Original Meaning
The Divine King and His Care for His People (149:1–4)
THE FIRST STROPHE INVITES the congregation to sing praises to God based on the community’s relationship with God in the present (v. 4a) and their belief in the work that is yet to come (v. 4b).
A new song. The reference to a “new song” occurs only seven times in the Old Testament (Isa 42:10; Pss 33:3; 40:3; 96:1; 98:1; 144:9; 149:1). The psalmist’s vow to sing a new song has little to do with his song’s being a “new” composition but, instead, appears to point to a particular understanding or confession about Israel’s God. As noted in the commentary on Psalm 144, the theme of a new song remains closely connected to the metaphor of the divine warrior. In Isaiah 42:10 the prophet calls the people to “sing . . . a new song,” but then he announces that Yahweh, the Divine Warrior, will “march out like a champion, and like a warrior he will stir up his zeal” (v. 13)—a confession quite similar to Psalm 149. Although many other texts refer to Yahweh as the Divine Warrior, texts that refer to a new song “anticipate boldly, against all evidence, the coming of God’s liberation,” these songs announce the coming of “a new and just world.”11
The assembly of his faithful people. The psalmist indicates that the praise of God should take place within the “assembly” (qahal) of the faithful. The term qahal may simply refer to the community or people of Israel more broadly (e.g., Lev 4:14; Deut 23:1–3), or it may refer more specifically to those gathered for worship (e.g., Joel 2:16; Ps 22:22). In addition to these meanings, the term can also have military connotations (e.g., Judg 20:2; Ezek 17:17; 23:24; Jer 50:9). The psalmist may have opted for “assembly” (qahal) rather than “congregation” (‘adah) in Psalm 149 given the military imagery present in the psalm.12
Maker . . . King. The community is called to praise Yahweh because he is both Creator and King. Four other times in Book 5 of the Psalter (Pss 115:15; 121:2; 124:8; 134:3) and once in the Final Hallel (Ps 146:6), the psalmist refers to Yahweh as the Maker of heaven and earth. In referencing God as Maker, the psalmists highlight Yahweh’s rightful place as ruler over all creation, but even more they highlight his creative power that can be unleashed against the forces of chaos in behalf of his people. To the image of God as Creator, the writer of Psalm 149 adds the image of Yahweh as King (v. 2b). The tradition of Yahweh as the Creator King is not limited to this psalm—the tradition can be found in other texts that carefully weave together the concept of kingship with that of creator. The previous psalm (Ps 148) acknowledges Yahweh as Creator King out of confidence that his role in that capacity will produce blessings for the “people close to his heart” (v. 14). The Creator King image is most clearly on display in Psalms 93 and 95–99, psalms that announce the reign of God. Psalm 95 declares that Yahweh is the “great King” (v. 3b) and then invites all worshipers to “kneel before the LORD
our Maker” (v. 6). In Psalms 96 and 98 the people are called to sing a “new song” in the light of their confession that it is Yahweh, the Divine King, who stands over all creation, the one who comes to “judge the earth” (Pss 96:13; 98:9).
Dancing and make music. Following Israel’s confession of Yahweh as the Creator King, the psalmist invites the people to dance (mahol) and make music with the timbrel, or tambourine, and the harp. Although the noun mahol is the most frequently used term for dancing in the Old Testament, its usage is reserved primarily for military contexts involving hostile forces.13
Following Israel’s crossing of the Red Sea and the defeat of the Egyptians, Miriam and the women danced with tambourines and sang. Following the young David’s slaying of Goliath, the women of the city greeted King Saul and the army with dancing and the playing of timbrels (1 Sam 18:7–6). Jeremiah announces that once Yahweh returns his people from the hands of the Babylonians, the people will take up timbrels and dance once more (Jer 31:4, 13). See also Judges 11:34 and the story of Jephthah.
