Isaiah 40:26

40:26 Look up at the sky! ¹ 

Who created all these heavenly lights? ² 

He is the one who leads out their ranks; ³ 

he calls them all by name.

Because of his absolute power and awesome strength,

not one of them is missing.

Psalms 119:89-91

ל (Lamed)

119:89 O Lord, your instructions endure;

they stand secure in heaven. ⁴ 

119:90 You demonstrate your faithfulness to all generations. ⁵ 

You established the earth and it stood firm.

119:91 Today they stand firm by your decrees,

for all things are your servants.

Psalms 147:4

147:4 He counts the number of the stars;

he names all of them.

Psalms 148:5-8

148:5 Let them praise the name of the Lord,

for he gave the command and they came into existence.

148:6 He established them so they would endure; ⁶ 

he issued a decree that will not be revoked. ⁷ 

148:7 Praise the Lord from the earth,

you sea creatures and all you ocean depths,

148:8 O fire and hail, snow and clouds, ⁸ 

O stormy wind that carries out his orders, ⁹ 

[40:26]  ¹ tn Heb “Lift on high your eyes and see.”

[40:26]  ² tn The words “heavenly lights” are supplied in the translation for clarification. See the following lines.

[40:26]  ³ tn Heb “the one who brings out by number their host.” The stars are here likened to a huge army that the Lord leads out. Perhaps the next line pictures God calling roll. If so, the final line may be indicating that none of them dares “go AWOL.” (“AWOL” is a military acronym for “absent without leave.”)

[119:89]  ⁴ tn Heb “Forever, O Lord, your word stands firm in heaven,” or “Forever, O Lord, [is] your word; it stands firm in heaven.” The translation assumes that “your word” refers here to the body of divine instructions contained in the law (note the frequent references to the law in vv. 92-96). See vv. 9, 16-17, 57, 101, 105, 130, 139 and 160-61. The reference in v. 86 to God’s law being faithful favors this interpretation. Another option is that “your word” refers to God’s assuring word of promise, mentioned in vv. 25, 28, 42, 65, 74, 81, 107, 114, 147 and 169. In this case one might translate, “O Lord, your promise is reliable, it stands firm in heaven.”

[119:90]  ⁵ tn Heb “to a generation and a generation [is] your faithfulness.”

[148:6]  ⁶ tn Or “forever and ever.”

[148:6]  ⁷ tn Heb “and it will not pass away.”

[148:8]  ⁸ tn In Ps 119:83 the noun refers to “smoke,” but here, where the elements of nature are addressed, the clouds, which resemble smoke, are probably in view.

[148:8]  ⁹ tn Heb “[that] does his word.”