Bible Commentaries

Psalms 145:1 « David’s [Psalm] of praise. » I will extol thee, my God, O king; and I will bless thy name for ever and ever.

David’s Psalm of praise] Heb. David’s praise or hymn, well worthy, saith learned Beza, to be made use of by all men for a rule and pattern of praising God. Perfectum illius rationalis cultus exemplum (Beza). It is one of those psalms that are artificially made up after the order of the alphabet, and so highly prized by the Rabbis, that they doubt not to promise heaven to him who shall thrice every day pray over this psalm, corde, ore, et opere (Kimchi. R. Arama).

Ver. 1. I will extol thee, my God, O king] i.e. O Christ, the King of kings, whose vassal I profess myself, as did afterwards also those three most Christian emperors, Constantine, Valentinian, and Theodosius.

Psalms 145:2 Every day will I bless thee; and I will praise thy name for ever and ever.

Ver. 2. Every day will I bless thee] No day shall pass me without a morning and evening sacrifice; besides, what is more, upon all emergent occasions. The Jews have above a hundred benedictions which they are bound to say over every day; and one among the rest, for the benefit of evacuation. If I were a nightingale, saith Epictetus, a heathen (In Encher.), I would do as a nightingale; but since I am a man, what shall I do? I will praise my Maker, and never cease to do it: I exhort also all men to do the like.

Psalms 145:3 Great [is] the LORD, and greatly to be praised; and his greatness [is] unsearchable.

Ver. 3. Great is the Lord] See his greatness set forth by Moses, Deuteronomy 10:17.

And greatly to be praised] viz. According to his excellent greatness, Psalms 150:2, which yet cannot be.

And his greatness is unsearchable] Tantum recedit quantum capitur, saith Nazianzen. He is above all name, all notion, all parallel in nature: we can see but his back parts, and live; we need see no more that we may live.

Psalms 145:4 One generation shall praise thy works to another, and shall declare thy mighty acts.

Ver. 4. One generation shall praise thy works to another] God’s praises are many, and man’s life short, and one generation succeedeth another: let them relate God’s wonderful works one to another, and so perpetuate his praises to all posterity.

Psalms 145:5 I will speak of the glorious honour of thy majesty, and of thy wondrous works.

Ver. 5. I will speak of the glorious honour] Or, I will meditate of the glory of the honour of thy magnificence. I will discourse of those high and honourable conceptions that I have of thee, which yet words (how wide soever) are too weak to utter, such is thy transcendent excellence and surpassing glory.

And of thy wondrous works] Wherein thou art in some sort to be seen, as the beams of the sun are made visible by reflection; and letters, being refracted and broken, in a pair of spectacles, are made legible to a dim eye.

Psalms 145:6 And [men] shall speak of the might of thy terrible acts: and I will declare thy greatness.

Ver. 6. And men shall speak of the might of thy terrible acts] Those that will not talk of thy bounty shall be made to say, Oh the severity of God!

Psalms 145:7 They shall abundantly utter the memory of thy great goodness, and shall sing of thy righteousness.

Ver. 7. They shall abundantly utter] Eructabunt: as a fountain casteth out waters plentifully and constantly, so shall those that are like minded to me abundantly and artificially (even with songs) set forth thy goodness and faithfulness; saying, and singing,

Psalms 145:8 The LORD [is] gracious, and full of compassion; slow to anger, and of great mercy.

Ver. 8. The Lord is gracious, &c.] See Psalms 86:5; Psalms 86:15; Psalms 103:8.

Slow to anger, and of great mercy] De quo pene possit ambigi sit ne ad irascendum tardior, an ad parcendum promptior (Bcza).

Psalms 145:9 The LORD [is] good to all: and his tender mercies [are] over all his works.

Ver. 9. The Lord is good to all] And of this he hath not left myself without witness, Acts 14:17.

And his tender mercies are over all his works] Holding the whole creation together, which else (by reason of the curse for man’s sin, hurling confusion over the world) would long since have been shattered and dissipated.

Psalms 145:10 All thy works shall praise thee, O LORD and thy saints shall bless thee.

Ver. 10. All thy works shall praise thee] i.e. Minister matter of thy praise.

