Revelation 15:3

Saints - Men and women of God.

They sing the song of Moses - That which Moses sang, Exodus 15:1, when he and the Israelites, by the miraculous power of God, had got safely through the Red Sea, and saw their enemies all destroyed.

And the song of the Lamb - The same song adapted to the state of the suffering, but now delivered Christians.

Great and marvellous are thy works - God's works are descriptive of his infinite power and wisdom.

Lord God Almighty - Nearly the same as Jehovah, God of hosts.

Just and true are thy ways - Every step God takes in grace or providence is according to justice, and he carefully accomplishes all his threatenings and all his promises; to this he is bound by his truth.

And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God - A song of thanksgiving and praise, such as Moses taught the Hebrew people to sing after their deliverance from Egyptian bondage. See Exodus 15. The meaning here is, not that they would sing that identical song, but that, as Moses taught the people to celebrate their deliverance with an appropriate hymn of praise, the redeemed would celebrate their delivery and redemption in a similar manner. There is an obvious propriety here in referring to the "song of Moses," because the circumstances are very similar; the occasion of the redemption from that formidable anti-Christian power here referred to, had a strong resemblance to the rescue from Egyptian bondage.

And the song of the Lamb - The hymn which is sung in honor of the Lamb, as their great deliverer. Compare the notes on Revelation 5:9-10, Revelation 5:12-13.

Saying, Great and marvelous are thy works - See the notes on Revelation 15:1. The meaning is, that great power was evinced in redeeming them; and that the interposition of the divine goodness in doing it was marvelous, or was such as to excite wonder and admiration.

Lord God Almighty - This would seem to mean the same thing as the expression so common in the Old Testament, "Yahweh, God of hosts." The union of these appellations give solemnity and impressiveness to the ascription of praise, for it brings into view the fact, that he whose praise is celebrated is Lord - Yahweh - -the uncreated and eternal One; that he is God the creator, upholder, and sovereign of all things; and that he is Almighty - having all power in all worlds. All these names and attributes are suggested when we think of redemption; for all the perfections of a glorious God are suggested in the redemption of the soul from death. It is the Lord the Ruler of all worlds; it is God - the Maker of the race, and the Father of the race, who performs the work of redemption; and it is a work which could be accomplished only by one who is Almighty.

Just and true - The attributes of justice and truth are brought prominently into view also in the redemption of man. The fact that God is just, and that in all this work he has been careful to maintain his justice Romans 3:26; and the fact that he is true to himself, true to the creation, true to the fulfillment of all his promises, are prominent in this work, and it is proper that these attributes should be celebrated in the songs of praise in heaven.

Are thy ways - Thy ways or dealings with us, and with the enemies of the church. That is, all the acts or "ways" of God in the redemption of his people had been characterized by justice and truth.

Thou King of saints - King of those who are holy; of all who are redeemed and sanctified. The more approved reading here, however, is "King of nations" - ὁ βασιλεὺς τῶν ἐθνῶν ho basileus tōn ethnōn - instead of "King of saints" - τὼν ἁγιῶν tōn hagiōn. So it is read in the critical editions of Griesbach, Tittmann, and Hahn. The sense is not materially affected by the difference in the reading.

15:3 And they sing the song of Moses - So called, partly from its near agreement ,with the words of that song which he sung after passing the Red Sea, Exod 15:11, and of that which he taught the children of Israel a little before his death, Deut 32:3,4. But chiefly because Moses was the minister and representative of the Jewish church, as Christ is of the church universal. Therefore it is also termed the sons of the Lamb. It consists of six parts, which answer each other: Great and wonderful are thy works, Lord God Almighty. For thou only art gracious. Just and true are thy ways, O King of the nations. For all the nations shall come and worship before thee. Who would not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name? For thy judgments are made manifest. We know and acknowledge that all thy works in and toward all the creatures are great and wonderful; that thy ways with all the children of men, good and evil, are just and true. For thou only art gracious - And this grace is the spring of all those wonderful works, even of his destroying the enemies of his people. Accordingly in Psalm 136:1 - 26., that clause, For his mercy endureth for ever, is subjoined to the thanksgiving for his works of vengeance as well as for his delivering the righteous. For all the nations shall come and worship before thee - They shall serve thee as their king with joyful reverence. This is a glorious testimony of the future conversion of all the heathens. The Christians are now a little flock: they who do not worship God, an immense multitude. But all the nations shall come, from all parts of the earth, to worship him and glorify his name. For thy judgments are made manifest - And then the inhabitants of the earth will at length learn to fear him.