Works Volume 4, Book 5 · Psalm 148
The Hundred and Forty Eighth PSALM.
‖Hallelujah.Praiſe ye the Lord.
The hundred forty eighth is a ſolemn invitation to all the ſeveral ranks of creatures in the world, to joyn in the celebration of God's praiſes, and is intitled Hallelujah, as a form of praiſing God (ſee note on Pſal. 106. a.)
1. PRaiſe ye the Lord from the heavens, praiſe him in the heights.
2. Praiſe ye him all his angels, praiſe ye him all his hoſts.
Paraphrase. 1, 2. The majeſty, and power, and wiſedom, and mercy, and all other the glorious Attributes of God are ſuch, and ſo likewiſe the emanations and effluxions of all and each of theſe unto his creatures, that they exact the united acclamations, and moſt humble acknowledgments of all the creatures in the world; and all that but a poor unſufficient tribute to be returned to the great and glorious creatour of them all. And firſt and principally the Angels of heaven are obliged to come in and pay this tribute, thoſe bleſſed immortal ſpirits that always wait on his throne in the higheſt heavens, thoſe many bands of celeſtial ſouldiers, regularly marſhal'd in their creation one under another in ſeveral ranks and orders, but all in perfect ſubordination to the eternal God, the ſupreme Governour and Commander of all.
3. Praiſe ye him Sun and Moon; praiſe him all ye ſtars of light.
Paraphrase. 3. Next to them in reſpect of ſituation are thoſe glorious creatures, the Sun, Moon and Stars, and the ſpheres wherein they move, the works of his creation, made by him (though by ignorant men they are themſelves deified and adored) and ſo obliged in ſerving him to honour and glorify him.
4. Praiſe him ye heavens of heavens, and ye waters that be above the heavens.
Paraphrase. 4. Then all the regions of the air, in which are thoſe treaſuries of God placed, the clouds of water which at his pleaſure are diſtill'd down opon the earth, and ſo by obeying him, and relieving, or ſometimes (for our ſins) puniſhing us, bring in their tribute of honour and praiſe to their Creatour.
5. Let them praiſe the name of the Lord; for he commanded, and they were created.
6. He hath alſo eſtabliſhed them for ever and ever: he hath made a decree which ſhall not paſs.
Paraphrase. 5, 6. All theſe, as they were firſt created by the command of God, ſo have they been governed and managed ever ſince by the ſame creative omnipotent power, performing a perfect conſtant obedience to his precepts or directions, doing nothing but what he will have done, and ſo ſetting forth the glory of the great Creatour and ſupreme Governour of the world.
7. Praiſe the Lord from the earth, ye ‖or whales foreigndragons and all deeps,
8. Fire and hail, ſnow and vapours, ſtormy winds fulfilling his word,
9. Mountains and all hills, fruitfull trees and all cedars,
10. Beaſts and all cattel, creeping things and flying foul,
11. Kings of the earth and all people, Princes and all judges of the earth,
12. Both young men and maidens, old men and children.
Paraphrase. 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12. Laſtly, this earth of ours, together with the vaſt ocean in the cavities and bowels of it, both making up but one region, and neither infeſting nor annoying the other, were certainly thus ordered and diſpoſed and governed by the omnipotent power of God, which therefore they make known and proclaim to all men in the world, and preach the knowledge of this one God and ruler of all, and ſo ſilently praiſe him, and leave all men without excuſe which do not ſo alſo. And as the whole bodies of both theſe, the earth and ocean, ſo all the ſeveral creatures that are in either, the whales and other great and leſſer fiſhes in the ſea, the meteors that are begotten in the air, and deſcend upon the earth, the lightnings and thunder, hail and ſnow, congealed vapours, froſt, ice and dews, the violent winds and tempeſts, every one of which are inſtrumental to him, perform his pleaſure, are wholly commanded by him, and doe whatever he directs them, the mountains and hills, and foreſts adorned with ſtately, tall, but fruitleſs trees, and the valleys full of trees bearing fruit, and the cattel of daily uſe for man to doe their work, and affording them their fleſh for their food, and their skins for their cloathing, and thoſe alſo of a wilder ſort, which dwell in the foreſts and woods and mountains (ſee note on Pſal. 147. b.) yet are made uſefull alſo, to the benefit of men, and ſo all that creeps, or ſwims, or flies: what have all theſe to doe but to ſing forth the glories of the Creatour and Governour and diſpoſer of them all? and ſo doe, by being uſed to the ends to which he deſigned them. Laſtly, all the men of the earth, the greateſt Potentates, their ſubordinate rulers and all inferiour ſubjects, of what ſex or age ſoever.
