The Eastern Cross/Bible/Psalms/Psalm 146
The Book of Psalms · the Psalter
Psalm 147 in the KJV and most English Bibles
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Alleluia, a Psalm of Haggai and Zechariah. Praise ye the Lord: for psalmody is a good thing; Let praise be sweetly sung to our God.
Ἀλληλούϊα· Ἀγγαίου καὶ Ζαχαρίου. Αἰνεῖτε τὸν Κύριον ὅτι ἀγαθὸν ψαλμός, τῷ Θεῷ ἡμῶν ἡδυνθείη αἴνεσις.
It is said to us, "Praise the Lord." This is said to all nations, not to us alone. And these words, sounded forth through separate places by the Readers, each Church heareth separately; but the one same Voice of God proclaimeth unto all, that we praise Him. And as though we asked wherefore we ought to praise the Lord,…
The Lord builds up Jerusalem; And he will gather together the dispersed of Israel.
Οἰκοδομῶν Ἱερουσαλὴμ ὁ Κύριος, καὶ τὰς διασπορὰς τοῦ Ἰσραὴλ ἐπισυνάξει·
Who is "our God," that praise should be pleasant to Him? He makes Himself sweet to us, He commends Himself to us; thanks to His condescension...."But God commends His love to us"..."in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." [Romans 5:8] ...Let us see whether it be the commendation which the Apostle…
He heals the broken in heart, And binds up their wounds.
Ὁ ἰώμενος τοὺς συντετριμμένους τὴν καρδίαν, καὶ δεσμεύων τὰ συντρίμματα αὐτῶν·
How doth He gather? What doeth He in order to gather? "Who healeth the bruised in heart" (ver. 3). Behold the way in which the dispersions of Israel are gathered, by the healing of the bruised in heart. They who are not of a bruised heart, are not healed. What is to bruise the heart? Let it be known, brethren, let it…
He numbers the multitudes of stars; And calls them all by names.
Ὁ ἀριθμῶν πλήθη ἄστρων, καὶ πᾶσιν αὐτοῖς ὀνόματα καλῶν.
"Who telleth the number of the stars, and calleth them all by their names" (ver. 4). What great matter is it for God to "tell the number of the stars"! Men even have endeavoured to do this; whether they have been able to achieve it, is their concern; they would not however attempt it, did they not think that they…
Great is our Lord, and great is his strength; And his understanding is infinite.
Μέγας ὁ Κύριος ἡμῶν, καὶ μεγάλη ἡ ἰσχὺς αὐτοῦ, καὶ τῆς συνέσεως αὐτοῦ οὐκ ἔστιν ἀριθμός.
"Great is our Lord". The Psalmist is filled with joy, he has poured out his words wonderfully: yet somewhat he was unable to speak, and how availed he to think on it? "And great is His power, and of His understanding is no numbering." He who "numbers the stars," Himself cannot be numbered. Who can expound this? Who…
The Lord lifts up the meek; But brings sinners down to the ground.
Ἀναλαμβάνων πρᾳεῖς ὁ Κύριος, ταπεινῶν δὲ ἁμαρτωλοὺς ἕως τῆς γῆς.
"The Lord takes up the gentle". For example; you understand not, you fail to understand, canst not attain: honour God's Scripture, honour God's Word, though it be not plain: in reverence wait for understanding. Be not wanton to accuse either the obscurity or seeming contradiction of Scripture. There is nothing in it…
Begin the song with thanksgiving to the Lord; Sing praises on the harp to our God:
Ἐξάρξατε τῷ Κυρίῳ ἐν ἐξομολογήσει, ψάλατε τῷ Θεῷ ἡμῶν ἐν κιθάρᾳ·
"Begin to the Lord in confession". Begin with this, if you would arrive at a clear understanding of the truth. If you will be brought from the road of faith to the profession of the reality, "begin in confession." First accuse yourself: accuse yourself, praise God. What after confession? Let good works follow. "Sing…
Who covers the heaven with clouds, Who prepares rain for the earth, Who causes grass to spring up on the mountains, And green herb for the service of men;
Τῷ περιβάλλοντι τὸν οὐρανὸν ἐν νεφέλαις, τῷ ἑτοιμάζοντι τῇ γῇ ὑετόν· τῷ ἐξανατέλλοντι ἐν ὄρεσι χόρτον, καὶ χλόην τῇ δουλείᾳ τῶν ἀνθρώπων·
..."Who covereth the heaven with clouds, who prepareth rain for the earth" (ver. 8). Now thou art alarmed, because thou canst not see the heaven: when it hath rained thou shalt gather fruit, and shalt see clear sky. Perhaps our God hath done this. For had we not the obscurity of Scripture as an occasion, we should not…
And gives to cattle their food, And to the young ravens that call upon him.
καὶ διδόντι τοῖς κτήνεσι τροφὴν αὐτῶν, καὶ τοῖς νεοσσοῖς τῶν κοράκων τοῖς ἐπικαλουμένοις αὐτόν.
"And gives unto the cattle their food". These are the cattle he means, even God's flocks. God defrauds not His flock of their food through men, for whose "service He makes the grass to grow." "And to the young of the ravens that call upon Him." Shall we perchance think this, that the ravens call upon God to give them…
He will not take pleasure in the strength of a horse; Neither is he well pleased with the legs of a man.
Οὐκ ἐν τῇ δυναστείᾳ τοῦ ἵππου θελήσει, οὐδὲ ἐν ταῖς κνήμαις τοῦ ἀνδρὸς εὐδοκεῖ.
"In the power of an horse He will not take pleasure." The power "of an horse" is pride. For the horse seemeth adapted as it were to bear a man aloft, that he may be more uplifted as he goes. And in truth he has a neck which typifieth a sort of pride. Let not men exalt themselves upon their worth, let them not think…
But what addeth he? "The Lord will delight in them that fear Him, and in them that hope in His mercy." A robber is feared, and a wild beast is feared, and an unjust and powerful man is much feared. "The Lord will delight in them that hope in His mercy." Behold, Judas, who betrayed our Lord, feared, but he did not hope…
Every note is a real passage, quoted word for word from a published English translation, with its source. Nothing here is summarised or written by us. Some verses have many notes and some have none, because the Fathers wrote more on some passages than others.
All of these translations are in the public domain. The passages were matched to their verses by the Historical Christian Commentaries project, which also hosts the full texts we link to. The Fathers are a treasury of the Church's mind, and they are best read alongside the life of the Church: if a passage raises a question, bring it to your priest.