Psalm 148:4Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

This approach was effective for the audience of that time, as those visible entities were familiar to them. Thus, Moses, in recounting the creation, begins with 'the heavens and the earth,’ subsequently moving on to the sun, moon, plants, aquatic creatures, and land animals, culminating in humanity. By the phrase 'heavens of the heavens,' the prophet refers not to multiple heavens, but rather articulates a singular heaven itself. In Hebrew, the term for the heavens commonly denotes the heavens of the heavens. Likewise, in another passage, it is mentioned, 'the heavens which are above the heavens belong to the Lord, and the earth He has given to the sons of men' (Psalms 113:24). 'And the waters that are above the heavens.' Recall how Moses indicates that God divided the waters, placing some below while establishing others above the expanse, commanding the waters to remain above the firmament.

But perhaps one may question how all these creations can extol God, lacking voice, tongue, soul, sense, reason, vocal organs, or thought. There are two modes of praise: one verbal and another through contemplation; in addition, a third by the life one lives. In this manner, humans, too, can glorify God not just through words but also through silence, as Christ states: ‘let your light shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven’ (Matt. 5:16). And again, 'that the Lord may provide you children by this wife instead of the one whom you dedicated to the Lord' (1 Sam. 2:20). There is praise through speech, as Moses sang to God alongside Miriam, proclaiming, 'I will sing unto the Lord, for He is highly exalted' (Ex. 15:1). Praise is also manifest in creation itself, as the Psalmist declares, 'The heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament shows forth the work of His hands’ (Ps. 18:2). Thus, here, creation glorifies Him through its beauty, arrangement, grandeur, qualities, utility, service, stability, and the significance it holds. So, when the prophet calls upon the sun, moon, stars, and the waters above the heavens to 'praise the Lord,' he articulates that each creation reflects the wisdom of the Creator, brimming with wonders. This sentiment resonates with Moses' summary at the outset: 'And God saw all that He had made, and behold, it was very good' (Genesis 1:31) - illustrating beauty that honors the Creator and inspires admiration in onlookers. Therefore, the prophet equates 'praise' with the beauty of creation, which in turn glorifies the Creator, a notion echoed by Paul, who notes, ‘for the invisible things of Him, His eternal power and Godhead’ (Rom. 1:20).

The Psalmist, having highlighted creation, leaves it to observers to reflect on their beauty, majesty, and utility, while he himself points to the Creator, saying, ‘For He said, and they came into being; He commanded, and they were created. He has established them forever and ever: He commanded, and it shall not pass away.’ The beauty and marvel of creations are clear just from observing them; that they have a Creator, are not self-existent, and possess no beginning is evident from these very words. Should there be any doubt, let one learn from me that they have a Creator, an Artist, a Provider, and a Preserver. The prophet implies here several thoughts—indeed, one might say three or, upon deeper analysis, four: that God created all things, made them from nothing, brought them forth effortlessly, and sustains what has been created. The phrase ‘He said’ conveys the ease of action, illustrated by Paul's explanation that God ‘gives life to the dead and calls those things which do not exist as though they did’ (Rom. 4:17), where ‘commanded’ also denotes ease. The prophet further demonstrates that God sustains creation by adding, ‘has set them up forever and ever; He commanded, and it shall not pass away.’

Observe how he again articulates God's power, authority, and might through the terms ‘has appointed’ and ‘has commanded,’ reflecting His divine activity using human expressions. Just as it is simple for you to state a command, it is equally effortless for God to create the non-existent and uphold the created order—indeed, it is even easier. It is hard to comprehend the incredible ease with which He created all things. What is remarkable is not only His sustaining of everything and the unchanging laws of nature but that these continue indefinitely. Picture how many centuries have elapsed without any destruction of what exists: neither has the sea overwhelmed the land, nor has the sun scorched visible objects, nor has the sky been unsettled, nor have the rhythms of day and night been disrupted, nor have the seasons shifted erratically, but rather, He has arranged all lower and higher creations to accurately adhere to the limitations prescribed from the beginning.

After addressing the higher heavenly beings, the prophet shifts focus to earth. Following the same pattern as earlier with the celestial, he transitions from the heavenly to the earthly. There are those who claim that celestial creatures reflect God's handiwork but criticize earthly ones, citing the existence of scorpions, echidnas, dragons, and various wild beasts, including barren trees. Thus, the prophet seems to counter them by exploring the topic from another perspective. Notice how he continues: by intentionally excluding those creatures recognized as good and useful, like sheep, oxen, donkeys, camels, and other service animals, he instead highlights those perceived as less valuable, referencing dragons, the unfathomable aspects of the sea, and elements deemed harmful like fire, hail, snow, and frost; he mentions even barren trees, mountains, and desolate places, passing over fertile fields and plains known for their productivity to focus on mountains, hills, and reptiles. However, to appreciate this more fully, one must attend closely to his words."

