13 For He did strengthen the bars of thy gates, He hath blessed thy sons in thy midst.
For I pour waters on a thirsty one, And floods on a dry land, I pour My Spirit on thy seed, And My blessing on thine offspring. And they have sprung up as among grass, As willows by streams of water. This `one' saith, For Jehovah I `am', And this calleth `himself' by the name of Jacob, And this `one' writeth `with' his hand, `For Jehovah,' and by the name of Israel surnameth himself.
Jehovah addeth to you, to you, and to your sons. Blessed `are' ye of Jehovah, maker of heaven and earth,
Thy wife `is' as a fruitful vine in the sides of thy house, Thy sons as olive plants around thy table. Lo, surely thus is the man blessed who is fearing Jehovah. Jehovah doth bless thee out of Zion, Look, then, on the good of Jerusalem, All the days of thy life, And see the sons of thy sons! Peace on Israel!
And gone forth from them hath thanksgiving, And the voice of playful ones, And I have multiplied them and they are not few, And made them honourable, and they are not small. And his sons have been as aforetime, And his company before Me is established, And I have seen after all his oppressors.
Because our sons `are' as plants, Becoming great in their youth, Our daughters as hewn stones, Polished -- the likeness of a palace,
And thou dost know, and dost consider wisely, from the going forth of the word to restore and to build Jerusalem till Messiah the Leader `is' seven weeks, and sixty and two weeks: the broad place hath been built again, and the rampart, even in the distress of the times.
saying -- `If thou didst know, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things for thy peace; but now they were hid from thine eyes. `Because days shall come upon thee, and thine enemies shall cast around thee a rampart, and compass thee round, and press thee on every side, and lay thee low, and thy children within thee, and they shall not leave in thee a stone upon a stone, because thou didst not know the time of thy inspection.'
Thus said Jehovah: I have turned back unto Zion, And I have dwelt in the midst of Jerusalem, And Jerusalem hath been called `The city of truth,' And the mountain of Jehovah of Hosts, `The holy mountain.' Thus said Jehovah of Hosts: Again dwell do old men and old women, In broad places of Jerusalem, And each his staff in his hand, Because of abundance of days. And broad places of the city are full of boys and girls, Playing in its broad places.
And Eliashib the high priest riseth, and his brethren the priests, and they build the sheep-gate; they have sanctified it, and set up its doors, even unto the tower of Meah they have sanctified it, unto the tower of Hananeel; and by his hand have men of Jericho built; and by their hand hath Zaccur son of Imri built; and the fish-gate have sons of Hassenaah built, they have walled it, and set up its doors, its locks, and its bars. And by their hand hath Merimoth son of Urijah, son of Koz, strengthened; and by his hand hath Meshullam son of Berechiah, son of Meshezabeel, strengthened; and by his hand hath Zadok son of Baana strengthened; and by his hand have the Tekoites strengthened, and their honourable ones have not brought in their neck to the service of their Lord. And the old gate have Jehoiada son of Paseah, and Meshullam son of Besodeiah, strengthened; they have walled it, and set up its doors, and its locks, and its bars. And by their hand hath Melatiah the Gibeonite strengthened, and Jadon the Meronothite, men of Gibeon and of Mizpah, to the throne of the governor beyond the River. By his hand hath Uzziel son of Harhaiah of the refiners strengthened; and by his hand hath Hananiah son of `one of' the compounders strengthened; and they leave Jerusalem unto the broad wall. And by their hand hath Rephaiah son of Hur, head of the half of the district of Jerusalem, strengthened. And by their hand hath Jedaiah son of Harumaph strengthened, and over-against his own house; and by his hand hath Hattush son of Hashabniah strengthened. A second measure hath Malchijah son of Harim strengthened, and Hashub son of Pahath-Moab, even the tower of the furnaces. And by his hand hath Shallum son of Halohesh, head of the half of the district of Jerusalem, strengthened, he and his daughters. The gate of the valley hath Hanun strengthened, and the inhabitants of Zanoah; they have built it, and set up its doors, its locks, and its bars, and a thousand cubits in the wall unto the dung-gate. And the dung-gate hath Malchijah son of Rechab, head of the district of Beth-Haccerem, strengthened; he doth built it, and set up its doors, its locks, and its bars. And the gate of the fountain hath Shallum son of Col-Hozeh, head of the district of Mizpah, strengthened: he doth build it, and cover it, and set up its doors, its locks, and its bars, and the wall of the pool of Siloah, to the garden of the king, and unto the steps that are going down from the city of David. After him hath Nehemiah son of Azbuk, head of the half of the district of Beth-Zur, strengthened, unto over-against the graves of David, and unto the pool that is made, and unto the house of the mighty ones.
