| Scripture |
Expanded Comments |
Jehovah's Care over all his Works.
Of David. |
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1 Bless Jehovah, O my soul.
O Jehovah my God, thou art very great;
Thou art clothed with honor and majesty:
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2 Who coverest thyself with light as with a garment;
Who stretchest out the heavens like a curtain;
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3 Who layeth the beams of his chambers in the waters;
Who maketh the clouds his chariot;
Who walketh upon the wings of the wind;
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Clouds his chariot – "Behold, he cometh with clouds." (Rev 1:7) R153:3
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4 Who maketh winds his messengers;
Flames of fire his minister;
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Maketh his angels – "Who maketh the winds his angels and flaming fire his servants." R2382:2
God is as able to use winds or waves, lightnings or sandstorms, or pestilence, as any other agency in the execution of his will. R2382:2
Spirits – Spirit beings. R5043:1; Q838:4
His ministers – God can use anybody or anything as his agency, his messenger. R5815:3
A flaming fire – Spirit beings can appear as a flame of fire, as in the burning bush. (Exo. 3:2) HG28:4
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5 Who laid the foundations of the earth,
That it should not be moved for ever.
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Of the earth – The new, perfect, conditions of human society. R1814:1
For ever – Not to be burned up, but to "abide forever." (Eccl. 1:4) R6013:5
The same physical earth remains, and is the scene of great revolutionary changes, justifying the use of the symbols of a new heaven and a new earth. R1615:4
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6 Thou coveredst it with the deep as with a vesture;
The waters stood above the mountains.
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7 At thy rebuke they fled;
At the voice of thy thunder they hasted away
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8 (The mountains rose, the valleys sank down)
Unto the place which thou hadst founded for them.
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9 Thou hast set a bound that they may not pass over;
That they turn not again to cover the earth.
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10 He sendeth forth springs into the valleys:
They run among the mountains;
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11 They give drink to every beast of the field;
The wild asses quench their thirst.
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12 By them the birds of the heavens have their habitation;
They sing among the branches.
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13 He watereth the mountains from his chambers:
The earth is filled with the fruit of thy works.
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Earth is satisfied – Not envious of the Gospel Church and its reward. R613:2
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14 He causeth the grass to grow for the cattle,
And herb for the service of man;
That he may bring forth food out of the earth,
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15 And wine that maketh glad the heart of man,
And oil to make his face to shine,
And bread that strengtheneth man's heart.
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16 The trees of Jehovah are filled with moisture;
The cedars of Lebanon, which he hath planted;
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17 Where the birds make their nests:
As for the stork, the fir-trees are her house.
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18 The high mountains are for the wild goats;
The rocks are a refuge for the conies.
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19 He appointed the moon for seasons:
The sun knoweth his going down.
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20 Thou makest darkness, and it is night,
Wherein all the beasts of the forest creep forth.
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Beasts – Wild beasts; not man-eating Negroes, as some claim. R3044:5
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21 The young lions roar after their prey,
And seek their food from God.
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22 The sun ariseth, then they get them away,
And lay them down in their dens.
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23 Man goeth forth unto his work
And to his labor until the evening.
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24 O Jehovah, how manifold are thy works!
In wisdom hast thou made them all:
The earth is full of thy riches.
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25 Yonder is the sea, great and wide,
Wherein are things creeping innumerable,
Both small and great beasts.
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26 There go the ships;
There is leviathan, whom thou hast formed to play therein.
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27 These wait all for thee,
That thou mayest give them their food in due season.
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28 Thou givest unto them, they gather;
Thou openest thy hand, they are satisfied with good.
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29 Thou hidest thy face, they are troubled;
Thou takest away their breath, they die,
And return to their dust.
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30 Thou sendest forth thy Spirit, they are created;
And thou renewest the face of the ground.
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31 Let the glory of Jehovah endure for ever;
Let Jehovah rejoice in his works:
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32 Who looketh on the earth, and it trembleth;
He toucheth the mountains, and they smoke.
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33 I will sing unto Jehovah as long as I live:
I will sing praise to my God while I have any being.
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34 Let my meditation be sweet unto him:
I will rejoice in Jehovah.
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My meditation – Only in pondering the Word of the Lord can we receive its nourishment. A hasty reading of the Scriptures makes a spiritual dyspeptic. R1390:3
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35 Let sinners be consumed out of the earth,
And let the wicked be no more.
Bless Jehovah, O my soul.
Praise ye Jehovah. |
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