13. Let them praiſe the name of the Lord; for his name alone is excellent, his glory is above the earth and heaven.
14. He alſo exalteth the horn of his people, the praiſe of all his ſaints, even of the children of Iſrael, a people near unto him. Praiſe ye the Lord.
Paraphrase. 13, 14. Let them all joyn in the ſame quire of praiſes to the great and glorious and ſole Creatour and Governour of the world, whoſe mercy is ſuch and ſo eminent, his gracious dealing with his people the Jews, and all the ſpiritual children of Abraham and Jacob's faith, (in revealing his will, and giving them the Meſſiah, and in him all things neceſſary to this life and another, in advancing their ſpiritual good, and rendring them acceptable to himſelf, and to all whoſe approbation or praiſe is worth the having) that they are for ever obliged to praiſe and adore and cleave faſt unto him. For ever bleſſed be his holy Name.
Annotations on Pſal. CXLVIII.
foreignV. 4. Heavens of heavens] What this phraſe foreign heavens of heavens ſignifies here, will beſt be gathered from the context, and by comparing this place with Pſal. 104.3. In that place after the deſcription of the higheſt heavens, by the ſtyle of light covering God, (a luminous palace) is mentioned the ſtretching out the heavens like a curtain, (which that it ſignifies the whole body of the air, ſee note a. on that Pſalm) and laying the beams of his chambers in the waters, (which that it belongs to the clouds of rain in the middle region of the air, ſee note b.) And juſt ſo here, after the Sun, Moon, and Stars of light, by which the whole body and ſpheres of the heavens are ſignified, there follows next the heavens of heavens, and the waters above the heavens: where, as in all reaſon the heavens of heavens are but the higheſt of thoſe heavens, above ſome part of which the waters are here ſaid to be placed; ſo in caſe the waters be no higher than that regio… of the air where the clouds are, the uppermoſt regions of the body of the air muſt be reſolved to be that which is here meant by the heavens of heavens, and not the aethereal globe, which we call heaven. That this is ſo, may be farther approved by the uſe of the word foreign in Scripture; and that cannot better be fetcht than from the firſt chapter of Geneſis. There 'tis certain the word is uſed firſt more generally for all the other parts of the world, beſide the terreſtrial globe, as when v. 1. (and in many other places) the heaven and earth are the dichotomie, by which the whole world was deſigned to be ſet down, all that God created. 2. 'Tis as evident that the word is uſed for the aethereal or celeſtial globe, as v. 14. when he ſaith, Let there be light in the firmament of the heavens, and v. 16. 'tis ſpecified what that light was, the Sun to rule the day — by which 'tis evident that foreign the expanſum of the heavens notes that aethereal body where the Sun and Moon, &c. are. 3. 'Tis ſtill as manifeſt that the word is uſed alſo for the air, v. 20, 26, 28, 30. where the place wherein the birds fly is ſtyled foreign the firmament of the heavens, and ſimply the heavens; for which the Targum of Jonathan reads foreign the air of the firmament, or expanſion of heavens, v. 20. and foreign the air of heavens, v. 26. and ſimply foreign the heavens, v. 28.30. So again when foreign an expanſion is made in the midſt of the waters, that divided the waters from the waters, v. 6. this expanſion v. 8. is called heaven (foreign in probability from foreign waters in the dual number, thoſe two ſorts of waters above, and below the firmament) which conſequently muſt be the air, that intercedes and divides betwixt the watery clouds, and the waters on the face of the earth: and accordingly thoſe upper waters are affirmed by the Hebrews, R. Solomon, &c. to be ſtill foreign pendulous in the air, and