Other texts refer to dancing and singing in a proleptic, anticipatory sense. In Psalms 96 and 98, singing and dancing signal “the inbreaking of the universal royal reign” of Yahweh.14
Both psalms declare that Yahweh will judge the peoples of the earth and, in doing so, restore the world to its right order under the reign of God. The call to dance and make music in Psalm 149 functions similarly—that is, it functions proleptically. Those in the assembly of the faithful are invited to sing and dance before the Creator King in anticipation of the work he will accomplish (vv. 5–9).
The LORD takes delight in his people. With the use of the particle ki (“for”), verse 4 provides the rationale for the call to praise in verses 1–3. The verb “takes delight” (ratsah) appears as a participle in verse 4a and is often translated in English in the present tense.15
The psalmist suggests that Yahweh’s delight in his people, his acceptance of them, is enduring. This claim may appear as an innocuous comment worthy of little note, but in fact the claim addreses a much deeper and much darker concern of the community. The trauma of exile and its immediate aftermath no doubt raised serious questions concerning the relationship between God and his people, as evident in the closing verses of Lamentations:
Why do you always forget us?
Why do you forsake us for so long?
Restore us to yourself, LORD, that we may return;
renew our days as of old
unless you have utterly rejected us
and are angry with us beyond measure. (5:20–22)
Because the restoration of Yehud in the postexilic period did not unfold as the community had anticipated, they could have assumed that God had forsaken them. Yet, in Psalm 149, the community rejects such thinking, choosing instead to lean into the belief that Yahweh was pleased with his people and took delight in them. That thought alone merits their praise.
He crowns the humble. Psalm 149:4b adds further reason for the people to praise Yahweh. Although they are the poor and oppressed (‘anawim, the “humble”), Yahweh crowns them with victory. Because of this victory their status will change from their being poor and oppressed to their being crowned and adorned.16
To be clear, the poor are not celebrating a victory already achieved; instead, they are celebrating “an attitude of Yahweh that will issue an action in the future.”17
The word “to crown” (pa’ar) can refer to royalty (Esth 1:4) and, in particular, the Davidic monarchy (Zech 12:7). In Isaiah 60:9, however, the prophet announces that the entire nation has been crowned (pa’ar) with splendor. This shift in crowning—from the monarch to the people—can be explained based on Isaiah 55:3. In that text the prophet declares that the covenant given to David has been transferred to the entire nation. Whereas Psalm 2 had assigned the task of “asserting God’s sovereignty in the world” to the monarchy, Psalm 149 declares that this work will become that of the ‘anawim, the oppressed and powerless people of God.18
Bridging Contexts
ECHOES OF EXODUS AND CONQUEST. Many psalms make explicit use of earlier traditions and texts. In some instances the references are overt and easily identifiable, such as the use of the “graciousness formula” (Exod 34:6–7) in Psalm 145:8–9. Other psalms, however, contain references that are more suggestive; they “point” to other texts in much more subtle and nuanced ways. Anthony Ceresko has suggested that the two strophes in Psalm 149 refer to two signature events in Israel’s history—events that were foundational to Israel’s theological confession, namely, the exodus and the conquest of the promised land.28
In the first strophe of this poem, the most explicit reference to the exodus occurs in verse 3 with the words “dancing” (mahol) and “timbrel,” or tambourine. As noted above, the language in verse 3 recalls the language of Exodus 15:20: “Then Miriam the prophet, Aaron’s sister, took a timbrel in her hand, and all the women followed her, with timbrels and dancing.” Beyond this subtle allusion to the exodus out of Egypt, the first strophe also invokes the language associated with Isaiah 40–55 and the exodus out of Babylon. In Psalm 149:2 Yahweh is declared “Maker,” from the root ‘sh. The root means “to make” or “to do,” but it frequently appears as a synonym of the verb bara’, “to create.” In Isaiah 40–55 various forms of ‘asah appear twenty-seven times, each time in reference to God’s work in creating this “second” exodus to bring his people out of exile.29
