angela hormberg

Tag: Psalms of Praise

  • 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 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

  • Psalm 148

    Psalm 148

    Commonplace –

    “Let them praise the name of the Lord: for his name alone is excellent; his glory is above the earth and heaven” (Psalm 148:13).

    With this psalm, David provides us with a beautiful example of a call to praise. Matthew Henry notes the following:

    “This psalm is a most solemn and earnest call to all the creatures, according to their capacity, to praise their Creator, and to show forth his eternal power and Godhead, the invisible things of which are manifested in the things that are seen. Thereby the psalmist designs to express his great affection to the duty of praise; he is highly satisfied that God is praised, is very desirous that he may be more praised, and therefore does all he can to engage all about him in this pleasant work, yea, and all who shall come after him, whose hearts must be very dead and cold if they be not raised and enlarged, in praising God, by the lofty flights of divine poetry which we find in this psalm.” (641).

    It is a call to all creation everywhere: material, living, sentient, rational creation, along with nonmaterial, nonliving, nonsentient, nonrational creation. His praise, even greater than a flood, engulfs all creation to its fullest extent.

    Works Cited

    Henry, Matthew. “Psalm 148.” 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 147

    Psalm Singing: Psalm 147

    From The Psalms of David in Metre

    Praise ye the Lord; for it is good

    praise to our God to sing:

    For it is pleasant, and to praise it is a comely thing.

    God doth build up Jerusalem;

    and he it is alone

    That the dispers’d of Israel

    doth gather into one.

    Those that are broken in their heart and grieved in their minds,

    He healeth, and their painful wounds he tenderly up-binds.

    He counts the number of the stars; he names them ev’ry one.

    Great is our Lord, and of great pow’r; his wisdom search can none.

    The Lord lifts up the meek; and casts the wicked to the ground.

    Sing to the Lord, and give him thanks; on harp his praises sound;

    Who covereth the heav’n with clouds, who for the earth below

    Prepareth rain, who maketh grass upon the mountains grow.

    He gives the beast his food, he feeds the ravens young that cry.

    His pleasure not in horses’ strength, nor in man’s legs, doth lie.

    But in all those that do him fear the Lord doth pleasure take;

    In those that to his mercy do by hope themselves betake.

    The Lord praise, O Jerusalem; Sion, thy God confess:

    For thy gates’ bars he maketh strong; thy sons in thee doth bless.

    He in thy borders maketh peace; with fine wheat filleth thee.

    He sends forth his command on earth, his word runs speedily.

    Hoar-frost, like ashes, scatt’reth he; like wool he snow doth give:

    Like morsels casteth forth his ice; who in its cold can live?

    He sendeth forth his might word, and melteth them again;

    His wind he makes to blow, and then the waters flow amain.

    The doctrine of his holy word to Jacob he doth show;

    His statutes and his judgments he gives Israel to know.

    To any nation never he such favour did afford;

    For they his judgments have not known. O do ye praise the Lord.

  • Psalm Number

    Psalm Number

    Commonplace –

    “Sing unto the Lord with thanksgiving; sing praise upon the harp unto our God” (Psalm 147:6).

    This is a psalm of high praise and devotion. David delights the reader with many attributes of God, upon which it is good to meditate. Here he tells us that “it is good to sing praises unto our God; for it is pleasant; and praise is comely” (v.1.). Of God, David says:

    1. He builds up Jerusalem.
    2. He gathers together the outcasts.
    3. He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.
    4. He tells the number of the stars.
    5. He calls the stars by name.
    6. He is great in power.
    7. His understanding is infinite.
    8. God lifts up the meek.
    9. He casts down the wicked to the ground.
    10. He covers the heavens with clouds.
    11. He prepares rain for the earth.
    12. He makes grass grow upon the mountains.
    13. He gives food to the beasts and young ravens.
    14. He takes pleasure in those who revere Him and those who hope in His mercy.
    15. He strengthens the gates of His people.
    16. He blesses His children’s children.
    17. He brings peace to His children.
    18. He fills His children with the finest wheat.
    19. He sends forth His commandments; His word runs quickly.
    20. He gives snow and frost; He casts forth ice.
    21. He sends out His word, which brings warmth.
    22. He causes the wind to blow.
    23. He causes water to flow.
    24. He shows His statutes and His judgments to His people, He does this for no one else.

