Verses 1-6
This is 'the grand Finale of the spiritual concert,' and worthily closes not only this little Hallelujah group, but the whole Psalter.
1. Firmament of his power] the spreading roof of the sky which His power has made.
3. Trumpet] i.e. Shopher, a kind of horn.
Psaltery] i.e. Nebhel, a species of harp, or guitar, or lyre, with a bulging resonance box at one end. Harp] i.e. Kinnor, the most ancient form of harp; a lyre.
4. Timbrel] i.e. Toph, a circlet of wood covered with skin and ornamented with brass bells; tambourine.
Stringed instruments] i.e. Minnim, properly, 'strings,' i.e. of a harp. Organs] RV 'the pipe,' i.e. Ugabh, perhaps a Pan's pipe: cp. Genesis 4:21.
5. Cymbals] i.e. Tseltselim, evidently of two kinds.' High sounding] cp. 1 Corinthians 13:1.
6. The climax is reached. 'Let every thing that hath breath praise the Lord. Hallelujah.'