And thy saints shall bless thee] viz. Upon that account. If it were not for a few saints on earth God should lose his glory here, in great part.

Psalms 145:11 They shall speak of the glory of thy kingdom, and talk of thy power;

Ver. 11. They shall speak of the glory] That kingdom of the saints of the Most High, which is far beyond the grandeur and splendour of all the four great monarchies, as is to be seen Daniel 7:27.

Psalms 145:12 To make known to the sons of men his mighty acts, and the glorious majesty of his kingdom.

Ver. 12. To make known to the sons of men] This is the end why the Church is collected snd the gospel preached. God aimeth at his own glory in all, as well he may, since he hath none higher than himself to whom to have respect.

Psalms 145:13 Thy kingdom [is] an everlasting kingdom, and thy dominion [endureth] throughout all generations.

Ver. 13. Thy kingdom is an everlasting kingdom] It cannot be overturned (that is comfortable to all Christ’s subjects), as other flourishing kingdoms are, which have their times and their turns, their rise and their ruin. Alexander’s kingdom continued but twelve years only, and fell with him; so did Tamerlane’s greatness.

Psalms 145:14 The LORD upholdeth all that fall, and raiseth up all [those that be] bowed down.

Ver. 14. The Lord upholdeth all that fall] None of his subjects can fall below his helping hand, his sweet support.

And raiseth up all those that are bowed down] Either with the burden of sin or misery in any kind. Alphonsus, king of Arragon, is famous for helping with his own hand one of his subjects out of a ditch. Of Queen Elizabeth it is recorded, to her eternal praise, that she hated (no less than did Mithridates) such as sought to crush virtue forsaken of fortune (Camden). Christ bruiseth not the broken reed, but upholdeth it; he quencheth not the smoking wick, but cherisheth it.

Psalms 145:15 The eyes of all wait upon thee; and thou givest them their meat in due season.

Ver. 15. The eyes of all wait upon thee] Heb. look up with hope to this great housekeeper of the world. The elephant is said to turn up the first sprig towards heaven when he comes to feed. The young ravens cry to God for food, Psalms 147:9; at least by implication.

Their meat] Suitable to their various appetites.

Psalms 145:16 Thou openest thine hand, and satisfiest the desire of every living thing.

Ver. 16. Thou openest thy hand] With kingly munificence.

And satisfiest the desire] Or, of thy good pleasure thou satiatest.

Psalms 145:17 The LORD [is] righteous in all his ways, and holy in all his works.

Ver. 17. The Lord is righteous in all his ways] This we must hold for an undoubted truth, though we see not always the reason of his proceedings. Sinful men dare to reprehend oft times what they do not comprehend.

Psalms 145:18 The LORD [is] nigh unto all them that call upon him, to all that call upon him in truth.

Ver. 18. The Lord is nigh unto all those, &c.] He is ever at hand, to hear and help his faithful suitors and suppliants; these have the royalty of his ear, free access, sure success.

To all that call upon him in truth] That draw near with a true heart, in full assurance of faith, having their hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and their bodies washed with pure water, Hebrews 10:22.

Psalms 145:19 He will fulfil the desire of them that fear him: he also will hear their cry, and will save them.

Ver. 19. He will fulfil the desire, &c.] Or, the will, the pleasure, Beneplacitum. Hence that bold request of Luther, Fiat voluntas mea, let my will be done. But then he addeth, Mea, Domine, quia tua, My will, because thine, and no otherwise. They that do the will of God shall have their own will of God. See 1 John 3:22. The king can deny you nothing.

Psalms 145:20 The LORD preserveth all them that love him: but all the wicked will he destroy.

Ver. 20. The Lord preserveth all them that love him] See Psalms 91:14-16. {See Trapp on "Psalms 91:14"} {See Trapp on "Psalms 91:15"} {See Trapp on "Psalms 91:16"}

But all the wicked] That love not God, but their base lusts.

Psalms 145:21 My mouth shall speak the praise of the LORD: and let all flesh bless his holy name for ever and ever.

Ver. 21. My mouth shall speak, &c.] This he had oft before promised; but engageth again, that he may not start back.

And let all flesh] But especially men, good men; for high words beseem not a fool. But it well becometh the saints to be thankful, nec servire Deo solum sedet adulari, as Tertullian speaks.