תהלים, פרק צ״ו, פסוק ד׳

Recognizing the absolute superiority of God over all other forces in creation naturally leads to a desire to announce His greatness to the world. Yet, even as people recount His glory and wonders, He remains vastly greater than any human description can capture [אבן עזרא]. He is the first and final cause of all things, with a power that surrounds all of existence. At the same time, He is worthy of immense praise because every action He takes is rooted in ultimate wisdom and kindness, qualities that are clearly visible in every single detail of the world [מלבי״ם].

The Israelites are tasked with the specific role of spreading the knowledge of this greatness to the other nations of the world so that they too will recognize it [רד״ק]. Even if these nations acknowledge God on some level, they often lack a genuine fear of Him and continue to worship other deities. Therefore, it is essential to share the stories of His wonders in order to awaken a true and lasting awe within their hearts [אלשיך].

This deep reverence is inspired by the reality that God is completely sublime and awe-inspiring [ביאור שטיינזלץ], standing far above all other perceived powers. Commentators offer varying perspectives on the nature of these other powers over which God casts His awe. Some explain that they are the angels and heavenly beings, who use their intellect to recognize God as their creator and naturally stand in fear of Him [אבן עזרא, רד״ק, אלשיך]. Others suggest that these powers are the sun, the moon, and the stars, which idolaters mistakenly treat as divine beings [מצודת דוד, מאירי]. A broader perspective identifies these powers as the forces of nature itself. God's absolute authority over them serves as a powerful reminder that nature is not an independent, self-sustaining system. Instead, every natural force depends entirely on God's will, and He holds the power to alter or cancel them whenever He desires [מלבי״ם].