HarperCollins Study Bible
Page 231
and its faithful will shout for joy.
17There I will cause a horn to sprout up for David;
I have prepared a lamp for my anointed one.
18His enemies I will clothe with disgrace,
but on him, his crown will gleam.”
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132.1–18 A royal psalm celebrating God’s election of Zion and the sanctuary there as the divine abode on earth and the election of David and the Davidic line as God’s ruling representatives. A Song of Ascents. See note on 120.1–7.
132.1–5 A prayer for God to remember David (and so the Davidic dynasty; cf. vv. 11–12) as the one who swore an oath to build a sanctuary for the Lord. This prayer may have been uttered by a priest or prophet or possibly by the king himself.
132.5 A dwelling place, the tent David set up as a sanctuary for the ark of the covenant (2 Sam 6.17).
132.6–10 Recollection of the bringing of the ark into the sanctuary on Zion.
132.6–7 Although these verses are customarily understood as referring to David’s finding the ark in the old sanctuary in Kiriath-jearim (1 Sam 7.1–2), i.e., Jaar (v. 6), and his bringing it to Jerusalem (2 Sam 6), they may refer to David’s finding the ark (v. 6) and then worshiping before it in the old tent shrine where it had remained for some time.
132.8–10 The call to God to go forth in triumph to the new divine abode in Zion.
132.8 Go to your resting place, probably better “Go from your resting place,” i.e., from the old shrine where the ark had lodged to the new shrine David had set up in Jerusalem. The verse is reminiscent of the war song of the ark in Num 10.35 and thus signals that this section is a call to God to march forth in victory into the new sanctuary (cf. Ps 24).
132.11–12 God’s oath electing David and his line as rulers over the people in perpetuity. The covenant with the Davidic dynasty, however, is made explicitly conditional on the obedience of David’s successors (cf. 2 Sam 7.14–15).
132.13–18 God’s choice of David as king is now paired with God’s choice of Zion as the divine dwelling place on earth. It is now the permanent resting place (cf. v. 8) of the ark, the visible throne of the invisible God.
132.17 Horn. See note on 89.17. Lamp is an image representing the promise to David that there would always be a descendant of his on the throne of Israel/Judah. See 2 Sam 21.17; 1 Kings 11.36; 15.4; 2 Kings 8.19.
PSALM 133
The Blessedness of Unity
A Song of Ascents.
1How very good and pleasant it is
when kindred live together in unity!
2It is like the precious oil on the head,
running down upon the beard,
on the beard of Aaron,
running down over the collar of his robes.
3It is like the dew of Hermon,
which falls on the mountains of Zion.
For there the LORD ordained his blessing,
life forevermore.
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133.1–3 A didactic or wisdom poem transformed into a song for communal worship that may have been used in connection with journeys to Jerusalem. A Song of Ascents. See note on 120.1–7.
133.1 Kindred live together in unity is to be seen in relation to such texts as Deut 25.5; Gen 13.6; 36.7 and refers to the custom of clan and family groups living in proximity to each other.
133.2 Precious oil refers to the custom of anointing the head of an honored guest with the finest oil. Beard of Aaron. See Ex 29.7; Lev 8.12.
133.3 Hermon was the highest mountain in Syro-Palestine.
PSALM 134
Praise in the Night
A Song of Ascents.
1Come, bless the LORD, all you servants of the LORD,
who stand by night in the house of the LORD!
2Lift up your hands to the holy place,
and bless the LORD.
3May the LORD, maker of heaven and earth,
bless you from Zion.
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134.1–3 A liturgy of praise and blessing. A Song of Ascents. See note on 120.1–7.
134.1–2 A call to the people who are gathered in the sanctuary, apparently during the night and possibly at one of the major festivals, to praise and give thanks, i.e., bless the Lord (see note on 103.1–2).
134.1 Servants of the LORD could be a reference to the priests, but in Psalms it does not ordinarily have that restricted reference.
134.3 A blessing is prayed over the people, probably by a priest or priests (cf. Num 6.22–27).
PSALM 135
Praise for God’s Goodness and Might
1Praise the LORD!
Praise the name of the LORD;
give praise, O servants of the LORD,
2you that stand in the house of the LORD,
in the courts of the house of our God.
3Praise the LORD, for the LORD is good;
sing to his name, for he is gracious.
4For the LORD has chosen Jacob for himself,
Israel as his own possession.
5For I know that the LORD is great;
our Lord is above all gods.
6Whatever the LORD pleases he does,
in heaven and on earth,
in the seas and all deeps.
