Psalms 149:7

To execute vengeance upon the heathen, and punishments upon the people; TO EXECUTE VENGEANCE UPON THE HEATHEN - as the Maccabees (according to the prophetic anticipation here) subsequently did upon Antiochus Epiphanes' hosts. The fuller accomplishment of this scripture is in the triumphs of the spiritual Israel, the Church, by "the sword of the Spirit, the Word of God," "sharper than any two-edged sword" (; ; ; ; ). As it is written of the Captain of our salvation (). The full accomplishment shall...

7._To execute vengeance, etc_. Both during their exile and after their return from it, this might seem to be altogether incredible. Nor did it take place before the advent of Christ; for though the Machabaei and their posterity reduced the neighboring nations to subjection, this was but a faint prelude and earnest to direct the thoughts of the Lord’s people to what was approaching. But as Haggai prophesied that the glory of the second Temple would be greater than of the first, so here there is promised a more prosperous state than had ever existed. (Haggai 2:9.) Reduced as the Jews were in numbers, and low as was the state of things among them, the Psalmist announces to all nations which opposed and troubled them, that they would have the ascendancy. As they were yet tributary, and dwelt at Jerusalem only by sufferance, they were called to exercise faith in a promise which, to the jud

6-9 Some of God's servants of old were appointed to execute vengeance according to his word. They did not do it from personal revenge or earthly politics, but in obedience to God's command. And the honour intended for all the saints of God, consists in their triumphs over the enemies of their salvation. Christ never intended his gospel should be spread by fire and sword, or his righteousness by the wrath of man. But let the high praises of God be in our mouths, while we wield the sword of the word of God, with the shield of faith, in warfare with the world, the flesh, and the devil. The saints shall be more than conquerors over the enemies of their souls, through the blood of the Lamb and the word of his testimony. The completing of this will be in the judgement of the great day. Then shall the judgement be executed. Behold Jesus, and his gospel church, chiefly in her millennial state....

Verse Psalms 149:7. _TO EXECUTE VENGEANCE UPON THE HEATHEN_] This may refer simply to their purpose of defending themselves to the uttermost, should their enemies attack them while building their wall: and they had every reason to believe that God would be with them; and that, if their enemies did attack them, they should be able to inflict the severest punishment upon them. _PUNISHMENTS UPON THE PEOPLE_] The unfaithful and treacherous _Jews_; for we find that some, even of their _nobles_, had joined with _Sanballat_ and _Tobiah_; (see Nehemiah 6:17-16:) and it appears also that many of them had formed alliances with those heathens, which were contrary to the law; see...

TO EXECUTE VENGEANCE UPON THE HEATHEN - To inflict punishment upon them as a recompence for their sins. The word pagan here means nations. The allusion is, doubtless, to those who had oppressed and injured the Hebrew people - perhaps referring to those who had destroyed the city and the temple at the time of the Babylonian captivity. They were now to receive the punishment due for the wrongs which they had done to the nation; a just recompence at the hand of God, and by the instrumentality of those whom they had wronged. Compare the notes at Psalms 137:7. AND PUNISHMENTS UPON THE PEOPLE - The people of those lands. Those who had waged war with the Hebrew nation....

EXPOSITION A "Hallelujah Psalm," combining the praise of God for mercies already received with anticipations of future vengeance, through God's help, on heathen enemies that are still bent on persecuting God's "loving ones." The tone is that of Psalms 109:1; though the expressions used are less fierce. Metrically, the psalm seems to divide itself into three stanzas of three verses each (Psalms 109:1, Psalms 109:4, Psalms 109:7). PSALMS 149:1 PRAISE YE THE LORD. Sing unto th

TO EXECUTE VENGEANCE UPON THE HEATHEN,.... Either upon the Gentile world, in the first times of the Gospel; when the apostles, going there with the twoedged sword of the word, vehemently inveighed against the idolatry of the Heathens, and exhorted them to turn from their idols to serve the living God; and divine power going along with their ministry, multitudes were turned from them; through the success of the Gospel, the oracles of the Heathen were struck dumb, their priests were despised, their idol temples were forsaken, and idols rejected; now were the judgment of the Heathen world, and the prince of it, cast out, and vengeance in this way taken upon it, or their disobedience to God revenged, John 12:31. Or else upon the Papists, as will be in the latter times of the Gospel; who are sometimes called Heathens and Gentiles,...

The whole Book of Psalms is full of praise, but the praise culminates at the close. There are five «Hallelujah Psalms» at the end of the Book; they are so named because they both begin and conclude with the word Hallelujah, «Praise ye the Lord.» It must be to the intense regret of all reverent persons to find the word Hallelujah so used today, in a hackneyed way, that it is made to be a commonplace instead of a very sacred word,-Hallelujah, or, Praise be unto Jah, Jehovah. He who uses this word in a flippant manner is guilty of taking the name of the Lord in vain. Psalms 149:1. _Praise ye the LORD. Sing unto the LORD a new song,_ You have had new mercies from the Lord; give him in return a new song. You have a new apprehension of his mercy, you who live under this gospel dispensation have something more to sing of than even David experienced; therefore, «sing unto Je

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

CXLIX. A SONG OF TRIUMPH AND MESSIANIC EXPECTATION. Obviously this Ps. depicts a stage in the Maccabean war. It is addressed to the assembly of the saints, the Hasidim of Psalms 4:3. The heroes whom the Ps. celebrates are meek (Psalms 149:4) towards God, but they fight fiercely. The praises of God are in their mouth and a two-edged sword in their hands an admirable description of the Maccabean times, but unsuitable to any other period in Jewish history known to us. Maccabean also, though not exclusively Maccabean, is the confident belief that Israel will rule over all the world: it is the same belief which finds impressive utterance in the Book of Daniel, though there the victory is given immediately by God, here it is to be won by the sword of the saints. The Ps. falls into two divisions. In...