Charles Spurgeon

May God be gracious to us and bless us, and cause His face to shine upon us, Selah

“God be merciful unto us, and bless us; and cause his face to shine upon us. This is a fit refrain to the benediction of the High Priest in the name of the Lord, as recorded in Nu 6:24-25.”

that Your ways may be known on earth, Your salvation among all nations.

“That thy way may be known upon earth. As showers which first fall upon the hills afterwards run down in streams into the valleys, so the blessing of the Most High comes upon the world through the church.”

Let the peoples praise You, O God; let all the peoples praise You.

“These words are no vain repetition, but are a chorus worthy to be sung again and again. The great theme of the psalm is the participation of the Gentiles in the worship of Jehovah; the psalmist is full of it, he hardly knows how to…”

The earth has yielded its harvest; God, our God, blesses us.

“Then shall the earth yield her increase. Sin first laid a curse on the soil, and grace alone can remove it.”

God blesses us, that all the ends of the earth shall fear Him.

“God shall bless us. The prayer of the first verse is the song of the last. We have the same phrase twice, and truly the Lord's blessing is manifold; he blesses and blesses and blesses again. How many are his beatitudes! How choice his benedictions!”

A father of the fatherless, and a defender of the widows, is God in His holy habitation.

“A father of the fatherless, and a judge of the widows, is God in his holy habitation. In the wilderness the people were like an orphan nation, but God was more than a father to them.”

the earth shook and the heavens poured down rain before God, the One on Sinai, before God, the God of Israel.

“The earth shook. Beneath the sublime tread the solid ground trembled. The heavens also dropped at the presence of God, as if they bowed before their God, the clouds descended, and "a few dark shower drops stole abroad."”

You sent abundant rain, O God; You refreshed Your weary inheritance.

“Thou, O God, didst send a plentiful rain. The march of God was not signalized solely by displays of terror, for goodness and bounty were also made conspicuous.”

Though you lie down among the sheepfolds, the wings of the dove are covered with silver, and her feathers with shimmering gold.”

“Though ye have lien among the pots. Does he mean that the women at home, who had been meanly clad as they performed their household work, would be so gorgeously arrayed in the spoil, that they would be like doves of silver wing and golden…”

When the Almighty scattered the kings in the land, it was like the snow falling on Zalmon.

“When the almighty scattered kings in it, it was white as snow in Salmon. The victory was due to the Almighty arm alone; he scattered the haughty ones who came against his people, and he did it as easily as snow is driven from the…”

A mountain of God is Mount Bashan; a mountain of many peaks is Mount Bashan.

“Here the priests on the summit of the chosen hill begin to extol the Lord for his choice of Zion as his dwelling place.”

You have ascended on high; You have led captives away. You have received gifts from men, even from the rebellious, that the LORD God may dwell there.

“Thou hast ascended on high. The ark was conducted to the summit of Zion; God himself took possession of the high places of the earth, being extolled and very high.”

Surely God will crush the heads of His enemies, the hairy crowns of those who persist in guilty ways.

“But God shall wound the head of his enemies. The Preserver is also the Destroyer. He smites his foes on the crown of their pride. The seed of the woman crushes the serpent's head.”

The Lord said, “I will retrieve them from Bashan, I will bring them up from the depths of the sea,

“This verse, by the insertion of the words, my people, is made to bear the meaning which the translators thought best; but, if their interpolated word is omitted, we probably get nearer to the sense.”

that your foot may be dipped in the blood of your foes— the tongues of your dogs in the same.”

“That thy foot may be dipped in the blood of thine enemies. Vengeance shall be awarded to the oppressed people, and that most complete and terrible. And the tongue of thy dogs in the same.”

The singers lead the way, the musicians follow after, among the maidens playing tambourines.

“The singers went before, the players on instruments followed after. This was the order of the march, and God is to be worshipped evermore with due decorum.”

Bless God in the great congregation; bless the LORD from the fountain of Israel.

“Bless ye God in the congregations. Let the assembled company magnify the God whose ark they followed. United praise is like the mingled perfume which Aaron made, it should all be presented unto God. He blesses us; let him be blessed.”

There is Benjamin, the youngest, ruling them, the princes of Judah in their company, the princes of Zebulun and of Naphtali.

“There is little Benjamin with their ruler. The tribe was small, having been greatly reduced in numbers, but it had the honour of including Zion within its territory.”

Summon Your power, O God; show Your strength, O God, which You have exerted on our behalf.

“Thy God hath commanded thy strength. His decree had ordained the nation strong, and his arm had made them so. As a commander in chief, the Lord made the valiant men pass in battle array, and bade them be strong in the day of conflict.”

Because of Your temple at Jerusalem kings will bring You gifts.

“Because of thy temple at Jerusalem shall kings bring presents unto thee. The palace of God, which towered above Jerusalem, is prophesied as becoming a wonder to all lands, and when it grew from the tabernacle of David to the temple of Solomon, it was…”

Rebuke the beast in the reeds, the herd of bulls among the calves of the nations, until it submits, bringing bars of silver. Scatter the nations who delight in war.

“Rebuke the company of spearmen; or, the beasts of the reeds, as the margin more correctly renders it. Speak to Egypt, let its growing power and jealousy be kept in order, by a word from thee.”

Envoys will arrive from Egypt; Cush will stretch out her hands to God.

“Princes shall come out of Egypt. Old foes shall be new friends. Solomon shall find a spouse in Pharaoh's house. Christ shall gather a people from the realm of sin.”

to Him who rides upon the highest heavens of old; behold, His mighty voice resounds.

“To him that rideth upon the heavens of heavens, which were of old. Before, he was described in his earthly manifestations, as marching through the desert; now, in his celestial glory, as riding in the heavens of the primeval ages.”

O God, You are awesome in Your sanctuary; the God of Israel Himself gives strength and power to His people. Blessed be God!

“O God, thou art terrible out of thy holy places. You inspire awe and fear. Thy saints obey with fear and trembling, and thine enemies flee in dismay.”

Save me, O God, for the waters are up to my neck.

“Save me, O God. "He saved others, himself he cannot save." With strong cries and tears he offered up prayers and supplications unto him that was able to save him from death, and was heard in that he feared (Heb 5:7).”