17 The chariots of God are tens of thousands and thousands of thousands. The Lord is among them, from Sinai, into the sanctuary.
*Minor differences ignored. Grouped by changes, with first version listed as example.
The chariots of God are twenty thousand thousands of angels. [1] For the most part, we are apt to undervalue the Divine presence, and therefore David presents us with a description fitted to exalt our thoughts of it. Owing to our unbelieving hearts, the least danger which occurs in the world weighs more with us than the power of God. We tremble under the slightest trials; for we forget or cherish low views of his omnipotence. To preserve us from this error, David directs us to the countless myriads of angels which are at his command, -- a circumstance, the consideration of which may well enable us to defy the evils which beset us. Twenty thousand are spoken of; but it is a number designed to intimate to us that the armies of the living God, which he commissions for our help, are innumerable; and surely this should comfort us under the deadliest afflictions of this life. In adding that the Lord is among them, the Psalmist is still to be considered as designing to give us an exalted view of what is included in God's presence; for the words suggest that he can no more divest himself of his existence than not have this power whereby angels are subordinated to his will. Another idea suggested is, that one God is better than a universe of angels. The great distance to which we are apt to conceive God as removed from us is one circumstance which tries our faith, and in order to obviate this, the Psalmist reminds us of Sinai, where there was a display of his majesty. The inference was conclusive that he still abode in the sanctuary. For why did God appear upon that occasion in such a glorious manner? Evidently to show that his covenant formed a sacred bond of union between him and the posterity of Abraham. Hence the words of Moses -- "Say not in thine heart, Who shall go up into heaven? or who shall descend into the deep? or who shall go over the sea? For the word is nigh unto thee," etc. (Deuteronomy 30:12.) Sinai accordingly is mentioned by David, to teach us that if we would fortify our minds with a firm faith in the Divine presence, we must derive it from the Law and the Prophets.
1 - The words 'lphy sn'n, alphey shinan, which Calvin renders "thousands of angels," are literally "thousands of repetition;" the noun sn'n, shanan, being derived from snh, shanah, he repeated or reiterated Accordingly, the reading which many prefer is, "The chariots of God are twenty thousand thousands multiplied or reiterated." Hammond, who adopts this translation, observes, that "though angels are not mentioned, they are to be understood, as Jude 14, muriades hagiai, holy myriads." Horsley reads, "Twenty thousand thousand of thousands is the cavalry of God." "The cavalry of God," says he, "is every thing in nature which he employs as the instruments or vehicles of his power. The image, which some would introduce here of God riding in a car drawn by angels, I cannot admire; nor do I think that it is really to be found in any passage of Scripture rightly understood." But God, though not here represented as riding on a car drawn by angels, is undoubtedly, in the most magnificent style of Eastern poetry, represented as riding on his exalted car, attended by legions of angels, mounted also on cars. Comp. Deuteronomy 32:3, and 2 Kings 6:16. French and Skinner give a different view of the passage, which brings out a very good sense -- "God hath been to them [the Israelites] twice ten thousand chariots, Even thousand of thousands." Chariots were much used in war by the nations of antiquity; and the chosen people were forbidden to use chariots and horses in war; but God was to them as effectual a safe-guard as innumerable war-chariots would have been. He was "the chariot of Israel, and the horsemen thereof," 2 Kings 2:12. Comp. Psalm 20:7. And in his protection and aid they were to trust. "When thou goest out to battle against thine enemies, and seest horses, and chariots, and a people more than thou, be not afraid of them: for the Lord thy God is with thee, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt." "For the Lord your God is he that goeth with you, to fight for you against your enemies to save you," (Deuteronomy 20:1 and 4.)
The chariots of God - The meaning of this verse is, that God is abundantly able to maintain his position on Mount Zion; to defend the place which he had selected as his abode. Though it has less natural strength than many other places have - though other hills and mountains, on account of their natural grandeur, may be represented as looking on this with contempt, as incapable of defense, yet he who has selected it is fully able to defend it. He is himself encompassed with armies and chariots of war; thousands of angels guard the place which he has chosen as the place of his abode. "Chariots," usually two-wheeled vehicles, often armed with scythes attached to their axles, were among the most powerful means of attack or defense in ancient warfare. See Psalm 20:7, note; Psalm 46:9, note; Isaiah 31:1, note; Isaiah 37:24, note; Compare Exodus 14:7; Joshua 17:16; Judges 4:15.
Are twenty thousand - A closer version is "two myriads," or twice ten thousand. The original word is in the dual form. The language is designed to denote a very great number. A myriad was a great number; the idea here is that even "that" great number was doubled.
Even thousands of angels - Margin, "many thousands." The Hebrew is, "thousands repeated," or "multiplied." There is in the Hebrew no mention of angels. The Septuagint and the Vulgate render it, "thousands of the rejoicing;" that is, thousands of happy attendants. The original, however, would most naturally refer to the chariots, as being multiplied by thousands.
