PUBLIC-DOMAIN CHRISTIAN BOOK
John Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible — Psalms
Gill, John, 1697-1771 · 746,590 words · 1615 reading sections
Psalms 135:20
Psalms 135:20 Ver. 20. Bless the Lord, O house of Levi,.... These were of the same tribe with the house of Aaron, but inferior ministers; they ministered to the priests, and had the charge of things in the tabernacle and temple; many of them were porters in the latter, and others were singers, and of these Kimchi inte…
472 wordsSECTION 1442Psalms 136:1
Psalms 136:1 INTRODUCTION TO PSALM 136 This psalm was very probably composed by David, and given to the Levites to sing every day, 1Ch 16:41. Solomon his son followed his example, and made use of them in singing at the dedication of the temple, 2Ch 7:3; as Jehoshaphat seems to have done when he went out to war agains…
348 wordsSECTION 1443Psalms 136:2
Psalms 136:2 Ver. 2. O give thanks unto the God of gods,.... Not only of the gods of the Gentiles, who are by name and not by nature gods; or of civil magistrates, who are so called, and seem to be designed in the next verse; but the angels, as Aben Ezra and Kimchi. Christ, our Immanuel, is the God of them, the object…
192 wordsSECTION 1444Psalms 136:3
Psalms 136:3 Ver. 3. O give thanks to the Lord of lords,.... Which is not only the title of the God of Israel, as the former, De 10:17; but of the Messiah, Re 19:16; who is the Prince of the kings of the earth; under whom they are, by whom they reign, and to whom they are accountable, being higher than they; as nature…
129 wordsSECTION 1445Psalms 136:4
Psalms 136:4 Ver. 4. To him who alone doeth great wonders,.... As in the works of creation at first, having no help from angels or men; so in the works of providence, many of which are unsearchable, and past finding out, and in which he has no assistance from creatures; and in the works of grace, redemption, and salva…
168 wordsSECTION 1446Psalms 136:5
Psalms 136:5 Ver. 5. To him that by wisdom made the heavens,.... In such a curious manner, in such a proper and delightful situation, with such furniture, and for such uses, Pr 3:19; for his mercy [endureth] for ever; which appears in the continued influences of the heaven; the dew, rain, and snow, that descend from …
145 wordsSECTION 1447Psalms 136:6
Psalms 136:6 Ver. 6. To him that stretcheth out the earth above the waters,.... Or, "besides the waters" {t}, close by them, and yet secures the earth from being covered with them; see Ps 24:2; for his mercy [endureth] for ever; it was in mercy he caused the waters to go off the earth which first covered it; that tre…
207 wordsSECTION 1448Psalms 136:7
Psalms 136:7 Ver. 7. To him that made great lights,.... For the inhabitants of the world to walk and work by, to do all the business of life in a comfortable manner; and which is an instance of mercy and goodness; see Ge 1:14; for his mercy [endureth] for ever; these lights continuing for the benefit of mankind.…
60 wordsSECTION 1449Psalms 136:8
Psalms 136:8 Ver. 8. The sun to rule by day,.... Which is the greater light, Ge 1:16; for his mercy [endureth] for ever: this great light, so beneficial to the earth and the inhabitants of it, which was made near six thousand years ago, still continues, and will to the end of time; enlightening the world, warming the…
170 wordsSECTION 1450Psalms 136:9
Psalms 136:9 Ver. 9. The moon and stars to rule by night,.... The lesser lights, and which indeed receive all their light Front the sun, Ge 1:16; for his mercy [endureth] for ever; in continuing these lights, so useful to men, as well as in making of them: the moon and stars have their benign influences upon the eart…
170 wordsSECTION 1451Psalms 136:10
Psalms 136:10 Ver. 10. To him that smote Egypt in their firstborn,.... In a tender part, in the dear part of themselves, in their sons and heirs, and who were to inherit their lands and estates, and perpetuate their names; this was an act of justice for using ill the Lord's firstborn, the people of Israel, slaying the…
208 wordsSECTION 1452Psalms 136:11
Psalms 136:11 Ver. 11. And brought out Israel from among them,.... A wicked and idolatrous people, among whom they suffered great hardships; and this was done by means of God's judgments on them, and especially that before related; and was an instance of the mercy of God, as follows, for which thanks should be given; …