The second strophe of Psalm 149 appears to allude to the wars and struggles that occurred in the period of the judges. The image of the “double-edged sword” in verse 6 occurs in only two other places in the Old Testament: Judges 3:16 and Proverbs 5:4. In the book of Judges the reference occurs in the context of the story of Ehud and Eglon. Ehud, a judge for Israel, ran his two-edged sword through Eglon, the king of Moab. The story is emblematic of the conquest in general: God’s people proved victorious over the nations. In addition, the phrase “edge of the sword” appears elsewhere in Joshua and Judges in reference to the settlement of the land. Ceresko suggests that, of the thirty-three uses of the phrase “edge of the sword” in the Old Testament, twenty-six appear in Genesis through Judges, with the primary focus being that of the exodus and conquest.30
Whereas the first strophe of Psalm 149 recalls God’s work as Creator in bringing his people out of exile, the second strophe recalls Israel’s participation in God’s work in the world. This latter point is confirmed by the use of ‘asah, “to make” or “to do,” in verses 7 and 9. In verse 2 the term referred to Yahweh as “Maker,” but in the second strophe it refers to the work of Israel as “doer.” In verse 7 Israel is to “do” (‘asah), or inflict, vengeance on the nations, and in verse 9 they are to “do” (‘asah), or carry out, the judgment written about the nations and kings. Thus, as God did in the exodus, so also is he at work creating his kingdom anew; and as his people did in the conquest, so also are they to participate in the creation of this new reality.31
Psalm 149 in the light of the Final Hallel. Hossfeld and Zenger argue that the Final Hallel forms a tightly constructed unit that together creates a theologically unified composition. Were Psalm 149 to be lifted from its literary context, the psalm may sound terribly militaristic, nationalistic, and even xenophobic. But when read in the context of the Final Hallel, the poem’s language and imagery seem less discordant. In a separate article, Zenger suggests that the psalm in this final collection focuses on the meaning of the coming kingdom of God amid a world filled with unrighteousness and violence.32
Read in light of that reality, the psalms in the Final Hallel offer a vision of a restored world order, one that both reflects and exhibits the expectations of the Divine King. In addition, these psalms address the question of earthly power in light of the reality of divine power. In Psalm 146 the poet declares that humans should not trust in princes or those in power; instead, people are called to trust in the Maker of heaven and earth (vv. 3, 6). In Psalm 148 the kings, nations, and princes of the earth are invited to join with all creation in singing praises befitting the Divine King. Psalm 149 concludes this run of psalms by declaring that all human power will be eviscerated in light of God’s divine rule (cf. Pss 96:13; 98:9). Further, Psalm 149 celebrates “poor” Israel as the instrument of Yahweh for the establishment of this order. The final psalm in this collection, Psalm 150, reflects the unadulterated praise that shall come from all creation once the reign of God is fully realized.33
In short, Psalm 149 is not about the destruction of “them”—those not like us—but instead it is a celebration of the Divine King and his initiative to order and reorder the world.
Contemporary Significance
IN PSALM 149, the juxtaposition of the call to praise God (vv. 1–3) with the call for the “humble” to arm themselves against the nations (v. 6b) leaves most readers understandably unsettled. The psalm appears to carry with it the risk of unchecked nationalism and divinely sanctioned violence. Such usage sadly, and repeatedly, dots Christian history. As a result, some interpreters might avoid this psalm altogether for fear of veering off into such rhetoric. Yet, as Hans-Joachim Kraus suggests, “the psalm . . . can be understood correctly when we take the praise of God in vv. 1–4 as the basis of all interpretations.”34
The psalm begins with an invitation to the community to sing a “new song” to God. As noted above, the mention of a “new song” occurs relatively infrequently—the phrase appears only six other times in the Old Testament (Isa 42:10; Pss 33:3; 40:3; 96:1; 98:1; 144:9), each time with an emphasis on Yahweh as the heavenly Divine Warrior. These psalms declare that the heavenly Divine King is at work foiling the plans of the nations and thwarting those of the peoples (Ps 33:10). In Psalm 149 Yahweh stands over all creation as the Maker (v. 2) and Divine King. What proves notable in this psalm, however, is the role of God’s people. In the other psalms listed above, Yahweh the Divine King thwarts the nations as he delivers his people; his people are the beneficiaries of his salvific work. In Psalm 149, however, God invites his people to join him in establishing his kingdom.
