The Pulpit Commentary
The song of praise. This seems to terminate with the words, "We are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand."

O come, let us sing unto the Lord. From this opening phrase, which finds an echo in Psa_95:2 and Psa_95:6, this psalm has been called "The Invitatory Psalm." As it invited the Jews, so it now invites Christian congregations, to join in the worship of the sanctuary. Let us make a joyful noise to the Rock of our salvation (comp. Psa_33:3; Psa_98:4). Loudness of voice was regarded as indicating earnestness of heart (see 2Ch_20:19; Ezr_3:13; Neh_12:42, etc.). The expression, "Rock of our salvation" is taken from Deu_32:15. It is well paraphrased in our Prayer book Version, "the strength of our salvation."

The Pulpit Commentary
Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving. Our first duty, when we come before God's presence, is to thank him (see the Exhortation in the Order for Daily Prayer). And make a joyful noise unto him with psalms. A "psalm" is properly a "song of praise"—the natural concomitant of thanksgiving.

The Pulpit Commentary
For the Lord is a great God. Thanks and praise are due to God, in the first place, because of his greatness (see Psalm cf. 2). "Who is so great a god as our God?" (Psa_77:13); "His greatness is unsearchable" (Psa_145:3). And a great King above all gods; i.e. "a goat King above all other so called gods"—above the great of the earth (Psa_82:1, Psa_82:6), above angels (Deu_10:17), above the imaginary gods of the heathen (Exo_12:12, etc.).

The Pulpit Commentary
In his hand are the deep places of the earth; the strength of the hills is his also; rather, the summits of the mountains are his also. The meaning is that all the earth is his, from the highest heights to the lowest depths.

The Pulpit Commentary
The sea is his, and he made it (see Gen_1:9; Psa_104:24, Psa_104:25). And his hands formed the dry land (see Gen_1:9, Gen_1:10).

The Pulpit Commentary
O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel. The outward and visible worship of the body is required of man, no less than the inward and spiritual worship of the soul. Before the Lord our Maker; i.e. "who has made us what we are—created us, redeemed us, taken us to be his people" (comp. Deu_32:6; Psa_100:3; Psa_102:18; Psa_149:2; Isa_29:23; Isa_43:21; Isa_44:2, etc.).

The Pulpit Commentary
The warning against waywardness. This is delivered in four, or rather four and a half, verses, and commences with the words, "Today if ye will hear his voice."

Today. This word, standing prominently forward as it does, is a startling call, intimating that the time is come for a momentous decision. If ye will hear his voice. God is crying to his people—will they hear, or will they forbear? If the former, all will go well; if the latter, than assuredly they shall not enter into his rest. The "voice" intended proceeds to give the warning of Psa_95:8-11.

The Pulpit Commentary
Harden not your heart, as in the provocation; rather, as at Meribah (see Exo_17:2-7). And as in the day of temptation in the wilderness; rather, and as in the day of Massah. The children of Israel "tempted" God, and "chided" with Moses at Massah (or Meribah) in the wilderness, where water was first given them out of the rock. Their descendants are warned not to follow the example of their forefathers.

The Pulpit Commentary
When your fathers tempted me (see Exo_17:2, Exo_17:7). Proved me; or, "tested me"—put my power and goodness to the proof. And (rather, even) saw my work; i.e. "saw the water gush forth from the rock, when at my command Moses struck it" (Exo_17:6).

The Pulpit Commentary
Forty years long was I grieved with this generation; rather, with that generation—the generation that tempted God in the wilderness (see the Revised Version). And said, It is a people that do err in their heart; literally, a people of wanderers in heart are these; i.e. "not only are they a people whose feet wander (Psa_107:4), but their hearts also have wandered and gone astray from my paths." And they have not known my ways. "My ways—the ways of my commandments—are unknown to them, untrodden by them."

The Pulpit Commentary
Unto whom I sware in my wrath; rather, so that that I sware in my wrath, or "wherefore I sware in my wrath" (for the oath itself, see Num_14:21-23; and comp. Deu_1:34, Deu_1:35). That they should not enter into my rest. The "rest" originally intended was that of Canaan, when "the Lord gave rest unto Israel from all their enemies round about" (Jos_23:1). But Canaan was a type of the heavenly rest; and the warning given to the Israel of his day by the present psalmist is to be regarded as a warning that, if they followed in the steps of their forefathers, they might miss of that final and crowning "rest," which, after the wilderness of this world is traversed, still "remaineth for the people of God" (see Heb_3:7-19; Heb_4:1-9).