2 The Lord is building up Jerusalem; he makes all the outlaws of Israel come together.
Then the Lord will have pity on you, changing your fate, and taking you back again from among all the nations where you have been forced to go.
The Lord God, who gets together the wandering ones of Israel, says, I will get together others in addition to those of Israel who have come back.
And it will be in that day that a great horn will be sounded; and those who were wandering in the land of Assyria, and those who had been sent away into the land of Egypt, will come; and they will give worship to the Lord in the holy mountain at Jerusalem.
For I will take you out from among the nations, and get you together from all the countries, and take you into your land. And I will put clean water on you so that you may be clean: from all your unclean ways and from all your images I will make you clean. And I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you: I will take away the heart of stone from your flesh, and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my spirit in you, causing you to be guided by my rules, and you will keep my orders and do them. So that you may go on living in the land which I gave to your fathers; and you will be to me a people, and I will be to you a God. And I will make you free from all your unclean ways: and at my voice the grain will come up and be increased, and I will not let you be short of food. And I will make the tree give more fruit and the field fuller produce, and no longer will you be shamed among the nations for need of food. And at the memory of your evil ways and your wrongdoings, you will have bitter hate for yourselves because of your evil-doings and your disgusting ways, O children of Israel. Not because of you am I doing it, says the Lord; let it be clear to you, and be shamed and made low because of your ways, O children of Israel. This is what the Lord has said: In the day when I make you clean from all your evil-doings I will let the towns be peopled and there will be building on the waste places. And the land which was waste will be farmed, in place of being a waste in the eyes of everyone who went by. And they will say, This land which was waste has become like the garden of Eden; and the towns which were unpeopled and wasted and pulled down are walled and peopled. Then the rest of the nations round about you will be certain that I the Lord am the builder of the places which were pulled down and the planter of that which was waste: I the Lord have said it, and I will do it. This is what the Lord has said: The children of Israel will again make prayer to me for this, that I may do it for them; I will make them increased with men like a flock. Like sheep for the offerings, like the sheep of Jerusalem at her fixed feasts, so the unpeopled towns will be made full of men: and they will be certain that I am the Lord.
That you were at that time without Christ, being cut off from any part in Israel's rights as a nation, having no part in God's agreement, having no hope, and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who at one time were far off are made near in the blood of Christ. For he is our peace, who has made the two into one, and by whom the middle wall of division has been broken down, Having in his flesh put an end to that which made the division between us, even the law with its rules and orders, so that he might make in himself, of the two, one new man, so making peace; And that the two might come into agreement with God in one body through the cross, so putting an end to that division. And he came preaching peace to you who were far off, and to those who were near; Because through him the two of us are able to come near in one Spirit to the Father. So then you are no longer as those who have no part or place in the kingdom of God, but you are numbered among the saints, and of the family of God,
And I say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock will my church be based, and the doors of hell will not overcome it.
Have then the certain knowledge that from the going out of the word for the building again of Jerusalem till the coming of a prince, on whom the holy oil has been put, will be seven weeks: in sixty-two weeks its building will be complete, with square and earthwork.
When I have taken them back from among the peoples and got them together out of the lands of their haters, and have made myself holy in them before the eyes of a great number of nations. And they will be certain that I am the Lord their God, because I sent them away as prisoners among the nations, and have taken them together back to their land; and I have not let one of them be there any longer.
After a long time you will get your orders: in the last years you will come into the land which has been given back from the sword, which has been got together out of a great number of peoples, on the mountains of Israel which have ever been a waste: but it has been taken out from the peoples and they will be living, all of them, without fear of danger.
And say to them, These are the words of the Lord: See, I am taking the children of Israel from among the nations where they have gone, and will get them together on every side, and take them into their land: And I will make them one nation in the land, on the mountains of Israel; and one king will be king over them all: and they will no longer be two nations, and will no longer be parted into two kingdoms: And they will no longer make themselves unclean with their images or with their hated things or with any of their sins: but I will give them salvation from all their turning away in which they have done evil, and will make them clean; and they will be to me a people, and I will be to them a God. And my servant David will be king over them; and they will all have one keeper: and they will be guided by my orders and will keep my rules and do them. And they will be living in the land which I gave to Jacob, my servant, in which your fathers were living; and they will go on living there, they and their children and their children's children, for ever: and David, my servant, will be their ruler for ever. And I will make an agreement of peace with them: it will be an eternal agreement with them: and I will have mercy on them and make their numbers great, and will put my holy place among them for ever. And my House will be over them; and I will be to them a God, and they will be to me a people. And the nations will be certain that I who make Israel holy am the Lord, when my holy place is among them for ever.
The number of all the people together was forty-two thousand, three hundred and sixty, As well as their men-servants and their women-servants, of whom there were seven thousand, three hundred and thirty-seven: and they had two hundred men and women to make music.
See, I will get them together from all the countries where I have sent them in my wrath and in the heat of my passion and in my bitter feeling; and I will let them come back into this place where they may take their rest safely.
I will again make new your buildings, O virgin of Israel, and you will take up your place: again you will take up your instruments of music, and go out in the dances of those who are glad.
What answer, then, will my people give to the representatives of the nation? That the Lord is the builder of Zion, and she will be a safe place for the poor of his people.
And in that day the hand of the Lord will be stretched out the second time to get back the rest of his people, from Assyria, and from Egypt, and from Pathros, and from Cush, and from Elam, and from Shinar, and from Hamath, and from the sea-lands. And he will put up a flag as a sign to the nations, and he will get together those of Israel who had been sent away, and the wandering ones of Judah, from the four ends of the earth.