Believe not did the kings of earth, And any of the inhabitants of the world, That come would an adversary and enemy Into the gates of Jerusalem.
Devised hath Jehovah to destroy the wall of the daughter of Zion, He hath stretched out a line, He hath not turned His hand from destroying, And He causeth bulwark and wall to mourn, Together -- they have been weak. Sunk into the earth have her gates, He hath destroyed and broken her bars, Her king and her princes `are' among the nations, There is no law, also her prophets Have not found vision from Jehovah.
Do good in Thy good pleasure with Zion, Thou dost build the walls of Jerusalem.
Rejoice doth Mount Zion, The daughters of Judah are joyful, For the sake of Thy judgments. Compass Zion, and go round her, count her towers, Set your heart to her bulwark, Consider her high places, So that ye recount to a later generation, That this God `is' our God -- To the age and for ever, He -- he doth lead us over death!
and I say to them, `Let not the gates of Jerusalem be opened till the heat of the sun, and while they are standing by let them shut the doors, and fasten, and appoint guards of the inhabitants of Jerusalem, each in his guard, and each over-against his house.'
And it cometh to pass, when the wall hath been built, that I set up the doors, and the gatekeepers are appointed, and the singers, and the Levites,
And it cometh to pass, when it hath been heard by Sanballat, and Tobiah, and by Geshem the Arabian, and by the rest of our enemies, that I have builded the wall, and there hath not been left in it a breach, (also, till that time the doors I had not set up in the gates,)
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on Psalms 147
Commentary on Psalms 147 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
PSALM 147
Ps 147:1-20. This and the remaining Psalms have been represented as specially designed to celebrate the rebuilding of Jerusalem (compare Ne 6:16; 12:27). They all open and close with the stirring call for praise. This one specially declares God's providential care towards all creatures, and particularly His people.
1. (Compare Ps 92:1; 135:3).
2. (Compare Ps 107:3; Isa 11:12).
3. Though applicable to the captive Israelites, this is a general and precious truth.
wounds—(Compare Margin).
4, 5. God's power in nature (Isa 40:26-28, and often) is presented as a pledge of His power to help His people.
telleth … stars—what no man can do (Ge 15:5).
6. That power is put forth for the good of the meek and suffering pious, and confusion of the wicked (Ps 146:8, 9).
7-9. His providence supplies bountifully the wild animals in their mountain homes.
Sing … Lord—literally, "Answer the Lord," that is, in grateful praise to His goodness, thus declared in His acts.
10, 11. The advantages afforded, as in war by the strength of the horse or the agility of man, do not incline God to favor any; but those who fear and, of course, trust Him, will obtain His approbation and aid.
13. strengthened … gates—or, means of defense against invaders,
14. maketh … borders—or, territories (Ge 23:17; Isa 54:12).
filleth thee, &c.—(Compare Margin).
15-18. God's Word, as a swift messenger, executes His purpose, for with Him to command is to perform (Ge 1:3; Ps 33:9), and He brings about the wonders of providence as easily as men cast crumbs.
17. morsels—used as to food (Ge 18:5), perhaps here denotes hail.
19, 20. This mighty ruler and benefactor of heaven and earth is such especially to His chosen people, to whom alone (De 4:32-34) He has made known His will, while others have been left in darkness. Therefore unite in the great hallelujah.