111:2-6. The essential motivation or basis for all worship is Great are the works of the LORD. He is to be worshiped for His righteousness that endures forever. Moreover, He is gracious and compassionate, a phrase used to describe the Lord ten times in the Scriptures, highlighting His mercy and kindness (cf. Ex 34:6; 2Ch 30:9; Neh 9:17, 31; Pss 112:4; 116:5: Jl 2:13; Jnh 4:2). His faithfulness to Israel in giving to them the heritage [lan] of the nations refers to the land of Israel provided by the Lord from the seven Gentile nations in the promised land of Canaan (cf. Dt 7:1).
111:7-9. All the works of His hands are truth and justice, and His precepts (cf. 19:8) are sure (certain and unfailing; 19:7). He is to be praised because He has sent redemption to His people by the giving of His covenant forever (v. 9) beginning with the promise of the Redeemer in the Abrahamic covenant (cf. Gn 13:1-2; Ex 2:24). Holy and awesome is His name (cf. comments on Pss 5:11; 23:3).
C. The Attitude in Worship (111:10)
111:10. The psalm concludes the attitude that should guide worship: The fear of the LORD as the beginning of wisdom. This is a concept more familiar from Proverbs but central to worship in the Psalms (cf. Pr 1:7; 9:10). To fear the Lord is be in awe of Him based on understanding His righteousness (v. 3), wonders (v. 4), justice (v. 7), holiness (v. 9), and awesomeness (v. 9). When one worships God in this manner He is glorified. Those who fear and worship Him will grow in wisdom and understanding, and the wiser people become, the more able they will be to do/obey His commandments (v. 10).
Psalm 112: The Benefits of Fearing the Lord
This psalm is closely related in both content and structure to Ps 111 (see introduction to Ps 111). It also is an acrostic, extolling God’s faithfulness to the righteous.
A. The Call to Fear the Lord (112:1)
112:1. Opening with a call to praise the LORD and to be one who fears the LORD, this psalm continues the thought with which the previous one ended (cf. Pss 1 and 111:10 and comments there). The proper perspective in fearing the Lord is that such a person greatly delights in His commandments; learning more of the Lord each day and daily becoming more obedient is the greatest joy in life (cf. 1:2; 19; 119). The terms fears and commandments are closely related to the terms “worship” and “obey” in Gn 2:15, epitomizing man’s original purpose and relationship to the Lord (see comments there).
B. The Blessings of Fearing the Lord (112:2-9)
112:2-3. The descendants of the righteous man will be mighty on earth, having influence for good as they continue as the generation of the upright, following the Lord, then passing the godly heritage to their own children so that his righteousness endures forever (cf. 37:36; 127:3-5; 128:3-4; Pr 13:22; 14:26; 31:28).
112:4. Stating that Light arises in the darkness for the upright, the psalmist employs the image of light as God’s guidance (cf. 4:6; 18:28: 27:1; 43:3; 44:3; 89:15; 97:11; 119:105, 130; Pr 4:18) revealing the clear pathway in the midst of darkness, a metaphor for confusion, uncertainty, trouble or even evil (cf. 107:10 and comments there). Because the Lord is gracious and compassionate and righteous (cf. 111:4 and comments there), there is no need to fear anything.
112:5-6. A characteristic of the man (person) who fears the Lord (cf. 111:10) is his generosity and sympathy. He is gracious and lends to the poor and needy (cf. v. 9) and is concerned for justice in judgment (cf. 33:5; Pr 1:3; 8:20; 21:3, 15). This person will never be shaken by the circumstances of life (cf. v. 7; 15:5; 16:8; 21:7; 46:1-2; 55:26). Therefore, the righteous will have a good reputation into future generations and be remembered forever (cf. v. 2).
112:7-9. Those who fear the Lord will be blessed by the Lord. They are trusting in the LORD (cf. v. 1; 9:10; 31:14) and will not fear evil tidings (cf. v. 5; 56:3-4) because they have confidence in the Lord’s good protection and plan. Therefore they will not fear bad news or uncertainty concerning the present or the future (cf. v. 4 and comments there; 25:10; Pr 3:5-6). The Lord will take care of all circumstances and bring justice on their adversaries. The righteous person will have an excellent reputation—his horn will be exalted in honor (Ps 112:9; cf. 89:17).
C. The Contrast with Fearing the Lord (112:10)
112:10. The psalm concludes with a contrast between the man who fears the Lord (vv. 1-9) and the wicked, a contrast introduced in Ps 1. When the wicked … see it, God’s blessing on the righteous, they will be vexed (lit., “become angry”) and gnash their teeth (cf. 35:16; 37:12). Yet their anger will melt away, have no effect, and the desire of the wicked will perish (cf. 1:4-6; 9:3; 37:20; 68:2).
Psalms 113–118: The Hallel Psalms
In very early Jewish tradition these six psalms are known collectively as Hallel psalms (“The Praise”), because of the Hallelujah! (“Praise the Lord”) endings (113:9; 115: 18; 116:19; 117:2). This Hallel reading tradition was already established by the NT period as a fixed part of the Passover, Pentecost and Tabernacles celebrations (Lv 23; Nm 10:10). These were probably the hymns Messiah Jesus and His disciples sang after their Passover seder (cf. Mt 26:30; Mk 14:26). (Psalms 113–114 were sung before the Passover meal and Pss 115–118 after it.)
The author of these psalms is unknown, but thematically they form a unit of thought in Book Five of Psalms. They share common themes of the exodus/Passover events; the Lord’s covenants with Israel; and they emphasize the obligation and desire to offer God praise and thanksgiving for His lovingkindness and sovereignty. Those twin attributes of God are demonstrated by His protection and restoration of Israel to their Land (Pss 113–15), His provision of all their most intimate needs (Ps 116), and in recalling the provision of the Abrahamic covenant of blessing through Israel to all other nations of the world (Pss 117–118; Gn 12:1-3).
A. Psalm 113: Praise the Lord for His Sovereign Concern for Mankind
113:1-4. The words Praise the LORD in the opening of this psalm serves as an introduction both to the Hallel Psalms generally (see Pss 113–118: The Hallel Psalms above), as well as to this first section emphasizing praising the Lord for His sovereign concern. The obligation to praise God is emphasized in the opening verse by the threefold repetition (signifying the superlative) of the exhortation Praise/hallelu (Praise you!). The extent of this exhortation is from this time … and forever, then specified as from the rising of the sun to its setting (vv. 2-3). To praise the name of the LORD is synonymous to praising everything about the Lord (cf. comments on 7:17; 18:49; 5:11; 20:5; 23:3; 31:3). The focus is on God’s absolute sovereignty over all things: above all nations … above the heavens (v. 4).
113:5-9. The Lord is enthroned on high (cf. Ex 15:11; Pss 11:4; 103:13), yet He humbles Himself to behold, to take note of and show concern for people’s need (cf. comment on Gn 16:13-14). Raising the poor from the dust … needy from the ash heap means from the most destitute circumstances (cf. 1Sm 2:8; 1Kg 16:2; Jb 30:19; Is 47:1; Jr 25:34). God chooses to make them sit with princes of His people (vv. 7-8). Even more remarkable and wonderful is God’s kindness that makes the barren woman … a joyful mother of children (v. 9). Barrenness in biblical culture was regarded as a great tragedy a woman could suffer (cf. Gn 21:2; 25:21; 30:1, 23; 1Sm 1:6-7, 10), surpassed only by the destitute condition of a childless widow who would have no one to care for her in her old age (cf. Ru 1:11-13; 2Kg 4:14). With these examples of God’s character and care, the psalm ends: Praise the LORD! (Hallelujah!).
B. Psalm 114: Praise the Lord for His Deliverance of His People at the Exodus
For introduction to this psalm see Pss 113–118: The Hallel Psalms.
114:1-2. This psalm focuses on the specific expression of God’s concern for the house of Jacob, a frequent synonym for Israel and the Jewish people in the Psalms (e.g., 14:7; 22:23; 46:11; 114:1). It highlights Israel’s history, beginning with when God redeemed them from Egypt to lead them to the land of Canaan. The Psalm continues with a reference to the divided kingdom (1Kg 12) consisting of Judah, which comprises the two southern tribes of the southern kingdom, where His/God’s sanctuary/temple in Jerusalem was located and the Davidic kings ruled; and Israel, the ten northern tribes, His dominion, under God’s rule during the divided kingdom.
114:3-8. The remainder of the psalm returns to the exodus events. It presents poetic imagery of how God exercised His sovereign power in Israel’s redemption from Egypt: the sea looked and fled, referring to the dividing of the Red Sea (v. 3; Ex 14:21; cf. Ps 77:16); the Jordan turned back, referring to crossing through the Jordan on dry land to enter the promised land under Joshua (vv. 3, 5; Jos 3:13, 16); the mountains … skip refers to the quaking of Mount Sinai when the Lord gave Moses the Commandments (v. 6; Ex 19:18; Jdg 5:5; Ps 29:8; Is 64:1); God providing water in the desert to nourish and sustain the people (v. 8; Ex 17:6; Nm 20:11; cf. Dt 8:15).
C. Psalm 115: Praise the Lord for His Sovereignty over Israel and the Nations
For introduction to this psalm see above: Psalms 113–118: The Hallel Psalms.
115:1. Because of all the Lord has done (as presented in Ps 113 to needy individuals and in Ps 114 in delivering Israel from Egypt), the glory (the thanksgiving, praise, and adulation) for these benefits belongs not to us, but to God’s name (cf. 113:1-2; see comment on 20:5). All these benefits are ultimately an expression of God’s lovingkindness (cf. 5:7 and comments there) and truth (cf. 92:2).
115:2-3. The pagan nations may mock Israel for having a God who cannot be seen by saying Where now, is their God? (cf. 2; 79:10), but they fail to realize our God is in the heavens the position of complete sovereignty (cf. 113:3-4). The Lord is all powerful, He does whatever He pleases.
115:4-8. The Lord should not be mistaken as having the qualities of idols, which are made of silver and gold by man’s hands. Idols are powerless, and they cannot speak … hear … smell … feel … walk … make a sound (vv. 5-7). Anyone who trusts in them … will become like them (v. 8), useless and dead.
115:9-14. Instead of trusting in lifeless idols and becoming like them, the people must trust in the LORD as their help and their shield (vv. 9, 10, 11; cf. comments on 33:20). The psalmist then moves from addressing the nation as a whole (Israel vv. 9, 12) to his exhortations and reminders that God will bless (vv. 12, 13, 15) the house of Aaron (vv. 10, 12) since the priests were responsible for teaching the rest of the nation (cf. Dt 33:10). People who fear the LORD (v. 11; parallel to the small and great, v. 13) are called upon to trust in the LORD (cf. comments 111:10).
115:15. Rather than being the work of man’s hands (v. 4), the LORD is the Maker of heaven and earth and He is the source of all blessings.
115:16-18. The psalm concludes with a doxology to the Lord as creator and sustainer of life. The dead do not praise the LORD (v. 17) is not a denial of the afterlife, which is clearly taught in Scripture. Rather in the framework of the psalm it means the dead are no longer active on the earth, and so cannot praise Him here, but go down into silence. In contrast, But as for us, as long as we are alive, we will bless the LORD from this time forth and forever. Praise the LORD! (Hallelujah!).
D. Psalm 116: Praise the Lord the Sustainer of Life
For introduction to this psalm see above: Psalms 113–118: The Hallel Psalms.
116:1-4. The declaration I love the LORD, because He hears my voice sounds somewhat self-serving but it actually is appropriate. People can only love the Lord in response to His initiating a relationship (“Not that we loved God, but that He loved us,” 1Jn 4:10). His love towards people is not based on anything within humanity, but is derived from His own sovereign will and choice. That love causes Him to listen to His children, prompting their responsive love. God inclined His ear, and the psalmist is determined to call upon Him as long as he would live (v. 2). Facing some deadly circumstance (v. 3), the psalmist beseech[ed] God to save his life (v. 4).
116:5-11. The Lord answered the call for help in v. 4, and the psalmist praised God as gracious … righteous … and compassionate. Identifying Him as our God suggests the psalm is to be read in the congregation (cf. vv. 14, 18). Because of his situation the psalmist had been brought low, but God saved him (v. 6; cf. v. 4) from a list of problems (vv. 7-11).
116:12-14. In acknowledging all the Lord had done for him, the psalmist realizes, What shall I render to the LORD for all His benefits toward me? In response he will worship the Lord by (1) lift[ing] up the cup of salvation, related to the thank offering and/or the Passover meal (cf. vv. 17-18; 22:26, 29; Ex 29:40-41; Nm 15:5, 7; Lv 7:11-21; Mt 26:26-29; 1Co 10:16); (2) call[ing] upon the name of the LORD, in praise and thanksgiving (cf. 9:2; 18:49; 44:8; 56:12-13); (3) pay[ing] (“fulfill”) my vows to the LORD, that is, keeping all commitments to obedience and offer all the proper sacrifices (cf. 7:17; 50:14; 66:13-15; 116:18); and (4) worshiping in the presence of all His people, where others would be encouraged (cf. 22:25).
116:15. The word precious implies “value” and therefore “worth protection.” This comforting verse Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of His godly ones indicates the Lord’s love and care for those who have put their trust in Him, to preserve their life on earth for His service and to welcome them into His presence after death. The term godly ones is often misunderstood to be those who have been recognized for having an exceptional degree of holiness, sanctity, and virtue; the biblical designation means people who have been sanctified (set apart, declared righteous) by the grace of God through their faith in Him.
116:16-19. The psalm concludes with a commitment to service, surely I am Your servant, a person devoted to you (cf. 19:11, 13; 86:4), with vv. 17-18 being a summary restatement of vv. 2-14. Praise will be offered in the courts of the LORD’s house, In the midst of you, O Jerusalem (v. 19), thus indicating this psalm was intended to be read in the temple at the festivals (cf. Pss 113–118: The Hallel Psalms). Praise the LORD!
E. Psalm 117: Praise the Lord All Nations
For introduction to this psalm see above, Psalms 113-118: The Hallel Psalms.
117:1-2. This shortest of all the psalms calls for all nations (Gentiles) to praise the LORD. The Gentiles’ praise of God is the result of God’s lovingkindness, which is great toward us, the people of Israel. The psalm is cited in the NT as evidence of Jewish and Gentile followers of Messiah Jesus worshiping together (cf. Rm 15:11, see comments there). One aspect of the Abrahamic covenant (Gn 12:1-3) was God’s promise that ín Abraham “all the families of the earth will be blessed” (Gn 12:3). This blessing to the Gentiles was fulfilled in the coming of the Redeemer, Jesus the Messiah, the “son of David, the son of Abraham” (Mt 1:1). The phrase is great toward us is literally “has prevailed over us” (cf. 5:7; 103:11). All nations are called on to worship the God of Jacob, and bend the knee to Messiah Jesus, the Son of David (cf. Is 45:23; Rm 14:11; Php 2:10; Is 56:7) to acknowledge the extent of the Lord’s lovingkindness.
117:2. These short verses encapsulate the great truth that the destiny of all nations is linked to God’s faithfulness and work among His people Israel, culminating in the reign of King Messiah Jesus on earth (cf. 2:8-12; 47:9; 67:2; 72:17; 102:15; 110; Dt 32:43; 1Kg 8:41-43; Is 2:2-4; 11:10; 14:2; 25:6-7; 52:15; 56:7; 60:3; 66:18-24; Jr 3:17; 33:9: Am 9:11-12; Zph 3:8-9; Zch 2:10-11; 8:20-23; 9:9-10; 14:2-3, 9; Mal 3:12; Rv 5:9; 7:9).
F. Psalm 118: Praise the Lord for His Lovingkindness is Everlasting
For general introduction to this psalm see above: Psalms 113–118: The Hallel Psalms. Psalm 118 closes the Hallel psalms and was possibly written to celebrate the Feast of Booths or the dedication of the rebuilding of the temple when the Jewish people returned to Israel from the Babylonian exile (cf. Ezr 3:3, 6:16-21).
