Psalm 147 Study Notes

147:1 On Hallelujah! see note at 146:1.

147:2-3 The restoration and return of Israel to the land is expressed as spiritual and physical healing. Isaiah 61:1 uses some of the same words—bandages the brokenhearted—which Jesus the Messiah fulfilled (Lk 4:18-21).

147:4-5 While the Lord counts (Hb mispar) the stars (Is 40:26), humanity is unable to measure (Hb mispar) the Lord’s understanding.

147:6 God rights wrongs and reverses fortunes (7:14-16; 18:27; 113:8; 1Pt 5:5).

147:7 On sing to the Lord and lyre, see note at 33:1-3.

147:8 Three lines trace the progression from clouds, to rain, to vegetation. The Lord attends to every aspect of the cosmos, and nothing escapes his attention (72:6; 85:11; 104:14; Is 45:8; 61:11).

147:9 Compare the imagery of this verse with Jb 38:41.

147:10-11 God determines the outcome of any situation, and when he evaluates the participants, strength and power do not impress him (33:16-17). Rather, he seeks to intervene on behalf of those who fear and trust him (2Ch 16:9).

147:12-13 In a clever wordplay, the psalmist described the Lord as strengthening the bars (Hb beriychey) of Jerusalem’s gates and blessing (Hb barak) her children (Hb beniyk, “her sons”) in her midst (Hb beqirbek). The Lord will restore Judah’s protection and offspring.

147:14 The sovereign Lord controls the productivity of the land. His blessing is described in terms of the abundance that Israel will enjoy.

147:15 In a progressive development of the word of God, the Lord sends (Hb shalach) forth his command. His spoken “word” accomplishes all that he declares (v. 18; Is 55:10-11).

147:16-17 Compare these verses with Jb 37-38 for God’s sovereignty over the weather. Nothing is unaffected by the Lord’s cold, which permeates creation.

147:18 The psalmist reinforced the association between the Lord’s creative word and his spoken word. The Hebrew word for winds (ruach) could also be translated “breath.”

147:19-20 Describing the Lord’s word as revelatory, the psalmist alluded to Dt 4:7-8, a text characterizing Israel as unique, with divinely ordained standards to regulate her relationship with God.