PSALM 113 COMME�TARYEDITED BY GLE�� PEASE

I�TRODUCTIO�

SPURGEO�, "TITLE A�D SUBJECT. This Psalm is one of pure praise, and contains but little which requires exposition; a warm heart full of admiring adoration of the Most High will best of all comprehend this sacred hymn. Its subject is the greatness and condescending goodness of the God of Israel, as exhibited in lifting up the needy from their low estate. It may fitly be sung by the church during a period of revival after it has long been minished and brought low. With this Psalm begins the Hallel, or Hallelujah of the Jews, which was sung at their solemn feasts: we will therefore call it THE COMME�CEME�T OF THE HALLEL. Dr. Edersheim tells us that the Talmud dwells upon the peculiar suitableness of the Hallel to the Passover, "since it not only recorded the goodness of God towards Israel, but especially their deliverance from Egypt, and therefore appropriately opened with Praise ye Jehovah, ye servants of Jehovah, —and no longer servants of Pharaoh." Its allusions to the poor in the dust and the needy upon the dunghill are all in keeping with Israel in Egypt, and so also is the reference to the birth of numerous children where they were least expected.DIVISIO�. �o division need be made in the exposition of this Psalm, except it be that which is suggested by the always instructive headings supplied by the excellent authors of our common version: an exhortation to praise God, for his excellency, 1-5; for his mercy, 6-9.

COKE, "THIS and the five following psalms, were by the Jews called הלל hallel, or hymns; they were made use of at the feasts of the new moons, and on other solemn occasions, especially on the paschal night, after they had eaten the lamb. The evangelist alludes to this custom, Matthew 26:30.; Mark 14:26. The intention of this psalm is, to excite men to praise God for his good providence, several instances of which are here mentioned; and particularly his mercy to the Gentile world, in making the barren woman a joyful mother of children.

1 Praise the Lord.[a]

Praise the Lord, you his servants; praise the name of the Lord.

BAR�ES, "Praise ye the Lord - Margin, as in Hebrew, “Hallelujah.” See the notes at Psa_106:1.

Praise, O ye servants of the Lord - You who profess to serve and obey him; who

acknowledge him as your God. In the original this is also the word “Hallelu,” הללו halelû.

Praise the name of the Lord - Still the same word “Hallelu.” The name of the Lord is put here, as it is often, for the Lord himself.

CLARKE, "Praise, O ye servants - Probably an address to the Levites. The Anglo-Saxon has praise the Lord, ye knaves. Knapa or knave signified among our ancestors a servant; sometimes a male, a young man.

GILL, "Praise ye the Lord,.... Or, "hallelujah". This is the title of the psalm, as in the two preceding, and directs to the principal matter of it.

Praise, O ye servants of the Lord; meaning not the angels, nor all men, nor the priests and Levites only; but all the saints, who are a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices to God; who are servants, not of sin, nor of Satan, nor of men, but of God and Christ; and who serve the Lord willingly and cheerfully, with much pleasure and delight, in righteousness and holiness, with reverence and godly fear, and without trusting to and depending on their service for salvation: and one principal branch of their service is praise, especially under the Gospel dispensation; in which all legal sacrifices are abolished, and the sacrifice of praise is continued; and which is pleasant and delightful work, and yet there is a backwardness to it; and therefore there is need of such an exhortation to excite unto it, and to repeat it, as follows:

praise the name of the Lord; not any particular name, as Jehovah; but him himself, and the perfections of his nature; his holiness, justice, truth, faithfulness, power, goodness, grace and mercy. The repetition of the exhortation denotes either the abundance of praise to be given to the Lord, or the constancy and continuance of it; which ought to be done at all times, every day, since his mercies are new every morning. Some have thought the threefold repetition respects the trinity of Persons, who are each to be praised, as in Num_6:24, but this is doubtful, and perhaps not sufficient to build such a doctrine on; and especially since the first of these exhortations is the title of the psalm: however, this is a certain truth, that Jehovah, Father, Son, and Spirit, are to be praised.

HE�RY, "I. We are extorted to give glory to God, to give him the glory due to his

name.

1. The invitation is very pressing: praise you the Lord, and again and again, Praise him, praise him; blessed be his name, for it is to be praised, Psa_113:1-3. This intimates, (1.) That it is a necessary and most excellent duty, greatly pleasing to God, and has a large room in religion. (2.) That it is a duty we should much abound in, in which we should be frequently employed and greatly enlarged. (3.) That it is work which we are very backward to, and which we need to be engaged and excited to by precept upon precept and line upon line. (4.) That those who are much in praising God themselves will court others to it, both because they find the weight of the work, and that there is need of all the help they can fetch in (there is employment for all hearts, all hands, and all little enough), and because they find the pleasure of it, which they wish all their friends may share in.

JAMISO� 1-3, "Psa_113:1-9. God’s majesty contrasted with His condescension and gracious dealings towards the humble furnish matter and a call for praise. The Jews, it is said, used this and Psalms 114-118 on their great festivals, and called them the Greater Hallel, or Hymn.

Earnestness and zeal are denoted by the emphatic repetitions.

servants of the Lord — or, all the people of God.

name of the Lord — perfections (Psa_5:11; Psa_111:9).

K&D 1-3, "The call, not limited by any addition as in Psa_134:1, or eve, after the manner of Psa_103:20., extended over the earth, is given to the whole of the true Israel that corresponds to its election by grace and is faithful to its mission; and its designation by “servants of Jahve” (Ps 69:37, cf. Ps 34:23), or even “servant of Jahve” (Psa_136:22), has come into vogue more especially through the second part of Isaiah. This Israel is called upon to praise Jahve; for the praise and celebration of His Name, i.e., of His nature, which is disclosed by means of its manifestation, is a principal element, yea, the proper ground and aim, of the service, and shall finally become that which fills all time

and all space. למה laudatum (est), is equivalent to �ινετόν, laudabile (lxx, Vulgate), and

this does not differ greatly from laudetur. The predictive interpretation laudabitur isopposed to the context (cf. moreover Köhler on Mal_1:11).

CALVI�, "1Praise, ye servants of Jehovah! This psalm contains abundant reasons for all men without exception to praise God. The faithful alone being endued with spiritual perception to recognize the hand of God, the prophet addresses them in particular. And if we consider how cold and callous men are in this religious exercise, we will not deem the repetition of the call to praise God superfluous. We all acknowledge that we are created to praise God’s name, while, at the same time, his glory is disregarded by us. Such criminal apathy is justly condemned by the prophet, with the view of stirring us up to unwearied zeal in praising God. The repetition, then, of the exhortation to praise him, ought to be considered as referring both to perseverance and ardor in this service. If, by the servants of God, some would rather understand the Levites, to whom the charge of celebrating his praises under the Law was committed, I am not much opposed to it, provided they do not exclude the rest of the faithful, over whom formerly God appointed the Levites as

leaders and chief musicians, that he might be praised by all his people without exception. When the Holy Spirit addresses the Levites expressly in relation to the subject of God’s praises, it is designedly that, by their example, they may show the way to others, and that the whole Church may respond in one holy chorus. �ow that we are all “a royal priesthood,” (1 Peter 2:9) and as Zechariah testifies, (Zechariah 14:21) that under the reign of Christ, the meanest of the people shall be Levites, there is no question that, excepting unbelievers who are mute, the prophet invites us all in common to render this service unto God.

SPURGEO�, "Ver. 1. Praise ye the LORD, or Hallelujah, praise to JAH Jehovah. Praise is an essential offering at all the solemn feasts of the people of God. Prayer is the myrrh, and praise is the frankincense, and both of these must be presented unto the Lord. How can we pray for mercy for the future if we do not bless God for his love in the past? The Lord hath wrought all good things for us, let us therefore adore him. All other praise is to be excluded, the entire devotion of the soul must be poured out unto Jehovah only.Praise, O ye servants of the LORD. Ye above all men, for ye are bound to do so by your calling and profession. If God's own servants do not praise him, who will? Ye are a people near unto him, and should be heartiest in your loving gratitude. While they were slaves of Pharaoh, the Israelites uttered groans and sighs by reason of their hard bondage; but now that they had become servants of the Lord, they were to express themselves in songs of joy. His service is perfect freedom, and those who fully enter into it discover in that service a thousand reasons for adoration. They are sure to praise God best who serve him best; indeed, service is praise.Praise the name of the LORD: extol his revealed character, magnify every sacred attribute, exult in all his doings, and reverence the very name by which he is called. The name of Jehovah is thrice used in this verse, and may by us who understand the doctrine of the Trinity in Unity be regarded as a thinly veiled allusion to that holy mystery. Let Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, all be praised as the one, only, living, and true God. The close following of the words, "Hallelujah, Hallelu, Hallelu, "must have had a fine effect in the public services. Dr. Edersheim describes the temple service as responsive, and says, "Every first line of a Psalm was repeated by the people, while to each of the others they responded by a Hallelu Jah or Praise ye the Lord"thus—The Levites began: Hallelujah (Praise ye the Lord).The people repeated: Hallelu Jah.The Levites: Praise (Hallelu), O ye servants of Jehovah.The people responded: Hallelu Jah.The Levites: Praise (Hallelu) the name of Jehovah.The people responded: Hallelu Jah.These were not vain repetitions, for the theme is one which we ought to dwell upon; it should be deeply impressed upon the soul, and perseveringly kept prominent in the life.EXPLA�ATORY �OTES A�D QUAI�T SAYI�GS.Whole Psalm. With this Psalm begins the Hallel, which is recited at the three great feasts, at the feast of the Dedication (Chanucca) and at the new moons, and not on

�ew Year's day and the day of Atonement, because a cheerful song of praise does not harmonise with the mournful solemnity of these days. And they are recited only in fragments during the last days of the Passover, for "my creatures, saith the Holy One, blessed be He, were drowned in the sea, and ought ye to break out into songs of rejoicing?" In the family celebration of the Passover night it is divided into two parts, the one half, Psalms 113:1-9; Psalms 114:1-8, being sung before the repast, before the emptying of the second festal cup, and the other half, Psalms 115:1-18; Psalms 116:1-19; Psalms 117:1-2; Psalms 118:1-29, after the repast, after the filling of the fourth cup, to which the umnhsantev (Matthew 26:30, Mark 14:26), or singing a hymn, after the institution of the Lord's Supper, which was connected with the fourth festal cup, may refer. Paulus Burgensis styles Psalms 113:1-9 to Psalms 118:1-29 Alleluja Judeaeorum magnum. (The great Alleluiah of the Jews). This designation is also frequently found elsewhere. But according to the prevailing custom, Psalms 113:1-9; Psalms 114:1-8; Psalms 115:1-18; Psalms 116:1-19; Psalms 117:1-2; Psalms 118:1-29, and more particularly Psalms 115:1-18; Psalms 116:1-19; Psalms 117:1-2; Psalms 118:1-29, are called only Hallel, and Psalms 136:1-26, with its "for his mercy endureth for ever" repeated twenty-six times, bears the name of "The Great Hallel" (lwdgh llh). —Frank Delitzsch.Whole Psalm. The Jews have handed down the tradition, that this Psalm, and those that follow on to the 118th, were all sung at the Passover; and they are denominated "The Great Hallel." This tradition shows, at all events, that the ancient Jews perceived in these six psalms some link of close connection. They all sing of God the Redeemer, in some aspect of his redeeming character; and this being so, while they suited the paschal feast, we can see how appropriate they would be in the lips of the Redeemer, in his Upper Room. Thus—In Psalms 113:1-9, he sang praise to him who redeems from thelowest depth.In Psalms 114:1-8, he sang praise to him who once redeemedIsrael, and shall redeem Israel again.In Psalms 115:1-18, he uttered a song—over earth's fallenidols—to him who blesses Israel and the world.In Psalms 116:1-19, he sang his resurrection song ofthanksgiving by anticipation.In Psalms 117:1-2, he led the song of praise for the greatcongregation.In Psalms 118:1-29 (just before leaving the Upper Room to go toGethsemane), he poured forth the story of his suffering,conflict, triumph and glorification. —A. A. Bonar.Whole Psalm. An attentive reader of the Book of Psalms will observe that almost every one of them has a view to Christianity. Many, if not most of the psalms, were without doubt occasioned originally by accidents of the life that befell their royal author; they were therefore at the same time both descriptive of the situation and life, the actions and sufferings, of King David, and predictive also of our Saviour, who was all along represented by King David, from whose loins he was descended according to the flesh. But this Psalm appears to be wholly written with a view to Christianity. It begins with an exhortation to all true servants and zealous worshippers of God, to "praise his name, "at all times, and in all places; "from this

time forth and for evermore, "and "from the rising of the sun unto the going down thereof." And the ground of this praise and adoration is set forth in the following verses to be, —first, the glorious majesty of his Divine nature; and next, the singular goodness of it as displayed to us in his works of providence, particularly by exalting those who are abased, and his making the barren to become fruitful. His lifting the poor out of the mire, and making the barren woman to become fruitful, may, at first sight, seem an odd mixture of ideas. But a right notion of the prophetic language will solve the difficulty; and teach us, that both the expressions are in fact very nearly related, and signify much the same thing. For by the "poor" are here meant those who are destitute of all heavenly knowledge (the only true and real riches) and who are sunk in the mire and filth of sin. So, again, his making "the barren woman to keep house, and to be a joyful mother of children, "is a prophetic metaphor, or allusion to the fruitfulness of the Church in bringing forth sons or professors of the true religion. My interpretation of both these expressions is warrantable from so many parallel passages of Scripture. I shall only observe that here the profession of the Christian faith throughout the whole earth is foretold; as also the particular direction or point of the compass, toward which Christianity should by the course of God's providence be steered and directed, viz., from East to West, or "from the rising of the sun unto the going down of the same." —James Bate, 1703-1775.Ver. 1. Praise ye the LORD. Praise. The wllh is repeated. This repetition is not without significance. It is for the purpose of waking us up out of our torpor. We are all too dull and slow in considering and praising the blessings of God. There is, therefore, necessity for these stimuli. Then this repetition signifies assiduity and perseverance in sounding forth the praises of God. It is not sufficient once and again to praise God, but his praises ought to be always sung in the Church. —Mollerus.Ver. 1. Praise ye the Lord. This praising God rests not in the mere speculation or idle contemplation of the Divine excellence, floating only in the brain, or gliding upon the tongue, but in such quick and lively apprehensions of them as to sink down into the heart, and there beget affections suitable to them; for it will make us love him for his goodness, respect him for his greatness, fear him for his justice, dread him for his power, adore him for his wisdom, and for all his attributes make us live in constant awe and obedience to him. This is to praise God, without which all other courting and complimenting of him is but mere flattery and hypocrisy...God Almighty endowed us with higher and nobler faculties than other creatures, for this end, that we should set forth his praise; for though other things were made to administer the matter and occasion, yet man alone was designed and qualified to exercise the act of glorifying God...In short, God Almighty hath so closely twisted his own glory and our happiness together, that at the same time we advance the one we promote the other. —Matthew Hole, 1730.Ver. 1. Praise, O ye servants of the LORD. From the exhortation to praise God, and the declaration of his deserving to be praised; learn, that as it is all men's duty to praise the Lord, so in special it is the duty of his ministers, and officers of his house. First, because their office doth call for the discharge of it publicly. �ext, because as they should be best acquainted with the reasons of his praise, so also should they be the fittest instruments to declare it. And lastly, because the ungodly are deaf unto the exhortation, and dumb in the obedience of it; therefore when he hath said,

"Praise ye the Lord, " he subjoins, "Praise, O ye servants of the Lord." —David Dickson.Ver. 1. Ye servants of the LORD. All men owe this duty to God, as being the workmanship of his hands; Christians above other men, as being the sheep of his pasture; preachers of the word above other Christians, as being pastors of his sheep, and so consequently patterns in word, in conversation, in love, in spirit, in faith, in pureness. 1 Timothy 4:12. —John Boys.Ver. 1-3.Hallelujah, praise the Lord!Praise, ye servants, praise his name!Be Jehovah's praise adored,�ow and evermore the same!Where the orient sunbeams gleam.Where they sink in ocean's stream,Through the circuit of his raysBe your theme Jehovah's praise.Richard Mant.