Psalm 118 is cited 11 times in the NT (v. 6 in Rm 8:31 and Heb 13:6; v. 15 in Lk 1:51; v. 17 in 2Co 6:9; v. 19 in Ac 22:14; v. 20 in Jn 10:9; v. 22 in Mt 21:42; Mk 8:31; 12:10; Lk 20:17; Ac 4:11; 1Pt 2:4, 7; v. 24 in Ac 19:7; v. 25 in Mt 21:9; Mk 11:9; Jn 12:13, and v. 26 in Mt 23:39; Lk 13:35; 19:38). It is cited more than any other single psalm (though see introduction to Ps 110), with reference both to general theological principles as well as to the Messiah in particular.
1. A Call to Thanksgiving (118:1-4)
118:1-4. This psalm begins and ends (vv. 1, 29) with a call to Give thanks to God for two reasons: His goodness and His eternal lovingkindness (chesed, loyal love, cf. 5:7). The call is directed to Israel (v. 2), to the priesthood (v. 3), and finally to all who fear the LORD (v. 4), including Israel and even those who know Him among the nations.
2. An Explanation of Deliverance (118:5-21)
118:5-9. In explaining his call to praise, the psalmist declares that God has delivered him from distress. The Lord’s help (v. 7) has taught him the lesson that trusting in God’s help is better than trusting in man’s help; God’s help is even better than the aid of powerful people, even that of princes (v. 9).
118:10-14. Next the psalmist specifies from what distress the Lord saved him. Although surrounded, he was able to defeat his enemies. Three times he declares that he cut them off. This verb is typically translated “circumcised” in all places but here and 58:7 and 90:6. It is not a literal circumcision in view here but a poetic image of his enemies being cut off and cast aside. He could only accomplish this victory because he acted in the name of the LORD. Then, with a direct address to his enemies, he tells them, You pushed me violently but the LORD helped him (v. 13). This made God his strength (his source of strength in battle), his song (his reason for singing and the one of whom he sings), and his salvation (his deliverer in battle).
118:15-21. The psalmist offers a threefold tribute to God’s right hand (the right hand represents God’s power; cf. 20:6). Thus, his life was saved by God’s power. Whatever difficult circumstances he was in, he recognizes that it was a result of God’s discipline (v. 18). Nevertheless, the Lord led him through the gates of righteousness (v. 19), likely a reference to God’s deliverance and his expectation to return to worship in the temple. God is indeed his salvation (v. 21).
3. The Identity of the Deliverer (118:22-29)
118:22-27. Next the psalmist will identify through whom the Lord grants deliverance. It is the stone which the builders rejected who also will become the … corner stone (v. 22). This indicates that the Lord has a Deliverer who will be rejected by the leaders of Israel (a likely reason not to trust in princes, cf. v. 9) but will be the one individual through whom the whole house of Israel will one day be established. He is the blessed … one who comes in the name of the LORD (v. 26). When Israel beseeches this One to save them and recognizes that He comes in the name of the Lord, the nation will be delivered (vv. 25-26).
Sailhamer states, “Though the psalm itself does not identify who this One is, the larger context within the Psalms makes it clear that he is the Promised Seed of the house of David, the Messiah. It is for this reason, this psalm is frequently alluded to in the NT” (Sailhamer, NIV Compact Commentary, 342). Moreover, the Lord Jesus also reminded Israel that He would not return to deliver them until the nation’s leadership reversed their rejection of Him and instead recognized Him, saying “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord” (Mt 23:37-39, cf. comments there).
118:28-29. The psalm concludes where it began, with thanksgiving. The psalmist will express his own thanksgiving, saying you are my God, and I give thanks to you (v. 28). Then he calls all others to give thanks to the Lord, for He is good (v. 29), the very words with which he began this song of thanksgiving.
Psalm 119: A Psalm of Praise to the Word of God
This longest of the psalms is an acrostic organized in the order of the Hebrew alphabet. It has twenty-two sections of eight verses, each verse of each section beginning with a letter of the Hebrew alphabet in sequence (hence 22 letters × 8 verses = 176 total verses). That is, each line of vv. 1-8 begins with a word that starts with the first letter of the Hebrew alphabet (see Aleph in the NASB), each line of vv. 9-16 begins with a word that starts with the second letter of the Hebrew alphabet (see Beth in the NASB), and so on throughout the alphabet.
While the Psalter overall praises the Lord for His powerful acts as Creator and Redeemer and Sustainer, Ps 119 extols the Lord in relation to His Word and the Word as a guide to life. It is a celebration of God’s gift of the Scriptures and uses ten synonyms for God’s Word: “law” (torah/25 times), “testimonies” (‘edot/22 times), “ways” (derakhim/5 times), “precepts” (piqqudim/21 times), “statutes” (chuqqim/21 times), “commandments” (misvot/21 times), “judgment[s]” (which are judicial edicts, not acts of judgment) (mishpat /19 times), “word(s)” (debar/25 times), “sayings” (imrah/19 times), and “path” (‘orah/5 times). The frequently used word “law” (torah) should be understood to mean all of the Hebrew Scriptures, not just the Five Books of Moses/Pentateuch (cf. Jn 10:34).
The psalmist refers to himself as God’s servant (Ps 119:17, 23, 38, 49, 65, 76, 84, 124-25, 135, 140, 176). He gives several responses to the Scriptures: obey/keep/observe His Word (vv. 4, 5, 8, 17, 34, 44, 56-57, 60, 67, 88, 100-101, 129, 134, 145, 158, 167-68); meditate on His Word (vv. 15, 23, 27, 48, 78, 97, 99, 148); rejoice in the Scriptures (vv. 14, 162); delight in God’s Word (vv. 16, 24, 35, 47, 70, 77, 92, 143, 174); love God’s Word (vv. 47-48, 97, 113, 119, 127, 159, 163, 165, 167). He frequently asked the Lord to revive him as he obeyed the Word or by the Word (vv. 25, 40, 88, 107, 149, 154, 156, 159).
There are, as Sailhamer observes, three psalms that focus directly on the Scriptures as the means of living a righteous life before God: Pss 1, 19, and 119. Each of these is followed by a unit of psalms that focuses on the coming Messiah: Ps 1 by the messianic concepts in Ps 2; Ps 19 with the messianic ideas of 20–24; Ps 119 by the messianic emphasis of the Psalms of Ascents (120–134). The compiler of the book of Psalms was intentionally ordering the psalms to show that if readers search the Scriptures, they will find the Messiah. This strategy is further employed by the “lost sheep” in the final verse (119:176), which lead into the opening of the Psalms of Ascents with their focus on the Lord’s faithfulness to David and the fulfillment of the messianic promise (Sailhamer, NIV Compact Commentary, 342–343).
A. Aleph: The Blessing of Walking in God’s Word (119:1-8)
119:1-8. This introductory section begins by summarizing and emphasizing the blessings of those who walk (cf. 1:1) in the law of the LORD. There are deliberate similarities to the positive aspects of Ps 1 for those who seek the Lord with their whole heart and walk in His ways.
B. Beth: God’s Word Provides Protection Against Sin (119:9-16)
119:9-16. These verses focus on what may be called the preparatory benefits of God’s Word. It is essential for a young man to keep his way pure and resist temptation before theological doubt is encountered rather than during it or after it. For this reason the psalmist opened this section with an explicit reference to a young man, beginning in youth and establishing a pattern throughout life to walk with God. This way entails both treasuring (zealously guarding; cf. Jos 2:4; Ps 27:5; Pr 10:14) God’s word … in one’s heart (v. 11) as well as meditating on it (v. 15, internalizing, memorizing it, pondering it over time, and considering how it applies to one’s situation). This should form a lifelong habit of hiding God’s word in his heart so as to not sin against the Lord (v. 11).
C. Gimel: God’s Word as a Source of Comfort (119:17-24)
119:17-24. The psalmist requested God’s blessing (deal bountifully with Your servant). He knew that the source of that comfort was for God to Open his eyes that he might behold wonderful things from God’s law (v. 18). No matter how difficult his circumstances, he was determined to observe God’s testimonies and make them his delight and have them function as his counselors (vv. 22, 24).
D. Daleth: God’s Word as a Source of Strength (119:25-32)
119:25-32. The psalmist poured out his sad heart, telling his ways to the Lord. He asked God: Make me understand the way of your precepts to enable him to meditate on Your wonders (v. 27). Although he was in deep grief, he asked for the Lord to strengthen him according to (by the power of) His word (v. 28). Confronted by temptation, he implored God to remove that false way (the way of sin by which he was tempted) from before him (v. 29).
E. He: God’s Word Deserves Respect (119:33-40)
119:33-40. The requests of this stanza are essential to a meaningful life: Teach me, O Lord, the way … Make me walk in the path of Your commandments (vv. 33, 35). In order to respect God’s word, the dangers of dishonest gain and vanity (anything that is worthless, either materially or morally) must be avoided or eliminated. Establish Your word to Your servant … which produces reverence for You (v. 38). Much in life is worthless, but God’s ordinances are good (v. 39).
F. Vav: God’s Word is the Source of Reply to the Wicked (119:41-48)
119:41-48. Experiencing God’s lovingkindness (cf. vv. 64, 76, 88, 124, 149, 159; see comments at 5:7; 6:4) will allow the righteous person to have an answer for one who reproaches him. Instead of being overcome or confused by the skeptic or the wicked person, the righteous will trust in God’s word … and not be ashamed (vv. 42, 46) because they love and meditate on God’s statutes (see introduction to Ps 119).
G. Zayin: God’s Word is the Source of Hope (119:49-56)
119:49-56. This stanza continues the issue of need for comfort in … affliction (cf. vv. 19-23, 42). The source of comfort is God’s word through which God gives hope. The psalmist remembered God’s ordinances from of old … and recalled God’s name (referring to His character and reputation; cf. comments on 23:3) in the night (cf. 42:8; 92:2).
H. Heth: God’s Word is Sufficient (119:57-64)
119:57-64. Here the LORD is acknowledged as the psalmist’s portion (cf. 16:5; 73:26). Portion refers to the allotment of land given to each tribe of Israel (Nm 18:20), meaning He is all that one needs in life. The righteous do not simply obey the Lord by habit or out of duty, but hasten … to keep Your commandments (v. 60). Although surrounded by the wicked, the godly person will be a companion of all those who fear You … and keep Your precepts (v. 63; cf. 111:10; 52:9; Pr 13:20; Heb 10:25). The stanza reaffirms God’s sufficiency: The earth is full of Your lovingkindness, O LORD; Teach me Your statutes.
I. Teth: God’s Word is Good (119:65-72)
119:65-72. The Lord’s character and His Word are inseparably linked. The psalmist realized that God had dealt well with Your servant even though he had been afflicted by the judgments of God because he had gone astray (vv. 65, 67). Through that experience he came to understand as never before that God is good and He does good (v. 68; cf. 16:2; 25:8; 73:28; 86:5; 100:5; 106:1; 118:1, 29; 135:3; 145:9). As a result, he learned that the law of Your mouth is better to me than thousands of gold and silver pieces (v. 72; cf. 37:16; Pr 15:16).
J. Yodh: God’s Word Gives a Clear Testimony (119:73-80)
119:73-80. This section begins by acknowledging God as the source of life, Your hands made me and fashioned me (cf. 100:3; 138:8: 139:15-16) and He wants people to learn His commandments. The result of a godly life is a clear testimony: so that those who … see the life of the righteous will be glad if they also know the Lord; or ashamed for trying to subvert the righteous with a lie if they do not know God (vv. 74, 78). No matter what the response of others, he is determined to be blameless (have integrity) in Your statutes, so he will never be ashamed of his behavior (v. 80).
K. Kaph: God’s Word is Faithful (119:81-88)
119:81-88. The psalmist confessed that his soul languishe[d] as he waited for God to comfort him. After describing himself feeling like wineskin in the smoke, dried up and useless and calling for judgment on those who persecute him, he concludes with faith: All Your commandments are faithful, they are true and unchanging.
L. Lamedh: God’s Word is Settled in Heaven (119:89-96)
119:89-96. Although external circumstances may change and affliction may come, Forever, O LORD, Your word is settled (lit., “stands firm/unchanging”) in heaven (the poetic description of everything in God’s realm). There is no end of His faithfulness.
M. Mem: God’s Word is Sweet (119:97-104)
119:97-104. The open declaration: O how I love Your law! (see introductory comments to Ps 119) is the outcome of meditating on the testimonies/Scriptures all the day. Knowing the Word of God has several results: it gives more insight than all my teachers; more understanding than the aged; restrained my feet from … evil (vv. 99-101). Loving God’s Word should be the attitude of the righteous because the Lord Himself instructs His followers (You Yourself have taught me) through His Word and His words are sweet … sweeter than honey (vv. 102-103; cf. 19).
N. Nun: God’s Word Gives Guidance (119:105-112)
119:105-112. God’s word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path means the Scriptures give us direction and guidance in all circumstances of life. The section continues with a brief account of the psalmist being exceedingly afflicted; nonetheless, God’s Word is the joy of [his] heart and the psalmist is determined to perform [His] statues forever (vv. 111-112).
O. Samekh: God’s Word Is a Refuge (119:113-120)
119:113-120. The psalmist has made the Lord his hiding place and … shield (v. 114; cf. 33:3; 7:10; 31:20). Instead of being like the double-minded or evildoers, the righteous will observe the commandments. The statement You have removed all the wicked of the earth like dross (v. 119) refers to God’s future final judgment of the wicked; this event is so certain it is presented as accomplished fact (cf. Is 1:24-25; Jr 9:7; Zch 13:9; Mal 3:2-3). One of the reasons the righteous will wait (confidently hope for the fulfillment) of God’s Word is because of an understanding of the fear (awesome nature) of God who is a refuge against the wicked and a judge of the wicked: My flesh trembles for fear of You, and I am afraid of Your judgments (v. 120).
P. Ayin: A Prayer for Vindication (119:121-128)
119:121-128. The psalmist declares he has done justice and righteousness yet was oppress[ed] by the arrogant (a term often used of those who mock God and behave as a law unto themselves, cf. 10:2-11). Therefore he says: It is time for the LORD to act, For they have broken Your law (v. 126). This is a prayer that God would intervene with judgment to vindicate His word.
Q. Pe: God’s Word is Wonderful (119:129-136)
119:129-36. The Hebrew word for wonderful usually used of God’s character or His redeeming acts (cf. Ex 15:11; Is 9:6; 25:1; Pss 9:1; 77:11, 14; 78:12; 89:5). Here God’s testimonies are wonderful demonstrating the link between God’s character and His Word (vv. 18, 27). The unfolding (the revelation and interpretation of the Scriptures) of Your words gives light, direction for life (cf. v. 10). The request to Make your face shine upon Your servant (v. 135) is allusion to the Aaronic benediction (cf. Nm 6:22-26; cf. 13:1).
R. Tsadhe: God’s Word is Righteous (119:137-144)
119:137-144. This stanza describes the LORD as righteous and His righteousness is an everlasting righteousness. At the same time, His testimonies are righteous forever. God’s character, His very essence, is linked to His word. In order to know the Lord, those who love the Lord are those who love the Scriptures.
S. Qoph: God’s Word is Truth (119:145-152)
119:145-152. The commandments of the Lord are truth (v. 151, cf. v. 160). The psalmist had a custom of crying to the Lord, praying and meditating before dawn … and during the night (vv. 147-148). As the psalmist felt the wicked draw near, he could be confident of the Lord’s care because he had knowledge of God’s testimonies, which were forever, established in the unchanging moral righteousness of the Lord (v. 152; cf. 119:89, 144, 152, 160).
T. Resh: A Call for Deliverance (153-160)
119:153-160. Here is another request for rescue from persecutors and … adversaries, a theme that increases as the psalm concludes. The content of this stanza is similar to vv. 145-152, with an emphasis on Great are Your mercies, O Lord.
