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Matthew Henry<BR><I>Commentary on the Whole Bible</I> (1710)
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<BR><FONT SIZE=+3><B>P S A L M S</B></FONT>
<BR>
<BR><FONT SIZE=+2>PSALM CXLIX.</FONT>
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<P> &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;
The foregoing psalm was a hymn of praise to the Creator; this is a hymn
of praise to the Redeemer. It is a psalm of triumph in the God of
Israel, and over the enemies of Israel. Probably it was penned upon
occasion of some victory which Israel was blessed and honoured with.
Some conjecture that it was penned when David had taken the strong-hold
of Zion, and settled his government there. But it looks further, to the
kingdom of the Messiah, who, in the chariot of the everlasting gospel,
goes forth conquering and to conquer. To him, and his graces and
glories, we must have an eye, in singing this psalm, which proclaims,
I. Abundance of joy to all the people of God,
<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Ps+149:1-5">ver. 1-5</A>.
II. Abundance of terror to the proudest of their enemies,
<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Ps+149:6-9">ver. 6-9</A>.</P>
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<TABLE WIDTH="100%" BORDER=0>
<TR><TD><FONT SIZE=+1><I>Saints Admonished to Praise God.</I></FONT></TD>
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<P> &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;
<FONT SIZE=+1>1 Praise ye the L<FONT SIZE=-1><B>ORD</B></FONT>. Sing unto the L<FONT SIZE=-1><B>ORD</B></FONT> a new song, <I>and</I> his
praise in the congregation of saints.
&nbsp; 2 Let Israel rejoice in him that made him: let the children of
Zion be joyful in their King.
&nbsp; 3 Let them praise his name in the dance: let them sing praises
unto him with the timbrel and harp.
&nbsp; 4 For the L<FONT SIZE=-1><B>ORD</B></FONT> taketh pleasure in his people: he will beautify
the meek with salvation.
&nbsp; 5 Let the saints be joyful in glory: let them sing aloud upon
their beds.
</FONT></P>
<P> &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;
We have here,</P>
<P> &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;
I. The calls given to God's Israel to praise. <I>All his works</I>
were, in the foregoing psalm, excited to <I>praise him;</I> but here
his saints in a particular manner are required to bless him. Observe
then,
1. Who are called upon to praise God. <I>Israel</I> in general, the
body of the church
(<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Ps+149:2"><I>v.</I> 2</A>),
<I>the children of Zion</I> particularly, the inhabitants of that holy
hill, who are nearer to God than other Israelites; those that have the
word and ordinances of God near to them, that are not required to
travel far to them, are justly expected to do more in praising God than
others. All true Christians may call themselves <I>the children of
Zion,</I> for in faith and hope <I>we have come unto Mount Zion,</I>
<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Heb+12:22">Heb. xii. 22</A>.
The saints must praise God, saints in profession, saints in power, for
this is the intention of their sanctification; they are devoted to the
glory of God, and renewed by the grace of God, that <I>they may be unto
him for a name and a praise.</I>
2. What must be the principle of this praise, and that is holy joy in
God: <I>Let Israel rejoice,</I> and <I>the children of Zion be
joyful,</I> and <I>the saints be joyful in glory.</I> Our praises of
God should flow from a heart filled with delight and triumph in God's
attributes, and our relation to him. Much of the power of godliness in
the heart consists in making God our chief joy and solacing ourselves
in him; and our faith in Christ is described by our rejoicing in him.
We then give honour to God when we take pleasure in him. We must <I>be
joyful in glory,</I> that is, in him as our glory, and in the interest
we have in him; and let us look upon it as our glory to be of those
that rejoice in God.
3. What must be the expressions of this praise. We must by all proper
ways show forth the praises of God: <I>Sing to the Lord.</I> We must
entertain ourselves, and proclaim his name, by <I>singing praises to
him</I>
(<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Ps+149:3"><I>v.</I> 3</A>),
<I>singing aloud</I>
(<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Ps+149:5"><I>v.</I> 5</A>),
for we should sing psalms with all our heart, as those that are not
only not ashamed of it, but are enlarged in it. We must sing a <I>new
song,</I> newly composed upon every special occasion, sing with new
affections, which make the song new, though the words have been used
before, and keep them from growing threadbare. Let God be <I>praised in
the dance with timbrel and harp,</I> according to the usage of the
Old-Testament church very early
(<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Ex+15:20">Exod. xv. 20</A>),
where we find God praised with <I>timbrels and dances.</I> Those who
from this urge the use of music in religious worship must by the same
rule introduce dancing, for they went together, as in David's dancing
before the ark, and
<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Jdg+21:21">Judg. xxi. 21</A>.