BE�SO�, "Psalms 113:1-3. Praise, O ye servants of the Lord — Ye Levites, who are peculiarly devoted to this solemn work, and sometimes termed God’s servants, in a special sense, and all you faithful souls. Blessed be the name of the Lord from this time, &c. — Let not the work of praising God die with us, but let those that come after us praise him; yea, let him be praised through all the generations of time, and let us and all his saints praise him in eternity. From the rising of the sun, &c. —Throughout the habitable world, from one end of it to the other; the Lord’s name is to be praised — That is, it ought to be praised in all nations, because all nations enjoy the benefit of his glorious works of creation and providence: and in all nations there are most manifest proofs of his infinite wisdom, power, and goodness. All nations, also, were to be redeemed by the Messiah, and it is his gracious purpose and promise to bring all nations to the knowledge of his truth.

COFFMA�, "Verse 1PSALM 113

PRAISI�G JEHOVAH FOR EXALTI�G THE HUMBLE

This is another of the "Hallelujah Psalms," this time with the words "Praise Ye Jehovah" (Hallelujah) occurring both at the beginning and the end of the Psalm.

Psalms 113:1-9

The Text of the Psalm

"Praise ye Jehovah.

Praise, Oh ye servants of Jehovah.

Blessed be the name of Jehovah

From this time forth and forevermore.

From the rising of the sun unto the going down of the same

Jehovah's name is to be praised.

Jehovah is high above all nations,

And his glory above the heavens.

Who is like unto Jehovah our God,

That hath his seat on high,

That humbleth himself to behold

The things that are in heaven and in the earth?

He raiseth up the poor out of the dust,

And lifteth up the needy from the dunghill;

That he may set him with princes,

Even with the princes of the people.

He maketh the barren woman to keep house,

And to be a joyful mother of children.

Praise ye Jehovah."

"In Judaism, Psalms 113-118 are known as the Egyptian Hallel (`Hallel' means `Praise'). Psalms 113 and Psalms 114 were sung before the Passover meal; and Psalms 115-118 were sung after it. They were also sung at the feasts of Pentecost, Tabernacles, and Dedication (Hanukkah, or the Feast of Lights)."[1] Delitzsch adds that, "The Hallel was also sung on �ew Year's Day and on the Day of Atonement."[2]

One of these customary closing songs (Psalms 115-118), "Must have been the one that Jesus and his apostles sang following the Last Supper (Matthew 26:30)."[3]

"From this time forth and forevermore" (Psalms 113:2). This expression also occurs in Psalms 115:8; 121:8; 125:2; 131:3. It means for one to praise God regularly and consistently throughout one's whole life.

"That humbleth himself to behold the things that are in heaven and in the earth." The marginal reading gives this: "That humbleth himself to regard the heavens and the earth." The RSV reads it, "Who looks far down upon the heavens and the earth."

"He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, and lifteth up the needy from the dunghill" (Psalms 113:7). The RSV reads, "He raises the poor from the dust, and lifts the needy from the ash heap." This verse breathes the spirit of "The Magnificat," the marvelous song of the virgin Mary. "He hath put down princes from their thrones and exalted them of low degree." (Luke 1:52).

"The dunghill, or ash heap" (Psalms 113:7). This appears to have been the city dump, or its equivalent. Delitzsch tells us that, "In Syria and Palestine the man who has been shut out from society lies upon the mezbele (the dunghill, or ash heap), by day calling upon passers-by for alms, and by night hiding himself in the ashes that have been warmed by the sun."[4]

"He maketh the barren woman to keep house, and to be a joyful mother of children" (Psalms 113:9). The psalmist here has adopted some of the phrases from 1 Samuel 2:8, where they are found in the Song of Hannah, indicating that the psalmist was referring to her as an example of the "barren woman" who became the joyful mother of children.

This verse is also equally true of Sarah; and the plural "children" does not deny this. In the scriptures, "child" is sometimes understood as "children." In Genesis 21:7, Sarah is quoted as saying, "Who would have said unto Abraham, that Sarah should have given children suck? for I have borne him a son."

This usage of the word "children" is still current in the world. As E. M. Zerr stated it, "When the captain of a sinking ship orders that women and children should enter the lifeboats first; that cannot mean that a woman with only one child would be denied."[5]

Leupold declares that, "all commentators agree that the psalm is post-exilic."[6]

Also, he noted that "the barren woman" here is Israel, the nation itself. After Israel's return from Babylon, she could have been compared to a poor man sitting and begging on the city dump, or to a childless woman mourning her barrenness. "Thus the psalm is to be thought of as a word of comfort in evil and depressing times, that it was written for the `worm' Jacob (Isaiah 41:14), and for the `afflicted and storm-tossed one' (Isaiah 54:11)."[7]

WHEDO�, "1. Servants of the Lord—The call is upon Israel, the professed servants of Jehovah, wherever residing. Those only who know God are prepared for this act of praise, and the whole psalm indicates that the most marked condescension of

Jehovah toward his people, even the poorest and vilest, had been recently and freshly experienced. The verse is similar to Psalms 135:1, except a slight transposition of words, and is more emphatic.

CO�STABLE, "Verses 1-9Psalm 113

Psalm 113-118 constitute the "Egyptian Hallel." The designation "Egyptian Hallel" originated because of the emphasis on Egypt in Psalm 114. Hallel is the imperative singular form of the Hebrew word (lit. praise, cf. Hallelujah) and is a command to praise. The Jews sang the "Egyptian Hallel" (113-118) and the "Great Hallel" (120-136), two collections of Psalm , at the three yearly feasts that all the males had to attend: Passover, Pentecost, and Tabernacles. Most of the "Great Hallel" psalms are pilgrimage songs. The Jews also used these psalms on other holy days, including their new moon festivals. At Passover it was customary to sing Psalm 113 , 114before the meal and115-118,136 after it (cf. Matthew 26:30; Mark 14:26). A third collection of Hallel psalms (146-150) was incorporated into the daily prayers of synagogue worship after the destruction of Jerusalem in A.D70.

"There was more relevance in these psalms to the Exodus -the greater Exodus -than could be guessed in Old Testament times." [�ote: Kidner, Psalm 73-150 , p401.]

This psalm of descriptive praise calls on God"s servants to praise Him because, even though He occupies an exalted position, He has humbled Himself to lift up the lowly (cf. Philippians 2:7). It expresses thoughts similar to Hannah"s prayer ( 1 Samuel 2:1-10) and Mary"s Magnificat ( Luke 1:46-55). [�ote: J. J. Stewart Perown, The Book of Psalm , 2:322.]

EBC, "Verses 1-9Psalms 113:1-9

THIS pure burst of praise is the first of the psalms composing the Hallel, which was sung at the three great feasts (Passover, Pentecost, and the Feast of Tabernacles), as well as at the festival of Dedication and at the new moons. "In the domestic celebration of the Passover night ‘the Hallel’ is divided into two parts; the one half, Psalms 113:1-9 and Psalms 114:1-8, being sung before the repast, before the emptying of the second festal cup, and the other half, Psalms 115:1-18; Psalms 116:1-19; Psalms 117:1-2; Psalms 118:1-29, after the repast, after the filling of the fourth cup, to which the having sung a hymn in Matthew 26:30 and Mark 14:26 may refer" (Delitzsch, in loc.).

Three strophes of three verses each may be recognised, of which the first (Psalms 113:1-3) summons Israel to praise Jehovah, and reaches out through all time and over all space, in longing that God’s name may be known and praised. The second strophe (Psalms 113:4-6) magnifies God’s exalted greatness; while the third (Psalms 113:7-9) adores His condescension, manifested in His stooping to lift the lowly. The

second and third of these strophes, however, overlap in the song, as the facts which they celebrate do. God’s loftiness can never be adequately measured, unless His condescension is taken into account; and His condescension never sufficiently wondered at, unless His loftiness is felt.

The call to praise is addressed to Israel, whose designation "servants of Jehovah" recalls Isaiah 11:1-16’s characteristic use of that name in the singular number for the nation. With strong emphasis, the name of Jehovah is declared as the theme of praise. God’s revelation of His character by deed and word must precede man’s thanksgiving. They, to whom that �ame has been entrusted, by their reception of His mercies are bound to ring it out to all the world. And in the �ame itself, there lies enshrined the certainty that through all ages it shall be blessed, and in every spot lit by the sun shall shine as a brighter light, and be hailed with praises. The psalmist has learned the world wide significance of Israel’s position as the depository of the �ame, and the fair vision of a universal adoration of it fills his heart. Psalms 113:3 b may be rendered "worthy to be praised is the name," but the context seems to suggest the rendering above.

The infinite exaltation of Jehovah above all dwellers on this low earth and above the very heavens does not lift Him too high for man’s praise, for it is wedded to condescension as infinite. Incomparable is He; but still adoration can reach Him, and men do not clasp mist, but solid substance, when they grasp His �ame. That incomparable uniqueness of Jehovah is celebrated in Psalms 113:5 a in strains borrowed from Exodus 15:11, while the striking description of loftiness combined with condescension in Psalms 113:5 b and Psalms 113:6 resembles Isaiah 57:15. The literal rendering of Psalms 113:5 b and Psalms 113:6 a is, "Who makes high to sit, Who makes low to behold," which is best understood as above. It may be questioned whether "On the heavens and on the earth" designates the objects on which His gaze is said to be turned; or whether, as some understand the construction, it is to be taken with "Who is like Jehovah our God?" the intervening clauses being parenthetical; or whether, as others prefer, "in heaven" points back to "enthroned on high," and "on earth" to "looks far below." But the construction which regards the totality of created things, represented by the familiar phrase "the heavens and the earth," as being the objects on which Jehovah looks down from His inconceivable loftiness, accords best with the context and yields an altogether worthy meaning. Transcendent elevation, condescension, and omniscience are blended in the poet’s thought. So high is Jehovah that the highest heavens are far beneath Him, and, unless His gaze were all-discerning, would be but a dim speck. That He should enter into relations with creatures, and that there should be creatures for Him to enter into relations with, are due to His stooping graciousness. These "far-darting looks are looks of tenderness, and signify care as well as knowledge. Since all things lie in His sight, all receive from His hand.

�ISBET, "THE LORD’S �AME BE PRAISED!‘Praise the name of the Lord.’Psalms 113:1I. As God has given Himself a name that is above every name, and has therein

revealed His nature for all times and the whole world, so will He be invoked always and everywhere by His servants by this name, and bids His Church in all places of the earth be mindful of this part of its service to Him.

II. God’s infinite exaltation above all created beings does not separate Him from those in need of help, or remove Him to an unapproachable distance, or place Him in solitude and out of relation to them, but is united in an incomparable manner with a careful regard for the least as well as for the greatest.

III. This mindfulness of them is no mere observing or purposeless gazing, but actual condescension to the insignificant, despised, and afflicted, so that they may be raised from their misery, and that the Church may ever have renewed occasion to praise Him.

Illustrations

(1) ‘From this psalm to Psalms 118 is the Hallel which is recited at the three great feasts. In the family celebration of the Passover night, it is divided into two parts, the one half, Psalms 113, 114, being sung before the repast, and the other half, Psalms 115-118, after the repast; to which the words, “When they had sung a hymn” (St. Matthew 26:30) may refer.’

(2) ‘By mentioning the name of Jehovah the Psalmist would teach us to bless each of the attributes of the Most High, which are, as it were, the letters of His name; not quarrelling with His justice or His severity, nor servilely dreading His power, but accepting Him as we find Him revealed in the inspired Word, and by His own acts; and loving Him and praising Him as such. We must not give the Lord a new name, nor invent a new nature, for that would be the setting up of a false god.’

BI 1-9, "Praise the name of the Lord.

Highest service and the highest Being

I. The highest service in which intelligent creatures can engage. What is praise? Not verbal laudation, however enthusiastic in feeling, appropriate in language, or transporting in music. What, then, is it to praise God? It is to have our whole souls, and being, attuned to His holy character, and to His benevolent purpose. A holy life is the only true anthem.

1. Because its inspiration can alone give worth to all other services.

2. Because it alone can harmoniously develop and satisfy all the faculties and aspirations of our nature. It is—

(1) A service for all men (verse 1).

(2) A service for all time (verse 2).

(3) A service for all space (verse 3).

II. The highest being that intelligent creatures can contemplate.

1. His character. All-wise, all-holy, all-merciful, etc.

2. His incomparableness (verse 4).

3. His condescension (verse 6).

4. His operation—

(1) Abroad in society (verse 7).

(2) At home in families (verse 9). He operates in families as well as abroad and in society. To Him the birth of every child must be ascribed. (Homilist.)

2 Let the name of the Lord be praised, both now and forevermore.

BAR�ES, "Blessed be the name of the Lord - Blessed be the Lord; or; Let the name of the Lord be blessed.

From this time forth and for evermore - Now and forever. He is worthy of praise now, and he ever will be. What he is now, he will always continue to be; and as praise is proper now, it will be forever and ever. An eternal God has claims to eternal praise.

GILL, "Blessed be the name of the Lord,.... Some prefix the word "saying", as directing to the matter and manner of praising the Lord, and to express themselves thus; "let the name of the Lord be blessed"; honoured, glorified, spoken well of.

From this time forth and for evermore; from the beginning of time, or as soon as time began, the Lord's name was to be praised, and was praised by the holy angels, who were present at laying the foundation of the earth, Job_38:4, and all the works of the Lord, in their way, have praised him ever since. Here it may respect the time of penning this psalm, or the time when the persons called upon commenced the servants of the Lord, the time of their conversion; a time of love, life, light, and deliverance, and therefore a time to begin to praise the Lord: or the whole time of the Gospel dispensation, to which this psalm refers; the accepted time and day of salvation, and of the Gentiles glorifying God for his mercy; in which the Lord is to be and is praised, as he will be to all eternity, by angels and glorified saints.

HE�RY, " The invitation is very extensive. Observe, (1.) From whom God has praise -from his own people; they are here called upon to praise God, as those that will answer the call: Praise, O you servants of the Lord! They have most reason to praise him; for those that attend him as his servants know him best and receive most of his favours. And it is their business to praise him; that is the work required of them as his servants: it is

easy pleasant work to speak well of their Master, and do him what honour they can; if they do not, who should? Some understand it of the Levites; but, if so, all Christians are a royal priesthood, to show forth the praises of him that has called them, 1Pe_2:9. The angels are the servants of the Lord; they need not be called upon by us to praise God, yet it is a comfort to us that they do praise him, and that they praise him better than we can. (2.) From whom he ought to have praise. [1.] From all ages (Psa_113:2) - from this time forth for evermore. Let not this work die with us, but let us be doing it in a better world, and let those that come after us be doing it in this. Let not our seed degenerate, but let God be praised through all the generations of time, and not in this only. We must bless the Lord in our day, by saying, with the psalmist, Blessed be his name now and always.[2.] From all places - from the rising of the sun to the going down of the same, that is, throughout the habitable world. Let all that enjoy the benefit of the sun rising (and those that do so must count upon it that the sun will set) give thanks for that light to the Father of lights. God's name is to be praised; it ought to be praised by all nations; for in every place, from east to west, there appear the manifest proofs and products of his wisdom, power, and goodness; and it is to be lamented that so great a part of mankind are ignorant of him, and give that praise to others which is due to him alone. But perhaps there is more in it; as the former verse gave us a glimpse of the kingdom of glory, intimating that God's name shall be blessed for ever (when time shall be no more that praise shall be the work of heaven), so this verse gives us a glimpse of the kingdom of grace in the gospel-dispensation of it. When the church shall no longer be confined to the Jewish nation, but shall spread itself all the world over, when in every place spiritual incense shall be offered to our God (Mal_1:11), then from the rising to the setting of the sun the Lord's name shall be praised by some in all countries.

