Bible Commentaries

3. Pleasant—That is, the employment is pleasant. Jehovah is not the subject of the adjective, which would not be reverent.

4. Chosen Jacob—Copied from Deuteronomy 7:6.

Peculiar treasure—See Malachi 3:17, where the same word is rendered “jewels.” In these four verses Jehovah occurs four times; Jah, three times; and Elohim, once.

5. For I know that the Lord is great—The word “great,” means absolutely supreme, as Psalms 135:6 and the whole following argument show. This is advanced as the ground and reason of all praise and adoration. The confident knowledge of this greatness is the language of experience, and is sustained by what follows.

7. Here is a quotation from Jeremiah 10:13. See Genesis 2:6; Psalms 115:3. Lightnings for the rain, may signify “lightnings” as an accompaniment of “rain,” or as having a causal influence upon the formation of rain drops, both of which are true.

8, 9. These verses present an illustration of the greatness and majesty of God (see Psalms 135:5) in the redemption of his people from Egypt. See notes on Psalms 78:43-53; Psalms 105:26-38.

Smote the firstborn—Only the last of the ten plagues, as being the most terrible, is specified.

Both of man and beast—Hebrew, from man to beast—all grades of living creatures.

10-12. Smote… nations—From the judgments of Egypt, the writer passes over the desert life of the Israelites, and proceeds to narrate the conquest of the land east of Jordan.

Sihon king of the Amorites—The Amorites had conquered the territory from Arnon to Jabbok from the Moabites and Ammonites long before Moses. See Numbers 12:21-31. The latter nations reasserted their title afterward, but failed to maintain it. Judges 10:11.

Og king of Bashan—Numbers 21:32-35; Deuteronomy 3. His kingdom embraced all the land north of the Jabbok.

The kingdoms of Canaan—All the land west of the Jordan. See notes on Psalms 136:17-21

14. Repent himself concerning his servants—That is, will change his method of treating them, and turn away his judgments, and remember mercy, when they turn to him. The author here undoubtedly glances at the recent deliverance from Babylon.

15-18. A repetition, with some verbal alterations, of Psalms 115:4-8, which see.

19, 20. These verses are taken from Psalms 115:9-11, where see notes. To the enumeration of “Israel,” “house of Aaron,” and “those who fear the Lord,” in the latter passage, and in Psalms 118:2-4, we have added in the text the house of Levi, by which language the common priesthood, as distinguished from the highpriesthood, is meant.

21. Same as Psalms 134:3, which see.