Psalms 147:20

Psa 147:20 He hath not dealt so with any nation: and [as for his] judgments, they have not known them. Praise ye the LORD.

Ver. 20. He hath not dealt so with any nation] He had not then; but now, blessed be God, he hath dealt so with many nations, in these last happy days of reformation especially; wherein the knowledge of God’s holy Word covereth the earth, as the waters cover the sea; and of England it may be said, as once of the Rhodes, semper in Sole, sita est Rhodos, that it hath the sun ever shining upon it. This we should prize as a precious treasure, and praise the Lord for it, corde, ore, opere. by heart, mouth and work.

And as for his judgments, they have not known them] And therefore lie in deadly darkness; wherein, though they wander woefully, yet not so wide as to miss of hell.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

20. (Psa 147:20) He has not done so to every nation—and (as for) judgments, they know nothing of them. This revelation to Israel is peculiar and exclusive. Every nation, and by implication, any one. This is, indeed, the only form in which that idea could be expressed in Hebrew. The last clause declares the other nations ignorant not only of his laws or judgments, but of any that deserve the name.

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

The cause of this difference is God’s free mercy, which hath elected his in his Son Christ Jesus to salvation: and his just judgment, whereby he hath appointed the reprobate to eternal damnation.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

Verse 20. And as for his judgments] The wondrous ordinances of his law, no nation had known them; and consequently, did not know the glorious things in futurity to which they referred.

ANALYSIS OF THE HUNDRED AND FORTY-SEVENTH PSALM

The parts of this Psalm are two: -

I. An exhortation to praise God, Ps 147:1, which is repeated, Ps 147:7; Ps 147:12.

II. The arguments to persuade to it: God's bounty, wisdom, power, providence, justice, and mercy, dwelt on through the whole Psalm.

I. The exhortation is briefly proposed, "Praise the Lord." Which the prophet, as the chanter of the choir, begins; and then more fully repeats, "Sing unto the Lord," c. And again "Praise the Lord, O Jerusalem," &c., Ps 147:12, where the Arabic, Greek, and Latin translators begin a new Psalm: but in the Hebrew they are conjoined, and form but one hymn.

The prophet, having ended his exhortation, adds his reasons for it.

1. It is pleasant and becoming.

2. His bounty in building Jerusalem, and bringing back the dispersed, Ps 147:2. In comforting the distressed, Ps 147:3. For his wisdom, Ps 147:4. For his power, Ps 147:5. For his mercy and justice, Ps 147:6.

His first arguments are drawn from the thing itself.

I. Good: "For it is good," &c.

For many reasons this may be called good.

1. For it is God's command, and must not be neglected.

2. It elevates the heart from earth to heaven.

3. Good again, because we are bound to it by obligations.

II. "To praise God is pleasant."

1. Because it proceeds from love.

2. Because it is pleasant to perform our duty, and the end of our creation.

3. Because God is pleased with it: "He that offereth me praise, glorifieth me," &c.

4. Because God is pleased with the virtues of faith, hope, charity, humility, devotion, &c., of which praise is the effect.

III. "It is comely." There is no sin greater than that of ingratitude.

These are the first arguments the prophet uses, and they are drawn from the nature of the thing itself: they may apply to all ages of the Church.

He dwells upon the deliverance of Israel from captivity.

1. "The Lord doth build up" his Church, the seat of his sanctuary. He hath restored our policy and religion.

2. "He gathereth together," &c. The banished and scattered ones the Gentiles.

3. "He healeth the broken in heart," c. Oppressed by captivity or sin.

4. "And bindeth up," &c. Like a good surgeon.

The second argument is drawn from his wisdom.

1. "He telleth the number of the stars," &c. A thing to man impossible,

2. "He calleth them," &c. They are his army, and he knows them.

By the stars in this place some understand God's saints.

1. The stars are infinite in number. So are the saints.

2. Among them are planets. Saints have their circuits and always revolve round him, the Sun of righteousness.

3. The stars shine clearest in the night. The saints in persecution.

4. One star differeth from another in glory. Some saints excel others in piety.

5. The stars are above. The saints' conversation is in heaven.

6. The stars are obscured by clouds. The Church is sometimes obscured by affliction and persecution.

His third argument is drawn from God's power: "Great is the Lord," c.

