1David exhorteth princes to give glory to God, 3by reason of his power, 11and protection of his people.
0A Psalm of David.
1GIVE unto the LORD, O 1ye mighty, givea unto the LORD glory and strength.
1 That is, ye great and mighty ones, who are exalted above others here on earth in power and authority. Also Psalm 89:6.
a Psalm 96; 7, 8.
2Give unto the LORD the glory due unto his name; 2worship the LORD in the 3beauty of holiness.
2 Or, bow yourselves before the LORD. See Gen. 24 on verse 26.
3 That is, His tabernacle, which the great God Himself has adorned with the glorious testimonials of His grace and favor. Some are of the opinion that David wrote this psalm as he was bringing home the ark of the covenant with great joy into Zion, 2 Samuel 6, to humble the great ones in the world (who commonly are insolent and haughty) under the mighty hand of this only true God, Who had His habitation in Zion, and to exhort them by his own example that they should come and honor this God in His habitation with all humility; for which end also he uses and introduces the description of the thunder (in verse 3) of which the greatest potentates on earth must fear and tremble, and ought therefore to acknowledge the Author thereof and to honor Him according to His institution. Other, in, or, with ornament of holiness.
3The 4voice of the LORD is upon the 5waters: theb God 6of glory thundereth: the LORD is upon 7many waters.
4 Understand the thunder and the terrible sound thereof, as Psalm 18:13 and 2 Sam. 22:14; Job 28:26; 37:2, 4, 5; Psalm 46:6; 68:33; Isa. 30:30, 31.
5 This may be understood of the uppermost waters, namely, the clouds, and also of the nethermost, whereon the thunder makes a fearful sound. Other, above the waters, that is, makes a stronger and greater sound than the roaring of the waters. See hereof Ezek. 1:24; 43:2; Rev. 1:15; 14:2; 19:6.
bExod. 9:23.
6 That is, the honorable, glorious God, as 1 Cor. 2:8.
7 Or, the great.
4The voice of the LORD is powerful; the voice of the LORD is full of majesty.
5The voice of the LORD breaketh the cedars; yea, the LORD breaketh the cedars of 8Lebanon.
8 A very famous mountain, often mentioned in Scripture, situated on the north borders of Canaan, renowned for goodly cedar trees. See Judges 9 on verse 15.
6He maketh them also to skip like a calf; Lebanon and 9Sirion like a 10young unicorn.
9 See Deut. 3:9.
10 Hebr. a son of the unicorns.
7The voice of the LORD 11divideth the 12flames of fire.
11 Or, striketh. The Hebrew word is properly used of hewing or cutting stone or wood.
12 Understand the flames of lightning, which God spreads abroad by the thunder, as if He were striking or hewing them out of the clouds so that the flashes fly and scatter everywhere.
8The voice of the LORD 13shaketh the wilderness; the LORD shaketh the wilderness of 14Kadesh.
13 Other, maketh that it comes into pangs or labor, that is, so frightens the wild animals of the desert that their travail comes upon them before the time.
14 Which was well known to the Jews, whereby they likewise understand other wildernesses and desert places. See Num. 33:36, 37 and more elsewhere.
9The voice of the LORD maketh the 15hinds to calve, and 16discovereth the forests: and in his 17temple doth every one speak of 18his glory.
15 Which otherwise (as appears in Job 39:1, 2, 3 and naturalist also testify) they do cast with much difficulty. Or, maketh the hinds to come in labor.
16 Namely, of trees which by thunder, lightnings and tempest are made bare of their leaves, burnt, rooted up out of the ground and cast down again; likewise of animals which the thunder chases into dens and holes that they dare not continue their courses in the woods.
17 Or, palace, that is, tabernacle, as Psalm 27:4. As if he said: God causes by thunder His voice to be heard everywhere, but every one of his (people), namely the faithful, praises Him in His church and habitation, by reason of all His great and mighty acts in general, and in particular (the events) rehearsed previously; to which David also had invited the great ones to come, verse 1.
18 Or, everyone speaketh of his honor or glory. Other, all that therein is, namely, in the temple, speaketh his honor.
10The LORD 19sitteth upon the 20flood; yea, the LORD sitteth Kingc for ever.
19 Or, hath sat over the flood of waters, namely, at the time of the flood of waters.
20 This many do understand of the deluge, of which the Hebrew word is nowhere used but in the Holy Scripture, over which the LORD did sit as President, Governor and Judge; yet it may well be further extended to all manner of floods which all are governed and directed by God.
cPsalm 10:16.
11The LORD will give strength unto his people; the LORD will bless his people with 21peace.
21 That is, with all manner of prosperity, especially in Christ, Who is our Peace. See Judges 6 on verse 24.