Wisdom & Poetry · Old Testament
Psalms 147
Psalm 147: the Lord who builds Jerusalem, counts the stars and sends snow like wool
General context
The psalm opens with "Praise ye the Lord" and says it is good, pleasant and comely to sing praises. The Lord builds up Jerusalem and gathers the outcasts of Israel, heals the broken in heart and binds their wounds, counts the stars and calls them by name; he is great, of great power, and his understanding infinite. He lifts up the meek and casts the wicked to the ground. Hearers are told to sing with thanksgiving and on the harp to the one who covers the heaven with clouds, prepares rain, makes grass grow on the mountains, and feeds the beast and the young ravens. He does not delight in the horse's strength or a man's legs, but takes pleasure in those who fear him and hope in his mercy. Jerusalem and Zion are told to praise their God, who has strengthened the bars of the gates, blessed the children within, made peace in the borders and given the finest wheat. His commandment goes out on earth and his word runs swiftly; he gives snow like wool, hoarfrost like ashes, ice like morsels, and no one can stand before his cold; he sends his word and melts them, and his wind blows and the waters flow. He shows his word to Jacob and his statutes and judgments to Israel, and has not dealt so with any nation. The psalm ends with "Praise ye the Lord".
Cited passages: Psalms 147:1, Psalms 147:2, Psalms 147:3, Psalms 147:4, Psalms 147:5, Psalms 147:6, Psalms 147:7, Psalms 147:8, Psalms 147:9, Psalms 147:10, Psalms 147:11, Psalms 147:12, Psalms 147:13, Psalms 147:14, Psalms 147:15, Psalms 147:16, Psalms 147:17, Psalms 147:18, Psalms 147:19, Psalms 147:20
Psalms 147 (KJV)
1Praise ye the Lord: for it is good to sing praises unto our God; for it is pleasant; and praise is comely.
2The Lord doth build up Jerusalem: he gathereth together the outcasts of Israel.
3He healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds.
4He telleth the number of the stars; he calleth them all by their names.
5Great is our Lord, and of great power: his understanding is infinite.
6The Lord lifteth up the meek: he casteth the wicked down to the ground.
7Sing unto the Lord with thanksgiving; sing praise upon the harp unto our God:
8Who covereth the heaven with clouds, who prepareth rain for the earth, who maketh grass to grow upon the mountains.
9He giveth to the beast his food, and to the young ravens which cry.
10He delighteth not in the strength of the horse: he taketh not pleasure in the legs of a man.
11The Lord taketh pleasure in them that fear him, in those that hope in his mercy.
12Praise the Lord, O Jerusalem; praise thy God, O Zion.
13For he hath strengthened the bars of thy gates; he hath blessed thy children within thee.
14He maketh peace in thy borders, and filleth thee with the finest of the wheat.
15He sendeth forth his commandment upon earth: his word runneth very swiftly.
16He giveth snow like wool: he scattereth the hoarfrost like ashes.
17He casteth forth his ice like morsels: who can stand before his cold?
18He sendeth out his word, and melteth them: he causeth his wind to blow, and the waters flow.
19He sheweth his word unto Jacob, his statutes and his judgments unto Israel.
20He hath not dealt so with any nation: and as for his judgments, they have not known them. Praise ye the Lord.
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Historical context
The source prints no heading for this psalm; verse 1 begins with "Praise ye the Lord", so no title, author or occasion is given and none is asserted. Jerusalem, Zion, Israel and Jacob are the names given; "the outcasts of Israel" are said to be gathered and the city's gates strengthened, but the psalm does not narrate any event, exile or rebuilding, and gives no date. The speaker is not named; "our God" and "our Lord" give the psalm a plural voice, and it speaks in commands to hearers and to Jerusalem and Zion, and in statements about the Lord. "Any nation" in verse 20 is contrasted with Jacob and Israel without any nation being named. The seasons are described by their effects, snow, hoarfrost, ice and melting, and the psalm does not say where they occur. The psalm is framed by "Praise ye the Lord" at its first and last words. No Selah occurs.
Cited passages: Psalms 147:1, Psalms 147:2, Psalms 147:13, Psalms 147:12, Psalms 147:20, Psalms 147:16
Literary context
Three calls to praise divide the psalm: "Praise ye the Lord" in verse 1, "Sing unto the Lord with thanksgiving" in verse 7, and "Praise the Lord, O Jerusalem" in verse 12, each followed by reasons. The reasons move between scales without transition: Jerusalem's outcasts and the broken in heart sit beside the numbered stars; clouds, rain and grass beside the beast and the ravens; the city's gates and wheat beside snow, hoarfrost and ice. Two negatives set the Lord's pleasure apart from strength, "not in the strength of the horse", "not pleasure in the legs of a man", before it is placed in those who fear him. The Lord's "word" appears three times in verses 15-19, first running swiftly, then melting the ice, then shown to Jacob, so the same word governs the weather and the law. Each of the winter images is a comparison to a household thing: wool, ashes, morsels. The last verse turns the psalm's widest claim, care for the beasts and the whole earth, into a narrow one, that no other nation has been dealt with so.
Cited passages: Psalms 147:1, Psalms 147:7, Psalms 147:12, Psalms 147:3, Psalms 147:4, Psalms 147:9, Psalms 147:10, Psalms 147:15, Psalms 147:18, Psalms 147:19, Psalms 147:16, Psalms 147:17, Psalms 147:20
Key moments
- Outcasts gathered (Psalms 147:2). The Lord builds up Jerusalem and gathers the outcasts of Israel.
- Broken hearts healed (Psalms 147:3). The Lord heals the broken in heart and binds up their wounds.
- Stars called by name (Psalms 147:4). The Lord counts the stars and calls them all by their names.
- Not the horse's strength (Psalms 147:10). The Lord takes no delight in the horse's strength or a man's legs.
- Jerusalem told to praise (Psalms 147:12). Jerusalem and Zion are told to praise their God for strengthened gates and peace.
- Snow like wool (Psalms 147:16). The Lord gives snow like wool and scatters hoarfrost like ashes.
- His word shown to Jacob (Psalms 147:19). The Lord shows his word, statutes and judgments to Jacob and Israel alone.
For reflection
The psalm puts the healing of the broken-hearted in the same breath as the counting of the stars, and the melting of ice beside the giving of the law. What does it suggest by describing such different acts with the same verbs and the same word?