His fourth argument is drawn from God's justice and mercy.

1. His mercy: "The Lord lifteth up the meek," &c. Sustains and exalts them.

2. His justice: "He casteth the wicked down," &c. They shall not always triumph.

But, before the prophet proceeds farther, he repeats: -

1. "Sing unto the Lord with thanksgiving." Do it in words.

2. "Sing praises upon the harp," &c. Do it in works.

Then he proceeds to argue from God's providence.

1. "Who covereth the heaven," &c. Not to obscure, but fructify the earth.

2. "Who maketh grass to grow," &c. By his blessing on the most barren places.

3. "He giveth to the beast," &c. They gather it from his supplies.

4. "And to the young ravens," &c. No bird suffers its young so soon to provide for themselves, but God hears and sends them food. Christ himself uses this argument to encourage us to rely on God's providence, Mt 6:26.

Should the distrustful Jew argue, Alas, we have no strength, ammunition, horse, or armour, the prophet replies: -

1. "He delighteth not," &c. When used as a warlike creature.

2. "He taketh not pleasure," &c. In the nimbleness of man, when used for warlike preparations.

But he delights in his servants.

1. "The Lord taketh pleasure," &c. In those who obey and love him.

2. "In those that hope," &c. Have faith and confidence in him.

3. He again repeats his proposition, and calls upon the Church to perform it: "Praise the Lord, O Jerusalem," &c. "Thy God, O Zion." Should others be negligent, be not ye.

He then adds four reasons why Zion should praise him: 1. Security and defence. 2. Benediction. 3. Peace. 4. Substance.

1. Security: "For he hath strengthened," &c.

2. Benediction: "He hath blessed," &c. His officers with wisdom, &c.

3. Peace: "He maketh peace." The vision of peace is the literal interpretation of the word Jerusalem.

4. Provision: "Filleth thee with the finest of the wheat," &c.

That God has done this for Jerusalem, is evident from his general providence over the world. And this argument the prophet uses: "He sendeth forth his commandment upon earth," &c. For,

1. "He giveth snow like wool." Beautiful in appearance, and in order to preserve vegetables from the nipping but necessary frost, when long continued.

2. "He scattereth the hoar frost," &c. Thickening the air with it like ashes freezing all the vapours that float in it.

3. "He casteth forth his ice," c. Fragments of ice.

4. "Who can stand before his cold?" Endure it unprovided.

But having described all these powerful agents, the prophet next shows how easily they are governed by his word.

1. "He sendeth out his word, and melteth them."

2. "He causeth his wind to blow," &c. And the ice and snow return to water. All these are his, and on him we must depend for safety and comfort.

By these God teaches alike nations to acknowledge him.

But there are particular acts which refer to his people for,

1. "He showeth his word," c. By Moses and the prophets.

2. "He hath not dealt so," &c. None at that time, but since to his Church.

3. "As for his judgments," &c. His evangelical precepts. He is sending forth his word the nations could not find out his precepts otherwise: therefore for this praise ye the Lord.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

(20) Any nation.—This boast in Israel’s peculiar and exclusive privilege may be compared with Deu_4:7; Deu_32:32-41.

Judgments.—Here plainly not manifestations of wrath; but, as so frequently in Psalms 119, the display of righteousness towards Israel.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

He hath not dealt so with any nation,.... Or "every nation" (b); or all the nations under the heavens; only with the Jewish nation: these only for many hundreds of years were favoured with the divine revelation, with the word and ordinances of God; with the law, and with the Gospel, and with the service and worship of God; as well as with promises and prophecies of Christ, and good things to come by him. These were not communicated to anyone nation or body of people besides them; only now and then, to one here and there among the Gentiles: the Gospel was first preached to them at the coming of Christ, and after them to the Gentiles, when rejected by them;

and as for his judgments, they have not known them; by which are meant, not the providential dispensations of God, which are unsearchable, and past finding out, till made manifest; nor punishments inflicted on wicked men, unobserved by them; but the word of God, and the ordinances of it, which the Gentile world for many ages were unacquainted with; see Psa 19:9;

praise ye the Lord: as literal Israel had reason to do, for those distinguishing instances of his favour and goodness; and as the spiritual Israel of God everywhere have; and particularly our British ones, who are highly favoured with the privileges of having the word of God purely and powerfully preached, and his ordinances truly and duly administered; at least in some parts of it, and that more than in any other nation under the heavens.

