Psalms 147:20

My Notes

What Does Psalms 147:20 Mean?

"He hath not dealt so with any nation: and as for his judgments, they have not known them. Praise ye the LORD." The CLOSING of Psalm 147 — and the claim of UNIQUENESS: God has NOT treated any other nation the way He treated Israel. The judgments (mishpatim — ordinances, legal instructions, divine decisions) have not been KNOWN by other nations. The relationship between God and Israel is SINGULAR. The instruction given to Israel was given to NO ONE ELSE.

The phrase "he hath not dealt so with any nation" (lo asah khen lekhol goy — He has not done thus to every/any nation) is EXCLUSIVE: what God did for Israel, He did for NOBODY ELSE. The laws, the covenant, the direct communication, the chosen relationship — these are UNIQUE to Israel. The 'not any nation' eliminates all competitors. No other people received what Israel received.

The phrase "his judgments, they have not known them" (umishpatim bal yeda'um — and judgments, they have not known them) makes the KNOWLEDGE exclusive: the nations didn't just NOT RECEIVE the judgments. They didn't KNOW them. The legal instructions, the divine ordinances, the Torah — these were UNKNOWN to the rest of the world. Israel's knowledge was unique. The Torah was EXCLUSIVELY REVEALED to one people.

The HALLELUYAH that follows is the RESPONSE to uniqueness: because God has dealt singularly with Israel — because the relationship is unique, the knowledge is exclusive, the treatment is unparalleled — the ONLY fitting response is PRAISE. The uniqueness of the relationship demands the intensity of the worship. The singular treatment produces the singular praise.

Reflection Questions

• 1.What singular gift from God demands a proportional hallelujah from you?
• 2.What does 'not any nation' teach about the exclusivity of Israel's covenant relationship?
• 3.How does the nations NOT KNOWING the judgments describe Torah as revelation (given), not discovery (found)?
• 4.What response — gratitude or pride — does the recognition of unique divine treatment produce in you?

Devotional

God has NOT done this for ANY other nation. The relationship is UNIQUE. The Torah is EXCLUSIVELY revealed. The judgments are UNKNOWN to the rest of the world. What Israel received, nobody else received. The singular treatment defines the singular people.

The 'NOT ANY NATION' is absolute exclusion: no qualification, no 'except.' NOT ANY. The covenant, the Torah, the direct communication — these went to ONE people. The exclusivity isn't arrogance. It's FACT — God chose to reveal His judgments to Israel and to NO ONE ELSE. The choosing is divine. The uniqueness is God's decision.

The JUDGMENTS being UNKNOWN to the nations means the Torah is a GIFT, not a universal: the nations didn't just refuse the Torah. They never HAD it. They couldn't know what wasn't revealed to them. The knowledge is GIVEN knowledge — disclosed by God to Israel, not discovered by human searching. The Torah is revelation, not discovery. The judgments are gift, not achievement.

The HALLELUYAH is the response to PRIVILEGE: the appropriate response to being uniquely chosen isn't pride (we're better) but PRAISE (God has been generous). The uniqueness produces gratitude, not superiority. The exclusive treatment demands exclusive worship. The singular gift demands singular response.

What unique gift — what singular treatment — has God given you that demands a proportional HALLELUYAH?

Commentary

Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.

Cross References

Related passages throughout Scripture