Psalms 147.
The prophet exhorteth to praise God for his care of the church, his power, and his mercy: for his providence: for his blessings upon the kingdom, for his power over the seasons, and for his ordinances in the church.
THIS psalm is supposed to have respect to the return of the Jewish nation from the Babylonish captivity, and the instauration of Jerusalem which followed upon it. It has been very probably conjectured that Nehemiah wrote it; and by the 2nd, 3rd, and 13th verses it seems to have been composed just after the restoration upon the rebuilding of Jerusalem; and at such a time especially praise must look becoming.

Psalms 147:4. He telleth the number of the stars, &c.— i.e. "He as distinctly and exactly knows them, how numerous soever they be, (see Genesis 15:5.) and how confusedly soever they seem to us to be scattered in the sky, as we do those things which we call by their proper names; and thus he knows how to gather the outcasts of Israel out of all their dispersions, and to find every one of them, wheresoever they are."

Psalms 147:7. Sing unto the Lord with thanksgiving— Hebrew, Answer to the Lord in praise. "Sing alternately;" which may fairly be supposed to be the sense intended by the prophet, as it was the ancient practice to sing alternately. The precentor beginning with the voice, it was usual for the instruments to follow to the same tune and key. See Fenwick, and particularly Bishop Lowth's 19th Prelection.

Psalms 147:9. He giveth to the beast his food— The Hebrew word indifferently signifies either a tame or a wild beast; but this passage of the Psalmist is to be understood only of wild beasts; those for whom God by his especial providence prepares food, and who have no other care taken of them. The beasts which live among men are taken care of by them; but the wild beasts that live upon the mountains, and in woods and desart places, are fed only from God. The rain that distils from the heavens, enriches those dry hills, and makes grass to grow thereon; and so God gives to these wild beasts their food, after the same manner of divine providence, as, at the end of the verse, he is said to provide for young ravens. Though what some tell us of these birds is not true, (for it is certain they are not less careful of their young than others are;) yet, as the rearing up the young of any species of animals, is a striking instance of the ordinary providence of God; and the cawing of a young raven in poetical speech may very beautifully be considered as a sort of natural prayer to God, in answer to which he supplies their wants; this certainly is sufficient to justify the Psalmist's expression.

Psalms 147:10. He delighteth not in the strength of the horse— See Psalms 33:16-17. Mr. Green renders this, He delighteth not in the courage of the horse, nor is pleased with the agility of the warrior. The meaning seems to be, "The Lord, who fighteth for us, (see Nehemiah 4:20.) will not take part with our enemies, though they are superior to us in the strength of their cavalry and the agility of their infantry. These, though the natural causes of military success, are of no efficacy against the interposition of the Deity. The fear of him is a more certain assurance of conquest, than any or all human resources."