Psalm 147 (146/147):15Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

As is characteristic of a prophet, who typically shifts between specific and broad themes, this speaker does so here. By expressing, "Praise thy God," he aims to prevent any misguided notion that the divine is exclusively for the Jews. Instead, he reveals that God is the sovereign of the entire universe, showcasing His providential care over all creation. In doing so, he transitions from the individual to the universal, highlighting God’s omnipresent governance. When he states, "sends His word to the earth," he follows up by saying, "His word is soon flowing." These statements illustrate that God's concern transcends our own land, encompassing the whole cosmos. The term "word" here signifies a divine command, an active providence.

Praise together, O Jerusalem, your God (Psalm 146:12). Even while in captivity, the people visualize a united flock of citizens surrounding their city, witnessing the collective joy as they anticipate the harvest and feel no fear. As they endure trials in their current state, they send forth their hopeful joy, longing for the eternal happiness that awaits them alongside the angels of God and the faithful who will share in everlasting joy. What will you, Jerusalem, do with this future in mind? Labor and sorrow will eventually cease. Will you continue to plow, plant, travel, or engage in trade? What actions will comprise your duties moving forward? Will you persist in your current tasks, no matter how noble they may be and rooted in love? Look around at your community—observe if anyone suffers hunger to whom you should provide sustenance; check for those who are thirsty to offer a refreshing drink; investigate if there are strangers in need of hospitality; seek out the sick that you may bring them comfort; consider if someone has a dispute to resolve; reflect on whether any are nearing death that you may assist in burial. In response, what shall you do? Praise in unity, O Jerusalem, your God. This is your calling. As the inscriptions generally indicate, “Use and be happy.”

Be you, Jerusalem; remember the Lord's proclamation: "In Your city, You will destroy their images." They now find joy in splendor, yet many among them do not attend the celebrations today. Who benefits from this joy? Who suffers? And why is there gain or loss? Not only those who celebrate experience loss, but of greater magnitude is the loss of those who derive pleasure from such displays. The former see their wealth diminished; the latter have the riches of righteousness stripped from them. Many of those showcasing such spectacles mourn the loss of their properties; yet how must sinners lament the forfeiture of their souls? Was it not in this spirit that the Lord called on the Lord's Day: “Watch, so that others may watch today”? I urge you, citizens of Jerusalem, by the peace of Jerusalem, by the Redeemer, the Builder, the Lord of Jerusalem, to lift your prayers to God for them. May they recognize their folly; and regardless of how absorbed they are in their entertainment, may a glance at their true selves bring them discontent. For many of us celebrate that our past folly is resolved: we once sat there in madness, and many who believe they occupy that place now may yet become not only Christians but also bishops! From the past, we predict the future; from what has already occurred, we proclaim what God will accomplish. Keep your prayers vigilant; your groaning is not in vain. Surely, those who have been saved intercede for those still in peril, for they too have been in jeopardy, and God will surely liberate His people from the Babylonian captivity; He will redeem and rescue them, and the number of saints reflecting the image of God will increase. Praise in unity, for you are many; praise because you have become one. As the apostle states, "We, being many, are one in Christ" (1 Corinthians 10:17). United in our multiplicity, we praise together; for the one who binds us is always One.

Thus, why, O Jerusalem, do I acclaim the Lord in harmony, and as Zion, do I glorify my God? Jerusalem is synonymous with Zion, as it holds two names for different reasons. Jerusalem signifies visions of peace; Zion denotes observation. These expressions reflect a shared view; let us not be mistaken, lest the Gentiles believe they possess spectacles we do not. Occasionally, after the dissolution of a theatre or amphitheater, as individuals emerge from deception, recalling their fleeting pleasures and nourishing their memories with trivial and even harmful experiences, they may see God’s servants passing by, recognizing them by their attire or manner, and they might express to one another their pity for us, lamenting our perceived loss. Dear brethren, let us respond to their good intentions with prayers to the Lord. They wish us well, but those who love wickedness detest their own souls. If they despise their own souls, how can they genuinely care for ours? Yet, with misguided, empty good will, they grieve for what we forsake; let us pray that they do not lose what we value. Reflect on the Jerusalem that calls for praise, or rather anticipates it. For the praises of this city, when we witness, adore, and extol it, will need no urging or excitement from prophetic voices; yet the prophets articulate it now in order to awaken within us a yearning for future heavenly joys and to bring them to our ears, stoking in us a love for that city. Let us burn with longing; let us not be sluggish in spirit. Praise your God, Zion.

