Verse-by-Verse Bible Commentary
Psalms 149:7

Clarke's Commentary

Verse Psalms 149:7. To execute vengeance upon the heathen — This may refer simply to their purpose of defending themselves to the uttermost, should their enemies attack them while building their wall: and they had every reason to believe that God would be with them; and that, if their enemies did attack them, they should be able to inflict the severest punishment upon them.

Punishments upon the people — The unfaithful and treacherous Jews; for we find that some, even of their nobles, had joined with Sanballat and Tobiah; (see Nehemiah 6:17-19:) and it appears also that many of them had formed alliances with those heathens, which were contrary to the law; see Nehemiah 13:15-29.

Bridgeway Bible Commentary

Psalms 147-150 Praise the Lord

God’s people should praise him constantly for his merciful and loving care: his care over them in particular (147:1-2), his care over those who sorrow (3), his care over all his creation (4), and his special care for the downtrodden (5-6). God delights to provide for the physical needs of his creatures (7-9). But of all his creatures, those he delights in most are those who humbly trust in his steadfast love (10-11). That is why he delights in Israel above other nations. He protects his people and gives them food to enjoy (12-14). By sending bitterly cold weather he toughens them to endure hardship; by sending pleasant weather he reminds them that he is still caring for them (15-18). Above all, he has given them his word. Through this word they can know him better and as a result bring him further joy (19-20).
All creation displays the wonders of God and so brings praise to him. From the angelic beings to the beasts of the earth, praise goes up to him. From the farthest regions of outer space to the depths of the sea, his name is praised (148:1-10). Human beings in particular should praise him. Without distinction of age or rank, the people of the world should exalt God. They should praise him not only because he is the sovereign Lord of the universe, but also because through Israel he has made himself known to them (11-14).
As the people of Israel gather to worship, they have special cause to praise God. Besides being the one who created them, he is the one who rules over them. He is their king (149:1-3). In addition, they are God’s representatives in promoting his rule throughout the world. Therefore, salvation from attackers and victory over enemies are a cause for praise to God and national celebration (4-5). But if God’s rule is to be established in the world, the rebels must first be punished (6-9).
The final psalm forms a climax to the whole book. Worshippers at the temple join with angels in the heavens to praise God for the greatness of his person and his deeds (150:1-2). In every way possible people everywhere should praise God (3-6).

Coffman's Commentaries on the Bible

“To execute vengeance upon the nations, And punishments upon the peoples; To bind their kings with chains, And their nobles with fetters of iron; To execute upon them the judgment written: This honor have all the saints. Praise ye Jehovah.”

“To execute vengeance upon the nations” The vengeance spoken of here was not Israel’s vengeance but God’s, as evidenced by its having been written (Psalms 149:9). The kingdoms of Canaan had not oppressed Israel. Their horrible immoralities had incurred the wrath of God, and Israel was God’s instrument of their punishment. The view of Israel taking vengeance upon the nations that had persecuted them, as alleged by some, is simply not in the picture at all.

Despite the view that, “It is most probable that the psalm is eschatological,”Leslie C. Allen, Vol. II, p. 319. we can see nothing in it that suggests that. The carnal weapons in view here are not those of the New Israel. The binding, fettering, and enslavement of kings suggests nothing that we can associate with the End Times. It appears that the eschatalogical interpretations have been forced by difficulties in the psalm, difficulties which disappear when the event to which the psalm points is properly understood as Israel’s military defeat and occupation of Canaan.

The interpretation advanced by Addis, namely, that this paragraph means that, “Israel (as an earthly kingdom) is to punish and crush other nations.”W. E. Addis, p. 396. is unacceptable. The earthly kingdom idea perished with the Advent of Christ whose `kingdom is not of this world.’

We admire the ingenuity and zeal of those interpreters who do their best to apply this psalm to the ultimate triumph of the Lord Jesus Christ in that hour when, “The kingdom of the world is become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ; and he shall reign forever and ever” (Revelation 11:15), finding in the two-edged sword of this psalm a prophecy of that “two-edged sword” in the mouth of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords (Revelation 19:15). We cannot see anything like that in this psalm.

What then, is this psalm? It is a hymn of victorious Israel as they began the conquest of the Promised Land. One great victory is behind them, probably the fall of Jericho, and they anticipate many other victories. They will indeed bind and fetter kings, and eventually cut off the thumbs of Adonibezek; but that all of this is a prophecy of what fleshly Israel would ever do upon another occasion is simply not true. That the psalmist either wrote this, or adapted a psalm already in existence, as an encouragement of the returnees from captivity, seems the best way to understand it. That fleshly Israel totally misunderstood it is fully in keeping with Israel’s history.

