INTRODUCTION TO PSALM 111 This psalm, though without a name, is thought to be penned by David; it is composed in an artificial manner, in an alphabetical order, each clause or sentence beginning with a letter of the Hebrew alphabet in course, till the whole is finished; this perhaps was done to rec... [ Continue Reading ]
PRAISE YE THE LORD,.... Or "hallelujah"; this is the title of the psalm, and is expressive of the subject matter of it; and so it stands in the Targum, Septuagint, Vulgate Latin, Ethiopic, and Arabic versions; as it should, as appears from the psalm being alphabetical; for the first letter of this w... [ Continue Reading ]
THE WORKS OF THE LORD ARE GREAT,.... His works of creation are great, being made out of nothing, are the effects of great power, and the produce of great wisdom, and which greatly display the glory of their Maker; the works of providence are great, which are daily wrought, especially such as concern... [ Continue Reading ]
HIS WORK IS HONOURABLE AND GLORIOUS,.... Or "honour and glory" g itself; there is nothing mean and trifling done by him; nothing unworthy of him in nature, providence, and grace; every work of his serves to display his glory, and set off the greatness of his majesty; the heavens and the earth are fu... [ Continue Reading ]
HE HATH MADE HIS WONDERFUL WORKS TO BE REMEMBERED,.... All his works are marvellous ones; his works of creation, that they should rise out of nothing at a word of command; his works of providence, which have such a depth of wisdom and knowledge in them, are unsearchable and past finding out; and his... [ Continue Reading ]
HE HATH GIVEN MEAT TO THEM THAT FEAR HIM,.... Or a "prey" h, alluding to the spoil of the Egyptians; or to the manna; corporeal food, daily bread, which they that fear him shall not want, Psalms 34:9 spiritual meat, such that endures for ever; the flesh of Christ, which is meat indeed; the word and... [ Continue Reading ]
HE HATH SHOWED HIS PEOPLE THE POWER OF HIS WORKS,.... Or his works of power, his mighty works, in which his great power was shown; as to the people of Israel in Egypt, at the Red sea, in the wilderness, and in bringing them to and settling them in the land of Canaan; these he showed to them in fact,... [ Continue Reading ]
THE WORKS OF HIS HANDS ARE VERITY AND JUDGMENT,.... His works of providence are just and true, particularly these which respected the driving the Canaanites out of their land, and settling the Israelites in it; these were done according to the truth of the divine promises and prophecies, and so were... [ Continue Reading ]
THEY STAND FAST FOR EVER AND EVER,.... Not only the covenant and its promises do, but both law and Gospel, the commandments of the one and the doctrines of the other; the law is an eternal law, as to the matter of it, and is not made void by faith, but established; and the Gospel is an everlasting G... [ Continue Reading ]
HE SENT REDEMPTION UNTO HIS PEOPLE,.... Or one to redeem them, who effected it; Moses to redeem Israel out of Egypt, and Christ to redeem his people from sin, Satan, and the law, and who has done it; and having obtained eternal redemption, he sent his ministers to publish it in the world, and his Sp... [ Continue Reading ]
THE FEAR OF THE LORD IS THE BEGINNING OF WISDOM,.... The fear of the Lord, whose name is revered, is not a fear of his judgments here or hereafter, but of his goodness and grace; it is a reverential affection for him, a fiducial fear of him, a fear of offending so good a Being as he is; and it inclu... [ Continue Reading ]