CALVI�, "2Blessed be the name of Jehovah The prophet confirms what I stated above, that the praises of God must be continued throughout the whole course of our life. If his name is to be continually praised, it ought, at least, to be our earnest endeavor, during our brief pilgrimage here, that the remembrance of it may flourish after we are dead. In the next verse, he extends the glory of God’s name to all parts of the earth; wherefore our apathy will be totally inexcusable, if we do not make its praises resound among ourselves. Under the law, God could not be praised aright, excepting in Judea by his own people, to whom the knowledge of him was confined. His works, however, which are visible to all nations, are worthy of the admiration of the whole world. To the same effect is the following clause respecting the loftiness of God’s glory; for can there be any thing more base, than for us to magnify it but seldom and tardily, considering it ought to fill our thoughts with enrapturing admiration? In extolling the name of God so highly, the prophet intends to show us that there is no ground for indifference; that silence would savor of impiety were we not to exert ourselves to the utmost of our ability to celebrate his praises, in order that our affections may, as it were, rise above the heavens. When he adds, that God is high above all nations, there is an implied reproach, by which he fastens upon the chosen people the charge of apathy in the exercise of praise. For can there be any thing more preposterous, than for those who are eye-witnesses of God’s glory, which shines forth even among the blind, to refrain from making it the theme of their praises? At the very time when God conferred upon the Jews the exclusive honor of being the depositaries of the knowledge of his heavenly doctrine, he was nevertheless, according to Paul, not without a witness, (Acts 14:17; Romans 1:20) After the promulgation of the Gospel, his exaltation above the nations was more

evident, for then the whole world was placed under his sway.

SPURGEO�, "Ver. 2. Blessed be the name of the LORD. While praising him aloud, the people were also to bless him in the silence of their hearts, wishing glory to his name, success to his cause, and triumph to his truth. By mentioning the name, the Psalmist would teach us to bless each of the attributes of the Most High, which are as it were the letters of his name; not quarrelling with his justice or his severity, nor servilely dreading his power, but accepting him as we find him revealed in the inspired word and by his own acts, and loving him and praising him as such. We must not give the Lord a new name nor invent a new nature, for that would be the setting up of a false god. Every time we think of the God of Scripture we should bless him, and his august name should never be pronounced without joyful reverence.From this time forth. If we have never praised him before, let us begin now. As the Passover stood at the beginning of the year it was well to commence the new year with blessing him who wrought deliverance for his people. Every solemn feast had its own happy associations, and might be regarded as a fresh starting place for adoration. Are there not reasons why the reader should make the present day the opening of a year of praise? When the Lord says, "From this time will I bless you, "we ought to reply, "Blessed be the name of the Lord from this time forth."And for evermore: eternally. The Psalmist could not have intended that the divine praise should cease at a future date however remote. "For evermore" in reference to the praise of God must signify endless duration: are we wrong in believing that it bears the same meaning when it refers to gloomier themes? Can our hearts ever cease to praise the name of the Lord? Can we imagine a period in which the praises of Israel shall no more surround the throne of the Divine Majesty? Impossible. For ever, and more than "for ever, "if more can be, let him be magnified.EXPLA�ATORY �OTES A�D QUAI�T SAYI�GS.Ver. 2. Blessed be the name of the LORD. Let then, O man, thy labouring soul strive to conceive (for 'tis impossible to express) what an immense debt of gratitude thou owest to him, who by his creating goodness called thee out of nothing to make thee a partaker of reason and even a sharer of immortality with himself; who by his preserving goodness designs to conduct thee safe through the various stages of thy eternal existence; and who by his redeeming goodness hath prepared for thee a happiness too big for the comprehension of a human understanding. Canst thou receive such endearments of love to thee and all mankind with insensibility and coldness? ...In the whole compass of language what word is expressive enough to paint the black ingratitude of that man who is unaffected by, and entirely regardless of, the goodness of God his Creator and the mercies of Christ? —Jeremiah Seed, 1747.Ver. 2. Blessed be the name of the LORD, etc. �o doubt the disciples that sat at that paschal table would repeat with mingled feelings of thanksgiving and sadness that ascription of praise. Blessed be the name of the LORD from this time forth and for evermore. But what Israelite in all the paschal chambers at Jerusalem on that night, as he sang the hallel or hymn, or which of the disciples at the sorrowing board of Jesus, could have understood or entered into the full meaning of the expression,

"from this time forth?" From what time? I think St. John gives us a clue to the very hour and moment of which the Psalmist, perhaps unconsciously, spake. He tells us, that when the traitor Judas had received the sop, he immediately went out; and that when he was gone out to clench as it were and ratify his treacherous purpose, Jesus said, "�ow is the Son of man glorified, and God is glorified in Him." From that time forth, when by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, the Son of man was about to be delivered into the hands of wicked men, and crucified and slain, as Jesus looked at those around him, as sorrow had indeed filled their hearts, and as with all seeing, prescient eye he looked onwards and beheld all those that should hereafter believe on him through their word, with what significance and emphasis of meaning may we imagine the blessed Jesus on that night of anguish to have uttered these words of the hymn, "Blessed be the name of the LORD from this time forth and for evermore"! "A few more hours and the covenant will be sealed in my own blood; the compact ratified, when I hang upon the cross." And with what calm and confident assurance of triumph does he look upon that cross of shame; with what overflowing love does he point to it and say, "And I, if I be lifted up, will draw all men unto me"! It is the very same here in this Paschal Psalm; and how must the Saviour's heart have rejoiced even in the contemplation of those sufferings that awaited him, as he uttered this prediction, "From the rising of the sun unto the going down of the same the LORD'S name is to be praised"! "That which thou sowest is not quickened except it die:" and thus from that hour to the present the Lord hath added daily to the church those whom in every age and in every clime he hath chosen unto salvation, till, in his own appointed fulness of time, from the east and from the west, from the north and from the south, all nations shall do him service, and the "earth be filled with the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea." —Barton Bouchier.Ver. 2. From this time forth and for evermore. The servants of the Lord are to sing his praises in this life to the world's end; and in the next life, world without end. —John Boys.

WHEDO�, "2. From this time forth—From now unto eternity. The from now supposes an urgent cause for a new form and measure of praise, as if it should mark a new date of national piety and experience, and well accords with the state of the newly returned exiles. See Psalms 115:18; Psalms 121:8; Psalms 131:3

3 From the rising of the sun to the place where it sets, the name of the Lord is to be praised.

BAR�ES, "From the rising of the sun ... - From the farthest east to the farthest west - the sun in its rising and setting being the remotest object that we see in the horizon.

The Lord’s name is to be praised - This does not mean that it “will” be - though that is true; but that it “ought” to be - that it is worthy of universal praise. All people in the east and in the west - everywhere - “should” praise and adore that name.

CLARKE, "From the rising of the sun - From morning to evening be always employed in the work. Or it may be a call on all mankind to praise God for his innumerable mercies to the human race. Praise him from one end of the world unto the other. And therefore the psalmist adds,

GILL, "From the rising of the sun unto the going down of the same,.... Meaning not from morning tonight; for it designs not time, but place, even all the space from east to west, or that lies between the rising and setting sun; even all nations, and the inhabitants of them; and who ought to praise the Lord for the rising sun, and the benefit and advantages of it; and yet many of them have worshipped the sun, and served the creature more than and besides the Creator. All within this compass are the creatures of God, and the care of his providence, and therefore are bound to praise him and yet he has had this tribute due unto him but from a few. Here it respects Gospel times, when the Gospel should be sent into all the world; and many should be called from the east and west, from the north and south, and fear the Lord and worship him, and offer a pure offering of praise unto him; and his name be great among the Gentiles, from the rising of the sun to the going down of the same, Mal_1:11. For within this wide space

the Lord's name is to be praised; it ought to be, though it is not; and ere long it will be, when all nations shall come and worship before him, Rev_15:3.

JAMISO�, "From the rising, etc.— all the world.

SPURGEO�, "Ver. 3. From the rising of the sun unto the going down of the same the LORD'S name is to be praised. From early morn till eve the ceaseless hymn should rise unto Jehovah's throne, and from east to west over the whole round earth pure worship should be rendered unto his glory. So ought it to be; and blessed be God, we are not without faith that so it shall be. We trust that ere the world's dread evening comes, the glorious name of the Lord will be proclaimed among all nations, and all people shall call him blessed. At the first proclamation of the gospel the name of the Lord was glorious throughout the whole earth; shall it not be much more so ere the end shall be? At any rate, this is the desire of our souls. Meanwhile, let us endeavour to sanctify every day with praise to God. At early dawn let us

emulate the opening flowers and the singing birds,"Chanting every day their lauds,While the grove their song applauds;Wake for shame my sluggish heart,Wake and gladly sing thy part."It is a marvel of mercy that the sun should rise on the rebellious sons of men, and prepare for the undeserving fruitful seasons and days of pleasantness; let us for this prodigy of goodness praise the Lord of all. From hour to hour let us renew the strain, for each moment brings its mercy; and when the sun sinks to his rest, let us not cease our music, but lift up the vesper hymn—"Father of heaven and earth!I bless thee for the night,The soft still night!The holy pause of care and mirth,Of sound and light.�ow far in glade and dell,Flower cup, and bud, and bellHave shut around the sleeping woodlark's nest,The bee's long murmuring toils are done,And I, the over wearied one,Bless thee, O God, O Father of the oppressed!With my last waking thought."EXPLA�ATORY �OTES A�D QUAI�T SAYI�GS.Ver. 3. From the rising of the sun unto the going down of the same. That is everywhere, from east to west. These western parts of the world are particularly prophesied of to enjoy the worship of God after the Jews which were in the east; and these islands of ours that lie in the sea, into which the sun is said to go down, which is an expression of the old Greek poets; and the prophet here useth such a word in the Hebrew, where the west is called, according to the vulgar conceit, the sunset, or the sun's going down, or going in. —Samuel Torshell, 1641.

WHEDO�, "3. From the rising of the sun—The rising and going down of the sun are not here simple notations of time, as if he would say, All the day long, but are to be taken geographically for extreme east and west, or the world over. See Psalms 103:12; Malachi 1:11.

The Lord’s name is to be praised—Or, Let the name of Jehovah be praised.

4 The Lord is exalted over all the nations, his glory above the heavens.

BAR�ES, "The Lord is high above all nations - Hebrew, Exalted above all nations is Yahweh. That is, he rules over all nations; he directs their affairs; he is their sovereign king. As a matter of fact, and from the necessity of the case, he is on a throne which is elevated above all the kings and kingdoms of the world. He is the Sovereign not only of one nation, but of all; and it is meet that this should be acknowledged by them all.

And his glory above the heavens - That which renders him glorious. The manifestations of his glorious character are not confined to the earth; they extend to the heavens; they are not confined to the visible heavens; they extend far beyond, in the regions of illimitable space. The universe - the earth and the starry worlds - all are full of the manifestations of his glory; and far beyond the bounds of created things (if they have a boundary), God is there - without limit - the same God - worthy there of universal praise! Who can comprehend such a God? Compare the notes at Psa_8:1.

CLARKE, "The Lord is high above all nations - He governs all, he provides for all; therefore let all give him praise.

GILL, "The Lord is high above all nations,.... He is the most High in all the earth; he is higher than the highest; he is King of kings and Lord of lords: all nations are made by him, and are under his government and dominion; he is the Governor among the nations; they are in comparison of him as the drop of a bucket, as the small dust of the balance; as nothing, yea, less than nothing, and vanity. Here it seems to respect the time when the Lord shall be more visibly King over all the earth, and the kingdoms of this world shall be the kingdoms of our Lord and of his Christ, Zec_14:9.

And his glory above the heavens; it is above what the heavens do or can declare; they declare something of it, but not all. Christ, who is the brightness of his Father's glory, is made higher than the heavens, and has ascended far above them; and is above the angels in them, both as to nature, name, office, and place, Heb_1:4.

HE�RY 4-6, "II. We are here directed what to give him the glory of.

1. Let us look up with an eye of faith, and see how high his glory is in the upper world, and mention that to his praise, Psa_113:4, Psa_113:5. We are, in our praises, to exalt his name, for he is high, his glory is high. (1.) High above all nations, their kings though ever so pompous, their people though ever so numerous. Whether it be true of an earthly king or no that though he is major singulis - greater than individuals, he is minor universis - less than the whole, we will not dispute; but we are sure it is not true of the King of kings. Put all the nations together, and he is above them all; they are before him as the drop of the bucket and the small dust of the balance, Isa_60:15, Isa_60:17. Let all nations think and speak highly of God, for he is high above them all. (2.) High above the heavens; the throne of his glory is in the highest heavens, which should raise our hearts in praising him, Lam_3:41. His glory is above the heavens, that is, above the angels; he

is above what they are, for their brightness is nothing to his, - above what they do, for they are under his command and do his pleasure, - and above what even they can speak him to be. He is exalted above all blessing and praise, not only all ours, but all theirs. We must therefore say, with holy admiration, Who is like unto the Lord our God? who of all the princes and potentates of the earth? who of all the bright and blessed spirits above? None can equal him, none dare compare with him. God is to be praised as transcendently, incomparably, and infinitely great; for he dwells on high, and from on high sees all, and rules all, and justly attracts all praise to himself.

2. Let us look around with an eye of observation, and see how extensive his goodness is in the lower world, and mention that to his praise. He is a God who exalts himself to dwell, who humbles himself in heaven, and in earth. Some think there is a transposition, He exalts himself to dwell in heaven, he humbles himself to behold on earth; but the sense is plain enough as we take it, only observe, God is said to exalt himself and to humble himself, both are his own act and deed; as he is self-existent, so he is both the fountain of his own honour and the spring of his own grace; God's condescending goodness appears,

(1.) In the cognizance he takes of the world below him. His glory is above the nationsand above the heavens, and yet neither is neglected by him. God is great, yet he despises not any, Job_36:5. He humbles himself to behold all his creatures, all his subjects, though he is infinitely above them. Considering the infinite perfection, sufficiency, and felicity of the divine nature, it must be acknowledged as an act of wonderful condescension that God is pleased to take into the thoughts of his eternal counsel, and into the hand of his universal Providence, both the armies of heaven and the inhabitants of the earth (Dan_4:35); even in this dominion he humbles himself. [1.] It is condescension in him to behold the things in heaven, to support the beings, direct the motions, and accept the praises and services, of the angels themselves; for he needs them not, nor is benefited by them. [2.] Much more is it condescension in him to behold the things that are in the earth, to visit the sons of men, and regard them, to order and overrule their affairs, and to take notice of what they say and do, that he may fill the earth with his goodness, and so set us an example of stooping to do good, of taking notice of, and concerning ourselves about, our inferiors. If it be such condescension for God to behold things in heaven and earth, what an amazing condescension was it for the Son of God to come from heaven to earth and take our nature upon him, that he might seek and save those that were lost! Herein indeed he humbled himself.

JAMISO�, "God’s exaltation enhances His condescension;

K&D 4-6, "This praiseworthiness is now confirmed. The opening reminds one of Psa_

99:2. Pasek stands between גוים and יהוה in order to keep them apart. The totality of the

nations is great, but Jahve is raised above it; the heavens are glorious, but Jahve's glory is exalted above them. It is not to be explained according to Psa_148:13; but according to

Psa_57:6, 12, רם belongs to Psa_113:4 too as predicate. He is the incomparable One who

has set up His throne in the height, but at the same time directs His gaze deep downwards (expression according to Ges. §142, rem. 1) in the heavens and upon earth, i.e., nothing in all the realm of the creatures that are beneath Him escapes His sight, and nothing is so low that it remains unnoticed by Him; on the contrary, it is just that which is lowly, as the following strophe presents to us in a series of portraits so to speak, that isthe special object of His regard. The structure of Psa_113:5-6 militates against the construction of “in the heavens and upon the earth” with the interrogatory “who is like

unto Jahve our God?” after Deu_3:24.