“To execute upon them the judgment written” Here we are upon solid ground indeed. Israel did indeed execute the judgment that God had written against the kingdoms of Canaan in this passage:

“When Jehovah thy God shall bring thee into the land whither thou goest to possess it, and shall cast out many nations before thee, the Hittite, the Girgashite, the Amorite, the Canaanite, the Perizite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite, seven nations greater and mightier than thou; and when Jehovah thy God shall deliver them up before thee, and thou shalt smite them; then thou shalt utterly destroy them: thou shalt make no covenant with them, and show no mercy to them, neither make marriages with them, Etc.” (Deuteronomy 7:1-2).

This is the only passage in the Bible that envisions Israel punishing and destroying a number of nations; and therefore we conclude with a great deal of assurance that the event prophesied here in Deuteronomy has to be the event extolled in Psalms 149.

“This honor have all his saints” All Israel participated in the conquest, as for example, when they all marched around the walls of Jericho, and thus all of them shared in the honor God bestowed upon them in his removal of the pagan kingdoms of Canaan and giving the Promised Land to the Israelites as an inheritance.

Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible

To execute vengeance upon the heathen - To inflict punishment upon them as a recompence for their sins. The word pagan here means nations. The allusion is, doubtless, to those who had oppressed and injured the Hebrew people - perhaps referring to those who had destroyed the city and the temple at the time of the Babylonian captivity. They were now to receive the punishment due for the wrongs which they had done to the nation; a just recompence at the hand of God, and by the instrumentality of those whom they had wronged. Compare the notes at Psalms 137:7-9.

And punishments upon the people - The people of those lands. Those who had waged war with the Hebrew nation.

Calvin's Commentary on the Bible

7.To execute vengeance, etc. Both during their exile and after their return from it, this might seem to be altogether incredible. Nor did it take place before the advent of Christ; for though the Machabaei and their posterity reduced the neighboring nations to subjection, this was but a faint prelude and earnest to direct the thoughts of the Lord’s people to what was approaching. But as Haggai prophesied that the glory of the second Temple would be greater than of the first, so here there is promised a more prosperous state than had ever existed. (Haggai 2:9.) Reduced as the Jews were in numbers, and low as was the state of things among them, the Psalmist announces to all nations which opposed and troubled them, that they would have the ascendancy. As they were yet tributary, and dwelt at Jerusalem only by sufferance, they were called to exercise faith in a promise which, to the judgment of sense, might appear visionary, and to raise their thoughts to the infinite power of God, which triumphs over all worldly obstacles. The vengeance spoken of is such as the Israelites would take, not under the influence of private resentment, but by commandment of God; and this we mention that none may infer that they are allowed to take vengeance for personal injuries.

Smith's Bible Commentary

Psalms 149:1-9

Praise the LORD. Sing unto the LORD a new song, and his praise in the congregation of the saints. Let Israel rejoice in him that made him: let the children of Zion be joyful in their King. Let them praise his name in the dance: let them sing praises unto him with the timbrel and the harp. For the LORD takes pleasure in his people: he will beautify the meek with salvation. Let the saints be joyful in glory: and let them sing aloud upon their beds. Let the high praises of God be in their mouth, and a two-edged sword in their hand; To execute the vengeance upon the heathen, and punishments upon the people; To bind their kings with chains, and their nobles with fetters of iron; To execute upon them the judgment written: this honor have all his saints. Praise ye the LORD ( Psalms 149:1-9 ).

Now here he mentions of the praising of the Lord in song, in dance, with the timbrel and the harp.

I think that many times our forms of worship get rather stilted and stereotyped. I think that it would be fine to have variety in our worship and praise. The Jewish people, again, are very exuberant people. It's such a thrill to go down on Friday evening and watch the young men come down from the upper part of the city from their school. And come down in their dances before the Western Wall on the beginning of the Sabbath as they hail the coming in of the Sabbath day. To see them in their worship and their praise, to hear their songs, their chants. And to see them as they praise the Lord in the song and as they praise the Lord in the dance.

Now, I am not really advocating some things that I have seen passed off as praise unto the Lord. I do not feel that our praise of the Lord should ever be such that it draws attention unto ourselves. And I have seen many people supposedly praising the Lord, but really they were putting on quite an exhibition that drew a lot of attention to them. And to that I am unalterably opposed. I do not feel that we should ever draw attention to ourselves in our worship and praise of God. I don't think that we should sing in a weird way that causes people to turn, "Who's singing that obbligato?" or whatever, you know. Because it takes the attention off the music and onto a person who may have a great operatic voice and something. And you may be a frustrated opera star, but when you're singing with the congregation, you ought to seek to have your voice blend with that of the congregation rather than drawing attention to yourself.