147 wordsSECTION 1453Psalms 136:12
Psalms 136:12 Ver. 12. With a strong hand, and with a stretched out arm,.... Exerting his power in a very open manner, and continuing it till he had effected the work; bringing his people out of Egypt, which is always ascribed to his great strength and mighty power, Ex 13:3. The redemption of the mystical Israel of Go…
221 wordsSECTION 1454Psalms 136:13
Psalms 136:13 Ver. 13. To him which divided the Red sea into parts,.... Into two parts, so that the waters of it stood as a wall on the right and left hand of the Israelites, as they passed through; this was done by means of a strong east wind, Ex 14:21. The Jews have a tradition, which Jarchi, Kimchi, and Arama, make…
277 wordsSECTION 1455Psalms 136:14
Psalms 136:14 Ver. 14. And made Israel to pass through the midst of it,.... Willingly, without reluctance; with great spirit and courage, fearless of danger, and with the utmost safety, so that not one was lost in the passage; see Ps 78:53; and thus the Lord makes his people willing to pass through afflictions, he bei…
144 wordsSECTION 1456Psalms 136:15
Psalms 136:15 Ver. 15. But overthrew Pharaoh and his host in the Red sea,.... In the same sea which was parted for the Israelites, and through which they passed safely as on dry land; into which Pharaoh and his army entering in pursuit of them in their chariots, the Lord "shook" {u} him and them out of them, as the wo…
215 wordsSECTION 1457Psalms 136:16
Psalms 136:16 Ver. 16. To him which led his people through the wilderness,.... Where there was no path. This the Lord did by going before them in a pillar of cloud by day, and in a pillar of fire by night, to show them the way in which they should go, Ex 13:21; see Ps 78:14; for his mercy [endureth] for ever; among t…
184 wordsSECTION 1458Psalms 136:17
Psalms 136:17 Ver. 17. To him which smote great kings,.... Either the thirty one kings in the land of Canaan; or those who are after particularly mentioned; which seems best, since the kings of Canaan were petty kings, when these were greater ones; for his mercy [endureth] for ever; the smiting of those kings were in…
80 wordsSECTION 1459Psalms 136:18
Psalms 136:18 Ver. 18. And slew famous kings,.... Famous for their power and strength, their courage and valour who were not only smitten and discomfited, but slain in battle; for his mercy [endureth] for ever; towards his own people, for whose sake these kings were slain.…
47 wordsSECTION 1460Psalms 136:19
Psalms 136:19 Ver. 19. Sihon king of the Amorites,.... A strong and warlike people, and their king a great and mighty one; see Ps 135:11; for his mercy [endureth] for ever; since this king would not suffer Israel to go through his borders, but came out and fought against them; and had not the Lord smote him, they must…
1,222 wordsSECTION 1461Psalms 137:1
Psalms 137:1 INTRODUCTION TO PSALM 137 The occasion of this psalm was the captivity of the Jews in Babylon, and the treatment they met with there; either as foreseen, or as now endured. Aben Ezra ascribes this psalm to David; and so the Syriac version, which calls it, "a psalm of David; the words of the saints, who …
587 wordsSECTION 1462Psalms 137:2
Psalms 137:2 Ver. 2. We hanged our harps upon the willows in the midst thereof. These were musical instruments, used in the temple service by the Levites, who seem to be the persons here speaking; who took care of them, and preserved them from the plunder of the enemy; and carried them with them to Babylon, in hope of…
473 wordsSECTION 1463Psalms 137:3
Psalms 137:3 Ver. 3. For there they that carried us away captive required of us a song,.... Or, "words of a song" {z}. To repeat the words of one of the songs of Zion, as it is afterwards expressed: this the Babylonians did, as the Targum; who were they that carried the Jews into captivity; and this is given as a reas…
329 wordsSECTION 1464Psalms 137:4
Psalms 137:4 Ver. 4. How shall we sing the Lord's song in a strange land?] This is the answer returned by the Jews to the above request or demand; it may be, particularly, by the Levites, whose business it was to sing these songs: so the Targum, "immediately the Levites said, how shall we sing the hymns of the Lord i…
295 wordsSECTION 1465Psalms 137:5
