Psalms 95:2

Psa 95:2 Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise unto him with psalms.

Ver. 2. Let us come before his presence] Heb. prevent his face, be there with the first. "Let us go speedily … I will go also," Zec 8:21. Let praise wait for God in Sion, Psa 65:1. Rabbi Gaon, Praeveniamus et ante diem iudicii, Let us make haste, saith he, to do it, before the day of judgment; and lest we be taken with our task undone. Others, Let us anticipate his face, that is, prepare our hearts at home, before we come into the public; or, let us give thanks for mercies already received, that we may make way for more.

With psalms] Oratione prorsa et vorsa.

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.

Ver. 2. Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving. Here is probably a reference to the peculiar presence of God in the Holy of Holies above the mercy seat, and also to the glory which shone forth out of the cloud which rested above the tabernacle. Everywhere God is present, but there is a peculiar presence of grace and glory into which men should never come without the profoundest reverence. We may make bold to come before the immediate presence of the Lordfor the voice of the Holy Ghost in this psalm invites us, and when we do draw near to him we should remember his great goodness to us and cheerfully confess it. Our worship should have reference to the past as well as to the future; if we do not bless the Lord for what we have already received, how can we reasonably look for more. We are permitted to bring our petitions, and therefore we are in honour bound to bring our thanksgivings.

And make a joyful noise unto him with psalms. We should shout as exultingly as those do who triumph in war, and as solemnly as those whose utterance is a psalm. It is not always easy to unite enthusiasm with reverence, and it is a frequent fault to destroy one of these qualities while straining after the other. The perfection of singing is that which unites joy with gravity, exultation with humility, fervency with sobriety. The invitation given in the first verse (Ps 95:1) is thus repeated in the second (Ps 95:2) with the addition of directions, which indicate more fully the intent of the writer. One can imagine David in earnest tones persuading his people to go up with him to the worship of Jehovah with sound of harp and hymn, and holy delight. The happiness of his exhortation is noteworthy, the noise is to be joyful; this quality he insists upon twice. It is to be feared that this is too much overlooked in ordinary services, people are so impressed with the idea that they ought to be serious that they put on the aspect of misery, and quite forget that joy is as much a characteristic of true worship as solemnity itself.

Ver. 2. Let us come before his presence. Hebrew, prevent his face, be there with the first. "Let us go speedily...I will go also", Zec 8:21. Let praise wait for God in Sion, Ps 65:1. John Trapp.

Ver. 2. (second clause). Let us chant aloud to him the measured lay. twrmz, I take to be songs, in measured verse, adjusted to the bars of a chaunt. S. Horsley.

Ver. 2.

1. What is meant by coming before his presence? Certainly not the holiness of places, etc.

2. What offering is most appropriate when we come into his presence?

Psalms 95:3*

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

2. (Psa 95:2) Let us come before his face with thanksgiving, and in songs let us shout unto him. The first verb is here used in its primary and proper sense. See above, on Psa 17:13. That of surprising, or taking by surprise, upon which some interpreters insist, is neither intelligible in itself, nor suited to the context, nor justified by usage. To shout in songs is to sing aloud and with a voice of triumph.

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

Verse 2. Let us come before his presence] פניו panaiv, his faces, with thanksgiving, בתודה bethodah, with confession, or with the confession-offering. Praise him for what he has already done, and confess your unworthiness of any of his blessings. The confession-offering, the great atoning sacrifice, can alone render your acknowledgment of sin and thanksgiving acceptable to a holy and just God.

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

(2) Come before.—Literally, go to meet. It is the word rendered “prevent” in Psa_18:5, where see Note.

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

2. Let us present ourselves before his face with thanksgiving,

Let us shout unto him with psalms.

Let us present ourselves before Him in His Temple, bringing with us the sacrifice of thanksgiving. Cp. Mic_6:6; Psa_50:14; Psa_50:23.

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.

Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving,.... Come with the sacrifice of praise, there being no other in the days of the Messiah, all ceremonial sacrifices being put an end to when his sacrifice was offered up; so Arama observes, that the offering of thanksgiving shall remain, or be left in the days of the Messiah; come with this to Christ as a priest, to offer it by him to God his Father, to whom it is acceptable through him, and with this to himself for the great salvation he has wrought out: "to come before his presence", or "face" (b), supposes his being come in the flesh, his being God manifest in it, and also as clear and free from the veil of types and shadows; these all being gone now he is come, and to be beheld with open face; and likewise his having done his work as a Saviour, and now upon his throne as a King; into whose presence chamber saints are admitted to make their acknowledgments to him, and profess their allegiance and subjection to him, and their gratitude for favours received. It signifies an attendance on him in his house and ordinances, where he shows his face, and grants his presence; and intends not merely bodily exercise, or a presentation of our bodies only to him, but a drawing nigh to him with true hearts, and serving him in a spiritual manner:

and make a joyful noise unto him with psalms; with a melodious voice, and grace in the heart, with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs; this belonging to Gospel times shows that singing of psalms vocally in a musical way is an ordinance of Christ, to be performed to him under the Gospel dispensation, Eph 5:19.

(b) "faciem ejus", V. L. Pagninus, Montanus, Tigurine version, &c.

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

Let us come before his presence - Margin, as in Hebrew, “prevent his face.” The word in Hebrew means literally to come before; to anticipate. It is the word which is commonly rendered “prevent.” See Job 3:12, note; Psa 17:13, note; Psa 59:10, note; 1Th 4:15, note. Here it means to come before, in the sense of “in front of.” Let us stand before his face; that is, in his very presence.

With thanksgiving - Expressing our thanks.

And make a joyful noise unto him - The same word which occurs in Psa 95:1.

With psalms - Songs of praise.

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

His presence; which he will then afford us in a singular manner, in his Son the Messiah, in and by whom he will be visibly present with the sons of men.

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

Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving. Our first duty, when we come before God"s presence, is to thank him (see the Exhortation in the Order for Daily Prayer). And make a joyful noise unto him with psalms. A "psalm" is properly a "song of praise the natural concomitant of thanksgiving.

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