And in our praises unto the Lord, we should take care that our praises are such that they do not draw attention to me, because then what value... then people are looking at me. "Oh, you see how he can dance? Oh, look how he plays the tambourine, you know. Oh, you know, isn't he clever?" And the attention then is drawn to the person and not to God. So then the whole effect is negated if I'm really seeking to bring people into a praise and worship of God. And yet, I think that there, you know... I think that we... I think that there's a balance and we need to find this beautiful balance somewhere. I think there is a place for the dance. I think there's a place for the expression of praise to God with timbrels and tambourines and all. I love the Jewish folk dances, and I think that they can be very expressive in their praises unto the Lord. I love the exuberance of them and all. But yet, again, maintaining that balance so that as I am praising the Lord, I don't do it in such a way that it draws a lot of attention to me. That I just sort of blend in harmony my praises as those of God's people. And there's probably, I don't think that we are in the middle. I think that we are probably a little on the stilted side, and we could perhaps move a little bit more towards a more meaningful kind of a praise. I'm open to the worship of God in other than just sitting and singing choruses or in the forms that we've followed. And yet, as I say, I surely don't... I'd rather be on this side than on the other side of the balance. And that's probably my problem. "

Dr. Constable's Expository Notes

Psalms 149

The unknown writer called on Israel to praise God, who saves the submissive and punishes the nations that oppose Him. Since this psalm shares the language and hope of the imprecatory psalms, many scholars consider it an eschatological hymn. [Note: E.g., Kidner, Psalms 73-150, p. 489; VanGemeren, p. 875; and L. Allen, pp. 319-20.] Like the previous psalm, this one also opens and closes with a call to worship: "Praise the LORD."

Dr. Constable's Expository Notes

3. A way to rejoice in the Lord 149:6-9

The Lord’s will for Israel was that she overcome and defeat God’s enemies on the earth. This would establish righteousness in the world and exalt the God of Israel as the sovereign Lord (cf. Deuteronomy 32:1-6; Deuteronomy 32:23; Joshua 1:1-8). Israel praised and glorified God, not just in word but also in deed, by carrying out His will for her (cf. Nehemiah 4:9; Nehemiah 4:16-23). These verses may grate on the sensibilities of Christians who have a different way of obeying God today. Nevertheless, when the psalmist composed this hymn, Israel’s destruction of wicked neighbors was her way of expressing obedience to God.

This psalm is a helpful reminder, to us who are believers, that praising God does not just involve praising Him with our lips. It must also include obeying Him with our lives.

Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

To execute vengeance upon the Heathen,.... Either upon the Gentile world, in the first times of the Gospel; when the apostles, going there with the twoedged sword of the word, vehemently inveighed against the idolatry of the Heathens, and exhorted them to turn from their idols to serve the living God; and divine power going along with their ministry, multitudes were turned from them; through the success of the Gospel, the oracles of the Heathen were struck dumb, their priests were despised, their idol temples were forsaken, and idols rejected; now were the judgment of the Heathen world, and the prince of it, cast out, and vengeance in this way taken upon it, or their disobedience to God revenged, John 12:31. Or else upon the Papists, as will be in the latter times of the Gospel; who are sometimes called Heathens and Gentiles, Psalms 10:16; on whom vengeance will be taken for all their idolatry, superstition, and bloodshed of the saints; and they will be smitten and slain by the twoedged sword, proceeding out of the mouth of Christ, and as in the hands of his servants, Revelation 19:15;

[and] punishments upon the people; or "reproofs" p; sharp and piercing ones; such as the convictions the word of God will strike in the minds of men, and will be very distressing and afflicting to them; as the fire out of the mouths of the witnesses, which is their doctrine, will be to their enemies the Papists; and will torment and kill them, and be the savour of death unto death unto them, Revelation 11:5.

p תוכחות "increpationes", V. L. Pagninus, Montanus, Junius Tremellius, Piscator "redargutiones", Cocceius, Michaelis; so Ainsworth.

Henry's Complete Commentary on the Bible

      6 Let the high praises of God be in their mouth, and a twoedged sword in their hand;   7 To execute vengeance upon the heathen, and punishments upon the people;   8 To bind their kings with chains, and their nobles with fetters of iron;   9 To execute upon them the judgment written: this honour have all his saints. Praise ye the LORD.

