Who is like unto thee, O Lord, among the gods?
&c.] For the perfections of his nature, for the blessings of
his goodness, and for the works of his hands; and especially for
the greatness and excellency of his power, seen in the salvation
of his people, and the ruin of their enemies: there is none like
him "among the mighty ones", as it may be rendered; among the
mighty angels, who excel in strength, and are sometimes called
gods; or among the mighty ones on earth; or the sons of the
mighty, kings, princes, judges, and civil magistrates of every
rank and order; especially for the following things: who is
like thee, glorious in holiness?
some understand this of the holy place, either heaven, where
Christ is glorious above all created beings; or the church, where
he shows himself glorious to his people: others, of holy persons,
either holy angels, among whom he was at Sinai, and when he
ascended on high, and will be when he comes again, in his own and
his Father's glory; or the saints, when he will bring them with
him, and be glorified in them; but rather it is to be understood
of the attribute of his holiness, which is eminently and
perfectly in him; in his person, with respect to both his
natures, divine and human; the glory of which is displayed in all
the works he has wrought, especially in the great work of
redemption, which was undertook both for the honour of the
holiness and righteousness of God, and to redeem his people from
sin, and make them righteous and holy: it appears in the holy
doctrines he taught, and in the holy commandments and ordinances
he enjoined his people, and in his judgments on his enemies; in
all which it is plainly seen that he loves righteousness and
hates iniquity, and there is none like him for it; there is none
holy as the Lord among angels or men, ( 1 Samuel 2:2
) fearful in praises;
or, in the things for which he is to be praised; as the glories
and excellencies of his person, the blessings received from him,
and through him, both temporal and spiritual; grace, and all the
blessings of it here, now communicated, and glory and happiness
promised and expected: and many things, for which he is to be
praised, he is "fearful", awful, and tremendous in them; there
are some things his right hand teaches him, and it does,
deserving of praise, which yet are terrible, and such were they
which are here literally, referred to; the plagues upon the
Egyptians, and the destruction of Pharaoh and his host, called
the wondrous works done in the land of Ham, and terrible things
by the Red sea, ( Psalms
106:22 ) and yet these were matter of praise to Israel, and
gave occasion for this song; and such are they, in a spiritual
sense, which he has done to his and our enemies: when the year of
his redeemed was come, it was a day of vengeance in his heart,
and he exercised it; he made an end of sin, abolished death,
destroyed him which had the power of it, and spoiled
principalities and powers; and a dreadful slaughter will be made
of antichrist and his followers, when the song of Moses and the
Lamb will be sung on account of it; and such dispensations of
Providence, and judgments on men, as on Pharaoh and antichrist,
as they are terrible to wicked men, they strike an awe on the
people of God, at the same time they furnish out a song of praise
to them: moreover, this may respect not only the matter of
praise, but the reverend manner in which it is performed by good
men; who, as they have a concern that they cannot sufficiently
praise the Lord, and fear they shall not perform it aright, and
sensible of their weakness and imperfection, like the seraphim,
cover their faces while they applaud his perfections,
particularly that of his holiness, and declare the earth is full
of his glory; so they desire to perform this, as all their other
services, with a holy fear and trembling, with reverence and
godly fear since holy and reverend is his name: it follows,
doing wonders;
and for which there is none like him; wonders Christ did before
his incarnate state, both in eternity, in the goings forth of his
heart, in acts of love to his people, in asking for them, and
betrothing them, in becoming the surety of them, in proposing to
be a sacrifice in their stead, in entering into a covenant with
his Father on their account, in taking the care and charge of
their persons, and in being the treasury of all grace and glory
for them; and likewise in time, being concerned in the wondrous
works of creation, which are a wonderful display of divine
wisdom, power, and goodness, and in all the affairs of
Providence; for there was not any remarkable occurrence, from the
beginning of the world to the time of his coming in the flesh,
but he was concerned therein; as the drowning of the old world,
to whom previously he preached by his Spirit in Noah; the burning
of Sodom and Gomorrah, the plagues of Egypt, and the destruction
of Pharaoh and his host, the deliverance of the children of
Israel, both out of Egypt and Babylon, and many others: and when
he became incarnate, how many wonders were wrought by him? the
incarnation itself was a wonderful instance of his grace and
condescension, to take upon him the nature of man, be made flesh,
and dwell among them; and during his incarnate state on earth
many wonders were done by him; the doctrines he taught, the
miracles he wrought, and especially the great work of our
redemption and salvation, which will be for ever the wonder of
men and angels; his raising himself from the dead, his ascension
to heaven, and his appearance there for his people, as well as
his second coming to judgment, are all marvellous things; and on
account of all this, and more, he may well be called "wonderful";
for working wonders there is none like him.