Psalm 103:19-20
The Lord has established His throne in heaven,
And His kingdom rules over all.
20
Bless the Lord, you His angels,
Who excel in strength, who do His word,
Heeding the voice of His word.
Charles Spurgeon
“The LORD has prepared his throne in the heavens.” Here is a grand burst of song produced by a view of the boundless power, and glorious sovereignty of Jehovah. His throne is fixed, for that is the word; it is established, settled, immovable. About his government there is no alarm, no disorder, no perturbation, no hurrying to and fro in expedients, no surprises to be met or unexpected catastrophes to be warded off;—all is prepared and fixed, and he himself has prepared and fixed it. He is no delegated sovereign for whom a throne is set up by another; he is an autocrat, and his dominion arises from himself and is sustained by his own innate power. This matchless sovereignty is the pledge of our security, the pillar upon which our confidence may safely lean.
“And his kingdom ruleth over all.” Over the whole universe, he stretches his scepter. He now reigns universally, he always has done so, and he always will. To us the world may seem rent with anarchy, but he brings order out of confusion. The warring elements are marching beneath his banner when they most wildly rush onward in furious tempest. Great and small, intelligent and material, willing and unwilling, fierce or gentle,—all, all are under his sway. His is the only universal monarchy, He is the blessed and only Potentate, King of kings and Lord of lords. A clear view of his ever active, and everywhere supreme providence, is one of the most delightful of spiritual gifts; he who has it cannot do otherwise than bless the Lord with all his soul.
“Bless the LORD, ye his angels, that excel in strength.” Finding his work of praise growing upon his hands, he calls upon “the firstborn sons of light” to speak the praises of the Lord, as well they may, for as Milton says, they best can tell. Dwelling nearer to that prepared throne than we as yet have leave to climb, they see in nearer vision the glory which we would adore. To them is given an exceeding might of intellect, and voice, and force which they delight to use in sacred services for him; let them now turn all their strength into that solemn song which we would send up to the third heaven. To him who gave angelic strength let all angelic strength be given. They are his angels, and therefore they are not loath to ring out his praises.
“That do his commandments, hearkening unto the voice of his word.” We are bidden to do these commandments, and alas we fail; let those unfallen spirits, whose bliss it is never to have transgressed, give to the Lord the glory of their holiness. They hearken for yet more commands, obeying as much by reverent listening as by energetic action, and in this, they teach us how the heavenly will should evermore be done; yet even for this surpassing excellence let them take no praise, but render all to him who has made and kept them what they are.
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Enduring Word
Bless the LORD, you His angels: David began the psalm by telling his own soul to bless the Lord, but he knew the praise and honor to God should go beyond what he could give. It should extend all the way to the angels, and David boldly told them to also bless the LORD.
Who excel in strength, who do His word: The angels are strong and obedient, but even they should bless the LORD, giving Him praise and honor. (Guzik)
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Barnes
Bless the Lord – The psalm began Psalms 103:1-2 with an exhortation to “bless the Lord.” That exhortation was, however, then addressed by the psalmist to his own soul, and was especially founded on the benefits which he had himself received. The psalm closes also with an exhortation to “bless the Lord,” yet on a much wider scale. The psalmist feels that there is not only occasion for him to do it, but that the reason for it extends to the whole universe. The meaning is, that God is worthy of universal praise, and all ranks of beings – all worlds – should join in that praise. Man, feeble, frail, dying, could not come up to the fullness of the praise required. Praise such as was appropriate to God – such as his perfections and works deserved – demanded loftier powers than those of man; the loftiest powers in the universe.
Ye his angels – All beings higher than man; beings around and before his throne.
That excel in strength – Margin, as in Hebrew, “mighty in strength,” and therefore more “able” to offer adequate praise.
That do his commandments – Who perfectly obey his law, and who, therefore, can render more acceptable praise than can ever come from human lips.
Hearkening unto the voice of his word – Who always listen to his voice; who never are disobedient; and who can, therefore, approach him as holy beings, and more appropriately worship him.
