Psalms 147:4

He telleth the number of the stars; he calleth them all by their names. HE TELLETH (OR, LITERALLY, DETERMINES) THE NUMBER OF THE STARS; HE CALLETH THEM ALL BY THEIR NAMES. From earth the Psalmist turns to heaven; because the most glorious manifestations of God's power are there: it therefore fills the believer's soul with the more hearty appreciation of the excellency of the God whom He praises as his God, to think that the same God who 'calleth all the stars by their names' (knowing the characteristics of each, as being formed and upheld by Himself) is the God of redemption, who 'calleth his own' people individually 'by name,' as being peculiarly His (; ; ;...

4._Numbering the multitude, etc_. As the gathering together of the people of whom the Psalmist spoke might appear to be an impossibility, there seems some ground for the opinion of those who think that he confirms it in this verse. The connection they give to the Psalmist’s words is this — that as it is at least not more difficult to gather men together who are outcast and scattered, than to number the stars, there was no reason why the wandering exile Israelites should despair of their return, provided they should resort with one consent to God as their only head. There is some probability, too, in the conjecture that the Psalmist may allude to that promise — “Look now towards the stars of heaven, if thou canst tell them, so shall thy seed be.” (Genesis 15:5.) But as the Psalmist immediately afterwards treats of the or

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 147:4. _HE TELLETH THE NUMBER OF THE STARS_] He whose knowledge is so exact as to tell every star in heaven, can be under no difficulty to find out and collect all the scattered exiles of Israel....

HE TELLETH THE NUMBER OF THE STARS - He counts them all. God only can do this. The stars are so numerous that no astronomer can count them; they lie so far in the depths of space, and are so remote from each other, that no man can be so presumptuous as to suppose that he has even seen any considerable part of them, even by the aid of the most powerful telescopes. HE CALLETH THEM ALL BY THEIR NAMES - As if each one had a name, and God could call them forth one by one by their names, like the muster-roll of an army. This language seems to be taken from Isaiah 40:26 : “Lift up your eyes on high, and behold who hath created these things, that bringeth out their host by numbers; he calleth them all by names, by the greatness of his might, for that he is strong in power; not one faileth.” See the notes at that passage....

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

HE TELLETH THE NUMBER OF THE STARS,.... Which no man can do exactly; see Genesis 15:5; the ancient astronomers pretended to tell them, as Aratus and Eudoxus o, and fixed their number at a thousand and some odd; but then these were only such as were of some magnitude and influence, and such as commonly appeared; but since the use of telescopes many are seen which were not before; and especially those clusters of them in the Milky Way cannot be distinctly discerned and told; but the Lord that made them can tell their exact number. Aben Ezra thinks this is said with respect to the outcasts of Israel scattered throughout the whole earth, as the stars are in the upper orb; and that as the Lord knows the one, he knows the other; which is not amiss, especially spiritually understood; HE CALLETH THEM ALL BY [THEIR] NAMES; not that he calls one Jupiter and another Verus, c. as the H

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....