But, whereas many scriptures in the New Testament keep up singing as a
gospel-ordinance, none provide for the keeping up of music and dancing;
the gospel-canon for psalmody is to <I>sing with the spirit</I> and
<I>with the understanding.</I>
4. What opportunities must be taken for praising God, none must be let
slip, but particularly,
(1.) We must praise God in public, in the <I>solemn assembly</I>
(<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Ps+149:1"><I>v.</I> 1</A>),
<I>in the congregation of saints.</I> The more the better; it is the
more like heaven. Thus God's name must be owned before the world; thus
the service must have a solemnity put upon it, and we must mutually
excite one another to it. The principle, end, and design of our coming
together in religious assemblies is that we may join together in
praising God. Other parts of the service must be in order to this.
(2.) We must praise him in private. <I>Let the saints</I> be so
transported with their joy in God as to <I>sing aloud upon their
beds,</I> when they awake in the night, full of the praises of God, as
David,
<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Ps+119:62">Ps. cxix. 62</A>.
When God's Israel are brought to a quiet settlement, let them enjoy
that, with thankfulness to God; much more may true believers, that have
entered into God's rest, and find repose in Jesus Christ, sing aloud
for joy of that. Upon their sick-beds, their death-beds, let them sing
the praises of their God.</P>
<P> &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;
II. The cause given to God's Israel for praise. Consider,
1. God's doings for them. They have reason to rejoice inn God, to
devote themselves to his honour and employ themselves in his service;
for it is he that made them. He gave us our being as men, and we have
reason to praise him for that, for it is a noble and excellent being.
He gave Israel their being as a people, as a church, made them what
they were, so very different from other nations. Let that people
therefore praise him, for he formed them for himself, on purpose that
they might <I>show forth his praise,</I>
<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Isa+43:21">Isa. xliii. 21</A>.
Let Israel <I>rejoice in his Makers</I> (so it is in the original); for
God said, <I>Let us make man;</I> and in this, some think, is the
mystery of the Trinity.
2. God's dominion over them. This follows upon the former: if he made
them, he is their King; he that gave being no doubt may give law; and
this ought to be the matter of our joy and praise that we are under the
conduct and protection of such a wise and powerful King. <I>Rejoice
greatly, O daughter of Zion! for behold thy king comes,</I> the king
Messiah, whom God has <I>set upon his holy hill of Zion;</I> let all
the children of Zion <I>be joyful</I> in him, and go forth to meet him
with their hosannas,
<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Zec+9:9">Zech. ix. 9</A>.
3. God's delight in them. He is a king that rules by love, and
therefore to be praised; for <I>the Lord takes pleasure in his
people,</I> in their services, in their prosperity, in communion with
them, and in the communications of his favour to them. He that is
infinitely happy in the enjoyment of himself, and to whose felicity no
accession can be made, yet graciously condescends to <I>take pleasure
in his people,</I>
<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Ps+147:11">Ps. cxlvii. 11</A>.
4. God's designs concerning them. Besides the present complacency he
has in them, he has prepared for their future glory: <I>He will
beautify the meek,</I> the humble, and lowly, and contrite in heart,
that tremble at his word and submit to it, that are patient under their
afflictions and <I>show all meekness towards all men.</I> These men
vilify and asperse, but God will justify them, and wipe off their
reproach; nay, he will beautify them; they shall appear not only clear,
but comely, before all the world, with the comeliness that he puts upon
them. He will beautify them with salvation, with temporal salvations
(when God works remarkable deliverances for his people those that had
<I>been among the pots become as the wings of a dove covered with
silver,</I>
<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Ps+68:13">Ps. lxviii. 13</A>),
but especially with eternal salvation. The righteous shall be
beautified in that day when they <I>shine forth as the sun.</I> In the
hopes of this, let them now, in the darkest day, <I>sing a new
song.</I></P>
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<TR><TD><FONT SIZE=+1><I>Israel Admonished to Praise God.</I></FONT></TD>
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<P> &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;
<FONT SIZE=+1>6 <I>Let</I> the high <I>praises</I> of God <I>be</I> in their mouth, and a
twoedged sword in their hand;
&nbsp; 7 To execute vengeance upon the heathen, <I>and</I> punishments upon
the people;
&nbsp; 8 To bind their kings with chains, and their nobles with
fetters of iron;
&nbsp; 9 To execute upon them the judgment written: this honour have
all his saints. Praise ye the L<FONT SIZE=-1><B>ORD</B></FONT>.
