angela hormberg

Category: Matthew Henry’s Commentary

  • Psalm 3

    Psalm 3

    Commonplace –

    “Salvation belongeth unto the Lord: thy blessing is upon thy people. Selah” (Psalm 3:8).

    This is a very desperate psalm; David is being hunted by his son, Absalom. Yet in his despair, David is not fearful, even though his circumstances would seem to dictate it. If he is not fearful, how does David maintain his peace?

    Herein David gives us a pattern to use in times of trouble:

    I. He relates his situation to God.

    Is this necessary? Is not God omniscient and omnipresent? Yes, He is. So the recounting of the situation is the opportunity of the troubled to speak out his fear: in writing or verbally. It draws that fear from the mind into reality and solidly identifies the problem. Using David’s situation as the example, we note, he says “many are they that rise up against me”(Psalm 3:1b) and “many there be which say of my soul, “There is no help for him in God” (Psalm 3:2). So, he expresses two fears: the physical threat of bodily harm and the spiritual threat of God not helping him.

    II. Recognize that God is Protector.

    After expressing his fears, David claims the promise of God, “But thou, O Lord, art a shield for me; my glory, and the lifter up of mine head” (Psalm 3:3). In one verse, David overcomes the two fears he expressed. The singular expression of ‘God is my shield’ counteracts his two fears: 1) he uses the present tense “to be verb” and addresses God – “But thou, O Lord, art”, which acknowledges God has not deserted him; David still has access to God, even in this present moment and 2) he acknowledges God’s role as protector – “thou art a shield for me”.

    III. He recalls God’s previous help

    This is very important; we have available to us our own history, looking back to see how God has helped us in the past serves as a personal testimony to ourselves in present trouble. David remembers: “I cried unto the Lord with my voice, and he heard me out of his holy hill. I laid me down and slept; I awaked; for the Lord sustained me” (Psalm 3:4-5). David spends time pondering his past difficulties, possibly remembering when he was being hunted in a similar way by Saul; in that circumstance, David slept and arose, because God was keeping him safe.

    IV. Encouragement

    David takes courage from remembering being spared in the past. He then en-courages himself: “I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people, that have set themselves against me round about. Arise, O Lord; save me, O my God: for thou hast smitten all mine enemies upon the cheek bone; thou hast broken the teeth of the ungodly. ” (Psalm 3:6-7). He expresses his confidence, which gives him confidence.

    V. Living in peace

    David rests in the peace he has found: “Salvation belongeth unto the Lord: thy blessing is upon thy people” (Psalm 3:8).

    In his summary of Psalm 3, Matthew Henry writes:

    “As the foregoing psalm [Psalm 2], in the type of David in preferment, showed us the royal dignity of the Redeemer, so this, by the example of David in distress, shows us the peace and holy security of the redeemed, how safe they really are, and think themselves to be, under the divine protection” (201).

    For the reader, Henry offers the following:

    “Those speak best of the truths of God who speak experimentally; so David here speaks of the power and goodness of God, and of the safety and tranquility of the godly” (201).

    Works Cited

    Henry, Matthew. “Psalm 3.” Matthew Henry’s Commentary On the Whole Bible: New Modern Edition. Volume 3 and Volume 6, Hendrickson Publishers, Inc., March 1996.

    Holy Bible: Giant Print with Study Aids. Dugan Publishers, Inc., 1984.

    © 2025 Angela Hormberg

  • Psalm Singing: Psalm 2

    Psalm Singing: Psalm 2

    From The Psalms of David in Metre

    “Why rage the heathen? and vain things why do the people mind?

    Kings of the earth do set themselves, and princes are combin’d

    To plot against the Lord, and his Anointed, saying thus,

    Let us asunder break their bands, and cast their cords from us.

    He that in heaven sits shall laugh; the Lord shall scorn them all.

    Then shall he speak to them in wrath, in rage he vex them shall.

    Yet, notwithstanding, I have him to be my King appointed;

    And over Sion, my holy hill, I have him King anointed.

