Psalm 147:1 “Praise the Lord!
For it is good to sing praises to our God;
For it is pleasant, and praise is beautiful.”
Saint John Chrysostom:
Previously, in Psalm 144, he said, “Great is the Lord and highly to be praised,” and had a lot to say about his glory. Here, on the other hand, he shows that praising in itself is good and the psalm responsible for many good things: it separates his mind from the earth and gives his soul wings, rendering them light and airborne. Hence Paul also says, “Singing and making melody in your hearts to the Lord.” May praise be pleasing to our God. A different version, “Alleluia, because singing to God is good.” What is the meaning of ‘May praise be pleasing to our God?’ May it be acceptable, he is saying: it is not sufficient simply to sing for the song to be pleasing to God; rather, there is need also of the singer’s life and prayer and strict observance.