1.
O clap your hands, all ye people; shout unto God with the voice of triumph.
1. clap . . . hands . . .
people—literally, "peoples," or "nations"
(compare Deuteronomy 32:43; Psalms 18:49;
Psalms 98:9).
2.
For the LORD most high is terrible; he is a great King over all the earth.
2, 3. His universal sovereignty
now exists, and will be made known.
3.
He shall subdue the people under us, and the nations under our feet.
3. under us—that is, His
saints; Israel's temporal victories were types of the spiritual
conquests of the true Church.
4.
He shall choose our inheritance for us, the excellency of Jacob whom he loved. Selah.
4. He shall . . . inheritance—the
heathen to be possessed by His Church (), as Canaan by the Jews.
excellency of
Jacob—literally, "pride," or, that in which he
glories (not necessarily, though often, in a bad sense), the
privileges of the chosen people—
whom he loved—His love
being the sole cause of granting them.
5.
God is gone up with a shout, the LORD with the sound of a trumpet.
5-7. God, victorious over His
enemies, reascends to heaven, amid the triumphant praises of His
people, who celebrate His sovereign dominion. This sovereignty is
what the Psalm teaches; hence he adds,
sing . . . praises with
understanding—literally, "sing and play an instructive
(Psalm)." The whole typifies Christ's ascension (compare ).
6.
Sing praises to God, sing praises: sing praises unto our King, sing praises.
7.
For God is the King of all the earth: sing ye praises with understanding.
8.
God reigneth over the heathen: God sitteth upon the throne of his holiness.
8, 9. The instruction continued.
throne of . . . holiness—or,
"holy throne" (see on ; Psalms 47:2).
9.
The princes of the people are gathered together, even the people of the God of Abraham: for the shields of the earth belong unto God: he is greatly exalted.
9. princes—who represent
peoples. For—
even—supply, "as,"
or, "to"—that is, they all become united under covenant
with Abraham's God.
shields—as in , "rulers" [Margin].