Psalms 135 KJV
Praise the Lord's Greatness
About This Psalm
Praise the LORD! He chose Israel, controls nature, and defeated kings. Idols are nothing compared to Him.
1raise ye the LORD. Praise ye the name of the LORD; praise him, O ye servants of the LORD.
2 Ye that stand in the house of the LORD, in the courts of the house of our God,
3 Praise the LORD; for the LORD is good: sing praises unto his name; for it is pleasant.
4 For the LORD hath chosen Jacob unto himself, and Israel for his peculiar treasure.
5 For I know that the LORD is great, and that our Lord is above all gods.
6 Whatsoever the LORD pleased, that did he in heaven, and in earth, in the seas, and all deep places.
7 He causeth the vapours to ascend from the ends of the earth; he maketh lightnings for the rain; he bringeth the wind out of his treasuries.
8 Who smote the firstborn of Egypt, both of man and beast.
9 Who sent tokens and wonders into the midst of thee, O Egypt, upon Pharaoh, and upon all his servants.
10 Who smote great nations, and slew mighty kings;
11 Sihon king of the Amorites, and Og king of Bashan, and all the kingdoms of Canaan:
12 And gave their land for an heritage, an heritage unto Israel his people.
13 Thy name, O LORD, endureth for ever; and thy memorial, O LORD, throughout all generations.
14 For the LORD will judge his people, and he will repent himself concerning his servants.
15 The idols of the heathen are silver and gold, the work of menโs hands.
16 They have mouths, but they speak not; eyes have they, but they see not;
17 They have ears, but they hear not; neither is there any breath in their mouths.
18 They that make them are like unto them: so is every one that trusteth in them.
19 Bless the LORD, O house of Israel: bless the LORD, O house of Aaron:
20 Bless the LORD, O house of Levi: ye that fear the LORD, bless the LORD.
21 Blessed be the LORD out of Zion, which dwelleth at Jerusalem. Praise ye the LORD.
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Did You Know?
The idol polemic in verses 15-18 replicates Psalm 115:4-8 almost verbatim, indicating the two texts likely drew from a common liturgical source used in temple worship to contrast Yahweh with Canaanite deities.
Verse 4 applies the rare term 'peculiar treasure' (segullah) to Israel, echoing its exclusive use in Exodus 19:5 and Deuteronomy 7:6 to frame the psalm as an extension of Sinai covenant theology into worship.
By sequencing the tenth plague, the Exodus deliverance, and the defeats of Sihon and Og within a single hymnic unit, the psalm compresses disparate Pentateuchal narratives into one declaration of Yahweh's unified sovereignty over history.
Verse 7 attributes storm phenomena (vapors ascending, lightning, wind) directly to Yahweh using language that parallels Ugaritic Baal imagery, thereby polemically reassigning storm-god functions to Israel's deity alone.
The closing summons in verses 19-20 distinguishes the 'house of Aaron' from the 'house of Levi,' reflecting a post-exilic emphasis on the Aaronide priesthood's elevated status over the broader Levitical class in Second Temple ritual.
Commentary & Study Notes
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown (1871) ยท Public Domain
Classic verse-by-verse commentary on Psalms 135 from Jamieson, Fausset & Brown (1871). Covers: A Psalm Of Praise, In Which God's Relations To His Church, His Power In The Natural World, And In Delivering His People, Are Contrasted With The Vanity Of Idols And Idol-Worship.
A Psalm Of Praise, In Which God's Relations To His Church, His Power In The Natural World, And In Delivering His People, Are Contrasted With The Vanity Of Idols And Idol-Worship v1-21
1-3. In the general call for praise, the priests, that stand in the house of the Lord, are specially mentioned. 4-7. God's choice of Israel is the first reason assigned for rendering praise; the next, His manifested greatness in creation and providence. 6. heaven, and . . . seas, and all . . . ends of the earth--denote universality. 8, 9. The last plague [Ex 12:29] is cited to illustrate His "tokens and wonders." 10-12. The conquest of Canaan was by God's power, not that of the people. 13. heritage--or, "possession." name . . . memorial--Each denote that by which God is made known. 14. will judge--do justice (Ps 72:2). repent himself--change His dealings (Ps 90:13). 15-18. (Compare Ps 115:4-8). 18. are like unto them--or, "shall be like," &c. Idolaters become spiritually stupid and perish with their idols (Isa 1:31). 19-21. (Compare Ps 115:9-11). There we have "trust" for "bless" here. 21. out of Zion--(Compare Ps 110:2; 134:3). From the Church, as a center, His praise is diffused throughout the earth.