Psalms 57:5

Psa 57:5 Be thou exalted, O God, above the heavens; [let] thy glory [be] above all the earth.

Ver. 5. Be thou exalted, O God, above the heavens] That is, saith the Chaldee, above the angels.

And let thy glory be above all the earth] That is, above the inhabitants of the earth. There are, saith Kimchi, that think thou either wilt not, or else canst not, save; oh, let thy power appear for the conviction of all such who now lift up themselves, and seem at least to touch the heaven with one finger.

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.

Psa_57:5

Be Thou exalted, O God, above the heavens; let Thy glory be above all the earth.

The Lord alone exalted

I. As the absolute decree of heaven. For--

1. His own glory is the first principle with God.

2. The ordination of Christ to His official work put Him under responsibility to effect this.

3. The principle is essential to the nature and existence of God.

II. The law of thy covenant of grace. All the leading truths of the Bible contribute to the glory of God--election, regeneration. The union between Christ and His Church. Redemption.

III. The language of every believing heart. For it is his desire, purpose and endeavour that God may be exalted. (Joseph Irons.)

The Biblical Illustrator, edited by Joseph S. Exell (c. 1880s–1900s) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Psa 57:5. Be thou exalted above the heavens — That is, higher than the heavens, or to the highest degree possible. Glorify thy power and goodness, thy justice and faithfulness, by my deliverance; all which attributes are exposed to censure and reproach while thou sufferest the ungodly to oppress and triumph over the righteous, who put their trust in thee. Let thy glory be above all the earth — Above all men upon earth, some of whom do now audaciously lift up themselves against thee, and act as if they thought themselves above thee, and able to counteract thy designs. Or, through all the earth, as the Hebrew may be rendered. Spread the fame of thy glorious perfections through all nations. Display thy glory, not only among thy own people, but in such a manner that even the heathen may be forced to acknowledge and admire it.

Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

6. (Psa 57:5). Be high above the heavens, O God, above all the earth thy glory! Some, in the last clause, read on all the earth, and then explain on the heavens to mean nothing more than in heaven. The whole verse then is the expression of a wish that God may be exalted both in heaven and earth. But this is far less natural than the usual construction, which supposes a comparison, and makes the verse exalt God above all his works. Compare Psa 8:1.

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

57:5 This verse is repeated in 57:11 and 108:5. • God’s glory—his manifest presence that excludes all evil (8:1; 19:1-4; 24:7)—will fill the whole created order (Isa 6:3).

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Suffer me not to be destroyed to the contempt of thy Name.

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

This doxology illustrates his view of the connection of his deliverance with God's glory.

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Verse 5. Be thou exalted, O God, above the heavens] Let the glory of thy mercy and truth be seen in the heavens above, and in the earth beneath. Several of the fathers apply what is said above to the passion of our Lord, and what is said here to his resurrection.

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

To him we find David appealing in the words that follow, Exalt thyself, O God! above the heavens: let thy glory be above all the earth. To perceive the appropriateness of this prayer, it is necessary that we reflect upon the height of audacity and pride to which the wicked proceed, when unrestrained by the providence of God, and upon the formidable nature of that conspiracy which was directed against David by Saul, and the nation in general, all which demanded a signal manifestation of divine power on his behalf. Nor is it a small comfort to consider that God, in appearing for the help of his people, at the same time advances his own glory. Against it, as well as against them, is the opposition of the wicked directed, and he will never suffer his glory to be obscured, or his holy name to be polluted with their blasphemies. The Psalmist reverts to the language of complaint. He had spoken of the cruel persecution to which he was subjected, and now bewails the treachery and deceit which were practiced against him. His soul he describes as being bowed down, in allusion to the crouching of the body when one is under the influence of fear, or to birds when terrified by the fowler and his nets, which dare not move a feather, but lie flat upon the ground. Some read, He has bowed down my soul But the other is the most obvious rendering, and the verb כפף, caphaph, is one which is frequently taken with the neuter signification. Although the Hebrew word נפש, nephesh, rendered soul, is feminine, this is not the only place where we find it with a masculine adjunct.

John Calvin's Commentaries (1540-1563) — public domain. Text from the Calvin Translation Society English edition (1840s-50s) via the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (ccel.org). Calvin's coverage is partial (roughly two-thirds of the Bible); uncommented books and verses are honest gaps, never fabricated. The 19th-century editor's footnotes and remarks are omitted so the notes are faithfully Calvin's own voice.

5. The thought of man’s murderous hostility naturally leads up to the prayer that God will manifest Himself in majesty. From the confusions of earth the Psalmist looks up to God. Cp. Psa_11:4 ff.; Psa_36:5 ff.

Be thou exalted] Or, Exalt thyself. Cp. Psa_21:13; Psa_46:10. God is exalted in majesty (Isa_6:1): what is needed is that He should manifest His supreme authority (Isa_2:11 ff.) over these insolent rebels.

