서론
无标题
繁體中文
英文原文
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.
1-9
A Call to Praise God; God's Greatness and Condescension
繁體中文
當讚美神；神的偉大與俯就
¹ 你們要讚美耶和華！耶和華的僕人哪，你們要讚美，讚美耶和華的名！ ² 耶和華的名是應當稱頌的，從今時直到永遠！ ³ 從日出之地到日落之處，耶和華的名是應當讚美的。 ⁴ 耶和華超乎萬民之上；他的榮耀高過諸天。 ⁵ 誰像耶和華我們的神呢？他坐在至高之處， ⁶ 自己謙卑，觀看天上地下的事。 ⁷ 他從灰塵裏抬舉貧寒人，從糞堆中提拔窮乏人， ⁸ 使他們與王子同坐，就是與本國的王子同坐。 ⁹ 他使不能生育的婦人安居家中，為多子的樂母。你們要讚美耶和華！
在這篇詩中，
一、我們受囑咐要將榮耀歸給神，將他名當得的榮耀歸給他。
-
這邀請十分懇切：*你們要讚美耶和華，*並且一次又一次地說，*讚美他，讚美他；他的名是應當稱頌的，*因為它是配得讚美的（詩一一三1-3）。這表明：（1）這是一項必要且極其崇高的本分，深蒙神喜悅，在信仰中佔有極大的分量。（2）這是我們當大大豐富履行的本分，是我們當常常從事、盡情展開的工作。（3）這是我們極其退縮不前的工作，需要藉著「律上加律、命上加命」不斷被激勵、被推動。（4）那些自己多讚美神的人，也必邀請別人一同讚美；這既是因為他們深知這工作的分量，需要召集一切能得的幫助（所有的心、所有的手都有用處，並且都還嫌不夠），也是因為他們體會其中的喜樂，願一切朋友都能同享。
-
這邀請涵蓋極廣。當留意：（1）神從誰得著讚美——從他自己的百姓；他們在此被召來讚美神，如同那些樂意回應這呼召的人：耶和華的僕人哪，你們要讚美！他們最當讚美他；因為那些作他僕人侍立他面前的人，最認識他，也最領受他的恩惠。讚美他正是他們的本分，是作他僕人所當做的工：為他們的主說好話、盡力尊榮他，是輕省喜樂的事；若他們不作，誰當作呢？有人將此理解為指利未人；但若如此，所有基督徒都是「有君尊的祭司，為要宣揚那召你們出黑暗入奇妙光明者的美德」（彼前二9）。天使是耶和華的僕人；他們不必由我們來呼召讚美神，但我們因此得安慰——他們確實讚美他，並且比我們讚美得更美好。（2）他當從誰得著讚美。〔一〕從萬代得著（詩一一三2）——從今時直到永遠。不要讓這工作與我們一同止息，當在更美的世界中繼續去做，也要讓我們的後裔在這世上繼續去做。不要讓我們的後裔墮落，當使神在世世代代中被讚美，而不只在這一代。我們當在自己的日子裏稱頌耶和華，與詩人一同說：他的名從今直到永遠是應當稱頌的。〔二〕從各處得著——從日出之地到日落之處，即遍及有人居住的世界。凡享受日出之益處的人（凡如此享受的，也當料到太陽必要落下），都當為那光感謝「眾光之父」。神的名是應當讚美的；當被萬國讚美；因為在每一處，從東到西，都有他智慧、權能、良善的明顯憑據與作為彰顯出來；世上如此大的一部分人竟不認識他，將當歸給他的讚美歸給別神，實在令人惋惜。但其中或許還有更深的含意：正如詩一一三2讓我們瞥見榮耀之國，暗示神的名要永遠被稱頌（當時間不再有時，那讚美將是天上之事），這一節也讓我們瞥見恩典之國在其福音的施行中。當教會不再局限於猶太一國，而要遍滿全地，當在各處都有人向我们的神獻上香（瑪一11），那時從日出之地到日落之處，耶和華的名必在各國中被一些人讚美。
二、我們在此受指引當將怎樣的榮耀歸給他。
-
讓我們以信心之眼仰望，看他在上面的世界中榮耀何其高超，並以此為讚美他的題目（詩一一三4、5）。我們在讚美中當高舉他的名，因為他至高，他的榮耀至高。（1）超乎萬民之上，超過他們最顯赫的君王，超過他們最眾多的百姓。地上的君王雖然比個人更大，卻比全體更小——這話對地上君王是否成立，我們暫且不論；但我們確知對萬王之王而言並非如此。將萬民合在一起，他仍在他們之上；他們在他面前如同桶裏的一滴、天平上的微塵（賽四十15、17）。當使萬民都極高地思想神、論到神，因為他超乎他們眾人之上。（2）高過諸天；他榮耀的寶座在最高的諸天之上，這當使我們的心在讚美他時被高舉（哀三41）。他的榮耀高過諸天，即高過天使；他超過他們的本體，因為他們的明亮與他相比算不得甚麼——超過他們所作的，因為他們都在他命令之下、行他所喜悅的事——也超過他們所能述說關於他的。他被高舉，超乎一切稱頌和讚美，不僅超過我們的，也超過他們的。因此我們當存聖潔的敬畏說：誰像耶和華我們的神呢？地上一切君王強者之中有誰像他？上面一切光明蒙福的靈之中有誰像他？無人能與他同等，也無人敢與他相比。神當被讚美為那超凡、無比、無限偉大的一位；因為他坐在至高之處，從至高處俯看一切、統管一切，並理所當然地將一切讚美吸引歸他自己。
