Psalms 148:3

3 Sun and moon, praise ye him; all stars and light, praise ye him (all the stars of light/all the shining stars, praise ye him.).

Psalms 148:3 Meaning and Commentary

Psalms 148:3

Praise ye him, sun and moon
The sun praises the Lord, the Creator of it, by doing the work constantly it is appointed to do; to rule by day, and give light and heat to the earth, and the inhabitants of it; and so is the cause of man's praising the Lord for the benefits they receive from it; for its enlightening, warming, and refreshing rays; and for the precious fruits brought forth by it and so the moon likewise doing its office, ruling by night, and reflecting the light of the sun upon the earth, and producing precious fruits, also praises its Maker, and is the occasion, of others praising him; see ( Psalms 136:1 Psalms 136:7-9 ) ( Deuteronomy 33:14 ) ;

praise him, all ye stars of light;
which are very beneficial in the night season, especially to mariners and travellers, and shed their benign influences upon the earth and things in it; which are a means of praising the Lord, and in their way they do it, ( Psalms 136:1 Psalms 136:9 ) ( Acts 27:20 ) ( Job 38:31 ) . The Septuagint, Vulgate Latin, Syriac, Arabic, and Ethiopic versions, read it, "stars and light", wrongly; the stars are luminous bodies, and shine in their own light F3, though the moon with a borrowed light from the sun.


FOOTNOTES:

F3 Macrob. in Somn. Scipion. l. 1. c. 19, 20.

Psalms 148:3 In-Context

1 Alleluia. Ye of heavens, praise the Lord; praise ye him in high things. (Alleluia. Ye in heaven/Ye in the heavens, praise the Lord; praise ye him in high places.)
2 All his angels, praise ye him; all his virtues, praise ye him (all his hosts, praise ye him).
3 Sun and moon, praise ye him; all stars and light, praise ye him (all the stars of light/all the shining stars, praise ye him.).
4 Heavens of heavens, praise ye him (Heaven of heavens/The highest heaven, praise ye him); and the waters that be above (the) heavens,
5 praise they the name of the Lord. For he said, and things were made; he commanded, and things were made of nought. (praise they the name of the Lord. For he spoke, and everything was made; he commanded, and everything was made out of nothing.)
Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.