V. 1. Praise, you heavens, the Lord, praise him on high.
1. This is a common thanksgiving for all the benefits of God.
Praise.
2 That is, give thanks to God for creating you. But how shall they praise him, because they have neither mouth nor tongue? They put before their eyes that he is to be praised, Rom. 1, 20. God's goodness is known from the abundant service (usu) of heaven. But who has ever thanked God for it, if not this Psalm?
V. 2. Praise Him, all His angels.
(3) That is, his courtiers; and they also praise him, but the devils blaspheme him. It is impossible for a believing Christian to have peace in the world, even according to the flesh, for immediately the world, the flesh and the devil persecute him. And yet, one cannot have true peace without faith.
Praise him, all his army.
Namely, that which is created to serve him in time of war and in time of peace.
Praise him, sun and moon; praise him, all the shining stars.
5. what would become if the dear sun, whose services cannot be counted
are. One day did not shine? 2c. God is to be praised because He gives so much.
V. 4. Praise him, all you heavens.
That is, everywhere, as far as one can see the sky. The theologians have assumed many heavens, as, the glowing, the crystalline, the watery, the icy heaven, the light or fiery heaven 2c. Of all these things I believe nothing, but hold that, as One Earth is adorned with various creatures, with waters, forests, fish, cattle, trees, mountains, valleys, so also only One Heaven, adorned with its ornaments, with large and small lights, stars and planets, among which some stand higher, some lower in the sky, just as in the forest one tree is higher than the other, because one stands on a mountain, another in the valley 2c.
V. 5: And let the waters that are in heaven praise the name of the Lord.
This is the air, which is water, but it is different from the water on earth, because it is finer. At times it becomes snow, ice or water, as a sword brought from the cold into a warm room immediately begins to sweat. And depending on whether God sends a good or evil angel, a warm or cold breath or wind, warmth, cold or snow follows 2c. "Up in the sky", that is, the air.
V. 6. for he gives, so it is created; he keeps them forever and ever; he orders them, that they must not go otherwise.
This is the cause of what he said before. Now follows the other part of this realm.
V. 7. Praise the Lord on earth (Terra quoque laudet eum).
9. the earth with its host; there are innumerable kinds of seeds, herbs, trees and shrubs. But the world abuses all creatures, and for this blasphemes God, persecutes his word, and strikes his Son on the cross. This is the thanksgiving of the world.
Your Welsh.
10. you who are the rulers of the sea.
And all the depths.
Pliny writes that there is a greater variety of animals in the sea than on land. And this is true.
V. 8. 9. fire, hail, snow and vapor, tempestuous winds, which execute his word. Mountains and all hills, fruitful trees and all cedars.
It rains leaves and grass. Therefore one speaks: The rain is golden, is to be paid with no money. But for all this the world is ungrateful.
V. 10. animals and all beasts.
13. cows are all clouds, because they give butter, milk, cheese, shoes, furs, cloth. A pig is a cloud, because it rains sausages and sides of bacon. Horses build castles, cities, and help build the land with their strength, serve for war.
Worms and birds.
14 That is, everything that creeps on earth.
V. 11. You kings of the earth and all the people, princes and all the judges of the earth.
(15) Then come the journeymen, to whom all these things are given, singing a praise, as it is written in the other psalm, v. 2c. This is their praise and thanksgiving for such rich, divine benefits. Here also belongs the temporal government, by which peace is obtained, that all may be used.
V. 12. Young men and virgins, old men with young men, shall practice the name of the Lord.
16 This is the teaching of the descendants.
For his name alone is exalted; his praise reaches as far as heaven and earth. And exalt the horn of his people; let all his saints praise, the children of Israel, the full who serve him.
17. no one believes that.