| Scripture |
Expanded Comments |
| 1 Bless, O my soul, Jehovah! Jehovah, my God, Thou hast been very great, Honour and majesty Thou hast put on. |
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| 2 Covering himself [with] light as a garment, Stretching out the heavens as a curtain, |
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| 3 Who is laying the beam of His upper chambers in the waters, Who is making thick clouds His chariot, Who is walking on wings of wind, |
Clouds his chariot – "Behold, he cometh with clouds." (Rev 1:7) R153:3
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| 4 Making His messengers the winds, His ministers the flaming fire. |
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 He hath founded earth on its bases, It is not moved to the age and for ever. |
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 The abyss! as with clothing Thou hast covered it, Above hills do waters stand. |
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| 7 From Thy rebuke they flee, From the voice of Thy thunder haste away. |
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| 8 They go up hills they go down valleys, Unto a place Thou hast founded for them. |
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| 9 A border Thou hast set, they pass not over, They turn not back to cover the earth. |
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| 10 Who is sending forth fountains in valleys, Between hills they go on. |
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| 11 They water every beast of the field, Wild asses break their thirst. |
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| 12 By them the fowl of the heavens doth dwell, From between the branches They give forth the voice. |
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| 13 Watering hills from His upper chambers, From the fruit of Thy works is the earth satisfied. |
Earth is satisfied – Not envious of the Gospel Church and its reward. R613:2
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| 14 Causing grass to spring up for cattle, And herb for the service of man, To bring forth bread from the earth, |
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| 15 And wine it rejoiceth the heart of man, To cause the face to shine from oil, And bread the heart of man it supporteth. |
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| 16 Satisfied [are] the trees of Jehovah, Cedars of Lebanon that He hath planted, |
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| 17 Where birds do make nests, The stork the firs [are] her house. |
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| 18 The high hills [are] for wild goats, Rocks [are] a refuge for conies, |
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| 19 He made the moon for seasons, The sun hath known his place of entrance. |
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| 20 Thou settest darkness, and it is night, In it doth every beast of the forest creep. |
Beasts – Wild beasts; not man-eating Negroes, as some claim. R3044:5
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| 21 The young lions are roaring for prey, And to seek from God their food. |
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| 22 The sun riseth, they are gathered, And in their dens they crouch. |
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| 23 Man goeth forth to his work, And to his service till evening. |
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| 24 How many have been Thy works, O Jehovah, All of them in wisdom Thou hast made, Full is the earth of thy possessions. |
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| 25 This, the sea, great and broad of sides, There [are] moving things innumerable, Living creatures small with great. |
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| 26 There do ships go: leviathan, That Thou hast formed to play in it. |
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| 27 All of them unto Thee do look, To give their food in its season. |
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| 28 Thou dost give to them they gather, Thou dost open Thy hand they [are] satisfied [with] good. |
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| 29 Thou hidest Thy face they are troubled, Thou gatherest their spirit they expire, And unto their dust they turn back. |
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| 30 Thou sendest out Thy Spirit, they are created, And Thou renewest the face of the ground. |
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| 31 The honour of Jehovah is to the age, Jehovah rejoiceth in His works, |
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| 32 Who is looking to earth, and it trembleth, He cometh against hills, and they smoke. |
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| 33 I sing to Jehovah during my life, I sing praise to my God while I exist. |
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| 34 Sweet is my meditation on Him, I I do rejoice in Jehovah. |
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 Consumed are sinners from the earth, And the wicked are no more. Bless, O my soul, Jehovah. Praise ye Jehovah! |
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