Day 177: Psalms 113-118

(The previous post covered the first six psalms of the "Deuteronomy" section of the Book of Psalms.)

Psalm 113
¹ Praise ye Jehovah. Praise, O ye servants of Jehovah, Praise the name of Jehovah.
² Blessed be the name of Jehovah From this time forth and for evermore.
³ From the rising of the sun unto the going down of the same Jehovah's name is to be praised.

(An exhortation to praise Jehovah.)

⁴ Jehovah is high above all nations, And his glory above the heavens.
⁵ Who is like unto Jehovah our God, That hath his seat on high,
⁶ That humbleth himself to behold The things that are in heaven and in the earth?

(God was on High, yet He was humble. God had the ability to consider He was wrong, without ever being wrong.)

⁷ He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, And lifteth up the needy from the dunghill;
⁸ That he may set him with princes, Even with the princes of his people.
⁹ He maketh the barren woman to keep house, And to be a joyful mother of children. Praise ye Jehovah.

(God exalted His people.)




Psalm 114
¹ When Israel went forth out of Egypt, The house of Jacob from a people of strange language;
² Judah became his sanctuary, Israel his dominion.

(Judah was God’s sanctuary. Sanctuary in this verse meant "set apart." Judah was set apart (holy, sanctified) from the other tribes. Israel was God’s dominion, or realm.)

³ The sea saw it, and fled; The Jordan was driven back.

(The Jordan River was divided. See Joshua 3:13.)

⁴ The mountains skipped like rams, The little hills like lambs.
⁵ What aileth thee, O thou sea, that thou fleest? Thou Jordan, that thou turnest back?
⁶ Ye mountains, that ye skip like rams; Ye little hills, like lambs?
⁷ Tremble, thou earth, at the presence of the Lord, At the presence of the God of Jacob,
⁸ Who turned the rock into a pool of water, The flint into a fountain of waters.

(God made water and oil come from flint rock. See Deuteronomy 8:15 and Deuteronomy 32:13.)




Psalm 115
¹ Not unto us, O Jehovah, not unto us, But unto thy name give glory, For thy lovingkindness, and for thy truth's sake.
² Wherefore should the nations say, Where is now their God?
³ But our God is in the heavens: He hath done whatsoever he pleased.

(God was in the heavens. God doing whatever He pleased was still always Right and Just.)

⁴ Their idols are silver and gold, The work of men's hands.
⁵ They have mouths, but they speak not; Eyes have they, but they see not;
⁶ They have ears, but they hear not; Noses have they, but they smell not;
⁷ They have hands, but they handle not; Feet have they, but they walk not; Neither speak they through their throat.

(Attributes of false gods.)

⁸ They that make them shall be like unto them; Yea, every one that trusteth in them.

(The attributes of these false gods were like the attributes of the men that made the false gods: focused on the physical realm and short term.)

⁹ O Israel, trust thou in Jehovah: He is their help and their shield.
¹⁰ O house of Aaron, trust ye in Jehovah: He is their help and their shield.
¹¹ Ye that fear Jehovah, trust in Jehovah: He is their help and their shield.

(Exhortation to trust/have faith in Jehovah. He would help and protect those who trusted in Him.)

¹² Jehovah hath been mindful of us; he will bless us: He will bless the house of Israel; He will bless the house of Aaron.
¹³ He will bless them that fear Jehovah, Both small and great.
¹⁴ Jehovah increase you more and more, You and your children.

(God blessed those who feared Him and caused them to be profitable.)

¹⁵ Blessed are ye of Jehovah, Who made heaven and earth.
¹⁶ The heavens are the heavens of Jehovah; But the earth hath he given to the children of men.
¹⁷ The dead praise not Jehovah, Neither any that go down into silence;
¹⁸ But we will bless Jehovah From this time forth and for evermore. Praise ye Jehovah.

(The dead, those who did not repair, did not praise God, but the righteous would praise God forever.)




Psalm 116
¹ I love Jehovah, because he heareth My voice and my supplications.
² Because he hath inclined his ear unto me, Therefore will I call upon him as long as I live.

(The psalmist loved God because God heard him. God loved us first. God was always listening. Our actions determined whether He heard us.)

³ The cords of death compassed me, And the pains of Sheol gat hold upon me: I found trouble and sorrow.
⁴ Then called I upon the name of Jehovah: O Jehovah, I beseech thee, deliver my soul.

(The psalmist responded to affliction by calling on the name of God.)

⁵ Gracious is Jehovah, and righteous; Yea, our God is merciful.
⁶ Jehovah preserveth the simple: I was brought low, and he saved me.
⁷ Return unto thy rest, O my soul; For Jehovah hath dealt bountifully with thee.

(The psalmist comforted himself by reminding himself that God had dealt bountifully with him.)

⁸ For thou hast delivered my soul from death, Mine eyes from tears, And my feet from falling.
⁹ I will walk before Jehovah In the land of the living.
¹⁰ I believe, for I will speak: I was greatly afflicted:

(Paul referenced this verse in 2 Corinthians 4:13.)

¹¹ I said in my haste, All men are liars.

