Psalm 48:10

According to thy name, O God, so is thy praise unto the ends of the earth: thy right hand is full of righteousness.

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(10) According to thy name . . .—“Name” here has plainly the meaning we give it in the phrase, “name and fame.” God’s praise was up to the reputation His great deeds had won. (Comp. Psalm 138:2.)

Thy right hand is full of righteousness.—Not like Jove’s, as heathen say, full of thunderbolts, but of justice.

Benson Commentary

Psalm 48:10. According to thy name, so is thy praise — Thou art acknowledged, and evidently proved, to be such a one as thou hast affirmed thyself to be in thy word, God Almighty, or All-sufficient, the Lord of hosts, the King of thy church and people, a strong tower to all that trust in thee; and whatever else thou art said to be in Scripture. None of thy names are empty titles, but all of them are fully answered by honourable and praiseworthy works. Thy right hand is full of righteousness — That is, of righteous actions, by which thou discoverest thy truth, justice, and holiness, in destroying the wicked and incorrigible enemies of thy people, and in fulfilling thy promises made to thy church.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

48:8-14 We have here the improvement which the people of God are to make of his glorious and gracious appearances for them. Let our faith in the word of God be hereby confirmed. Let our hope of the stability of the church be encouraged. Let our minds be filled with good thoughts of God. All the streams of mercy that flow down to us, must be traced to the fountain of His loving-kindness. Let us give to God the glory of the great things he has done for us. Let all the members of the church take comfort from what the Lord does for his church. Let us observe the beauty, strength, and safety of the church. Consider its strength; see it founded on Christ the Rock, fortified by the Divine power, guarded by Him who neither slumbers nor sleeps. See what precious ordinances are its palaces, what precious promises are its bulwarks, that you may be encouraged to join yourselves to it: and tell this to others. This God, who has now done such great things for us, is unchangeable in his love to us, and his care for us. If he is our God, he will lead and keep us even to the last. He will so guide us, as to set us above the reach of death, so that it shall not do us any real hurt. He will lead us to a life in which there shall be no more death.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

According to thy name, O God, so is thy praise - That is, as far as thy name is known, it will be praised; or, the effect of knowing it will be to inspire praise. A just view of thy character and doings will lead people to praise thee as far as thy name is known. This seems to have been said in view of what had occurred. Events so remarkable, and so suited to show that God was a just, a powerful, and a merciful Being, would claim universal praise and adoration.

Unto the ends of the earth - In every part of the world. The earth is frequently represented in the Scriptures as an extended plain, having ends, corners, or limits. See the notes at Isaiah 11:12; Revelation 7:1.

Thy right hand is full of righteousness - The right hand is the instrument by which we accomplish anything. The idea here is, that in what God had done it seemed as if his hand - the instrument by which this bad been accomplished - had been "filled" with justice. All that had been manifested had been righteousness, and that had been in abundance.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

10. According … praise—that is, As Thy perfections manifested (compare Ps 8:1; 20:1-7), demand praise, it shall be given, everywhere.

thy right hand, &c.—Thy righteous government is displayed by Thy power.

Matthew Poole's Commentary

For this and such-like glorious actions thou art praised and acknowledged, and evidently proved to be such a one as thou hast affirmed thyself to be in thy word, God almighty, or all-sufficient, the Lord of hosts, the King of thy church and people, and a strong Tower to all that trust in thee, and all other things which thou art called in Scripture. Thy name is not an empty title, but is filled up with honourable and praiseworthy works, answerable to it.

Full of righteousness, i.e. of righteous actions; by which thou discoverest thy justice and holiness in destroying the wicked and incorrigible enemies of thy people, and in fulfilling thy promises made to thy church.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

According to thy name, O God, so is thy praise unto the ends of the earth,.... That is, as he himself is in the perfections of his nature, which are displayed in the works of his bands, throughout the whole creation; so is or ought his praise to be: or rather, as in the latter day his name will be great in all the earth, Malachi 1:11; so will his praise be; and as his name will be One, Zechariah 14:9; he will be one Lord, there will be one faith and one baptism; his worship, word, and ordinances, will be uniformly observed and attended to; so will be his praise: all the saints will unite together in giving glory to him: he, and he alone, shall be exalted. Moreover, his Gospel is his name, Acts 9:15; and that in the latter day will be preached to every nation, kindred, tongue, and people, Revelation 14:6; and multitudes, both of Jews and Gentiles, will be convert ed, and from the uttermost parts of the earth will be heard songs of praise and glory unto him, Isaiah 24:15;

thy right hand is full of righteousness: of all spiritual blessings for his people; and particularly of the righteousness of Christ, which God accepts of, imputes unto, and liberally bestows upon them: and it is also full of punitive justice, which he inflicts on his and their enemies; his right hand teaches him terrible things, and these terrible things he does in righteousness; all his works are in righteousness, which the right hand, being the instrument of action, is a token of. Moreover, Christ is the right hand of God; he is the man of his right hand, and as dear to him as his right hand; he is the right hand of his righteousness, by which he upholds his people; and this right hand of his is full of righteousness; he does nothing else but righteousness; he is the author and donor of it to his people, and will execute righteousness upon his enemies; in righteousness he will make war with them, Revelation 19:11; and which is greatly the sense of this passage, as appears by Psalm 48:11.

Geneva Study Bible

According to thy name, O God, so is thy praise unto the ends of the {i} earth: thy right hand is full of righteousness.

(i) In all places where your Name will be heard of, men will praise you when they hear of your marvellous works.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

10. According to thy name] As is thy name (R.V.). God’s revelation of His power and lovingkindness receives worldwide celebration. Cp. Isaiah 33:13. To other nations beside Judah the destruction of the great tyrant’s army was a cause for rejoicing. Cp. Psalm 46:8 ff.; Nahum 3:19.

thy right hand is full of righteousness] Ready to be exercised on behalf of Thy people in judgements on their enemies (Psalm 48:11). Cp. Isaiah 33:5.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 10. - According to thy Name, O God, so is thy praise. The "Name of God," i.e. the character that he has established for himself by former mighty deeds, and the praise which he has now won by the recent deliverance, are coextensive. Both of them reach unto the ends of the earth; i.e. over all the regions known to the writer. Thy right hand is full of righteousness. Thou hast dealt out a righteous judgment by thy right hand and thy stretched-out arm, thereby showing how full thy right hand is of justice and judgment. Psalm 48:10

Keil and Delitzsch Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament

(Heb.: 48:10-12) Now follows grateful praise to God, who hears prayer and executes justice, to the joy of His city and of His people. By דּמּינוּ the poet refers back to the service held in the temple before the army set out, as narrated in 2 Chronicles 20, to the prayers offered in the time of their impending danger, and to the remembrance of the favour hitherto shown towards Jerusalem, from which source they drew the comfort of hope for the present time. דּמּה, to compare, to hold one thing over against another, in this instance by causing the history of the past to pass before one's mind. To God's mighty deeds of old is now added a new one. The Name of God, i.e., the sum of His self-attestations hitherto, was the subject of the דמינו in the temple, and more particularly of the Korahitic songs (2 Chronicles 20:19); and this name has gloriously verified itself by a new deed of righteousness. His fame extends even to the ends of the earth (2 Chronicles 20:29). He has proved Himself to be One whose right hand is full of righteousness, and who practises righteousness or justice where it is necessary. Let, then, the Holy City, let the country cities of Judah (Isaiah 40:9, cf. Psalm 16:2) rejoice. The whole inheritance of Israel was threatened. Now it is most gloriously delivered.