Psalms 149:1-6

1 Praise the Lord! Sing a new song to the Lord; sing his praise in the meeting of his people.

2 Let the Israelites be happy because of God, their Maker. Let the people of Jerusalem rejoice because of their King.

3 They should praise him with dancing. They should sing praises to him with tambourines and harps.

4 The Lord is pleased with his people; he saves the humble.

5 Let those who worship him rejoice in his glory. Let them sing for joy even in bed!

6 Let them shout his praise with their two-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.