SPURGEO�, "Ver. 4. The Lord is high above all nations. Though the Gentiles knew him not, yet was Jehovah their ruler: their false gods were no gods, and their kings were puppets in his hands. The Lord is high above all the learning, judgment, and imagination of heathen sages, and far beyond the pomp and might of the monarchs of the nations. Like the great arch of the firmament, the presence of the Lord spans all the lands where dwell the varied tribes of men, for his providence is universal: this may well excite our confidence and praise.And his glory above the heavens: higher than the loftiest part of creation; the clouds are the dust of his feet, and sun, moon, and stars twinkle far below his throne. Even the heaven of heavens cannot contain him. His glory cannot be set forth by the whole visible universe, nor even by the solemn pomp of angelic armies; it is above all conception and imagination, for he is God—infinite. Let us above all adore him who is above all.EXPLA�ATORY �OTES A�D QUAI�T SAYI�GS.Ver. 4-5. The LORD is high...The LORD our God dwelleth on high. But how high is he? Answer1. So high, that all creatures bow before him and do homage to him according to their several aptitudes and abilities. John brings them all in, attributing to him the crown of glory, putting it from themselves, but setting it upon his head, as a royalty due only to him. (Revelation 5:13)(a) Some by way of subjection, stooping to him: angelsand saints worship him, acknowledging hishighness, by denying their own, but setting up hiswill as their supreme law and excellency.(b) Others acknowledge his eminency by theirconsternation upon the least shining forth of hisglory; when he discovers but the emblems of hisgreatness, devils tremble, men quake, James 2:19;Isaiah 33:14.(c) Thirdly, even inanimate creatures, by compliancewith, and ready subjection to, the impressions ofhis power, Habakkuk 3:9-11, Isaiah 48:13, Daniel 4:35.2. He is so high that he surmounts all created capacity to comprehend him, Job 11:7-9. So that indeed, in David's phrase, his greatness is "unsearchable, " Psalms 145:3. In a word, he is so high,(a) That no bodily eye hath ever, or can possibly seehim.(b) �either can the eye of the understanding perfectlyreach him. He dwells in inaccessible light thatno mortal eye can attain to. —Condensed from a sermon by Thomas Hedges, entitled, "A Glimpse of God's Glory, "1642.

BE�SO�, "Verses 4-6Psalms 113:4-6. The Lord is high above all nations — Superior to all princes and

bodies of people in the world; and his glory above the heavens — Whereas the glory of earthly monarchs is confined to this lower world, and to small pittances of it, the glory of God doth not only fill the earth, but heaven too, where it is celebrated by thousands and myriads of blessed angels; yea, it is far higher than heaven, being infinite and incomprehensible, Who is like unto the Lord? — Hebrew, Jehovah, who dwelleth on high — �amely, far above all heavens, and is exalted, as in place, so in power and dignity, above all persons and things, visible and invisible. Who humbleth himself, &c. — Who is so high, that it is a wonderful condescension in him to take any notice of his holy and heavenly hosts, and much more of sinful and miserable men upon earth.

5 Who is like the Lord our God, the One who sits enthroned on high,

BAR�ES, "Who is like unto the Lord our God? - Who can be compared with Yahweh our God? See the notes at Isa_40:17-25. The meaning is, that no creature - no idol - can be compared with Yahweh. The remark here has special reference to his attributes as immediately specified - his humbling himself to behold the things in heaven and in earth; his raising up the poor, etc. It is true “in general,” in regard to God, that no creature can be compared with him; it is true, in regard to each one of his attributes, that they are far above all created excellence.

Who dwelleth on high - Margin, “exalteth himself to dwell.” Literally, “The one making high to sit.” The language is applicable to one who is seated on a lofty throne. Compare Psa_8:1. He has his dwelling - his throne - his permanent seat - in the heavens: so high and exalted that it requires infinite condescension to look upon the earth, or even upon the heavens.

CLARKE, "Who is like unto the Lord - Those who are highly exalted are generally unapproachable; they are proud and overbearing; or so surrounded with magnificence and flatterers, that to them the poor have no access; but God, though infinitely exalted, humbleth himself to behold even heaven itself, and much more does he humble himself when he condescends to behold earth and her inhabitants; (Psa_113:6). But so does he love his creatures that he rejoices over even the meanest of them to do them good.

GILL, "Who is like unto the Lord our God,.... Among the gods of the nations, as Kimchi; or among the angels of heaven, or among any of the mighty monarchs on earth; there is none like him for the perfections of his nature, for his wisdom, power, truth, and faithfulness; for his holiness, justice, goodness, grace, and mercy; who is eternal, unchangeable, omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent; nor for the works of his hands, his works of creation, providence, and grace; none ever did the like: and what makes this reflection the more delightful to truly good men is, that this God is their God; and all this is true of our Immanuel, God with us; who is God over all, and the only Saviour and Redeemer; and there is none in heaven and earth like him, or to be desired besides him.

Who dwelleth on high? in the high and holy place, in the highest heaven, which is his throne; or "who exalteth himself to dwell" (s); so the Targum,

"he exalteth his habitation to dwell,''

suitable to the dignity and the greatness of his majesty; as he is high and above all, so he has fixed his habitation in the highest heavens; as he is self-existent, he is self-exalted, and none can exalt him as himself; he is exalted above all blessing and praise; and if it is an exaltation of him to dwell in the highest heavens, what an exaltation will it be of the saints to dwell with him there, in those mansions in his house which Christ is gone to prepare for them! This clause may be applied to Christ, who, both previous to his humiliation, and after it, dwelt in the highest heavens with his Father, in his bosom, from whence he came down on earth, and whither he is gone again, and is highly exalted there.

CALVI�, "5Who is like unto Jehovah our God The prophet strengthens his position for the celebration of God’s praises, by contrasting the height of his glory and power with his unbounded goodness. �ot that his goodness can be separated from his glory; but this distinction is made out of regard to men, who would not be able to endure his majesty, were he not kindly to humble himself, and gently and kindly draw us towards him. The amount is, that God’s dwelling above the heavens, at such a distance from us, does not prevent him from showing himself to be near at hand, and plainly providing for our welfare; and, in saying that God is exalted above the heavens, he magnifies his mercy towards men, whose condition is mean and despicable, and informs us that he might righteously hold even angels in contempt, were it not that, moved by paternal regard, he condescends to take them under his care. If in regard to angels he humble himself, what is to be said in regard to men, who, grovelling upon the earth, are altogether filthy? Is it asked, whether or not God fills heaven and earth? The answer is obvious. The words of the prophet simply mean, that God may trample the noblest of his creatures under his feet, or rather that, by reason of their infinite distance, he may entirely disregard them. In short, we must conclude that it is not from our proximity to him, but from his own free choice, that he condescends to make us the objects of his peculiar care.

SPURGEO�, "Ver. 5. Who is like unto the LORD our God? The challenge will never be answered. �one can be compared with him for an instant; Israel's God is without parallel; our own God in covenant stands alone, and none can be likened unto him. Even those whom he has made like himself in some respects are not like him in godhead, for his divine attributes are many of them incommunicable and inimitable. �one of the metaphors and figures by which the Lord is set forth in the Scriptures can give us a complete idea of him; his full resemblance is borne by nothing in earth or in heaven. Only in Jesus is the Godhead seen, but he unhesitatingly declared "he that hath seen me hath seen the Father."Who dwelleth on high. In the height of his abode none can be like him. His throne, his whole character, his person, his being, everything about him, is lofty, and infinitely majestic, so that none can be likened unto him. His serene mind abides in the most elevated condition, he is never dishonoured, nor does he stoop from the pure holiness and absolute perfection of his character. His saints are said to dwell on high, and in this they are the reflection of his glory; but as for himself, the height of his dwelling place surpasses thought, and he rises far above the most exalted of his glorified people."Eternal Power! whose high abodeBecomes the grandeur of a God:Infinite lengths beyond the boundsWhere stars revolve their little rounds.""The lowest step around thy seatRises too high for Gabriel's feet;In vain the tall archangel triesTo reach thine height with wondering eyes.""Lord, what shall earth and ashes do?We would adore our Maker too;From sin and dust to thee we cry,The Great, the Holy, and the High!"EXPLA�ATORY �OTES A�D QUAI�T SAYI�GS.Ver. 5. Who is like unto the LORD our God? It is the nature of love, that the one whom we love we prefer to all others, and we ask, Who is like my beloved? The world has not his like. Thus love thinks ever of one, who in many things is inferior to many others; for in human affairs the judgment of love is blind. But those who love the Lord their God, though they should glow with more ardent love for him, and should ask, Who is as the Lord our God? in this matter would not be mistaken, but would think altogether most correctly. For there is no being, either in heaven or in earth, who can be in any way likened unto the Lord God. Even love itself cannot conceive, think, speak concerning God whom we love as he really is. —Wolfgang Musculus.Ver. 5. Who is like unto the LORD our God, etc. Among the gods of the nations as Kimchi; or among the angels of heaven, or among any of the mighty monarchs on earth; there is none like him for the perfections of his nature, for his wisdom, power, truth, and faithfulness; for his holiness, justice, goodness, grace, and mercy. Who is eternal, unchangeable, omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent? �or for the works of his hands, his works of creation, providence, and grace; none ever did the like. What makes this reflection the more delightful to truly good men is, that this God is

their God; and all this is true of our Immanuel, God with us, who is God over all, and the only Saviour and Redeemer; and there is none in heaven and earth like him, or to be desired beside him. —John Gill.Ver. 5. The Lord our God who dwelleth on high. God is on high in respect of place or dwelling. It is true he is in the aerial and starry heaven by his essence and power; but the heaven of the blessed is his throne: not as if he were so confined to that place as to be excluded from others, for "the heaven of heavens cannot contain him"; but in respect of manifestation he is said to be there, because in that place he chiefly manifests his glory and goodness. In respect of his essence he is high indeed, inexpressibly high in excellency above all beings, not only in Abraham's phrase, "The High God, " but in David's, "The Lord most High." Alas! what are all created beings in respect of him, with all their excellences, but nothing and vanity? ...For these excellences are divers things in the creatures, but one in God; they are accidents in the creatures, but essence in God; they are in the creature with some alloy or other, they are like the moon when they shine brightest, yet are spots of imperfection to be found in them. In respect to measure, he is infinitely above them all. Alas, they possess some small drops in respect to the fountain, some poor glimmering rays in respect to this glorious sun: in a word, he is an infinite ocean of perfection, without either brink or bottom. —Thomas Hedges, in a Sermon preached before the House of Commons, 1642.Ver. 5. God is said not only to be on high, but to "dwell" on high; this intimates calm and composed operation, and it is proper for us to take this view of the character of God's administration. You recollect that in all ages unbelief has been in some respect rendered plausible by the delays of God in the accomplishment of his designs. So, in St. Peter's time, it would seem that because the apostles and preachers of Christianity had dwelt much on Christ's coming to judgment, they cried out, "Where is the promise of his coming, for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation?" What is the apostle's answer to this? His first answer, I grant, is, that all things have not continued as they were from the creation, for there was a flood of waters, and those who said, Where is the promise of his coming? in the days of �oah were at last answered by the bursting earth and the breaking heavens...That was his first answer; but his second answer contains the principle that, "One day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day." The Being who is from everlasting to everlasting is under no necessity to hurry his plans; therefore he hath fixed the times and the seasons—they are all with him, and he dwelleth on high. —Richard Watson, 1831.Ver. 5-6. The philosophy of the world, even in the present day, has its elevated and magnificent views of the Divine Being; yet it would seem uniform, whether among the sages of the heathen world or among the philosophers of the present day, that the loftier their views are even of the Divine nature, the more they tend to distrust and unbelief; and that, just in proportion as they have thought nobly of God, so the impression has deepened—that, with respect to individuals at least, they were not the subjects of His immediate care. The doctrine of a particular providence, and the doctrine of direct divine influence upon the heart of man, have by them always been considered absurd and fanatical. �ow, when I turn to the sages of inspiration—to the holy men of old, who thought and spoke as they were moved by the Holy Ghost,

I find quite a different result—that in proportion to the views they had of the glory of God, so was their confidence and hope.That two such opposite results should spring from the same order of thoughts with respect to the Divine Being, is a singular fact, which demands and deserves some enquiry. How is it that, among the men of the world, wise as they are, in proportion as they have had high and exalted views of God, those lofty ideas tend to distrust; while just in proportion as we are enlightened on the very same subjects by the Scriptures of truth, rightly and spiritually understood, that we as well as the authors of these sacred books, in proportion as we see the glory and the grandeur of God, are excited to a filial and comforting trust? There are two propositions in the text which human reason could never unite. Who dwelleth on high —but yet he humbleth himself to behold the things that are in heaven, and in the earth. And the reason why the mere unassisted human faculties could never unite these two ideas is, that they could not, in the nature of things, be united, but by a third discovery, which must have come from God himself, and show the two in perfect harmony—the discovery that "God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." —Richard Watson, 1831.Ver. 5-6. The structure of this passage in the original is singular, and is thus stated and commented on by Bp. Lowth, in his 19th Praelection:Who is like Jehovah our God?Who dwelleth on high.Who looketh below.In heaven and in earth.The latter member is to be divided, and assigned in its two divisions to the two former members; so that the sense may be, "who dwelleth on high in heaven, and looketh below on the things which are in earth." —Richard Mant.

SIMEO�, "GREAT�ESS A�D CO�DESCE�SIO� OF GOD

Psalms 113:5-8. Who is like unto the Lord our God, who dwelleth on high, who humbleth himself to behold the things that are in heaven and in the earth! He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, and lifteth the needy out of the dunghill; that he may set him with princes, even with the princes of his people.

VERILY, God is to be praised: “from the rising of the sun unto the going down of the same, his name” should be glorious: “He is above all blessing and praise.” Whether we consider what he is in himself, or what he is to us, we cannot but exclaim, “Who is like unto the Lord?” If men be not filled with admiring and adoring thoughts of him, it is because they know him not, neither contemplate him: but we can scarcely fail of being in some measure suitably impressed with his excellency, if we consider those perfections of his which are set before us in our text:

I. His greatness—

[But how shall we convey any idea of this! If we speak of created things, however

great, we can give some kind of statement, which, though very inadequate, will convey a slight notion at least of the subject. However great the disparity between a monarch and a worm, or between the globe and a grain of sand, there is something whereon we may ground a comparison between them, and something to which we may affix tolerably definite ideas. But between the Creator and the creature there is no point of contact. If we attempt to declare his immensity, and say, that in all the boundless regions of space God is every where, and as entirely present in every different spot as if he were no where in the universe besides, what are we the nearer to any just apprehension of him? Our intellect is not capable of conceiving of him aright. Were a peasant told respecting the motions and distances and mutual dependence of the heavenly bodies, how much of it would he understand? It would be far above his comprehension: he could not embrace any part of the system. So, if we presume to speak of the greatness and incomprehensibility of Jehovah, we only “darken counsel by words without knowledge:” “it is a knowledge too wonderful for us; we cannot attain unto it.” The sentiments of Zophar on this subject are well worthy of our attention: “Canst thou by searching find out God? canst thou find out the Almighty to perfection? It is as high as heaven; what canst thou do? deeper than hell; what canst thou know? The measure thereof is longer than the earth, and broader than the sea [�ote: Job 11:7-9.].” And Elihu, another of Job’s friends, exactly to the same purpose says, “Touching the Almighty, we cannot find him out [�ote: Job 37:23.].” Sometimes indeed God is pleased to give us some little glimpse of his majesty; light enough, if we may so speak, to make our darkness visible. Thus by the Prophet Isaiah he asks, “Who hath measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, and meted out heaven with the span, and comprehended the dust of the earth in a measure, and weighed the mountains in scales, and the hills in a balance? Behold, the nations are as a drop of a bucket, and are counted as the small dust of the balance; he taketh up the isles as a very little thing. All nations before him are as nothing, and they are counted to him less than nothing, and vanity.” He then adds, “To whom then will ye liken God? or what likeness will ye compare unto him [�ote: Isaiah 40:12; Isaiah 40:15; Isaiah 40:17-18.]?” The Psalmist also, with exquisite beauty, thus sets forth the glory of his majesty: “O Lord my God, thou art very great: thou art clothed with honour and majesty: who coverest thyself with light as with a garment; who stretchest out the heavens like a curtain; who layeth the beams of his chambers in the waters; who maketh the clouds his chariot; who walketh upon the wings of the wind; who maketh his angels spirits, and his ministers a flame of fire [�ote: Psalms 104:1-4.].” But, after all, what idea does this description give us of Him, who “filleth all things,” “whom the heaven of heavens cannot contain?” We are altogether at a loss on so mysterious a subject; which therefore we close with that declaration of the Psalmist, “His greatness is unsearchable [�ote: Psalms 145:3.].”]

