1 Give praise to the Lord. Let the Lord be praised from the heavens: give him praise in the skies.
John Chrysostom · AD 407 But what God really is, not only have not the prophets seen, but not even angels nor archangels. If you ask them, you shall not hear them answering anything concerning His Essence, but sending up, "Glory to God in the Highest, on earth peace, good will towards men." If you desire to learn something from Cherubim or Seraphim, you shall hear the mystic song of His Holiness, and t…
Jerome · AD 420 This psalm has two alleluias in its title; and many think this is because they belong to the title of the psalm itself. But we ought to know that one alleluia belongs to the end of the preceding psalm, while the other alleluia is the beginning of the following psalm.
Bonaventure · AD 1257 In the fourth place, that is, from afar, there is born in us the praise of God in all things. For all creatures declare God. What shall I do? I shall sing with them all. The thick cord in the zither does not give forth a pleasant sound if struck alone, but there is harmony in consonance with others.
2 Give praise to him, all you his angels: give praise to him, all his armies.
Jerome · AD 420 Praise him, all his angels. Do you see in what rank the angels are? First the thrones are named: thrones, seats. Let us not suppose these to be chairs on which God sits: but certain powers among the heavenly beings on which God ever sits, as it were in his own chariot. Praise him, all his angels. All his angels.
Augustine of Hippo · AD 430 Wherefore, though light and darkness are to be taken in their literal signification in these passages of Genesis in which it is said, "God said, Let there be light, and there was light," and "God divided the light from the darkness," yet, for our part, we understand these two societies of angels,—the one enjoying God, the other swelling with pride; the one to whom it is said, "…
3 Give praise to him, you sun and moon: give praise to him, all you stars of light.
Jerome · AD 420 Praise him, sun and moon. Look, you pagans: look, you Manichaeans. The sun praises, it is not praised. Praise him, sun and moon. You call the sun a god. See after how many others it praises. Praise from the heavens, praise in the heights, praise, you angels, praise, all you hosts. Your god is placed as one that praises in the fifth rank. Praise him, sun and moon.
4 Give praise to him, you highest heavens, and you waters which are over the heavens.
Origen of Alexandria · AD 253 The Persians therefore may call the "whole circle of heaven" Jupiter; but we maintain that "the heaven" is neither Jupiter nor God, as we indeed know that certain beings of a class inferior to God have ascended above the heavens and all visible nature: and in this sense we understand the words, "Praise God, you heaven of heavens, and you waters that are above the heavens; let t…
Jerome · AD 420 Praise him, you heavens of heavens. We speak of several heavens. Indeed even Paul says that he was caught up into the third heaven. See therefore how great is the splendor, that there should be a heaven of heaven. And the rest, which follow, he said concerning the visible things.
5 Let them give praise to the name of the Lord: for he gave the order, and they were made.
Origen of Alexandria · AD 253 This is not the time to prove that the Creator did not become the servant of the Word and make the world and to show that the Word became the servant of the creator and prepared the world.
Jerome · AD 420 For he spoke, and they were made. For God to have commanded is to have made: his command is the fashioning. For he spoke, and they were made: according to that which is written in Genesis, And God said, and God made: that is, God the Father spoke, God the Son made. Let someone say: Then greater is he who commands, and lesser is he who is commanded.
Cosmas Indicopleustes · AD 550 Then when he had called upon all things that are in the heavens to praise God, he states the reason why they ought to praise him with hymns, and says: For he spake and they were made; he commanded and they were created. He hath also established them for ever and ever; he hath made a decree which shall not pass away.
6 He has put them in their places for ever; he has given them their limits which may not be broken.
Jerome · AD 420 He established them for ever, and for age upon age: he set a decree, and it shall not pass away. Great is the honor of man, and great his unhappiness. The sun runs its course for you, the elements serve you: and you do not know your Creator. He set a decree, and it shall not pass away.
Augustine of Hippo · AD 430 "He hath established them for the age, and for age upon age" (ver. 6). All things in heaven, all things above, all powers and angels, a certain city on high, good, holy, blessed; from whence because we are wanderers, we are wretched; whither because we are to return, we are blessed in hope; whither when we shall have returned, we shall be blessed indeed; "He hath given them a l…
Bonaventure · AD 1257 Scripture tends to lead back to the first beginning by means of reformation, or it describes eternal things, as in the Laws and Gospels. Hence in the Psalm: "He gave them a duty which shall not pass away." For it is not to be understood that the Law or the Commandments will pass away, but rather that they will be better served in the fatherland.
7 Give praise to the Lord from the earth, you great sea-beasts, and deep places:
Basil of Caesarea · AD 379 Although, however, waters above the heaven are invited to give glory to the Lord of the Universe, do not let us think of them as intelligent beings; the heavens are not alive because they "declare the glory of God," nor the firmament a sensible being because it "sheweth His handiwork." And if they tell you that the heavens mean contemplative powers, and the firmament active pow…
Jerome · AD 420 Praise the Lord from the earth. Since the angels have praised, the heaven has praised: let the earth also praise. Let us see which things of the earth praise first. Dragons and all deeps: fire, hail, snow, ice, the spirit of storms, which do his word: mountains and all hills, fruit-bearing trees, and all cedars: beasts, and all cattle, serpents and feathered fowl.
Augustine of Hippo · AD 430 For you [God] evil does not exist, and not only for you but for the whole of your creation as well, because there is nothing outside it that could invade it and break down the order that you have imposed on it. Yet in the separate parts of your creation there are some things that we think of as evil because they are at variance with other things.
8 Fire and rain of ice, snow and mists; storm-wind, doing his word:
Augustine of Hippo · AD 430 "Fire, hail, snow, ice, wind of storms, which do His word" [Psalm 148:8]. Wherefore added he here, "which do His word"? Many foolish men, unable to contemplate and discern creation, in its several places and rank, performing its movements at the nod and commandment of God think that God does indeed rule all things above, but things below He despises, casts aside, abandons, so t…
9 Mountains and all hills; fruit-trees and all trees of the mountains:
10 Beasts and all cattle; insects and winged birds:
11 Kings of the earth, and all peoples; rulers and all judges of the earth:
12 Young men and virgins; old men and children:
13 Let them give glory to the name of the Lord: for his name only is to be praised: his kingdom is over the earth and the heaven.
Augustine of Hippo · AD 430 "For His Name only is exalted" [Psalm 148:13]. Let no man seek to exalt his own name. Will you be exalted? Subject yourself to Him who cannot be humbled.
14 He has put on high the horn of his people, for the praise of all his saints; even the children of Israel, a people which is near to him. Let the Lord be praised.
Augustine of Hippo · AD 430 "His confession is in earth and heaven" (ver. 14). What is "His confession"? Is it the confession wherewith He confesseth? No, but that whereby all things confess Him, all things cry aloud: the beauty of all things is in a manner their voice, whereby they praise God.