King James Version
Psalms 150
6 verses with commentary
Let Everything Praise the Lord
Praise ye the LORD. Praise God in his sanctuary: praise him in the firmament of his power. Praise ye: Heb. Hallelujah
View commentary (2 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
The final psalm opens with location and imperative: 'Praise ye the LORD. Praise God in his sanctuary: praise him in the firmament of his power.' The opening 'Praise ye the LORD' (Halelu et-Adonai) directly parallels the opening of Psalm 146. This linguistic bookending emphasizes the unity of the Final Hallel. 'In his sanctuary' (be-mikdash-o) refers to the temple, the sacred space where God dwells...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(1) **Sanctuary—**That is, the temple. Some take it in direct parallelism with firmament, and understand the “heavenly palace,” or “Temple” (comp. Psalm 11:4); but, as in Psalms 148, the invocation to praise includes heaven and earth; so here, but in the reverse order, the earthly sanctuary first, and the sublime things done on earth (Psalm 150:2), then heaven and the exalted greatness there.
Praise him for his mighty acts: praise him according to his excellent greatness.
View commentary (3 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
This verse begins the enumeration of instruments and reasons for praise: 'Praise him for his mighty acts: praise him according to his excellent greatness.' The command 'Praise him for his mighty acts' (be-gibrot-o) specifies the content of praise: God's powerful deeds and demonstrations of strength. This is not abstract praise but praise grounded in God's actions in history and creation. 'Praise h...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(2) **Mighty acts . . . excellent greatness.—**The one displayed on earth, the other manifested in heaven. (See preceding Note.)
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
PSALM 110 Psa 110:1-7. The explicit application of this Psalm to our Saviour, by Him (Mt 22:42-45) and by the apostles (Ac 2:34; 1Co 15:25; He 1:13), and their frequent reference to its language and purport (Ep 1:20-22; Php 2:9-11; He 10:12, 13), leave no doubt of its purely prophetic character. Not only was there nothing in the position or character, personal or official, of David or any other de...
Read full commentary →Praise him with the sound of the trumpet: praise him with the psaltery and harp. trumpet: or, cornet
View commentary (3 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
<strong>Praise him with the sound of the trumpet</strong> (הַֽלְלוּהוּ בְּתֵקַע שׁוֹפָר)—The <em>shofar</em> (ram's horn) was Israel's most theologically significant instrument, announcing holy days (Leviticus 25:9), battles (Joshua 6:4), and coronations (1 Kings 1:34). Its piercing blast called the assembly to worship and will herald Christ's return (1 Thessalonians 4:16). Beginning the instrumen...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(3) **Trumpet.—**Heb., *shôphar. *(See Psalm 81:3; Psalm 98:6. LXX., σάλπιγξ.) It was the crooked horn, sometimes also called *keren. *(*Bïble Educator, *2:231.)
**Psaltery and harp.—**See Note, Psalm 33:2.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**2. the rod of thy strength--**the rod of correction (Is 9:4; 10:15; Jr 48:12), by which Thy strength will be known. This is His Word of truth (Is 2:3; 11:4), converting some and confounding others (compare 2Th 2:8).
**out of Zion--**or, the Church, in which God dwells by His Spirit, as once by a visible symbol in the tabernacle on Zion (compare Psa 2:6).
**rule thou, &c.--**over enemies ...
Read full commentary →Praise him with the timbrel and dance: praise him with stringed instruments and organs. dance: or, pipe
View commentary (3 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
<strong>Praise him with the timbrel and dance</strong> (הַֽלְלוּהוּ בְתֹף וּמָחוֹל)—The pairing of <em>toph</em> (hand drum/tambourine) with <em>machol</em> (dance) emphasizes rhythmic, physical worship. Women often led timbrel-and-dance celebrations after military victories (Exodus 15:20, Judges 11:34, 1 Samuel 18:6), making this joyful, triumphant praise. Dance in worship is not entertainment bu...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(4) **Timbrel and dance.—**See Psalm 149:3.
**Stringed instruments.—***Minnîm. *Literally, *parts, *so *threads, *so here, as in LXX. and Vulg., “with” or “on strings.” (See Note, Psalm 45:9.)
**Organs.—**Heb., *‘ugab, *which has been variously identified with the *syrinx, *or Pan’s pipes, of the Greeks, with the “bagpipe,” and even with a rude instrument embodying the principle of the modern orga...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**3. Thy people ... willing--**literally, "Thy people (are) free will offerings"; for such is the proper rendering of the word "willing," which is a plural noun, and not an adjective (compare Ex 25:2; Psa 54:6), also a similar form (Jud 5:2-9).
**in the day of thy power--**Thy people freely offer themselves (Ro 12:1) in Thy service, enlisting under Thy banner.
**in the beauties of holiness--**...
Read full commentary →Praise him upon the loud cymbals: praise him upon the high sounding cymbals.
View commentary (3 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
<strong>Praise him upon the loud cymbals</strong> (הַֽלְלוּהוּ בְצִלְצְלֵי־שָׁמַע)—<em>Tseltseley shama</em> (cymbals of hearing/sound) emphasizes volume and resonance. Cymbals marked climactic moments in temple worship (2 Samuel 6:5, 1 Chronicles 15:16), their crashing sound symbolizing the breaking forth of joy. The Hebrew <em>shama</em> (to hear) suggests cymbals loud enough to be heard at a di...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(5) **Cymbals.**—Heb., *tseltselîm *(2Samuel 6:5), a word evidently formed to express the sound of the instrument. Two kinds are evidently indicated in this verse, the “loud” cymbals (literally, *cymbals of hearing*)*, *and “high-sounding” (literally, *of tumult*)*. *As the Arabs use at present a larger and smaller instrument (see *Bible Educator, *2, 211, 311), it is possible that the same distin...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
4. The perpetuity of the priesthood, here asserted on God's oath, corresponds with that of the kingly office just explained.
**after the order--**(He 7:15) after the similitude of Melchisedek, is fully expounded by Paul, to denote not only perpetuity, appointment of God, and a royal priesthood, but also the absence of priestly descent and succession, and superiority to the Aaronic order.
Let every thing that hath breath praise the LORD. Praise ye the LORD.
View commentary (3 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
The final verse of the Psalter, and the final verse of Scripture's book of praise, completes the great doxology: 'Let every thing that hath breath praise the LORD. Praise ye the LORD. FINAL VERSE OF PSALTER.' The universality of this call is absolute: 'every thing that hath breath' (kol-neshama) encompasses all living creatures. The command 'praise the LORD' is not limited to humans, conscious bel...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(6) **Everything that hath breath.—**LXX. “every breath;” Vulg., “every spirit;” literally, *all breath. *We naturally wish to give these words their largest intent, and to hear the psalter close with an invocation to “the earth with her thousand voices” to praise God. But the psalm so distinctly and positively brings us into the Temple, and places us among the covenant people engaged at their dev...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**5. at thy right hand--**as Psa 109:31, upholding and aiding, which is not inconsistent with Psa 110:1, where the figure denotes participation of power, for here He is presented in another aspect, as a warrior going against enemies, and sustained by God.
**strike through--**smite or crush.
**kings--**not common men, but their rulers, and so all under them (Psa 2:2, 10).