{"commentary":{"id":"john-gill","name":"John Gill Bible Commentary","website":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Gill_(theologian)","licenseUrl":"https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/","licenseNotes":null,"licenseNotice":null,"englishName":"John Gill Bible Commentary","language":"eng","textDirection":"rtl","sha256":"f6fcfd6c3a726dc834cfaf1ae1cd0bf49bffb88c1246ac3500699e8af7be71a5","availableFormats":["json"],"listOfBooksApiLink":"/api/c/john-gill/books.json","listOfProfilesApiLink":"/api/c/john-gill/profiles.json","numberOfBooks":66,"totalNumberOfChapters":1189,"totalNumberOfVerses":29707,"totalNumberOfProfiles":0,"languageName":"English","languageEnglishName":"English"},"book":{"id":"PSA","commentaryId":"john-gill","name":"Psalms","commonName":"Psalms","introduction":"INTRODUCTION TO PSALMS \n\nThe title of this book may be rendered \"the Book of Praises\", or \"Hymns\"; the psalm which our Lord sung at the passover is called an \"hymn\", Mat 26:30; and the one hundred forty fifth Psalm is entitled \"an Hymn of David\"; and the psalms in general are called \"hymns\" by Philo the Jew (a), and songs and hymns by Josephus (b); and to these several names of this book the apostle manifestly refers in Eph 5:19, Col 3:16. The Jews divided the writings of the Old Testament into three parts: the first division is the Law, or five books of Moses; the second is the Prophets, former and latter; and the third, the \"Hagiographa\", or holy writings; to which division Christ has a regard in Luk 24:44; and because the book of Psalms stand first in the last division, the whole goes by its name. This book by the Apostle Peter is entitled as here, Act 1:20; the title in the Syriac version is, \n\n\"the Book of the Psalms of David, King and Prophet,'' \n\nwith which agrees the Arabic version. As to the divine authority of it, that it was written by inspiration of God, we have not only the testimony of David, who says, \"the Spirit of God spake by me\", Sa2 23:2; but the testimonies of Christ and his apostles, Mat 22:43; and, as Aben Ezra (c) observes the whole of it was spoken , \"by the Holy Ghost\". Concerning the penman or amanuensis, employed by the Spirit of God in writing it, there are different opinions. The Jews make mention of ten, which are differently reckoned by them. According to Jarchi (d), they were Adam, Melchizedek, Abraham, Moses, David, Solomon, Asaph, and the three sons of Korah. According to Kimchi (e), they were Adam, the first, Melchizedek, Abraham, Asaph, Heman, Jeduthun, Moses, and the three sons of Korah; Asir, Elkanah, and Abiasaph. Some ascribe all the Psalms to David (f), and think that those which are said to be a psalm of Asaph, or of Heman, &c. should be rendered \"a psalm to Asaph\", &c. and only signify that they were psalms delivered to them, to be sung in a public manner. But the truest opinion seems to be, that the greater part of them were written by David, and for the most part those that have no title; and the rest by those whose names they bear. Some were written at and after the Babylonish captivity, as Psa 126:1 and Psa 137:1. The manner or form in which they were written was metre (g), though some deny it that the Jews had metre: as appears by the different accentuation of them from other writings, and from their being sung vocally and on musical instruments. Josephus (h), the Jewish historian, says, that \n\n\"David being free from war, and enjoying a profound peace, composed songs and hymns to God, of various metre; some trimeter, and some pentameter;'' \n\nthat is, some of three feet, and others of five feet: for the Psalms of David are thought to be of the \"lyric\" kind; and Gomarus, in his Lyra, has given many instances out of them, which are of the \"iambic\", \"trochaic\" kind, &c. though the Jews for many years have lost the knowledge of the sacred poetry. R. Benjamin (i) indeed says, that in his time there were at Bagdad R. Eleazar and his brethren, who knew how to sing the songs, as the singers did when the temple was standing. The subject matter of this book is exceeding great and excellent; many of the psalms respect the person, offices, and grace of Christ; his sufferings and death, resurrection, ascension, and session at the right hand of God; and so are exceeding suitable to the Gospel dispensation. The whole book is a rich mine of grace and evangelical truths, and a large fund of spiritual experience; and is abundantly suited to every case, state, and condition, that the church of Christ, or particular believers, are in at any time. \n\n(a) De Mutat. Nom. p. 1062. (b) Antiquitat. l. 7. c. 12. s. 3. (c) Praefat. in Psalm. (d) Praefat. in Psalm. (e) Praefat. in ibid. (f) R. Hona in Midrash Tillim, fol. 2. 