But though we can add nothing to what is said in the words before our text, “The Lord is high above all nations, and his glory above the heavens,” yet we see in this what will serve to illustrate the depth of,

II. His condescension—

[“He humbleth himself to behold the things that are in heaven:” yes, if he deign to cast an eye upon the highest angels and archangels, it is an act of infinite condescension: for, intelligent as they are in comparison of us, “he chargeth them with folly;” and pure as heaven itself is in comparison of earth, it is “not clean in his sight [�ote: Job 4:18; Job 15:15.].” But he will stoop even to look down on earth, yea and on the meanest and vilest of its inhabitants, provided they do but humble themselves before him. The poor and needy, even in their lowest state, ever have been, and ever shall be, objects of his peculiar regard. Men may be low in station, in character, and in spirit; but he will notice them notwithstanding. The description given us of Lazarus, represents a condition more deplorable than usually falls to the lot of man — — — yet was he set forth as an object of the tenderest compassion to Almighty God. The dying thief may well be adduced as amongst the most degraded of the human race — — — yet did the Saviour honour him with an express and audible assurance, that he should that very day be with him in Paradise. “To the man that is poor and of a contrite spirit” God has promised in a more especial manner to “look, in order to revive and comfort his drooping spirit.” Only let a person lie in the dust before God, and sit, like Job, upon the dunghill, from a consciousness of his own extreme unworthiness, and God will fly instantly to his relief: “he will raise the poor out of the dust, and lift up the needy out of the dunghill:” nor is there any dignity, however high, to which he will not exalt him: “he will set him among the princes, even with the princes of his people:” yes, he will cause him to “sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven,” and to reign with them in glory for ever and ever.

Perhaps the primary import of our text may be found in the elevation of such men as Saul and David from the lowest offices to the throne of Israel: but in the psalm, as well as in the Song of Hannah, from whence it is taken [�ote: 1 Samuel 2:8.], we must undoubtedly look for a higher meaning, even the elevation of an immortal soul from the lowest state of sin and misery to all the glory and felicity of heaven. Would we have a just conception of the change which by the tender mercy of our God shall be wrought on the poor and contrite, we may behold our blessed Lord raised from the grave, to which with unparalleled ignominy he had been committed, and exalted to the right hand of God, above all the principalities and powers both of earth and heaven. Thus will the poor and contrite soul be raised from guilt to peace, from sin to holiness, from the very gates of hell even to the throne of God.]

Does our God so condescend to you? then let me call on you,

1. To adore him—

[Frequently does this expression occur in the Holy Scriptures, “O Lord, who is like unto thee?” And continually should the thought be in our minds. It is impossible to know any thing of the condescension and grace of God, and not be lost in wonder and in praise. We say not that livelier emotions of joy are wrong; but they are always to be suspected, if they be not blended with a considerable measure of self-lothing and self-abhorrence. Profound adoration seems to be the proper posture of a redeemed soul. O ye poor, whose station is so low that the greater part of your

fellow-creatures would scarcely deign to notice you, think what love God has shewn towards you, if he has made you rich in faith and heirs of his kingdom [�ote: James 2:5.] — — — And ye whose character has been so degraded as to have almost resembled that of the Corinthians, think what reason you have to adore your God, if it can be said of you, as of them, “But ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God [�ote: 1 Corinthians 6:9-11.].” Above all, ye drooping and desponding souls, who once were ready to say, “There is no hope,” what thanks can ye give for those rich assurances and consolations which now form a very foretaste of heaven in your souls? And in all these changes, consider chiefly the means which have been used to effect them. It is not by a mere act of mercy that God has wrought these things for you, but by taking on himself your miseries, that ye may be partakers of his glory. To view the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ aright, you must bear in mind, that “though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich [�ote: 2 Corinthians 8:9.].” Yes: “He was made sin for you, that you might be made the righteousness of God in him [�ote: 2 Corinthians 5:21.].” O bless him, praise him, magnify him, and adore him, and let all that is within you bless his holy name.]

2. To trust in him—

[The greatest discouragements of the saints arise from a view of their own unworthiness. But God, if I may so speak, loves to see you in the dust and on the dunghill. The lower you are abased before him, the more he delights to exalt you. He even derives to himself a glory from the very depths to which he condescends for you. Add not then to all your other sins, that most hateful one of limiting his mercy. If your “sins have ever so much abounded, his grace will much more abound,” if only ye seek it in Christ Jesus, your Mediator and Redeemer. If you attempt to measure God’s love and mercy by any created standard, you must of necessity dishonour him exceedingly: for there is nothing finite that will admit of a comparison with him who is infinite. As for his mercy, he most of all is grieved to have that disparaged, because it is the attribute in which he chiefly delights. Whatever then be your sins, or sorrows, or wants, or fears, cast them all on him, and know that you shall never be disappointed: for “as his majesty is, so also is his mercy.”]

3. To glorify him—

[We have no fear, but that if once you are led to trust in him aright, your most anxious inquiry will be, “What shall I render unto the Lord for all the benefits he hath done unto me?” Methinks you will of yourselves be panting after opportunities to testify to him your love and gratitude [�ote: Jeremiah 10:6-7.]. You will see, that to surrender up yourselves wholly to him is your “reasonable service [�ote: Romans 12:1.].” Knowing that “you are not your own, but are bought with a price, you will long to glorify God with your body and your spirit, which are his [�ote: 1 Corinthians 6:20.].” We call you then to this blessed duty, to “live no more unto yourselves, but unto Him who died for you and rose again.” He has made you most blessed among men; for “who is like unto thee, O Israel, O people saved by the Lord

[�ote: Deuteronomy 33:29.]?” O let it be seen then, that he has made you also the most holy of all the people upon earth. He has set you among the princes now, that you may have fellowship with all the holy Prophets and Apostles of old: and by walking in their steps, you will soon arrive at those blissful mansions, where you shall share with them in their inheritance, and be yourselves “kings and priests unto God and our Father for ever and ever.”]

BI 5-8, "Who is like unto the Lord our God, who dwelleth on high?

The greatness and goodness of God

I. His inconceivable greatness (verse 5).

1. The place of His habitation. With great propriety, heaven, and the heaven of heavens, though they cannot contain God’s essence, are represented to us as the place of His immediate abode; there His glory dwells. This heaven is called the high and the holy place. “He dwelleth on high,” far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named.

2. His infinite superiority to the greatest of beings and the greatest of things. The purest and loftiest angel that stands in the presence of God is far removed beneath Him. How much more must He stoop, then, to behold the things that are done on the earth, things of the greatest interests—things that in our view swell into the mightiest importance.

II. His matchless goodness (Psa_113:6-8).

1. The ministrations of His providence.

2. The manifestations of His grace. Consider not only the general scheme of our recovery by grace Divine, through the humiliation, and suffering, and death, and burial of the Divine Redeemer, but consider the manner in which this salvation is applied by the sovereign and gracious operations of the Holy Spirit.

3. The revelations of eternity. “Eye hath not seen,” etc.

III. What practical lessons may we learn from the combined or associated display of the greatness and goodness of God.

1. Let it fix on our minds a deep sense of our own insignificance, meanness, and vileness.

2. Let it promote reverence in worship.

3. Let it nourish in our bosoms confidence towards God.

4. Let it scatter—

(1) Those doubts of scepticism, and those hesitations of infidelity which are too industriously spread amongst us at the present day. The minute observation which God’s providence takes of the affairs of men.

(2) The efficacy of believing prayer. (G. Clayton.)

God’s condescension in beholding the things in heaven and in earth

I. The unequalled majesty and glory of God.

1. He dwelleth on high. He is described as “seated on a throne high and lifted up” (Isa_6:1). The residence of His glory is in the heavenly world. From thence He beholds the whole universe, reigneth over it; and all creatures, and all worlds are under His government and control.

2. There is none like Him. It is impossible, in the nature of things, that there should be any more than one eternal, self-existent Being.

II. His great and amazing condescension.

1. It is great condescension in God to behold the things that are in heaven—the saints and angels; for they are creatures, and fall infinitely short of Him in perfection. They cannot by searching find out God, nor have they minds capacious enough to receive Him, Besides, their best services, though not sinful and polluted, are yet imperfect. They are not equal to His glory; for “He is exalted above all blessing and praise.”

2. It is greater and more wonderful condescension to behold the things on earth. They derive their being from the dust; dwell in houses of clay; at their best estate they are altogether vanity; will soon be laid in the grave and turned to corruption. They have lost their innocence and are become unclean; have lost their order and are become irregular. They often desire, judge, and act wrong; and there is not one that perfectly doeth good, no, not one. By the generality of men God is affronted, neglected, or forgotten. Even the worship and obedience of His saints, of the best of His saints, are imperfect and polluted. Who, then, is like to the Lord our God, that stoops to regard such creatures, and be so good to a world so full of vanity, sin, and pollution?

III. Application.

1. Learn to reverence this great and glorious Being, since He dwelleth on high, and there is none like Him.

2. Learn the odious nature of pride.

3. The condescension of God affords much comfort to His people.

4. How strongly should the condescension of God attract our hearts to Him, and make our gratitude and love to Him warm and constant.

5. Learn to imitate the condescension of God. To be friendly and affable to all, and stoop with a grace, is to be polite, to be a gentleman; yea, what is better, it is to be a Christian; to be so far like God. Condescension is not meanness. The very word implies dignity. As you owe more to God than others, for His bounty to you, show your gratitude this way. By kindness and condescension you will be esteemed and beloved; for “before honour is humility; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.” (Job Orton, D.D.)

The majesty and condescension of God

There are two propositions in the text which human reason could never unite. “Who is like unto the Lord our God, who dwelleth on high?”—but yet He “humbleth Himself to behold the things that are in heaven, and that are in the earth.” And the reason why the mere unassisted faculties of man could never unite these two ideas is, that they could not, in the nature of things, be united, but by the third discovery, which must come from

God Himself, and show the other two in perfect harmony,—the discovery that “God so loved the world, that He gave His only-begotten Son,” etc. There God and man met. And when we know this, and enter into the spirit of this great truth, then we know that there is a philanthropy, a love of man, in God; an intense, a boundless love even of creatures low and degraded as they are; then we wonder no longer how it is that He who exalteth Himself to dwell on high should humble Himself to behold, not only the things which are in heaven, but those also upon the earth.

I. God dwelleth on high.

1. This is a declaration of the Divine majesty, designed to rebuke that thoughtlessness which we are so apt to indulge, and to impress us with that reverence which is at once so becoming and so necessary.

2. This is a revelation of His power. Everything being subject to Him who is high above all, whose almighty power has hitherto controlled all things, and continues to control and regulate them, this revelation of the Divine power is made, that man—the man that trusts in God, and rests upon His almighty power—may be afraid of nothing; and that, when he has to believe any express promise which is made to him in the Word of God, whose accomplishment, to the man of the world, seems altogether impossible, he may say, “Is any thing too hard for the Lord?”

3. This is a revelation of His wisdom, of His infinite and arranging wisdom. It is connected with our comfort, as to individual life; connected with our confidence, as to God’s Church; and connected with all our views of Providence, as to the management and issues of the affairs of this world.

II. As is the majesty, so also is the mercy of our God (verse 7).

1. This condescension of God to things on earth respects, the regard which He has had for our race, for the race fallen indeed as it is, poor, and seated in the dust, and lying on the dunghill.

2. There is, no doubt, also, a reference in this to the respect which God pays even to the lower ranks of the race, seeing that He raiseth up the poor, and lifteth up the needy.

3. The text includes a reference, also, to the condescension of God in His relation to man in circumstances of trouble. His eye penetrates through the ranks of angels, and fixes upon a trembling, humble, contrite sinner.

4. The expressions of the text refer to our nature. Christ, who is the head, cannot be exalted without the members; and therefore Christ’s exaltation is the pattern of ours; His body, now incorruptible, the pattern of our body to be glorified; His stainless glorified spirit the pattern of ours, which is to be without spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing, pure as the light in which God dwells in the kingdom of heaven, the very place into which He has entered; this glory is to be the residence of His people for ever. (R. Watson.)

The extent of the Divine condescension

God, in addition to the bare faculty of dwelling on a multiplicity of objects at one and the same time, has this faculty in such wonderful perfection, that He can attend as fully, and provide as richly, and manifest all His attributes as illustriously, on every one of these objects, as if the rest had no existence, and no place whatever in His government or in

His thoughts.

I. For the evidence of this position, we appeal, in the first place, to the personal history of each individual. His eye is upon every hour of my existence. His Spirit is intimately present with every thought of my heart. His inspiration gives birth to every purpose within me. His hand impresses a direction on every footstep of my goings. Every breath I inhale is drawn by an energy which God deals out to me. And what God is doing with me, He is doing with every individual.

2. But, secondly, were the mind of God so fatigued, and so occupied with the care of other worlds, as the objection presumes Him to be, should we not see some traces of neglect or of carelessness in His management of ours? Should we not behold, in many a field of observation, the evidence of its Master being overcrowded with the variety of His other engagements?

3. But, thirdly, it was the telescope, that, by piercing the obscurity which lies between us and distant worlds, put infidelity in possession of the argument against which we are now contending. But, about the time of its invention, another instrument was formed which laid open a scene no less wonderful, and rewarded the inquisitive spirit of man with a discovery which serves to neutralize the whole of this argument. This was the microscope. The one led me to see a system in every star. The other leads me to see a world in every atom. The one taught me that this mighty globe, with the whole burden of its people and of its countries, is but a grain of sand on the high field of immensity. The other teaches me that every grain of sand may harbour within it the tribes and the families of a busy population. They, therefore, who think that God will not put forth such a power, and such a goodness, and such a condescension in behalf of this world, as are ascribed to Him in the New Testament, because He has so many other worlds to attend to, think of Him as a man. They confine their view to the informations of the telescope, and forget altogether the informations of the other instruments. They only find room in their minds for His one attribute of a large and general superintendence; and keep out of their remembrance the equally impressive proofs we have for His other attribute, of a minute and multiplied attention to all that diversity of operations, where it is He that worketh all in all. And when I think that as one of the instruments of philosophy has heightened our every impression of the first of these attributes, so another instrument has no less heightened our impression of the second of them—then I can no longer resist the conclusion, that it would be a transgression of sound argument, as well as a daring of impiety, to draw a limit around the doings of this unsearchable God—and should a professed revelation from heaven tell me of an act of condescension in behalf of some separate world, so wonderful that angels desired to look into it, and the Eternal Son had to move from His seat of glory to carry it into accomplishment, all I ask is the evidence of such a revelation; for, let it tell me as much as it may of God letting Himself down for the benefit of one single province of His dominions, this is no more than what I see lying scattered, in numberless examples before me—and running through the whole line of my recollections—and meeting me in every walk of observation to which I can betake myself; and, now that the microscope has unveiled the wonders of another region, I see strewed around me, with a profusion which baffles my every attempt to comprehend it, the evidence that there is no one portion of the universe of God too minute for His notice, nor too humble for the visitations of His care. What a grandeur does it throw over every step in the redemption of a fallen world, to think of its being done by Him who unrobed Him of the glories of so wide a monarchy, and came to this humblest of its provinces, in the disguise of a servant, and took upon Him the form of our degraded species,

and let Himself down to sorrows and to sufferings and to death for us! (T. Chalmers, D.D.)

