Psalms 147:7-20

Context

147:7 Offer to the Lord a song of thanks!¹

Sing praises to our God to the accompaniment of a harp!

147:8 He covers² the sky with clouds,

provides the earth with rain,

and causes grass to grow on the hillsides.³

147:9 He gives food to the animals,

and to the young ravens when they chirp.⁴

147:10 He is not enamored with the strength of a horse,

nor is he impressed by the warrior’s strong legs.⁵

147:11 The Lord takes delight in his faithful followers,⁶

and in those who wait for his loyal love.

147:12 Extol the Lord, O Jerusalem!

Praise your God, O Zion!

147:13 For he makes the bars of your gates strong.

He blesses your children⁷ within you.

147:14 He⁸ brings peace to your territory.⁹

He abundantly provides for you¹⁰ the best grain.

147:15 He¹¹ sends his command through the earth;¹²

swiftly his order reaches its destination.¹³

147:16 He sends the snow that is white like wool;

he spreads the frost that is white like ashes.¹⁴

147:17 He throws his hailstones¹⁵ like crumbs.

Who can withstand the cold wind he sends?¹⁶

147:18 He then orders it all to melt;¹⁷

he breathes on it,¹⁸ and the water flows.

147:19 He proclaims his word to Jacob,

his statutes and regulations to Israel.

147:20 He has not done so with any other nation;

they are not aware of his regulations.

Praise the Lord!

[147:7] ¹tn Heb “sing to the Lord with thanksgiving.”

[147:8] ²tn Heb “the one who covers.”

[147:8] ³tn Heb “hills.”

[147:9] ⁴tn Heb “which cry out.”

[147:10] ⁵tn Heb “he does not desire the strength of the horse, he does not take delight in the legs of the man.” Here “the horse” refers to the war horse used by ancient Near Eastern chariot forces, and “the man” refers to the warrior whose muscular legs epitomize his strength.

[147:11] ⁶tn Heb “those who fear him.”

[147:13] ⁷tn Heb “your sons.”

[147:14] ⁸tn Heb “the one who.”

[147:14] ⁹tn Heb “he makes your boundary peace.”

[147:14] ¹⁰tn Heb “satisfies you with.”

[147:15] ¹¹tn Heb “the one who.”

[147:15] ¹²tn Heb “the one who sends his word, the earth.” The Hebrew term אֶרֶץ (’erets, “earth”) is an adverbial accusative; one must supply a preposition before it (such as “through” or “to”) in the English translation.

[147:15] ¹³tn Heb “swiftly his word runs.”

[147:16] ¹⁴tn Heb “the one who gives snow like wool, frost like ashes he scatters.”

[147:17] ¹⁵tn Heb “his ice.”

[147:17] ¹⁶tn Heb “Before his cold, who can stand?”

[147:18] ¹⁷tn Heb “he sends his word and melts them.”

[147:18] ¹⁸tn Heb “he blows his breath.”