U. Shin: God’s Word is a Source of Peace (119:161-168)
119:161-168. This stanza is similar to vv. 145-152 and vv. 153-160; see comments there. Although persecuted, the psalmist stands in awe of God’s words (cf. 22:23; 65:8). No matter what the circumstances, the righteous should rejoice at Your word (v. 162). Furthermore, Those who love Your law have great peace (v. 165; cf. 23; 29:11; 46:1-7).
V. Tav: God’s Word Provides Help (119:169-176)
119:169-176. The final stanza is a conclusion to the whole psalm. It affirms the need for understanding of God’s word and asks the Lord to teach me Your statutes, so that the psalmist can sing of Your word. The psalm ends with a request for God to deliver according to Your word … and help from Your ordinances because I have gone astray like a lost sheep (cf. Ps 23; Is 53:6). This is an acknowledgement that despite the psalmist determination to live according to God’s righteous word, he failed and needed the Good Shepherd to seek for him.
Psalm 120–134: The Psalms of Ascents
Psalms 120–134 form a collection of 15 psalms identified in their headings as the Songs of Ascents. Regarding songs, see comments at Ps 46. Four are attributed to David (122, 124, 131, 133) and one to Solomon (127); the others are anonymous. They are a carefully selected group of psalms arranged here in the text around the theme of the Lord’s messianic promise to David (cf. 2Sm 7:11-17). The central psalm of the unit is Ps 132, which recounts the Davidic Covenant.
The meaning of the “Ascents” has several possible implications. It could refer to: (1) ascending the steps leading up to the altar in the temple, so these psalms would have been sung by the Levitical priests offering sacrifices; (2) worshipers going up (ascending) to Jerusalem during one of the annual pilgrimage festivals (cf. Passover, the Feast of Weeks, and the Feast Tabernacles; see Dt 16:5-17; Lv 23; Ps 122:1), when these psalms would have been sung as part of these appointed feasts; or (3) the Jewish people coming up out of the Babylonian exile and back to the land of Israel, sung en route in hope of return and again in celebration after return (126:1).
Within the context of the Psalms these options are not contradictory, as this collection of psalms was organized as a unit in the final postexilic arrangement of the Psalter. Throughout the OT, the return from the Babylonian exile is seen as a precursor of the time of Messiah (cf. Is 40), so reading the Psalms of Ascents in this matter is an expression of the hope of God’s faithfulness to fulfill the Davidic Covenant with the reign of King Messiah, Son of David.
A. Psalm 120: A Prayer for Deliverance and Peace
1. Trusting the Lord for Deliverance (120:1-4)
120:1-4. The opening cry (In my trouble) to the Lord is a link to the statement of wandering away from the Lord at conclusion of Ps 119. This first psalm of ascents opens with the assurance that the Lord answered me and had already delivered him from his adversaries. His enemies were lying using their deceitful tongue (i.e., slander and false accusation) against him. Since this is likely a postexilic psalm, the reference to verbal opposition may be a reference to the actions of Sanballat and Tobiah against Nehemiah’s rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem at the return from exile (cf. Neh 4; 6). The phrase What more shall be done to you is common oath formula (e.g., 1Sm 3:17; 14:44; 2Sm 3:9; Ru 1:17), here indicating the certainty of God’s judgment on the enemy. The tongue is described as dangerous as arrows (cf. 64:7; Pr 25:18; Jr 9:8), so the judgment of God will likewise be sharp as arrows of the warrior and as consuming as burning coals of the broom tree, a large desert shrub that would quickly burn.
2. Desiring Peace in Conflict (120:5-7)
120:5-7. The psalmist expression of lament, Woe is me is because I sojourn (live temporarily as an alien) in Meshech, an area in Asia Minor (cf. Gn 10:2) and Kedar, in Arabia (cf. Gn 25:13; Is 21:16). These areas are emblematic of the barbaric foes of Israel, so the psalmist uses their names to express his sorrow at dwelling … too long … with those who hate peace. This may be a reference to being back in the land of Israel under constant attack while trying to rebuild Jerusalem (cf. vv. 1-4), or if written in exile, a statement of condition living in Babylon. The psalmist concludes I am for peace (cf. 29:11) … but they are for war. The pagans among whom the psalmist was dwelling did not know the God of peace, and did not understand the Lord’s plan for His people, so they were for war (cf. Jr 27:9, 11).
B. Psalm 121: Affirming the Lord is the Keeper of Israel
See introductory remarks to the Psalms of Ascents. Psalm 121 continues the theme of Ps 120 related to the psalmist’s hope and trust in God. Despite his difficult circumstances, the psalmist remains confident in God’s salvation (Sailhamer, NIV Compact Bible Commentary, 343).
1. The Lord Is the Source of Israel’s Security (121:1-2)
121:1-2. As the psalmist said I will lift up my eyes to the mountains and asked From where shall my help come from, he knew his help was from the Lord. By looking to the mountains surrounding Jerusalem (as in 125:2), and in particular Mount Moriah, the site of the temple (2Ch 3:1) and the focal point of God’s abiding and manifest presence on earth (i.e., the cloud of glory, cf. Ex 40:34-38), he made God the focus of his help. The returning exiles will see this mountain and know their help comes from the LORD, Who made heaven and earth.
The Lord’s power to help is often illustrated by His power as Creator; if He could create the earth, He also has the power to defend His people (cf. 33:6; 89:11-13; 96:4-5; 104:2-9; 124:8; 134:3; 136:1-9). Hence, David, like Daniel (Dn 6:10), directed his gaze, whether literally or emotionally, toward Jerusalem (1Kg 8:27-30), though at the same time recognizing that God is not restricted to one place, for He is the One who made heaven and earth and as such He transcends it (cf. 57:4-5; 83:18; 93:3-4; 115:3). In addition, if God possesses the power to create the mountains, heaven (the sky and the cosmos) and earth, then He has the power to establish Israel in the Holy Land in spite of her enemies.
2. The Lord Guarantees Israel’s Security (121:3-4)
121:3-4. Just as God will not allow the foot of the individual who trusts in Him to slip (or “be moved, shaken”; see the same word in Pss 17:5; 30:6; 62:6; 112:6; 125:1; see comment on 15:5b), neither will He allow Israel to ever be out of his sight. The Lord does not slumber, so He is always awake to keep watch over Israel. This is a military image of a guard vigilant and every watchful, never sleeping, on duty. Keeps (v. 3, the verb being repeated in vv. 4, 5, and 7) means “to exercise diligent, watchful, protective care over” or “to guard” someone or something. The repetition of the verb emphasizes God’s awareness of His people and the threats they face, as well as His commitment to protect them in the end.
3. The Extent of Israel’s Security (121:5-8)
121:5-8. The extent of God’s guarding and protecting Israel is twofold. On the one hand, it is physical, as indicated by the poetic imagery of God being the individual Israelite’s shade on his right hand (cf. 16:8; 73:23; 109:31) so that the sun will not smite him by day (cf. Is 49:10; Jnh 4:6-8) nor the moon by night, indicating God’s care day and night. The affirmation that the LORD will protect you from all evil (v. 7) shows the Lord’s total care. God’s spiritual care is explicitly indicated by the statement He will keep your soul (v. 7; soul includes both one’s material [body] and immaterial [soul] elements; cf. comments on 49:15).
Both aspects of God’s “keeping” (i.e., His overall concern) are summed up in the concluding verse. Going out and … coming in speaks of daily life (cf. Dt 28:6; 1Sm 29:6), and the living of life from this time forth and forever (in God’s “keeping”), indicates God care throughout life and even into eternity for the redeemed.
C. Psalm 122: A Hymn of Peace for Jerusalem
See introductory remarks to the Psalms of Ascents (in the section prior to Ps 120). The psalmist longed for God to deliver his people in Ps 121. That salvation includes the restoration of Jerusalem and reconstituting the dynasty of David, ultimately fulfilled through his promised Son (122:5). To pray for the peace of Jerusalem is to pray for the coming of the Son of David, the Messiah Prince of Peace who will bring peace. He will secure Israel and enable the nation to experience perpetual peace and prosperity (see the promises of the Davidic covenant in 2Sm 7:10-16; 1Ch 17:9-14) (Sailhamer, NIV Compact Bible Commentary, 343).
1. Peace for the Purpose of Worship (122:1-4)
122:1-3. The opening I was glad when they said to me, Let us go to the house [i.e., temple] of the LORD expresses David’s joy at worshiping the Lord in His temple (cf. 84:10; 95), whether starting in Jerusalem or outside it. The reference to the house of the LORD provides the structural frame of the psalm (vv. 1, 9). This hymn of peace for Jerusalem expresses David’s joy over the city and his longing for her welfare, a frequent theme in the Psalms (cf. 42–43; 46; 48; 84; 87; 137).
12:4-5. The … tribes of the LORD are the twelve tribes of Israel (cf. Gn 49:1-28); to keep the ordinance for Israel refers to obeying God’s command to Jerusalem to celebrate His appointed feasts (Dt 16:1-17; Lv 23) (see introductory remarks to the Psalms of Ascents in the section prior to Ps 120).
2. Peace by the Rule of His Son (122:5)
122:5. The thrones set up for judgment … the thrones of the house of David refers to Jerusalem, the city of the Lord and the royal capital of Israel, from which the Davidic kings governed the land and from which the messianic King will rule in the future (2:2, 6-7; 89:3-4, 18-37; 110; 2Sm 7:8-16; Ezk 43:7). Ultimately that perfect, righteous judgment will be discharged during the eternal rule of the messianic King, the Lord Jesus during the messianic, millennial kingdom (see Jr 23:6; Is 9:7; 11:4; 16:5; Ac 10:42; 2Tm 4:1).
3. Peace through the Prayers of His People (122:6-9)
122:6-9. The exhortation to pray for the peace of Jerusalem (v. 6a) includes not simply the city itself, but the Jewish people, the tribes of Israel that regularly go up to it (v. 4) as the political and religious capital of the land given to them as an eternal inheritance by God (cf. Gn 13:15; 17:8; Ps 105:10-11; Rm 11:29). The link between Jerusalem and the Jewish people is so close that the former is often employed as a personified substitute (metonymy) for her Jewish residents or the Jewish people in general (cf. 48:11; 97:8; 126:1; Is 40:2; 51:16; 52:9; Jr 4:14). He calls for those who love you to pray, that is those who love Jerusalem because they are devoted to the Lord who also loves Jerusalem (cf. 87:2 and comments there) and its people. The prayer for peace is all inclusive within your walls … within your palaces … for the sake of my brothers and my friends. His emphasis on this central concept of peace, one that is permanent, complete, and inclusive, is indicated by its being mentioned three times in the psalm (vv. 6, 7, 8). The statement, May they [the Gentile nations and individuals] prosper who love you (v. 6) is linked to God’s promise to Abraham: “I will bless those who bless you” (Gn 12:3).
122:9. David’s prayer is ultimately motivated for the sake of the house of the LORD. This is similar to the idea of “for His name’s sake” (cf. 5:11; 23:3; 25:11; 31:3), that is, for the sake of the Lord Himself. It is the determination of the psalmist and of the admonition of the psalm to seek your good, the welfare and God’s blessing on Jerusalem (cf. Neh 2:10; Ex 10:3).
D. Psalm 123: Looking to the Lord for Help
See introductory remarks to the Psalms of Ascents (in the section prior to Ps 120). In Ps 123, the writer expresses his intense attentiveness to God in anticipation of God’s signal that He will act to save His people (v. 2). The salvation that is craved in Pss 121 and 122 here in Ps 123 is acknowledged as provided by God alone (Sailhamer, NIV Compact Bible Commentary, 343).
1. The Object of the Hope (123:1)
123:1. To You I lift up my eyes is similar to the opening of Ps 121, however here the Lord is described as enthroned in the heavens as Almighty King (cf. 22:4; 11:4 and comments there). Our hope is in the Lord.
2. The Manner of the Hope (123:2)
123:2. The psalmist compared the manner in which he and those like him looked to their divine King to the manner in which servants look to the hand of their master, and a maid to the hand of her mistress. In each statement the hand signifies the supply of all that is needed (cf. Php 4:19). Here it is the LORD our God who is a merciful sovereign to whom the needy should look to/depend upon until He is gracious to us (gracious is threefold for emphasis, vv. 2, 3). The word gracious (“mercy” ESV) means a heartfelt, merciful response to a need by someone who has the power or materials to meet that need; it is technically an undeserved positive treatment by a superior to one who is unworthy. Some thirty times in the Psalms the Lord is requested to be gracious (e.g., 6:2; 9:13; 27:3; 30:10).
3. The Motivation for Hope (123:3-4)
123:3-4. The psalmist realizes his hope is in the Lord, so he begs the LORD, be gracious to us (cf. comments on v. 2). He is suffering, by being greatly filled with (suffering under the) contempt of mockers (cf. 119:22) and the scoffing of those who are at ease (cf. 73:6-9; 94:2). Ultimately the vindication of God’s justice, as manifest in His condemnation of the wicked and in rewarding His servants, will bring glory to him.
E. Psalm 124: A Song of Thanksgiving for God’s Help
See introductory remarks to the Psalms of Ascents (in the section prior to Ps 120). The theme of God’s deliverance of Israel is a focal point of this psalm as it was Ps 123. Just as God saved His people before the Egyptians could destroy them at the Red Sea (vv. 4-5), so God will save Israel in the future before she is destroyed (Sailhamer, NIV Compact Bible Commentary, 343).
1. Recalling God’s Deliverance in the Past (124:1-5)
124:1-2. This psalm is to the community of Israel to encourage them to always trust God’s faithfulness in preserving the Jewish people. They are to consider what might have happened if the LORD had not been on their side (v. 1, 2 repeated for emphasis). This is not unhealthy but a positive reminder: Let Israel now say, that is, recall what might have happened if it were not for the Lord’s loving care when men (their enemies) rose up against them.
124:3-5. The illustration of the Lord’s protection is the escape from the Egyptians at the Red Sea (cf. Ex 14). The phrase “when men rose up against us” (v. 2) is similar to the phrases in the Song of Moses after the escape from Pharaoh’s army (cf. Ex 15:1-18). If the Lord had not been on Israel’s side their enemy (the Egyptians at the exodus and other enemies throughout the ages, such as Assyria, cf. Is 8:6-8, or Babylon or modern enemies up to the present time) would have swallowed us alive … the waters would have engulfed us … the stream would have swept over our soul … raging waters (repeated for emphasis) would have swept over our soul (cf. Pss 18:16-18; 32:6; 69:1-2). In fact these more powerful enemies served as proof of God’s past faithfulness to His unconditional promise to Israel through Abraham (Gn 12:2-3; Jr 31:35-37). This in turn was a historical precedent enabling Israel to expect the same continued faithfulness, especially preservation from destruction, both then and in the future.
2. Thanking God for His Deliverance Today (124:6-8)
124:6-7. David commenced his review of what God had done by declaring praise and thanksgiving. He said, Blessed be the LORD (cf. comment on 103:1), who has not given Israel to be torn by the enemy’s teeth. Rather He enabled them to escape intact as a bird out of the snare of the trapper. David applied this bird imagery to himself in 1Sm 26:20, suggesting that he was here extrapolating his personal experience of God’s faithfulness to that of the nation as a whole.
124:8. Reviewing what God had done reinforced David’s confidence in what God will do. The psalm ends with a declaration of God’s faithfulness: Our help is in … the LORD (cf. 22:19; 29:9; 40:17; 46:1; 121:2), Who made heaven and earth (cf. 121:2 and comments there; Gn 1:1).
F. Psalm 125: The Lord’s Protection of His People
See introductory remarks to the Psalms of Ascents (in the section prior to Ps 120). The salvation of Israel and restoration of Jerusalem, a primary theme of the Songs of Ascents, (cf. Ps 122) is, once again, tied to the fulfillment of the Davidic covenant and the presence of David’s divine Son in Ps 125 (Sailhamer, NIV Compact Bible Commentary, 343).
