Psalms · psalm 135 of 150
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Psalm 135 is a hymn of praise that calls the servants of the Lord to praise him because he is good, because he chose Jacob and because he is greater than all gods. It recalls his power in creation, the death of Egypt's firstborn and the conquest of Canaan. It mocks the idols of the nations, which have mouths but do not speak, and ends by calling the whole house of Israel to bless the Lord.
Psalm 135 is a psalm of praise that begins and ends with the call to praise the Lord, hallelujah. It gathers many themes and phrases from other passages of Scripture, such as the exodus, creation and Psalm 115, so that it reads like a hymn for the worship of the temple. With Psalm 136 it forms a pair, since they repeat many of the same events in a different form.
Verses 1 to 4 call the servants of the Lord, who stand in the house of the Lord and in the courts of the house of our God, to praise his name, for the Lord is good and singing to his name is pleasant. It is noted that the Lord has chosen Jacob for himself, Israel as his own possession.
Verses 5 to 7 declare the greatness of the Lord, greater than all gods. Whatever he pleased, he has done, in heaven and on earth, in the seas and all deeps. He makes the clouds rise at the end of the earth, makes lightning for the rain and brings the wind out of his storehouses. Then verses 8 to 12 recall the exodus: he struck down the firstborn of Egypt, sent signs and wonders against Pharaoh and his servants, and struck down many nations, among them Sihon king of the Amorites and Og king of Bashan, and gave their land as a heritage to Israel.
Verses 13 to 18 contrast the Lord with the idols: his name endures forever, and he will vindicate his people. The idols of the nations are silver and gold, the work of human hands; they have mouths but do not speak, eyes but do not see, ears but do not hear, and there is no breath in their mouths. Those who make them and trust in them become like them. Verses 19 to 21 call the house of Israel, the house of Aaron, the house of Levi and those who fear the Lord to bless him from Zion.
References follow ESV book names and verse numbers. Read each verse in your Bible before the explanation.
The psalm calls us to praise the Lord because he is good and singing to his name is pleasant. Praise springs from who God is, not only from what he gives.
The Lord is great, greater than all gods, and does whatever he pleases in heaven, on earth and in the seas. His sovereignty has no rival and no limit.
The idols are silver and gold, the work of human hands; they have mouths but do not speak, eyes but do not see. Those who make them and trust in them become like them, lifeless and unresponsive.
The house of Israel, the house of Aaron, the house of Levi and those who fear the Lord are called to bless him from Zion. Praise is the task of the whole people, with different roles.
6 questions with answers and references, ready for Sunday school, small group or a Bible quiz night.
Answer: Because the Lord is good, and singing to his name is pleasant. — Psalm 135:3
Answer: Jacob, that is, Israel. — Psalm 135:4
Answer: He struck them down, both of man and of beast. — Psalm 135:8
Answer: Sihon king of the Amorites and Og king of Bashan. — Psalm 135:10-11
Answer: Silver and gold, the work of human hands. — Psalm 135:15
Answer: Like them. — Psalm 135:18
Psalm 135 invites us to compare the living God with today's idols. Few worship statues, but many trust in money, fame, security or success. In a small group you can ask what things occupy God's place in our heart and how we come to resemble what we worship.
The psalm also teaches us to praise by remembering: recalling what God has done in creation and in salvation history. Everyone has a place in praise, the people, those who teach and those who serve. For Christians, the great work of deliverance is the cross, and praise grows deeper as we remember that Christ rescued us from sin and death.
Psalm 135 ends by blessing the Lord from Zion, where he dwells in Jerusalem. Psalm 136 takes up creation and the exodus again with a refrain about his everlasting steadfast love, repeated in every verse.
Verses 15 to 18 are almost the same as Psalm 115:4-8 about idols, and other parts of Psalm 135 take up phrases from Exodus, Deuteronomy and other psalms. The psalmist does not copy but gathers well-known texts into a liturgical praise that the people could recognize and sing.
Sihon was king of the Amorites, who reigned in Heshbon, and Og was king of Bashan, east of the Jordan. Israel defeated them on the way to Canaan, as Numbers 21 tells. They are mentioned here as examples of the victory God gave his people.
That one who worships something lifeless ends up spiritually deaf, blind and mute. He becomes unable to hear God, see the truth or speak with meaning. What one worships transforms him, which is why it matters so much whom one worships.