Psalms 149:1-6

1 ¹Praise the LORD! Sing to the LORD ²a new song, his praise in ³the assembly of the godly!

2 Let Israel ⁴be glad in ⁵his Maker; let the children of Zion rejoice in their ⁶King!

3 Let them praise his name with ⁷dancing, making melody to him with ⁸tambourine and ⁹lyre!

4 For the LORD ¹⁰takes pleasure in his people; he ¹¹adorns the humble with salvation.

5 Let the godly exult in glory; let them ¹²sing for joy on their ¹³beds.

6 Let ¹⁴the high praises of God be in their throats and ¹⁵two-edged swords in their hands,

Psalms 149:1-6 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO PSALM 149

This psalm is thought by Calvin and others to have been written for the sake of the Jews that returned from the Babylonish captivity; and is a prediction of great and famous things done in the times of the Maccabees to Heathens and their princes, so Theodoret; the Syriac version entitles it,

``concerning the new temple;''

that is, the second temple, built by Zerubbabel, and the things done under that; but it rather seems to have been written by David in the beginning of his reign, when he obtained victories over the Philistines, Edomites, Moabites, Ammonites, and Syrians; and refers to the times of the Messiah, as Kimchi, R. Obadiah Gaon, and others think; not of the Jews' vainly expected Messiah, but of the true Messiah, who is come, and will come again, spiritually and personally; and there are many things in it applicable both to the first and latter part of his days.

Cross References

• 1. [See Psalms 148:14 above]
• 2. See Psalms 33:3
• 3. Psalms 89:5, 7
• 4. Psalms 85:6
• 5. See Psalms 95:6; Job 35:10
• 6. 1 Samuel 12:12; Zechariah 9:9
• 7. Psalms 150:4; [Psalms 30:11]
• 8. Psalms 150:4; Exodus 15:20
• 9. Psalms 150:3
• 10. Psalms 35:27; Psalms 147:11
• 11. [Isaiah 61:3]
• 12. See Job 35:10
• 13. Psalms 4:4; Psalms 63:6; [Hosea 7:14]
• 14. [Psalms 66:17]
• 15. Hebrews 4:12; Revelation 1:16; Revelation 2:12; [Proverbs 5:4]