    Once again, David gives us an exemplary psalm for praising God, naming His wonderful attributes and works. After pondering this list, our place is put right in the world. What was big before now finds its rightful place in our day, and God rises to take His place, ordering our day aright. How can we but help praising God with David after this? It is pleasant to sing praise to God. As Matthew Henry notes, “This is another psalm of praise” (638). Let us put it in our memory and keep it close at hand, calling it forward when times are challenging and comfort is needed.

    Works Cited

    Henry, Matthew. “Psalm 147.” 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 146

    Psalm 146

    Commonplace –

    “Praise ye the Lord. Praise the Lord, o my soul” (Psalm 146:1).

    Here is another beautiful psalm of praise. David begins by stirring up his soul to praise God. He declares he will praise God till the end of his days. He gives reasons for not putting faith in man:

    1. There is no help in man, layman or ruler.
    2. Man dies, and his thoughts perish with him.

    Then, David gives reason for putting faith in God:

    1. God is creator of all things.
    2. God keeps truth forever.
    3. God judges in favor of the oppressed.
    4. God gives food to the hungry.
    5. God sets the prisoner free.
    6. God opens the eyes of the blind.
    7. God raises up those who are bowed down.
    8. God loves the righteous.
    9. God preserves strangers.
    10. God gives relief to the widow and orphan.
    11. God confounds the ways of the wicked.
    12. God reigns forever.

    Then, David invites the reader to join him in praising God.

    Matthew Henry makes an interesting comment:

    “This and all the rest of the psalms that follow begin and end with Hallelujah, a word which puts much of God’s praise into a little compass, for in it we praise him by his name Jah, the contraction of Jehovah.

    Works Cited

    Henry, Matthew. “Psalm 146.” 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 145

    Psalm 145

    Commonplace –

    “I will extol thee, my God, O king; and I will bless thy name for ever and ever” (Psalm 145:1).

    What does it mean to ‘extol’? Extol means to praise enthusiastically. It takes its meaning from the Latin word extollere, which means “to place on high, raise, elevate”(extol), and Psalm 145 is an exemplar of praise. David begins with declaring he will praise God for ever, and so he will. From there, he begins to speak of God’s greatness and the passing on of God’s love from one generation to the next, including recording specifically what will be passed on:

    1. the glorious honor of God’s majesty
    2. the might of God’s terrible, in the sense that they cause terror, acts
    3. God’s greatness
    4. God’s goodness
    5. God’s righteousness
    6. God’s graciousness
    7. God’s compassion
    8. His being slow to anger
    9. God’s great mercy

    David declares all creation will

    1. praise God,
    2. bless God,
    3. speak of the glory of God’s kingdom
    4. talk of God’s power
    5. make known His might acts
    6. make known the glorious majesty of His kingdom

    David describes God’s kingdom:

    1. it’s everlasting
    2. it endures throughout all generations

    David tells of God’s great acts

    1. God upholds those who fall
    2. God raises up all those that are bowed down
    3. God gives food to all those whose eyes wait upon Him
    4. God opens His hand and satisfies the desire of every living thing

    David describes God

    1. God is righteous in all His ways
    2. God is Holy in all His works
    3. God is near to all who call upon Him in truth
    4. God fulfills the desire of those that fear, meaning reverence, Him
    5. God hears the cry of His children
    6. God saves His children
    7. God preserves all who love him
    8. God destroys the wicked

    Finally, David closes with the declaration that he will praise the Lord, and he asks that all flesh bless the Lord’s name forever.

    In saying all these things, David did exactly what he set out to do: he praised God enthusiastically. This truly is a song of praise, one to be emulated.

    Matthew Henry observes that this is the beginning of six praise psalms, and these six praise psalms follow after five psalms full of prayers and beseeching. He notes the following in regard to this:

    “It is observable, [t]hat after five psalms of prayer follow six psalms of praise; for those that are much in prayer shall not want matter for praise, and those that have sped in prayer must abound in praise” (633).

    Works Cited

    “Extol.” Etymonline: Online Etymology Dictionary. https://www.etymonline.com/search?q=extol. Accessed 14 Sep 2025

    Henry, Matthew. “Psalm 145.” 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