Old Testament Commentary - Psalms 146

by Don R. Hender

Once again the extensiveness of the doctrinal message of this psalm doth proclaim that they are taken from the words of prophets of God who hath laid out the plan of heaven from its beginning to end. From the creation to the freeing of the prisoners in spirit prison to the coming and mission of Zion in the latter-days. Much is doctrinally found within these short ten verses to give an understanding and appreciation that these are not mere hymns of praise and adoration, but doctrinally sound compositions from the revealed words of God Eternal Plan. It would be easily considered that these timeless verses were put to song in order that God's children might be able to remember them from generation to generation and not loose sight of God's eternal plan and what they were doing here on earth, just where they did come from, and to whence it was that they were going.

Scriptural Text [& Editorial] Commentary & Explanation Footnotes ~ References ~ JST

CHAPTER 146
Happy are they whose hope is in the Lord—The Lord looseth the prisoners, loveth the righteous, and reigneth forever.

1 ^aPRAISE ye the LORD. Praise the LORD, O my soul.
2 While I live will I praise the LORD: I will sing praises unto my God while I have any being.

3 **Put not your ^atrust in princes, nor in the son of man^a**, in whom there is no help.
4 His ^abreath goeth forth, he returneth to his earth; in that very day his thoughts perish.
**3^a Put not your trust in princes, nor in the son of man** A eteranl doctrinal principle applicable to all is to not trust in the arm of flesh, but to place one's trust in the LORD. While the message is universal, and how directly it is aimed at all, yet how personally phrased. Consider King Zedekiah who feared the arm of flesh above the Lord. In the 'princess', the 'elders of Israel', 'rulers' of Jerusalem, the corruption of 'the 70 of the Jews' was this man's dependence and not in God, as he was such a king of Judah who could do nothing but comply to the demand of the 'Sarim' to the extent that the prophet of God Jeremiah was turned over into their hands to the end of a fate considered to be death (Jeremiah 38:4-5). How often have 'we like sheep' followed after the corruption of man rather than the word of God in this world? The 'son of man' here obviously refers to the arm of flesh and is not the more formalized 'Son of Man' which references the Messiah.

5 ^aHappy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the LORD his God:
6 Which made heaven, and earth, the sea, and all that therein is: which keepeth truth for ever:
7 Which executeth judgment for the ^aoppressed: which giveth food to the hungry. The LORD looseth the prisoners^a:
7^a The LORD looseth the prisoners The phrase of this hymn of ancient Israel speak more universally that just a past reference to the liberation from Egypt. It speaks from the eternal perspective of the 'eternal now', past, present and on into the future. Such events as the universal freeing men from the chains of sin are being referenced here, such literal loosing of the spirit prison of the spirit world is being spoken of here by. It speaks from the perspective of the work and glory of the eternal plan, of the atonement and salvation of the LORD.

8 **The LORD openeth the ^aeyes of the ^bblind^a: the LORD raiseth them that are bowed down: the LORD loveth the righteous:
9 The LORD preserveth the strangers; he relieveth the ^afatherless and ^bwidow: but the way of the wicked he turneth upside down.
10 The LORD shall reign for ^aever, even thy God, O Zion, unto all generations^a. Praise ye the LORD. 8^a The LORD openeth the eyes of the blind Referenced in the New Testament as the work which the LORD does as he is the light of the world, to open the eyes of the blind and the ears of the deaf that they might see and hear the gospel message and come and partake of the goodness, redemption and salvation of Christ. In this perspective alone it is seen that the psalm speaks from an all-incompussing vision as to the work and the glory of the Lord in all ages.
10^a The LORD shall reign for ever, even thy God, O Zion, unto all generations** The universally global perspective of the Plan of God and its end culmination can hardly be missed as the ancient hymn speaks of that millennial day when the LORD will rule and reign personally in Zion, not just a little here and there through time, but from thence on in that day 'for ever', 'even unto all generations' or from thence on throughout all eternity. And again, while we don't have the full context of the prophet's words and writings upon the topic, we do see that ancient Israel did know and have these things laid out before their eyes even in days of old to the extent that they were rehersed and remembered in the hymnal, their songs of praise unto the LORD.

Scriptural Text [& Editorial]	Commentary & Explanation	Footnotes ~ References ~ JST
CHAPTER 146 Happy are they whose hope is in the Lord—The Lord looseth the prisoners, loveth the righteous, and reigneth forever.
1 ^aPRAISE ye the LORD. Praise the LORD, O my soul. 2 While I live will I praise the LORD: I will sing praises unto my God while I have any being.
3 *Put not your ^atrust in princes, nor* in the son of man^a*, in whom there is* no help. 4 His ^abreath goeth forth, he returneth to his earth; in that very day his thoughts perish.	*3^a Put not your trust in princes, nor* in the son of man** A eteranl doctrinal principle applicable to all is to not trust in the arm of flesh, but to place one's trust in the LORD. While the message is universal, and how directly it is aimed at all, yet how personally phrased. Consider King Zedekiah who feared the arm of flesh above the Lord. In the 'princess', the 'elders of Israel', 'rulers' of Jerusalem, the corruption of 'the 70 of the Jews' was this man's dependence and not in God, as he was such a king of Judah who could do nothing but comply to the demand of the 'Sarim' to the extent that the prophet of God Jeremiah was turned over into their hands to the end of a fate considered to be death (Jeremiah 38:4-5). How often have 'we like sheep' followed after the corruption of man rather than the word of God in this world? The 'son of man' here obviously refers to the arm of flesh and is not the more formalized 'Son of Man' which references the Messiah.
5 ^aHappy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the LORD his God: 6 Which made heaven, and earth, the sea, and all that therein is: which keepeth truth for ever: 7 Which executeth judgment for the ^aoppressed: which giveth food to the hungry. The LORD looseth the prisoners^a:	7^a The LORD looseth the prisoners The phrase of this hymn of ancient Israel speak more universally that just a past reference to the liberation from Egypt. It speaks from the eternal perspective of the 'eternal now', past, present and on into the future. Such events as the universal freeing men from the chains of sin are being referenced here, such literal loosing of the spirit prison of the spirit world is being spoken of here by. It speaks from the perspective of the work and glory of the eternal plan, of the atonement and salvation of the LORD.
8 *The LORD openeth the* ^aeyes of the ^bblind^a: the LORD raiseth them that are bowed down: the LORD loveth the righteous: 9 The LORD preserveth the strangers; he relieveth the ^afatherless and ^bwidow: but the way of the wicked he turneth upside down. 10 The LORD shall reign for ^aever, even thy God, O Zion, unto all generations^a**. Praise ye the LORD.	*8^a The LORD openeth the eyes of* the blind Referenced in the New Testament as the work which the LORD does as he is the light of the world, to open the eyes of the blind and the ears of the deaf that they might see and hear the gospel message and come and partake of the goodness, redemption and salvation of Christ. In this perspective alone it is seen that the psalm speaks from an all-incompussing vision as to the work and the glory of the Lord in all ages. 10^a The LORD shall reign for ever, even thy God, O Zion, unto all generations** The universally global perspective of the Plan of God and its end culmination can hardly be missed as the ancient hymn speaks of that millennial day when the LORD will rule and reign personally in Zion, not just a little here and there through time, but from thence on in that day 'for ever', 'even unto all generations' or from thence on throughout all eternity. And again, while we don't have the full context of the prophet's words and writings upon the topic, we do see that ancient Israel did know and have these things laid out before their eyes even in days of old to the extent that they were rehersed and remembered in the hymnal, their songs of praise unto the LORD.