(b) "omni genti", Pagninus, Montanus, Gejerus; "omni nationi", V. L.

Next: Psalms Chapter 148

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

He hath not dealt so with any nation - He has favored Israel more than any other people by giving them his revealed truth. This was so. There was no nation in the ancient world so favored as the Hebrew people in this respect. There is no nation now so favored as the nation that has the revealed will of God - the Bible. The possession of that book gives a nation a vast superiority in all respects over all others. In laws, customs, morals, intelligence, social life, purity, charity, prosperity, that book elevates a nation at once, and scatters blessings which can be derived from nothing else. The highest benevolence that could be shown to any nation would be to put it in possession of the word of God in the language of the people.

And as for his judgments, they have not known them - Other nations are ignorant of his laws, his statutes, his revealed will. They are consequently subjected to all the evils which arise from ignorance of those laws. The fact that the ancient people of God possessed them was a sufficient reason for the Hallelujah with which the psalm closes. The fact that we possess them is a sufficient reason why we should re-echo the shout of praise, and cry Hallelujah.

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

He left all others to their own native darkness and blindness, and to those dim discoveries of God and of themselves which they had from the light of nature.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Ver. 20. He hath not dealt so with any nation. Israel had clear and exclusive knowledge of God, while others were left in ignorance. Election is the loudest call for grateful adoration. And as for his judgments, they have not known them; or, and judgments they had not known them, as if not knowing the laws of God, they might be looked upon as having no laws at all worth mentioning. The nations were covered with darkness, and only Israel sat in the light. This was sovereign grace in its fullest noontide of power. Praise ye the Lord. When we have mentioned electing, distinguishing love, our praise can rise no higher, and therefore we close with one more hallelujah.

Ver. 20. He hath not dealt so with any nation... Praise ye the Lord. The sweet Psalmist of Israel, a man skilful in praises, doth begin and end this Psalm with Hallelujah. In the body of the Psalm he doth set forth the mercy of God, both towards all creatures in general in his common providence, and towards his church in particular. So in this close of the Psalm: "He sheweth his word unto Jacob, and his statutes to Israel. He hath not dealt so with any nation." In the original 'tis, "He hath not dealt so with every nation": that is, with any nation. In the text you may observe a position and a conclusion. A position; and that is, that God deals in a singular way of mercy with his people above all other people. And then the conclusion: "Praise ye the Lord." Doctrine. That God deals in a singular way of mercy with his people, and therefore expects singular praises from his people. Joseph Alleine (1633-1668), in "A Thanksgiving Sermon."

Ver. 20. See the wonderful goodness of God, who besides the light of nature, has committed to us the sacred Scriptures. The heathen are enveloped in ignorance. As for his judgments, they have not known them. They have the oracles of the Sybils, but not the writings of Moses and the apostles. How many live in the region of death, where the bright star of Scripture has never appeared! We have the blessed Book of God to resolve all our doubts, and to point out a way of life to us. "Lord, how is it thou wilt manifest thyself unto us, and not unto the world?" Joh 14:22. Thomas Watson.

Ver. 20. Electing Grace inspires the Heart with Praise.

1. God's love has chosen us. Hallelujah.

2. God has intrusted us with his truth. Hallelujah.

3. God has made us almoners of his bounty. Hallelujah.

4. God through us is to save the world. Hallelujah. W.B.H.

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

He hath not dealt so with any nation. Though the Word of God, to a certain extent, "lighteth every man that cometh into the world", (Joh_1:9) yet this light of nature is not to be compared to the revelation vouchsafed to Israel. Israel was God"s "peculiar people," and had peculiar privileges, which involved special responsibilities. And as for his judgments, they (i.e. the nations) have not known them. (comp. Amo_3:2, "You only have I known out of all the families of the earth: therefore will I visit upon you all your iniquities Praise ye the Lord (comp. ver. 1).

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