As suggested above, Psalm 149 is a natural extension of Psalm 2. In Psalm 2 it is the king who will “break [the nations] with a rod of iron” (v. 9). In Psalm 149 it is the people who will place the kings of the earth in shackles of iron (v. 8). The latter psalm explains that God’s people have replaced the king, that the “faithful people” have been invited to share in God’s reign. Yet similarly to the militaristic language referenced above, the mention of “reign” seems equally troubling. Dallas Willard is correct, that “reign is no doubt wording that is a little too grand for the contemporary mind,” yet it is precisely the language and imagery employed in Psalm 149: God’s people reign with God.35
That kind of life, that kind of work, can only come through prayer, however. Perhaps that is why Psalm 149 appears as the next-to-last psalm in the Psalter. Much prayer and much formation have come prior to arriving at this psalm and at this understanding. As we pray the Psalter, we learn of God and his ways in the world. His vision of the kingdom slowly becomes our vision of the kingdom. As we pray, and as the Maker slowly remakes us, we take our place among the faithful ones crowned with victory (v. 4b), those prepared to do (‘asah) the work of God in the world. Willard explains that “kingdom praying is an arrangement explicitly instituted by God so that we as individuals may count, and count for much, as we learn step by step how to govern, to reign with him in his kingdom.”36
That understanding seems to be the central claim of the psalm—that as God’s people we have been entrusted with a share in this work. To pray and live in such a way is indeed the “glory of all his faithful people.”
Original Meaning
God’s Royal Rule (149:5–9)
THE SECOND STROPHE RESUMES the call to praise in verses 5–6. A series of statements concerning the demonstration of Yahweh’s rule over the world follows in verses 7–9.
Let his faithful people rejoice. In verse 5 the NIV reads, “Let his faithful people rejoice in this honor” (emphasis added). The Hebrew does not include the demonstrative pronoun “this,” but its inclusion in the translation helps to clarify the claim being made. “This” honor points forward to the work of the people mentioned in verses 5–9. Within this section, verses 5a and 9b function as an inclusio that opens and closes the final strophe. Both lines mention the “faithful people,” and both lines include synonyms meant to describe the people’s participation with God in the establishment of his reign (kabod, “honor” [v. 5a]; hadar, “glory” [v. 9b]). The intervening verses in the final strophe describe the work of the people in the establishment of God’s reign.
Sing for joy on their beds. Because the meaning of verse 5b is not immediately clear, this line has been given considerable attention, which has resulted in a number of suggestions. As mentioned above, verse 1 called on the people to rejoice in the “assembly of his faithful people,” thereby suggesting that the psalm may have been set in the temple. Some have postulated, therefore, that the “beds” mentioned here refer to cots that worshipers would have used if they slept overnight in the temple (cf. Ps 139:18). Others have suggested that the text means more generally, “the places where they lie prostrate” in the temple, perhaps in reference to mats or prayer rugs. More likely, “beds” refers to the private beds or couches upon which people would meditate and reflect while in their homes (Ps 4:5). Here, however, the reference to beds is not intended literally; instead, it functions metaphorically to mean “in private,” even as their own beds or coaches are private places.19
The call to praise God in private (Ps 149:5b) corresponds to the call to praise God in public (“in the assembly” [v. 1]).
A double-edged sword in their hands. Without question, the most troubling line in the psalm is verse 6b. Verse 6a continues the reference to praise that started in verse 5: “May the praise [romam] of God be in their mouths.” The word for “praise” in verse 6a (romam) differs from that used in verse 1c (tehillah). The former word, romam, comes from the root rum, which refers to being high or exalted; the psalmist calls for the exaltation of Yahweh, the lifting high of God through the people’s praises.
