Psalm 147:1-11

Hallelujah to the God of Zion

A Hallelujah Psalm, setting forth God’s providential care toward all creatures, but especially toward His people, His holy congregation.

V. 1. Praise ye the Lord, the entire congregation of believers raising its voice to that end; for it is good to sing praises unto our God, with whom the believers are joined in the most intimate fellowship and proudly declare their possession of Him; for it is pleasant, and praise is comely, it is fitting and appropriate for the faithful to be engaged in singing psalms of praise, a welcome duty. Some of the facts which incite the believers to praise Yahweh are now enumerated.

V. 2. The Lord doth build up Jerusalem; as He built the earthly Jerusalem in the time of Nehemiah, so He builds the spiritual Jerusalem, His holy congregation, at all times; He gathereth together the outcasts of Israel, those who are scattered abroad.

V. 3. He healeth the broken in heart, those in great distress on account of bitter experiences in their lives, and bindeth up their wounds, literally, “their griefs,” or “pains.”

V. 4. He telleth the number of the stars; He calleth them all by their names, bringing them forth, by creative action, in numbers agreeing with His almighty intention. The connection of thought is, of course, that He who is familiar with the last detail of creation, knows all the griefs of His children and is easily able to help. Compare Isaiah 40, 26. 27.

V. 5. Great is our Lord and of great power, fully able to help and to save, no matter how severe the difficulties may seem; His understanding is infinite, His wisdom can be defined by human beings neither in its depth nor in its fullness, it cannot be figured out by finite minds.

V. 6. The Lord lifteth up the meek, those who are suffering in humility He raises up from their lowly position; He casteth the wicked down to the ground, and the higher they exalt themselves, the greater will be their downfall. All this is comfort to the Church and to every believer, no matter how strange the experiences which befall the faithful. The psalm, therefore, changes its tone to one of joyful summons.

V. 7. Sing unto the Lord with thanksgiving, in giving all honor to His almighty power and mercy; sing praise upon the harp, or “zither,” unto our God; v. 8. who covereth the heaven with clouds, to provide moisture to the earth in due season, who prepareth rain for the earth, who maketh grass to grow upon the mountains, far from the cultivated fields of the farmer.

V. 9. He giveth, as a result and expression of His providential care, to the beast, to the animals of the wilderness, his food and to the young ravens which cry, which feel their dependence upon His might and care. How much more will the Lord attend to the wants of His children!

V. 10. He delighteth not in the strength of the horse, which is often used as a type of powerful agility; He taketh not pleasure in the legs of a man, in man’s physical strength and muscular power. These natural powers will not in themselves save a man nor achieve victory for him.

V. 11. The Lord taketh pleasure in them that fear Him, who, realizing their own weakness and vanity, feel their full dependence upon Him, reverently trusting in His unmerited favor, in those that hope in His mercy. Such trust meets with the pleasure of Yahweh and is therefore followed by security and blessing in city, house, and country.