Psalm 108:4

For thy mercy is great above the heavens: and thy truth reacheth unto the clouds.

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

108:1-13 We may usefully select passages from different psalms, as here, Ps 57; 60, to help our devotions, and enliven our gratitude. When the heart is firm in faith and love, the tongue, being employed in grateful praises, is our glory. Every gift of the Lord honours and profits the possessor, as it is employed in God's service and to his glory. Believers may pray with assured faith and hope, for all the blessings of salvation; which are secured to them by the faithful promise and covenant of God. Then let them expect from him help in every trouble, and victory in every conflict. Whatever we do, whatever we gain, God must have all the glory. Lord, visit all our souls with this salvation, with this favour which thou bearest to thy chosen people.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

For thy mercy ... - This is taken from Psalm 57:10. The only change is in the expression "above the heavens," instead of "unto the heavens." The sense is essentially the same. The particular idea here, if it differs at all from the expression in Psalm 57:1-11, is, that the mercy of God seems to "descend" from heaven upon man, or "comes down" from on high.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

PSALM 108

Ps 108:1-13. This Psalm is composed of Ps 108:1-5 of Ps 57:7-11; and Ps 108:6-12 of Ps 60:5-12. The varieties are verbal and trivial, except that in Ps 108:9, "over Philistia will I triumph," differs from Ps 60:8, the interpretation of which it confirms. Its altogether triumphant tone may intimate that it was prepared by David, omitting the plaintive portions of the other Psalms, as commemorative of God's favor in the victories of His people.

Matthew Poole's Commentary

No text from Poole on this verse.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

For thy mercy is great above the heavens,..... It is in Psalm 57:10, "thy mercy is great unto the heavens". See Gill on Psalm 57:10.

Geneva Study Bible

For thy mercy is great above the heavens: and thy truth reacheth unto the clouds.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

4. For thy lovingkindness is great above the heavens,

And thy truth (reacheth) unto the skies.

This verse gives the reason for the praises which he purposes to offer. Once more God’s lovingkindness and truth had been attested by the deliverance of Israel from exile. Cp. Psalm 98:3. The change of ‘unto the heavens’ into ‘above the heavens’ is a loss to the sense, making the second line an anticlimax.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 4. - For thy mercy is great above the heavens: and thy truth reacheth unto the clouds. Identical with Psalm 57:10, with the exception of one preposition, which occurs only in some manuscripts. Psalm 108:4

Keil and Delitzsch Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament

This first half is taken from Psalm 57:8-12. The repetition of confident is my heart in Psalm 57:1-11 is here omitted; and in place of it the "my glory" of the exclamation, awake my glory, is taken up to "I will sing and will harp" as a more minute definition of the subject (vid., on Psalm 3:5): He will do it, yea,his soul with all its godlike powers shall do it. Jahve in Psalm 108:4 is transformed out of the Adonaj; and Waw copul. is inserted both before Psalm 108:4 and Psalm 108:6, contrary to Psalm 57:1-11. מעל, Psalm 108:5 (as in Esther 3:1), would be a pleasing change for עד if Psalm 108:5 followed Psalm 108:5 and the definition of magnitude did not retrograde instead of heightening. Moreover Psalm 36:6; Jeremiah 51:9 (cf. על in Psalm 113:4; Psalm 148:13) favour עד in opposition to מעל.