7He it is who makes the clouds rise at the end of the earth;
he makes lightnings for the rain
and brings out the wind from his storehouses.
8He it was who struck down the firstborn of Egypt,
both human beings and animals;
9he sent signs and wonders
into your midst, O Egypt,
against Pharaoh and all his servants.
10He struck down many nations
and killed mighty kings—
11Sihon, king of the Amorites,
and Og, king of Bashan,
and all the kingdoms of Canaan—
12and gave their land as a heritage,
a heritage to his people Israel.
13Your name, O LORD, endures forever,
your renown, O LORD, throughout all ages.
14For the LORD will vindicate his people,
and have compassion on his servants.
15The idols of the nations are silver and gold,
the work of human hands.
16They have mouths, but they do not speak;
they have eyes, but they do not see;
17they have ears, but they do not hear,
and there is no breath in their mouths.
18Those who make them
and all who trust them
shall become like them.
19O house of Israel, bless the LORD!
O house of Aaron, bless the LORD!
20O house of Levi, bless the LORD!
You that fear the LORD, bless the LORD!
21Blessed be the LORD from Zion,
he who resides in Jerusalem.
Praise the LORD!
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135.1–21 A hymn of praise to God. Pieces and elements from other biblical texts have been woven together into a new and unified vehicle of praise.
135.1–4 Call to praise (vv. 1–3b) and the reason for praise (vv. 3b–4).
135.1 Cf. 113.1. Servants of the LORD. See note on 134.1.
135.2 Cf. 134.1.
135.3 Cf. 100.4–5; 136.1.
135.4 Cf. Ex 19.5; Deut 7.6.
135.5–7 A singer praises the Lord as the creator and ruler of the natural world.
135.5 Cf. 95.3.
135.6 Cf. 115.3.
135.7 Cf. Jer 10.13; 51.16.
135.8–12 Praise continues, now for God’s liberating the people from slavery in Egypt and bringing them safely into the land. The focus is upon the plagues in Egypt, the victory over the foreign kings on the way into the land, and the granting of the land to Israel.
135.8 Cf. 136.10.
135.10–12 Cf. 136.17–22. Sihon, Og. See Num 21
.21–35; Deut 2.26–3.11.
135.13–14 Praise of God’s compassionate care of the people.
135.13 Cf. Ex 3.15.
135.14 Cf. Deut 32.36.
135.15–18 Using 115.4–8, the psalmist contrasts implicitly the impotence of the idols of the nations with the God who has been praised in the preceding verses.
135.19–21 Concluding call to bless the Lord, i.e., give thanks and praise. On the enumeration of the groups in vv. 19–20, see note on 115.11; see also 118.2–4. The house of Levi has been added to the list. In formal worship after the exile, the Levites were a group who assisted the Aaronite priests.
PSALM 136
God’s Work in Creation and in History
1O give thanks to the LORD, for he is good,
for his steadfast love endures forever.
2O give thanks to the God of gods,
for his steadfast love endures forever.
3O give thanks to the Lord of lords,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
4who alone does great wonders,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
5who by understanding made the heavens,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
6who spread out the earth on the waters,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
7who made the great lights,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
8the sun to rule over the day,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
9the moon and stars to rule over the night,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
10who struck Egypt through their firstborn,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
11and brought Israel out from among them,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
12with a strong hand and an outstretched arm,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
13who divided the Red Seaa in two,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
14and made Israel pass through the midst of it,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
15but overthrew Pharaoh and his army in the Red Sea,b
for his steadfast love endures forever;
16who led his people through the wilderness,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
17who struck down great kings,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
18and killed famous kings,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
19Sihon, king of the Amorites,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
20and Og, king of Bashan,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
21and gave their land as a heritage,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
22a heritage to his servant Israel,
for his steadfast love endures forever.
23It is he who remembered us in our low estate,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
24and rescued us from our foes,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
25who gives food to all flesh,
for his steadfast love endures forever.
26O give thanks to the God of heaven,
for his steadfast love endures forever.
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a Or Sea of Reeds
b Or Sea of Reeds
136.1–26 A hymn of praise for God’s marvelous works. The second half of each verse was probably a response by the people (cf. Ps 106).
136.1–3 Call to the community to offer thankful praise of God.
136.1 See note on 106.1. The paradigm of praise and thanksgiving in v. 1 provides the vehicle of congregational response throughout the rest of the psalm.
136.4–9 Praise of God for the marvelous works of creation.
136.4 The praise begins with a general reference that incorporates all the particular wonderful deeds that follow in the rest of the hymn.