    The sure decree I will declare; the Lord hath said to me,

    Thou art mine only Son; this day I have begotten thee.

    Ask of me, and for heritage the heathen I’ll make thine;

    And for possession, I to thee will give earth’s utmost line.

    Thou shalt, as with a weighty rod of iron, break them all;

    And, as a potter’s sherd, thou shalt them dash in pieces small.

    Now therefore, kings, be wise, be taught, ye judges of the earth:

    Serve God in fear, and see that ye join trembling with your mirth.

    Kiss ye the Son, lest in his ire ye perish from the way,

    If once his wrath begin to burn: bless’d all that on him stay” (1-3).

    Works Cited

    “Psalm 2.” The Psalms of David in Metre. Trinitartian Bible Society, 1998.

  • Psalm 2

    Psalm 2

    Commonplace –

    “Be wise now therefore, O ye kings: be instructed, ye judges of the earth.

    Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling” (Psalm 2:10-11).

    The writer opens with a question: “Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing?” What is this vanity? The writer is referring to people who reject God. This is an interesting follow up to Psalm 1, a psalm of instruction, which lays out the choice all men have between good and evil. In Psalm 2, the writer gives the reader a glimpse of life for those who choose evil; they will be punished for their evil actions. The psalmist ends with an entreaty to the reader to make the good choice, “Be wise therefore, O ye kings: be instructed, ye judges of the earth. Serve the Lord with fear and rejoice with trembling” (Psalm 2:10-11).

    The result of choosing to follow God is a blessing: “Blessed are all they that put their trust in him” (Psalm 2:12b). Notice, the psalmist doesn’t say “Blessed will be“. This is important, because the blessing is present. One does not have to wait for it to happen; those who follow God are blessed in the present moment in the act of following God. The blessing is the peace that comes from doing the right thing.

    It is also important to note the Messianic message in this psalm: “Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but little” (Psalm 2:12a). Here we are introduced to the Son of God and our need of Him. Allegiance to Him is a necessary element in choosing the good path. Matthew Henry notes this in his comments:

    “As the foregoing psalm was moral, and showed us our duty, so this is evangelical, and shows us our Saviour. Under the type of David’s kingdom (which was of divine appointment, met with much opposition, but prevailed at last) the kingdom of the Messiah, the son of David, is prophesied of, which is the primary intention and scope of this psalm” (196).

    Further on, Henry continues:

    “This psalm, as the former, is very fitly prefixed to this book of devotions, because, as it is necessary to our acceptance with God that we should be subject to the precepts of his law, so it is likewise that we should be subject to the grace of his gospel, and come to him in the name of a Mediator” (196).

    Works Cited

    Henry, Matthew. “Psalm 2.” Matthew Henry’s Commentary On the Whole Bible: New Modern Edition. Volume 3 and Volume 6, Hendrickson Publishers, Inc., March 1996.

    Holy Bible: Giant Print with Study Aids. Dugan Publishers, Inc., 1984.

    © 2025 Angela Hormberg

  • Psalm Singing: Psalm 1

    Psalm Singing: Psalm 1

    From The Psalms of David in Metre

    “That man hath perfect blessedness

    who walketh not astry

    In counsel of ungodly men,

    nor stand in sinner’s way,

    Nor sitteth in the scorner’s chari:

    But placeth his delight

    Upon God’s law, and meditates

    on his law day and night.

    He shall be like a tree that grows

    near planted by a river,

    Which in his season yields his fruit,

    and his leaf fadeth never:

    And all he doth shall prosper well.

    The wicked are not so;

    But like they are unto the chaff,

    which wind drives to and fro.

    In judgment therefore shall not stand

    such as ungodly are;

    Nor in th’ assmebly of the just

    shall wicked men appear.

    For why? the way of godly men

    unto the Lord is known:

    Whereas the way of wicked men

    shall be quite overthrown” (1).

    Works Cited

    “Psalm 1.” The Psalms of David in Metre. Trinitartian Bible Society, 1998.

  • Psalm 1

    Psalm 1

    Commonplace –

    “Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful” (Psalm 1:1).

