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Praise to the Creator and Preserver.
Of David, a Song, a Psalm. |
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1 Rejoice in Jehovah, O ye righteous:
Praise is comely for the upright.
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Rejoice in the LORD – Rejoicing and the spirit of praise are indissolubly linked in the divine economy. R2031:3
Praise is comely – Gratitude is one of the divinely implanted instincts of a soul bearing the image of God, and should therefore be cultivated. R2031:2
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2 Give thanks unto Jehovah with the harp:
Sing praises unto him with the psaltery of ten strings.
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3 Sing unto him a new song;
Play skilfully with a loud noise.
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4 For the word of Jehovah is right;
And all his work is done in faithfulness.
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5 He loveth righteousness and justice:
The earth is full of the lovingkindness of Jehovah.
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6 By the word of Jehovah were the heavens made,
And all the host of them by the breath of his mouth.
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By the word – Not Jehovah personally, but he used various agencies. He gave orders and they were promptly executed. E182
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7 He gathereth the waters of the sea together as a heap:
He layeth up the deeps in store-houses.
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8 Let all the earth fear Jehovah:
Let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him.
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In awe – Before God, infinite in wisdom, justice, love and power. SM168:4
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9 For he spake, and it was done;
He commanded, and it stood fast.
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For he spake – When we read that Jehovah created the heavens and the earth, we are not to suppose that he personally handled it, but that he used various agencies. R370:4
And it was done – His orders were promptly executed. E182
Satan has never interfered with God's plans. A116
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10 Jehovah bringeth the counsel of the nations to nought;
He maketh the thoughts of the peoples to be of no effect.
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11 The counsel of Jehovah standeth fast for ever,
The thoughts of his heart to all generations.
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12 Blessed is the nation whose God is Jehovah,
The people whom he hath chosen for his own inheritance.
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13 Jehovah looketh from heaven;
He beholdeth all the sons of men;
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From heaven – The bodily presence of Jehovah is in heaven. R5547:6
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14 From the place of his habitation he looketh forth
Upon all the inhabitants of the earth,
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Looketh upon all – The Lord has means by which he can be cognizant of all earthly affairs. R5547:6
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15 He that fashioneth the hearts of them all,
That considereth all their works.
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16 There is no king saved by the multitude of a host:
A mighty man is not delivered by great strength.
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17 A horse is a vain thing for safety;
Neither doth he deliver any by his great power.
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18 Behold, the eye of Jehovah is upon them that fear him,
Upon them that hope in his lovingkindness;
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19 To deliver their soul from death,
And to keep them alive in famine.
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Their soul – Being. R277:1
From death – Not the body, but the being, called in the Scriptures, "soul," dies. R205:4, R277:1
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20 Our soul hath waited for Jehovah:
He is our help and our shield.
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21 For our heart shall rejoice in him,
Because we have trusted in his holy name.
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22 Let thy lovingkindness, O Jehovah, be upon us,
According as we have hoped in thee. |
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