Considering the infinite perfection, sufficiency, and felicity of the divine nature, it must be acknowledged as an act of wonderful condescension that God is pleased to take into the thoughts of his eternal counsel, and into the hand of his universal Providence, both the armies of heaven and the inhabitants of the earth (Da 4:35); even in this dominion he humbles himself. [1.] It is condescension in him to behold the things in heaven, to support the beings, direct the motions, and accept the praises and services, of the angels themselves; for he needs them not, nor is benefited by them. [2.] Much more is it condescension in him to behold the things that are in the earth, to visit the sons of men, and regard them, to order and overrule their affairs, and to take notice of what they say and do, that he may fill the earth with his goodness, and so set us an example of stooping to do good, of taking notice of, and concerning ourselves about, our inferiors. If it be such condescension for God to behold things in heaven and earth, what an amazing condescension was it for the Son of God to come from heaven to earth and take our nature upon him, that he might seek and save those that were lost! Herein indeed he humbled himself.
(2.) In the particular favour he sometimes shows to the least and lowest of the inhabitants of this meaner lower world. He not only beholds the great things in the earth, but the meanest, and those things which great men commonly overlook. Not does he merely behold them, but does wonders for them, and things that are very surprising, out of the common road of providence and chain of causes, which shows that the world is governed, not by a course of nature, for that would always run in the same channel, but by a God of nature, who delights in doing things we looked not for. [1.] Those that have been long despicable are sometimes, on a sudden, made honourable (Ps 113:78): He raises up the poor out of the dust, that he may set him with princes. First, Thus God does sometimes magnify himself, and his own wisdom, power, and sovereignty. When he has some great work to do he chooses to employ those in it that were least likely, and least thought of for it by themselves or others, to the highest post of honour: Gideon is fetched from threshing, Saul from seeking the asses, and David from keeping the sheep; the apostles are sent from fishing to be fishers of men. The treasure of the gospel is put into earthen vessels, and the weak and foolish ones of the world are pitched upon to be preachers of it, to confound the wise and mighty (1Co 1:27,28), that the excellency of the power may be of God, and all may see that promotion comes from him. Secondly, Thus God does sometimes reward the eminent piety and patience of his people who have long groaned under the burden of poverty and disgrace. When Joseph's virtue was tried and manifested he was raised from the prison-dust and set with princes. Those that are wise will observe such returns of Providence, and will understand by them the loving-kindness of the Lord. Some have applied this to the work of redemption by Jesus Christ, and not unfitly; for through him poor fallen men are raised out of the dust (one of the Jewish rabbies applies it to the resurrection of the dead), nay, out of the dunghill of sin, and set among princes, among angels, those princes of his people. Hannah had sung to this purport, 1Sa 2:6-8. [2.] Those that have been long barren are sometimes, on a sudden, made fruitful, Ps 113:9. This may look back to Sarah and Rebecca, Rachel, Hannah, and Samson's mother, or forward to Elizabeth; and many such instances there have been, in which God has looked on the affliction of his handmaids and taken away their reproach. He makes the barren woman to keep house, not only builds up the family, but thereby finds the heads of the family something to do. Note, Those that have the comfort of a family must take the care of it; bearing children and guiding the house are put together, 1Ti 5:14. When God sets the barren in a family he expects that she should look well to the ways of her household, Pr 31:27. She is said to be a joyful mother of children, not only because, even in common cases, the pain is forgotten, for joy that a man-child is born into the world, but there is particular joy when a child is born to those that have been long childless (as Lu 1:14) and therefore there ought to be particular thanksgiving. Praise you the Lord. Yet, in this case, rejoice with trembling; for, though the sorrowful mother be made joyful, the joyful mother may be made sorrowful again, if the children be either removed from her or embittered to her. This, therefore, may be applied to the gospel-church among the Gentiles (the building of which is illustrated by this similitude, Isa 54:1, Sing, O barren! thou that didst not bear, and Ga 4:27), for which we, who, being sinners of the Gentiles, are children of the desolate, have reason to say, Praise you the Lord.
本篇以「哈利路亚」开始,以「哈利路亚」结束;因它如许多其他诗篇一样,意在促进赞美神这一伟大善工。本篇结构如下:一、我们在此蒙呼召并被激发赞美神(诗113:1-3);二、我们在此获赐赞美之内容,且话已置入我们口中——唱时我们当以圣洁的敬畏与爱,将荣耀归给神:1. 归于他荣耀与伟大的崇高(诗113:4,5);2. 归于他恩典与良善的俯就(诗113:6-9)——二者彼此极大相映,使我们可适受二者之感。