Psalms 137:5 Ver. 5. If I forget thee, O Jerusalem,.... This was said by one or everyone of the Levites; or singers, as Aben Ezra and Kimchi; or by the congregation of Israel, as Jarchi; by one of them, in the name of the rest; or by the composer of the psalm. The Targum is, "the voice of the Spirit of God answered a…
489 wordsSECTION 1466Psalms 137:6
Psalms 137:6 Ver. 6. If I do not remember thee,.... In prayer, in discourse, in conversation; this is the same as before, to forget, repeated for the confirmation of it; let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth; as is the case of a person in a fever, or in a violent thirst, which is to be in great distress, Ps 18…
435 wordsSECTION 1467Psalms 137:7
Psalms 137:7 Ver. 7. Remember, O Lord, the children of Edom in the day of Jerusalem,.... Of her visitation, calamity, and destruction, how they behaved then, and them for it; who, though the children of Esau and brethren of the Jews, as well as their neighbours, yet hated them; the old grudge of their father, because …
201 wordsSECTION 1468Psalms 137:8
Psalms 137:8 Ver. 8. O daughter of Babylon, who art to be destroyed,.... By the determinate counsel and decree of God, and according to divine predictions; see Jer 50:1; so mystical Babylon, antichrist, and the man of sin, who therefore is called the son of perdition, 2Th 2:3; because appointed to destruction, and sha…
221 wordsSECTION 1469Psalms 137:9
Psalms 137:9 Ver. 9. Happy [shall he be] that taketh and dasheth thy little ones against the stones. That takes the infants from their mothers' breasts, or out of their arms, and dashes out their brains against a "rock", as the word {k} signifies; which, though it may seem a piece of cruelty, was but a just retaliatio…
162 wordsSECTION 1470Psalms 138:1
Psalms 138:1 INTRODUCTION TO PSALM 138 A Psalm of David. This psalm is generally thought to have been written by David upon his being advanced to the throne; on account of which he praises the Lord, who had supported him under many exercises, and had made good his promise to him, at least in part; and he firmly belie…
497 wordsSECTION 1471Psalms 138:2
Psalms 138:2 Ver. 2. I will worship towards thy holy temple,.... Not the temple at Jerusalem, which was not yet built, though, when it was, the Jews in their devotions at a distance looked towards it, 1Ki 8:38; but rather the tabernacle of Moses, in which was the ark, as Aben Ezra and Kimchi observe; and over that the…
729 wordsSECTION 1472Psalms 138:3
Psalms 138:3 Ver. 3. In the day when I cried thou answeredst me,.... When in distress through Saul's persecution, he cried to the Lord, and he immediately answered him, and delivered him out of his troubles; and such immediate answers of prayer are to be remembered with thankfulness: see Ps 18:6; [and] strengthenedst…
135 wordsSECTION 1473Psalms 138:4
Psalms 138:4 Ver. 4. All the kings of the earth shall praise thee, O Lord,.... Or "let [them] confess", or "praise thee" {s}; a wish or prayer. Not only the kings known to David, as Kimchi limits it; or that lived in his days, as Hiram and others; but in the latter day, when they shall come to Zion, the church, and be…
176 wordsSECTION 1474Psalms 138:5
Psalms 138:5 Ver. 5. Yea, they shall sing in the ways of the Lord,.... Which are all mercy and truth; ways of pleasantness, and paths of peace: so the eunuch went on his way, and in the ways of the Lord rejoicing, Ac 8:39; Or, "they shall sing of the ways of the Lord" {t}; of the excellency, pleasure, and usefulness o…
158 wordsSECTION 1475Psalms 138:6
Psalms 138:6 Ver. 6. Though the Lord [be] high,.... Above all the earth, and all the nations of it, and the highest of men in it; above the heavens, and the angels there, who are his creatures and at his command; above all the blessings and praises of his saints: the perfect knowledge of him is so high as not to be at…
516 wordsSECTION 1476Psalms 138:7
Psalms 138:7 Ver. 7. Though I walk in the midst of trouble,.... Trouble attends the best of men; both outward and inward trouble, from sin, Satan, and the world; yea, they are in the midst of it, surrounded with it; and it is a way in which they walk through this world, and enter the kingdom of heaven; it is continued…
291 wordsSECTION 1477Psalms 138:8
