Yahweh, God of Armies, who is a mighty one, like you? Yah, your faithfulness is around you.
Parallel Translations
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Yahweh, God of Armies, who is a mighty one, like you? Yah, your faithfulness is around you.
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O LORD God of hosts, who is a strong LORD like unto thee? or to thy faithfulness round about thee?
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(89-9) O LORD God of hosts, who is a mighty one, like unto Thee, O LORD? And Thy faithfulness is round about Thee.
Cross-references (16)
Passages linked to Psalms 89:8 in the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge, ordered by reader-vote popularity; verse text shown in World English Bible.
- Psalms 71:19 Your righteousness also, God, reaches to the heavens; you have done great things. God, who is like you?
- 1 Samuel 2:2 There is no one as holy as Yahweh, for there is no one besides you, nor is there any rock like our God.
- Jeremiah 32:17 “Ah Lord Yahweh! Behold, you have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and by your outstretched arm. There is nothing too hard for you.
- Psalms 147:5 Great is our Lord, and mighty in power. His understanding is infinite.
- Isaiah 40:25-26 “To whom then will you liken me? Who is my equal?” says the Holy One. Lift up your eyes on high, and see who has created these, who brings out their army by number. He calls them all by name. by the greatness of his might, and because he is strong in power, not one is lacking.
- Psalms 24:8 Who is the King of glory? Yahweh strong and mighty, Yahweh mighty in battle.
- Psalms 35:10 All my bones shall say, “Yahweh, who is like you, who delivers the poor from him who is too strong for him; yes, the poor and the needy from him who robs him?”
- Psalms 84:12 Yahweh of Armies, blessed is the man who trusts in you.
- Psalms 89:6 For who in the skies can be compared to Yahweh? Who among the sons of the heavenly beings is like Yahweh,
- Deuteronomy 32:31 For their rock is not as our Rock, even our enemies themselves concede.
- Joshua 22:22 “The Mighty One, God, Yahweh, the Mighty One, God, Yahweh, he knows; and Israel shall know: if it was in rebellion, or if in trespass against Yahweh (don’t save us today),
- Job 9:19 If it is a matter of strength, behold, he is mighty! If of justice, ‘Who,’ says he, ‘will summon me?’
- Psalms 89:13 You have a mighty arm. Your hand is strong, and your right hand is exalted.
- Isaiah 28:22 Now therefore don’t be scoffers, lest your bonds be made strong; for I have heard a decree of destruction from the Lord, Yahweh of Armies, on the whole earth.
- 1 Samuel 15:19 Why then didn’t you obey Yahweh’s voice, but took the plunder, and did that which was evil in Yahweh’s sight?”
- Matthew 6:13 Bring us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. For yours is the Kingdom, the power, and the glory forever. Amen.’
Cross-references from openbible.info (CC BY 4.0)
Explain this verse (13 sources)
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John Trapp 1656 · Public Domain Psa 89:8 O LORD God of hosts, who [is]…
Psa 89:8 O LORD God of hosts, who [is] a strong LORD like unto thee? or to thy faithfulness round about thee?
Ver. 8. Who is a strong Lord, like unto thee] Heb. Who is like thee, mighty Jah? This is to magnify God, when we get above all creatures, in our conceptions of him.
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Or to thy faithfulness round about thee?] To those that are round about thee; or, thou art full of faithfulness.
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 Who is a strong Lord like unto thee? who…
Who is a strong Lord like unto thee? who is equal to thee in power, or, as it follows, in faithfulness?
To thy faithfulness round about thee, Heb. and thy faithfulness is round about thee, like a girdle adorning and encompassing thee. It appeareth in all thy paths and actions, in thy words and works.
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 Thou rulest the raging of the sea,.... The power,…
Thou rulest the raging of the sea,.... The power, pride, and elation of it, when it swells, and foams, and rages, and becomes boisterous, and threatens vessels upon it with utter ruin and destruction; but the Lord, who has it under his dominion and government, restrains it; he has made and can manage it, and he only: his power over it is seen in assigning it its place, and ordering the waters of it to it when first made; in placing the sand for its boundary by a perpetual decree, which it cannot pass; by commanding the stormy wind to lift up its waves, and by making the storm a calm, and the waves thereof still; see Psa 107:25, instances of this were at the universal deluge, and at the Red sea:
when the waves thereof arise, thou stillest them; when the sea lifts up its waves, and both lift up their voice, and make a noise, and roar, the Lord hushes them, and makes them still and quiet, as a parent its child when it cries, or a master his scholars, when they are noisy and tumultuous; so Christ rebuked the wind, and checked the raging sea, and made it calm, when the ship in which he was with his disciples was covered with its waves; and as this is mentioned here as an instance of the great power and strength of the Lord of hosts, so that was a proof and evidence of the true and proper divinity of our Lord Jesus Christ, Mat 8:24, all this may be understood, in a mystical sense, of the sea of this world, and the wicked inhabitants of it, who are as the troubled sea, and cannot rest, casting up mire and dirt, reproaching and blaspheming God and man; and particularly of tyrannical princes and potentates, who are like the proud waters and raging waves of the sea; but the Lord on high is mightier than they, and can and does restrain their wrath and rage, so that his people have nothing to fear from them; see Psa 124:3.