1. The Lord’s Protection is as Permanent as Mount Zion (125:1-2)
125:1-2. The psalmist uses a landmark familiar to his readers to illustrate an important spiritual truth: Those who trust in the LORD are as Mount Zion, which cannot be moved but abides forever. The most appropriate symbol to illustrate the permanence of God’s people (that they cannot be moved; see the comment on 15:5) is Mount Zion (cf. 2:6 and comments there). Despite any geographic changes God may make when He renews heaven and earth (cf. Is 65:17; 66:22; Rv 21:1), Zion will abide forever as the same distinct Zion of previous redemption history. This permanence of Zion is ultimately grounded in the permanence of Zion’s King, the divine Messiah, who will establish His throne in Zion (on the Temple Mount) before renewing Creation, and will maintain His throne there forever (cf. Ezk 43:7; Rv 22:3-5).
2. The Lord Will Protect His Land from the Wicked (125:3)
125:3. The Lord will protect the land from the scepter of wickedness. The scepter is a symbol of authority (cf. Gn 49:10; Est 5:2). A wicked scepter is rule by ungodly authority. The statement the righteous will not put forth their hands to do wrong looks forward to a time when the Lord will rule with His righteous scepter (cf. Ps 2:6; 45:6; 60:7; 110:2).
3. The Lord will Protect His People (125:4-5)
125:4-5. The psalmist prayed that God would do good … to (or “for”) those who are good (parallel to “the righteous” of v. 3, as in Pr 2:20). Because they have been reckoned as righteous they are therefore able to do good. On the other hand the Lord will judge those who turn aside to their crooked ways along with the doers of iniquity.
G. Psalm 126: Rejoicing at God’s Restoration of Zion
See introductory remarks to the Psalms of Ascents (in the section prior to Ps 120). This psalm, as with the previous ones, looks forward to when God will deliver Israel. Psalm 126 parallels that future, eschatological rescue with the joy the Jewish people experienced at the end of the Babylonian exile that replaced the tears at the start of the exile. “This psalm, with its direct allusion to the return from Babylon, shows that Israel’s troubles remain. God has still to fulfill his promise to David. The Messiah has not yet come. Nevertheless, the righteous remain faithful in their trust in God’s promises” ( Sailhamer, NIV Compact Bible Commentary, 344).
1. Looking Back with Thanksgiving at Past Restoration to Zion (126:1-3)
126:1-3. The psalmist reflected on the past event of God’s restoring (lit., “returning”) the captive ones (lit., “the returning ones”) of Zion. This refers to those who returned to Zion/Jerusalem (cf. 2:6; 9:11 and comments there) after 70 years of exile/captivity in Babylon (2Ch 36:22-23; Jr 25:11; 29:10; Dn 9:2 see comments in these texts). The return to Israel was like a dream come true; the people were filled with gladness, laughter and joyful shouting. When the surrounding Gentile nations saw the Jewish people back in their land they recognized The LORD has done great things for them. This same statement of praise was echoed by the Jewish community, The LORD has done great things for us; We are glad.
2. Looking Forward with Hope to Future (and Final) Restoration (126:5-6)
126:4. The restoration prayed for here, Restore our captivity, O LORD seems to look forward to a time in the future when the Lord will bring all of the Jewish people back to the land. This request may seem puzzling since he referred to those who had already returned from the 70-year exile (vv. 1-3). The reason for this entreaty becomes evident, however, when realizing that many of the Jewish exiles did not return to the promised land from Babylon, and continued to live outside of Israel, in the Diaspora. Furthermore, since the Roman expulsion of the Jewish people from Israel (AD 70), the majority of the Jewish community has lived outside the land of Israel. Only in the modern period and since the rebirth of the modern state of Israel has there started to be a more widespread return to the land, although the majority of the Jewish people are still living in the Diaspora yet to return (cf. Ezk 37 and comments there). That this is looking to a final eschatological restoration is suggested by the image of streams in the South, a reference to the fruitful transformation of that land from the waters that will emerge from the temple with the Messiah’s advent as the worldwide King (see Ezk 47:1-12).
126:5-6. The psalm concludes with a poetic agricultural description of the joy of this final return to the land. There will be a period of weeping (cf. Zch 12:10) prior to the final joy of the messianic restoration (e.g., Is 25:8-9; 35:10; 51:11; Rv 21:4); but that joy is certain, it Shall indeed come when God restores “the fallen booth of David” through David’s supreme Son the Messiah (cf. Am 9:11-15; Zch 9:16-17; 14).
H. Psalm 127: A Song of Praise for the Lord for Daily Care
See introductory remarks to the Psalms of Ascents (in the section prior to Ps 120). This psalm, written by Solomon, continues the theme of God taking care of His people (cf. Ps 121). Further, the restoration of Israel and its capital, Jerusalem (the theme of Ps 126), will take place only when God determines and acts to make it happen. “The house” in v. 1 may have application to one’s home and “children” to one’s family (vv. 3-4), but within the context of the Psalms of Ascents, the main reference is to “the house of David,” that is, to David’s dynasty as fully realized through his Seed, his matchless Son, the Messiah (Sailhamer, NIV Compact Bible Commentary, 344).
1. The Lord is the Source of Protection and Purpose (127:1-3)
127:1-3. This psalm emphasizes the importance on relying on the Lord for purpose and meaning in every aspect of life. Hard work and personal goals in life are important; however, depending on anything or anyone other than the Lord for purpose and success is vain (v. 2). Any labor undertaken to meet one’s needs, no matter how industrious, if undertaken in a manner and for a purpose inconsistent with God’s Word will in the end be unsatisfying and even unsuccessful.
Solomon supports his conclusion with three illustrations (v. 2): (1) it is vain to labor and build the house apart from the LORD; (2) it is vain if the watchman keeps awake unless he recognizes the LORD guards the city (cf. 121); and (3) it is vain to work day and night at painful labors, for without the Lord, who gives to His beloved even in his sleep, there is no success. The concept of the utter vanity of living life apart from God is emphasized by the threefold repetition of the key terms “vain” and “in vain” in vv. 1-2a (on the use of threefold repetition in the Bible, see comments on Pss 86 and 110). In the book of Ecclesiastes Solomon wrote in detail concerning the vanity of living apart from dependence on the Lord.
This opening verse clearly affirms, on the one hand, the general principle of including God (through prayer, the counsel of His written Word, and the advice of godly believers) in one’s decision of when, where, and how to build one’s house (referring not just to the act of building the structure, but to the family that fills it). But it could also be taken as referring specifically to God’s involvement in the building of the temple and Jerusalem in the future, as suggested by three facts. First, the psalm is attributed to Solomon, who built the temple and established Jerusalem (uniquely in his time) as the greatest capital city of any kingdom on earth (to which “all the earth” came to seek his presence, 1Kg 10:23). Second, the exilic and pilgrimage setting of this psalm (see introduction to Ps 120) implies a natural focus on Jerusalem and the temple. Third, the only house and the only city God was directly involved in establishing and building was the temple and Jerusalem.
2. The Lord is the Source of Blessing in the Family (127:3-5)
127:3-5. In the agrarian culture of Israel, children were the key to a successful family, and the absence of offspring was a family disaster. The point is that, if God does give children, they are to be viewed as a gift (lit., “the inheritance or property”) of the LORD. This inheritance He has in turn entrusted to human parents for proper care and nurture, both physically and spiritually. Children, the fruit of the womb, are a reward, because only the Lord can create life. Godly people throughout the Scriptures valued, protected, and taught their children as the Lord commanded (cf. Dt 6:4-9).This does not suggest that children are the only or even the best gift God can give, or that if one does not or cannot have children one is lacking an important gift of God and is somehow less favored by Him. Yet children were a blessing (v. 5) in ancient times and compared to arrows in the hand of a warrior (v. 4), for like arrows, adult children could provide protection for the family in times of danger, and would provide honor to the family at the gate of the city (cf. Dt 17:5; 21:19; Ru 4:1; Is 29:21; Am 5:12). Depending on how these arrows (children) are shaped, drawn, and aimed, they may either miss the intended target or hit it on the bull’s-eye (cf. the principle in Pr 22:6).
Given the messianic context of this psalm (see introduction to Ps 127), Solomon may be indicating that the final realization of the Davidic covenant is “given to His beloved” (v. 2; i.e., Israel) as a gift of the Lord (v. 3), that is, at a time to be decided by Him alone and apart from the work of His people.
I. Psalm 128: The Blessing of Walking with the Lord
See introductory remarks to the Psalms of Ascents (in the section prior to Ps 120). This psalm is a wish for fruitfulness and prosperity, but “How blessed is everyone” parallels Ps 2:12 and a promise of blessing for those who “kiss the Son” (of David, the Messiah). Thus Ps 128 will find its ultimate fulfillment of blessing “from Zion” only when the promises to David are realized (2Sm 7:10-16; 2Ch 17:10-14).
1. The Personal Blessings of Walking with the Lord (128:1-4)
128:1 The godly will experience God’s best, His blessing, first of all in their home (cf. 127:3). How blessed parallels the basis for success in life found in Ps 1:1 and 6, where blessed (1:1) and way (1:6) are used as they are here in v. 1. A person walks in the way of the Lord because he has a proper attitude and understanding of the Lord, so that he fears the LORD (cf. comments on 36:1; 111:10. The psalmist connects being blessed with fearing the Lord (vv. 1, 4), just as it is found in 112:1.
128:2. The blessings of the Lord are illustrated by His blessing upon his work, you shall eat the fruit (lit., “labor”) of your hands (cf. Dt 28:1-6). This is emphasized by the description You will be happy and it will be well with you.
128:3-4. The blessings of the Lord are further illustrated in terms of wife and children. If a man truly fears the Lord then he will find satisfaction and joy in (1) his wife, who will certainly be affected by the godliness of her husband and shall be to him like a fruitful vine. This refers to her “fruitfulness” in all those venues that are open to her, whether or not childbearing is one of them (see the comments on Ps 127:3-5 and the application of “fruitfulness” beyond childbearing in such passages as Pr 31:31; Is 11:1; Dt 29:18). Also a man who fears the Lord will find satisfaction and joy in (2) his children, who, being reared in the fear of the Lord, will be to their parents like olive plants, often a symbol of blessing (cf. 52:8; 144:12; Dt 8:8; Jr 11:15-16).
The metaphor suggests the great promise that such young ones possess, just as sapling olive trees have the promise of great bounty when they mature.
2. National Blessing of Walking with the Lord (128:5-6)
128:5-6. This benediction is a summary of the blessings: The LORD bless you from Zion (cf. 2:6; 9:11; 20:2; 34:3; 50:2; Is 2:3). In this final section the psalmist was not only expressing the wish that those who fear the Lord experience continued blessing in this life but primarily the extension of God’s blessing to the outward circumstances of Israel. In short, the psalmist desires that they would live to see the advent of the Messiah and God’s kingdom established on earth. Only then would they see Jerusalem’s full and secure prosperity (a collective noun signifying all things that are good, and inevitably hearkening back to the ideal of God’s filling the world at creation with what was perfectly good; esp. Gn 1:31) and peace (shalom; see the comments on Pss 29:11; 35:27). Peace be upon Israel (cf. 125:5; Nm 6:22-26).
J. Psalm 129: An Imprecatory Psalm against the Enemies of Israel
See introductory remarks to the Psalms of Ascents (in the section prior to Ps 120). Psalm 129 is a song of confidence in God’s protection of Israel, similar to Ps 124, against her enemies. In Ps 124 Israel is admonished to realize it was only the Lord who prevented them from being destroyed by her enemies. Psalm 129 not only praises God for His protection, but includes an imprecatory prayer against the enemies of Zion.
1. Praise God for Preventing the Destruction of Israel (129:1-4)
129:1-3. Historically many times the enemies of Israel have persecuted me. This psalm begins by underscoring the tragic historical fact (both biblical and postbiblical, up to the present day) that many times various groups and individuals have persecuted me—Israel, the people, here personified as God’s “national” son—beginning in his youth (referring to Israel’s affliction in Egypt; see Ex 1:11-14; Hs 2:15). Nonetheless Israel’s adversaries have not prevailed against him (to wipe him out as a people), nor will they ever do so, for Israel’s continued existence is guaranteed by God’s eternal and unconditional promise to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (Gn 12:1-3; Jr 31:35-37; Rm 11:29). Persecution is presented by the poetic images of plowers plowed upon my back.
129:4. Despite the attempts of the wicked to destroy Israel, The LORD is righteous (74:1-11; 77:11-15; 88:11-12; 96:13) and thwarted their plan. Therefore because God is righteous and faithful, He has, and will continue to cut in two the cords of the wicked. This is similar to the phrase used to depict God’s response to general worldwide opposition and enmity toward the LORD and His Anointed (cf. 2:3).
2. Pray to the Lord to Punish the Persecutors of Israel (129:5-8)
129:5-8. The psalmist can utter May all who hate Zion (Jerusalem and its people, cf. 2:6; 9:11) be put to shame because the enemies of Israel are held responsible as the enemies of the God of Israel (cf. 5:10; 83 and comments there). Concerning the requests for judgment, be like grass … which withers before it grows up (cf. Introduction: Types of Psalms). The concluding language emphasizes the withholding of the blessing of the LORD from Israel’s persecutors, reflecting specifically on the Abrahamic covenant (Gn 12:3; 27:29; Nm 24:9), in which God promises to bless those who bless Israel and to curse those who curse Israel (cf. Gn 12:3, and comments there). The concept of curses means to withhold good, or think less of, and is not indicating an eternal separation from God; it is not blasphemous language nor occult cursing (which is forbidden in Scripture, Lv 19:26, 31; 20:6, 27; Dt 18:9-14).
K. Psalm 130: A Cry to the Lord for Mercy
See introductory remarks to the Psalms of Ascents (in the section prior to Ps 120).
1. The Human Need for Mercy (130:1-3)
130:1-3. This penitential psalm is a cry for mercy from out of the depths (cf. other penitential Psalms 6:25; 32; 38; 51; 69). The depths out of which the psalmist cried to the LORD were not physical depths, but rather, expresses the low point of his emotional condition (cf. 69:2, 14). He acknowledged the contrast between his iniquities and God’s righteousness, so that if it were not for God’s mercy, no one could stand before the Holy One; this is the universal problem of sin for all humankind (cf. 49:7-8; Ec 7:20; Ac 3:23). If You, LORD, should mark iniquities, that is count all sins against the sinner, who could stand, under Your righteous judgment? The answer to this rhetorical question is “Absolutely no one could stand in God’s presence.”
2. The Divine Gift of Mercy (130:4-6)
130:4-6. The Lord is holy but there is forgiveness with God (cf. Neh 9:17; Dn 9:9), that He may be feared (cf. comments on 19:9; 34:9, 11; 111:10; 128:1; Ex 34:6-7). The purpose of His attribute of mercy with its resulting forgiveness, along with His many other attributes, is that He might be feared, that is, worshiped with reverence and awe. The personal experience of this divine forgiveness underlies the psalmist’s affirmation, I wait for the LORD … and in His word I do hope. He is eagerly expecting the Lord’s continued goodness. He compares his attitude to that of watchmen who are awake on the job all night, eagerly waiting for the morning.
3. Response to the Mercy and Forgiveness of God (130:7-8)
130:7-8. In response to the forgiveness of God, Israel is reminded to hope in the LORD (cf. v. 5). This hope is linked to the lovingkindness (cf. comments on 5:7). While this exhortation certainly includes the general desire to see his people blessed spiritually (i.e., “saved” in the sense typically intended in the NT, as in Rm 10:9) in every age and generation, the psalmist’s primary reference in this last section is to that day when God will redeem Israel from all his iniquities, that same day of which Zechariah and Paul wrote (Zch 12:10–13:1; Rm 11:25-27; see comments there).
L. Psalm 131: David’s Personal Faith in the Lord
See introductory remarks to the Psalms of Ascents (in the section prior to Ps 120). This short psalm concisely highlights the qualification of David as “a man after God’s own heart” (1Sm 13:14; see comments there). Despite his sins, David understood clearly and accurately who he was in relation to (and in contrast with) God, and how he was therefore to relate to God.
