At midnight I will rise to give thanks unto thee
Not only send up an ejaculatory thanksgiving upon his bed, but rise up from it and shake off his sleep, and in a set, serious, solemn manner, praise the Lord. This shows a great regard to him, and affection to this work, since it is with difficulty men prevail upon themselves to rise at midnight upon any occasion; at midnight Paul and Silas prayed and sung praises to God, ( Acts 16:25 ) ;
because of thy righteous judgments;
upon the wicked, as Aben Ezra; the hands and troops of them that encompassed him about, and robbed him; but God avenged him of them, and for this he gave thanks, or for such like things. Sometimes the judgments of God have been executed at midnight; as the destruction of the firstborn in Egypt, and of Pharaoh and his host in the Red sea, when Israel sang his praise, ( Exodus 12:29 ) ( Exodus 14:20 Exodus 14:21 ) ( 15:1 ) ; and for the judgments of God upon antichrist the church will rejoice and give thanks, ( Revelation 18:20 ) ( Revelation 19:1 Revelation 19:2 ) . Or rather by these may be meant the word of God, the precepts and ordinances of it, which are all just and good; such is the law of God, and such are the ordinances of Christ, ( Psalms 19:9 ) ( Proverbs 8:20 ) .