Psalms 150

Praise the LORD! Praise God in his sanctuary! Praise him in his heavens! Wesley: sanctuary—in His temple; firmament—in heaven, let angels praise. Clarke: full chorus of the grand Hallelujah’s close; sanctuary as temple or holiness; firmament—utmost expanse of power.

Shared Psalter finale begins: both camps worship in sanctuary and heavens. Arminian readers join the chorus without shrinking the call.

Calvin: spiritual worship of praise; sanctuary as heaven; firmament of power loses us in admiration—lift eyes to the heavenly sanctuary to awaken languid praise.

Heaven’s throne kindles earth’s praise. Praise the LORD; sanctuary; mighty heavens.

Praise him for his mighty acts! Praise him according to his excellent greatness! Clarke: acts in creation, government, mercy, justice; praise matching the multitude of His majesty.

Deeds and greatness as twin reasons. Both camps refuse skimpy praise for a great God.

Calvin: celebrate power and greatness mirrored in the heavens; mere taste of immensity deeply affects; God will not reject praises offered according to our capacity.

Meditate till praise kindles. Mighty deeds; excellent greatness.

Praise him with the sounding of the trumpet! Praise him with harp and lyre! Clarke: shofar’s noble sound; nebel and kinnor—stringed praise.

Both traditions welcome the instruments. This is wholehearted skill offered to God, not entertainment as end.

Calvin: various instruments under the legal economy teach diligence—bring all powers to this service; multiplicity led a weak people from vain pleasures to holy joy.

Every power we have is consecrated to praise. Both hear: trumpet; lute and harp.

Praise him with tambourine and dancing! Praise him with stringed instruments and flute! Clarke: toph; machol as pipe rather than dance in his reading; minnim—ordered strings; ugab—syrinx.

Both see: more instruments, same Name. Both camps keep the point—zealous praise—not a dispute over organology as theology.

Calvin: timbrel, pipe, chords, organ—enumerate to pour forth all joy in God’s praises.

Unrestrained holy gladness. Undisputed: tambourine; strings and pipe.

Praise him with loud cymbals! Praise him with resounding cymbals! Clarke: brass plates clanging; louder high-sounding pair.

The psalm builds to a crescendo that both traditions share. Arminian readers allow loud praise that still aims at the LORD, not at the noise itself.

Calvin: cymbals of sound and of jubilation—another summons to full-strength praise.

Jubilation consecrated. No dispute here: sounding and clashing cymbals.

Let everything that has breath praise the LORD! Praise the LORD! Wesley’s brief close matches the width. Clarke: all voices and breath instruments; universal burst of Hallelujah closes the ceremony and the book’s praise.

Shared last line of the Psalter: both camps worship. Arminian interpreters hear a sincere, wide call—everything that has breath. Praise the LORD!

Calvin: whatever breathes—turning from Israel’s ceremonies to men in general; songs once heard in Judea would resound worldwide; we join the Jews’ symphony until an eternal hallelujah with elect angels.

Praise is meant to be global and everlasting. Shared with Clarke and Wesley: everything that has breath; Praise the LORD!