1. David’s Humility before the Lord (131:1)
131:1. David humbly confesses his status before the Lord saying O Lord, my heart is not proud. Although chosen by the Lord to be the King of Israel (cf. 1Sm 16), and renowned among the people of Israel (cf. 1Sm 18:7), David was humble before God knowing that pride was opposed to the Lord (cf. Dt 8:14; 2Ch 26:16; Is 9:9-10; 10:12-14; Hs 13:6). David presents evidence of his humility by saying I do not involve myself in great matters (i.e., incomprehensible, not more important) … or … things too difficult (lit., “too wonderful,” i.e., unattainable, as in Gn 18:14); that is, he did not make any claim to godlike power or understanding.
2. David’s Dependence on the Lord (131:2)
131:2. David pictures his determination to obey and trust the Lord as I have composed and quieted my soul. Just as a weaned child, a toddler of three or four, is content to be by his mother, so David is content, satisfied to be in the presence of the Lord (cf. 23; 84:10).
3. David’s Admonition to Israel (131:3)
131:3. In conclusion, David shifts from recounting his dependence on the Lord, to admonishing the nation O Israel, hope in the Lord (cf. comments on 130:5, 7-8).
M. Psalm 132: Affirming the Davidic Covenant
See introductory remarks to the Psalms of Ascents (in the section prior to Ps 120). This psalm is the climax of the Psalms of Ascents. In it the psalmist emphasizes that all of Israel’s future hopes are dependent upon the fulfillment of the Davidic covenant (vv. 1, 11-12, 17-18; see 2Sm 7:8-17; 1Ch 17:7-15 and comments there). David’s sons did not qualify spiritually to fulfill those promises (v. 12), so the promises remained intact and awaited the supreme, future Son of David, the Messiah, who will successfully keep God’s covenant (Sailhamer, NIV Compact Bible Commentary, 344–45).
The content of the psalm is structured around the Davidic covenant aspects of house/throne/kingdom (2Sm 7:2-16). The Psalm begins with a plea “O Lord remember David” followed by: (1) David’s desire to make a house for God to dwell (vv. 2-10), but instead the Lord said he would make a house for David; (2) the promise of a king to reign on David’s throne (vv. 11-12); and (3) the promise of an eternal kingdom in Zion (vv. 13-18).
There are some parallels in this psalm to Solomon’s prayer at the dedication of the temple (cf. 2Ch 6), so perhaps this psalm was originally composed and sung during the “bringing up” (from the same root as the word “ascents” in the heading of the psalm) of the ark from the tabernacle in the city of David to its place in the inner sanctuary of Solomon’s temple (1Kg 8:4-6).
1. The Request to Remember David’s Zeal (132:1-10)
132:1-2. The opening verses are a plea for the Lord to remember … on David’s behalf (cf. v. 10) … how he swore to the LORD and vowed to the Mighty One of Jacob. This is a poetic call to remember the covenant the Lord made with David (cf. comments on 2Sm 7:12-17). There are three aspects of the Lord’s unconditional covenant with David: (1) an eternal house/dynasty; (2) an eternal throne/sovereignty; and (3) an eternal kingdom/nation.
132:3-5. This section recalls David’s desire to find a place for the LORD. David’s desire was to build the temple, a permanent dwelling place for the worship of the Lord and no longer maintain the transportable tabernacle.
132:6-9. The ark was lodged for twenty years in area of Ephrathah at the village of Kiriath-Jearim, here identified as Jaar (cf. 1Sm 7:2). The location for the temple had been chosen by the Lord (cf. vv. 13-14; Gn 22; Dt 12:14; 2Sm 24:18-25), although the building of the temple there was delayed until the reign of David’s son, Solomon (cf. 2Sm 7:1-7; 1Ch 22:7-9). Nevertheless, it was David’s desire for the Lord to arise … to your resting place (cf. 2Ch 6:41), You and the ark of Your strength (v. 8). Then priests will be clothed with righteousness, reflecting not just their garments, but their spiritual condition, and the godly one will sing for joy (cf. v 16). In the Lord’s covenant with David, He promised to build a house for David.
2. The Request to Remember the Davidic Covenant (132:10-18)
132:10-12. Having asked the Lord to remember David’s zeal for Him, the psalmist next asks the Lord to remember His response to David, which was the Davidic covenant. He pleads with the Lord not to turn away from His anointed. The reason is that the Lord had sworn to David that his descendants would rule from the Davidic line, so David makes another request, based on the Davidic covenant: For the sake of David Your servant (cf. v. 1) remember his sons … shall sit upon your throne forever. There was a continual line of Davidic kings from David to the Babylonian captivity. However, after the return there was not a son of David on the throne until the coming of Messiah Jesus, and ultimately He will reign from Jerusalem (cf. Lk 1:68-79; Ezk 37:24).
132:13-16. Coinciding with the choice of David’s house, was the Lord’s election of Zion as the center of worship and rule (For the LORD has chosen Zion [cf. 2:6; 9:11] … This is My resting place forever… Here I will dwell [vv. 13-14; cf. Dt 12:4-14]). Here the psalmist longs for the restoration of Zion and the priesthood (v. 16; cf. v. 9).
132:17. The eschatological aspect of the psalm come into focus regarding the Lord’s promise of the eternal kingdom through the messianic Son of David. He promised I will cause the horn of David to spring. The horn is commonly a symbol of strength and dignity (18:2; 89:17, 24; 92:10). But in Dn 7:7, 8, 24, the horn represents a king. Hence the horn of David likely represents a powerful and dignified king from the house of David, or the messianic King. This is further supported by the use of the verb spring (lit., “branch forth”), which alludes to the messianic prophecies concerning the “Branch” of David (cf. comments at Is 4:2; Jr 23:5; 33:15; Zch 3:8; 6:12). The Lord also prepared a lamp for Mine anointed. The lamp is a metaphor for an heir (cf. 1Kg 11:36, when a man did not have an heir, and it was said that his lamp went out). This verse is a promise that the Lord will send a future messianic son of David, who will be the ultimate heir for David, who was the anointed king.
132:18. Those who oppose the messianic King, the enemies of the Lord, God will clothe with shame, indicating judgment (cf. 2:4-12; 35:26; 109:29). In contrast upon himself, the horn of David, the messianic King, his crown shall shine. The singing of this psalm after the return from the Babylonian exile, when there was no longer any Davidic king, was a proclamation of faith that God would keep his covenant with David and send King Messiah, Son of David, to reign on David’s throne. Certainly this was the expectation and understanding of Zecharias, father of John the Baptist, who prophesied that “the Lord God of Israel … has raised up a horn of salvation for us, in the house of David His servant” (cf. Lk 1:68-70).
N. Psalm 133: The Beauty of Unity among the People of Perfected Jerusalem
See introductory remarks to the Psalms of Ascents (in the section prior to Ps 120). In connection with Ps 132, Ps 133 describes the consequences of the fulfillment of the Davidic covenant when the Messiah is present (unity [vv. 1-3a, b]—perhaps even including the reunification of the northern and southern tribes as well as the blessing of salvation [v. 3c]) which will flow from Zion (Jerusalem) and the joy of eternal life (Sailhamer, NIV Compact Bible Commentary, 345).
1. The Beauty of Unity (133:1)
133:1. The opening, Behold, calls attention to something important to follow; it then uses double adjectives in describing the event. Coupling good and pleasant is used elsewhere to describe who God is, what He gives, or the worship that He receives from His people (cf. 135:3; 147:1; Gn 13:6; 36:7; 49:15; Jb 36:11). Considering the Messianic focus of the Songs of Ascents (see introductory remarks to the Psalms of Ascents, in the section prior to Ps 120), the unity of brothers has several implications. In the future, the land will be fruitful enough to support all the people in every tribal division so there will be no disputes over territory (cf. Ezk 48:1-8). This unity refers to the reuniting of the Northern and Southern Kingdoms in the Messianic Age (cf. Ezk 37:15-22). More immediately, it may refer here to the spiritual unity of the various Israelite worshipers traveling to celebrate the feasts, who have come together to worship their one Lord and Father at the temple in Jerusalem. Finally, the personal application of the unity here is not just to intra-Jewish unity, but to the spiritual unity of Jew and Gentile united by faith in Messiah Jesus (cf. Is 19:23-25; Zch 14:16; Eph 3:11-16).
2. The Illustrations of the Blessings of Unity (133:2-3a)
133:2. The goodness and pleasantness of unity is illustrated in two ways. First, unity has a consecrating effect. It is compared to the precious oil … coming down upon … Aaron’s beard. This highlights the holiness of that unity or, more precisely, the priestly holiness of the people who dwell in that unity. The precious oil indicates a specific kind of oil. It is not the ordinary oil used for other anointing purposes (cf. Ec 9:8). This is the precious anointing described in Lv 8:10-13 which, after being applied to the tabernacle and all that was in it, was poured on Aaron’s head to consecrate him, setting him apart as high priest. This unity is like the oil upon … Aaron’s beard. Hence this blessing of unity is referring to the consecrating effect of unity on the nation.
133:3a. The second way that unity is good and pleasant is that it is refreshing to the people of God. The next illustration compares the unity of the brothers to the dew coming down from Mount Hermon, the tallest mountain in Israel. It is always snowcapped and is consistently characterized in its lower parts by an abundance of dew—which symbolizes fresh and vigorous life (cf. 110:3; Hs 14:5). These waters do ultimately descend to the mountains of Zion (cf. Ps 2:6). The snow runoff from Hermon seeps through the limestone substrata and provides the headwaters for the Jordan River, the life-giving artery of Israel. In the dry and hot seasons, this dew provides cool water and refreshment for the nation. Likewise the unity of the people will be refreshing to the people of God. The reference to Zion as the source of this eternal blessing alludes specifically to the presence of God therein as the eternal King and source of all that is best for His people (cf. Ezk 43:7; Rv 21:6, 23-24; 22:1-5, 17).
3. The Blessing of Immortality (133:3b)
133:3b. This psalm closes with the essence of biblical blessing which entails the full experience of blessing as originally intended by God when He blessed mankind to walk with Him in the Garden of Eden (cf. Gn 1:28): life forever (i.e., eternal life qualified by all that is good).
O. Psalm 134: The Final Ascents: Praise the Lord for Complete Blessing
See introductory remarks to the Psalms of Ascents (in the section prior to Ps 120). This psalm concludes the unit of Psalms of Ascents, and reinforces the blessing of the Lord upon His people by the threefold repetition (once in each verse) of the verb “bless” (on the use of such threefold repetition see introductory comments on Pss 86 and 110). It calls on all who worship the Lord, the Creator of Heaven and earth in Zion and to look for His blessing to come from Zion. This call for praise at the conclusion of the Songs of Ascents is answered in the following two psalms, 135–136 (Sailhamer, NIV Compact Bible Commentary, 245).
1. The Affirmation of Blessing (134:1)
134:1. This Psalm of Ascents ends with a clear call to worship: Behold (cf. 133:1) bless the LORD, all servants of the LORD. Those who have been blessed by the Lord with the guarantee of “life forever” (133:3b) should respond in worship. The expression those who serve [lit., “stand”] … in the house of the LORD certainly includes the Levites who ministered in the temple, since stand is the typical verb used to describe their temple service (cf. Dt 10:8; 18:5; 2Ch 29:11). Considering the context and culminating place of this psalm, it also unquestionably includes reference to all Israelite worshipers and pilgrims to the temple who sought to worship God in gratitude and praise. The reference to this worship taking place by night underscores the unbroken continuity of this worship, not only as expressed by the Levites in their temple ministry (see 1Ch 9:33), but also as expressed by all Israelites (e.g., Anna in Lk 2:36-37). Everyone was to be drawn in their devotion to God’s presence on earth. This would have been especially true during the pilgrimage festivals (Passover, Pentecost, and Booths), for in the time of the second temple, built after the return from exile, according to early Jewish tradition, “on the pilgrimage festivals, before (the time of) the cockcrow drew near, the Temple Court [i.e., “the Court of Israel” for Jewish men who were not priests] would already be filled up with Israelites” (Mishnah, Yomah i.8).
2. The Source of Blessing (134:2)
134:2. Part of serving in the temple was worship, to Lift up your hands to the sanctuary (lit., “holiness,” an abbreviated reference to “the holy of holies”; Ex 26:34) And bless the Lord, or give Him honor and praise. The worshiper’s focus on the temple, whether in orientation only (cf. 1Kg 8:30) or in actual attendance, as most notably on the pilgrimage festivals, was to be motivated not by the structure itself, but by the presence of God Himself in it. In history His presence was in the cloud of glory (Ex 40:34-35), but in the future His presence would be seen in the Son of God (cf. Ezk 43:7; Rv 21:22-27). To lift up one’s hands to Him, moreover, highlights that important relational facet of worship characterized by the worshiper’s utter submission to and dependence on God as the one who is both able and willing to meet His child’s deepest needs (cf. the parallelism between “I lift up my hands” and “my supplications” when “I cry … for help” in Ps 28:2; this is also the likely significance in 1Tm 2:8).
3. The Dissemination of Blessing (134:3)
134:3. This opens with a call for those who love the Lord to bless the Lord; it closes with a parallel request: May the LORD bless (cf. Nm 6:24) you from Zion. The psalm, and hence the Song of Ascents, concludes most fittingly on the note of blessing going forth from the LORD Himself, the Source of all blessing. The blessing will be imparted from His place in Zion, the reference being not just to what was in the days of the First and Second Temples but also inevitably to what will always be from the days of Messiah’s advent to the Third Temple and beyond. On the two parts of this verse represented verbatim in previous Songs of Ascents, see the comments on Ps 128:5a (134:3a) and Pss 121:2b and 124:8b (134:3b). The Lord is identified as He who made heaven and earth indicating His sovereignty as Creator and sustainer of the world (cf. 121:1; 124:8; 146:6).
Psalm 135: Praise for God’s Manifest Kindness toward Israel
Psalms 135–136 are praise psalms, and are placed here in the Psalter in response to the call to worship in Psalm 134. In Ps 135 God should be praised specifically because of His power demonstrated in the creation and governance of all that there is (vv. 5-7) and in His work to redeem Israel from Egypt and establish them in the land of Israel (vv. 8-21; Sailhamer, NIV Compact Bible Commentary, 345).
A. Praise God for Choosing Israel (135:1-7)
135:1-3. The declaration Praise the Lord! is the focus of this psalm and the apt response to 134. Though this psalm is not part of the “Songs of Ascents” (Pss 120–34), it is closely connected to the previous psalm by its opening exhortation, addressed to the servants of the LORD (cf. Ps 134:1) … who stand in the house of the LORD. So too the application to God of the adjectives good and lovely (or “pleasant”) recalls the use of the same two adjectives applied to God’s people in 133:1, suggesting that the “good and lovely” unity between His people comes ultimately from His own “good and lovely” nature.
135:4. The central reason for praising God begins with the essential fact that God chose His people Israel: the LORD has chosen Jacob for Himself, Israel for His own possession (cf. Dt 7:6; 10:1; Ps 105:6; Rm 9:4-5; 11:29). The rest of this first section focuses on that expression of God’s concern for Israel, which stands at the foundation of their identity as His people, because of His sovereign and unmerited choice.
135:5-7. The psalmist offers other reasons for praising the Lord: (1) His supremacy (the Lord is great … above all gods); (2) His omnipotence (Whatever the LORD pleases, He does); and (3) His sovereignty as the Creator and sustainer of life, (He causes the vapors to ascend … makes lightnings … wind; cf. Jr 10:131; Jb 28:25, 26; 38:35, 36; Zch 10:1).
