Psalms 148 · The Lantern

Praise the LORD from the Heavens

Praise the LORD! Praise the LORD from the heavens; praise him in the heights!

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…

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.

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.

Praise him, all his messengers; praise him, all his hosts!

Praise him, sun and moon; praise him, all stars of light!

Praise him, heavens of the heavens, and the waters that are above the heavens!

Let them praise the name of the LORD, for he himself commanded and they were created.

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.

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.

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.

And he made them stand forever and ever; he gave a statute, and it will not pass away.

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.

"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…

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.

Praise the LORD from the earth, you sea monsters and all deeps;

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…

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.

Let him then turn himself to things on earth too, since he has already spoken the praises of things in heaven. "Praise ye the Lord from the earth" [Psalm 148:7]. For wherewith began he before? "Praise ye the Lord from heaven:" and he went through things in heaven: now hear of things on earth.

fire and hail, snow and smoke, storm wind doing his word;

the mountains and all hills, fruit trees and all cedars;

the wild animal and all cattle, creeping thing and winged bird;

kings of the earth and all peoples, princes and all judges of the earth;

young men and also young women, old men together with youths.

Let them praise the name of the LORD, for his name alone is exalted; his majesty is over earth and heavens.

And he has raised a horn for his people, a praise for all his loyal ones, for the sons of Israel, a people near to him. Praise the LORD!

Psalms148

Praise the LORD from the Heavens