136.10–22 Praise of God for the wonderful deeds on behalf of the people at the beginning of their history.
136.10–15 The deliverance from slavery in Egypt.
136.16 God’s guidance and care of the people in the wilderness.
136.17–22 The victory over opposing kings and God’s allotment (heritage) of the land of Canaan to Israel.
136.19–20 See Num 21.21–35; Deut 2.26–3.11.
136.23–25 Summary praise of God for the mercy and protection shown to the people.
136.26 The initial call to praise and thanksgiving is reiterated at the end.
PSALM 137
Lament over the Destruction of Jerusalem
1By the rivers of Babylon—
there we sat down and there we wept
when we remembered Zion.
2On the willowsa there
we hung up our harps.
3For there our captors
asked us for songs,
and our tormentors asked for mirth, saying,
“Sing us one of the songs of Zion!”
4How could we sing the LORD’s song
in a foreign land?
5If I forget you, O Jerusalem,
let my right hand wither!
6Let my tongue cling to the roof of my mouth,
if I do not remember you,
if I do not set Jerusalem
above my highest joy.
7Remember, O LORD, against the Edomites
the day of Jerusalem’s fall,
how they said, “Tear it down! Tear it down!
Down to its foundations!”
8O daughter Babylon, you devastator!b
Happy shall they be who pay you back
what you have done to us!
9Happy shall they be who take your little ones
and dash them against the rock!
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a Or poplars
b Or you who are devastated
137.1–9 A prayer of the community for God to destroy its oppressors and enemies. Although it refers to the exile in Babylon, it is probably a later recollection of the event.
137.1–4 Lament over Jerusalem’s destruction and the plight of the exiles in Babylonian captivity.
137.3 Songs of Zion, such as Pss 46; 48; 76; 84.
137.5–6 Glorification of Zion in the form of a self-imprecation. The psalmist vows always to remember and care about Jerusalem.
137.7–9 An imprecation, or curse prayer, in which the psalmist calls for God’s destruction of those who destroyed Jerusalem and sent the people into captivity.
137.7 Edomites joined in the sacking and pillaging of Jerusalem and handed over fleeing survivors to the Babylonians (Ob 8–14; cf. Ezek 25.12–14; 35.2–9).
137.8–9 Happy. See note on 1.1.
PSALM 138
Thanksgiving and Praise
Of David.
1I give you thanks, O LORD, with my whole heart;
before the gods I sing your praise;
2I bow down toward your holy temple
and give thanks to your name for your steadfast love and your faithfulness;
for you have exalted your name and your word
above everything.a
3On the day I called, you answered me,
you increased my strength of soul.b
4All the kings of the earth shall praise you, O LORD,
for they have heard the words of your mouth.
5They shall sing of the ways of the LORD,
for great is the glory of the LORD.
6For though the LORD is high, he regards the lowly;
but the haughty he perceives from far away.
7Though I walk in the midst of trouble,
you preserve me against the wrath of my enemies;
you stretch out your hand,
and your right hand delivers me.
8The LORD will fulfill his
purpose for me;
your steadfast love, O LORD, endures forever.
Do not forsake the work of your hands.
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a Cn: Heb you have exalted your word above all your name
b Syr Compare Gk Tg: Heb you made me arrogant in my soul with strength
138.1–8 A song of thanksgiving for deliverance by God.
138.1–3 Expression of thanksgiving (vv. 1–2) and testimony to what the Lord did to help (v. 3). Before the gods probably means before the heavenly assembly that surrounds the Lord of hosts, but the expression could refer to the gods of the nations, whose power is understood to be nothing in comparison to that of the Lord.
138.4–6 The kings of the nations are called to praise the ways of the Lord. Cf. 67.3–5; 68.32; 126.2.
138.6 Cf. 113.5–8.
138.7–8 An expression of confidence by the psalmist ending in a prayer for God’s continued care.
138.8 Work of your hands, any of God’s works, from creation to the redemption of an individual.
PSALM 139
The Inescapable God
To the leader. Of David. A Psalm.
1O LORD, you have searched me and known me.
2You know when I sit down and when I rise up;
you discern my thoughts from far away.
3You search out my path and my lying down,
and are acquainted with all my ways.
4Even before a word is on my tongue,
O LORD, you know it completely.
5You hem me in, behind and before,
and lay your hand upon me.
6Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;
it is so high that I cannot attain it.
7Where can I go from your spirit?
Or where can I flee from your presence?
8If I ascend to heaven, you are there;
if I make my bed in Sheol, you are there.
9If I take the wings of the morning
and settle at the farthest limits of the sea,