Yahweh is high above all nations, his glory above the heavens.
Parallel Translations
-
Yahweh is high above all nations, his glory above the heavens.
-
The LORD is high above all nations, and his glory above the heavens.
-
The LORD is high above all nations, His glory is above the heavens.
Cross-references (10)
Passages linked to Psalms 113:4 in the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge, ordered by reader-vote popularity; verse text shown in World English Bible.
- Psalms 8:1 Yahweh, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory above the heavens!
- Psalms 99:2 Yahweh is great in Zion. He is high above all the peoples.
- Psalms 97:9 For you, Yahweh, are most high above all the earth. You are exalted far above all gods.
- Psalms 148:13 let them praise Yahweh’s name, for his name alone is exalted. His glory is above the earth and the heavens.
- Isaiah 40:17 All the nations are like nothing before him. They are regarded by him as less than nothing, and vanity.
- Psalms 57:10-11 For your great loving kindness reaches to the heavens, and your truth to the skies. Be exalted, God, above the heavens. Let your glory be over all the earth.
- Isaiah 40:15 Behold, the nations are like a drop in a bucket, and are regarded as a speck of dust on a balance. Behold, he lifts up the islands like a very little thing.
- Isaiah 40:22 It is he who sits above the circle of the earth, and its inhabitants are like grasshoppers; who stretches out the heavens like a curtain, and spreads them out like a tent to dwell in,
- Isaiah 66:1 Yahweh says, “Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool. What kind of house will you build to me? Where will I rest?
- 1 Kings 8:27 But will God in very deed dwell on the earth? Behold, heaven and the heaven of heavens can’t contain you; how much less this house that I have built!
Cross-references from openbible.info (CC BY 4.0)
Explain this verse (13 sources)
Historical commentary, presented as a primary source — not an endorsement.
Private notes
Saved on this device only — never synced or sent anywhere.
Geneva Bible translators 1599 · Public Domain If God’s glory shine through all the world, and…
If God’s glory shine through all the world, and therefore of all ought to be praised, what great condemnation were it to his people, among whom chiefly it shineth, if they should not earnestly extol his Name?
Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain.
John Trapp 1656 · Public Domain Psa 113:4 The LORD [is] high above all nations,…
Psa 113:4 The LORD [is] high above all nations, [and] his glory above the heavens.
Ver. 4. The Lord is high, &c.] He looketh on the earth as on an ant hill. All nations to him are but as a drop of a bucket, Isa 40:15 Quantilla ergo es tu istius guttae particula? (Aug.).
Read full note →
And his glory above the heavens] These are far beneath him in glory as in situation. Angels understand him not fully.
John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Matthew Poole 1685 · Public Domain High above all nations; superior to all princes and…
High above all nations; superior to all princes and bodies of people in the world.
His glory above the heavens: whereas the glory of earthly monarchs is confined to this lower world, and to small pittances of it, the glory of God doth not only fill the earth, but heaven too, where it is celebrated by thousands and myriads of blessed angels, yea, it is far higher than heaven, being infinite and incomprehensible.
Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
John Gill 1763 · Public Domain The Lord is high above all nations,.... He is…
The Lord is high above all nations,.... He is the most High in all the earth; he is higher than the highest; he is King of kings and Lord of lords: all nations are made by him, and are under his government and dominion; he is the Governor among the nations; they are in comparison of him as the drop of a bucket, as the small dust of the balance; as nothing, yea, less than nothing, and vanity. Here it seems to respect the time when the Lord shall be more visibly King over all the earth, and the kingdoms of this world shall be the kingdoms of our Lord and of his Christ, Zac 14:9.
And his glory above the heavens; it is above what the heavens do or can declare; they declare something of it, but not all. Christ, who is the brightness of his Father's glory, is made higher than the heavens, and has ascended far above them; and is above the angels in them, both as to nature, name, office, and place, Heb 1:4.
John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
Adam Clarke 1810 · Public Domain Verse 4. The Lord is high above all nations]…
Verse 4. The Lord is high above all nations] He governs all, he provides for all; therefore let all give him praise.
Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Joseph Benson 1811 · Public Domain Psa 113:4-6. The Lord is high above all nations…
Psa 113:4-6. The Lord is high above all nations — Superior to all princes and bodies of people in the world; and his glory above the heavens — Whereas the glory of earthly monarchs is confined to this lower world, and to small pittances of it, the glory of God doth not only fill the earth, but heaven too, where it is celebrated by thousands and myriads of blessed angels; yea, it is far higher than heaven, being infinite and incomprehensible, Who is like unto the Lord? — Hebrew, Jehovah, who dwelleth on high — Namely, far above all heavens, and is exalted, as in place, so in power and dignity, above all persons and things, visible and invisible. Who humbleth himself, &c. — Who is so high, that it is a wonderful condescension in him to take any notice of his holy and heavenly hosts, and much more of sinful and miserable men upon earth.
Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Albert Barnes 1834 · Public Domain The Lord is high above all nations - Hebrew,…
The Lord is high above all nations - Hebrew, Exalted above all nations is Yahweh. That is, he rules over all nations; he directs their affairs; he is their sovereign king. As a matter of fact, and from the necessity of the case, he is on a throne which is elevated above all the kings and kingdoms of the world. He is the Sovereign not only of one nation, but of all; and it is meet that this should be acknowledged by them all.
And his glory above the heavens - That which renders him glorious. The manifestations of his glorious character are not confined to the earth; they extend to the heavens; they are not confined to the visible heavens; they extend far beyond, in the regions of illimitable space. The universe - the earth and the starry worlds - all are full of the manifestations of his glory; and far beyond the bounds of created things (if they have a boundary), God is there - without limit - the same God - worthy there of universal praise! Who can comprehend such a God? Compare the notes at Psa 8:1.
Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Daniel D. Whedon 1874 · Public Domain 4. The Lord is high—God is not only above…
4. The Lord is high—God is not only above the nations, but above the heavens; that is, above every thing that exists. This statement stands alike against polytheism and pantheism. He is a personal God—over all, and ruling all.
Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges 1878 · Public Domain 4–6. The ground of praise, Jehovah’s exaltation and condescension.
4–6. The ground of praise, Jehovah’s exaltation and condescension.
4 a. Cp. Psa_99:2.
Read full note →
4 b. Cp. Psa_57:5; Psa_57:11; Psa_8:1.
5 a. Cp. Exo_15:11; Deu_3:24.
5 b, 6. The structure of these lines—lit. Who exalteth himself to sit, Who humbleth himself to see, in heaven and in earth—makes it probable that in heaven and in earth belong to the two preceding lines respectively. Keble’s paraphrase expresses it excellently,
“Exalting still His holy place,
Low bending still His eye of grace,
In heaven above, in earth below.”
The point is Jehovah’s condescension. Though He sits enthroned on high in heaven, yet He stoops to regard the earth. He is not “careless of mankind,” as heathen gods were often supposed to be. For the thought cp. Psa_138:6; Isa_57:15.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers 1878 · Public Domain (4) Comp. Psa_8:1, &c
(4) Comp. Psa_8:1, &c
A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Pulpit Commentary 1880 · Public Domain The Lord is high above all nations. As being…
The Lord is high above all nations. As being "the great King over all the earth". (Psa_47:2) And his glory above the heavens. "The heaven, and heaven of heavens, cannot contain him". (2Ch_6:18) It is a "humbling of himself" to "behold the things that are in heaven and earth" (see ver. 6).
The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Charles H. Spurgeon 1885 · Public Domain Ver. 4. The Lord is high above all nations.…
Ver. 4. The Lord is high above all nations. Though the Gentiles knew him not, yet was Jehovah their ruler: their false gods were no gods, and their kings were puppets in his hands. The Lord is high above all the learning, judgment, and imagination of heathen sages, and far beyond the pomp and might of the monarchs of the nations. Like the great arch of the firmament, the presence of the Lord spans all the lands where dwell the varied tribes of men, for his providence is universal: this may well excite our confidence and praise.
And his glory above the heavens: higher than the loftiest part of creation; the clouds are the dust of his feet, and sun, moon, and stars twinkle far below his throne. Even the heaven of heavens cannot contain him. His glory cannot be set forth by the whole visible universe, nor even by the solemn pomp of angelic armies; it is above all conception and imagination, for he is Godinfinite. Let us above all adore him who is above all.
Read full note →
Ver. 4-5. The LORD is high...The LORD our God dwelleth on high. But how high is he? Answer
1. So high, that all creatures bow before him and do homage to him according to their several aptitudes and abilities. John brings them all in, attributing to him the crown of glory, putting it from themselves, but setting it upon his head, as a royalty due only to him. (Re 5:13)
(a) Some by way of subjection, stooping to him: angels
and saints worship him, acknowledging his
highness, by denying their own, but setting up his
will as their supreme law and excellency.
(b) Others acknowledge his eminency by their
consternation upon the least shining forth of his
glory; when he discovers but the emblems of his
greatness, devils tremble, men quake, Jas 2:19;
Isa 33:14.
(c) Thirdly, even inanimate creatures, by compliance
with, and ready subjection to, the impressions of
his power, Hab 3:9-11 Isa 48:13 Da 4:35.
2. He is so high that he surmounts all created capacity to comprehend him, Job 11:7-9. So that indeed, in David's phrase, his greatness is "unsearchable, " Ps 145:3. In a word, he is so high,
(a) That no bodily eye hath ever, or can possibly see
him.
(b) Neither can the eye of the understanding perfectly
reach him. He dwells in inaccessible light that
no mortal eye can attain to. Condensed from a sermon by Thomas Hedges, entitled, "A Glimpse of God's Glory, "1642.
Psalms 113:5*
Charles H. Spurgeon's The Treasury of David (1869–1885) — public domain. Psalms only. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Tyndale Open Study Notes 2022 · CC BY-SA 4.0 113:4 The Lord’s glory reaches to the heavens (57:5,…
113:4 The Lord’s glory reaches to the heavens (57:5, 11; 99:2; 108:5; 138:6; Isa 6:1; 57:15) and throughout the world of human relationships.
Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.