Psalms 108:2

Ver. 2. Awake, psaltery and harp. As if he could not be content with voice alone, but must use the well tuned strings, and communicate to them something of his own liveliness. Strings are wonderful things when some men play upon them, they seem to become sympathetic and incorporated with the minstrel as if his very soul were imparted to them and thrilled through them. Only when a thoroughly enraptured soul speaks in the instrument can music be acceptable with God: as mere musical sound the Lord can have no pleasure therein, he is only pleased with the thought and feeling which are thus expressed. When a man has musical gift, he should regard it as too lovely a power to be enlisted in the cause of sin. Well did Charles Wesley say:

"If well I know the tuneful art

To captivate a human heart,

The glory, Lord, be thine.

A servant of thy blessed will,

I here devote my utmost skill

To sound the praise divine."

"Thine own musician, Lord, inspire,

And let my consecrated lyre

Repeat the Psalmist's part.

His Son and Thine reveal in me,

And fill with sacred melody

The fibres of my heart."

I myself will awake early. I will call up the dawn. The best and brightest hours of the day shall find me heartily aroused to bless my God. Some singers had need to awake, for they sing in drawling tones, as if they were half asleep; the tune drags wearily along, there is no feeling or sentiment in the singing, but the listener hears only a dull mechanical sound, as if the choir ground out the notes from a worn out barrel organ. Oh, choristers, wake up, for this is not a work for dreamers, but such as requires your best powers in their liveliest condition. In all worship this should be the personal resolve of each worshipper: "I myself will awake."

Ver. 2. With reference to this passage the Talmud says, "A cithern used to hang above David's bed; and when midnight came the north wind blew among the strings, so that they sounded of themselves; and forthwith he arose and busied himself with the Torah until the pillar of the dawn ascended." Rashi observes, "The dawn awakes the other kings; but I, said David, will awake the dawn." Franz Delitzsch

Ver. 2. When the Hebrew captives were sitting in sorrow "by the waters of Babylon", they wept, and hung their harps on the willows, and could not be prevailed upon by the conquerors to sing "the songs of Zion in that land" (Ps 137:1, 4). But when "the Lord turned again the captivity of Zion, then was their mouth filled with laughter and their tongue with singing" (Ps 126:1-2). Then the psaltery and harp of former generations awoke (Ps 108:2). The old songs revived on their lips, and the melodies of David acquired new charms for them. Christopher Wordsworth.

Ver. 2. Awake early.

"Yet never sleep the sun up; prayer should

Dawn with the day, there are set awful hours

Between heaven and us; the manna was not good

After sun rising, for day sullies flowers." Henry Vaughan, 1621-1695.

Ver. 2. The benefit of early rising. The sweetness of the Sabbath morning early prayer meeting.

Psalms 108:3*

Charles H. Spurgeon's The Treasury of David (1869–1885) — public domain. Psalms only. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

3. (Psa 108:2) Awake lute and harp! I will awaken the dawn (or morning). See above, on Psa 57:8. The only variation is the one already mentioned, the omission here of the words awake my glory, for which the last clause of Psa 108:1 is a substitute.

Joseph Addison Alexander, The Psalms Translated and Explained (1850) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

2. Awake, psaltery and harp] There is a special fitness in the call, if this Psalm was compiled at a time when the harp of Israel had long been mute in the Exile (Psa_137:2).

I myself will awake early] Better, as R.V. marg., I will awake the dawn. A bold and beautiful poetical figure. The dawn is often personified (Job_41:18; Psa_139:9). Usually it is the dawn that awakes men; the Psalmist will awake the dawn by his praises before daybreak.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Awake, psaltery and harp ... - This is copied without change from Psa 57:8.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Awake, psaltery and harp: I myself will awake early. Ps 57 has, "Awake, my glory; awake, psaltery and harp," which is intelligible and forcible.

Morning religion.

"I myself will awake right early" (Revised Version). The idea seems to be, that the anxiety to be praising God is so strong in the psalmist that it actually wakes. A man wakes early when he has a mind burdened with business or family cares; the psalmist wakes early because his mind is burdened with its sense of indebtedness to God. Perhaps but few of us can say that we shorten our self-indulgent sleep for the sake of praise and prayer. Our Lord lived a crowded, bustled life; but as he must have, for sold-refreshing, daily communion with his Father, he was wont to "rise a great while before day." According to the Eastern use of the figure, waking early to do a thing was the sign of being thoroughly in earnest in the doing. A man has his heart in the thing which he gets up early to accomplish.

I MORNING RELIGION IS REFRESHING TO THE SOUL. Because then thought is free and emotion lively, and there is a bright and cheerful tone on all that is said and done. When wearied with the day and its toils and care, religious meditation easily becomes gloomy, the fatigued body flinging its shadows over all the expressions of the spirit. Give the freshness of morning thoughts to God, and that service will surely come back on you as refreshing.

II MORNING RELIGION IS ACCEPTABLE TO GOD. Because it shows him that we are in earnest in his service, and hold our very best as the fitting gift to offer to him. "The flower that"s offered in the bud is the best sacrifice." That is as true of the day as of the life. And God may be expected to estimate our gifts in the light of what they cost us to present to him. That is our way of appraising the gifts which we receive, and we may be sure that it is God"s way. What, then, is God"s estimate of our daily praise and thanksgiving? Does it really cost us much? It does if, for it, we awake early; preventing the day lest we should lose our holy opportunity, or be beneath our best and freshest in our communions.

III MORNING RELIGION IS INFLUENTIAL ON OTHERS. It is one of the most effective and impressive examples; and it has a special influence on the young, helping them to form good life-habits. Many of us can gratefully remember the influence of the early morning devotions of our parents. Let us gain the power on others which they have gained on us. R.T.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

My heart is steadfast faithful with You.

even my glory Even my glory is what I sing to You. Another explanation: Even my glory Even according to my honor, I shall not hesitate to sing to Him, and I shall not take glory for myself.

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.