that, ſaith he, foreign by the word or command of the King: and ſo when the rain came down in the Flood, 'tis ſaid the windows or flood-gates or cataracts of the heavens were opened, Gen. 7.11. as in a drought the heaven is made iron, Lev. 26.19. and ſhut up, and many the like phraſes. The air then being thoſe heavens, above part of which are thoſe clouds of waters, the heavens of heavens (immediately foregoing) cannot probably ſignify more than the whole body of the air, all the regions of it, or elſe the uppermoſt region of it, as Lord of lords is the ſupreme or ſovereign Lord of all others. 'Tis true, when the context requires it, the heavens of heavens may ſignify the higheſt heavens, otherways called the higheſt, or the height in the abſtract, the place of God's throne: ſo Deut. 10.14. (and Nehem. 9.6.) where by the heaven and the heaven of heavens, and the earth, the whole creation is ſignified; and therefore Jonathan's Targum there adds, foreign and the aſſembly of Angels that are therein, that they may be miniſters before him. And ſo, I ſuppoſe, 1 King. 8.27. when of God's immenſity 'tis ſaid, behold, the heaven, the heaven of heavens (that habitation of his throne) cannot contain him, and Pſal. 115.16. the heavens of heavens are the Lords, in oppoſition to the earth following. But that hinders not but that here, the place of the Sun, Moon and Stars being before mentioned, and the waters above the heavens, or clouds, after, the heavens of heavens in the midſt betwixt theſe may be the upper region of the air. And ſo I ſuppoſe Pſal. 68.33. where of God it is ſaid, that he rideth upon the heavens of heavens, and ſends out his voice, and that a mighty voice, it may well refer to the coming of God by the preſence and miniſtery of his Angels, and thundring in the air, and declaring his will to his people in mount Sinai, as at the giving the Law it is deſcribed, and as elſewhere God is ſaid to come in the clouds, and his voice to be heard there, and to ride upon the Cherub, and to come flying upon the wings of the wind, whereas in that Pſalm the higheſt heavens are expreſt by another ſtyle, that of foreign v. 4. (of which ſee note a. on that Pſalm.) As for any eternal or incorruptible waters, which from this text ſome mens fanſies have produced, and then found a ground for their fanſie, v. 6. he hath eſtabliſhed them for ever and ever, that place will never be able to conclude for them; the full importance whereof is no more than that all that was forenamed, being the good creatures of God, were by him preſerved and continued alſo, (and ſo God to be praiſed for his works of preſervation as well as creation) and ruled and managed by him, as it there follows, he hath made a decree which ſhall not paſs. The Chaldee, which may ſeem to have underſtood the heavens of heavens here for the aethereal globe, and above the heavens, for the place of God's reſidence, have given another kind of Paraphraſe of it, Praiſe him ye heavens of heavens, and ye waters that depend on the word of him which is above the heavens; according to that of the Jews, which acknowledge the key of rain, as that of the womb, to be in peculiar manner kept in God's hand. But ſo it well may be, and yet be no higher elevated than the air, and there hang in clouds, till God pleaſe they ſhall diſſolve and diſtill upon the earth. And conſidering how frequently the place of rain and of thunder, and of all other meteors, is called the heavens, there is no cauſe to doubt but the air is here meant by the heavens above which the waters are. Aben Ezra here calls it foreign the ſphere of fire, which is above the things which are here, after this recited. Kimchi is obſerved ſomewhere to ſay, that the heaven of heavens may ſignify the loweſt heavens, as a ſervant of ſervants doth the meaneſt of ſervants, Gen. 9.25.