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John Gill
The Lord hath prepared his throne in the heavens,…. The heaven is his throne; here he sits enthroned in all the glory of his majesty, with all his attendants upon him, and courtiers about him. The Lord Christ is now in heaven; and where he will continue to the restitution of all things, and from whence his people expect him at the last day. Here he is on the same throne with his divine Father; which throne he has “prepared” or “established”, so as it cannot be moved: when others are cast down, this shall stand; his throne is forever and ever. The Targum in the king’s Bible is, “the Word of the Lord hath prepared, &c.”
And his kingdom ruleth over all; over all created beings; over angels, good and bad; over men, righteous and wicked; over the greatest of men, the kings and princes of the earth. Good angels are subject to him devils tremble at him; saints acknowledge him as their King; the wicked he rules with a rod of iron; and kings reign by him, and are accountable to him; see Psalm 22:28.
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Matthew Henry
The doctrine of universal providence laid down, v. 19. He has secured the happiness of his peculiar people by promise and covenant, but the order of mankind, and the world in general, he secures by common providence. The Lord has a throne of his own, a throne of glory, a throne of government. He that made all rules all, and both by a word of power: He has prepared his throne, has fixed and established it that it cannot be shaken; he has afore-ordained all the measures of his government and does all according to the counsel of his own will. He has prepared it in the heavens, above us, and out of sight; for he holds back the face of his throne, and spreads a cloud upon it (Job 26:9); yet he can himself judge through the dark cloud, Job 22:13. Hence the heavens are said to rule (Dan 4:26), and we are led to consider this by the influence which even the visible heavens have upon this earth, their dominion, Job 38:33; Gen. 1:16. But though God’s throne is in heaven, and there he keeps his court, and thither we are to direct to him (Our Father who art in heaven), yet his kingdom rules over all. He takes cognizance of all the inhabitants, and all the affairs, of this lower world, and disposes all persons and things according to the counsel of his will, to his own glory (Dan. 4:35): His kingdom rules over all kings and all kingdoms, and from it, there is no exempt jurisdiction.
How well qualified they are for the post they are in. They are able; for they excel in strength; they are mighty in strength (so the word is); they are able to bring great things to pass, and to abide in their work without weariness. And they are as willing as they are able; they are willing to know their work; for they hearken to the voice of his word; they stand expecting commission and instructions from their great Lord, and always behold his face (Mt. 18:10), that they may take the first intimation of his mind. They are willing to do their work: They do his commandments (v. 20); they do his pleasure (v. 21); they dispute not any divine commands, but readily address themselves to the execution of them. Nor do they delay, but fly swiftly: They do his commandments at hearing, or as soon as they hear the voice of his word.
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Clarke
Bless the Lord, ye his angels — Every person who has a sense of God’s goodness to his soul feels his own powers inadequate to the praise which he ought to offer; and therefore naturally calls upon the holiest of men, and the supreme angels, to assist him in this work.
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Benson
Bless the Lord, ye his angels — Who, though glorious creatures, are but his ministers and messengers, as the word signifies. And by inviting the angels to bless God he excites men to the same duty, as having more dependence upon God, and obligation to him. That excel in strength — Of which see one evidence, 2 Kings 19:35. You are freed from the inabilities and infirmities of mankind; that do his commandments — That live in a universal, constant, and perfect obedience to all God’s commands; hearkening unto the voice of his word — Who diligently wait for his commands, and execute them with all cheerfulness and readiness.
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Geneva Bible 1560
Psalm 103:19-20
19 The Lord hath prepared his throne in heaven, & his kingdom ruleth over all.
20 Praise the Lord, ye m his Angels, that excel in strength, that do his commandment in obeying the voice of his word.
m In that that we, which naturally are slow to praise God, exhort the Angels, which willingly do it, we stir up ourselves to consider our duty, and awake out of our sluggishness.
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10
Therefore David blessed the Lord before all the assembly; and David said: “Blessed are You, Lord God of Israel, our Father, forever and ever.
11
Yours, O Lord, is the greatness,
The power and the glory,
The victory and the majesty;
For all that is in heaven and in earth is Yours;
Yours is the kingdom, O Lord,
And You are exalted as head over all.
12
Both riches and honor come from You,
And You reign over all.
In Your hand is power and might;
In Your hand it is to make great
And to give strength to all.
13
“Now therefore, our God,
We thank You
And praise Your glorious name.
1 Chronicles 29:10-13 NKJV
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