Israel’s praise to the sovereign Jehovah, who blesseth and rejoiceth over their nation restored to prosperity 

The psalm states that the Lord doth build Jerusalem, and Christ confirmed that when He said, “I will build my church.” He does so by sending His word, and showing His word to those who are then brought to hope in His mercy. He heals their diseases and sins by binding their wounds with Gospel balm. These favoured ones are subjects of His pleasure, as Paul later writes, “Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ unto Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will.” 

Thus the psalm speaks of His goodness to His people, and also of His goodness to all creatures and His government of creation. For such mercies, His peculiar people and holy nation find it exceedingly pleasant and comely, to extol their God in Christ.

-Pastor Jeff O’ Neil

Recommended Tune: Thanksgiving

Psalm 147

¹Praise ye the LORD; for it is good
Praise to our God to sing:
For it is pleasant, and to praise
It is a comely thing.

²GOD doth build up Jerusalem;
And he it is alone
That the dispers’d of Israel
Doth gather into one.

³Those that are broken in their heart,
And grieved in their minds,
He healeth, and their painful wounds
He tenderly up-binds.

⁴He counts the number of the stars;
He names them ev’ry one.
⁵Great is our Lord, and of great pow’r;
His wisdom search can none.

⁶The LORD lifts up the meek; and casts
The wicked to the ground.
⁷Sing to the LORD, and give him thanks;
On harp his praises sound;

⁸Who covereth the heav’n with clouds,
Who for the earth below
Prepareth rain, who maketh grass
Upon the mountains grow.

⁹He gives the beast his food, he feeds
The ravens young that cry.
¹⁰His pleasure not in horses’ strength,
Nor in man’s legs, doth lie.

¹¹But in all those that do him fear
The LORD doth pleasure take;
In those that to his mercy do
By hope themselves betake.

¹²The LORD praise, O Jerusalem;
Zion, thy God confess:
¹³For thy gates’ bars he maketh strong;
Thy sons in thee doth bless.

¹⁴He in thy borders maketh peace;
With fine wheat filleth thee.
¹⁵He sends forth his command on earth,
His word runs speedily.

¹⁶Hoar-frost, like ashes, scatt’reth he;
Like wool he snow doth give:
¹⁷Like morsels casteth forth his ice;
Who in its cold can live?

¹⁸He sendeth forth his mighty word,
And melteth them again;
His wind he makes to blow, and then
The waters flow amain.

¹⁹The doctrine of his holy word
To Jacob he doth show;
His statutes and his judgments he
Gives Israel to know.

²⁰To any nation never he
Such favour did afford;
For they his judgments have not known.
O do ye praise the LORD.