-
讓我們以觀察之眼環顧，看他在下面的世界中恩典何其廣闊，並以此為讚美他的題目。他是那位自己升高而居高位、自己謙卑觀看天上和地上之事的神。有人認為此處有語序的倒置：他升高坐在天上，他謙卑觀看地上；但照我們所接受的次序，意思已足夠清楚。只要留意：聖經說神自己升高又自己謙卑，二者都是他自己主動的作為；正如他是自有永有的，他也是自己尊榮的源頭、自己恩典的源頭。神俯就的恩典顯明在：
（1）他顧念在他以下的世界。他的榮耀在萬民之上又在諸天之上，然而二者都未被他所忽略。神為大，但他不藐視任何人（伯三十六5）。他謙卑自己，觀看他一切所造的，他一切的臣民，雖然他無限地超越他們。想到神本體那無限的完全、自足與至福，我們必須承認：神樂意將他永世的旨意、與他普世的護理，都納入他的心意與手中——無論是天上的萬象還是地上的居民（但四35），這實在是奇妙俯就的作為；即使在他掌權之時，他仍自己謙卑。〔一〕他觀看天上的事、托住那些活物、引導他們的運行、悅納天使的讚美與事奉，這在他已是俯就；因為他並不需要他們，也不因他們得益處。〔二〕他觀看地上的事、眷顧世人、記念他們、治理裁定他們的事務、留意他們所說所行的，好使他的良善充滿全地——這更是俯就，並為我們樹立了屈尊行善、關注並顧念我們下屬的榜樣。若神觀看天上地下的事尚且算是俯就，那麼神的兒子從天降臨到地、親自取了我們的人性，為要尋找拯救失喪的人——這是何等驚人的俯就！在這事上他確實謙卑了自己。
（2）他有時向這較低的塵世中最微小、最低下的人格外施恩。他不僅觀看地上的大事，也觀看最微小的事，以及那些被大人物通常所忽略的事。他也不僅觀看，更為他們行奇事，行出非常驚人、超乎尋常護理的常軌與因果連鎖之外的事；這表明世界並非由一種自然定律治理（若是如此，必永遠循同一軌道運行），而是由一位樂意行我們未曾料及之事的「自然之神」所治理。〔一〕那些久居卑微的人，有時忽然被高舉得尊榮（詩一一三7、8）：他從灰塵裏抬舉貧寒人，為要使他們與王子同坐。第一，神有時藉此彰顯他自己，以及他自己的智慧、權能與主權。當他有某項大工要作的時候，他總揀選那些最不可能、也最不被人（連他們自己）所想到的人去擔任最高的尊位：基甸正在打麥時被召出來，掃羅正在尋驢時被尋見，大衛正在看羊時被膏立；使徒從打魚之處被差去作得人的漁夫。福音的寶貝放在瓦器裏，世上軟弱的、愚拙的被選定作福音的傳揚者，為要使有智慧的、強壯的蒙羞（林前一27、28），使能力的卓越顯明是出於神，並使眾人看見高升是從他而來。第二，神有時藉此賞賜他百姓顯著的敬虔與忍耐——他們久在貧窮與屈辱的重擔下歎息。當約瑟的德行經過試驗而顯明之後，他便從監獄的塵土中被提拔，與王子同坐。智慧人必留意護理這樣的回轉，並藉此明白耶和華的慈愛。有人將此應用於耶穌基督的救贖之工，這並非不恰當；因為藉著他，可憐墮落的人才從塵土中被舉起（有一位猶太拉比將此應用於死人的復活），更是從罪的糞堆中被舉起，與王子同坐，與天使——他百姓中的君王——同坐。哈拿曾如此歌唱（撒上二6-8）。〔二〕那些久不生育的婦人，有時忽然結出果子（詩一一三9）。這可回顧撒拉與利百加、拉結、哈拿、參孫的母親，也可前瞻以利沙伯；這樣的事例不勝枚舉。在其中神都看顧了他使女的苦情，除去了她的羞恥。他使不能生育的婦人安居家中，不僅建立家室，也藉此使一家之首有事可作。當注意：凡享受家庭安慰的人，必須承擔家庭的責任；生養兒女與治理家務是相連的（提前五14）。當神使不生育的婦人安居家室時，他期望她觀察家務（箴三十一27）。她被稱為多子的樂母，不僅因為即使在尋常情形中，人世間生了一個男孩子的喜樂使人忘記了疼痛，更是因為當孩子賜給久不生育之人時，便有特別的喜樂（路一14），因此也當有特別的感恩。你們要讚美耶和華。然而在這種情形中，也當歡呼而戰兢；因為縱然憂愁的母親變為喜樂，喜樂的母親若孩子從她被取去、或對她成為苦楚，也可能再變為憂愁。因此這也可應用於外邦人中的福音教會（其建立正以這比喻說明，賽五十四1：你這不懷孕、不生養的，要歌唱，以及加四27）；我們這些原為外邦罪人、本為「荒涼」之子民的，因此有理由說：你們要讚美耶和華。
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「哈利路亞」開始並結束；因為如同許多其他詩篇一樣，它是為促進讚美神這重大而善的工而設計的。一、我們在此被呼召並受勸勉要讚美神（詩一一三1-3）。二、我們在此得了讚美的內容，也有話放在我們口中——我們唱時，當以聖潔的敬畏與愛，將以下兩方面的榮耀歸給神：1. 祂榮耀與偉大的高超（詩一一三4、5）。2. 祂恩典與良善的俯就（詩一一三6-9）——這二者彼此極能互相闡明，好叫我們對兩者都深受感動。