The Book of Psalms
Psalm 135
Psalm CXXXV · Vol. II, p. 1073
1 An exhortation to God's servants to praise him for his goodness, 5 for his power, 8 for his judgments. 15 The vanity of idols. 19 An exhortation to bless God.
6 Whatsoeverh the LORD pleased, that did he in heaven, and in earth, in the seas, and all deep places.4
7 Hei causeth the vapours to ascend from the ends of the earth; he maketh lightnings for the rain; he bringeth the wind out of his treasuries.
i Je.14.22; 10.13. Job 28.25,26; 38.24. Is.55.10,11. Zec.10.1. Jn.3.8.
9 Whok sent tokens and wonders into the midst of thee, O Egypt, upon Pharaoh, and upon all his servants.
k Ex.vii.-xiv. De.10.3,4. Ne.9.10. Ps.78.43-51; 105.27-37. Je.32.20,21. Ac.7.36.
10 Whol smote great nations, and slew mighty kings:
l Nu.21.24-35. Ps.136.17-22; 44.2,3. Ne.9.22. De.2.30-36; 3.1-17. Jos.vi.-xx.
11 Sihon king of the Amorites, and Og king of Bashan, and all the kingdoms of Canaan:
14 Forp the LORD will judge his people; and he will repent himself concerning his servants.8
p De.32.36. Ps.7.7,8; 12.5; 94.14,15.
8 The Lord will be himself the ruler of Israel. From the exodus to the captivity the government of Israel was a theocracy. Jehovah was their monarch. He gave them their laws, led them through the wilderness, gave them the victory over the Canaanites, and in after-times delivered them into and out of the power of their enemies. The second clause of the verse means that when the Israelites deserve punishment, when they are partially overthrown and enslaved, the Lord will mercifully stay his judgments, and avert imminent dangers.—P.
16 They have mouths, but they speak not; eyes have they, but they see not;
17 They have ears, but they hear not; neither is there any breath in their mouths.
18 Theyr that make them are like unto them: so is every one that trusteth in them.
r Ps.115.8; 97.7. Is.44.9,18,20. Je.10.8.
19 Blesss the LORD, O house of Israel: bless the LORD, O house of Aaron:
A.M. cir. 2988. B.C. cir. 1016.
s ver.1,2; Ps.115.9,11; 118.2-4; 34.1,2; 148.1-14; 149.2.
20 Bless the LORD, O house of Levi: ye that fear the LORD, bless the LORD.
Notes
Ver. 2. Those 'that stand in the house of the Lord' are the priests and Levites in office; those that 'stand in the courts' represent worshippers not in office.—Note. It is not visible office, but inward worship, that constitutes nearness to God. C.
Ver. 7. He causeth the vapours, &c. To the vaporization of water by heat, and its solution in the atmosphere, the earth and its inhabitants are indebted for the innumerable blessings derived from the clouds. The amount of vaporization is truly astonishing. The sacred Jordan flows into the Dead Sea—the mighty Wolga into the Caspian—the Atlantic flows into the Mediterranean—so does the Euxine with all its tributaries—so does the Nile, and so do many rivers from Asia Minor—yet none of these seas has any outlets, all their waters are vaporized, and carried in clouds either to veil or irrigate the most distant lands.—He maketh lightnings, &c. To restore the clouds to the state of water, electricity or lightning is necessary; and what philosophical observation has thus seemed to discover in modern times, Scripture has long since expressly revealed. C.
Ver. 18. Are like unto them. As blind intellectually as the idols are naturally; and as deaf to the voice that speaks to reason and conscience, as they to the voice that addresses the outward ear. C.
Reflections.—The people of God should be always exercised in the most solid, extensive, and lasting joys. Everything in God's purpose, promise, nature, and works is a delightful ground thereof. And the more he is to us, or does for us, and the more we are related to him, or trust in him, the more we ought to abound in his praise. Our view of the base and insignificant idols of others, and of the stupidity of their votaries, should stir us up the more to trust in, admire, and praise our God of unbounded perfection.