Psalms 135

Psalms 135:1-21

Psalms 135THE people of Jehovah are exhorted to praise him as their peculiar God, ver. 1-4, as the God of nature, ver. 5-7, as the deliverer of Israel fromEgypt and in Canaan, ver. 8-12, as their hope also for the future, ver. 13, 14, rendered more glorious by contrast with the impotence of idols,ver. 15-18, after which the psalm concludes as it began, with an exhortation to praise God, ver. 19-21. According to Hengstenberg’s arrangement and distribution, this is the first of a series of twelve psalms (cxxxv.– cxlvi.), sung at the completion of the second temple, and consisting of eight Davidic psalms (cxxxviii.– cxlv.), preceded by three (cxxxv.– cxxxvii.), and followed by one (cxlvi.) of later date. In this way he accounts for the omission of these ancient psalms in the former part of the collection, because they were no longer looked upon as independent compositions, but as inseparable parts of the series or systems into which they had been introduced.

1. (Psalms 135:1) Hallelujah! Praise the name of Jehovah. Praise (it), ye servants of Jehovah! The close of the psalm shews that although the priests are included (Psalms 135:19) among the servants of Jehovah, they are not exclusively intended, as in Psalms 134:1. Even there, however, the priests are representatives of Israel at large.

2. (Psalms 135:2) Who (are) standing in the house of Jehovah, in the courts of the house of our God. The participle indicates continued action. The mention of the courts confirms what has been already said, as to the objects of address in Psalms 135:1.

3. (Psalms 135:3) Hallelujah (praise ye Jah!) for good (is) Jehovah. Make music to his name, for it is lovely. The last words may also be translated, he is lovely, i.e. an object worthy of supreme attachment.

4. (Psalms 135:4) For Jacob did Jah choose for himself, Israel for his own possession. They are particularly bound to praise him, as his chosen and peculiar people. The last word in Hebrew means a possession of peculiar value, set apart and distinguished from all others. See Exodus 19:5, Deuteronomy 7:6; Deuteronomy 14:2; Deuteronomy 26:18.

5. (Psalms 135:5) For I know that great is Jehovah, and our Lord (more) than all Gods. However ignorant the world may be of his superiority, I, the representative of Israel, and as such speaking in his name, know and am assured of the truth from my own observation and experience.

6. (Psalms 135:6) All that Jehovah will he does in the heavens and in the earth, in the seas and all depths. Compare Psalms 115:3, Ecclesiastes 8:3, Jonah 1:14, Isaiah 46:10-11. It is not merely as their own peculiar God that they are bound to praise him, but as the universal sovereign. eaven, earth, and sea, are put for the whole frame of nature, as in Exodus 20:4.

7. (Psalms 135:7) Causing vapours to ascend from the end of the earth— lightnings for the rain he makes— bringing out the wind from his treasures. As certain portions of the world are specified in Psalms 135:6 to define the extent of his dominion, so here certain natural phenomena are mentioned as the product of his power. Compare Jeremiah 10:13; Jeremiah 51:16. From the end of the earth, i.e. from all parts of it, not excepting the most remote. See above, on Psalms 61:2. The second clause is by some explained to mean, turning light pings into rain, i.e. causing the thunder-cloud to dissolve in rain.

But this is not so natural as the common version, he maketh lightnings for the rain, i.e. to accompany it, or according to the paraphrase in the Prayer Book, sendeth forth lightnings with the rain. With the last clause compare Job 38:22.

8. (Psalms 135:8) Who smote the first-born of Egypt, from man even to beast. From the proofs of God’ s supremacy in nature, he now proceeds to those in history, and especially the history of his dealings with his people and their enemies. This is precisely the relation between Psalms 104 and Psalms 105. The first example chosen here is the last and greatest of the plagues of Egypt. From man to beast, including both; in other words, both man and beast.

9. (Psalms 135:9) Sent signs and wonders into the midst of thee, 0 Egypt, upon Pharaoh and on all his servants. Signs and wonders, i.e. miracles, to wit, those which preceded and accompanied the exodus. See above, on Psalms 78:43. In the midst of thee, 0 Egypt, an expression similar to that in Psalms 116:19, in the midst of thee, 0 Jerusalem! Upon Pharaoh, literally in Pharaoh and in all his servants.

