Psalm 147:1-6

God Restores Jerusalem

1 Hallelujah! How good it is to sing to our God, for praise is pleasant and lovely.^[a]

2 The Lord rebuilds Jerusalem;^[b] He gathers Israel's exiled people.^[c]

3 He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.^[d]

4 He counts the number of the stars; He gives names to all of them.

5 Our Lord is great, vast in power; His understanding is infinite.^{[e] [f]}

6 The Lord helps the afflicted but brings the wicked to the ground.

Psalm 147:1-6 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO PSALM 147

This psalm is thought to be written by David, and according to Theodoret predicts the return of the Jews from Babylon, and the rebuilding of Jerusalem by Zerubbabel, which seems to be grounded on Ps 147:2; though the words there agree well enough with the times of David; hence the title in the Septuagint, Ethiopic, Arabic, and Syriac versions, and Apollinarius, is as the preceding; the Syriac adds,

``concerning Zerubbabel and Joshua the priest, and Ezra, who were solicitous and diligent in building Jerusalem.''

Aben Ezra and other Jewish writers think it foretells the future rebuilding of Jerusalem, and the restoration of the Jews from their present captivity, and refer it to the times of the Messiah; and so far it may be right, that it respects Christ and the praise of him, on account of his nature and works; and may take in the conversion of the Jews. It seems to be written by the same person, and on the same account, as the preceding psalm.

Footnotes

• [a] Ps 33:1; 135:3
• [b] Ps 51:18; Ezr 6:3; Neh 2:17; Dn 9:25
• [c] Dt 30:4; Neh 1:9; Isa 11:12
• [d] Ps 34:18; Isa 61:1
• [e] Lit understanding has no number
• [f] Jb 12:13; Isa 40:14,28