The Lord is among them - The real strength, after all, is not in Zion itself, or in the chariots of the Lord surrounding it, but in the Lord himself. "He" is there as the Head of the host; He, as the Protector of his chosen dwelling-place.
As in Sinai, in the holy place - literally, "The Lord is among them; Sinai, in the sanctuary." The idea seems to be, that even Sinai with all its splendor and glory - the Lord himself with all the attending hosts that came down on Sinai - seemed to be in the sanctuary, the holy place on Mount Zion. All that there was of pomp and grandeur on Mount Sinai when God came down with the attending thousands of angels, was really around Mount Zion for its protection and defense.
The chariots of God are twenty thousand - רבתים אלפי שנאן ribbothayim alpey shinan, "two myriads of thousands doubled." Does not this mean simply forty thousand? A myriad is 10,000; two myriads, 20,000; these doubled, 40,000. Or thus: 10,000 + 10,000 + 20,000 = 40,000. The Targum says, "The chariots of God are two myriads; two thousand angels draw them; the majesty of God rests upon them in holiness on Mount Sinai." But what does this mean? We must die to know.
The chariots of God are twenty thousand,.... By which are meant the angels, as the following clause shows; called "chariots", because they have appeared in such a form, 2-Kings 2:11; and because, like chariots of war, they are the strength and protection of the Lord's people; and because of their swiftness in doing his work; and because they are for his honour and glory: they are the chariots of God, in which he rides about the world doing his will; they are the chariots in which Christ ascended up to heaven, and in which he will descend at the last day; and in which he now fetches the souls of his people to him at death, and will make use of them at the resurrection to gather them to him, when their bodies are raised by him: their number is very great, and in other places is mentioned as greater, Daniel 7:10; Christ speaks of twelve legions of them, Matthew 26:53; there is a multitude of them, and they are said to be even innumerable, Luke 2:13; which is observed, both for the glory of God, and for the safety of his people: even "thousands of angels"; the word for "angels" is only used in this place; Kimchi and Ben Melech take it to be one of the names of angels by which they were called: some derive it from a word which signifies "peaceable and quiet"; as expressive of the tranquil state in which they are in heaven, always beholding the face of God there: others from a word which signifies "sharp", as Jarchi; and so refers to their being the executioners of God's wrath and vengeance on men, and alluding to a sort of chariots with sharp hooks used in war: others from a word which signifies to "second"; these being the second, or next to God, the chief princes; or, as Aben Ezra, it denotes the number of angels, even "two thousand"; so the Targum,
"the chariots of God are two myriads (or twenty thousand) of burning fires, two thousand of angels lead them;''
the Lord is among them as in Sinai, in the holy place; that is, at the head of them, being their Governor and Commander, at whose beck they are, and ready to do his will; and he was among them when he ascended to heaven, as it follows, being carried up by them; as he was among them at Sinai, when the law was given; for Christ was there then, Acts 7:38; and attended with ten thousands of his holy angels, by whom the law was ordained, spoken, and given, Deuteronomy 33:2, Hebrews 2:2; which Sinai is called the holy place, from the presence of God there, and the law given from it: or else the sense is, that Christ is among the angels as in Sinai of old; so in the holy place, in Sion his holy hill, the church under the Gospel dispensation, where there are an innumerable company of angels, Hebrews 12:22; according to the construction of the word in the Hebrew text, it seems as if Sinai was in the holy place, the inside of it being of cedar, like the Shittim wood that grew about Sinai (l); or rather the worship commanded and directed to on mount Sinai was performed in it.
(l) Vid. Texelii Phoenix, l. 3. c. 7. p. 281.
and, to the assertion of God's purpose to make it His dwelling, is added evidence of His protecting care. He is described as in the midst of His heavenly armies--
thousands of angels--literally, "thousands of repetitions," or, "thousands of thousands"--that is, of chariots. The word "angels" was perhaps introduced in our version, from Deuteronomy 33:2, and Galatians 3:19. They are, of course, implied as conductors of the chariots.
as . . . Sinai, in the holy place--that is, He has appeared in Zion as once in Sinai.
Chariots - The armies (whereof chariots were an eminent part in those times) which attend upon God to do his pleasure. Twenty thousand - An innumerable company, a certain number being put for an uncertain. Among them - Here the psalmist seems to be transported by the prophetic spirit, from the narration of those external successes, to the prediction of the Messiah; and of the transcendent privileges and blessings accruing to mankind thereby. As in Sinai - God is no less gloriously, though less terribly present here, than he was in Sinai, when the great God attended with thousands of his angels, solemnly appeared to deliver the law. Yea, here is a greater privilege than Sinai had, The Lord Jehovah descending from heaven into an human body, as appears by his ascending thither again, which the next verse describes.
*More commentary available at chapter level.