Psalms 145

I will exalt you, my God, the King. I will praise your name forever. Clarke: raise Thee on high; bless the name for ever and onward.

Classical Arminians take the vow of praise as sincere duty under grace. Kingship language puts God above every rival loyalty.

Calvin: stirs others to offer praises due; calling God his king keeps earthly princes in place so no distinction steals God’s glory.

Praise owed, princes relativized. Extol; my God and King; bless forever.

Every day bless; praise the name forever. Daily perseverance matches forever speech.

Daily blessing is habit grace enables and requires.

Calvin: daily denotes perseverance; constant mercies make fainting in praise improper.

New mercies each day call for praise each day. Both agree: every day I will praise you.

Great is the LORD; greatly to be praised; greatness unsearchable. Clarke: to His mightinesses no investigation—unlimited and eternal.

Arminians refuse a small God. Unsearchable greatness fuels worship, not speculation that neglects praise.

Calvin: praise aright when overwhelmed with admiration of immensity; capacity-measured praise from that fountain.

Ecstatic admiration, not bare flattery. Agreed: great; greatly praised; unsearchable.

Generation to generation commend works and declare mighty acts. Clarke: creating/redeeming acts in the Word; providential dealings handed down.

Teach the next generation deliberately. One generation commends God’s works to the next.

Calvin: all are made and preserved to devote themselves to God’s praise; God renews remembrance of His works day by day.

Life’s end is praise across generations. Praise is handed down from one generation to another.

Meditate on majesty’s splendor and wondrous works. Praise includes pondering, not only singing.

Arminians urge meditation that leads to speech. Meditate on majesty and wonders.

Calvin: meditation (or speech) on beauty of excellency and wonderful works—true religion wants practical knowledge of works, not idle speculation on essence alone.

His meditation fixes on God’s works. Both hear: I will meditate.

They speak of awesome deeds’ might; I declare Your greatness. Corporate and personal praise join.

If others speak, I still declare. Both see: speak; declare greatness.

Calvin: always some to declare righteousness, goodness, wisdom; if others desist, he will still set forth God’s praises.

Refuse silent defrauding of God’s honor. Men will speak of God’s awesome deeds, and the psalmist will declare his greatness.

Pour forth fame of abundant goodness; sing aloud of righteousness. Overflowing praise matches overflowing goodness.

Classical Arminians love loud goodness-songs. Undisputed: abundant goodness; righteousness sung.

Calvin: gushing utterance like water from a fountain; memory of goodness we have experienced allures cheerful praise.

Experienced fatherly mercy fuels burst of praise. No dispute here: pour forth; sing aloud.

Gracious, merciful, slow to anger, abounding in steadfast love. Clarke: nature disposed to favor; eye affects heart at misery; slow even under great provocation; abundant mercy.

This fourfold goodness is the Divine nature on display—worthy of trust and praise.

Calvin opens the goodness already named: inclined to mercy, compassionate, slow to anger, great in mercy.

God’s own character, not a mood. Both affirm: gracious; merciful; slow to anger; steadfast love.

Good to all; mercy over all He has made. Clarke stresses universal merciful regards over all His works.

The passage carries wide benevolence that underwrites sincere gospel offers and creaturely care—without turning the verse into a denial of judgment later in the psalm.

Calvin: Jehovah is good to all. His mercies above all His works—goodness celebrated in providence toward the world He made, then special favor to His people in the psalm’s movement.

Creaturely mercy is true; it does not erase particular covenant care or the wicked’s end in v. 20. Where they meet: good to all; mercy over all He made.

All works give thanks; all saints bless. Clarke: works praise the God good to all; saints (merciful ones) bless.

Creation and redeemed people share the choir in different keys. Works thank; saints bless.

Calvin: all works praise; merciful ones bless—God’s people voice what creation displays.

Saint-blessing answers revealed mercy. Give thanks; bless You.

Speak kingdom glory; tell power. Royal speech continues the praise.

Classical Arminians love kingdom proclamation. Glory of Your kingdom; Your power.

Calvin: they speak glory of the kingdom and talk of power—so dominion is confessed, not privatized.

The kingdom is to be spoken of publicly. Both traditions hear: speak; tell.

Make known to humankind mighty deeds and kingdom splendor. Clarke: they delight to recommend their God and Father to others.

Praise turns outward to the sons of men. Make known mighty deeds.

Calvin: make known His powers to the sons of men and the beauty of His kingdom—praise as witness.

Revelation for the world to hear. Common reading: children of man; glorious splendor.

The WEB includes the nun line: faithful in all his words, loving in all his deeds. Clarke notes the acrostic nun verse preserved in ancient Versions.

Classical Arminians rest on a kingdom that does not age out—and on faithfulness and kindness in speech and works.

Calvin: kingdom of all ages; dominion to all successive generations—God’s rule outlasts human renown.

Undying dominion. Shared praise of the forever King in this acrostic song.

Upholds the falling; raises the bowed down. Wesley: all that look up to Him for help. Clarke: those not able to keep their feet.

Look up—falling saints are upheld. Upholds; raises.

Calvin’s praise of providence includes care for the distressed. Falling and bowed down meet holding and raising.

The King’s hand under the weak. Either reading: all who fall; all bowed down.

Eyes of all look; You give food in due season. Wesley: all living creatures; wait—expect supplies wholly from Thy bounty (even ascribed figuratively to brutes).

Arminian readers thank common provision. Both sides agree: eyes look; food in due season.

Calvin: goodness reaches creatures who wait on God for food—providence praised before special nearness is named.

God gives every creature its food in due season. Look to You; You give.

Open hand; satisfy every living thing’s desire. Generosity pictured as an open palm.

Open-handed satisfaction of living desire. Open hand; satisfy.

Calvin’s goodness theme continues—open hand as emblem of liberal providence.

Desire met by God’s hand. You open; You satisfy.

Righteous in all ways; kind in all works. Character matches kingdom rule.

Both traditions see: no cruel randomness in His ways. Classical Arminians rest in kind righteousness.

Calvin pairs righteousness and kindness across works—providence is not raw power without goodness.

All ways; all works. Righteous; kind.

Near to all those who call on him in truth. Wesley: nigh to answer prayers; in truth—with an upright heart. Clarke: near to answer; upright heart.

Sincere calling meets nearness—truthful prayer is invited and heard.

Calvin’s movement from general goodness to special favor lands in nearness to callers. Truth marks approach.

Nearness to those who truly call—not a blank cheque to empty lips. Both note: near; call in truth.

Fulfills desire of those who fear Him; hears cry; saves. Fear and cry belong together.

Arminians urge reverent desire and crying out. Fear Him; He hears; He saves.

Calvin: merciful ones who fear God find desire fulfilled and salvation in answer to cry.

Fear is not frozen silence—it cries and is saved. Fulfills; hears; saves.

Preserves all those who love him; destroys all the wicked. Love and wickedness diverge in outcome.

Love Him—preservation answers attachment; wickedness meets destruction. Both sides of the verse stand.

Calvin’s celebration of goodness never cancels judgment on the wicked. Preserve lovers; destroy the wicked.

Two ends under one Lord. Preserves who love; destroys the wicked.

My mouth will speak praise; let all flesh bless His holy name forever. Clarke’s psalm ends in universal summons.

Classical Arminians join personal vow to cosmic invitation.

Calvin began by urging all to praise; the psalm ends with mouth and all flesh blessing the holy name forever.

Praise is owed to God without end. Speak praise; all flesh bless forever.