15 Happy are the people that are in such a case: yea, blessed are the people who have the LORD for their God. PSALM 145. Exaltabo te, Deus. [This is called a Tehillah-hymn-of David, and it is the only Psalm so called, although TEHILLIM [hymns] is the title of the entire collection of the Psalms. It is an Alphabetical Psalm, the letter Nun, N, however, being omitted; and with its last verse it fitly introduces the five Hallelujah Psalms which conclude the Book.] I WILL magnify Thee, O God, my King: and I will praise Thy Name for ever and ever. 2 Every day will I give thanks unto Thee and praise Thy Name for ever and ever. : 3 Great is the LORD, and marvellous, Whitsunday. The last Psalm at Evening Prayer. 1. For ever and ever i. e., beyond this life; in eternity. 3. There is no end, worthy to be praised: there is no end of &c.; Heb. His great His greatness. 4 One generation shall praise Thy works unto another and declare Thy power. : 5 As for me, I will be talking of Thy worship: Thy glory, Thy praise, and wondrous works; 6 So that men shall speak of the might of Thy marvellous acts and I will also tell of Thy greatness. 7 The memorial of Thine abundant kindness shall be shewed and men shall sing of Thy righteousness. : 8 The LORD is gracious, and merciful : long-suffering, and of great goodness. 9 The LORD is loving unto every man : and His mercy is over all His works. 10 All Thy works praise Thee, O LORD: and Thy saints give thanks unto Thee. 11 They shew the glory of Thy king dom and talk of Thy power; ness is unsearchable. "How unsearchable are His judgments, and His ways past finding out!" Rom. xi. 33. 12 That Thy power, Thy glory, and mightiness of Thy kingdom might be known unto men. 13 Thy kingdom is an everlasting kingdom and Thy dominion endureth throughout all ages. 14 The LORD upholdeth all such as fall : and lifteth up all those that are down. 14. Those that are down; lit. bowed down, as the woman was 15 The eyes of all wait upon Thee, O who had a spirit of LORD and Thou givest them their meat in infirmity, and : due season. bowed together. - S. Luke xiii. 11. : 16 Thou openest Thine hand and fillest all things living with plenteousness. 17 The LORD is righteous in all His ways and holy in all His works. 18 The LORD is nigh unto all them that Him upon : yea, all such as call upon Him faithfully. call 19 He will fulfil the desire of them that fear Him He also will hear their cry, and will help them. : 20 The LORD preserveth all them that love Him but scattereth abroad all the ungodly. 21 My mouth shall speak the praise of the LORD and let all flesh give thanks unto His holy Name for ever and ever. PSALM 146. Lauda, anima mea. [These concluding Psalms, each commencing and concluding with the word HALLELUJAH, belong to the time of Nehemiah, when Jerusalem was architecturally and ecclesiastically raised from her ruins.] PRAISE the LORD, O my soul; while I live will I praise the LORD yea, as long as I have any being, I will sing praises unto my God. 2 O put not your trust in princes, nor in 15. This verse was perpetually repeated by the communicants of old at the altar. ing: the same word as is used of those who love Him, and is translated "saints," verse 10. 21. All flesh upon whom the Holy Spirit is poured shall praise the holy Name. This appeal is appropriate to the services of Whitsunday. HALLELUJAH. 2. This is sadly any child of man for there is no help in them. 3 For when the breath of man goeth forth he shall turn again to his earth and then all his thoughts perish. : 4 Blessed is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help : and whose hope is in the LORD his God; 5 Who made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that therein is who keepeth His promise for ever; : 6 Who helpeth them to right that suffer wrong who feedeth the hungry. 7 The LORD looseth men out of prison : the LORD giveth sight to the blind. 8 The LORD helpeth them that are fallen : the LORD careth for the righteous. 9 The LORD careth for the strangers; He defendeth the fatherless and widow: as for the way of the ungodly, He turneth it upside down. the appropriate to 4. This is the last place where the word of beatitude, "blessed is he," occurs in the Psalms. 5. The creation of the universe is made an attestation of God's faithfulness. "With Him is no variableness, neither shadow of turning," S. James i. 17. 7. Giveth sight, &c.; this is pre-eminently a Messianic miracle. "Since the world began was it not heard that any man opened the eyes of one that was born blind.” 