Psalm 149:3-9

3 Let them praise His name with ¹dancing; Let them sing praises to Him with ²timbrel and lyre.

4 For the LORD ³takes pleasure in His people; He will ⁴beautify the afflicted ones with salvation.

5 Let the ⁵godly ones exult in glory; Let them ⁶sing for joy on their beds.

6 Let the ⁷high praises of God be in their mouth, And a ⁸two-edged ⁹sword in their hand,

7 To ¹⁰execute vengeance on the nations And punishment on the peoples,

8 To bind their kings ¹¹with chains And their ¹²nobles with fetters of iron,

9 To ¹³execute on them the judgment written; This is an ¹⁴honor for all His godly ones. Praise the LORD!

Psalm 149:3-9 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. 2 Samuel 6:14; Psalms 150:4
• 2. Exodus 15:20; Psalms 81:2
• 3. Job 36:11; Psalms 16:11; Psalms 35:27; Psalms 147:11
• 4. Psalms 132:16; Isaiah 61:3
• 5. Psalms 132:16
• 6. Job 35:10; Psalms 42:8
• 7. Psalms 66:17
• 8. Hebrews 4:12
• 9. Nehemiah 4:17
• 10. Ezekiel 25:17; Micah 5:15
• 11. Job 36:8
• 12. Nahum 3:10
• 13. Deuteronomy 7:12; Ezekiel 28:26
• 14. Psalms 112:9; Psalms 148:14

Footnotes

• [a] Lit "throat"
• [b] Or "Hallelujah!"
• [c] Heb YAH