    Matthew Henry has much to say on this Psalm, so I will let him take the lead.

    “This is a psalm of instruction concerning good and evil, setting before us life and death, the blessing and the curse, that we may take the right way which leads to happiness and avoid that which will certainly end in our misery and ruin. The different character and condition of godly people and wicked people, those that serve God and those that serve him not, is here plainly stated in a few words; so that ever man, if he will be faithful to himself, may here see his own face and then read his own doom. That division of the children of men into saints and sinners, righteous and unrighteous, the children of God and the children of the wicked one, as it is ancient, ever since the struggle began between sin and grace, the seed of the woman and the seed of the serpent, so it is lasting, and will survive all other divisions and subdivisions of men into high and low, rich and poor, bond and free; for by this men’s everlasting state will be determined, and the distinction will last as long as heaven and hell” (194).

    Further on, Henry continues,

    “whoever collected the psalms of David (probably it was Ezra) with good reason put this psalm first, as a preface to the rest, because it is absolutely necessary to the acceptance of our devotions that we be righteous before God (for it is only the prayer of the upright that is his delight), and therefore that we may be right in our notions of blessedness and in our choice of the way that leads to it. Those are not fit to put up good prayers who do not walk in good ways” (194).

    And so we begin with Psalm 1. As Matthew Henry noted, it is a psalm of instruction. I highlighted the first verse, because the writer states very clearly his position and the position of any person who chooses the path of good. In order to be blessed, a person must choose to avoid

    1. ungodly counsel,
    2. becoming a stumbling block to others, and
    3. being a person who derides others.

    Instead, a person who desires to be blessed must choose to delight in God’s law and make it his meditation all day. Such a person will be firmly rooted and watered in blessing.

    This psalm is connected to the final psalm, Psalm 150, of the Book of Psalms. Matthew Henry notes this connection in his opening to Psalm 150.

    “The first and last of the psalms have both the same number of verses, are both short, and very memorable. But the scope of them is different: the first psalm is an elaborate instruction in our duty, to prepare us for the comforts of our devotion; [Psalm 150] is all rapture and transport, and perhaps was penned on purpose to be the conclusion of these sacred songs, to show what is the design of them all, and that is to assist us in praising God” (645).

    Therefore, let us begin with the end in mind: a life of praising God.

    Works Cited

    Henry, Matthew. “Psalm 1.” Matthew Henry’s Commentary On the Whole Bible: New Modern Edition. Volume 3 and Volume 6, Hendrickson Publishers, Inc., March 1996.

    Holy Bible: Giant Print with Study Aids. Dugan Publishers, Inc., 1984.

    © 2025 Angela Hormberg

  • Psalm Singing: Psalm 150

    Psalm Singing: Psalm 150

    From The Psalms of David in Metre

    Praise ye the Lord. God’s praise within his sanctuary raise;

    And to him in the firmament of his pow’r give ye praise.

    Because of all his mighty acts,

    with praise him magnify:

    O praise him, as he doth excel

    in glorious majesty.

    Praise him with trumpet’s sound; his praise with psaltery advance:

    With timbrel, harp, string’d instruments, and organs, in the dance.

    Praise him on cymbals loud; him praise on cymbals sounding high.

    Let each thing breathing praise the Lord.

    Praise to the Lord give ye.

    Works Cited

    “Psalm 150.” The Psalms of David in Metre. Trinitartian Bible Society, 1998.

  • Psalm 150

    Psalm 150

    Commonplace –

    “Let everything that hath breath praise the Lord. Praise ye the Lord” (Psalm 150:6).

    In this beautiful closing to the Psalter is a call to all living things to praise the Lord, whether we be in the sanctuary or in his creation. The psalmist lists reasons we have to praise God; Praise Him for His mighty acts and His excellent greatness. Then, he lists many musical ways to praise God:

    1. the sound of the trumpet
    2. the psaltery, which is an instrument of the string variety
    3. the harp
    4. the timbrel
    5. with dance
    6. with stringed instruments
    7. with organs, also known as an uggab, a pipe or flute
    8. with cymbals
    9. with our very breath

    It is a perfect closing to the Book of Psalms, which have instructed us in prayer and praise, in good times and bad, in every season, to praise God at all times; it is our privilege and duty.