He declares, “He has strengthened the bolts of your gates” (Psalm 146:13). These bolts are reinforced not for open gates but for those that are shut; hence, many manuscripts read, “He has fortified the bolts of your gates.” Be attentive, beloved. He instructs Jerusalem, though sealed shut, to glorify the Lord. Praise now in harmony; the current situation may be difficult. Many enter where we prefer they would not; many exit against our wishes, hence offenses abound. The Lord declared, “Because of the proliferation of wickedness, love grows cold in many” (Matthew 24:12), due to the influx of those we cannot discern and the departure of those we cannot retain. Why is this? Perfection is not yet realized; the happiness that awaits has yet to come. Why this? This remains a threshing floor, not yet a barn. What, then, may happen? He states not merely, “He has established,” but rather: “He has reinforced the shutters of your gates.” Let none depart; let none arrive. Let none leave—we rejoice; let none enter—we fear. But do not let fear prevail: when you enter, it will be declared to you, “Only you shall be among the virgins who brought their oil with them..."

He has blessed your children within you. Who? He who has secured peace within your borders. Oh, how you rejoice! Cherish peace, dear friends. Rejoice mightily when peace-love ignites from your hearts. The mere reading of this verse stirred you to exclamation. What motivated your response? The love of peace... children of the kingdom, citizens of Jerusalem, there is peace envisioned in Jerusalem: all who cherish peace are blessed therein and enter when the doors are locked and the bars have grown firm. This is what you love and esteem so dearly, this follows with you; this is what you desire: love in your household, in your endeavors, with your spouses, children, servants, friends, and even enemies.

What you recently proclaimed at the mere mention of peace was a call rooted in longing: your cry was for thirst, not satisfaction; because perfect truth will always accompany perfect peace. Now we hunger and thirst for righteousness. They shall be filled (Matthew 5:6). How will this fulfillment occur? When we embrace peace. Thus, when it is stated, “He who has established peace within your borders,” it implies abundance exists there without deficiency, followed immediately by, “And with the fat of wheat He shall fill you” (Psalm 146:14).

"Who sends His Word upon the earth" (Psalm 146:15). Behold, on earth we toil, weary, feeble, sluggish, cold; when we ought to ascend to the wheat that nourishes us, did He not communicate His Word to the earth, by which we became burdened, hindering our ascent? He sent His Word; He did not forsake us even in the wilderness, for He rained down manna from heaven. Who sent His Word to the earth; and His Word came to the earth. What is this Word like? It moves with such rapidity. He stated not merely, “His Word is swift,” but “His Word flies even to swiftness.” Let us glean this truth, beloved: He could not have chosen a more fitting expression. One who is warm becomes hot from heat; one who is cold turns cold from that which is cold; one who is swift becomes swift because of swiftness. To what extent, then, does it race? Even to swiftness. Amplify the speed of the Word as much as you will; if you say it is as swift as this or that—birds, winds, angels—are any of these equal to swiftness itself, even to swiftness? What is swiftness itself, beloved? It is universal; it is not partial. It pertains to the Word of God, not to be in part but to be present everywhere, the very Word by which He is the Power of God and the Wisdom of God (1 Corinthians 1:24) before He assumed flesh. If we contemplate God in His divine form, the Word co-equal with the Father, this is the Wisdom of God described as, “It stretches mightily from one end to the other” (Wisdom 8:1). Such extraordinary speed! It influences powerfully throughout all expanses...

We are, therefore, burdened by the sinfulness of this cold body and the chains of this earthly, corrupt existence; do we lack hope for receiving the swiftly approaching Word? Has He abandoned us even as we are stifled by our own weakness? Did He not foreordain us before we were brought forth in this frail and lifeless body? The One who Predestined us provided snow to the earth, and includes ourselves. Now let us investigate these somewhat obscure verses of the Psalm and unravel these confusions. Here, we are sluggish and seemingly frozen. Just as snowflakes freeze at their peak and then fall, as love languishes and human nature is drawn to this earth, enmeshed in a sluggish body, resulting in our experience of snow. Yet, within this snow, the children of God are foreordained. For He grants snow as wool (Psalm 146:16). What is wool? It signifies that from the snow He has provided, from those who are currently slow in spirit and cold, whom He has predestined, He will create something. Wool serves as fabric for garments: when we behold wool, we consider it as a material for clothing. Since He has predetermined those who, for the time being, are cold and moving sluggishly upon the earth, and are not yet ablaze with the spirit of love (as He is still speaking regarding predestination), God offers them as wool, as He is set to create garments from them. Accordingly, Christ’s garments radiated on the mountain similar to snow (Matthew 17:2). The garments of Christ gleamed like snow, representative of a garment already created from that pristine wool, which He assuredly granted as wool, presently pertaining to predestination; consider what follows. As He has bestowed them as wool, clothing will arise from them. For as the Church is designated the body of Christ, so likewise, the Church is referred to as the garment of Christ: hence the apostle asserts that He should present to Himself a glorious Church, without spot or wrinkle (Ephesians 5:27). Let Him, therefore, present to Himself a glorious Church, free of spot or blemish; let Him fashion from the wool which He has predestined in the snow a garment. While humanity remains disbelieving and cold, let Him construct a garment from that wool. To purify from stains, let cleansing come through faith; that no imperfection may rest upon it, let it be humbled on the cross...