Yet, there are those—driven by the most egregious and irreverent folly—who challenge even the notion that God created the waters, arguing that Scripture does not explicitly state, "And God said, Let there be water." This critique could similarly apply to the earth, for it is not written, "God said, Let there be earth." Nevertheless, it is affirmed, "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth." Thus, it can be proposed that water is implied here as well, since both are collectively referred to by this term. "His is the sea," as stated in the Psalm, "and He made it, and the dry land was formed by His hands" (Psalm 94:5).

However, those who interpret the waters above the heavens as angels consider the heaviness of the elements and thus conclude that the liquid and dense nature of water cannot occupy the higher realms of the cosmos. If they were truly capable of creating humanity according to their own designs, they would not have placed mucus—which in Greek is called ?????? to mean 'sap' or 'mucous'—in the human brain, where it replaces water in our bodily composition. The wisdom of God has strategically assigned the position for mucus; and should it be revealed, they would likely reject its absurdity, positing that if Scripture claimed God placed moisture—liquid and cold—in the most elevated part of the human form, these evaluators of the elements would stubbornly contest it. Should they yield to the authority of Scripture, they would claim a different interpretation is warranted here.

However, an in-depth investigation of all that is elucidated in this sacred text concerning creation would lead us to diverge significantly from our intended discourse. As necessary as it seems, we have addressed sufficient points regarding these contrasting orders of angels, which represent the foundational elements of both the divine and the earthly spheres, to which I shall refer further. Therefore, let us conclude this discussion.

In Psalm 18, we recognize that while it is not visible, we infer its existence from the visible firmament and therefore praise its Creator, who is God. If the invisible heaven praises God through our praises, it is evident that the visible heaven, namely the firmament, glorifies Him even more magnificently through its splendor and beauty.

As the Great Basil has stated, the Greeks who have contemplated the heavens think of it as a singular entity without a second or third heaven derived from it, believing that the essence of this celestial body is wholly contained within one heaven. Contrary to such beliefs, we not only accept the existence of a second heaven but actively seek the third heaven that the blessed Paul was privileged to witness (2 Cor. 12:2). John Damascene notes that we include in our understanding of the cosmos the creation of the sky, which those outside our tradition refer to as a starless circle. Indeed, God names the firmament heaven, which He commanded to be established among the waters, a substance divine Basil describes as thin like smoke, as derived from Holy Scripture. Some regard it as watery, originating from the waters, while others attribute it to the four elements, with yet others recognizing it as a fifth corporeal nature, distinct from the four elemental ones. Thus, the first heaven is the heaven of heavens, situated above the firmament. These constitute the two heavens because God also designated the firmament as heaven. In sacred Scripture, the air is often called the sky due to its visibility aloft: “Bless the Lord, all you birds of the sky,” referring to those creatures that dwell in the air; for the flight of birds is in the atmosphere, not in the sky. This describes the three heavens mentioned by the divine Apostle as well. Furthermore, if one wishes to consider the seven divisions as representing the seven heavens, this too will not compromise the truth of the word (Theolog. ch. 6 on the heavens).

When David speaks of God’s command, he highlights two truths: that God summoned forth the aforementioned beings, namely the angels and heavenly bodies, from non-existence into existence, and He did so with remarkable ease. Just as it is simple for humans to speak, so it is far easier for God to bring into being that which was not, as phrased by Chrysostom, the extraordinary ease with which God created all things. He commanded, and they were brought forth. This same declaration is reiterated, as is often the case. It is similarly recorded in the Book of Genesis, “Let there be light,” and it was so, among other such divine commandments.

Yet, since humanity often remains blind and unresponsive, it is appropriate for the Prophet to call upon these celestial bodies as witnesses to awaken our awareness.

The "heavens of the heavens" referenced here do not signify a multitude of heavens but rather one and the same heavens, as explained by the holy Chrysostom. In the Hebrew tongue, it is customary to refer to the heavens in the plural as a singular heaven, as the Prophet states: "the heavens are the heavens of the Lord, but the earth He has given to the children of men" (Psalm 113:24). When He speaks of heaven, it also encompasses the air and all the space above our atmosphere; thus, He refers to the rain as the waters that exist above the heavens. Likewise, Moses relates that God has left some waters below while others He has suspended above the heavens, establishing the firmament amid the deep (Genesis 1:6-7). For this reason, it is also declared that "He gathers the waters of the seas like in a garment; He stores the depths in His treasuries" (Psalm 32:7).

As the psalm transitions from the heights of heaven to the earth, the sea and its creatures are summoned to worship God, leading to the marvels of the skies, then further down to the mountains and their inhabitants, and finally to the creatures that roam the plains. In particular, people from every nation, tribe, and epoch are called to extol the Lord; in the salvation of His people, He has exalted His name above all, making praise essential both in heaven and on earth, particularly among His chosen ones.

The praise from heaven encompasses the angels, stars, and other celestial lights, specifically referring to the brightness of the moon and the stars. The term "heaven" represents not just the sky but the highest realm, contrasting with the angelic realm. The first-person reference in verse 6 pertains strictly to the stars mentioned in verse 3, affirming the divine order established since creation. The reference to "great fishes" alludes to the immense creatures of the sea, reinforcing the affirmation of God’s greatness over all creation. Israel is regarded as the people close to God, a priestly and covenant community intimately linked with Him.