Psalms 147

1 Give praise to the Lord; for it is good to make melody to our God; praise is pleasing and beautiful.

2 The Lord is building up Jerusalem; he makes all the outlaws of Israel come together.

3 He makes the broken-hearted well, and puts oil on their wounds.

4 He sees the number of the stars; he gives them all their names.

5 Great is our Lord, and great his power; there is no limit to his wisdom.

6 The Lord gives help to the poor in spirit; but he sends sinners down in shame.

7 Make songs of praise to the Lord; make melody to our God with instruments of music.

8 By his hand the heaven is covered with clouds and rain is stored up for the earth; he makes the grass tall on the mountains.

9 He gives food to every beast, and to the young ravens in answer to their cry.

10 He has no delight in the strength of a horse; he takes no pleasure in the legs of a man.

11 The Lord takes pleasure in his worshippers, and in those whose hope is in his mercy.

12 Give praise to the Lord, O Jerusalem; give praise to your God, O Zion.

13 He has made strong the iron bands of your doors; he has sent blessings on your children inside your walls.

14 He gives peace in all your land, making your stores full of fat grain.

15 He sends out his orders to the earth; his word goes out quickly.

16 He gives snow like wool; he sends out ice-drops like dust.

17 He sends down ice like raindrops: water is made hard by his cold.

18 At the outgoing of his word, the ice is turned to water; when he sends out his wind, there is a flowing of waters.

19 He makes his word clear to Jacob, teaching Israel his laws and his decisions.

20 He has not done these things for any other nation: and as for his laws, they have no knowledge of them. Let the Lord be praised.

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Psalms 147 Commentary

Chapter 147

The people of God are exhorted to praise him for his mercies and care. (1-11) For the salvation and prosperity of the church. (12-20)

Verses 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 righteousness. The psalmist delights not in things wherein sinners trust and glory; but a serious and suitable regard to God is, in his sight, of very great price. We are not to be in doubt between hope and fear, but to act under the gracious influences of hope and fear united.

Verses 12-20 The church, like Jerusalem of old, built up and preserved by the wisdom, power, and goodness of God, is exhorted to praise him for all the benefits and blessings vouchsafed to her; and these are represented by his favours in the course of nature. The thawing word may represent the gospel of Christ, and the thawing wind the Spirit of Christ; for the Spirit is compared to the wind, ( John 3:8 ) . Converting grace softens the heart that was hard frozen, and melts it into tears of repentance, and makes good reflections to flow, which before were chilled and stopped up. The change which the thaw makes is very evident, yet how it is done no one can say. Such is the change wrought in the conversion of a soul, when God's word and Spirit are sent to melt it and restore it to itself.

Taken from Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible (Concise)

Chapter Summary

INTRODUCTION TO PSALM 147

This psalm is thought to be written by David, and according to Theodoret predicts the return of the Jews from Babylon, and the rebuilding of Jerusalem by Zerubbabel, which seems to be grounded on Ps 147:2; though the words there agree well enough with the times of David; hence the title in the Septuagint, Ethiopic, Arabic, and Syriac versions, and Apollinarius, is as the preceding; the Syriac adds,

``concerning Zerubbabel and Joshua the priest, and Ezra, who were solicitous and diligent in building Jerusalem.''

Aben Ezra and other Jewish writers think it foretells the future rebuilding of Jerusalem, and the restoration of the Jews from their present captivity, and refer it to the times of the Messiah; and so far it may be right, that it respects Christ and the praise of him, on account of his nature and works; and may take in the conversion of the Jews. It seems to be written by the same person, and on the same account, as the preceding psalm.

Taken from John Gill's Exposition of the Bible