8. Helpeth them that are fallen; lit. 10 The LORD thy God, O Sion, shall be King for evermore : and throughout all gen- raiseth them that are erations. Evening Prayer. PSALM 147. Laudate Dominum. [This Psalm was most probably composed as an anthem, for the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem when it had been restored by Nehemiah. Two processions, one headed by Nehemiah and the other by Ezra, passed round the circuit of the wall, accompanied by the Levites with their instruments of music and solemn Psalms.] O PRAISE the LORD, for it is a good thing to sing praises unto our God: yea, a joyful and pleasant thing it is to be thankful. translated "comely" is derived from a verb meaning be suitable to any one, to become him. bowed down. 9. Turneth it upside down; lit. perverts his way—i.e., leads him astray. Strangers, fatherless, widows, "God's trefoil." HALLELUJAH. HALLELUJAH. 1. Yea, a joyful, &c.; lit. for it is pleasant, and praise is comely. The word to sit, dwell, thence to 2 The LORD doth build up Jerusalem: and gather together the outcasts of Israel. 3 He healeth those that are broken in heart and giveth medicine to heal their sickness. 4 He telleth the number of the stars : and calleth them all by their names. 5 Great is our LORD, and great is His power: yea, and His wisdom is infinite. 6 The LORD setteth up the meek and bringeth the ungodly down to the ground. : 7 O sing unto the LORD with thanksgiving sing praises upon the harp unto our God; 8 Who covereth the heaven with clouds, and prepareth rain for the earth : and maketh the grass to grow upon the mountains, and herb for the use of men; 9 Who giveth fodder unto the cattle : and feedeth the young ravens that call Him. upon 10 He hath no pleasure in the strength of an horse neither delighteth He in any man's legs. : 11 But the LORD's delight is in them that fear Him and put their trust in His mercy. : 12 Praise the LORD, O Jerusalem : praise Thy God, O Sion. 13 For He hath made fast the bars of thy gates and hath blessed thy children within thee. 14 He maketh peace in thy borders: and filleth thee with the flour of wheat. 15 He sendeth forth His commandment not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward Lord looketh on the heart," 1 Sam. xvi. 7. 6. The meek; rather, the afflicted, who had borne their affliced are the meek." tion piously. "Bless 7. Thanksgiving; the Hebrew word oc curs three times in Nehemiah's description of the dedication of the walls.Ch. xii. 31, 38, 40. &c. 8. Maketh the grass, i.e., without man's intervention. The last sentence, "and herb," &c., is not in the Hebrew, but was introduced through the Septuagint and Vulgate. 9. If He feed the harsh screaming ravens, will He reject the dove's soft prayer ?— [HORNE.] 10. When Samuel was surprised at the rejection by God of David's elder warrior brothers, God said to him, "The Lord seeth appearance, but the 13. After much labour and difficulty Nehemiah succeeded at last in setting up the gates of the city.-Neh. vii. 1-4. 14. Flour; lit. fat-i.e., the best and most excellent of its kind. So, "the fat of the land."-Gen. xlv. 18. upon earth and His word runneth very swiftly. 16 He giveth snow like wool and scattereth the hoar-frost like ashes. 17 He casteth forth His ice like morsels : who is able to abide His frost? 18 He sendeth out His word, and melteth them: He bloweth with His wind, and the waters flow. 19 He sheweth His word unto Jacob : His statutes and ordinances unto Israel. 20 He hath not dealt so with any nation : neither have the heathen knowledge of His laws. PSALM 148. Laudate Dominum. [This Psalm is a challenge to all creation to join in O PRAISE the LORD of heaven : praise Him 2 Praise Him, all ye angels of His : praise Him, all His host. 3 Praise Him, sun and moon : praise Him, all ye stars and light. 16. Like wool-i.e., the snow covers the earth like a garment of white wool. "Even so the chilling dispensations of God's severe providence come down on His Church, forming a mantle to preserve it from the more intense cold," Dr Pusey, quoted by Kay. 20. Nation- i.e., external to the Israelites. The word "heathen" in the next clause is not in the original, "They know them not." HALLELUJAH. HALLELUJAH. 1. Of heaven; Heb. FROM heaven. The chant commences from heaven. See verse 7. 2. Host; the word called in the Te Deum, Sabaoth. " Suddenly 4 Praise Him, all ye heavens and ye there was with the waters that are above the heavens. 5 Let them praise the Name of the LORD for He spake the word, and they : were made; He commanded, and they were created. angel a multitude of the heavenly host" -i.e., Sabaoth.-S. Luke ii. 13. 3. And light; Heb. of light. 4. All ye heavens; this phrase represents the Hebrew "heaven of heavens." 5. For He spake made; this is interpolated, and not in the Hebrew. It detracts from the simplicity of the original. [Interpolate to insert anything new, and so to spoil by adding.] |