48 Blessed be Yahweh, the God of Israel, from everlasting even to everlasting! Let all the people say, "Amen." Praise Yah! BOOK V
*Minor differences ignored. Grouped by changes, with first version listed as example.
Blessed be Jehovah, the God of Israel The prophet here regulates the prayers and desires of the people in such a way, as that, amid their grievous oppression, the dejected captives may not cease to render thanks to God; and this is a matter which must be carefully attended to, because, when borne down by adversity, there is scarcely one among a hundred, who, with composure of spirit, draws near to God; but, on the contrary, he betrays the pride of his heart by the careless and insipid manner in which he prays, or in pouring out complaints about his afflicted condition. But the only way in which we can expect God to lend a favorable ear to the voice of our supplications is, in the spirit of meekness to submit to his corrections, and patiently to bear the cross which he is pleased to lay upon us. It is with great propriety then, that the prophet exhorts the afflicted captives to bless God, even when he was chastising them with considerable severity. It is to the same purpose that it is added, let the people say, Amen; as if he were commanding them all to consent to the praises of God, though both privately and publicly they were overwhelmed in a sea of troubles.
Blessed be the Lord God of Israel from everlasting to everlasting - Forever. As he has been adored in the past - even from the beginning of the creation - so let him be adored and praised in all periods to come - forever and forever. See the notes at Psalm 41:13.
And let all the people say, Amen - In Psalm 41:13, this is, "Amen and amen." The idea is, Let all the people join in this; let them all express and declare their assent to this: let them all say, "Be it so." The word "Amen" is a word expressing assent - meaning verily, truly, certainly.
Praise ye the Lord - Hebrew, "Hallelu-jah." See Psalm 104:35.
Blessed be the Lord God of Israel - Here both gratitude and confidence are expressed; gratitude for what God had already wrought, and confidence that he would finish the great work of their restoration.
From everlasting to everlasting - מן האולם ועד האולם min haolam vead haolam, "from the hidden term to the hidden term," from the beginning of time to the end of time, from eternity and on to eternity. Fra worlde and into worlde, old Psalter; which it paraphrases thus: Fra with outen beginning, & withouten endyng.
And let all the people say, Amen - Let the people join in the prayer and in the thanksgiving, that God may hear and answer. Anglo-Saxon: "And, quoth all folk, be it, be it." Hallelujah - Praise ye Jehovah! Let his name be eternally magnified! Amen.
This is the end of the fourth book of the Psalm.
Blessed be the Lord God of Israel,.... God is to be blessed as the Father of mercies; as the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ; and as the covenant God and Father of his people in him, of the true Israel of God: which is done by celebrating his blessedness in himself; by ascribing to him all blessedness enjoyed, as the author of it; and by giving him honour, glory, and blessing for it.
From everlasting to everlasting; here and hereafter, in time and to all eternity; from this world to that which is to come, as the Targum; and which Arama observes are the days of the Messiah.
And let all the people say, Amen; so be it; to giving thanks to God, to praising his name, and ascribing blessing to him.
Praise ye the Lord; or "hallelujah"; so these two words, "Amen, hallelujah", are joined together in Revelation 19:4. The psalm ends as it began; for though the greatest part of it is taken up in relating the sins of the people of Israel; yet as the Lord was merciful to them and forgave them, and notwithstanding bestowed great mercies on them, there was reason for praise and thanksgiving. Here ends the fourth part of the book of Psalm; the fifth part begins, with the following psalm.
The closing doxology of the Fourth Book. The chronicler has ואמרוּ before Psalm 106:47 (which with him differs only very slightly), an indispensable rivet, so to speak, in the fitting together of Psalm 106:1 (Psalm 107:1) and Psalm 106:47. The means this historian, who joins passages together like mosaic-work, calls to his aid are palpable enough. He has also taken over. Psalm 106:48 by transforming and let all the people say Amen, Hallelujah! in accordance with his style (cf. 1-Chronicles 25:3; 2-Chronicles 5:13, and frequently, Ezra 3:11), into an historical clause: ויּאמרוּ כל־העם אמן והלּל ליהוה. Hitzig, by regarding the echoes of the Psalm in the chronicler as the originals of the corresponding Psalm in the Psalter, and consequently 1-Chronicles 16:36 as the original of the Beracha placed after our Psalm, reverses the true relation; vid., with reference to this point, Riehm in the Theolog. Literat. Blatt, 1866, No. 30, and Kצhler in the Luther. Zeitschrift, 1867, S. 297ff. The priority of Ps 106 is clear from the fact that Psalm 106:1 gives a liturgical key-note that was in use even in Jeremiah's time (Psalm 33:11), and that Psalm 106:47 reverts to the tephilla-style of the introit, Psalm 106:4. And the priority of Psalm 106:48 as a concluding formula of the Fourth Book is clear from the fact that is has been fashioned, like that of the Second Book (Psalm 72:18.), under the influence of the foregoing Psalm. The Hallelujah is an echo of the Hallelujah-Psalm, just as there the Jahve Elohim is an echo of the Elohim-Psalm. And "let all the people say Amen" is the same closing thought as in Psalm 106:6 of Ps, which is made into the closing doxology of the whole Psalter. Ἀμὴν ἀλληλούΐα together (Revelation 19:4) is a laudatory confirmation.
*More commentary available at chapter level.