Verse 6b then reads, “and a double-edged sword in their hands.” The jarring imagery of weaponry has resulted in a number of alternative readings. These readings focus principally on the conjunction that opens the line. The conjunction “and” (waw) in this text has been rendered in a number of ways. For example, Raymond. J. Tournay contended that the conjunction is best understood as a waw of comparison (waw adaequationis).20
Understood in this way, the verse would read, “let the praises of God in their throats be like a two-edged sword in their hand.” In a simliar vein, Erich Zenger has suggested that the conjunction is best understood as a waw of explication (waw explicativum)—the second line explicates or explains the first line. Read in this way, the verse would state, “let the praises of God be in their throats and let that be a two-edged sword in their hand.”21
In other words, let the praise of God be as sharp as a two-edged sword. Admittedly, there are numerous texts in the Old Testament that associate the power of words with swords (e.g., Isa 59:2; Pss 57:4; 59:7; 64:3), so the suggestions proferred by Tournay and Zenger are not without warrant. Further, either reading would certainly soften the imagery present in verse 6b. Speaking of a sword as a metaphor for praise presents far fewer theological challenges than does a more literal reading. In the end, however, the readings suggested by Tournay and Zenger must be rejected based on the larger context of the second strophe. The actions that follow in verses 7–9 (i.e., inflicting vengeance, binding kings and princes) appear far from figurative and seem to imply the work of God’s people against the nations. The more literal reading of verse 6b does not stand in tension with the call to lift high their voices. John Goldingay suggests that “verse 6b makes one reread verse 6a and wonder whether that [line] refers to the kind of acclamation of Yahweh that an army would give in battle.”22
Given the context of the psalm, this latter reading, while troubling for modern readers, seems preferable nevertheless.
To inflict vengeance on the nations. Verses 7–9a include a series of statements that outline the activity of God’s people en route to the victory referenced in verse 4b. In verse 7 the psalmist explains that the people will “inflict vengeance” (neqamah) on the nations. The term neqamah does not refer to some form of revenge or irrational vengeance but refers, instead, to the “legitimate exercise of political authority” that a person or group can assume “for the benefit of the individual or the community whose existence or well-being is at risk.”23
In other words, the people of God, the “humble” (v. 4), will challenge the powerful nations that have mocked Israel’s God (Ps 115) and oppressed his people. By their actions, the nations have created a world that stands in tension with the vision of God’s kingdom, a vision articulated in the previous psalms in this collection (Pss 146–48).
In the second line of Psalm 149:7 the psalmist refers to this action as “punishment” (tokehah). The term also implies a rebuke, thus implying that there is an educative connotation to the term.24
The psalmist is not calling for the people of God to destroy or annihilate the nations and peoples but instead to rebuke and chastise them for their attitudes. In this moment the nations “will see the truth about their position in the world and before Yahweh.”25
To bind their kings with fetters. Verse 8 narrows the focus from the “nations and peoples” to the “kings” and “nobles.” Those who sit in powerful places and those who exert considerable influence will find themselves fettered and shackled. The irony in the text is unmistakable. Earlier in the psalm (v. 4) the people of God are called the “humble” (‘anawim), yet in verse 8, those who wield great power will be rendered powerless by a group considered poor and oppressed according to the standards of the world. This turn of events can only happen because Israel’s God is the Divine King over all. Hossfeld and Zenger posit that the psalmist may have had Isaiah 24:21–23 in mind. There the prophet announces, “in that day the LORD will punish the powers in the heavens above and the kings on the earth below.” The kings will be bound up and placed in prison, and as a result the world will know that Israel’s God reigns. A similar scene appears in Isaiah 45:14.
To carry out the sentence written against them. The reference to a written sentence to be carried out is unclear. It may refer to the declaration in Deuteronomy 32:39–43 in which Yahweh promises to take his “flashing sword” (v. 41) and exact vengeance on the nations (v. 43).26
Alternatively, it may simply be a figure of speech implying that Yahweh has passed judgment on the nations. The intent is clear: What is to come will not be by historical accident—it will be because of the decree issued by Yahweh, the Divine King.