John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
John Wesley 1765 · Public Domain Round thee - Like a girdle encompassing thee. It…
Round thee - Like a girdle encompassing thee. It appears in all thy words and works.
John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.
Adam Clarke 1810 · Public Domain Verse 8. O Lord God of hosts] Thou who…
Verse 8. O Lord God of hosts] Thou who hast all armies at thy command, and canst serve thyself by every part of thy creation, whether animate or inanimate.
Who is a strong Lord] See Ps 89:6.
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Thy faithfulness round about thee?] Or, more properly, thy faithfulness is round about thee. Thou still keepest thy promises in view. God's truth leads him to fulfil his promises: they stand round his throne as the faithful servants of an eastern monarch stand round their master, waiting for the moment of their dismission to perform his will.
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 89:8-10. Who is a strong Lord like unto…
Psa 89:8-10. Who is a strong Lord like unto thee? — Who is equal to thee in power, or, as it follows, in faithfulness. Or to thy faithfulness round about thee — Hebrew, and thy faithfulness is round about thee, encompassing and adorning thee like a girdle. It appears in all thy paths and actions, in thy words and works. Thou rulest the raging of the sea — Giving commands, and setting bounds to its waves when they are most impetuous and unruly. Thou hast broken Rahab — Egypt, as Psa 87:4. As one that is slain — Thou didst wound them not slightly, but unto death.
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 O Lord God of hosts - See the notes…
O Lord God of hosts - See the notes at Isa 1:9; Psa 24:10. God, commanding the armies of heaven; leading forth the stars; controlling all forces - all powers.
Who is a strong Lord like unto thee? - The original word here rendered “Lord” is יה Yâhh, or Jah. This is one of the few places where that word occurs, except in the compounding of words. It is an abbreviation of the name Yahweh, and has the same signification. See the notes at Psa 68:4. The meaning is, that there was no one who in respect to power could be compared with Yahweh.
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Or to thy faithfulness round about thee? - Rather, “thy faithfulness is round about thee.” That is, It attends thee at all times; it is always with thee; it is a part of thy very nature. To all round about thee, thou art faithful; wherever God is - and he is everywhere - there is faithfulness. He never changes; and people and angels may always trust in him. The psalmist then proceeds to illustrate the greatness of his power, and of his faithfulness, in the works of creation. The design of these illustrations, doubtless, is to keep before the mind the idea of the divine faithfulness as shown in the works of nature, and then to apply this to the covenant which had been made with David. The idea is, that he who is so faithful in nature will be the same in grace; that he who had shown such unchangeableness in the works of creation might be expected to show the like in respect to the promises which he had made.
Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Daniel D. Whedon 1874 · Public Domain 8. Thy faithfulness round about thee—Compare Isa_11:5 : “Faithfulness…
8. Thy faithfulness round about thee—Compare Isa_11:5 : “Faithfulness the girdle of his reins.” But the idea here is, On all sides the evidences of thy “faithfulness” appear.
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 8. God of hosts] A significant title in this…
8. God of hosts] A significant title in this connexion. See 1Ki_22:19; and note on Psa_46:7.
Who is a mighty one like thee, O Jah?
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And thy faithfulness is round about thee.
Name and question both recall the great hymn of redemption, Exo_15:2; Exo_15:11. Cp. Psa_68:4; 2Sa_7:22. Strength and faithfulness are the attributes upon which the Psalmist dwells, as the pledge for the fulfilment of the promise. Faithfulness surrounds Him like an atmosphere of light, as in a different aspect “clouds and darkness are round about him” (Psa_97:2).
8–14. Jehovah’s incomparableness is manifested in nature and in history.