The nature, possibility and truth of a particular providence

I. State the doctrine of a particular providence.

1. We must not expect that God’s particular providence would interpose, where our own endeavours are sufficient. For that would be to encourage sloth and idleness, instead of countenancing and supporting virtue. Nor ought we to expect to be relieved from difficulties and distresses, into which our own mismanagement and criminal conduct have plunged us.

2. We must not expect that Providence would so far consult our private interest, as to counterwork that of the whole.

3. We are not to expect that Providence upon our repeated requests would grant what we imagine a blessing; there being several things which we think to be blessings, that are not so upon the whole, or not so to us. And Providence is not like an over-indulgent parent, who destroys the future happiness of His children, by complying with their importunate petitions, and removing their present uneasiness.

4. Nor must we hope that Providence will prevent every calamity that may befall good men. All that the assertors of a particular providence contend for is that, if He does not think fit to prevent it, He will either support them under it, or rescue them from it; or make all things, at the last winding up of the drama, work together for good to them who love Him.

II. Having stated the doctrine of a particular providence, prove the possibility of it. We must distinguish between the grand and fundamental laws of nature, and those of an inferior and subordinate nature. The economy of Nature may be in a great measure unalterable, as to the grand and fundamental laws, by which the universe is steered: such are those respecting the revolution of the heavenly bodies, the succession of day and night, and the round of the seasons. But there are subordinate and inferior laws, which God may alter without any seeming or visible alteration. And to recede from them, under proper limitations, occasionally at the instance of particular persons, may be no detriment to the universe, and yet of great importance to them. Such are the laws relating to the course of infectious and pestilential vapours, the state of the atmosphere, etc.

III. Prove the truth and certainty of a particular providence.

1. That the Deity should not grant every particular good man what is really for his good upon the whole, and no ways inconsistent with that of the public, must either argue that He is unwilling or that He is unable to grant it. Infinite goodness cannot but be willing to communicate happiness to every individual, who is not wanting to himself, and infinite power cannot but be able to bring about whatever His goodness wills.

2. God will respect and treat every man agreeably to what he is, and therefore there can be no irrespective course of things.

3. Instinct is a proof that providence extends itself to every particular brute; instinct being the immediate energy of the Deity acting upon each of the brute creation. Now, if Providence condescends to regard every individual in the brute creation so far as to

act constantly in it and upon it, shall He not much more extend His care to every particular person in the rational world, and adapt His dispensations to the necessities of each single person in it?

4. Those who admit a general providence, but deny a particular one, seem to forget that generals are nothing but a collection of particulars; they are nothing but the sum total of individuals. And consequently as generals include particulars, a general providence must imply a particular one.

5. The surprising discoveries of murder, the fall of the wicked into the pit which they made for others; the strange and judicial infatuation of men, wise at all other times, when some great event was to be brought about, which can only be resolved into His power, who maketh the knowledge of the wise foolish, and turneth their counsels backwards; the indiscretion of others succeeding, when well-concerted plots have failed; the disproportion of the visible means to the effect; these are so many arguments to prove a particular providence at the helm, who has a perfect view of all things, whether great or small, at all times, and in all places, with infinitely more ease, than we can attend to one thing at once.

IV. Reflections.

1. Let us learn from hence to form the most august ideas of the Divine nature of which ours is capable.

2. Instead of scaring yourself with melancholy views, let it be a matter of joy and comfort to you, that, amidst all the confusion and madness of the world, men cannot faster perplex and entangle things than God can unravel them; or embroil the world, than He can bring order out of confusion.

3. Let us never do anything to throw ourselves out of His protection. While we enjoy the light of the Divine countenance, we need not be dejected at the frowns of the whole world. For if God be for us, it will in a short time signify little or nothing who was against us: but if He be against us, what will it signify who was for us? (J. Seed.)

6 who stoops down to look on the heavens and the earth?

BAR�ES, "Who humbleth himself ... - So high that it is necessary he should stoop even to behold the things which seem most lofty to us; and who actually does stoop thus to regard the things which he has made in heaven and on earth.

To behold the things that are in heaven, and in the earth! - More literally, “to look in heaven and in earth.” Even to look on heaven, high as it is to us - still more to look on earth, so insignificant as compared with the vast bodies in the heavens - is

condescension on the part of God. It requires him to stoop - even to look on the sun - the stars - the distant worlds! Yet he does this. There is not a world which he does not survey constantly; not a creature whose interests he does not regard; not an insect - a flower -an atom - that he does not regard with as much minute attention as though there were nothing else to demand his care.

GILL, "Who humbleth himself to behold the things that are in heaven, and in the earth. The persons the highest heavens, the angels whom he upholds in their beings, and admits into his presence; who always behold his face, and he beholds them, delights in their persons, and accepts their services; which, though pure and perfect, it is a condescension in him to do, since they are but creature services, and chargeable with folly and weakness; and who themselves are as nothing in comparison of him, and veil their faces before him; Job_4:18, also glorified saints are continually in his view, and favoured with intimate communion with him: and he humbles himself to look lower than this, and behold the things in the starry heavens, the sun, and moon, and stars; whom he preserves in their being, directs their courses, and continues their influence; brings out their host by number, calls them by their names, and because of his power not one fails: he looks lower still, and beholds the things in the airy heavens; there is not a meteor or cloud that flies, or a wind that blows, but he observes, guides, and directs it; nor a bird in the air but his eye is on it; he feeds the fowls of the air, and not so much as a sparrow falls to the ground without his knowledge and will: and he also humbles himself to behold persons and things on earth, even every beast of the forest, the cattle on a thousand hills, all the fowls of the mountains, and the wild beasts of the field; and their eyes are on him, and he gives them their food in due season; he looks down from heaven and beholds all the children of men, and is the Saviour of them in a providential way; in an especial manner his eye, both of providence and grace, is on his own people, whom he beholds in Christ as fair and comely: and rejoices over them to do them good; and he has respect to their services for his sake, and condescends to dwell on earth with them. This may also be applied to Christ, who humbled himself to look upon the angels in heaven, and take them under his care and protection, be the head of them, and confirm them in that estate in which they were created: and who from all eternity vouchsafed to look with delight upon the sons of men, rejoicing in the habitable parts of the earth, where he knew they would dwell; and in the fulness of time he humbled himself to come down on earth in human nature and dwell among men, and become very man in that nature; made himself of no reputation, and humbled himself so as to become obedient to death, the death of the cross, and be made sin and a curse for his people. This was an humiliation indeed!

SPURGEO�, "Ver. 6. Who humbleth himself to behold the things that are in heaven, and in the earth! He dwells so far on high that even to observe heavenly things he must humble himself. He must stoop to view the skies, and bow to see what angels do. What, then, must be his condescension, seeing that he observes the humblest of his servants upon earth, and makes them sing for joy like Mary when she said, "Thou hast regarded the low estate of thine handmaiden." How wonderful are those words of Isaiah, "For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones." Heathen philosophers could not believe that the

great God was observant of the small events of human history; they pictured him as abiding in serene indifference to all the wants and woes of his creatures. "Our Rock is not as their rock"; we have a God who is high above all gods, and yet who is our Father, knowing what we have need of before we ask him; our Shepherd, who supplies our needs; our Guardian, who counts the hairs of our heads; our tender and considerate Friend, who sympathizes in all our griefs. Truly the name of our condescending God should be praised wherever it is known.EXPLA�ATORY �OTES A�D QUAI�T SAYI�GS.Ver. 6. Who humbleth himself. Whatever may be affirmed of God, may be affirmed of him infinitely, and whatever he is, he is infinitely. So the psalmist, in this place, does not speak of God as humble, but as infinitely and superlatively so, humble beyond all conception and comparison; he challenges the whole universe of created nature, from the highest immortal spirit in heaven to the lowest mortal on earth, to show a being endued with so much humility, as the adorable majesty of the great God of Heaven and earth...If some instances of the Divine humility surprise, the following may amaze us: To see the great King of heaven stooping from his height, and condescending himself to offer terms of reconciliation to his rebellious creatures! To see offended majesty courting the offenders to accept of pardon! To see God persuading, entreating and beseeching men to return to him with such earnestness and importunity, as if his very life were bound up in them, and his own happiness depended upon theirs! To see the adorable Spirit of God, with infinite long suffering and gentleness, submitting to the contempt and insults of such miserable, despicable wretches as sinful mortals are! Is not this amazing? —Valentine �alson, 1641-1724.Ver. 6. Who humbleth himself to behold. If it be such condescension for God to behold things in heaven and earth, what an amazing condescension was it for the Son of God to come from heaven to earth and take our nature upon him, that he might seek and save them that were lost! Here indeed he humbled himself. —Matthew Henry.

COKE, "Psalms 113:6. Who humbleth himself to behold, &c.— Mudge renders the foregoing verse unitedly with this: Who is as the Lord our God, that sitteth so high, that looketh so low, in the heaven, and in the earth? In the heaven, says he, is referred to the former, and in the earth, to the latter clause; "Who is there that sitteth so high in the heaven, and looketh so low on the earth?" Since God's glory is above the heavens, Psalms 113:4 it is a great condescension in him to behold and order the things which are in heaven; but a much greater to extend his kind and careful providence even to us who dwell upon the earth. This is an observation which hath always had truth, even from the beginning of the world; but then most signally when the Messiah, the supreme God of heaven, came to visit us here on earth in great humility. See Jeremiah 10:7.

CO�STABLE, "Verses 6-9The second reason is that He condescends to pay attention to His creatures. One example of this is the way He occasionally exalts very poor or underprivileged people to positions of wealth and influence. He did this literally for Job , and He does it spiritually for every believer. Another example is how He sometimes makes

barren women conceive and bear children. Sarah, Rebekah, Rachel, and Hannah received this blessing, to name a few individuals. In view of God"s promises to make the Israelites numerous, the ability to bear children was one they valued greatly.

The psalm closes as it opened, with a call to praise the Lord. Psalm 115-117 end with the same exhortation.

The Lord is worthy of praise because He graciously gives great blessings to those who have no hope of obtaining them from any other source. [�ote: See Allen, And I ..., pp111-28.]

7 He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap;

BAR�ES, "He raiseth up the poor out of the dust - From the most humble condition in life. He exalts them to conditions of wealth, rank, honor. He has power to do this; he actually does it. This is not intended to be affirmed as a universal truth, or to assert that it is always done, but that it is among the things which show his majesty, his power, and his goodness, and which lay the foundation for praise.

And lifteth the needy out of the dunghill - From the condition of lowest poverty. Instances are sufficiently abundant in which this is done, to justify such an assertion, and to show that it is a proper foundation of praise to God.

CLARKE, "He raiseth up the poor - The poorest man, in the meanest and most abject circumstances, is an object of his merciful regards. He may here allude to the wretched state of the captives in Babylon, whom God raised up out of that dust and dunghill. Others apply it to the resurreetion of the dead.

GILL, "He raiseth up the poor out of the dust,.... Persons of mean extraction and in low life are sometimes raised by him to great honour and dignity, as Saul, David, and others; and is true of many who are spiritually poor and needy, as all men are, but all are not sensible of it; some are, and these are called poor "in spirit", and are pronounced "blessed", for "theirs is the kingdom of heaven": they are raised out of a low and mean estate, out of the dust of sin, and self-abhorrence for it, in which they lie when convicted

of it.

And lifteth the needy out of the dunghill; which denotes a mean condition; so one born in a mean place, and brought up in a mean manner, is sometimes represented as taken out of a dunghill (t): and also it is expressive of a filthy one; men by sin are not only brought into a low estate, but into a loathsome one, and are justly abominable in the sight of God, and yet he lifts them out of it: the phrases of "raising up" and "lifting out" suppose them to be fallen, as men are in Adam, fallen from a state of honour and glory, in which he was created, into a state of sin and misery, and out of which they cannot deliver themselves; it is Christ's work, and his only, to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to help or lift up his servant Israel, Isa_49:6.

HE�RY 7-8, "In the particular favour he sometimes shows to the least and lowest of the inhabitants of this meaner lower world. He not only beholds the great things in the earth, but the meanest, and those things which great men commonly overlook. Not does he merely behold them, but does wonders for them, and things that are very surprising, out of the common road of providence and chain of causes, which shows that the world is governed, not by a course of nature, for that would always run in the same channel, but by a God of nature, who delights in doing things we looked not for. [1.] Those that have been long despicable are sometimes, on a sudden, made honourable (Psa_113:7, Psa_113:8): He raises up the poor out of the dust, that he may set him with princes. First, Thus God does sometimes magnify himself, and his own wisdom, power, and sovereignty. When he has some great work to do he chooses to employ those in it that were least likely, and least thought of for it by themselves or others, to the highest post of honour: Gideon is fetched from threshing, Saul from seeking the asses, and David from keeping the sheep; the apostles are sent from fishing to be fishers of men. The treasure of the gospel is put into earthen vessels, and the weak and foolish ones of the world are pitched upon to be preachers of it, to confound the wise and mighty (1Co_1:27, 1Co_1:28), that the excellency of the power may be of God, and all may see that promotion comes from him. Secondly, Thus God does sometimes reward the eminent piety and patience of his people who have long groaned under the burden of poverty and disgrace. When Joseph's virtue was tried and manifested he was raised from the prison-dust and set with princes. Those that are wise will observe such returns of Providence, and will understand by them the loving-kindness of the Lord. Some have applied this to the work of redemption by Jesus Christ, and not unfitly; for through him poor fallen men are raised out of the dust (one of the Jewish rabbies applies it to the resurrection of the dead), nay, out of the dunghill of sin, and set among princes, among angels, those princes of his people. Hannah had sung to this purport, 1Sa_2:6-8.

JAMISO�, "which condescension is illustrated as often in raising the worthy poor and needy to honor (compare 1Sa_2:8; Psa_44:25).

K&D 7-9, "The thoughts of Psa_113:7 and Psa_113:8 are transplanted from the song

of Hannah. עפר, according to 1Ki_16:2, cf. Psa_14:7, is an emblem of lowly estate

(Hitzig), and ת�) an emblemשפת (from �ש of the deepest poverty and desertion; for in

Syria and Palestine the man who is shut out from society lies upon the mezbele (the

dunghill or heap of ashes), by day calling upon the passers-by for alms, and by night hiding himself in the ashes that have been warmed by the sun (Job, ii. 152). Themovement of the thoughts in Psa_113:8, as in Psa_113:1, follows the model of the

epizeuxis. Together with the song of Hannah the poet has before his eye Hannah's exaltation out of sorrow and reproach. He does not, however, repeat the words of her song which have reference to this (1Sa_2:5), but clothes his generalization of her

experience in his own language. If he intended that עקרת should be understood out of the

genitival relation after the form עטרת, why did he not write ה*ית ?מושיבי)ה*ית)עקרה would

then be equivalent to יתה*, Psa_68:7. עקרת)ה*ית is the expression for a woman who is a

wife, and therefore housewife, נות (*עלת) ה*ית, but yet not a mother. Such an one has no

settled position in the house of the husband, the firm bond is wanting in her relationship to her husband. If God gives her children, He thereby makes her then thoroughly at

home and rooted-in in her position. In the predicate notion the אם)ה*נים)שמחה

definiteness attaches to the second member of the string of words, as in Gen_48:19;

2Sa_12:30 (cf. the reverse instance in Jer_23:26, נ*אי)ה2קר, those prophesying that

which is false), therefore: a mother of the children. The poet brings the matter so vividly before him, that he points as it were with his finger to the children with which God blesses her.

