Charles Spurgeon

For He strengthens the bars of your gates and blesses the children within you.

“For he hath strengthened the bars of thy gates. Her fortifications were finished, even to the fastenings of the gates, and God had made all sound and strong, even to her bolts and bars: thus her security against invading foes was guaranteed.”

He makes peace at your borders; He fills you with the finest wheat.

“He maketh peace in thy borders. Even to the boundaries quiet extends; no enemies are wrangling with the borderers. If there is peace there, we may be sure that peace is everywhere.”

He sends forth His command to the earth; His word runs swiftly.

“He sendeth forth his commandment upon earth. His messages fly throughout his dominions: upon earth his warrants are executed as well as in heaven. From his church his word goes forth; from Zion he missions the nations with the word of life.”

He spreads the snow like wool; He scatters the frost like ashes;

“Here follow instances of the power of God upon the elements. He giveth snow like wool. As a gift he scatters the snow, which falls in flakes like fleecy wool. Snow falls softly, covers universally, and clothes warmly, even as wool covers the sheep.”

He casts forth His hail like pebbles. Who can withstand His icy blast?

“He casteth forth his ice like morsels. Such are the crumbs of hail which he casts forth, or the crusts of ice which he creates upon the waters. These morsels are his ice, and he casts them abroad.”

He sends forth His word and melts them; He unleashes His winds, and the waters flow.

“He sendeth out his word, and melteth them. When the frost is sharpest, and the ice is hardest, the Lord intervenes; and though he doth no more than send his word, yet the rocks of ice are dissolved at once, and the huge bergs begin…”

He declares His word to Jacob, His statutes and judgments to Israel.

“He sheweth his word unto Jacob, his statutes and his judgments unto Israel. He who is the Creator is also the Revealer. We are to praise the Lord above all things for his manifesting himself to us as he does not unto the world.”

He has done this for no other nation; they do not know His judgments. Hallelujah!

“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.”

Hallelujah! Praise the LORD from the heavens; praise Him in the highest places.

“Praise ye the Lord. Whoever ye may be that hear this word, ye are invited, entreated, commanded, to magnify Jehovah. Assuredly he has made you, and, if for nothing else, ye are bound, upon the ground of creatureship, to adore your Maker.”

Praise Him, O sun and moon; praise Him, all you shining stars.

“Praise ye him, sun and moon: praise him, all ye stars of light. The Psalmist enters into detail as to the heavenly hosts. As all, so each, must praise the God of each and all.”

Praise Him, O highest heavens, and you waters above the skies.

“Praise him, ye heavens of heavens. By these are meant those regions which are heavens to those who dwell in our heavens; or those most heavenly of abodes where the most choice of spirits dwell.”

Let them praise the name of the LORD, for He gave the command and they were created.

“Let them praise the name of the Lord; for he commanded, and they were created. Here is good argument: The Maker should have honour from his works, they should tell forth his praise: and thus they should praise his name —by which his character is…”

He established them forever and ever; He issued a decree that will never pass away.

“He hath also stablished them for ever and ever. The continued existence of celestial beings is due to the supporting might of Jehovah, and to that alone. They do not fail because the Lord does not fail them.”

Praise the LORD from the earth, all great sea creatures and ocean depths,

“Praise the Lord from the earth. The song descends to our abode, and so comes nearer home to us. We who are "bodies terrestrial", are to pour out our portion of praise from the golden globe of this favoured planet.”

lightning and hail, snow and clouds, powerful wind fulfilling His word,

“Fire and hail. Lightning and hailstones go together. In the plagues of Egypt they cooperated in making Jehovah known in all the terrors of his power. Fire and ice morsels are a contrast in nature, but they are combined in magnifying the Lord.”

mountains and all hills, fruit trees and all cedars,

“Mountains, and all hills. Towering steeps and swelling knolls alike declare their Creator. "All hills" are to be consecrated; we have no longer Ebal and Gerizim, the hill of the curse and the hill of the blessing, but all our Ebals are turned to Gerizims.”

wild animals and all cattle, crawling creatures and flying birds,

“Beasts, and all cattle. Animals fierce or tame; wild beasts and domestic cattle; let all these show forth the praises of Jehovah. Those are worse than beasts who do not praise our God. More than brutish are those who are wilfully dumb concerning their Maker.”

kings of the earth and all peoples, princes and all rulers of the earth,

“Kings of the earth, and all people: princes, and all judges of the earth. Now the poet has reached our own race, and very justly he would have rulers and subjects, chieftains and magistrates, unite in worshipping the sovereign Lord of all.”

young men and maidens, old and young together.

“Both young men, and maidens; old men, and children. Both sexes and all ages are summoned to the blessed service of song.”

Let them praise the name of the LORD, for His name alone is exalted; His splendor is above the earth and the heavens.

“Let them praise the name of the Lord. All that is contained in the name or character of Jehovah is worthy of praise, and all the objects of his creating care will be too few to set it forth in its completeness.”

He has raised up a horn for His people, the praise of all His saints, of Israel, a people near to Him. Hallelujah!

“He also exalteth the horn of his people. He hath made them strong, famous, and victorious. His goodness to all his creatures does not prevent his having a special favour to his chosen nation: he is good to all, but he is God to his…”

Hallelujah! Sing to the LORD a new song— His praise in the assembly of the godly.

“Praise ye the Lord. Specially you, ye chosen people, whom he has made to be his saints. You have praised him aforetime, praise him yet again; yea, for ever praise him. With renewed zeal and fresh delight lift up your song unto Jehovah.”

Let them praise His name with dancing, and make music to Him with tambourine and harp.

“Let them praise his name in the dance: let them sing praises unto him with the timbrel and harp. Thus let them repeat the triumph of the Red Sea, which was ever the typical glory of Israel.”

For the LORD takes pleasure in His people; He adorns the afflicted with salvation.

“I FIND that the text bears other interpretations. I will mention two of them. It might be read—and I think correctly—"He will beautify the afflicted with deliverance." Let me speak about that meaning first of all, for it is worth retaining.”

For the LORD takes pleasure in His people; He adorns the afflicted with salvation.

“For the Lord taketh pleasure in his people; and therefore they should take pleasure in him. If our joy be pleasing to him let us make it full. What condescension is this on Jehovah's part, to notice, to love, and to delight in his chosen!”