This is the glory of all his faithful people. As suggested above, verse 9b forms an inclusio with 5a, thereby bracketing the second strophe. Both lines mention the “faithful ones” and both lines include synonyms (kabod, “honor” [v. 5a]; hadar, “glory” [v. 9b]). In the Psalter, both terms, kabod and hadar, are royal attributes of Yahweh (e.g., Ps 96:6) and of the human king (e.g., Ps 45:4–5). Here, however, the psalmist extends the language to the entire community by declaring that the “faithful people” will participate with God in the establishment of his reign and thereby have a share in his royal glory.27
Bridging Contexts
ECHOES OF EXODUS AND CONQUEST. Many psalms make explicit use of earlier traditions and texts. In some instances the references are overt and easily identifiable, such as the use of the “graciousness formula” (Exod 34:6–7) in Psalm 145:8–9. Other psalms, however, contain references that are more suggestive; they “point” to other texts in much more subtle and nuanced ways. Anthony Ceresko has suggested that the two strophes in Psalm 149 refer to two signature events in Israel’s history—events that were foundational to Israel’s theological confession, namely, the exodus and the conquest of the promised land.28
In the first strophe of this poem, the most explicit reference to the exodus occurs in verse 3 with the words “dancing” (mahol) and “timbrel,” or tambourine. As noted above, the language in verse 3 recalls the language of Exodus 15:20: “Then Miriam the prophet, Aaron’s sister, took a timbrel in her hand, and all the women followed her, with timbrels and dancing.” Beyond this subtle allusion to the exodus out of Egypt, the first strophe also invokes the language associated with Isaiah 40–55 and the exodus out of Babylon. In Psalm 149:2 Yahweh is declared “Maker,” from the root ‘sh. The root means “to make” or “to do,” but it frequently appears as a synonym of the verb bara’, “to create.” In Isaiah 40–55 various forms of ‘asah appear twenty-seven times, each time in reference to God’s work in creating this “second” exodus to bring his people out of exile.29
The second strophe of Psalm 149 appears to allude to the wars and struggles that occurred in the period of the judges. The image of the “double-edged sword” in verse 6 occurs in only two other places in the Old Testament: Judges 3:16 and Proverbs 5:4. In the book of Judges the reference occurs in the context of the story of Ehud and Eglon. Ehud, a judge for Israel, ran his two-edged sword through Eglon, the king of Moab. The story is emblematic of the conquest in general: God’s people proved victorious over the nations. In addition, the phrase “edge of the sword” appears elsewhere in Joshua and Judges in reference to the settlement of the land. Ceresko suggests that, of the thirty-three uses of the phrase “edge of the sword” in the Old Testament, twenty-six appear in Genesis through Judges, with the primary focus being that of the exodus and conquest.30
Whereas the first strophe of Psalm 149 recalls God’s work as Creator in bringing his people out of exile, the second strophe recalls Israel’s participation in God’s work in the world. This latter point is confirmed by the use of ‘asah, “to make” or “to do,” in verses 7 and 9. In verse 2 the term referred to Yahweh as “Maker,” but in the second strophe it refers to the work of Israel as “doer.” In verse 7 Israel is to “do” (‘asah), or inflict, vengeance on the nations, and in verse 9 they are to “do” (‘asah), or carry out, the judgment written about the nations and kings. Thus, as God did in the exodus, so also is he at work creating his kingdom anew; and as his people did in the conquest, so also are they to participate in the creation of this new reality.31
Psalm 149 in the light of the Final Hallel. Hossfeld and Zenger argue that the Final Hallel forms a tightly constructed unit that together creates a theologically unified composition. Were Psalm 149 to be lifted from its literary context, the psalm may sound terribly militaristic, nationalistic, and even xenophobic. But when read in the context of the Final Hallel, the poem’s language and imagery seem less discordant. In a separate article, Zenger suggests that the psalm in this final collection focuses on the meaning of the coming kingdom of God amid a world filled with unrighteousness and violence.32
Read in light of that reality, the psalms in the Final Hallel offer a vision of a restored world order, one that both reflects and exhibits the expectations of the Divine King. In addition, these psalms address the question of earthly power in light of the reality of divine power. In Psalm 146 the poet declares that humans should not trust in princes or those in power; instead, people are called to trust in the Maker of heaven and earth (vv. 3, 6). In Psalm 148 the kings, nations, and princes of the earth are invited to join with all creation in singing praises befitting the Divine King. Psalm 149 concludes this run of psalms by declaring that all human power will be eviscerated in light of God’s divine rule (cf. Pss 96:13; 98:9). Further, Psalm 149 celebrates “poor” Israel as the instrument of Yahweh for the establishment of this order. The final psalm in this collection, Psalm 150, reflects the unadulterated praise that shall come from all creation once the reign of God is fully realized.33
In short, Psalm 149 is not about the destruction of “them”—those not like us—but instead it is a celebration of the Divine King and his initiative to order and reorder the world.
