1.
Praise ye the LORD. Praise the LORD, O my soul.
The first of the five "Hallelujah" Psalms concluding the whole book; each beginning and ending with this word. The first has GENESIS for its subject; the second, Exodus; the third, LEVITICUS; the fourth, NUMBERS, and the fifth, DEUTERONOMY. See the Structure, p. 827, and notes below.
Praise ye THE LORD = Hallelu-JAH. App-4 .
Praise. Figure of speech Apostrophe. App-6 .
the LORD. Hebrew. Jehovah. App-4 .
O my soul = O I myself (emphatic). Hebrew. nephesh. App-13 .
2.
While I live will I praise the LORD: I will sing praises unto my God while I have any being.
God. Hebrew. Elohim. App-4 .
3.
Put not your trust in princes, nor in the son of man, in whom there is no help.
trust = confidence. Hebrew. batah. App-69 .
man. Hebrew. 'adam. App-14 .
no help = no salvation, or saving help. Compare Psalms 33:16 ; Psalms 60:11 .
4.
His breath goeth forth, he returneth to his earth; in that very day his thoughts perish.
His breath, &c. This verse occurs in the Apocrypha (1 Mace. Psa 2:63 ); but why is it assumed that this verse is taken from the Book of Maccabees, instead of this verse in Maccabees being taken from this Psalm?
breath = spirit. Hebrew. ruach. App-9 . Not the same word as in Psalms 150:6 .
returneth. See Genesis 2:7 ; Genesis 3:19 , and compare Ecclesiastes 12:7 . Ecc 104:29 .
earth = ground, or dust. Hebrew. 'adamah. Not ' erez = the Earth.
thoughts = purposes, or plans.
5.
Happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the LORD his God:
Happy. The last of the twenty-seven Beatitudes in the Book of Psalms. See App-63 .
GOD. Hebrew El. App-4 .
of Jacob: i.e. the God who met Jacob (Genesis 28:13 ) when he had nothing (Genesis 32:10 and deserved nothing (but wrath, Genesis 27 ) and promised him everything. This title answers to the N.T. title "the Godof all grace" (1 Peter 5:10 ). Happy indeed are all they who have this God for their God.
Whose. Supply the Ellipsis by repeating [Happy he] whose, &c.
hope = expectation.
6.
Which made heaven, and earth, the sea, and all that therein is: which keepeth truth for ever:
made heaven, and earth. Another reference to Genesis 1 . Compare Psalms 146:4 . See notes on Genesis 14:19 and Deuteronomy 4:26 .
7.
Which executeth judgment for the oppressed: which giveth food to the hungry. The LORD looseth the prisoners:
food. Hebrew bread. Put by Figure of speech Synecdoche (of Species), App-6 , for food in general.
the. No Art. in Hebrew
8.
The LORD openeth the eyes of the blind: the LORD raiseth them that are bowed down: the LORD loveth the righteous:
9.
The LORD preserveth the strangers; he relieveth the fatherless and widow: but the way of the wicked he turneth upside down.
strangers = aliens.
relieveth. Plenty of saving "help" here. Compare the contrast with "man", (Psalms 146:3 ), "no help".
wicked = lawless. Hebrew. rasha'.
10.
The LORD shall reign for ever, even thy God, O Zion, unto all generations. Praise ye the LORD.
for ever. Contrast Psalms 146:4 . Compare Revelation 11:15 .
Zion. See App-68 .