He sendeth out his word - He commands: or, he speaks.And melteth them - Melts the snow and the ice. Compare the notes at Job 37:10-12 : “By the breath of God frost is given,” etc. The idea is, that they are entirely under his control. They obey him when he speaks.He causeth his wind to blow - The warm south wind: “his” wind, because he directs it, and causes it to perform his will.And the waters flow - The snow and the ice melt. read more
Psalms 147:16-18. He giveth snow like wool Not only in colour, and shape, and softness, and its falling silently like a lock of wool; but in its covering the earth and keeping it warm, and so promoting its fruitfulness. He scattereth the hoar-frost Which is dew congealed, as the snow and hail are rain congealed; like ashes Which it resembles in colour and smallness of parts, and has the appearance of ashes scattered upon the grass. Sometimes also it is prejudicial to the products of the... read more
Psalms 147-150 Praise the LordGod’s people should praise him constantly for his merciful and loving care: his care over them in particular (147:1-2), his care over those who sorrow (3), his care over all his creation (4), and his special care for the downtrodden (5-6). God delights to provide for the physical needs of his creatures (7-9). But of all his creatures, those he delights in most are those who humbly trust in his steadfast love (10-11). That is why he delights in Israel above other... read more
word. Hebrew. dabar = the subject-matter of the articulate utterance (Psalms 147:16 ). See App-73 . wind. Hebrew. ruach, App-9 . read more
Psalms 147:16-17. He giveth snow, &c.— The winters in the east, in some years, and at some places, are remarkably cold and severe. Fulcherius Carnotensis saw the cold prove deadly to many. Jac. de Vitriaco informs us, that the same thing happened to many of the poor people engaged in an expedition, in which he himself was concerned, against mount Tabor: that he had suffered severely the preceding days, by cold; but on the 24th of December it was so sharp, that many of the poor people, and... read more
17. morsels—used as to food (Genesis 18:5), perhaps here denotes hail. read more
15-18. God's Word, as a swift messenger, executes His purpose, for with Him to command is to perform (Genesis 1:3; Psalms 33:9), and He brings about the wonders of providence as easily as men cast crumbs. read more
Psalms 147God’s greatness and His grace, as in Psalms 146, are also the theme of this psalm. However, in this one, an unnamed psalmist viewed God as Sustainer more than as Creator. He provides what His creatures need."When Nehemiah and his people finished rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem, restoring the gates, and resettling the people, they called a great assembly for celebration and dedication, and it is likely that this psalm was written for that occasion (Psalms 147:2; Psalms 147:12-14;... read more
3. God’s instrument of blessing 147:12-20 read more
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Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Psalms 147:17
He casteth forth his ice like morsels - The word rendered morsels means properly a bit, a crumb, as of bread, Genesis 18:5; Judges 19:5. The allusion here would seem to be to hail, which God sends upon the earth as easily as one scatters crumbs of bread from the hand.Who can stand before his cold? - Or, hail. The word is the same, except in pointing, as the preceding word rendered ice. The idea is that no one can stand before the peltings of the hail, when God sends it forth, or scatters it... read more