B. Praise God for Preserving Israel (135:8-14)
135:8-14. The description of God’s protection of Israel begins with highlights of the exodus and continues in His care for His people throughout their conquest of the promised land. God expressed His concern for Israel by (1) defeating their enemies from Egypt (vv. 8-9; cf. Ex 1–14) and the Amorites and the people of Bashan (v. 11a; cf. Nm 21:21-35) to all the kingdoms of Canaan (v. 11b); (2) giving them the land of Canaan (and all it contained for their sustenance) as a heritage (or “inheritance”) forever (v. 12; cf. Gn 17:8; Ps 105:8-11; cf. also Dt 9:6); and (3) promising to judge His people (a better translation is “vindicating” as in such translations as ESV, NIV, TNIV, HCSB, and RSV) and showing compassion on His people, that is, manifesting His deeply felt concern and care (see “vindicate” and “compassion” in Dt 32:34, cf. Pss 102:13; 106:46; Ex 33:19; 34:6).
C. Praise God for His Relationship to Israel (135:15-21)
135:15-18. The Lord is truly God, not like the idols of the nations … which are the work of man’s hands. This section is parallel to 115:4-8; see comments there.
135:19-20. The psalm concludes with a call for Israel, the people in general … Aaron and Levi, the priesthood … and all You who revere the LORD, to bless the Lord (cf. 115:9-11 and comments there).
135:21. The psalm concludes with a call of Blessed be the LORD from Zion, who dwells in Jerusalem (cf. 128:5; 132:13-14 and comments there).
Psalm 136: Superlative Praise for God’s Lovingkindness
This psalm is a continued response to the call for praise in Ps 134:1. The focus of praise in Ps 135 is on the Lord’s lovingkindness, mentioned in each of the 26 verses, a repetition that occurs more so than in any other biblical passage. That divine attribute epitomizes any and all the good that God has ever done for humanity (cf. 5:7 and comments there). The structure is: God’s greatness as Creator (vv. 4-9); God’s Redemption of Israel from Egypt (vv. 10-16); God’s provision of the land of Israel to the people of Israel (vv. 17-22) (similar to the structure of Ps 135). This is a liturgical psalm composed around the phrase repeated throughout: “For His lovingkindness is everlasting.”
A. Praising God as the Source of All Lovingkindness (136:1-3)
136:1-3. The opening call to Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good and the rest of the psalm form a liturgy of praise to the Lord as Creator (vv. 4-9) and Israel’s Redeemer (vv. 10-25). The focus of praise is on His lovingkindness, which is everlasting (cf. 5:7 and comments there; 1Ch 16:41; Pss 100:5; 107:1). He is the only god, God of gods … and the Lord of lords (cf. Dt 10:17).
B. Praising God for His Lovingkindness Expressed in Creation (136:4-9)
136:4-9. God doing (or “making”) great wonders is a phrase that signifies God’s manifest acts of deliverance (see comments on 9:1; 40:5). He is the Creator, and His awe-inspiring works on the second through the fourth days of the creation week (cf. comments on Gn 1:9-16) are highlighted: the heavens, the earth and the great lights—that is, the sun and the moon—and the stars. In addition to the obvious benefit of these to humanity, the “goodness” component of God’s lovingkindness, manifest in His creation of these, is intimated by the psalmist’s initial reference, in v. 4, to God doing (or “making”) great wonders (nifla’ot), a term specifically signifying God’s manifest acts of deliverance (see comments on 9:1; 40:5)—often in connection with these celestial parts of creation (cf. comment on Gn 1:14).
C. Praising God for His Lovingkindness for Israel (136:10-22)
136:10-15. God demonstrated his lovingkindness to the people of Israel by delivering them from their enemies. The arrangement of this historical survey of deliverance begins with the deliverance from the Egyptians, specifically the slaying of their firstborn on the night of Passover and the escape from Pharaoh at the Red Sea (vv. 10, 13-15; cf. Ex 1–14).
136:16-22. The history continues with recalling that the Lord led His people through the wilderness (cf. Ex 3:18; 15:22). He gave them victory over various mighty kings (vv. 17-18), from Sihon, king of the Amorites and Og, king of Bashan (vv. 19-20; cf. Nm 21:21-35), and from the Canaanites, whose land He gave to Israel as a heritage (or “inheritance”) forever (vv. 21-22; cf. Gn 13:14-15; 17:8; Dt 6:22-23; Ps 105:8-11).
136:23-24. These two verses reiterate in abbreviated fashion the entire spectrum of God’s lovingkindness expressed in Israel’s deliverance, from Egypt, as indicated by the expression Who remembered us (cf. Ex 2:24). It continues to the postexilic period, with the expression He has rescued us. This phrase is not speaking of the exodus, since this verb form for rescued is used in the sense of “rescue/deliver” elsewhere only in Lm 5:8, with reference to the nation not yet having been delivered from exile. Hence, here it is saying, God rescued us from exile.
D. A Finale of Praise to God, the Source of Lovingkindness (136:25-26)
136:25. The psalmist concludes by once more praising God as the Creator and sustainer (parallel to vv. 4-9) Who gives food to all flesh. His giving (the verb here indicating an ongoing action) food to all flesh signifies both mankind and animal life (cf. Gn 6:17; 7:21; Ps 147:9, to animals; and Ps 145:15, to people).
136:26. The final give thanks concludes the psalm as it began, but here it describes the Lord as the God of heaven. This fairly rare divine title recalls the expression of God’s transcendent lovingkindness throughout the OT history of Israel, whether in overcoming spiritual and geographical obstacles to provide a godly bride for Isaac (Gn 24:3, 7), natural and ethnic obstacles to provide salvation to a despised Gentile people (Jnh 1:9), or political and spiritual obstacles to provide the restoration of His people to their land (Ezr 1:2; 5:11, 12; 6:9, 10; 7:12, 21; Neh 1:4, 5; 2:4, 20; 2Ch 36:23). Its use in this psalm suggests a postexilic time of writing, as the majority of the uses of the God of heaven title are from that time period.
Psalm 137: Lamenting the Victory of God’s Enemies over Zion
This sad song of the exiles looks back on the circumstances of the Jewish people living in Babylonian captivity remembering Zion (vv. 1-6) and concludes with an imprecatory stanza (vv. 7-9). Psalm 137 forms a “bookend” with Ps 120 regarding the Babylonian exile. This bookending suggests that while Ps 137 is not one of the Songs of Ascents, the psalms in the Songs of Ascents that present the themes of Israel’s ultimate restoration and salvation (virtually all of Pss 121–134) must be understood against the backdrop of the exile (Pss 120, 137). While the return from the Babylonian exile was not the final fulfillment of all the promises of Israel’s ultimate deliverance, it nevertheless provided a rejuvenated hope that God would, in the future, fulfill all of His promises to Abraham and David (Sailhamer, NIV Compact Bible Commentary, 345).
A. Grieving over the Conquest of Jerusalem (137:1-3)
137:1-3. This somber psalm begins recalling the sorrow of life in captivity, By the rivers of Babylon … we sat down and wept. This sorrow arose as they (1) remembered Zion, i.e., what Jerusalem and Israel were before the Babylonian conquest, not only in their material splendor, but even more so as the site of God’s presence on earth in the temple, now destroyed (cf. comments on 2:6; 9:11); and (2) their being under the dominion of pagan captors, tormentors who mocked and demanded that the Jewish captives express mirth and sing … songs of Zion (v. 3) against their will (such as Pss 48 and 87, each of which is designated a “song” in its heading).
B. Affirming the Ongoing Centrality of Jerusalem (137:4-6)
137:4. How did the exiles respond to their captors’ demand to sing “one of the songs of Zion” (v. 3)? By asking rhetorically: How can we sing the LORD’S song in a foreign land? Of course it would be impossible to sing the sacred songs of worship to the Lord as entertainment for pagans.
137:5-6. This is the heart of this psalm: If I forget you, O Jerusalem … If I do not remember you, If I do not exalt Jerusalem above my chief joy then let judgment fall upon me, may I become lame in my right hand and may I become unable to speak. Their determination to remember Jerusalem is founded in their worship of God who chose Zion as the seat of His earthly rule as Israel’s true King (cf. 2:6, 9:11). The affirmation in turns bears out the reason for the exile which, though accomplished by means of an ungodly people, was intended by God as correction for Israel’s failure to recognize Him as their ultimate authority—a failure epitomized by their idolatry (Ezk 20:27-32) and failure to observe God’s command concerning the land’s sabbatical rest (2Ch 36:21).
C. Envisioning the Just Judgment of the Enemies of Zion (137:7-9)
137:7-8. This final imprecatory stanza opposes the enemies of Israel. Edom had a long history of enmity against Israel, and the prophets portray Edom as the epitome of Israel’s enemies, slated for judgment by the Lord (cf. Is 63:1-4; Jr 49:7-22; Ezk 25:8, 12-14; 35; Ob). When the Babylonians attacked Jerusalem they were supported by Israel’s neighbor Edom, who said, “Raze it, raze it to its very foundation.” Edom’s cruelty to Jerusalem was unprecedented (cf. Ob 11-14). Likewise the psalm calls for the destruction of the daughter of Babylon, a personification of the empire that destroyed Jerusalem and would be judged for its cruelty (cf. Jr 51–52 and comments there).
137:9. By these actions and attitudes, these enemies of Israel had placed themselves under the inevitable and just wrath of God (cf. Jr 30:11; 50). The psalmist appealed for the execution of divine justice in vv. 7-8, which he concluded with the admittedly shocking statement, How blessed will be the one who seizes and dashes your little ones against the rock. This statement, however, is meant to be shocking, just as shocking as the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah and all their inhabitants (Gn 19:25). This was intended as an example not of God’s supposedly barbaric and warlike nature, but rather of His perfect holiness and justice (cf. Rv 18:1–19:4; see comments on imprecatory psalms in the Introduction to Psalms). Even so, the longing for the brutal destruction of Babylonian children seems especially harsh. It is likely that the psalmist was not actually speaking of little ones in a literal sense, but rather, the descendants of Babylon as a whole, that is, all the citizens of “the wicked mother Babylon” (Alden, Psalms: Songs of Discipleship, 3:85).
Psalm 138: A Hymn of Thanksgiving for the Faithfulness of God
Psalm 138 is the first of eight consecutive Davidic psalms (cf. Pss 2–3 heading) near the close of the Psalter. The themes of these psalms reaffirm David’s confidence in God’s promise to uphold His covenants. They seem to have been written during a time when the Jewish people were suffering under the wicked. The psalms emphasize David’s own need, and that of the Jewish people corporately. And they encourage them to continue to trust in God to accomplish all that He promised, especially with regard to the Davidic covenant Thus this unit of psalms affirms the messianic hope (Sailhamer, NIV Compact Bible Commentary, 346).
Psalm 138 has many parallels to the oracles of blessing in Isaiah (cf. Is 40–60). Some of the LXX manuscripts link this psalm to the period of Haggai and Zechariah.
A. Praise God for His Faithfulness and Strength (138:1-3)
138:1-3. David’s asserts that he will give … thanks with all his heart … before the gods, in the presence of the gods. There are three possible meanings to this expression: (1) “gods” may refer to angels, i.e., supernatural beings in the presence of God (cf. 8:5), which is how the LXX translates this; (2) it could refer to human rulers (cf. 82:1); or (3) it could be false gods. In light of the setting being worship in the temple, the first option seems most likely. On bowing down toward God’s holy temple see comment on 134:2. God’s name represents a summary reference to His character and all the past deeds for which He is known cf. 5:11; 20:5; 23:3; 31:3). Praise is expressed for His lovingkindness (cf. comment on 5:7) and truth (v. 2; cf. comment on 43:3), as when He redeemed David from Saul (cf. 57:3; 1Sm 22:1; 24:3). There is a link between the word of God, which is truth (cf. Ps 119:160) and his name, which epitomizes His character.
B. Praise God, All the Nations of the Earth (138:4-6)
138:4-6. This section looks forward to the time when all the kings of the earth, the Gentile nations they represent, will give thanks to You. The motivation for their praise is their having heard the words of Your mouth so the Gentiles might also come to know and worship the Lord with Israel (cf. Is 19:24-25; 56:7; Eph 2:13-18). Together the redeemed of the Gentile nations and the people of Israel will sing of the ways of the LORD (cf. Rv 5:9-10; Pss 2:10-12; 22:27-31; 68:32). The concept of God’s spiritual provision is also affirmed by David’s statement that He regards the lowly (v. 6). The verb translated “regards,” when used with God as the subject, typically signifies His assessment and provision of what is most needed (see comments on 4:6).
C. Praise God for His Future Faithfulness (138:7-8)
138:7-8. As in Ps 23, David expresses his confidence in the Lord, Though I walk in the midst of trouble (cf. Ps 23 and comments there). God will stretch forth His hand is a frequent expression of God’s judgment (cf. Ex 7:5; 15:12; Is 5:25; Jr 51:25) against the wrath of my (David’s, and by extension, Israel’s) enemies. But in contrast, David concluded with the confident assertion, Your right hand will save me (cf. Pss 20:6; 60:5; 118:25 ) and that God would accomplish what concerns me (cf. 57:2). His affirmation that God not forsake him and His people, the works of Your hand (cf. 100:3), alludes to the promise of Dt 31:6.
Psalm 139: David’s Praise for the Presence of the Lord
On the heading of this Psalm of David, see the introduction to Ps 138 above. The faith exhibited so clearly by David in Ps 138 is explored more fully here, as Ps 139 gives the specific characteristics of God that engendered faith in David (Sailhamer, NIV Compact Bible Commentary, 346).
A. God Is Present in Everyday Experiences (139:1-12)
139:1-6. David begins this intensely personal psalm by praising God’s omniscience (that He knows everything) and omnipresence (that He is always present, at all times and in all places), O LORD, You have searched me and known me (an expression of personal involvement and knowledge). Therefore, David affirmed that God’s involvement in his active life, when I sit down and when I rise up (cf. Dt 6:7, meaning every minute of his life) was personal not abstract. He said the Lord had enclosed me behind and before and laid Your hand upon me (v. 5), a gentle touch of blessing (cf. 48:14).
139:7-12. David is comforted by the assurance of God’s presence even in times of chastisement, Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or… flee from your presence? The phrase Sheol and the sea, are similar to Jonah’s experience (cf. Jnh 2:2-3; Ps 49:14-15).
B. God Is Sovereign in Planning Personal Existence (139:13-16)
139:13-16. One aspect of David’s confidence in the Lord is related to his knowledge that he was created by the Lord from conception to birth: You formed my inward parts … wove me in my mother’s womb. David notes that he is wonderfully (or “divinely”) made. Wonderfully is applied in the Bible to what God is and does (cf. comments on 119:121-128).The phrase in the depths of the earth (v. 15) is a poetic reference to the womb, not to geography. David confirms that not only did the Lord plan his life from the womb, but he knows the precise number of days that he would live, when as yet there was not one of them (v. 16). This verse strongly supports that there is actual human life in the womb, which should be protected.
C. God Is Active Guiding into the Everlasting Way (139:17-24)
139:17-18. When reviewing all the Lord knows about him, David exclaims How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God! (cf. 36:7; 40:5). David finds comfort and encouragement in God’s care for him: If I should count them [your thoughts toward me], they would outnumber the sand; they are innumerable. Asleep or awake, I am still with You.
139:19-22. David’s deep love for the Lord motivates him to hate everything that is contrary to God. So he called an imprecation on all who stand opposed to the Lord: O that You would slay the wicked, O God … For Your enemies take Your name in vain (cf. Ex 20:7). David in this psalm, as he did when he fought Goliath, hates and loathe[s] those who rise up against You (v. 21; cf. 1Sm 17:26, 45-47). See comments on imprecatory psalms in the Introduction to Psalms.
139:23-24. The psalm ends as it began with an acknowledgement of God searching and knowing him. Although David was determined to hold to God’s holy standard, at the same time, he knew his motives and obedience were imperfect. So, David concluded by asking that God see if there be any hurtful way in him (cf. 17:3-5) and, if so, lead him in the everlasting way—i.e., the “upright” way of God (cf. 27:11).