(A confession by the psalmist of stating something that was not factual. He spoke quickly and "all men are liars" came out. Paul referenced this verse in Romans 3:4.)

¹² What shall I render unto Jehovah For all his benefits toward me?
¹³ I will take the cup of salvation, And call upon the name of Jehovah.
¹⁴ I will pay my vows unto Jehovah, Yea, in the presence of all his people.
¹⁵ Precious in the sight of Jehovah Is the death of his saints.

(Jehovah saw the death of His saints as precious because that was the beginning of their life without their flesh.)

¹⁶ O Jehovah, truly I am thy servant: I am thy servant, the son of thy handmaid; Thou hast loosed my bonds.

(The psalmist gave God the credit for freeing him from his bonds, from imprisonment.)

¹⁷ I will offer to thee the sacrifice of thanksgiving, And will call upon the name of Jehovah.
¹⁸ I will pay my vows unto Jehovah, Yea, in the presence of all his people,
¹⁹ In the courts of Jehovah's house, In the midst of thee, O Jerusalem. Praise ye Jehovah.

(The psalmist would continually remember this and praise God.)




Psalm 117
¹ O praise Jehovah, all ye nations; Laud him, all ye peoples.

(Paul referenced this verse in Romans 15:11.)

² For his lovingkindness is great toward us; And the truth of Jehovah endureth for ever. Praise ye Jehovah.

(An exhortation to praise God because His mercy was great and His Truth was eternal. This was the shortest chapter in the Bible. The longest chapter in the Bible was Psalm 119. The next Psalm was the middle chapter of the Bible...)




Psalm 118
¹ Oh give thanks unto Jehovah; for he is good; For his lovingkindness endureth for ever.

(Give thanks to God because He is Good (Right and Just) and His mercy is eternal.)

² Let Israel now say, That his lovingkindness endureth for ever.
³ Let the house of Aaron now say, That his lovingkindness endureth for ever.
⁴ Let them now that fear Jehovah say, That his lovingkindness endureth for ever.
⁵ Out of my distress I called upon Jehovah: Jehovah answered me and set me in a large place.
⁶ Jehovah is on my side; I will not fear: What can man do unto me?

(Verse 6 was quoted in Hebrews 13:6.)

⁷ Jehovah is on my side among them that help me: Therefore shall I see my desire upon them that hate me.
⁸ It is better to take refuge in Jehovah Than to put confidence in man.
⁹ It is better to take refuge in Jehovah Than to put confidence in princes.

(Taking refuge in God was better than putting confidence in man or princes. Even if the man or prince was "good," it was better to take refuge in God.)

¹⁰ All nations compassed me about: In the name of Jehovah I will cut them off.
¹¹ They compassed me about; yea, they compassed me about: In the name of Jehovah I will cut them off.
¹² They compassed me about like bees; They are quenched as the fire of thorns: In the name of Jehovah I will cut them off.

(In the name of Jehovah, the psalmist cut off his enemies.)

¹³ Thou didst thrust sore at me that I might fall; But Jehovah helped me.
¹⁴ Jehovah is my strength and song; And he is become my salvation.
¹⁵ The voice of rejoicing and salvation is in the tents of the righteous: The right hand of Jehovah doeth valiantly.

(Those who were righteous had a voice that rejoiced and they had Salvation. Righteousness is the measure of our Salvation.)

¹⁶ The right hand of Jehovah is exalted: The right hand of Jehovah doeth valiantly.
¹⁷ I shall not die, but live, And declare the works of Jehovah.
¹⁸ Jehovah hath chastened me sore; But he hath not given me over unto death.

(God would chasten us to cause growth in us: John 15.)

¹⁹ Open to me the gates of righteousness: I will enter into them, I will give thanks unto Jehovah.
²⁰ This is the gate of Jehovah; The righteous shall enter into it.

(The Righteous would enter in the gate of Jehovah.)

²¹ I will give thanks unto thee; for thou hast answered me, And art become my salvation.
²² The stone which the builders rejected Is become the head of the corner.

(Jesus quoted this passage in Mark 12:10-11 and Matthew 21:42. 1 Peter 2:6 referenced this verse.)

²³ This is Jehovah's doing; It is marvellous in our eyes.
²⁴ This is the day which Jehovah hath made; We will rejoice and be glad in it.
²⁵ Save now, we beseech thee, O Jehovah: O Jehovah, we beseech thee, send now prosperity.

(Hosanna meant "save now, we pray." The crowd stated this to Jesus in Matthew 21:9.)

²⁶ Blessed be he that cometh in the name of Jehovah: We have blessed you out of the house of Jehovah.

(Mark 11:9 and John 12:13 recorded this verse was quoted about Jesus by people during Jesus' entrance into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday.)

²⁷ Jehovah is God, and he hath given us light: Bind the sacrifice with cords, even unto the horns of the altar.

(God had given us light as He was the Light.)

²⁸ Thou art my God, and I will give thanks unto thee: Thou art my God, I will exalt thee.
²⁹ Oh give thanks unto Jehovah; for he is good; For his lovingkindness endureth for ever.

(This post covered the shortest psalm and the middle chapter of the Bible. We are now ready for the longest psalm which was also the longest chapter in the Bible...)

Day 178