      The Israel of God are here represented triumphing over their enemies, which is both the matter of their praise (let them give to God the glory of those triumphs) and the recompence of their praise; those that are truly thankful to God for their tranquillity shall be blessed with victory. Or it may be taken as a further expression of their praise (Psalms 149:6; Psalms 149:6): let the high praises of God be in their mouth, and then, in a holy zeal for his honour, let them take a two-edged sword in their hand, to fight his battles against the enemies of his kingdom. Now this may be applied, 1. To the many victories which God blessed his people Israel with over the nations of Canaan and other nations that were devoted to destruction. These began in Moses and Joshua, who, when they taught Israel the high praises of the Lord, did withal put a two-edged sword in their hand; David did so too, for, as he was the sweet singer of Israel, so he was the captain of their hosts, and taught the children of Judah the use of the bow (2 Samuel 1:18), taught their hands to war, as God had taught his. Thus he and they went on victoriously, fighting the Lord's battles, and avenging Israel's quarrels on those that had oppressed them; then they executed vengeance upon the heathen (the Philistines, Moabites, Ammonites, and others, 2 Samuel 8:1, c.) and punishments upon the people, for all the wrong they had done to God's people, Psalms 149:7; Psalms 149:7. Their kings and nobles were taken prisoners (Psalms 149:8; Psalms 149:8) and on some of them the judgment written was executed, as by Joshua on the kings of Canaan, by Gideon on the princes of Midian, by Samuel on Agag. The honour of this redounded to all the Israel of God; and to him who put it upon them they return it entirely in their hallelujahs. Jehoshaphat's army had at the same time the high praises of God in their mouth and a two-edged sword in their hand, for they went forth to war singing the praises of God, and then their sword did execution, 2 Chronicles 20:23. Some apply it to the time of the Maccabees, when the Jews sometimes gained great advantages against their oppressors. And if it seem strange that the meek should, notwithstanding that character, be thus severe, and upon kings and nobles too, here is one word that justifies them in it; it is the judgment written. They do not do it from any personal malice and revenge, or any bloody politics that they govern themselves by, but by commission from God, according to his direction, and in obedience to his command; and Saul lost his kingdom for disobeying a command of this nature. Thus the kings of the earth that shall be employed in the destruction of the New-Testament Babylon will but execute the judgment written,Revelation 17:16; Revelation 17:17. But, since now no such special commissions can be produced, this will by no means justify the violence either of subjects against their princes or of princes against their subjects, or both against their neighbours, under pretence of religion; for Christ never intended that his gospel should be propagated by fire and sword or his righteousness wrought by the wrath of man. When the high praises of God are in our mouth with them we should have an olive-branch of peace in our hands. 2. To Christ's victories by the power of his gospel and grace over spiritual enemies, in which all believers are more than conquerors. The word of God is the two-edged sword (Hebrews 4:12), the sword of the Spirit (Ephesians 6:17), which it is not enough to have in our armoury, we must have it in our hand also, as our Master had, when he said, It is written. Now, (1.) With this two-edged sword the first preachers of the gospel obtained a glorious victory over the powers of darkness; vengeance was executed upon the gods of the heathen, by the conviction and conversion of those that had been long their worshippers, and by the consternation and confusion of those that would not repent (Revelation 6:15); the strongholds of Satan were cast down (2 Chronicles 10:4; 2 Chronicles 10:5); great men were made to tremble at the word, as Felix; Satan, the god of this world, was cast out, according to the judgment given against him. This is the honour of all Christians, that their holy religion has been so victorious. (2.) With this two-edged sword believers fight against their own corruptions, and, through the grace of God, subdue and mortify them; the sin that had dominion over them is crucified; self, that once sat king, is bound with chains and brought into subjection to the yoke of Christ; the tempter is foiled and bruised under their feet. This honour have all the saints. (3.) The complete accomplishment of this will be in the judgment of the great day, when the Lord shall come with ten thousands of his saints, to execute judgment upon all,Jude 1:14; Jude 1:15. Vengeance shall then be executed upon the heathen (Psalms 9:17), and punishments, everlasting punishments, upon the people. Kings and nobles, that cast away the bands and cords of Christ's government (Psalms 2:3), shall not be able to cast away the chains and fetters of his wrath and justice. Then shall be executed the judgment written, for the secrets of men shall be judged according to the gospel. This honour shall all the saints have, that, as assessors with Christ, they shall judge the world,1 Corinthians 6:2. In the prospect of that let them praise the Lord, and continue Christ's faithful servants and soldiers to the end of their lives.