Psalm 140: A Prayer when Oppressed by the Wicked
On the inscription of this Psalm of David, see Ps 138 introduction above. This psalm continues David’s character as a righteous man being persecuted by evil (cf. 139:19-22), violent men. The structure of the psalm is threefold: David’s request for help from the Lord (v. 8); David’s request for vengeance on the wicked (vv. 9-11); and David’s confidence in the Lord’s justice (vv. 12-13).
A. David’s Request for the Lord’s Help (140:1-8)
140:1-3. Almost as a follow-up to David’s commitment to defend God’s honor by slaying the wicked (cf. 139:19-22), here David implores the Lord to Rescue me … from evil men; preserve me from violent men. The term here translated violent (lit., “violence,” i.e., the plural form of the word hamas) signifies violence characterized by wickedness (cf. comment on 11:5). These evil men devise evil … in their hearts … stir up war. They have tongues sharp as a serpent (speak violent lies, cf. 57:4; 64:3). The phrase describing wicked speech as the poison of a viper [or asp] is under their lips (v. 3) is cited in in Rm 3:13 to underscore the concept that both Jews and Greeks are all under sin. Possibly David had in view here include both Israelites as well as Gentiles.
140:4-5. The prayer, Keep me, O LORD, from the hands of the wicked is David’s request not to fall into the trap … net and snares the wicked had set for him.
140:6-8. David made his statement of faith: You are my God … God the LORD, the strength of my salvation (cf. 3:2; 18:1-3). He recalled past times of protection when God had covered [his] head in the day of battle. Then, upon the basis of his faith in God, he pleaded for God’s protection: Give ear, O LORD … Do not grant … the desires of the wicked (vv. 6, 8).
B. David’s Request for Vengeance on the Wicked (140:9-11)
140:9-11. David appealed to God to have the plans of the wicked cover them, that is, fall on their own wicked head (v. 9). This is what happened with Haman’s evil plan to hang Mordecai—it was reversed so that Haman himself was hung on the gallows he built for Mordecai (cf. Est 6–7). The word mischief is better translated “evil plots.” He requested the Lord not to grant “the desires of the wicked” lest they “be exalted” (or “become lofty or high,” as, e.g., Is 52:13), not only so that the individuals are not exalted, but also so that wickedness in general is not promoted and further corrupt society. The judgment of the wicked includes burning coals fall[ing] upon them … being cast into fire … and caught in deep pits. These are images sometimes used of the judgment of the Lord (cf. 21:9; 97:3; Is 12:31; 26:11; 36:12). See comments on imprecatory psalms in the Introduction to Psalms.
C. David’s Confidence in the Lord’s Justice (140:12-13)
140:12-13. As typical of David’s psalms of lament, complaint, imprecation, and petition, he ends on a positive, confident note, I know that the LORD will maintain the cause of the afflicted. This looks forward to what God will do—if not in this life, then unquestionably in the next, when the upright will dwell in God’s presence (cf. comments on Pss 1:5-6 and 11:7b).
Psalm 141: Imploring God’s Protective Guidance
On the heading of this Psalm of David, see Ps 138 introduction above. Psalm 141 contains a similar theme as that found in Ps 140, requesting protection from the wicked. This lament psalm, however, deals with more internal struggles than external foes. David once again (as in Ps 140) presents himself as a model of sincere trust in God when suffering at the hands of the wicked or wrestling to achieve personal righteousness.
A. In Diverting from Iniquity (141:1-4)
141:1-2. David began with the urgent request: hasten to me … give ear to my voice when I call to you (i.e., meet his need in the best way possible as signified by the synonymous expression “hear my voice” in v. 2). His prayer is presented in terms of worship as incense (cf. Ex 30:8; Lk 1:10; Rv 5:8) and the lifting up of my hands (cf. Ps 28:2; 63:4: 119:48: 134:2) … as the evening offering (cf. Ex 29:41).
141:3-4. Here are a series of prayer requests: (1) Set a guard, O LORD, over my mouth (the door of my lips is a prayer for pure speech, cf. 19:14); (2) keep my heart from desiring any evil thing (cf. 119:36) is prayer for protection from temptation; and (3) protect me from the practice of deeds of wickedness with men who do inequity; this is a prayer for protection against evil influences (cf. 1; Pr 1:8-19; 13:20)
B. In Chastising for Iniquity (141:5-7)
141:5-7. The relationship of God’s guidance is here extended by David by the instruction and chastisement of his godly friends: the righteous who smite him in kindness (Hb. chesed; see the comment on 5:7). His righteous companions would reprove him for his own good as a sign of genuine friendship (cf. Pr 3:11-12; 27:6). The result will be refreshing as oil upon the head (cf. 23:5; 133:-2). While enjoying the fellowship and correction of the righteous, his prayer is still against the wicked (cf. 140:9-11). His imprecation on the wicked is for their unrighteous judges to be thrown down to their deaths on the rock (cf. 2Ch 25:12). See comments on imprecatory psalms in the Introduction to Psalms.
C. In Preserving from the Doers of Iniquity (141:8-10)
141:8-10. David’s absolute trust in God is emphasized by his declaring my eyes are toward You, O God, the Lord (cf. 25:15; 123:2). The conclusion of the psalm concerning taking refuge in God and praying for escape from the trap and snares of the enemy is parallel to 140:4-5 (see comments there).
Psalm 142: A Prayer for Deliverance
On the heading of this Maskil of David, see Psalm 138 introduction above as well as the headings of Pss 17 and 32. The occasion for the psalm was David’s situation when he was in the cave, referring either to the cave of Adullam (1Sm 22:1-5) or the cave at Engedi, among the Rocks of the Wild Goats (1Sm 24:1-7). Both incidents occurred during the early period of David’s flight from the murderous jealousy of Saul. This psalm, like the others around it (esp. 140 and 141) contains the similar theme of unshakeable trust in God when one suffers at the hands of the wicked (Sailhamer, NIV Compact Bible Commentary, 347).
A. Boldly Pour Out Complaint to the Lord (142:1-6)
142:1-2. It is an act of worship for David to cry aloud … to the LORD … to make supplication with my voice … pour out his complaint before God (cf. 77:3; 102), for in doing so he was affirming both God’s willingness to listen and His power to take action. The complaint (i.e., lamenting his situation) was to God alone (cf. Hab 1:1-17).
142:3-4. The specifics of his complaint are: his spirit was overwhelmed … his enemies have hidden a trap for [him] … there is no escape … no one cares for [his] soul. Under his circumstances, David felt alone, in danger and despair (cf. 38:11; 140:4-5).
142:5-6. David continues his petition, declaring You are my refuge (cf. comments on 17:7; 27:13; 73:26; 91:2, 9) … my portion in the land of the living (cf. 16:5; 73:26 and comments there).
B. Affirm God’s Glory as Motivation for Rescue (142:7)
142:7. The request is for the Lord to bring my soul out of prison. This is not a literal jail but a poetic description of his circumstances, being held captive in the cave. The goal in deliverance from all his troubles was not simply for the sake of his personal comfort and ease but so that he might give thanks to God’s name. By resolving this situation, God would enable David to: (1) express his worship in the way that God legislated by offering Him sacrifice at the tabernacle (which he was prevented from doing as a fugitive from Saul); and (2) enhance the basis of God’s praise by yet another distinct act of His redemption. Furthermore, then he could experience the benefits of being with the righteous who would surround him (cf. 140:13).
Psalm 143: A Prayer for Guidance and Deliverance
On the heading of this Psalm of David, see the introductory paragraph to Ps 138. Although not specified in the heading, the LXX identifies the occasion for this psalm as the time when David was forced to flee Jerusalem by his son Absalom (2Sm 15–18). This psalm of confession is one of the Penitential Psalms (cf. 6, 32, 38, 51 102, 130). If the righteous suffer at the hands of the wicked (Pss 140–142), it is important nevertheless to seek to do God’s will, as is modeled in his psalm by meditating on God’s word (v. 5) and seeking guidance from God Spirit (v. 10) (Sailhamer, NIV Compact Bible Commentary, 347).
A. The Appeal for Help in the Present (143:1-4)
143:1-4. David began his prayer by imploring God to hear him not because he merited a hearing but on the basis of God’s own faithfulness and righteousness. This spiritually honest and accurate attitude of self-introspection, which is one of the main qualifiers of David as “a man after (God’s) own heart” (see the comments on 1Sm 13:14), continued in his affirmation in v. 2 that his current persecution by the enemy (v. 3) may well be an expression of judgment (a general term signifying justice as in Is 9:7) or discipline. In God’s sight (lit., “before You,” i.e., by comparison with God) no man living (i.e., neither David’s enemy nor David himself) is righteous (v. 2). God is the only measure of true righteousness, before whom even a prophet like Isaiah could do nothing but immediately confess that he was unclean (Is 6:3-5; cf. Ec 7:20; Rm 3:23).
B. The Memory of Help in the Past (143:5-6)
143:5-6. The psalms recalled God’s past faithfulness. The statement I remember is more than a general awareness of past faithfulness, but linked to a specific event, as in God’s intention that the exodus be remembered or memorialized (cf. Ex 12:14). There are close parallels between the days of old … Your doings … the work of Your hands and the exodus, one of the most vivid examples of God’s covenant faithfulness (cf. 44:1-2 and comments there). His recollection of these is because I meditate on Your doing, even on the word of God that was written in the Torah (cf. 77:12; 118:27). Knowing the Lord made his soul long for You, as in a parched land (cf. 42:1-4), David was thus affirming his confidence in God’s faithfulness. Just as He upheld His promise to the Israelites through the patriarchs, so too would He uphold His promise to David (2Sm 7:8-16). On the significance of stretching out his hands to God, see the comment on Ps 134:2.
C. The Plea for Help Immediately (143:7-12)
143:7-9. David needed deliverance quickly. In a quick succession of requests, he cried out with his need for help: do not hide your face … let me hear Your lovingkindness … teach me the way … deliver me.
143:10-12. Throughout it all David expressed his trust (v. 8) in God and simply wanted for God to teach me to do Your will, for You are my God. Most important to David was not that his persecution be resolved or his enemies annihilated, but that God’s glory be manifest in his life for the sake of Your name, O LORD. For this reason he affirmed (as in v. 2) the need for God’s correction, yet asked God to bring that discipline to an end—“Do not hide Your face [or “presence”] from me” (v. 7), while at the same he confidently affirmed I am Your servant (v. 12; cf. 116:16).
Psalm 144: Affirming God’s All-Encompassing Provision
On the heading of this psalm, see the introductory paragraph to Ps 138. David continues with similar themes found in Pss 140–143 (see the introductions there). The distinction here, however, relates both to the imminence and the nearly apocalyptic sense of God’s coming to rescue His people (vv. 5-8). It thus reflects a similar sense of the hope of the Lord’s victory over His enemies and the coming of the Messiah to rule the earth (cf. Dn 7:14 and Hab 3:3-6; see the comments there; Sailhamer, NIV Compact Bible Commentary, 347).
A. God’s Provision of Personal Care (144:1-4)
144:1-4. After opening with the expression Blessed be the LORD (see the comment on 103:1), David underscored both the depth and all-encompassing nature of his personal connection to God by describing Him with expressions in which the possessive pronoun “my” predominates: my rock (see the comment on 18:46), my lovingkindness (see the comment on 5:7), and my fortress (see the comment on 31:3). In vv. 3-4 David expanded and enhanced his devotional focus by pondering God’s intimate love and concern not just for him personally but for humans as such. He wondered why God would condescend to enter into an intimate relationship (this being the sense of take knowledge of; see the comment on Ps 1:6) with any human being. The implicit answer is, of course, that God is not only holy, righteous, and just, but also merciful, gracious, and loving.
B. God’s Provision of Protection (144:5-11)
144:5-11. The Lord has ultimate control, thus the psalmist says Bow Your heavens (an idiom meaning “make the sky bend down even as You descend”) O LORD, and come down … stretch forth Your hand … and rescue me and deliver me (vv. 5, 7). In this section David affirmed God’s role as the one who both protects Israel and determines her military success. God’s absolute sovereignty in this respect was repeatedly impressed on David throughout the course of his career, both in his pre-reign years as a fugitive from Saul (see 1Sm 23:2, 10-12; 30:8) as well as in his throne years when leading Israel against their enemies (see esp. 2Sm 5:19, 23-24). As in Is 8:7, the enemies of Israel are described by the imagery of great waters (v. 7), emphasizing their greater number and military prowess, and hence David’s ultimate reliance on God to rescue him and his people (see the comments on 124:4-5). Also, as attested in early Jewish tradition (i.e., the Targum to Psalms), the reference to the evil sword (v. 10) may allude to the sword of Goliath (cf. 1Sm 17:45, 51), who is a biblical symbol of Gentile opposition to God and His people.
C. God’s Provision of Ongoing Life (144:12-15)
144:12-15. In this section David implored God’s continued concern in providing for his people’s physical and material needs, using a variety of poetic images: (1) Let our young sons be as strong as grown-up plants; (2) our daughters be as strong and beautiful corner pillars in a palace; (3) our garners (storehouses) be full; (4) our flock be so fruitful they will bring forth thousand and ten thousands; (5) our cattle bear healthy calves without mishap; and (6) no outcry in our streets, i.e., peace in the land. The psalm closes with a twofold declaration: How blessed are the people (cf. 2:12; 33:12 and comments there).
Psalm 145: The Threefold Basis of Blessing God’s Name
On the heading of this Psalm of Praise, of David, see Psalm 138 introduction above. This psalm forms an alphabetic acrostic, each verse beginning with a successive letter of the Hebrew alphabet—although excluding the 14th letter (nun), which enables the psalm to be organized into three stanzas of seven verses each.
This is the last of David’s psalms in the entire book. In his final psalm, David expresses praise to God and calls his people to praise the Lord as well. His praise of God focuses on His power (vv. 1-7), kindness (vv. 8-13), and faithfulness (vv. 14-21). An important element in Ps 145 is the scope of the kingdom David envisioned (vv. 11-13). It cannot be equated simply with the kingdom David or his sons would rule. This kingdom is the messianic kingdom that the Lord will establish and over which He will rule. It is a literal, physical, geopolitical kingdom that will last forever as David’s Great Son rules over Israel and the nations (Sailhamer, NIV Compact Bible Commentary, 348). This indeed is a worthy subject for which to praise God!
A. The Blessing of God’s Power (145:1-7)
145:1-7. The words I will extol You, My God, O King sets the tone for this psalm. The repetition at the end of the psalm of David’s opening declaration, And I [all flesh] will bless Your name forever and ever, underscores the theme of the psalm itself. The specific reference in v. 1 to God’s name (rather than just “God”) indicates a specific focus on God’s reputation based on His acts of deliverance and victory (both spiritual and physical; see the comments on 20:5; Gn 11:4; 12:2). On David’s affirmation of God as the true King (v. 1), both of Israel as well as of creation in general, see the comments on 137:4-6.
Especially prominent in this section is the concept of God’s greatness as borne out by the threefold use of “great” words (v. 3, Great is the LORD … His greatness is unsearchable; and v. 6, I will tell of Your greatness). On splendor of Your majesty (cf. 21:5 and comments there) and the sense of David’s reference to God’s wonderful works (v. 5); see comments on 9:1 and 40:5.
B. The Blessing of God’s Kindness (145:8-14)
145:8-14. This section emphasizes the gracious and merciful character of the Lord and His majestic reign. The glory of God’s name (reputation) is manifest in His kingdom, specifically as characterized by (1) the glory (vv. 11, 12) and everlasting extent (v. 13) of that over which He rules; (2) the rule itself, signified by power (lit., “sovereign power”; vv. 11b, 12a) and dominion (“sovereign might”; v. 13b), which, like the Ruler, is gracious and merciful (v. 8; cf. mercies in v. 9), slow to anger and great in lovingkindness (v. 8; for lovingkindness, see comment on 5:7); and (3) the “citizens” of His kingdom, the godly ones (lit., “recipients of chesed”). This kingdom focus of the psalm goes beyond David himself, so when he says the LORD is faithful to all his promises (v. 13) the psalmist is looking forward to the establishment of God’s everlasting kingdom which endures thoughout all generations under the rule of the Messiah, the Son of David (cf. Is 9:6-7; Lk 1:33; Rv 11:15).
