Psalm 113:4

The LORD is high above all nations, and his glory above the heavens.

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(4) Comp. Psalm 8:1, &c

Benson Commentary

Psalm 113:4-6. The Lord is high above all nations — Superior to all princes and bodies of people in the world; and his glory above the heavens — Whereas the glory of earthly monarchs is confined to this lower world, and to small pittances of it, the glory of God doth not only fill the earth, but heaven too, where it is celebrated by thousands and myriads of blessed angels; yea, it is far higher than heaven, being infinite and incomprehensible, Who is like unto the Lord? — Hebrew, Jehovah, who dwelleth on high — Namely, far above all heavens, and is exalted, as in place, so in power and dignity, above all persons and things, visible and invisible. Who humbleth himself, &c. — Who is so high, that it is a wonderful condescension in him to take any notice of his holy and heavenly hosts, and much more of sinful and miserable men upon earth.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

113:1-9 An exhortation to praise God. - God has praise from his own people. They have most reason to praise him; for those who attend him as his servants, know him best, and receive most of his favours, and it is easy, pleasant work to speak well of their Master. God's name ought to be praised in every place, from east to west. Within this wide space the Lord's name is to be praised; it ought to be so, though it is not. Ere long it will be, when all nations shall come and worship before him. God is exalted above all blessing and praise. We must therefore say, with holy admiration, Who is like unto the Lord our God? How condescending in him to behold the things in the earth! And what amazing condescension was it for the Son of God to come from heaven to earth, and take our nature upon him, that he might seek and save those that were lost! How vast his love in taking upon him the nature of man, to ransom guilty souls! God sometimes makes glorious his own wisdom and power, when, having some great work to do, he employs those least likely, and least thought of for it by themselves or others. The apostles were sent from fishing to be fishers of men. And this is God's constant method in his kingdom of grace. He takes men, by nature beggars, and even traitors, to be his favourites, his children, kings and priests unto him; and numbers them with the princes of his chosen people. He gives us all our comforts, which are generally the more welcome when long delayed, and no longer expected. Let us pray that those lands which are yet barren, may speedily become fruitful, and produce many converts to join in praising the Lord.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

The Lord is high above all nations - Hebrew, Exalted above all nations is Yahweh. That is, he rules over all nations; he directs their affairs; he is their sovereign king. As a matter of fact, and from the necessity of the case, he is on a throne which is elevated above all the kings and kingdoms of the world. He is the Sovereign not only of one nation, but of all; and it is meet that this should be acknowledged by them all.

And his glory above the heavens - That which renders him glorious. The manifestations of his glorious character are not confined to the earth; they extend to the heavens; they are not confined to the visible heavens; they extend far beyond, in the regions of illimitable space. The universe - the earth and the starry worlds - all are full of the manifestations of his glory; and far beyond the bounds of created things (if they have a boundary), God is there - without limit - the same God - worthy there of universal praise! Who can comprehend such a God? Compare the notes at Psalm 8:1.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

4-6. God's exaltation enhances His condescension;

Matthew Poole's Commentary

High above all nations; superior to all princes and bodies of people in the world.

His glory above the heavens: whereas the glory of earthly monarchs is confined to this lower world, and to small pittances of it, the glory of God doth not only fill the earth, but heaven too, where it is celebrated by thousands and myriads of blessed angels, yea, it is far higher than heaven, being infinite and incomprehensible.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

The Lord is high above all nations,.... He is the most High in all the earth; he is higher than the highest; he is King of kings and Lord of lords: all nations are made by him, and are under his government and dominion; he is the Governor among the nations; they are in comparison of him as the drop of a bucket, as the small dust of the balance; as nothing, yea, less than nothing, and vanity. Here it seems to respect the time when the Lord shall be more visibly King over all the earth, and the kingdoms of this world shall be the kingdoms of our Lord and of his Christ, Zechariah 14:9.

And his glory above the heavens; it is above what the heavens do or can declare; they declare something of it, but not all. Christ, who is the brightness of his Father's glory, is made higher than the heavens, and has ascended far above them; and is above the angels in them, both as to nature, name, office, and place, Hebrews 1:4.

Geneva Study Bible

The LORD is high above all {b} nations, and his glory above the heavens.

(b) If God's glory shines through all the world, and therefore of all ought to be praised, what great condemnation were it to his people, among whom chiefly it shines, if they should not earnestly extol his Name?

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

4–6. The ground of praise, Jehovah’s exaltation and condescension.

4 a. Cp. Psalm 99:2.

4 b. Cp. Psalm 57:5; Psalm 57:11; Psalm 8:1.

5 a. Cp. Exodus 15:11; Deuteronomy 3:24.

5 b, 6. The structure of these lines—lit. Who exalteth himself to sit, Who humbleth himself to see, in heaven and in earth—makes it probable that in heaven and in earth belong to the two preceding lines respectively. Keble’s paraphrase expresses it excellently,

“Exalting still His holy place,

Low bending still His eye of grace,

In heaven above, in earth below.”

The point is Jehovah’s condescension. Though He sits enthroned on high in heaven, yet He stoops to regard the earth. He is not “careless of mankind,” as heathen gods were often supposed to be. For the thought cp. Psalm 138:6; Isaiah 57:15.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 4. - The Lord is high above all nations. As being "the great King over all the earth" (Psalm 47:2). And his glory above the heavens. "The heaven, and heaven of heavens, cannot contain him" (2 Chronicles 6:18). It is a "humbling of himself" to "behold the things that are in heaven and earth" (see ver. 6). Psalm 113:4

Keil and Delitzsch Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament

This praiseworthiness is now confirmed. The opening reminds one of Psalm 99:2. Pasek stands between גוים and יהוה in order to keep them apart. The totality of the nations is great, but Jahve is raised above it; the heavens are glorious, but Jahve's glory is exalted above them. It is not to be explained according to Psalm 148:13; but according to Psalm 57:6, 12, רם belongs to Psalm 113:4 too as predicate. He is the incomparable One who has set up His throne in the height, but at the same time directs His gaze deep downwards (expression according to Ges. ֗142, rem. 1) in the heavens and upon earth, i.e., nothing in all the realm of the creatures that are beneath Him escapes His sight, and nothing is so low that it remains unnoticed by Him; on the contrary, it is just that which is lowly, as the following strophe presents to us in a series of portraits so to speak, that is the special object of His regard. The structure of Psalm 113:5-6 militates against the construction of "in the heavens and upon the earth" with the interrogatory "who is like unto Jahve our God?" after Deuteronomy 3:24.