1. (g) Vid. Lowth de Sacr. Poes. Heb. Praelect. 3. s. 32, &c. (h) Ut supra. (Antiquitat. l. 7. c. 12. s. 3.) (i) Itinerar. p. 70, 71. \n\n\n\nNext: Psalms Chapter 1\n\n","order":19,"numberOfChapters":150,"sha256":"33d90ea59a0a57d8b7c22ed72fa2b82269cfbf967fb43dc0a325d1555bd7f267","firstChapterNumber":1,"firstChapterApiLink":"/api/c/john-gill/PSA/1.json","firstChapterReference":{"commentaryId":"john-gill","book":"PSA","chapter":1},"lastChapterNumber":150,"lastChapterApiLink":"/api/c/john-gill/PSA/150.json","lastChapterReference":{"commentaryId":"john-gill","book":"PSA","chapter":150},"totalNumberOfVerses":2453},"chapter":{"number":117,"content":[{"type":"verse","number":1,"content":["O praise the Lord, all ye nations,.... The Lord having chosen, and Christ having redeemed, some out of every kindred, tongue, people, and nation; and the Gospel being sent and preached to all nations, and some of each being called and converted by the Spirit of God; they are excited to praise the Lord, Jehovah, Father, Son and Spirit, for their several acts of divine grace and kindness towards them, in choosing, redeeming, and sanctifying them; and in favouring them with the Gospel, and the ordinances of it, and with his gracious presence in them; and in supplying them with his grace, and giving them a right unto and meetness for eternal glory; for all which praise should be given to the Lord;\n\npraise him, all ye people; ye people of God in the several nations of the world; not the Jews only, but the Gentiles also: the same thing is repeated in different words, for the greater certainty and confirmation of it; that this should be, the work and exercise of the Gentiles in Gospel times, and expresses eagerness and vehemence to stir them up to it. A different word is here used for \"praise\" than in the former clause; and which is more frequently used in the Chaldee, Syriac, Arabic, and Ethiopic languages; and signifies the celebration of the praises of God with a high voice. \n"]},{"type":"verse","number":2,"content":["For his merciful kindness is great towards us,.... Not us Israelites only, of whom David was, but Gentiles also; or otherwise there would be no force in the reason why all people and nations should praise the Lord: but it respects the time when these should become one people, partaking of the same grace, blessings, promises, and privileges; in which the grace, mercy, and lovingkindness of God, greatly appeared; \"it prevailed over us\" (p), as it may be rendered: the word is used of the prevailing of the waters of the flood over the earth, Genesis 7:18; and so may denote the exuberance of the grace of God, of the abounding and superabounding of it. There is an abundance of it in the heart of God, in his covenant, and in his Son; and which is displayed in redemption by him; in the forgiveness of sin; and in the conversion of sinners, and their everlasting salvation: particularly there has been an inundation or deluge of it in the Gentile world, where it has flowed and overflowed; where sin abounded, grace has much more abounded; and therefore the Lord is to be praised. And another reason follows,\n\nand the truth of the Lord endureth for ever; the faithfulness of God to his promises, not only made to the Jewish fathers concerning the Messiah, and redemption by him; but to the Gentiles, and concerning the blessing of all nations in the promised seed: and the faithfulness and truth of God, with respect to any of his promises, never fails; nor will his word of truth, the Gospel; nor Jesus Christ, who is the truth, and the truth of God; the truth of types, promises, and prophecies; see Psalm 43:3; for he is the same today, yesterday, and for ever.\n\nPraise ye the Lord; for his superabounding grace, and eternal truth; even all the people of God, of all nations, Jews and Gentiles.\n\n(p) \"exsuperavit\", Vatablus; \"invaluit\", Junius & Tremellius, Piscator, Gejerus, Michaelis; \"exuberavit\", Cocceius. \n"]}]},"thisChapterLink":"/api/c/john-gill/PSA/117.json","thisChapterReference":{"commentaryId":"john-gill","book":"PSA","chapter":117},"nextChapterApiLink":"/api/c/john-gill/PSA/118.json","nextChapterReference":{"commentaryId":"john-gill","book":"PSA","chapter":118},"previousChapterApiLink":"/api/c/john-gill/PSA/116.json","previousChapterReference":{"commentaryId":"john-gill","book":"PSA","chapter":116},"numberOfVerses":2}