Psa 148:1-6 | Clarke | STEP | The psalmist calls on all the creation to praise the Lord. The angels and visible heavens, ; the earth and the sea, ; the meteors, ; mountains, hills, and trees, ; beasts, reptiles, and fowls, ; kings, princes, and mighty men, ; men, women, and children, , ; and especially all the people of Israel, . This Psalm has no title: but by the Syriac it is attributed to Happai and Zechariah, and the Septuagint and the Ethiopic follow it. As a hymn of praise, this is the most sublime in the whole book. Verse 1 Praise ye the Lord from the heavens - The Chaldee translates, "Praise the Lord, ye holy creatures from the heavens. Praise him, ye armies of supreme angels. Praise him, all ye angels who minister before him." מן השמים min hashshamayim signifies whatever belongs to the heavens, all their inhabitants; as מן הארץ min haarets, , signifies all that belongs to the earth, all its inhabitants and productions.

‏ Psalms 148:1-6

Introduction

The psalmist calls on all the creation to praise the Lord. The angels and visible heavens, Psa 148:1-6; the earth and the sea, Psa 148:7; the meteors, Psa 148:8; mountains, hills, and trees, Psa 148:9; beasts, reptiles, and fowls, Psa 148:10; kings, princes, and mighty men, Psa 148:11; men, women, and children, Psa 148:12, Psa 148:13; and especially all the people of Israel, Psa 148:14.

This Psalm has no title: but by the Syriac it is attributed to Happai and Zechariah, and the Septuagint and the Ethiopic follow it. As a hymn of praise, this is the most sublime in the whole book.

Verse 1

Praise ye the Lord from the heavens - The Chaldee translates, "Praise the Lord, ye holy creatures from the heavens. Praise him, ye armies of supreme angels. Praise him, all ye angels who minister before him." מן השמים min hashshamayim signifies whatever belongs to the heavens, all their inhabitants; as מן הארץ min haarets, Psa 148:7, signifies all that belongs to the earth, all its inhabitants and productions. Verse 3

Praise ye him, sun and moon - The meaning of this address and all others to inanimate nature, is this: Every work of God's hand partakes so much of his perfections, that it requires only to be studied and known, in order to show forth the manifold wisdom power, and goodness of the Creator.

Stars of light - The brightest and most luminous stars: probably the planets may be especially intended. Verse 4

Heavens of heavens - Heavens exceeding heavens. Systems of systems extending as far beyond the solar system, as it does beyond the lowest deeps. The endless systematic concatenation of worlds.

Ye waters that be above the heavens - This refers to Gen 1:7 (note), where see the notes. Clouds, vapours, air, exhalations, rain, Snow, and meteors of every kind. Verse 5

He commanded, and they were created - He spake the word expressive of the idea in his infinite mind; and they sprang into being according to that idea. Verse 6

He hath also stablished them - He has determined their respective revolutions and the times in which they are performed, so exactly to show his all-comprehensive wisdom and skill, that they have never passed the line marked out by his decree, nor intercepted each other in the vortex of space, through revolutions continued for nearly 6000 years.