Contemporary Significance
IN PSALM 149, the juxtaposition of the call to praise God (vv. 1–3) with the call for the “humble” to arm themselves against the nations (v. 6b) leaves most readers understandably unsettled. The psalm appears to carry with it the risk of unchecked nationalism and divinely sanctioned violence. Such usage sadly, and repeatedly, dots Christian history. As a result, some interpreters might avoid this psalm altogether for fear of veering off into such rhetoric. Yet, as Hans-Joachim Kraus suggests, “the psalm . . . can be understood correctly when we take the praise of God in vv. 1–4 as the basis of all interpretations.”34
The psalm begins with an invitation to the community to sing a “new song” to God. As noted above, the mention of a “new song” occurs relatively infrequently—the phrase appears only six other times in the Old Testament (Isa 42:10; Pss 33:3; 40:3; 96:1; 98:1; 144:9), each time with an emphasis on Yahweh as the heavenly Divine Warrior. These psalms declare that the heavenly Divine King is at work foiling the plans of the nations and thwarting those of the peoples (Ps 33:10). In Psalm 149 Yahweh stands over all creation as the Maker (v. 2) and Divine King. What proves notable in this psalm, however, is the role of God’s people. In the other psalms listed above, Yahweh the Divine King thwarts the nations as he delivers his people; his people are the beneficiaries of his salvific work. In Psalm 149, however, God invites his people to join him in establishing his kingdom.
As suggested above, Psalm 149 is a natural extension of Psalm 2. In Psalm 2 it is the king who will “break [the nations] with a rod of iron” (v. 9). In Psalm 149 it is the people who will place the kings of the earth in shackles of iron (v. 8). The latter psalm explains that God’s people have replaced the king, that the “faithful people” have been invited to share in God’s reign. Yet similarly to the militaristic language referenced above, the mention of “reign” seems equally troubling. Dallas Willard is correct, that “reign is no doubt wording that is a little too grand for the contemporary mind,” yet it is precisely the language and imagery employed in Psalm 149: God’s people reign with God.35
That kind of life, that kind of work, can only come through prayer, however. Perhaps that is why Psalm 149 appears as the next-to-last psalm in the Psalter. Much prayer and much formation have come prior to arriving at this psalm and at this understanding. As we pray the Psalter, we learn of God and his ways in the world. His vision of the kingdom slowly becomes our vision of the kingdom. As we pray, and as the Maker slowly remakes us, we take our place among the faithful ones crowned with victory (v. 4b), those prepared to do (‘asah) the work of God in the world. Willard explains that “kingdom praying is an arrangement explicitly instituted by God so that we as individuals may count, and count for much, as we learn step by step how to govern, to reign with him in his kingdom.”36
That understanding seems to be the central claim of the psalm—that as God’s people we have been entrusted with a share in this work. To pray and live in such a way is indeed the “glory of all his faithful people.”
NIDOTTE 2:46. The verb can mean to “whirl about,” thus leading some to call this form of dance a “round dance” or “whirling dance.”