You will again get up and have mercy on Zion: for the time has come for her to be comforted. For your servants take pleasure in her stones, looking with love on her dust. So the nations will give honour to the name of the Lord, and all the kings of the earth will be in fear of his glory: When the Lord has put up the walls of Zion, and has been been in his glory;
Now the town was wide and great: but the people in it were only a small number, and the houses had not been put up.
Then Eliashib, the chief priest, got up with his brothers the priests, and took in hand the building of the sheep doorway; they made it holy and put its doors in position; as far as the tower of Hammeah they made it holy, even to the tower of Hananel. And by his side the men of Jericho were building. And after them, Zaccur, the son of Imri. The sons of Hassenaah were the builders of the fish doorway; they put its boards in place and put up its doors, with their locks and rods. By their side Meremoth, the son of Uriah, the son of Hakkoz, was making good the walls. Then Meshullam, the son of Berechiah, the son of Meshezabel; and by him, Zadok, the son of Baana. Near them, the Tekoites were at work; but their chiefs did not put their necks to the work of their Lord. Joiada, the son of Paseah, and Meshullam, the son of Besodeiah, made good the old doorway; they put its boards in place and put up its doors, with their locks and rods. By their side were working Melatiah the Gibeonite and Jadon the Meronothite, the men of Gibeon and of Mizpah from the seat of the ruler across the river. Near them was working Uzziel, the son of Harhaiah, the gold-worker. And by him was Hananiah, one of the perfume-makers, building up Jerusalem as far as the wide wall. Near them was working Rephaiah, the son of Hur, the ruler of half Jerusalem. By his side was Jedaiah, the son of Harumaph, opposite his house. And by him was Hattush, the son of Hashabneiah. Malchijah, the son of Harim, and Hasshub, the son of Pahath-moab, were working on another part, and the tower of the ovens. Near them was Shallum, the son of Hallohesh, the ruler of half Jerusalem, with his daughters. Hanun and the people of Zanoah were working on the doorway of the valley; they put it up and put up its doors, with their locks and rods, and a thousand cubits of wall as far as the doorway where the waste material was placed. And Malchijah, the son of Rechab, the ruler of the division of Beth-haccherem, made good the doorway of the waste, building it up and putting up its doors, with their locks and rods. And Shallun, the son of Col-hozeh, the ruler of the division of Mizpah, made good the doorway of the fountain, building it up and covering it and putting up its doors, with their locks and rods, with the wall of the pool of Shelah by the king's garden, as far as the steps which go down from the town of David. By his side was working Nehemiah, the son of Azbuk, ruler of half the division of Beth-zur, as far as the place opposite the last resting-places of David's family, and the pool which was made and the house of the men of war.
Now these are the heads of families who were listed of those who went up with me from Babylon, when Artaxerxes was king. Of the sons of Phinehas, Gershom; of the sons of Ithamar, Daniel; of the sons of David, Hattush; Of the sons of Shecaniah; of the sons of Parosh, Zechariah; and with him were listed a hundred and fifty males. Of the sons of Pahath-moab, Eliehoenai, the son of Zerahiah; and with him two hundred males. Of the sons of Shecaniah, the son of Jahaziel; and with him three hundred males. And of the sons of Adin, Ebed, the son of Jonathan; and with him fifty males. And of the sons of Elam, Jeshaiah; the son of Athaliah; and with him seventy males. And of the sons of Shephatiah, Zebadiah, the son of Michael; and with him eighty males. Of the sons of Joab, Obadiah, the son of Jehiel; and with him two hundred and eighteen males. And of the sons of Shelomith, the son of Josiphiah; and with him a hundred and sixty males. And of the sons of Bebai, Zechariah, the son of Bebai; and with him twenty-eight males. And of the sons of Azgad, Johanan, the son of Hakkatan; and with him a hundred and ten males. And of the sons of Adonikam, the last, whose names were Eliphelet, Jeuel, and Shemaiah; and with them sixty males. And of the sons of Bigvai, Uthai and Zabbud; and with them seventy males.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on Psalms 147
Commentary on Psalms 147 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
PSALM 147
Ps 147:1-20. This and the remaining Psalms have been represented as specially designed to celebrate the rebuilding of Jerusalem (compare Ne 6:16; 12:27). They all open and close with the stirring call for praise. This one specially declares God's providential care towards all creatures, and particularly His people.
1. (Compare Ps 92:1; 135:3).
2. (Compare Ps 107:3; Isa 11:12).
3. Though applicable to the captive Israelites, this is a general and precious truth.
wounds—(Compare Margin).
4, 5. God's power in nature (Isa 40:26-28, and often) is presented as a pledge of His power to help His people.
telleth … stars—what no man can do (Ge 15:5).
6. That power is put forth for the good of the meek and suffering pious, and confusion of the wicked (Ps 146:8, 9).
7-9. His providence supplies bountifully the wild animals in their mountain homes.
Sing … Lord—literally, "Answer the Lord," that is, in grateful praise to His goodness, thus declared in His acts.
10, 11. The advantages afforded, as in war by the strength of the horse or the agility of man, do not incline God to favor any; but those who fear and, of course, trust Him, will obtain His approbation and aid.
13. strengthened … gates—or, means of defense against invaders,
14. maketh … borders—or, territories (Ge 23:17; Isa 54:12).
filleth thee, &c.—(Compare Margin).
15-18. God's Word, as a swift messenger, executes His purpose, for with Him to command is to perform (Ge 1:3; Ps 33:9), and He brings about the wonders of providence as easily as men cast crumbs.
17. morsels—used as to food (Ge 18:5), perhaps here denotes hail.
19, 20. This mighty ruler and benefactor of heaven and earth is such especially to His chosen people, to whom alone (De 4:32-34) He has made known His will, while others have been left in darkness. Therefore unite in the great hallelujah.