Psalms 138:8 Ver. 8. The Lord will perfect [that which] concerneth me,.... Or "will", or "may the Lord perform for me" {x}: all things in providence; all that he had appointed for him, that would be for his good and his own glory, Ps 57:2; and particularly what concerned him as a king. He had made him king over the ho…
448 wordsSECTION 1478Psalms 139:1
Psalms 139:1 INTRODUCTION TO PSALM 139 To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David. This psalm was written by David, when he lay under the reproach and calumnies of men, who laid false things to his charge; things he was not conscious of either in the time of Saul's persecution of him, or when his son Absalom rebelled ag…
498 wordsSECTION 1479Psalms 139:2
Psalms 139:2 Ver. 2. Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising,.... Here the psalmist proceeds to observe the particular circumstances and actions of his life, which were known to God; as his "downsitting", either to take rest, as weary persons do. Schultens {a} explains it of the quiet rest in sleep; this the Lor…
598 wordsSECTION 1480Psalms 139:3
Psalms 139:3 Ver. 3. Thou compassest my path and my lying down,.... The Targum adds, "to study in the law.'' His walk in the daytime, and every step he took, and his lying down at night. It denotes his perfect knowledge of all his actions, day and night; he surrounds every path of man, that they cannot escape his kn…
228 wordsSECTION 1481Psalms 139:4
Psalms 139:4 Ver. 4. For [there is] not a word in my tongue,.... Expressed by it or upon it, just ready to be spoken; or, as the Targum, "when there is no word in my tongue:'' so Aben Ezra, "before it was perfect in my tongue:'' before it is formed there; while it is in the mind, and not expressed, and even before…
147 wordsSECTION 1482Psalms 139:5
Psalms 139:5 Ver. 5. Thou hast beset me behind and before,.... Art on every side of me, all around me, like one besieged in a strait place; so that there is nothing I can think, say, or do, but what is known unto thee. The two Kimchis, father and son, render the word, "thou hast formed me": and interpret it of the for…
173 wordsSECTION 1483Psalms 139:6
Psalms 139:6 Ver. 6. [Such] knowledge [is] too wonderful for me,.... Meaning either the knowledge of himself, such as God had of him, which was vastly superior to what he had of himself; and especially the knowledge of other persons and things, whether visible or invisible, in heaven, earth, or hell; things past, pres…
193 wordsSECTION 1484Psalms 139:7
Psalms 139:7 Ver. 7. Whither shall I go from thy spirit?.... Or, "from thy wind?" which some interpret literally, the wind being God's creature; which he brings out of his treasures, and holds in his fists, and disposes of as he pleases; this takes its circuit through all the points of the heavens, and blows everywher…
567 wordsSECTION 1485Psalms 139:8
Psalms 139:8 Ver. 8. If I ascend up into heaven, thou [art] there,.... No man hath ascended or can ascend to heaven of himself; it is an hyperbolical expression, as are those that follow; none but Christ has ascended to heaven by his own power, who descended from it; saints hope to go there at death, and, when they do…
317 wordsSECTION 1486Psalms 139:9
Psalms 139:9 Ver. 9. [If] I take the wings of the morning,.... And fly as swift as the morning light to the east, to the extremity of it, as Ben Melech; as far as he could go that way, as swiftly as the wings of the morning could carry him thither; so the morning is represented by the Heathens as having wings {f}; or …
225 wordsSECTION 1487Psalms 139:10
Psalms 139:10 Ver. 10. Even there shall thy hand lead me,.... For he could not get there with all the assistance of the wings of the morning, could they be had, without the leadings of divine Providence; and when there, being a good man, should experience the leadings of divine grace; let the people of God be where th…
191 wordsSECTION 1488Psalms 139:11
Psalms 139:11 Ver. 11. If I say, surely the darkness shall cover me,.... The darkness of a cloud or of the night, so that my actions shall not be seen; that is, if I entertain such a thought in my mind, that what I do in the dark will escape the sight and knowledge of God, and so be emboldened to commit it; even the …
81 wordsSECTION 1489Psalms 139:12