    Matthew Henry gives vital insight to Psalm 150, connecting it to Psalm 1, so we will let him have the last word.

    “The first and the last of the psalms have both the same number of verses, are both short, and very memorable. But the scope of them is very different: the first psalm is an elaborate instruction in our duty, to prepare us for the comforts of our devotions; this is all rapture and transport, and perhaps was penned on purpose to be the conclusion of these sacred songs, to show what is the design of them all, and that is to assist us in praising God” (645).

    Works Cited

    Henry, Matthew. “Psalm 150.” Matthew Henry’s Commentary On the Whole Bible: New Modern Edition. Volume 3 and Volume 6, Hendrickson Publishers, Inc., March 1996.

    Holy Bible: Giant Print with Study Aids. Dugan Publishers, Inc., 1984.

    © 2025 Angela Hormberg

  • Psalm Singing: Psalm 149

    Psalm Singing: Psalm 149

    From The Psalms of David in Metre

    Praise ye the Lord: unto him sing

    a new song, and his praise

    In the assembly of his saints

    in sweet psalms do ye raise.

    Let Isr’el in his Maker joy,

    and to him praises sing:

    Let all that Sion’s children are

    be joyful to their King.

    O let them unto his great name

    give praises in the dance;

    Let them with timbrel and with harp

    in songs his praise advance.

    For God doth pleasure take in those

    that his own people be;

    And he with his salvation

    the meek will beautify.

    And in his glory excellent

    let all his saints rejoice:

    Let them to him upon their beds

    aloud lift up their voice.

    Let in their mouth aloft be rais’d

    the high praise of the Lord,

    And let them have in their right hand

    a sharp two-edged sword;

    To execute the vengeance due

    upon the heathen all,

    And make deserved punishment

    upon the people fall.

    And ev’n with chains, as pris’ners, bind

    their kings that them command;

    Yea, and with iron fetters strong,

    the nobles of their land.

    On them the judgment to perform

    found written in his word:

    This honour is to all his saints.

    O do ye praise the Lord.

    Here is a link to an acapella rendition of the psalm:

    “https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HleyqlbA85E&list=RDHleyqlbA85E&start_radio=1”

    Works Cited

    “Psalm 149.” The Psalms of David in Metre. Trinitartian Bible Society, 1998.

  • Psalm 149

    Psalm 149

    Commonplace –

    “For the Lord taketh pleasure in his people: he will beautify the meek with salvation” (Psalm 149:4).

    David begins this praise song stirring up his spirit and those around him: the congregation of saints, Israel, children of Zion. Specifically, David invites the Lord’s people to dance for the Lord and sing praises accompanied by instruments. He focuses on the relationship between God and His people in v. 4., when he says that the Lord will take pleasure in the praise He receives from His people and return their affection with the gift of salvation. He encourages the saints to be joyful in glory to the point of singing to and praising God from their beds.

    In verse 6, David pivots and instructs the people of God to praise with their mouths and also have the two-edged sword in their hand. This calls to mind Paul’s words in Hebrews 4:12:

    “For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12).

    Peter’s words build on Paul’s thought, instructing believers on how to properly use the Word of God .

    “But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:

    Having a good conscience; that, whereas they speak evil of you, as of evildoers, they may be ashamed that falsely accuse your good conversation in Christ” (1 Peter 3:15-16).

    May we praise Him into eternity and always be ready to speak about the reason of our hope.

    Works Cited

    Henry, Matthew. “Psalm 149.” Matthew Henry’s Commentary On the Whole Bible: New Modern Edition. Volume 3 and Volume 6, Hendrickson Publishers, Inc., March 1996.

    Holy Bible: Giant Print with Study Aids. Dugan Publishers, Inc., 1984.

    © 2025 Angela Hormberg

  • Psalm Singing: Psalm 148

    Psalm Singing: Psalm 148