Psalms 149:8

To bind their kings with chains, and their nobles with fetters of iron; TO BIND THEIR KINGS WITH CHAINS, AND THEIR NOBLES WITH FETTERS OF IRON - just as Joseph, when exalted from a dungeon to be lord of Egypt, next to the monarch Pharaoh, could 'bind at his pleasure' those who had formerly bound him (); so the saints reigning next to Christ the King, shall rule those who once bare rule over them, (Psalms 2:1). , shows that the earthly Jerusalem and Israel shall bear the moral supremacy over the Gentile nations (). Compare the type, . The final and heavenly Jer...

The next verse, where mention is made of_kings _and _nobles, _is an amplification; for had he only spoken of peoples and nations, this might have been restricted to the common people and men of low condition. Here is something much greater — that kings and others of noble rank would be dragged to punishment in chains. But it is to be remembered, as I have just hinted, that but a small part of this splendid prospect was realized until Christ appeared; for any small increase of prosperity which the people enjoyed under the Machabaei was not worthy of any consideration, except in so far as by this help God sustained the drooping spirits of the people up to Christ’s advent. Here the prediction of Jacob is to be noticed — “the scepter shall not depart from Judah, until Shiloh come.” (Genesis 49:10.) But the Machabaei sprung from another tribe. We must, infer, therefore, that the regular orde...

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 149:8. _TO BIND THEIR KINGS WITH CHAINS, AND THEIR NOBLES WITH_ _FETTERS OF IRON_] That is, if these kings, governors of provinces, and chiefs among the people, had attacked them, God would have enabled them to defeat them, take their generals prisoners, and lead them in triumph to Jerusalem. It is certain also that in the times of the _Maccabees_ the Jews had many signal victories over the _Samaritans, Philistines_, and _Moabites_; and over _Antiochus_, king of _Syria_. See the Books of the _Maccabees_. To these the psalmist may here refer in a _hyperbolical_ way, not unusual in poetry and in songs of triumph....

TO BIND THEIR KINGS WITH CHAINS - To make them prisoners and captives. This is but carrying out the idea in the previous verses, of inflicting punishment upon them for the wrongs which they had done to the people of God. There is no evidence that this refers to a spiritual conquest, or to a spiritual subjection of those nations to the true religion. The whole idea is in accordance with what is so often expressed in the Psalms - that of inflicting just punishment on the wicked. See the General Introduction, Section 6. AND THEIR NOBLES WITH FETTERS OF IRON - To make them prisoners. That is, to subdue them. Captives in war, even those of elevated rank, were often led in chains to grace the triumph of conquerors....

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 BIND THEIR KINGS WITH CHAINS, AND THEIR NOBLES WITH FETTERS OF IRON. Which is thought to allude to what was done to the Canaanitish kings, in the times of Joshua; and to the princes of Midian by Gideon; and to Agag by Saul; and to the Ammonites, Syrians, and others, by David: but it refers either to the first times of the Gospel, and the influence of the sword of the Spirit over the hearts of men; and on some very great personages, as kings and nobles, brought to Christ and his churches, in chains of powerful and efficacious grace, declaring a ready and cheerful subjection to his Gospel and ordinances; such as Constantine, Theodosius, and others; and who were instruments in subduing, conquering, and destroying tyrannical and persecuting emperors and princes, as Maximilian, Licinius, and others; see Isaiah 45:14; and more instances of the power of the Gospel, and the influence

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...