Psalms 135

Praise to God for His Power and Redemption

1 Praise Yah! Praise the name of Yahweh. Praise [him], O servants of Yahweh,

2 who stand in the house of Yahweh, in the courts of the house of our God.

3 Praise Yah, for Yahweh [is] good. Sing praises concerning his name, for [it is] pleasant.

4 For Yah has chosen Jacob for himself, Israel as his special possession.

5 For I know that Yahweh [is] great, and our Lord [is greater] than all gods.

6 All that Yahweh desires, he does, in heaven and on earth, in the seas and all [the] depths.

7 [He] causes clouds to rise from the edge of the earth; he makes lightnings for the rain; [he] brings out [the] wind from his storehouses.

8 Who struck the firstborn of Egypt, both of humans and animals.

9 He sent signs and wonders into your midst, O Egypt, against Pharaoh and all his servants.

10 Who struck many nations and killed mighty kings--

11 Sihon the king of the Amorites, and Og the king of Bashan, and all the kingdoms of Canaan--

12 and he gave their land as an inheritance, an inheritance for his people Israel.

13 O Yahweh, your name [endures] forever, your {renown} {throughout all generations},

14 for Yahweh will plead [the] cause [of] his people and will have compassion on his servants.

15 The idols of the nations [are] silver and gold, [the] work of the hands of humankind.

16 They have mouths, but cannot speak; they have eyes, but cannot see;

17 they have ears, but cannot hear; there is not even breath in their mouths.

18 [Those who] make them become like them, [as does] everyone who trusts in them.

19 O house of Israel, bless Yahweh. O house of Aaron, bless Yahweh.

20 O house of Levi, bless Yahweh. [You who] fear Yahweh, bless Yahweh.

21 Blessed [be] Yahweh from Zion, who dwells [in] Jerusalem. Praise Yah!

Psalms 135 Commentary

Chapter 135

God to be praised for his mercy. (1-4) For his power and judgments. (5-14) The vanity of idols. (15-21)

Verses 1-4 The subject-matter of praise, is the blessings of grace flowing from the everlasting love of God. The name of God as a covenant God and Father in Christ, blessing us with all spiritual blessings in him, is to be loved and praised. The Lord chose a people to himself, that they might be unto him for a name and a praise. If they do not praise him for this distinguishing favour, they are the most unworthy and ungrateful of all people.

Verses 5-14 God is, and will be always, the same to his church, a gracious, faithful, wonder-working God. And his church is, and will be, the same to him, a thankful, praising people: thus his name endures for ever. He will return in ways of mercy to them, and will delight to do them good.

Verses 15-21 These verses arm believers against idolatry and all false worship, by showing what sort of gods the heathen worshipped. And the more deplorable the condition of the Gentile nations that worship idols, the more are we to be thankful that we know better. Let us pity, and pray for, and seek to benefit benighted heathens and deluded sinners. Let us endeavour to glorify his name, and recommend his truth, not only with our lips, but by holy lives, copying the example of Christ's goodness and truth.

Footnotes

• [a]. Hebrew hallelujah
• [b]. Or "temple"
• [c]. Or "temple"
• [d]. A shortened form of "Yahweh"
• [e]. Hebrew "human"
• [f]. Hebrew "animal"
• [g]. Literally "remembrance"
• [h]. Literally "for a generation and a generation"
• [i]. Hebrew hallelujah

Chapter Summary

INTRODUCTION TO PSALM 135

This psalm was written very probably by the same hand as the former. It begins in much the same manner; it has some likeness with Psalm 113 and 114. It begins and ends with "hallelujah"; and is throughout an exhortation of praise to God, on account of his name, nature, and perfections; and because of his works of creation, providence, and grace, many of which are enumerated. The Syriac interpreter says, there is an intimation in it of the conversion of the people of the Messiah unto the faith.