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 (8) O Lord.—The Hebrew marches more grandly than the…
(8) O Lord.—The Hebrew marches more grandly than the Authorised Version:
“Jehovah, God of Hosts,
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Who as Thou is mighty, Jah?
And Thy faithfulness surrounds Thee.”
Or the last clause may be rendered, and what faithfulness is like that round about thee? We must either think of the attendant throngs of loyal angels, or of God clothed as it were with faithfulness.
(8-13) Not only is God incomparable in heaven, He is also the only mighty and lofty one in nature or history.
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 O Lord God of hosts; i.e. God of the…
O Lord God of hosts; i.e. God of the angelic hosts just spoken of. Who is a strong Lord like unto thee? rather, Who is strong like unto thee, O Jah?. (comp. Exo_15:11) Or to thy faithfulness round about thee! rather, as in the Revised Version, and thy faithfulness is round about thee. It has been said that "the two words "mercies" and "faithfulness" are the refrain of the psalm." The latter occurs six times (vers. 1, 2, 5, 8, 24, 33), and "faithful" in ver. 37.
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. 8. O Lord God of hosts, who is…
Ver. 8. O Lord God of hosts, who is a strong Lord like unto thee? Or Jehovah, God of Hosts, who is like thee, Mighty Jah. Alexander remarks, that the infinite superiority of God to men and angels is here expressed, or rather indicated, by an accumulation of descriptive titles. Here we have the name which displays his self existence, the title which denotes his dominion over all his creatures, and an adjective which sets forth the power with which he exercises his sovereignty. Yet this great and terrible God has entered into covenant with men! Who would not reverence him with deepest love?
Or to thy faithfulness round about thee. He dwells in faithfulness; it is said to be the girdle of the loins of his only begotten Son, who is the express image of his person. None in all creation is faithful as he is; even his angels might prove faithless if he left them to themselves, but he cannot "lie unto David", or forget to keep his oath. Men often fail in truth because their power is limited, and then they find it easier to break their word than to keep it; but the strong Jehovah is equal to all his engagements, and will assuredly keep them. Unrivalled might and unparalleled truth are wedded in the character of Jehovah. Blessed be his name that it is so.
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Ver. 8. Thy faithfulness round about thee. For just as the tyrants of this world move abroad surrounded by impiety, avarice, contempt of God, and, pride, as with a bodyguard, so God sits on his exalted throne, surrounded with majesty, faithfulness, mercy and equal love to all his people, as with a vesture of gold. J. Baptista Folengius.
Ver. 8. Thy faithfulness round about thee. Whatever he doth, he is mindful of his faithfulness and covenant, before and behind, and on each side; he can look no way, but that is in his eye. And though he employ angels, and send them down into the world, and they stand round about him; yet he hath better harbingers than thesemercy, and truth, and faithfulness, that wait round about him. Thomas Goodwin.
Psalms 89:9*
Charles H. Spurgeon's The Treasury of David (1869–1885) — public domain. Psalms only. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
The Biblical Illustrator 1887 · Public Domain I have made a covenant with My chosen, I…
Psa_89:8
I have made a covenant with My chosen, I have sworn unto David My servant.
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The covenant of redemption
The psalmist is anticipating the time when the families of mankind should be raised from a condition of spiritual ruin, when the covenant should be given back to them, whereby they should be brought back to a state of reconciliation and friendship with God. This rising fabric which the psalmist here contemplated, therefore, instead of being an edifice of temporal prosperity, appears before us as a great spiritual temple, of which the plan is laid in the eternal ages, and of which the building up and the completion is to be effected by the eternal Son of God.
I. The origin of the covenant of grace. It was devised and set on foot by God Himself. It was not to propitiate the Father that Christ came into the world. It was that God so loved the world that He sent His Son into the world. Here, therefore, is our security. It is the Judge Himself signing the prisoners release. It is the infinite Creditor Himself forgiving us all our debt. It is the King whose laws we had broken, against whose throne we had conspired, and whose sceptre we had cast aside; He it is who out of love and mercy to us, and in the councils of infinite wisdom, originated that convenant whereby we may be restored to His friendship and reconciliation.
II. With whom this covenant was made. My chosen,--the eternal Son of God. Both actively and passively Christ manages the whole business of our salvation. It is therefore--
1. Everlasting.
2. Perfect.
3. Sure.
III. For whose benefit this covenant was intended, (1Ti_2:4; Joh_3:16; 1Jn_2:2.) (D. Moore, M.A.)
The Biblical Illustrator, edited by Joseph S. Exell (c. 1880s–1900s) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.