Psalms 147:2

The LORD doth build up Jerusalem: he gathereth together the outcasts of Israel. THE LORD DOTH BUILD UP JERUSALEM. The city was built up by Nehemiah first (), and afterward the walls, which completed the work (; ; ). HE GATHERETH TOGETHER THE OUTCASTS OF ISRAEL - in consonance with the promise, ; ; . The full gathering of Israel's outcasts is yet future ...

2._Jehovah building up, etc_. He begins with the special mercy of God towards his Church and people, in choosing to adopt one nation out of all others, and selecting a fixed place where his name might be called upon. When he is here called the builder of Jerusalem, the allusion is not so much to the outward form and structure, as to the spiritual worship of God. It is a common figure in treating of the Church to speak of it as a building or temple. The meaning is, that the Church was not of human erection, but formed by the supernatural power of God; for it was from no dignity of the place itself that Jerusalem became the only habitation of God in our world, nor did it come to this honor by counsel, industry, effort or power of man, but because God was pleased to consecrate it to himself. He employed the labor and instrumentality of men indeed in erecting his sanctuary there, but this ou...

1-11 Praising God is work that is its own wages. It is comely; it becomes us as reasonable creatures, much more as people in covenant with God. He gathers outcast sinners by his grace, and will bring them into his holy habitation. To those whom God heals with the consolations of his Spirit, he speaks peace, assures them their sins are pardoned. And for this, let others praise him also. Man's knowledge is soon ended; but God's knowledge is a dept that can never be fathomed. And while he telleth the number of the stars, he condescends to hear the broken-hearted sinner. While he feeds the young ravens, he will not leave his praying people destitute. Clouds look dull and melancholy, yet without them we could have no rain, therefore no fruit. Thus afflictions look black and unpleasant; but from clouds of affliction come showers that make the soul to yield the peaceable fruits of righteousnes...

Verse Psalms 147:2. _THE LORD DOTH BUILD UP_] The psalmist appears to see the _walls_ rising under his eye, because the _outcasts of Israel_, those who had been in _captivity_, are now _gathered together_ to do the work....

THE LORD DOTH BUILD UP JERUSALEM - He builds up the walls; he restores the city; he has caused the temple to be reconstructed. This language would be applicable to a return from the captivity. There may be an allusion here to the language in Psalms 102:16 : “When the Lord shall build up Zion, he shall appear in his glory.” See the notes at that passage. What is there spoken of as what would be in the future is here spoken of as accomplished, and as a ground of praise. HE GATHERETH TOGETHER THE OUTCASTS OF ISRAEL - Those who have been exiled from their native land, and who have been scattered as outcasts in a foreign country. This is appropriate language to use on the supposition that the psalm was composed after the return from the exile, for it is in such language that that return was predicted by the prophets....

EXPOSITION This psalm is generally assigned to the time of the dedication of the city wall (Nehemiah 12:27-16), when the gate-towers had been set up, and the gates and bars put in their places (see Psalms 147:13; and comp. Nehemiah 7:1). It is, more manifestly than any of the others, a Return joy-song (Psalms 147:2, Psalms 147:12). Its delicate appreciation of the grandeur and beauty of nature, and of God's closeness to nature (Psalms 147

THE LORD DOTH BUILD UP JERUSALEM,.... Literally, after the Babylonish captivity, according to some; or rather when taken from the Jebusites by David; or spiritually the church, which is often called Jerusalem, even the Gospel church, of which Christ is the builder, his ministers are instruments, his people are the materials, and which, though now greatly fallen to decay, will be rebuilt by him in the latter day; when his work will be revived among his saints, his Gospel more powerfully preached, his ordinances more purely administered, and multitudes of souls converted; and which will be matter of praise and thanksgiving, as it is now matter of prayer; see Psalms 51:18; HE GATHERETH TOGETHER THE OUTCASTS OF ISRAEL; the exiles from Babylon, as some; or rather such who in the times of the judges had been carried captive by their neighbours, or fled from their cities, in the

This is one of the Hallelujah Psalms; it begins and ends with «Praise ye the LORD.» May our hearts be in tune, that we may praise the Lord while we read these words of praise! Psalms 147:1. _Praise ye the LORD:_ It is not enough for the Psalmist to do it himself. He wants help in it, so he says, «Praise ye the LORD.» Wake up, my brethren; bestir yourselves, my sisters; come, all of you, and unite in this holy exercise! «Praise ye the LORD.» Psalms 147:1. _For it is good to sing praises unto our God; for it is pleasant; and praise is comely._ When a thing is good, pleasant, and comely, you have certainly three excellent reasons for attending to it. It is not everything that is good; but here you have a happy combination of goodness, pleasantness, and com

PSALM 144-150 THE HALLELUJAH CHORUS The five Psalms with which this marvellous book closeth are all Psalms of praise. The word “praise” is found in the Hebrew thirty-seven times. Each one of these Psalms begins and ends with a hallelujah; there are ten hallelujahs. First is a hallelujah which celebrates Himself, He who is the God of Jacob. Precious vision of Him who delights to call Himself “the God of Jacob,” the God who loves the sinner and has redeemed His people. Who is He? The Creator of all, by whom and for whom all things were made (Psalms 146:6). The Lord of judgment and redemption; the Lord who looseth the prisoners, openeth the eyes of the blind, raiseth them that are bowed down--and He will reign for ever. Hallelujah. Psalms 147:1 is the hallelujah for what He has done for Hi

CXLVII. The LXX, perhaps rightly, divides the Ps. into two, Psalms 147:1 and Psalms 147:12. PSALMS 147:1. An invitation to praise Yahweh for His almighty power and His kindness to Israel. Observe how the two thoughts are intertwined. After Psalms 147:8 c the LXX has, and herbage for the service of men. In Psalms 147:10 the legs of a man is curious. Swift running is a characteristic of the Homeric heroes, but the emendation, armour of a man, is tempting....