Psalms 76:11

WEB

Make vows to the Lord your God, and fulfill them! Let all of his neighbors bring presents to him who is to be feared.

KJV

Vow, and pay unto the LORD your God: let all that be round about him bring presents unto him that ought to be feared.

Commentary

Vow, and pay unto the Lord your God,.... Not monastic vows, which the Papists would infer from these and such like words; nor ceremonial ones, but spiritual sacrifices of praise and thanksgiving, such as men sometimes make in times of distress, or when delivered, Psa 66:13 and which when vowed ought to be paid, Ecc 5:4 , not to creatures, angels, or s aints, but to God, from whom the mercy desired must be expected, and from whence it comes, Psa 50:14 , these words are an address to such who were delivered from wrath, either of God or man: let all that be round about him; who surround the throne of his grace, gather together in his house to attend his word and ordinances, who are his servants, and constantly and faithfully adhere to him; among whom he grants his presence, they are near to him, and he to them. It is a periphrasis of the assembly of the saints; see Psa 89:7 . The Targum is, "all ye that dwell round about his sanctuary;'' the allusion is to the situation of the camp of Israel, and the tabernacle in the wilderness, Num 2:1 compare with this Rev 4:4 , bring presents unto him that ought to be feared, or "to the fear" (f), which is one of the names of God; see Gen 31:42 and who is and ought to be the object of the fear and reverence of men; the "presents", to be brought to him are the sacrifices of prayer and praise, yea, the whole persons, the souls and bodies, of men; see Psa 72:10 , compare with this Ch2 32:22 . The Targum is, "let them bring offerings into the house of the sanctuary of the terrible One;'' of him that is to be feared, with a godly fear by good men, and to be dreaded by evil men, as follows. (f) "ad verb terrori, timori", Vatsblus; "numini", De Dieu, "venerando et timendo huic numini", Michaelis; so Ainsworth.