Psalms 113

Psalms 113:1-9

Psalms 113THE Psalmist celebrates the majesty of God, Psalms 113:1-5, in contrast with his gracious condescension to his suffering creatures, Psalms 113:6-9. According to a Jewish usage, which appears to have existed even in the time of Christ, the six psalms beginning with this one constitute the Greater Hallel, sung at the annual festivals, especially the Passover and the Feast of Tabernacles. According to Hengstenberg’s arrangement, this psalm closes a second trilogy, added to the Davidic one (Psalms 108— 110.) after the return from Babylon.

1. (Psalms 113:1) Hallelujah! Praise, O ye servants of Jehovah, praise the name of Jehovah! As the title, Servant of Jehovah, is applied to eminent leaders of the chosen people (Psalms 18:1; Psalms 36:1; Psalms 90:1; Psalms 105:6), so the plural, Servants of Jehovah (used here), designates his chosen people itself. See above, Psalms 34:22; Psalms 69:36, and below, Psalms 136:22, and compare Ezra 5:11, Nehemiah 1:10, from which last places it appears, that this was a familiar form of speech with the returned exiles.

2. (Psalms 113:2) Be the name of Jehovah blessed, from now and even to eternity. In this as well as the preceding verse, the name of Jehovah involves the usual allusion to the manifestation of his nature in his former acts. See above, on Psalms 5:11. The wish expressed in this verse implies a perpetual continuation or renewal of the evidence already furnished.

3. (Psalms 113:3) From the rising of the sun even to its setting, (to be) praised (is the) name of Jehovah. With the first clause compare Psalms 50:1. The last clause might be grammatically construed as a wish, like that in the preceding verse, praised (be the) name of Jehovah. It is more probable, however, that the passive participle (laudatus) was meant to have the force of a gerundive (laudandus). See above, on Psalms 18:3.

4. (Psalms 113:4) High above all nations (is) Jehovah; above the heavens (is) his (glory). The two clauses are declaratory of his infinite superiority, both to the animate and inanimate creation, each being represented by its noblest part; the former by mankind, and that considered not as individuals but nations; the latter by the heavens. This is certainly more natural, and yields a better sense, than to give the preposition a different meaning in the two clauses, in the first that of above, in the second that of on, in which case it is necessary to explain on heaven as meaning in heaven, just as on the earth and in the earth are convertible expressions. See above, on Psalms 57:5.

5. (Psalms 113:5) Who is like Jehovah, our God, the (one) dwelling high? The verb denotes not merely dwelling, but sitting enthroned, sitting as a king. The original construction of the last clause is peculiar, the (one) making high to sit (or dwell).

6. (Psalms 113:6) The one seeing deep— in heaven and in earth. The construction of the first clause is precisely the same with that of the last clause in Psalms 113:5, and must be explained in the same manner. As making high to dwell (see ver. 5) means dwelling high, so making low (or deep) to see must mean seeing deep, i.e. far below. It also follows from the exact correspondence of these clauses, that the remaining words of ver. 6 are to be connected with the first words of ver. 5. Who is like Jehovah, our God in heaven, and in earth? The rest will then be read as a parenthesis. This construction is confirmed by the analogy of Deu 3:24.

7. (Psalms 113:7) Raising from the dust the poor— from the dunghill he will lift the needy. The mention of God’s seeing far below him suggests the idea of his condescension to the humblest objects which he thus beholds. The word translated poor is one of wide signification, meaning sometimes poor in flesh and sometimes poor in purse. See above, on Psalms 41:1. The parallel term means poor in the strict sense, i.e. needy, destitute. Dust and dunghill, common figures in all languages for a degraded social state. The terms are borrowed from the prayer of Hannah, 1 Samuel 2:8. Compare Psalms 44:25.

8. (Psalms 113:8) To make him sit with nobles, with the nobles of his people. Not merely to dwell, which is too vague, but to sit with them, as their equal and associate. There is also a climax in the last clause. He not only raises the poor to an equality with nobles in general, but with the nobles of his people, i.e. with the noblest of mankind. See again, 1 Samuel 2:8.

9. (Psalms 113:9) Making the barren (one) of the house to sit a joyful mother of children. Hallelujah! The common version (to keep house) is founded upon Psalms 68:6, but is here at variance both with Hebrew usage and the masoretic accents, which require barren and the house to be closely united in construction, as above. The form of expression is like one in Psalms 68:12. To sit might be rendered to dwell without any material change of sense; but the former keeps up the uniformity with Psalms 113:5; Psalms 113:8, where the same Hebrew word is used. The historical allusion is to Hannah who, with other long childless mothers mentioned in the sacred history, was a type of the Church in its low estate, and more especially in exile. Compare Isaiah 54:1.