Psalms 139:12 Ver. 12. Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee,.... Any thing that is done by men in it; or "darkeneth not from thee" {i}, or causeth such darkness as to hinder the sight of any action committed. The Targum is, "from thy Word;'' see Heb 4:12; but the night shineth as the day; or "enlightens as the da…
203 wordsSECTION 1490Psalms 139:13
Psalms 139:13 Ver. 13. For thou hast possessed my reins,.... His thoughts and counsels, the reins being the seat of instruction and counsel; hence God is called the trier of the reins, and searcher of the hearts of the children of men; he is the possessor or master of their most secret thoughts, and thoroughly knows t…
265 wordsSECTION 1491Psalms 139:14
Psalms 139:14 Ver. 14. I will praise thee; for I am fearfully [and] wonderfully made,.... the formation of man is not of himself, nor of his parents, but of God, and is very wonderful in all its parts; it has been matter of astonishment to many Heathens, as Galen and others, who have, with any carefulness, examined th…
652 wordsSECTION 1492Psalms 139:15
Psalms 139:15 Ver. 15. My substance was not hid from thee when I was made in secret,.... Or "my bone" {n}; everyone of his bones, which are the substantial parts of the body, the strength of it; and so some render it "my strength" {o}; those, though covered with skin and flesh yet, being done by the Lord himself, were…
3,162 wordsSECTION 1493Psalms 140:1
Psalms 140:1 INTRODUCTION TO PSALM 140 To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David. This psalm, A ben Ezra says, was composed by David before he was king; and Kimchi says, it is concerning Doeg and the Ziphites, who calumniated him to Saul; and, according to our English contents, it is a prayer of David to be delivered f…
460 wordsSECTION 1494Psalms 140:2
Psalms 140:2 Ver. 2. Which imagine mischiefs in [their] heart,.... This shows that not a single person barely is meant but more, as Saul's courtiers; who were secretly and continually meditating mischief against David, traducing him to Saul, and devising things to take away his life. Such were the Jews to Christ, who …
192 wordsSECTION 1495Psalms 140:3
Psalms 140:3 Ver. 3. They have sharpened their tongues like a serpent,.... Which Kimchi says it does before it bites. Aristotle {i} observes, that the tip or extreme point of a serpent's tongue is as small as a hair, and so exceeding sharp and piercing. Arama interprets this of the sharpness and cunning of the serpent…
284 wordsSECTION 1496Psalms 140:4
Psalms 140:4 Ver. 4. Keep me, O Lord, from the hands of the wicked,.... From falling into their hands, and the weight of them}; and from their laying hands on him, being men of power and authority; preserve me from the violent man: or men, everyone of them; See Gill on "Ps 140:1"; who have purposed to overthrow my g…
130 wordsSECTION 1497Psalms 140:5
Psalms 140:5 Ver. 5. The proud have hid a snare for me, and cords,.... These were the Ziphites, according to Arama; see Ps 119:85; the character well agrees with the Scribes and Pharisees, who were proud boasters, and despised others, and often laid snares for Christ to take away his life; and with the enemies of the …
291 wordsSECTION 1498Psalms 140:6
Psalms 140:6 Ver. 6. I said unto the Lord, thou [art] my God,.... He said this to the Lord himself; claimed his covenant interest in him, and expressed it in the strength of faith: and this he did when in the midst of trouble and distress; in danger of falling into the hands of evil and violent men; they imagined misc…
204 wordsSECTION 1499Psalms 140:7
Psalms 140:7 Ver. 7. O God the Lord, the strength of my salvation,.... Temporal and spiritual, which he was able to effect; the mighty God and mighty Saviour: and this encouraged David to believe he should have deliverance; and this secured, confirmed, and established it to him; and to which he was the more induced by…
182 wordsSECTION 1500Psalms 140:8
Psalms 140:8 Ver. 8. Grant not, O Lord, the desires of the wicked,.... Of Doeg, as the Targum, and of other wicked men, who were desirous both of taking him, and of taking away his life: but the desires of such men are under the restraints of the Lord; nor can they fulfil them unless they have leave from him, which is…
305 wordsSource & rights
Public domain; John Gill (1697–1771). Source item is marked Public Domain on Internet Archive.
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Historical Christian writing; not Scripture.