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Psalms 135

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Call to Praise in the Temple 1–4

1
Praise ye Jehovah. Praise ye the name of Jehovah; Praisehim, O ye servants of Jehovah, ​
2
Ye that stand in the house of Jehovah, In the courts of the house of our God. ​
3
Praise ye Jehovah; for Jehovah is good: Sing praises unto his name; for it is pleasant. ​
4
For Jehovah hath chosen Jacob unto himself, And Israel for his own possession. ​

God's Supremacy Over All Creation 5–7

5
For I know that Jehovah is great, And that our Lord is above all gods. ​
6
Whatsoever Jehovah pleased, that hath he done, In heaven and in earth, in the seas and in all deeps; ​
7
Who causeth the vapors to ascend from the ends of the earth; Who maketh lightnings for the rain; Who bringeth forth the wind out of his treasuries; ​

God's Powerful Acts of Deliverance 8–12

8
Who smote the first-born of Egypt, Both of man and beast; ​
9
Who sent signs and wonders into the midst of thee, O Egypt, Upon Pharaoh, and upon all his servants; ​
10
Who smote many nations, And slew mighty kings,
11
Sihon king of the Amorites, And Og king of Bashan, And all the kingdoms of Canaan, ​
12
And gave their land for a heritage, A heritage unto Israel his people. ​

God's Eternal Name and Justice 13–14

13
Thy name, O Jehovah, endurethfor ever; Thy memorial name, O Jehovah, throughout all generations. ​
14
For Jehovah will judge his people, And repent himself concerning his servants. ​

The Folly and Impotence of Idols 15–18

15
The idols of the nations are silver and gold, The work of men’s hands. ​
16
They have mouths, but they speak not; Eyes have they, but they see not;
17
They have ears, but they hear not; Neither is there any breath in their mouths.
18
They that make them shall be like unto them; Yea, every one that trusteth in them. ​

A Final Call to Bless the Lord 19–21

19
O house of Israel, bless ye Jehovah: O house of Aaron, bless ye Jehovah: ​
20
O house of Levi, bless ye Jehovah: Ye that fear Jehovah, bless ye Jehovah. ​
21
Blessed be Jehovah out of Zion, Who dwelleth at Jerusalem. Praise ye Jehovah. ​

Bible text: American Standard Version (1901) · Public domain

Study Notes for Psalms 135

Verse 1

Praise ye the LORD — Halal, to shine, then to boast aloud in praise: the root of 'Hallelujah', joined to Yah, the short form of the divine name. The call is made three times in this verse, and the psalm ends on the same words (v.21).

Verse 2

Ye that stand in the house of the LORD — Amad, to stand, the posture of those in service. The 'courts' (chatser) are the enclosed yards about the house; compare 'planted in the house of the LORD… in the courts of our God' (Ps 92:13).

Verse 3

for it is pleasant — Na'im, delightful, sweet. 'Sing praises' is zamar, to touch the strings of an instrument. The same pair of reasons stands in 'it is good to sing praises unto our God; for it is pleasant; and praise is comely' (Ps 147:1).

Verse 4

peculiar treasure — Segullah, from a root meaning to shut up: wealth closely kept, a jewel. 'The LORD thy God hath chosen thee to be a special people unto himself' (Deut 7:6), and it was not because of their numbers (Deut 7:7). Peter gives the title to the church: 'a peculiar people' (1 Pet 2:9).

Verse 5

our Lord is above all gods — 'I know' is yada, knowledge held as certain. 'Lord' here is adon, sovereign, distinct from the divine name before it. The claim recurs in 'a great King above all gods' (Ps 95:3) and 'exalted far above all gods' (Ps 97:9).

Verse 6

Whatsoever the LORD pleased — Chaphets, to incline to, take delight in: the will is his own. Ps 115:3 says the same, 'he hath done whatsoever he hath pleased'. 'Deep places' is tehom, the abyss of waters; heaven, earth, seas and deep leave no realm outside his reach.

Verse 7

the vapours to ascend — Nasi means a rising mist (it is also the word for a prince). 'Treasuries' is otsar, a storehouse. The line is repeated almost word for word in Jer 10:13 and Jer 51:16, where it is set against the idols of the nations.

Verse 8

smote the firstborn of Egypt — Nakah, to strike. 'At midnight the LORD smote all the firstborn in the land of Egypt' (Ex 12:29). The words 'both of man and beast' match the warning of Ex 12:12, which added judgment 'against all the gods of Egypt'. Ps 136:10 repeats the deed.

Verse 9

tokens and wonders — Oth, a sign, and mopheth, a wonder. The speech now addresses Egypt directly: 'into the midst of thee, O Egypt'. Moses recalls them in 'signs and wonders, great and sore, upon Egypt, upon Pharaoh, and upon all his household' (Deut 6:22).

Verse 11

Sihon king of the Amorites, and Og king of Bashan — Israel sent messengers to Sihon (Num 21:21); Sihon and his people were smitten and the land possessed (Num 21:35). Moses later recalled that both kings 'came out against us unto battle, and we smote them' (Deut 29:7).

Verse 12

an heritage, an heritage — Nachalah, a possession passed down, named twice for emphasis. 'Joshua gave it for an inheritance unto Israel' (Josh 11:23). The gift is the LORD's own: 'And gave their land for an heritage' (Ps 136:21).

Verse 13

Thy name… thy memorial — Shem, the name, and zeker, remembrance. The verse sets the lasting name against the idols that follow in vv.15–18. Compare 'thou, O LORD, shalt endure for ever; and thy remembrance unto all generations' (Ps 102:12).

Verse 14

the LORD will judge his people — This is taken from Moses' song: 'For the LORD shall judge his people, and repent himself for his servants' (Deut 32:36). Din is to judge, plead a cause; nacham, 'repent himself', is to sigh, and so to have compassion or relent.

Verse 15

The idols of the heathen — Atsab, a fashioned image. The verse repeats Ps 115:4, 'Their idols are silver and gold, the work of men's hands'. Material and maker are named together: what is made of metal by hands is set against the LORD who did 'whatsoever' he pleased (v.6).

Verse 18

They that make them are like unto them — Batach, to trust, to lean on for safety. The line is word for word Ps 115:8. Those who make and trust the mouthless, earless, breathless images (vv.16–17) share their condition.

Verse 19

Bless the LORD, O house of Israel — Barak, from the sense of kneeling, to bless God in adoration. 'House of Israel' and 'house of Aaron' open a fourfold call; Ps 115:9–11 calls Israel, the house of Aaron and those who fear the LORD (not Levi) to trust, 'he is their help and their shield'.

Verse 20

house of Levi: ye that fear the LORD — The call widens from the house of Israel and Aaron (v.19) through Levi to all who fear the LORD (yare', reverent). Ps 115:11 gives the last group the same title, 'Ye that fear the LORD'.

Verse 21

out of Zion — The blessing is to rise from the place the LORD chose: 'the LORD hath chosen Zion; he hath desired it for his habitation' (Ps 132:13). 'Dwelleth' is shakan, to settle, abide. Ps 134:3 gives the answering blessing, 'bless thee out of Zion'.