CALVI�, "7Who raiseth the poor from the dust In this passage, he speaks in terms of commendation of God’s providential care in relation to those diversified changes which men are disposed to regard as accidental. He declares that it is solely by the appointment of God that things undergo changes far surpassing our anticipations. If the course of events were always uniform, men would ascribe it merely to natural causes, whereas, the vicissitudes which take place teach us that all things are regulated in accordance with the secret counsel of God. On the other hand, struck with astonishment at the events which have happened contrary to our expectation, we instantly ascribe them to chance. And as we are so apt to view things from a point the very reverse from that of recognising God’s superintending care, the prophet enjoins us to admire his providence in matters of marvellous, or of unusual occurrence; for since cowherds, and men of the lowest and most abject condition, have been elevated to the summit of power, it is most reasonable that our attention should be arrested by a change so unexpected. We now perceive the prophet’s design. In this passage, as well as in others, he might have set before us the structure of the heavens and the earth; but, as our minds are unaffected by the ordinary course of things, he declares that the hand of God is most apparent in his marvellous works. And in saying that men of mean and abject condition are not merely elevated to some petty sovereignty, but that they are invested with power and authority over God’s holy people, he increases the greatness of the miracle — that being of far more consequence than to rule in other parts of the earth; for the state or kingdom of the Church constitutes the principal and august theater where God presents and displays the tokens of his wonderful power, wisdom, and righteousness.

SPURGEO�, "Ver. 7. He raiseth up the poor out of the dust. This is an instance of his gracious stoop of love: he frequently lifts the lowest of mankind out of their poverty and degradation and places them in positions of power and honour. His good Spirit is continually visiting the down trodden, giving beauty for ashes to those

who are cast down, and elevating the hearts of his mourners till they shout for joy. These up liftings of grace are here ascribed directly to the divine hand, and truly those who have experienced them will not doubt the fact that it is the Lord alone who brings his people up from the dust of sorrow and death. When no hand but his can help he interposes, and the work is done. It is worth while to be cast down to be so divinely raised from the dust.And lifteth the needy out of the dunghill, whereon they lay like worthless refuse, cast off and cast out, left as they thought to rot into destruction, and to be everlastingly forgotten. How great a stoop from the height of his throne to a dunghill! How wonderful that power which occupies itself in lifting up beggars, all befouled with the filthiness in which they lay! For he lifts them out of the dunghill, not disdaining to search them out from amidst the base things of the earth that he may by their means bring to nought the great ones, and pour contempt upon all human glorying. What a dunghill was that upon which we lay by nature! What a mass of corruption is our original estate! What a heap of loathsomeness we have accumulated by our sinful lives! What reeking abominations surround us in the society of our fellow men! We could never have risen out of all this by our own efforts, it was a sepulchre in which we saw corruption, and were as dead men. Almighty were the arms which lifted us, which are still lifting us, and will lift us into the perfection of heaven itself. Praise ye the Lord.EXPLA�ATORY �OTES A�D QUAI�T SAYI�GS.Ver. 7. He raiseth up the poor, etc. There is no doubt a reference in this to the respect which God pays even to the lower ranks of the race, seeing that "he raiseth up the poor, and lifteth up the needy." I have no doubt there is reference throughout the whole of this psalm to evangelical times; that, in this respect, it is a prophetic psalm, including a reference especially to Christianity, as it may be called by eminence and distinction the religion of the poor—its greatest glory. For when John the Baptist sent two disciples to Jesus, to know whether he was the Messiah or not, the answer of our Lord was, "The blind see, the lepers are cleansed, the dead are raised" —all extraordinary events—miracles, in short, which proved his divine commission. And he summed up the whole by saying, "The poor have the gospel preached unto them; "as great a miracle as any—as great a distinction as any. There never was a religion but the true religion, in all its various dispensations, that had equal respect to all classes of society. In all others there was a privileged class, but here there is none. Perhaps one of the most interesting views of Christianity we can take is its wonderful adaptation to the character and circumstances of the poor. What an opportunity does it furnish for the manifestation of the bright and mild graces of the Holy Spirit! What sources of comfort does it open to mollify the troubles of life! and how often, in choosing the poor, rich in faith, to make them heirs of the kingdom, does God exalt the poor out of the dust, and the needy from the dunghill! —Richard Watson.Ver. 7. He raiseth up the poor, etc. Gideon is fetched from threshing, Saul from seeking the asses, and David from keeping the sheep; the apostles from fishing are sent to be "fishers of men." The treasure of the gospel is put into earthen vessels, and the weak and the foolish ones of the world pitched upon to be preachers of it, to confound the "wise and mighty" (1 Corinthians 1:27-28), that the excellency of the power may be of God, and all may see that promotion comes from him. —Matthew

Henry.Ver. 7. He raiseth up the poor. The highest honour, which was ever done to any mere creature, was done out of regard to the lowest humility; the Son of God had such regard to the lowliness of the blessed virgin, that he did her the honour to choose her for the mother of his holy humanity. It is an observation of S. Chrysostom, that that very hand which the humble John Baptist thought not worthy to unloose the shoe on our blessed Saviour's feet, that hand our Lord thought worthy to baptize his sacred head. —Valentine �alson.Ver. 7. And lifteth the needy out of the dunghill; which denotes a mean condition; so one born in a mean place, and brought up in a mean manner, is sometimes represented as taken out of a dunghill; and also it is expressive of a filthy one; men by sin are not only brought into a low estate, but into a loathsome one, and are justly abominable in the sight of God, and yet he lifts them out of it: the phrases of raising up and lifting out suppose them to be fallen, as men are in Adam, fallen from a state of honour and glory, in and out of which they cannot deliver themselves; it is Christ's work, and his only, to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to help or lift up his servant Israel. Isaiah 49:6 Lu 1:54; see 1 Samuel 2:8. —John Gill.Ver. 7. The poor...the needy. Rejoice, then, in the favourable notice God taketh of you. The highest and greatest of beings vouchsafes to regard you. Though you are poor and mean, and men overlook you; though your brethren hate you, and your friends go far from you, yet hear! God looketh down from his majestic throne upon you. Amidst the infinite variety of his works, you are not overlooked. Amidst the nobler services of ten thousand times ten thousand saints and angels, not one of your fervent prayers or humble groans escapes his ear. —Job Orton, 1717-1783.Ver. 7. Almighty God cannot look above himself, as having no superiors; nor about himself, as having no equals; he beholds such as are below him; and therefore the lower a man is, the nearer unto God; he resists the proud, and gives grace to the humble, 1 Peter 5:5. He pulls down the mighty from their seat, and exalteth them of low degree. The Most High hath special eye to such as are most humble; for, as it followeth in our text, "he taketh up the simple out of the dust, and lifteth the poor out of the dirt." —John Boys.Ver. 7. Dunghill. An emblem of the deepest poverty and desertion; for in Syria and Palestine the man who is shut out from society lies upon the mezbele (the dunghill or heap of ashes), by day calling upon the passers by for alms, and by night hiding himself in the ashes that have been warmed by the sun. —Franz Delitzsch.Ver. 7. Dunghill. The passages of the Bible, in which the word occurs, all seem to refer, as Parkhurst remarks, to the stocks of cow dung and other offal stuff, which the easterns for want of wood were obliged to lay up for fuel. —Richard Mant.Ver. 7, 8. These verses are taken almost word for word from the prayer of Hannah, 1 Samuel 2:8. The transition to the "people" is all the more natural, as Hannah, considering herself at the conclusion as the type of the church, with which every individual among the Israelites felt himself much more closely entwined than can easily be the case among ourselves, draws out of the salvation imparted to herself joyful prospects for the future. —E. W. Hengstenberg.

ELLICOTT, "(7) Dunghill.—Literally, a heap of rubbish. “Before each village in Hauran there is a place where the household heap up the sweepings of their stalls,

and it gradually reaches a great circumference and a height which rises far above the highest buildings of the village.” “The mezbela serves the inhabitants of the district as a watch-tower, and on close oppressive evenings as a place of assembly, because there is a current of air on the height. There the children play about the whole day long; there the forsaken one lies who, having been seized with some horrible malady, is not allowed to enter the dwellings of men, by day asking alms of the passers by, and at night hiding himself among the ashes which the sun has warmed.”—Delitzsch’s Commentary on the Book of Job, ii. 152, with �ote by Wetzstein. It was on the mezbela that, according to tradition, Job sat.

ELLICOTT, "(7) Dunghill.—Literally, a heap of rubbish. “Before each village in Hauran there is a place where the household heap up the sweepings of their stalls, and it gradually reaches a great circumference and a height which rises far above the highest buildings of the village.” “The mezbela serves the inhabitants of the district as a watch-tower, and on close oppressive evenings as a place of assembly, because there is a current of air on the height. There the children play about the whole day long; there the forsaken one lies who, having been seized with some horrible malady, is not allowed to enter the dwellings of men, by day asking alms of the passers by, and at night hiding himself among the ashes which the sun has warmed.”—Delitzsch’s Commentary on the Book of Job, ii. 152, with �ote by Wetzstein. It was on the mezbela that, according to tradition, Job sat.

BE�SO�, "Verse 7-8Psalms 113:7-8. He raiseth up the poor — Yet, great and glorious as he is, he stoops so low as to regard and advance those whom all men, even their own brethren, slight and despise; out of the dust, &c. — From a most contemptible and miserable condition; that he may set him with princes — In equal honour and power with them, as he did Joseph, David, and others; even with the princes of his people, who, in God’s account, and in truth, are far more honourable and happy than the princes of heathen nations, and their subjects more noble; for they have God’s special presence among them, and his special providence watching over them. One of the Jewish rabbins applies this passage to the resurrection of the dead, and some Christian commentators have applied it to the work of redemption by Jesus Christ, and not improperly, for through him poor, fallen men are raised out of the dust, nay, out of the dunghill of sin, and set among patriarchs and prophets, yea, among angels and archangels, those princes of God’s people, those leaders of the armies of Jehovah. And, as Dr. Horne observes, “What is the exaltation of the meanest beggar from a dunghill to an earthly diadem, when compared with that of human nature from the grave to the throne of God! Here is honour worthy of our ambition; honour after which all are alike invited to aspire; which all may obtain who strive worthily and lawfully; and of which, when once obtained, nothing can ever deprive the possessors.”

WHEDO�, "7. He raiseth up the poor—In Psalms 113:6 God’s universal notice of all things in heaven and earth is extolled; here the moral and beneficent character of this omniscient scanning of the universe is brought out. His eye is upon the poor, but

it is the humble poor that is specially denoted here. See Psalms 138:6; Isaiah 57:15. Psalms 113:7-8 are quoted from the words of Hannah, (1 Samuel 2:8,) and employed by Mary in her Magnificat, (Luke 1:52,) and imply not only that Jehovah is a God of condescending pity and love, but of judgment also. He putteth down as well as lifteth up.

Dunghill—The word denotes a receptacle for all sorts of dirt, offal, and rubbish. It is here figuratively used for a state of abject humiliation. “In Syria and Palestine the man who is shut out from society lies upon the dunghill, or heap of ashes, by day, calling upon the passers by for alms; and by night hides himself in the ashes that have been warmed by the sun.”—Delitzsch.

COKE, "Verse 8-9Psalms 113:8-9. That he may set him with princes— There is a plain reference here to Hannah's case and prayer. See 1 Samuel 2:8 and 2 Samuel 7:8-9. He maketh the barren, &c. may be rendered, according to the original, He settleth the barren in a family; i.e. "causeth her who was barren to have a large family, by making her a joyful mother, &c."

REFLECTIO�S.—This psalm seems to refer to the times of the gospel, and to the great salvation accomplished by Jesus our Redeemer.

1. The Psalmist, with repeated earnestness, exhorts the servants of the Lord to the happy work of praise. In all ages redeeming love must be celebrated; and from the rising to the setting sun, whithersoever the tidings of gospel grace shall spread, the name of Jesus shall resound.

2. He suggests the matter of their songs.

(1.) The glory of the Lord Jesus, the great King of kings; to whose universal sway all nations of the earth must bow; and to whom in heaven angels, principalities, and powers are made subject; transcendently great, without an equal, and above all comparison; yea, exalted above all blessing and praise.

(2.) His condescension. He humbleth himself to behold the things that are in heaven and earth; when he vouchsafes to accept the services of archangels, and with his care to preserve their beings, which he gave, vast is his condescension: yet more amazing is it, that he turns his eye on worms of earth, and sinful worms withal; upholds them in life, and with his bounteous hand supplies their wants: but most astonishing of all, that he should humble himself so far, as not only to behold us, but to take our nature, yea, humble himself for us to death, even the death of the cross. Lost in the stupendous thought, the soul bows down in silent admiration, and can only wonder and adore.

3. The dispensations of his providence and grace. [1.] The poor and needy he liberally supplies, raises them from their low estate, and exalts them to honour and dignity, from the dunghill to the throne: such outward changes God sometimes

sovereignly works; but spiritually we see these things mere emphatically fulfilled in those who will be saved by grace; the poor in spirit, the needy, destitute of all righteousness and strength, lying on the dunghill of sin, and in the dust of spiritual death, by the almighty power of his Spirit he raises from their low estate, pardons and delivers them from guilt and sin, adopts them into his royal house as sons of God, clothes them with the princely robes of righteousness and salvation, and at last crowns these simple faithful believers with glory everlasting, and makes them reign with the princes of his people; with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and all the glorified saints, who are made kings and priests unto God. [2.] He maketh the barren woman to keep house, and to be a joyful mother of children. Sarah, Rachel, Hannah, proved this grace, and rejoiced in the precious gift: and this was in a beautiful sense more nobly fulfilled, when the Gentile world, which had long been barren, and brought forth little or no manifest fruit unto God, teemed with numerous converts, the joy of the church, and whose births were celebrated with the songs of earth and heaven. Well, therefore, in the view of these things, may the Psalmist repeat his exhortation, and we echo back the sound, Hallelujah.

EBC, "The third strophe pursues the thought of the Divine condescension as especially shown in stooping to the dejected and helpless and lifting them. The effect of the descent of One so high must be to raise the lowliness to which He bends. The words in Psalms 113:7-8 are quoted from Hannah’s song. [1 Samuel 2:8] Probably the singer has in his mind Israel’s restoration from exile, that great act in which Jehovah had shown His condescending loftiness, and had lifted His helpless people as from the ash heap, where they lay as outcasts. The same event seems to be referred to in Psalms 113:9 under a metaphor suggested by the story of Hannah whose words have just been quoted. The "barren" is Israel. {comp. Isaiah 54:1} The expression in the original is somewhat obscure. It stands literally "the barren of the house," and is susceptible of different explanations; but probably the simplest is to regard it as a contracted expression for the unfruitful wife in a house, "a housewife, but yet not a mother. Such a one has in her husband’s house no sure position, If God bestows children upon her, He by that very fact makes her for the first time thoroughly at home and rooted in her husband’s house" (Delitzsch, in loc.). The joy of motherhood is tenderly touched in the closing line, in which the definite article is irregularly prefixed to "sons," as if the poet "points with his finger to the children with whom God blesses her" (Delitzsch, u.s.). Thus Israel, with her restored children about her, is secure in her home. That restoration was the signal instance of Jehovah’s condescension and delight in raising the lowly. It was therefore the great occasion for world wide and age-long praise.

The stager did not know how far it would be transcended by a more wonderful, more heart-touching manifestation of stooping love, when "The Word became flesh." How much more exultant and world filling should be the praises from the lips of those who do know how low that Word has stooped, and how high He has risen, and how surely all who hold His hand will be lifted from any ash heap and set on His throne, sharers in the royalty of Him who has been partaker of their weakness!

8 he seats them with princes, with the princes of his people.

