Charles Ellicott Commentary Psalms 149

A new song.— See Psalms 33:3.

The congregation. —Apparently the psalm puts us in the Maccabean age, when the chasîdîm had become a regular title for the patriotic party.

In the dance. —Rather, as noted in the margin, with the pipe. The use of the word machôl in what was evidently a list of all the orchestral instruments used in the Temple in the next psalm would alone be almost decisive for the meaning. But one possible derivation certainly supports this rendering, as does the translation in the Syriac version by the name of a flute still found in Syria. Its connection, too, with the timbrel or drum (compare our pipe and tabor), just as a cognate, chalîl, is connected in 1 Samuel 10:5 and Isaiah 5:12, points the same way. (See Bible Educator, volume 1, page 70, and Note to Song of Solomon 6:13.)

Timbrel.—See Exodus 15:20; Bible Educator, volume 1, page 314.

Harp.—See Psalm 33:2.

He will beautify the meek ... —Rather, He adorns the oppressed with salvation. Not only is the victory which achieves the deliverance of the afflicted people a relief to them, but the honour won in the sight of the world is like a beautiful robe, a figure no doubt suggested by the actual triumphal dresses of the victors, or the spoils in which they appeared after the battle. (Isaiah 60:7; Isaiah 61:3; Judges 5:30.)

The two clauses are directly parallel:

“Let the chasîdîm raise a cry in glory:
Let them sing aloud upon their couches.”

Either the rejoicing is carried far into the night, and when retired to rest the happy people burst out anew into singing; or , the couches may rather be the divans where feasts were held.

High praises.—Literally, exaltations of celebration, i.e., hymns of praise.

Mouth. —Rather, throat.