10. (Psalms 135:10) Who smote many rations and slew mighty kings. To the miracles of Egypt and the Exode are now added those of Canaan and the Conquest.

11. (Psalms 135:11) Sihon king of the Amorites, and Og king of Bashan, and all the kingdoms of Canaan. Each of these three particulars is preceded in Hebrew by the preposition to or for; and that this is not an inadvertence or an accident, appears from its repetition in the next psalm (Psalms 136:19-20). Though not in accordance with the usage of the verb which is construed elsewhere with the verb directly, the particle must be regarded here as an objective sign, as in Psalms 129:3, unless we suppose the sense to be, that what had just been said in general is true in particular as to Sihon, as to Og, and as to the kingdoms (here put for the kings) of Canaan.

12. (Psalms 135:12) And gave their land (as) a heritage, a heritage to Israel his people. The land of Canaan was an inheritance to Israel, not as the heirs of the Canaanites, but because it was to be transmitted from father to son, by hereditary right and succession. See above, on Psalms 105:44; Psalms 111:6.

13. (Psalms 135:13) Jehovah, thy name (is) to eternity. Jehovah, thy memory is to generation and generation. Name and memory are here equivalent expressions, meaning that by which God is remembered or commemorated, namely, his perfections as exhibited in act. The perpetuity of this implies continued or repeated acts of goodness.

14. (Psalms 135:14) For Jehovah will judge his people, and for the sake of his servants will repent. He will fulfil the promise in Deut. xxxii. 36. He will judge (i.e. do justice to) his people. See above, on Ps. lxxii. 2. For the sense in which repentance is ascribed to God, see above, on Psalms 90:13.

15. (Psalms 135:15) The idols of the nations (are) silver and gold, works of the hands of man. The divine perfection of the Lord is now exhibited in contrast with the impotence and nullity of idols. The terms of the comparison are borrowed, with several variations, from Psalms 115:4-8.

16. (Psalms 135:16) (There is) a mouth to them, and (yet) they speak not; (there are) eyes to them, and (yet) they see not. See above, on Psalms 115:5, which agrees exactly with the verse before us.

17. (Psalms 135:17) (There are) ears to them, and (yet) they hear not; likewise there is no breath in their mouth. See above, on Psalms 115:6. This verse contains the most considerable variation of the passages. The second clause in both begins with the same Hebrew word; but in the one case it is a noun, meaning the nose, in the other an adverb, meaning likewise. This kind of variation, in which the form is retained but with a change of meaning, is perfectly agreeable to Hebrew usage.

18. (Psalms 135:18) Like them shall be those making them, every one who (is) trusting in them. See above, on Psalms 115:8, with which this verse agrees exactly. If the meaning had been simply, those who make them are like them, Hebrew usage would have required the verb to be suppressed. Its insertion, therefore, in the future form requires it to be rendered strictly shall be, i.e. in fate as well as character. Idolaters shall perish with their perishable idols. Compare Isaiah 1:31.

19. (Psalms 135:19) O house of Israel, bless Jehovah! O house of Aaron, bless Jehovah! Having shewn what God is, in himself and in comparison with idols, he repeats the exhortation which this description was intended to explain and justify. With this and the next verse compare Ps. cxv. 9-11, cxviii. 2-4. Instead of trust we have here bless, as at the beginning of the Psalm. Compare Psalms 134:1.

20. (Psalms 135:20) O house of Levi, bless Jehovah! Fearers of Jehovah, bless Jehovah! The Levites are not particularly mentioned in the parallel passages.

21. (Psalms 135:21) Blessed (be) Jehovah from Zion— inhabiting Jerusalem— Hallelujah! There is here an allusion to Psalms 134:3. As Jehovah blesses out of Zion, so also he is blessed out of Zion, by the diffusion of his praise, as from a radiating centre. This is said to be the only place in which Jerusalem is put for Zion, as the earthly residence of God. But see above, on Psalms 126:2, and compare Psalms 125:1-2.