Respond, O Jew—if we say of wheat, “And with the fat of wheat He feedeth thee,” how can it also be stated, “He that sendeth His word upon the earth”? “In the beginning was the Word” (John 1:1). This Word became incarnate. “And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us” (John 1:14), sending His message across the globe. In that moment, the prophecy came to fruition—“the earth yielded its fruit” (Ps. 66:7). He who sends His message upon the earth is referenced here, the proclamation of the Gospel and the doctrine of the apostles. It continues: “His word is carried swiftly.” His message resonates across all nations, and the teachings of the apostles are audible throughout the entire world. An elderly messenger spread the word from Jerusalem to Illyricum (see Rom.

The Prophet referenced the message of the Gospel in this context. The Lord did not confine His proclamation to the Jews alone, but extended it to all humanity. As He declared, “Come, teach all tongues” (Matthew 28:19). The Prophet also highlighted the rapidity of this message’s spread; within a brief period, the Apostles disseminated doctrine throughout the entirety of the earth and sea. Observing this, the Prophet remarked, “His word flows with speed.” This is neither surprising nor unusual, for everything complies with God’s sovereign will. Consequently, when it pleases God, the very essence of water can rapidly transform into countless forms. Here, the Prophet identified the Gospel message with the concept of the word.

God sends His message to the world. David frequently shifts his focus from the personal blessings of the Almighty to the broader workings of His Providence, as noted by Chrysostom, and vice versa. After mentioning the individual blessings upon Jerusalem, he now references the universal governance of God. According to Chrysostom, this "word" signifies His command regarding the earth's abundance. Theodoret explains that by "word," he refers to the Gospel message, intended not just for the Jews but for all humanity, as commanded in Matthew 28:19, where it instructs to go and make disciples of all nations. This revelation spread quickly; in a brief time, it filled the earth and sea with His teaching.

It can be stated without offense that God cannot be blamed for any delays. “Unto speed floweth His word” (Ps. 147:4). “He that spake, and was: He that commanded, and was created” (Psalm 32:9). In the presence of the Eternal, everything is perpetually in readiness. With the Almighty, all things remain possible at all times. The created being is inherently slow, as it operates within specific temporal confines that it cannot expedite. The free creature often lacks the readiness to respond to God’s action when its own will does not align with God’s purpose. This alignment is particularly challenging to achieve in a fallen and fragmented creature, which requires restoration and renewal.

Once more, he lists some of the works of God that are evident throughout the natural order. Yet, because worldly individuals frequently attribute the observable changes in the atmosphere and on the earth to happenstance, he first addresses the earth itself, illustrating that it is under the governance of God's craftsmanship and might. The act of sending forth His words signifies the hidden workings by which God orchestrates all things and initiates their movement. Without His decree, the elements would remain motionless; they cannot shift on their own but are directed by the concealed command of God. The subsequent phrase, "His word flows with speed," indicates that at the moment God wills something into existence, all creation eagerly seeks to follow and fulfill His desires.

This psalm, likely composed in the post-exilic period, may have parallels with the time of Nehemiah, who is recognized for reconstructing the walls and gates of Jerusalem. The psalmist calls upon Jerusalem, now restored and flourishing (bless thy children in thee), to offer praises to the Lord, reveling in its peace and prosperity (tukah wheat). The powerful declaration (v.4) of the Lord has the ability to transform a harsh winter into a gentle spring (vv. 5-7), resulting in liberation for Israel, uplifting them from their difficult circumstances (captivity - winter). This transformation is fitting, as Israel has been entrusted with the Revelation (v.8), establishing its inherent superiority among the nations and making it the beloved of God (v.9).