Bible Commentaries

Not ^a unto us, O LORD, not unto us, but unto thy name give glory, for thy mercy, [and] for thy truth's sake.

(a) Because God promised to deliver them, not for their sakes, but for his Name, (Isaiah 48:11), therefore they ground their prayer on this promise.

Wherefore should the heathen say, ^b Where [is] now their God?

(b) When the wicked see that God does not always accomplish his promise as they imagined, they think there is no God.

But our God [is] in the heavens: he hath done whatsoever he hath ^c pleased.

(c) No impediments can slow his work, but he uses even the impediments to serve his will.

Their idols [are] ^d silver and gold, the work of men's hands.

(d) Seeing that neither the matter nor the form can commend their idols it follows that there is no reason that they should be esteemed.

They have ^e hands, but they handle not: feet have they, but they walk not: neither speak they through their throat.

(e) He shows what great vanity it is to ask help from them who not only have no help in them, but lack sense and reason.

They that make them are ^f like unto them; [so is] every one that trusteth in them.

(f) As much without sense as blocks and stones.

^g O house of Aaron, trust in the LORD: he [is] their help and their shield.

(g) For they were appointed by God as instructors and teachers of faith and religion for others to follow.

The LORD hath been mindful of us: he will bless [us]; he ^h will bless the house of Israel; he will bless the house of Aaron.

(h) That is, he will continue his graces toward his people.

Ye [are] blessed of the LORD which ⁱ made heaven and earth.

(i) And therefore still governs and continues all things in it.

The ^k heaven, [even] the heavens, [are] the LORD'S: but the earth hath he given to the children of men.

(k) And they declare enough his sufficiency so that the world serves him nothing, but to show his fatherly care toward men.

The dead praise not the LORD, neither any that ^l go down into silence.

(l) Though the dead set forth God's glory, yet he means here, that they praise him not in his Church and congregation.