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Expanded Comments |
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| 1 Bless the LORD, O my soul. O LORD my God, thou art very great; thou art clothed with honour 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: |
Clouds his chariot – "Behold, he cometh with clouds." (Rev 1:7) R153:3
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| 4 Who maketh his angels spirits; his ministers a 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 Who laid the foundations of the earth, that it should not be removed 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 Thou coveredst it with the deep as with a garment: 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 They go up by the mountains; they go down by the valleys unto the place which thou hast 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 the springs into the valleys, which run among the hills. |
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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 shall the fowls of the heaven have their habitation, which sing among the branches. |
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| 13 He watereth the hills from his chambers: the earth is satisfied with the fruit of thy works. |
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 which strengtheneth man's heart. |
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| 16 The trees of the LORD are full of sap; 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 hills are a refuge for the wild goats; and the rocks 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 do creep forth. |
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 meat from God. |
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| 22 The sun ariseth, they gather themselves together, and lay them down in their dens.
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| 23 Man goeth forth unto his work and to his labour until the evening. |
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| 24 O LORD, how manifold are thy works! in wisdom hast thou made them all: the earth is full of thy riches. |
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| 25 So is this great and wide sea, wherein are things creeping innumerable, both small and great beasts. |
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| 26 There go the ships: there is that leviathan, whom thou hast made to play therein. |
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| 27 These wait all upon thee; that thou mayest give them their meat in due season. |
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| 28 That thou givest them they gather: thou openest thine hand, they are filled with good. |
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| 29 Thou hidest thy face, they are troubled: thou takest away their breath, they expire, 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 earth. |
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| 31 The glory of the LORD shall endure for ever: the LORD shall rejoice in his works. |
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| 32 He looketh on the earth, and it trembleth: he toucheth the hills, and they smoke. |
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| 33 I will sing unto the LORD as long as I live: I will sing praise to my God while I have my being. |
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| 34 My meditation of him shall be sweet: I will be glad in the LORD. |
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 the sinners be consumed out of the earth, and let the wicked be no more. Bless thou the LORD, O my soul. Praise ye the LORD. |
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