Psalms · psalm 146 of 150
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Psalm 146 is the first of the five hallelujah psalms that close the Psalter. The psalmist vows to praise the Lord as long as he lives, warns against trusting in mortal princes, and declares blessed the one whose help is the God of Jacob, maker of heaven and earth. That God executes justice for the oppressed, gives food to the hungry, sets prisoners free, opens the eyes of the blind and upholds the fatherless and the widow, and he reigns forever.
Psalm 146 opens the final group of Psalms 146 to 150, which begin and end with hallelujah, praise the Lord, and which bring the book of Psalms to a close of growing praise. It has no title or author, and in speaking of mortal princes it seems to arise at a time when Israel could be tempted to place its hope in human alliances. It is a psalm of practical trust, which describes God through what he does for the weak.
The psalm begins with a hallelujah and an exhortation to himself: praise the Lord, O my soul. He vows to praise him all his life and sing praises to him as long as he exists. It is a personal vow that lasts as long as his breath.
Verses 3 and 4 contain a warning: do not put your trust in princes, in a son of man, in whom there is no salvation. When his breath departs, he returns to the earth, and on that very day his plans perish. The powerful are frail. In contrast, verse 5 declares blessed the one whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the Lord his God.
Verses 6 to 9 describe that God: he made heaven, earth, the sea and all that is in them, and keeps faith forever. He executes justice for the oppressed, gives food to the hungry, sets the prisoners free, opens the eyes of the blind, lifts up those who are bowed down, loves the righteous, watches over the sojourners and upholds the fatherless and the widow, but the way of the wicked he brings to ruin. Verse 10 ends with a proclamation: the Lord will reign forever, your God, O Zion, to all generations. Hallelujah.
References follow ESV book names and verse numbers. Read each verse in your Bible before the explanation.
The psalmist vows to praise the Lord all his life and sing to him as long as he exists. Praise is not an occasional act but the response of a whole life.
We should not trust in princes or in human beings, who die and whose plans perish with them. It is a warning against placing ultimate hope in what cannot save.
Blessed is the one whose help is the God of Jacob, creator of heaven, earth and sea, who keeps faith forever. His creative power stands behind his promises.
The Lord executes justice for the oppressed, feeds the hungry, frees prisoners, opens the eyes of the blind and cares for the sojourner, the fatherless and the widow. His power is shown above all in care for the weakest.
6 questions with answers and references, ready for Sunday school, small group or a Bible quiz night.
Answer: As long as he lives and as long as he exists. — Psalm 146:2
Answer: In princes or in a son of man, in whom there is no salvation. — Psalm 146:3
Answer: They perish on that very day. — Psalm 146:4
Answer: The one whose help is the God of Jacob and whose hope is in the Lord his God. — Psalm 146:5
Answer: He sets the prisoners free and opens the eyes of the blind. — Psalm 146:7-8
Answer: The fatherless and the widow, besides watching over the sojourners. — Psalm 146:9
Psalm 146 challenges us to review where we place our hope: in governments, leaders, the economy or relationships, all of which are frail. In a small group you can talk about what expectations we place on people that only God can fulfill, and pray for those who govern without setting them in God's place.
It also shows what matters to the Lord: the oppressed, the hungry, prisoners, the blind, sojourners, orphans and widows. A church that praises this God cares about the same people. In the Gospels Jesus opens the eyes of the blind and feeds the hungry, and so shows this character in person. To praise truly is to serve as the Lord serves.
Psalm 146 ends with the proclamation of the Lord's eternal reign. Psalm 147 continues the praise with a new motive: the Lord builds up Jerusalem, heals the brokenhearted and cares for nature.
Because they are mortal and their plans die with them. It is not a rejection of authorities, whom God uses, but a warning against giving them the trust that only God deserves. The Bible teaches us to pray for rulers and respect them, but without putting them in God's place.
It is a Hebrew word meaning praise the Lord. It is made of a plural command, praise, and a shortened form of God's name. In Psalms 146 to 150 it appears at the beginning and end of each psalm, which is why they are called the hallelujah psalms.
Jesus did many of the works the psalm describes: he opened the eyes of the blind, fed the hungry and lifted the fallen. When John the Baptist asked whether he was the one to come, Jesus answered by pointing to such works, according to Matthew 11:5, which echoes related prophecies of Isaiah.