Salmi 103:21 Commento

This psalm calls more for devotion than exposition; it is a most excellent psalm of praise, and of general use. The psalmist, I. Stirs up himself and his own soul to praise God (Psa 103:1, Psa 103:2) for his favour to him in particular (Psa 103:3-5), to the church in general, and to all good men, to whom he is, and will be, just, and kind, and constant (Psa 103:6-18), and for his government of the world (Psa 103:19). II. He desires the assistance of the holy angels, and all the works of God, in praising him (Psa 103:20-22). In singing this psalm we must in a special manner get our hearts affected with the goodness of God and enlarged in love and thankfulness. A psalm of David.

INTRODUCTION TO PSALM 103 A Psalm of David. The Targum adds, "spoken in prophecy,'' as doubtless it was, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. Some think it was written by David, after a fit of illness, and his recovery from it, since he speaks of his diseases being healed, and his youth renewed; for which reason the Syriac interpreter suggests it was written in his old age; for he makes the subject of the psalm to be, "concerning coldness which prevailed upon him in old age;'' but rather he wrote it when his heart was warm with a sense of the love of God, and spiritual blessings of grace flowing from thence; and in it celebrates and sings the benefits of New Testament times; and it is a psalm suitable to be sung by every believer, under a quick sense of divine favours: wherefore the above interpreter better adds, "also an instruction and thanksgiving by men of God;'' whom the psalmist may very well be thought to personate, even in Gospel times; and much rather than the Jews in captivity, as Kimchi thinks.

Under “thrones” [Paul] includes the cherubim, giving them this Greek name, as more intelligible than the Hebrew name for them. He knew that “God sits upon the cherubim,” and so he calls these powers the thrones of him who sits on them. In the same way there are included in the list of Isaiah’s seraphim, by whom the mystery of the Trinity was clearly proclaimed, when they uttered that marvelous cry “holy,” being awestruck with the beauty in each person of the Trinity. They are named under the title of “powers” both by the great Paul and by the prophet David—the latter says, “Bless you the Lord all you his powers, you ministers of his that do his pleasure,” and Isaiah instead of saying “Bless you” has written the very words of their blessing, “Holy, holy, holy, Lord God of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory,” and he has revealed by what one of the seraphim did [to him] that these powers are ministers that do God’s pleasure, effecting the “purging of sin” according to the will of him who sent them: for this is the ministry of these spiritual beings, namely, to be sent forth for the salvation of those who are being saved.

"Bless ye the Lord, all you His hosts: ye servants of His that do His pleasure" [Psalm 103:21]. All you angels, all you that are mighty in strength: ye that do His word: all you His hosts, you servants of His that do His pleasure, do ye, you bless the Lord. For all they who live wickedly, though their tongues be silent, by their lips do curse the Lord. What does it profit if your tongue sings a hymn, while your life breathes sacrilege? By living ill you have set many tongues to blasphemy. Your tongue is given to the hymn, the tongues of those who behold you, to blasphemy. If then thou dost wish to bless the Lord, do His word, do His will....

“Your will be done on earth as in heaven.” God’s divine and blessed angels do the will of God, as David said in the psalm, “Bless the Lord, all his angels, mighty in strength, that do his pleasure.” So then in effect this is what you mean when you pray, “as in the angels your will is done, so likewise be it done on earth by human beings, O Lord.”

The Psalmist celebrates God's glory in His works of creation and providence, teaching the dependence of all living creatures; and contrasting the happiness of those who praise Him with the awful end of the wicked. (Psa. 104:1-35) God's essential glory, and also that displayed by His mighty works, afford ground for praise.

ye his hosts--myriads, or armies, as corresponding to angels of great power [Psa 103:20], denoting multitudes also.