C. The Blessing of God’s Faithfulness (145:15-21)
145:15-21. David concluded by focusing on the specific ways in which God’s lovingkindness is expressed toward the citizens of His kingdom, both now as well as in the future. At that time, the eyes of all will look to [God]. He supplies their need for physical sustenance in due time (v. 15; i.e., consistent with His glory); He satisfies their desire (vv. 16, 19; esp. when such is in alignment with His own); He is near to them (v. 18); and He save[s] them (v. 19).
Finally, He keeps (or “preserves,” “guards”) them (v. 20), meaning that, from the moment that their status as citizens in God’s kingdom is granted, as appropriated and expressed through their faith, He maintains that status forever (cf. Jn 10:28-29; Rm 8:38-39).
Psalms 146–150: The Conclusion to Psalms
These final five psalms are a panoply of praise for the God of glory. They are intended to be a distinct unit, as indicated by all five psalms beginning and ending with “Praise the LORD” (Hallelujah!). This identical exhortation, “Praise the LORD!”, reflects the shared focus of each psalm on the praise of God. An established practice in early Jewish tradition continued to this day is to recite these five psalms, together with Ps 145 as part of the daily morning liturgy (see the Babylonian Talmud, Shabbat 118b; Massekhet Soferim xviii.1). Though none of these five psalms has a heading, thus reinforcing their cohesion, the LXX attributes the first three to the postexilic prophets Haggai and Zechariah, leaving the last two anonymous.
All the psalms in this last section of the Psalter are connected thematically. In fact, many of the themes of the entire book of Psalms are found in Ps 146: God’s power as seen in creation (v. 6), His lovingkindness toward His people (vv. 7-9), and the kingdom He promised David that will be established in Zion (v. 10). Psalm 147 especially notes God’s continual care for Israel as observed in His work to restore them to their land following the Babylonian exile (vv. 2-6) and to provide them with His Word (vv. 19-20). The psalmist poetically calls upon creation to praise God in Psalm 148, because “He has lifted up a horn for His people,” (v. 14; see comments on Ps 132:17) which, in the context of the entire Psalter, is a reference to the seed of David who will rescue and secure Israel (see Ps 110:7). Psalm 149 emphasizes the need to praise God for the future restoration of Israel under His sovereign and gracious hand (vv. 1-4) when He vanquishes Israel’s enemies (vv. 5-9).
Psalm 150 appropriately concludes the Psalter. In that psalm, God is in His sanctuary (v. 1) receiving praise from His people (vv. 3-6) in what is best understood as an eschatological setting, providing a parallel with Dn 7:27 and Rv 4 (Sailhamer, NIV Compact Bible Commentary, 348). How fitting to conclude the book with a glimpse of the praise that will attend God for all eternity.
A. Psalm 146: Praise the Lord Forever
1. The Praise of God (146:1-2)
146:1-2. The culminating focus of this psalm is on God’s praise, immediately signaled in the opening two verses by the threefold repetition: Praise the Lord (expressing utmost emphasis; see the comment on 17:3). The act of praising the Lord is lifelong: while I live … while I have my being.
2. The Power of God (146:3-6)
146:3-6. The psalmist followed this call to praise by exhorting Israel, Do not trust in princes who are mere mortal men, and in whom there is therefore no salvation (cf. comments on 118:8). In contrast, How blessed is he whose help is in the God of Jacob reflect the main themes of Pss 1:3 and 2:12 of blessedness found in hope … in the LORD his God (v. 5), revealed in God’s Word and in David’s future Son. The words how blessed in v. 5 are literally “O, the blessedness of,” and refer to distinct spiritual happiness or joy. Such a person adheres to the principle of trusting and hoping in God rather than in human leaders. The Lord can be trusted, as opposed to human beings, because of His infinite power (He made heaven and earth) and His faithful character (He keeps faith forever; cf. 115:15; Rv 14:7).
3. The Provision of God (146:7-10)
146:7-9. The psalmist then considered the various ways in which God’s concern is expressed as provision for His people: He provides justice (executes justice for the oppressed), food (gives food to the hungry), liberty (sets the prisoners free), healing (opens the eyes of the blind) restoration (raises up those who are bowed down) protection (protects the strangers), care (supports the fatherless and the widow), and moral justice (thwarts the way of the wicked).
146:10. The Psalm culminates with the words, The LORD will reign forever … Your God, O Zion, to all generations, an allusion to that coming messianic kingdom. It will be manifest when He establishes His reign over Zion forever (cf. Ezk 43:7-8; Zch 14:9-11; Rv 21:2-4).
B. Psalm 147: Praise the Lord for His Care of Jerusalem
For an introduction, see Psalms 146–150: The Conclusion to Psalms above. The focus of Ps 147 is God’s faithfulness to Israel in terms of His care for Jerusalem and the future of His chosen city. This is a hymn of praise without a line of lament.
1. Praise the Lord for Building up Jerusalem (147:1-6)
147:1-2. It is good and pleasant to praise the Lord (on the use of these two terms as poetic parallels, see comments on 133:1). Psalm 147 continues the focus of 146:6-10, reviewing the various expressions of God’s concern for Israel—for which Israel’s responsive praise is obligated, as the psalmist in his ensuing review, affirms that the LORD builds up Jerusalem. This is not referring to His construction of the actual city but rather to establishing the city in peace at the end of days (cf. 89:4; Is 62:10-12). This is indicated by the parallel line He gathers the outcasts of Israel, a statement linked to the end times promises of the messianic kingdom (cf. Is 11:12; 56:8; Ezk 39:27-28). The return from Babylon was only a preview of Israel’s ultimate regathering to the land of Israel from all nations (cf. Is 11:2; Ezk 36:22-28)
147:3. The Lord is to be praised for His merciful care of Jerusalem. He heals the brokenhearted refers to His acts of delivering His people from oppression and distress (e.g., 34:18) and comforting them as the Lord will do in the Messianic Age (cf. Is 61:1). The Lord binds up their wounds (lit., “sorrows”) is further image from the Messianic Age (cf. Is 30:26; 53:4; Jr 30:17).
147:4-6. The Lord is to be praised for His sovereign authority: He counts the number of the stars and gives names to all of them (cf. Gn 15:5; Is 40:26); Great is our Lord and abundant in strength (cf. 47:2; 48:1; 95:3; 96:4); His understanding is infinite. On the basis of His power and might, He is worthy to be praised; He can be depended upon to keep His promises, care for the afflicted, and destroy the wicked.
2. Praise the Lord for His Daily Care (147:7-11)
147:7-9. It is good to sing to the LORD with thanksgiving. He controls the earth as indicated by the mention of clouds … rain … mountains (v. 8). He supplies every need: gives to every beast (referring to land animals generally) its food … as well as to the ravens (as an example of the birds).
147:10-11. The Lord does not delight in the strength of the horse (cf. 20:7; 33:16) nor take pleasure in the legs of man (cf. 18:33; Am 2:14-15). This is a statement regarding war horses and military men, as indicated by the next statement The LORD favors those who fear Him (cf. Ps 34:8-14) and wait for His lovingkindness (cf. comment on 5:7). God’s delight is in those who worship and trust in Him, not in those who depend upon themselves.
3. Praise the Lord, O Jerusalem (147:12-20)
147:12. Jerusalem … Zion is commanded to Praise the LORD … your God. Jerusalem, symbol of the Jewish people, has a unique and privileged relationship with the Lord (cf. v. 20; see 9:11 and comments there).
147:13-14. This section highlights God’s care for Jerusalem. He strengthened … your gates (cf. 87:2), provided security, blessed your sons, makes peace (cf. 29:11), and gives prosperity by causing the land to produce the finest wheat.
147:15-18. He provides care for Jerusalem as He oversees the whole weather spectrum (cf. 33:4; 104:4-5) when He sends forth His command to the earth (eretz, “land,” often used specifically of Israel) and gives snow… frost … ice … cold … warmth to melt … wind… and the waters.
147:19-20. Among these gifts the Lord gave His people, the most significant gift was His Word (cf. 119; 138:2): He declares His words to Jacob (cf. comments on 14:7), His statutes and His ordinances to Israel (cf. Dt 6:4-9; 31:9-14; 33:3-4; Rm 3:1-2; 9:4-5). The Jewish people are unique in their relationship with the Lord as His chosen nation, and His faithfulness to them is unending (cf. Jr 31:35-37). He has not dealt thus with any nation … Praise the Lord!
C. Psalm 148: Praise the Lord, All the Earth
For an introduction, see Psalms 146–150: The Conclusion to Psalms above. In Ps 148, the psalmist underscored the praise due to God from all His creation. The psalm is organized into three distinct venues: in the heavens (vv. 1-6), on earth (vv. 7-12), and concluding among His people, Israel (vv. 13-14).
1. Let the Heavens Praise the Lord (148:1-6)
148:1-6. The key word is Praise, used nine times in this section. This section concerns Prais[ing] the LORD from the heavens. Concerning God’s work in the heavens (v. 1a, introducing the entire venue) the psalmist moved from highest to lowest, starting with the heights (v. 1), the “third heaven” where God dwells (2Co 12:2) and which is also inhabited by His angels (explained as His hosts in v. 2). Then the psalmist mentioned the highest heavens (v. 4), that is, the universe beyond the earth’s atmosphere (v. 4a) including the sun and moon and all the stars (v. 3), and the sky (as depicted by the waters … above, i.e., the clouds). All that fills these three heavens are obligated to praise God because He created and established them.
2. Let the Earth Praise the Lord (148:7-12)
148:7-10. Praise the LORD from the earth is the key idea of this section. Commanding these nonhuman elements of the earth to praise the Lord is personification, giving them human emotional characteristic in order to make the point that the Lord deserves praise for everything He has created (cf. 150:6). The psalmist started with the waters around the edges of the land (inhabited by the sea monsters, lit., “creatures”; see the comment on Gn 1:21) and all deeps, including the depths not just of oceans but also of lakes and rivers (cf. Ex 15:5). Then the psalmist catalogued the inanimate things that both affect the land, fire… hail … snow … clouds … wind; and the geography and vegetation that cover it, mountains … hills … trees (cf. Is 55:6); as well as animal life, beasts … cattle … creeping things … fowl (cf. 89:11; 90:1-2; 96:11-12; 113:6; 136:5-6).
148:11-12. This is a general call for all people and human authorities, Kings … Princes … judges, and all people of every age, both young … and old, to praise the Lord.
3. Let the People of Israel Praise the Lord (148:13-14)
148:13-14. The psalm culminates with the truth that His name, the name of the Lord (cf. 23:3; 31:3 and comments there) alone is exalted (cf. Ex 15:1, 21; 2Sm 22:47; Ps 18:46; 108:5; Zch 14:9, 16). Then it focuses on the Lord’s relationship with His people (cf. Ps 147:19-20). Concerning God’s work among His people Israel, the psalmist emphasized God’s perpetual concern for His people and Israel’s consequent obligation of praise by (1) affirming that God has lifted up a horn for them (v. 14; i.e., granted them strength; [see the comments on 17:3; 74:5]) especially strength as found in the “horn of David” (132:17; Lk 1:69), the Messiah; (2) referring to them as His godly ones (lit., “recipients of chesed,” see Ps 97:10); and (3) describing them as a people near to Him, an allusion to Dt 4:7, signifying access to God on the basis of their relationship to Him. As the fulfillment of His promises to Israel, God would send the Messiah Jesus, through whom individual Jewish people and Gentiles would have access to forgiveness of sin and eternal life.
D. Psalm 149: Praise the Lord All Israel
For an introduction, see Psalms 146–150: The Conclusion to Psalms above. The focus of this hymn of praise is Israel’s celebration at the establishment of the messianic kingdom. At that time Zion will be restored and the enemies of Israel vanquished. Psalm 149 mirrors the content of Ps 2.
1. Israel Should Rejoice in Their King (149:1-5)
149:1-3. The opening praise of the Lord in this psalm narrowed the focus from the universal of Ps 148, to Israel and Zion. The call is to be glad in their Maker (cf. 95:6), to rejoice in their King (cf. 2:6; 145:1). To praise His name (v. 3) is to praise the Lord for His excellent reputation (cf. 23:3; 31:3 and comments there), and they are to do so with dancing … let them sing praises … with timbrel and lyre (cf. 150:1-5). Godly ones occurs three times (vv. 1, 5, 9) in this psalm. There has always been a remnant of godly people in Israel (e.g., 1Kg 19:18), but the focus of this psalm together with the following one is ultimately on the future. Then the sons of Zion (all Israel) will rejoice in their King (Jesus the Messiah; see comments at Zch 12:10 and Rm 11:26). Then, the kingdom of Messiah Jesus will be established.
149:4-5. The Lord created humanity (cf. Gn 1:27) and chose Israel to be His inheritance because He loves her (cf. Dt. 7:7-8; Ps 100:3). So it is fitting that the LORD takes pleasure in His people (cf. 22:3; 147:11). In His loving care, He will beautify (“adorn”’ cf. Is 61:3) the afflicted (“humble” cf. Ps 147:6), those who are totally dependent upon Him, with salvation (cf. 3:8; 18:46; 24:5). Certainly in light of the Lord’s attitudes and actions (v. 4), the godly ones (cf. v. 1) should exult in glory and sing for joy on their beds.
2. The Lord Will Execute Judgment on the Enemies of Israel (149:6-9)
146:6-9. While the high praises of God are in their mouth, at the same time the people are to act in divine retribution and take up the two-edged sword … to execute vengeance on the pagan nations who are the enemies of the Lord and His people Israel. This will occur at the end of days (cf. Is 34; Jr 46:10-12; Mc 5:7-15) and the judgment written, that is, their final judgment will take place, as recorded in Scripture (Is 45:14-17; Zch 12:6-9; Ps 110:3, 5-7). Just as when David slew Goliath to honor the reputation of the Lord (1Sm 17:1-47), so this judgment will be an honor for all His godly ones.
E. Psalm 150: The Great Hallelujah
For an introduction, see Psalms 146–150: The Conclusion to Psalms above. This final psalm is the great hallelujah, not only as the conclusion of Book Five (cf. 41:13; 72:18-19; 89:52; 106:48), but as the culmination of the whole Psalter.
1. Praise the Lord in the Sanctuary (150:1-2)
150:1-2. The psalmist here concluded the Psalter with a final, emphatic exhortation to offer praise to God. The venue for His praise is His sanctuary (lit., “holiness,” which may also refer to the holy of holies, or, perhaps His “holy height” [Ps 102:19; i.e., the “third heaven”) as indicated by the parallelism with His mighty expanse (the sky, as in Gn 1:7-8). Thus, the location of praise may be God’s heavenly sanctuary as well as the earthly temple.
2. Praise the Lord with Music and Dancing (150:3-5)
150:3-5. The enumeration of instruments in vv. 3-5 with which to accompany this praise—the timbrel and lyre—alludes to the span of praise offered to God throughout the OT, from “the lyre and the pipe” first mentioned in Gn 4:21 and the “dancing … timbrel and lyre” of Ps 149:3 (cf. Miriam and women of Israel, Ex 15:20); to the “cymbals, harps and lyres” that accompanied the praise of the restored exiles (cf. Ezr 3:10; Neh 12:27). These instructions for joyful praise will be fully carried out during the rejoicing in the messianic kingdom (cf. Is 35:10; 51:11).
3. Let Everything Praise the Lord (150:6)
150:6. Consistent with his focus on the citizens of God’s future kingdom, the psalmist concludes with a final exhortation, not to the godly ones of Israel alone, but to everything that has breath (i.e., humanity at large, comprised of redeemed Jewish people and redeemed Gentiles; cf. Is 56:7; Eph 2:15; Rv 5:6-10, 12-13). Together they will one day lift up their voices in unison before the throne of God and cry out, Praise the LORD! (Hallelu-Yah!).
BIBLIOGRAPHY
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