Though rhythmically divided, the two clauses are logically one: ‘exalt Thyself in Thy glory above heaven and earth.’

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.

Be thou exalted, O God, above the heavens,.... That is, show thyself to be God, that sittest in the heavens, and art higher than they, by saving me, and disappointing mine enemies; that I, and those that are with me, may magnify the Lord and exalt his name together. The Targum is,

"be thou exalted above the angels of heaven, O God;''

let thy glory be above all the earth; that is, above all the inhabitants of the earth, as the Chaldee paraphrase: let the glory of God in my deliverance be seen by all that dwell upon the earth; for by how much the lower and more distressed his case and condition were, by so much the more would the glory of God be displayed in bringing him out of it. Nothing lies nearer the hearts of the people of God than his glory; this is more desirable than their own salvation: David breathes after the one, when he says nothing of the other, that being uppermost; though his meaning is, that the one might be brought about by the other.

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

Be thou exalted, O God, above the heavens - Compare Psa 8:1. The language here is that of a man who in trouble lifts his thoughts to God; who feels that God reigns; who is assured in his own soul that all things are under his hand; and who is desirous that God should be magnified whatever may become of himself. His prime and leading wish is not for himself, for his own safety, for his own deliverance from danger; it is that “God” may be honored - that the name of God may be glorified - that God may be regarded as supreme over all things - that God may be exalted in the highest possible degree - an idea expressed in the prayer that he may be exalted “above the heavens.”

Let thy glory be above all the earth - The honor of thy name; thy praise. Let it be regarded, and be in fact, “above” all that pertains to this lower world; let everything on earth, or that pertains to earth, be subordinate to thee, or be surrendered for thee. This was the comfort which David found in trouble. And this “is” the only true source of consolation. The welfare of the universe depends on God; and that God should be true, and just, and good, and worthy of confidence and love - that he should reign, - that his law should be obeyed - that his plans should be accomplished, - is of more importance to the universe than anything that merely pertains to us; than the success of any of our own plans; than our health, our prosperity, or our life.

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

Be thou exalted; glorify thy power, and goodness, and justice, and faithfulness by my deliverance, all which are exposed to censure and reproach, whilst thou sufferest ungodly wretches to oppress and triumph over the innocent and righteous, that put their trust in thee.

Above the heavens, i.e. higher than the heavens, or to the highest degree possible; or above all the false gods which are supposed to reside in heaven.

Above all the earth, i.e. above all men upon earth, some whereof do now audaciously lift up themselves against thee, and above thee. Or, through (as the Hebrew particle is commonly rendered, and it is no new thing to have the same word or particle diversely taken in the same verse, as hath been formerly showed) the whole earth; not only amongst thine own people, but so that the heathens shall be forced to acknowledge and admire thy glorious deeds.

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

Ver. 5. Be thou exalted, O God, above the heavens. This is the chorus of the Psalm. Before he has quite concluded his prayer the good man interjects a verse of praise; and glorious praise too, seeing it comes from the lion's den and from amid the coals of fire. Higher than the heavens is the Most High, and so high ought our praises to rise. Above even the power of cherubim and seraphim to express it, the glory of God is revealed and is to be acknowledged by us.

Let thy glory be above all the earth. As above, so below, let thy praises, O thou great Jehovah, be universally proclaimed. As the air surrounds all nature, so let thy praises gird the earth with a zone of song.

None.

Ver. 5.

I. The end which God has in view, both in heaven and

earth, in a sinful and in sinless worlds--his own

glory.

II. Our duty to acquiesce in that end: Be thou, etc.

--Not self, not men, not angels--Be thou

exalted, etc. In this we should acquiesce--

1. Actively, by seeking that end.

2. Passively, by submission to his will. G. R.

Psalms 57:6*

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

5. Be thou exalted, O God—The cause of David was the cause of God. The manifested glory of God as supreme, implied David’s deliverance, and either implied the defeat of his enemies. His prayer against his enemies was, therefore, at once a prayer for deliverance and for the honour of God. The dawn of David’s deliverance appears in this verse, and fully breaks forth in Psa_57:8

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Be thou exalted, O God, above the heavens; or, exalt thyself, O God, above the heavens; i.e. show forth thy might in such a signal way that the heavens (i.e. the angels) may stand to gaze at it. Let thy glory be above all the earth. Let thy exaltation equally draw the attention of the whole earth.

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

Excited - Glorify thy power, and goodness, and justice, and faithfulness, by my deliverance. Above, &c. - To the highest degree possible.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

My soul is among lions Abner and Amassa, who were “lions” [leaders] the in Torah, and who do not protest against Saul.

I lie among men who are aflame En flanboyanz, or enflamoyonz, among those who are flaming. Among the Ziphim, who are aflame after slander.

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.