BAR�ES, "That he may set him with princes - May give him a rank - a position - with nobles and great people upon the earth. Many instances of this nature have occurred in the history of the world. Not a few of the nobles of England, including several of its lord chancellors, have been raised thus from very humble life; and in every nation God shows that he has power to give to those of humblest rank a name and place which no hereditary titles and honors can bestow: thus Shakespeare was the son of a glover and woolstapler. God has power to come into the humblest cottage of poverty, and to bring forth those who shall stand foremost in their generation as people of genius and power. Nothing is more absolute than the power which God thus holds over the nations of the earth, and it is meet that a Being who has this power, and who exercises it, should be praised and honored.

Even with the princes of his people - Among those who are selected to preside over the people whom he has chosen for himself. It is implied here that this would be a higher honor than to be exalted to power among a pagan people - a people ignorant of the true God. It is a higher honor to be counted worthy to rule a Christian nation than a pagan people; it is a higher honor to be a ruler in the church - over those whom God has redeemed for himself - than it is to administer a secular government.

CLARKE, "With the princes - nedebim, very properly translated by the נדיבים

Anglo-Saxon, the aldermen, the most respectable of his people.

GILL, "That he may set him with princes,.... As all the saints are by birth, being the sons of God, the King of kings; born of him, and not of the will of man; and are of a princely spirit, have a free spirit, and offer themselves and services willingly to the Lord; have the spirit of adoption, in opposition to a spirit of bondage; and, as princes, have power with God and prevail; and are also heirs of God, heirs of salvation, heirs of a kingdom, as princes be; now such as are raised by Christ and his grace from a low estate and condition are set among those princes here; they are brought to Zion, and have a place and a name in the house of God, better than that of sons and daughters; and become fellowcitizens with the saints; and they are set among princes hereafter in the kingdom of heaven.

Even with the princes of his people; the more eminent among the people of God, such as Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, with whom they shall sit down in the kingdom of heaven; and with the prophets of the Old Testament, and the apostles of the New; and even with all the saints, who are made kings and priests unto God; see Psa_45:16.

JAMISO�, "

SPURGEO�, "Ver. 8. That he may set him with princes. The Lord does nothing by halves: when he raises men from the dust he is not content till he places them among the peers of his kingdom. We are made kings and priests unto God, and we shall reign for ever and ever. Instead of poverty, he gives us the wealth of princes; and instead of dishonour, he gives us a more exalted rank than that of the great ones of the earth.Even with the princes of his people. All his people are princes, and so the text teaches us that God places needy souls whom he favours among the princes of princes. He often enables those who have been most despairing to rise to the greatest heights of spirituality and gracious attainment, for those who once were last shall be first. Paul, though less than the least of all saints was, nevertheless, made to be not a whit behind the very chief of the apostles; and in our own times, Bunyan, the blaspheming tinker, was raised into another John, whose dream almost rivals the visions of the Apocalypse."Wonders of grace to God belong,Repeat his mercies in your song."Such verses as these should give great encouragement to those who are lowest in their own esteem. The Lord poureth contempt upon princes; but as for those who are in the dust and on the dunghill, he looks upon them with compassion, acts towards them in grace, and in their case displays the riches of his glory by Christ Jesus. Those who have experienced such amazing favour should sing continual hallelujahs to the God of their salvation.EXPLA�ATORY �OTES A�D QUAI�T SAYI�GS.Ver. 8. Even with the princes of his people. It is the honour that cometh from God that alone exalts. Whatever account the world may take of a poor man, he may be more precious in the eyes of God than the highest among men. The humble poor are here ranked, not with the princes of the earth, but with "the princes of his people." The distinctions in this world, even among those who serve the same God, are as nothing in his sight when contrasted with that honour which is grounded on the free grace of God to his own. But here, also, the fulness of this statement will only be seen in the world to come, when all the faithful will be owned as kings and priests unto God. —W. Wilson.

9 He settles the childless woman in her home as a happy mother of children.Praise the Lord.

BAR�ES, "He maketh the barren woman to keep house ... - Margin, as in Hebrew, “to dwell in a house.” That is, to be at the head of a family. See the notes at Psa_68:6. Compare 1Sa_2:5. This, too, is suggested as a reason why God should be praised and adored. In instances where all hope of posterity is cut off, he interposes, and diffuses joy through a dwelling. We may look abroad, and see abundant occasion for praising God, in his condescension to human affairs - in his lifting up the poor from the humblest condition - in his exalting those of lowly rank to places of honor, trust, wealth, and power; but, after all, if we wish to Find occasions of praise that will most tenderly affect the heart, and be connected with the warmest affections of the soul, they will be most likely to be found in the domestic circle - in the mutual love - the common joy - the tender feelings - which bind together the members of a family. In such a family, the words with which this psalm begins and ends, “Hallelujah,” “Hallelujah,” are especially appropriate; and if any community on earth should apply these words to itself it should be such a family, called upon by everything tender, holy, and lovely, to “praise the” Lord.

CLARKE, "He maketh the barren woman to keep house - This is a figure to point out the desolate, decreasing state of the captives in Babylon, and the happy change which took place on their return to their own land. These are nearly the words of Hannah, 1Sa_2:5.

GILL, "He maketh the barren woman to keep house,.... Or "to dwell in the house", as the Septuagint, Vulgate Latin, and other versions; or rather "to cause the house to be inhabited"; to fill the house with inhabitants, to build up the house, as the barren woman, when made fruitful, does, as Rachel and Leah built up the house of Israel, Rth_4:11. This may be applied to the church of God, as it is to the congregation of Israel by the Targum,

"who makes the congregation of Israel, which is like to a barren woman, that sitteth sorrowful, to dwell with the men of her house, full of multitudes.''

Jarchi interprets it of Zion, who was as a barren woman; see Isa_54:1, Gal_4:27. It may be illustrated by the case of the primitive and apostolic church, which at first had but very few converts, but afterwards, both in Judea and in the Gentile world, had large numbers; as the church in the latter day will also have, when the fulness of the Gentiles is brought in, and the nation of the Jews born at once.

And to be a joyful mother of children; as the barren woman is when she becomes the mother of children; and indeed every woman rejoices when a man is born into the world, Joh_16:21, and so does the church of Christ and people of God, when souls are born again among them; this causes great joy among the saints; see Psa_87:4.

Praise ye the Lord; not only for the church's fruitfulness, but for all the great and good things the Lord has vouchsafed to do for his people, mentioned in this psalm.

HE�RY, "Those that have been long barren are sometimes, on a sudden, made fruitful, Psa_113:9. This may look back to Sarah and Rebecca, Rachel, Hannah, and Samson's mother, or forward to Elizabeth; and many such instances there have been, in which God has looked on the affliction of his handmaids and taken away their reproach. He makes the barren woman to keep house, not only builds up the family, but thereby finds the heads of the family something to do. Note, Those that have the comfort of a family must take the care of it; bearing children and guiding the house are put together, 1Ti_5:14. When God sets the barren in a family he expects that she should look well to the ways of her household, Pro_31:27. She is said to be a joyful mother of children, not only because, even in common cases, the pain is forgotten, for joy that a man-child is born into the world, but there is particular joy when a child is born to those that have been long childless (as Luk_1:14) and therefore there ought to be particular thanksgiving. Praise you the Lord. Yet, in this case, rejoice with trembling; for, though the sorrowful mother be made joyful, the joyful mother may be made sorrowful again, if the children be either removed from her or embittered to her. This, therefore, may be applied to the gospel-church among the Gentiles (the building of which is illustrated by this similitude, Isa_54:1, Sing, O barren! thou that didst not bear, and Gal_4:27), for which we, who, being sinners of the Gentiles, are children of the desolate, have reason to say, Praise you the Lord.

JAMISO�, "On this special case, compare 1Sa_2:21. Barrenness was regarded as a disgrace, and is a type of a deserted Church (Isa_54:1).

the barren woman ... house — literally, “the barren of the house,” so that the supplied words may be omitted.

CALVI�, "9Who maketh the barren woman to dwell in the family He relates another work of God, which if, apparently, not so notable, ought not, on that account, the less to engage our thoughts. Unimpressed as we are by the ordinary works of God, we are constrained to express our astonishment when a woman who has been for a long period barren, unexpectedly becomes the mother of a numerous family. The Hebrew term, הבית, habbayith, is to be understood, not simply of a house, but also of a household, — that is, the thing containing, for that which is contained, — just as the Greeks apply οικος, and the Latins domus, to a household. The meaning is, that the woman who was formerly barren is blessed with fruitfulness, and fills the house with children. He attributes joy to mothers, because, though the hearts of all are prone to aspire after wealth, or honor, or pleasures, or any other advantages, yet is progeny preferred to every thing else. Wherefore, since God superintends the ordinary course of nature, alters the current of events,

elevates those of abject condition and ignoble extraction, and makes the barren woman fruitful, our insensibility is very culpable, if we do not attentively contemplate the works of his hand.

SPURGEO�, "Ver. 9. He maketh the barren woman to keep house, and to be a joyful mother of children. The strong desire of the easterns to have children caused the birth of offspring to be hailed as the choicest of favours, while barrenness was regarded as a curse; hence this verse is placed last as if to crown the whole, and to serve as a climax to the story of God's mercy. The glorious Lord displays his condescending grace in regarding those who are despised on account of their barrenness, whether it be of body or of soul. Sarah, Rachel, the wife of Manoah, Hannah, Elizabeth, and others were all instances of the miraculous power of God in literally fulfilling the statement of the psalmist. Women were not supposed to have a house till they had children; but in certain cases where childless women pined in secret the Lord visited them in mercy, and made them not only to have a house, but to keep it. The Gentile church is a spiritual example upon a large scale of the gift of fruitfulness after long years of hopeless barrenness; and the Jewish church in the latter days will be another amazing display of the same quickening power: long forsaken for her spiritual adultery, Israel shall be forgiven, and restored, and joyously shall she keep that house which now is left unto her desolate. �or is this all, each believer in the Lord Jesus must at times have mourned his lamentable barrenness; he has appeared to be a dry tree yielding no fruit to the Lord, and yet when visited by the Holy Ghost, he has found himself suddenly to be like Aaron's rod, which budded, and blossomed, and brought forth almonds. Or ever we have been aware, our barren heart has kept house, and entertained the Saviour, our graces have been multiplied as if many children had come to us at a single birth, and we have exceedingly rejoiced before the Lord. Then have we marvelled greatly at the Lord who dwelleth on high, that he has deigned to visit such poor worthless things. Like Mary, we have lifted up our Magnificat, and like Hannah, we have said, "There is none holy as the Lord; for there is none beside thee: neither is there any rock like our God."Praise ye the LORD. The music concludes upon its key note. The Psalm is a circle, ending where it began, praising the Lord from its first syllable to its last. May our life psalm partake of the same character, and never know a break or a conclusion. In an endless circle let us bless the Lord, whose mercies never cease. Let us praise him in youth, and all along our years of strength; and when we bow in the ripeness of abundant age, let us still praise the Lord, who doth not cast off his old servants. Let us not only praise God ourselves, but exhort others to do it; and if we meet with any of the needy who have been enriched, and with the barren who have been made fruitful, let us join with them in extolling the name of him whose mercy endureth for ever. Having been ourselves lifted from spiritual beggary and barrenness, let us never forget our former estate or the grace which has visited us, but world without end let us praise the Lord. Hallelujah.EXPLA�ATORY �OTES A�D QUAI�T SAYI�GS.Ver. 9. Ye maketh the barren woman to keep house, etc. Should a married woman, who has long been considered sterile, become a mother, her joy, and that of her husband and friends, will be most extravagant. "They called her Malady, "that is,

"Barren, ""but she has given us good fruit." "My neighbours pointed at me, and said, Malady:but what will they say now?" A man who on any occasion manifests great delight, is represented to be like the barren woman who has at length borne a child. Anything which is exceedingly valuable is thus described: "This is as precious as the son of the barren woman"; that is, of her who had long been reputed barren. —Joseph Roberts.Ver. 9. He maketh the barren woman to keep house, etc. As baseness in men, so barrenness in women is accounted a great unhappiness. But as God lifteth up the beggar out of the mire, to set him with princes, even so doth he "make the barren woman a joyful mother of children." He governs all things in the private family, as well as in the public weal. Children and the fruit of the womb are a gift and heritage that cometh of the Lord, Psalms 127:3; and therefore the Papists in praying to S. Anne for children, and the Gentiles in calling upon Diana, Juno, Latona, are both in error. It is God only who makes the barren woman "a mother, "and that "a joyful mother." Every mother is joyful at the first, according to that of Christ, "a woman when she travaileth hath sorrow, because her hour is come: but as soon as she is delivered of the child, she remembereth no more the anguish, for joy that a man is born into the world."Divines apply this also mystically to Christ, affirming that he made the church of the Gentiles, heretofore "barren, ""a joyful mother of children, "according to that of the prophet: "Rejoice, O barren, that didst not bear; break forth into joy and rejoice, thou that didst not travail with child: for the desolate hath more children than the married wife, saith the Lord, "Isaiah 54:1. Or it may be construed of true Christians: all of us are by nature barren of goodness, conceived and born in sin, not able to think a good thought (2 Corinthians 3:5); but the Father of lights and mercies makes us fruitful and abundant always in the work of the Lord (1 Corinthians 15:58); he giveth us grace to be fathers and mothers of many good deeds, which are our children and best heirs, eternizing our name for ever. —John Boys.Ver. 9. The barren woman is the poor, forsaken, distressed Christian church, whom the false church oppresses, defies, and persecutes, and regards as useless, miserable, barren, because she herself is greater and more populous, the greatest part of the world. —Joshua Arndt, 1626-1685.Ver. 9. Praise ye the Lord. We may look abroad, and see abundant occasion for praising God, —in his condescension to human affairs, —in his lifting up the poor from the humblest condition, —in his exalting those of lowly rank to places of honour, trust, wealth, and power; but, after all, if we wish to find occasions of praise that will most tenderly affect the heart, and be connected with the warmest affections of the soul, they will be most likely to be found in the domestic circle—in the mutual love—the common joys the tender feelings—which bind together the members of a family. —Albert Barnes.Ver. 9. Praise ye the LORD. The very hearing of the comfortable changes which the Lord can make and doth make the afflicted to find, is a matter of refreshment to all, and of praise to God from all. —David Dickson.

WHEDO�, "9. Barren woman to keep house—Properly, to dwell, or abide, in the house. The allusion is to the uncertain continuance of the barren wife in the family,

owing to the capricious tyranny of the husband, under the wretched system of domestic life in Asia. Children are a natural bond of sympathy between husband and wife, and the language is expressive of a happy and prosperous condition of domestic and social life. The same figure occurs Psalms 68:6. The text is to be taken figuratively to signify, that as the barren wife is restored to favour, and the family life made happy, when the reproach of barrenness is removed, so God had now restored and established his people in joy and prosperity. See the figure applied to the Church, Isaiah 54:1. Psalms 113:7-9 seem to have a historic pointing. Had not God recently raised Israel from the “dunghill” to honour? Had not the families and family life of the nation been recently restored? The infinite condescension of God in thus remembering their low estate is the theme of the psalm. It is a companion piece to Psalms 114, and savors of the fresh joy of the returned exiles from Babylon.

ELLICOTT, "(9) He maketh.—See margin. Motherhood alone assured the wife of a fixed and dignified position in her husband’s house. The quotation from Hannah’s song suggested the allusion to her story. We are no doubt right in taking this joyful mother as emblematic of the nation itself restored to prosperity and joy.

BE�SO�,"Verse 9Psalms 113:9. He maketh the barren woman to keep house — Hebrew, מושיבי הבית, moshibi habaith, to dwell in a house, or family, or among children, namely, born of her. In the sacred history of the Old Testament, we find many instances of barren women, who were miraculously made to bear children. Isaac, Joseph, Samson, Samuel, and John the Baptist were thus born of mothers who had been barren. “These examples,” says Dr. Horne, “may be considered as preludes to that marvellous exertion of divine power, whereby the Gentile Church, after so many years of barrenness, became, in her old age, a fruitful parent of children, and the mother of us all. Wherefore it is written, Sing, O barren, thou that didst not bear, &c., Isaiah 54:1 .”