Psalms 147
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Praise ye the Lord: for it is good to sing praises unto our God; for it is pleasant; and praise is comely.
2 The Lord doth build up Jerusalem: he gathereth together the outcasts of Israel.
3 He healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds.
4 He telleth the number of the stars; he calleth them all by their names.
5 Great is our Lord, and of great power: his understanding is infinite.
6 The Lord lifteth up the meek: he casteth the wicked down to the ground.
7 Sing unto the Lord with thanksgiving; sing praise upon the harp unto our God:
8 Who covereth the heaven with clouds, who prepareth rain for the earth, who maketh grass to grow upon the mountains.
9 He giveth to the beast his food, and to the young ravens which cry.
10 He delighteth not in the strength of the horse: he taketh not pleasure in the legs of a man.
11 The Lord taketh pleasure in them that fear him, in those that hope in his mercy.
12 Praise the Lord, O Jerusalem; praise thy God, O Zion.
13 For he hath strengthened the bars of thy gates; he hath blessed thy children within thee.
14 He maketh peace in thy borders, and filleth thee with the finest of the wheat.
15 He sendeth forth his commandment upon earth: his word runneth very swiftly.
16 He giveth snow like wool: he scattereth the hoarfrost like ashes.
17 He casteth forth his ice like morsels: who can stand before his cold?
18 He sendeth out his word, and melteth them: he causeth his wind to blow, and the waters flow.
19 He sheweth his word unto Jacob, his statutes and his judgments unto Israel.
20 He hath not dealt so with any nation: and as for his judgments, they have not known them. Praise ye the Lord.
Public Domain KJV text from Wordproject.org
Psalm 147:1-20
He Heals the Brokenhearted
1Praise the Lord!
For it is good to sing praises to our God;
for it is pleasant, and a song of praise is fitting.
2The Lord builds up Jerusalem;
he gathers the outcasts of Israel.
3He heals the brokenhearted
and binds up their wounds.
4He determines the number of the stars;
he gives to all of them their names.
5Great is our Lord, and abundant in power;
his understanding is beyond measure.
6The Lord lifts up the humble;
he casts the wicked to the ground.
7Sing to the Lord with thanksgiving;
make melody to our God on the lyre!
8He covers the heavens with clouds;
he prepares rain for the earth;
he makes grass grow on the hills.
9He gives to the beasts their food,
and to the young ravens that cry.
10His delight is not in the strength of the horse,
nor his pleasure in the legs of a man,
11but the Lord takes pleasure in those who fear him,
in those who hope in his steadfast love.
12Praise the Lord, O Jerusalem!
Praise your God, O Zion!
13For he strengthens the bars of your gates;
he blesses your children within you.
14He makes peace in your borders;
he fills you with the finest of the wheat.
15He sends out his command to the earth;
his word runs swiftly.
16He gives snow like wool;
he scatters frost like ashes.
17He hurls down his crystals of ice like crumbs;
who can stand before his cold?
18He sends out his word, and melts them;
he makes his wind blow and the waters flow.
19He declares his word to Jacob,
his statutes and rules to Israel.
20He has not dealt thus with any other nation;
they do not know his rules.
Praise the Lord!
ESV Bible text displayed through the American Bible Society's Global Bible Widget
Psalm 147:1-20
Psalm 147
1Praise the Lord.
How good it is to sing praises to our God,
how pleasant and fitting to praise him!
2The Lord builds up Jerusalem;
he gathers the exiles of Israel.
3He heals the brokenhearted
and binds up their wounds.
4He determines the number of the stars
and calls them each by name.
5Great is our Lord and mighty in power;
his understanding has no limit.
6The Lord sustains the humble
but casts the wicked to the ground.
7Sing to the Lord with grateful praise;
make music to our God on the harp.
8He covers the sky with clouds;
he supplies the earth with rain
and makes grass grow on the hills.
9He provides food for the cattle
and for the young ravens when they call.
10His pleasure is not in the strength of the horse,
nor his delight in the legs of the warrior;
11the Lord delights in those who fear him,
who put their hope in his unfailing love.
12Extol the Lord, Jerusalem;
praise your God, Zion.
13He strengthens the bars of your gates
and blesses your people within you.
14He grants peace to your borders
and satisfies you with the finest of wheat.
15He sends his command to the earth;
his word runs swiftly.
16He spreads the snow like wool
and scatters the frost like ashes.
17He hurls down his hail like pebbles.
Who can withstand his icy blast?
18He sends his word and melts them;
he stirs up his breezes, and the waters flow.
19He has revealed his word to Jacob,
his laws and decrees to Israel.
20He has done this for no other nation;
they do not know his laws.
Praise the Lord.
NIV Bible text displayed through the American Bible Society's Global Bible Widget
Commentary
What makes the difference between an animal and a pet? My uncle ran a dairy farm. He had lots of cows that came and went over the years. All of them had an identifying ear tag for record-keeping, but a few of them had names. These were the special cows. They were the ones with whom my uncle had developed some kind of relationship. These were the cows that didn’t end up on the dinner table. Having a name matters.
Psalm 147:4 tells us what kind of a God we serve, “He counts the number of the stars; He gives names to all of them.” (emphasis supplied). That means that none of the stars are throwaways. Each one is important to God. The psalmist cites this as an illustration of God’s character and as an example of how much God cares for his people, Israel. After all, it was Isaac who called his son Jacob, but God named him Israel and assured him of their special relationship. As he said to Israel, he says to us, "Do not be afraid—I will save you. I have called you by name—you are mine.” Isaiah 43:1, GNB
Karen D. Lifshay
Chorister, Hermiston Seventh-day Adventist church, Oregon USA (as of this writing)