</FONT></P>
<P> &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;
The Israel of God are here represented triumphing over their enemies,
which is both the matter of their praise (let them give to God the
glory of those triumphs) and the recompence of their praise; those that
are truly thankful to God for their tranquillity shall be blessed with
victory. Or it may be taken as a further expression of their praise
(<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Ps+149:6"><I>v.</I> 6</A>):
<I>let the high praises of God be in their mouth,</I> and then, in a
holy zeal for his honour, let them take a <I>two-edged sword in their
hand,</I> to fight his battles against the enemies of his kingdom. Now
this may be applied,
1. To the many victories which God blessed his people Israel with over
the nations of Canaan and other nations that were devoted to
destruction. These began in Moses and Joshua, who, when they taught
Israel <I>the high praises of the Lord,</I> did withal put <I>a
two-edged sword in their hand;</I> David did so too, for, as he was the
sweet singer of Israel, so he was the captain of their hosts, and
taught the children of Judah the use of the bow
(<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=2Sa+1:18">2 Sam. i. 18</A>),
taught their hands to war, as God had taught his. Thus he and they
went on victoriously, fighting the Lord's battles, and avenging
Israel's quarrels on those that had oppressed them; then they
<I>executed vengeance upon the heathen</I> (the Philistines, Moabites,
Ammonites, and others,
<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=2Sa+8:1">2 Sam. viii. 1</A>,
&c.) <I>and punishments upon the people,</I> for all the wrong they had
done to God's people,
<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Ps+149:7"><I>v.</I> 7</A>.
Their kings and nobles were taken prisoners
(<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Ps+149:8"><I>v.</I> 8</A>)
and on some of them the judgment written was executed, as by Joshua on
the kings of Canaan, by Gideon on the princes of Midian, by Samuel on
Agag. The honour of this redounded to all the Israel of God; and to him
who put it upon them they return it entirely in their hallelujahs.
Jehoshaphat's army had at the same time <I>the high praises of God in
their mouth and a two-edged sword in their hand,</I> for they went
forth to war singing the praises of God, and then their sword did
execution,
<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=2Ch+20:23">2 Chron. xx. 23</A>.
Some apply it to the time of the Maccabees, when the Jews sometimes
gained great advantages against their oppressors. And if it seem
strange that the meek should, notwithstanding that character, be thus
severe, and upon kings and nobles too, here is one word that justifies
them in it; it is <I>the judgment written.</I> They do not do it from
any personal malice and revenge, or any bloody politics that they
govern themselves by, but by commission from God, according to his
direction, and in obedience to his command; and Saul lost his kingdom
for disobeying a command of this nature. Thus the kings of the earth
that shall be employed in the destruction of the New-Testament Babylon
will but <I>execute the judgment written,</I>
<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Re+17:16,17">Rev. xvii. 16, 17</A>.
But, since now no such special commissions can be produced, this will
by no means justify the violence either of subjects against their
princes or of princes against their subjects, or both against their
neighbours, under pretence of religion; for Christ never intended that
his gospel should be propagated by fire and sword or his righteousness
wrought by the wrath of man. When the high praises of God are in our
mouth with them we should have an olive-branch of peace in our hands.
2. To Christ's victories by the power of his gospel and grace over
spiritual enemies, in which all believers are more than conquerors. The
word of God is the <I>two-edged sword</I>
(<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Heb+4:12">Heb. iv. 12</A>),
the <I>sword of the Spirit</I>
(<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Eph+6:17">Eph. vi. 17</A>),
which it is not enough to have in our armoury, we must have it in our
hand also, as our Master had, when he said, <I>It is written.</I> Now,
(1.) With this two-edged sword the first preachers of the gospel
obtained a glorious victory over the powers of darkness; vengeance was
executed upon the gods of the heathen, by the conviction and conversion
of those that had been long their worshippers, and by the consternation
and confusion of those that would not repent
(<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Re+6:15">Rev. vi. 15</A>);
the strongholds of Satan were cast down
(<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=2Ch+10:4,5">2 Chron. x. 4, 5</A>);
great men were made to tremble at the word, as Felix; Satan, the god of
this world, was cast out, according to the judgment given against him.
<I>This</I> is the honour of all Christians, that their holy religion
has been so victorious.
(2.) With this two-edged sword believers fight against their own
corruptions, and, through the grace of God, subdue and mortify them;
the sin that had dominion over them is crucified; self, that once sat
king, is bound with chains and brought into subjection to the yoke of
Christ; the tempter is foiled and bruised under their feet. <I>This
honour have all the saints.</I>
(3.) The complete accomplishment of this will be in the judgment of the
great day, when <I>the Lord</I> shall come <I>with ten thousands of his
saints, to execute judgment upon all,</I>
<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Jude+1:14,15">Jude 14, 15</A>.
Vengeance shall then be <I>executed upon the heathen</I>
(<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Ps+9:17">Ps. ix. 17</A>),
<I>and punishments,</I> everlasting punishments, <I>upon the people.
Kings and nobles,</I> that cast away the bands and cords of Christ's
government
(<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Ps+2:3">Ps. ii. 3</A>),
shall not be able to cast away the chains and fetters of his wrath and
justice. Then shall be executed <I>the judgment written,</I> for <I>the
secrets of men shall be judged according to the gospel. This</I>
honour shall all the saints have, that, as assessors with Christ, they
shall <I>judge the world,</I>
<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=1Co+6:2">1 Cor. vi. 2</A>.
In the prospect of that let them praise the Lord, and continue Christ's
faithful servants and soldiers to the end of their lives.</P>
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