Psalms 135

1 Praise the Lord! Praise the name of the Lord; give praise, O servants of the Lord,

2 you 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 to his name, for he is gracious.

4 For the Lord has chosen Jacob for himself, Israel as his own possession.

5 For I know that the Lord is great; our Lord is above all gods.

6 Whatever the Lord pleases he does, in heaven and on earth, in the seas and all deeps.

7 He 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.

8 He it was who struck down the firstborn of Egypt, both human beings and animals;

9 he sent signs and wonders into your midst, O Egypt, against Pharaoh and all his servants.

10 He struck down many nations and killed mighty kings—

11 Sihon, king of the Amorites, and Og, king of Bashan, and all the kingdoms of Canaan—

12 and gave their land as a heritage, a heritage to his people Israel.

13 Your name, O Lord, endures forever, your renown, O Lord, throughout all ages.

14 For the Lord will vindicate his people, and have compassion on his servants.

15 The idols of the nations are silver and gold, the work of human hands.

16 They have mouths, but they do not speak; they have eyes, but they do not see;

17 they have ears, but they do not hear, and there is no breath in their mouths.

18 Those who make them and all who trust them shall become like them.

19 O house of Israel, bless the Lord! O house of Aaron, bless the Lord!

20 O house of Levi, bless the Lord! You that fear the Lord, bless the Lord!

21 Blessed be the Lord from Zion, he who resides in Jerusalem. Praise the Lord!

Psalms 135 Commentary

Chapter 135

God to be praised for his mercy. (1-4) For his power and judgments. (5-14) The vanity of idols. (15-21)

Verses 1-4 The subject-matter of praise, is the blessings of grace flowing from the everlasting love of God. The name of God as a covenant God and Father in Christ, blessing us with all spiritual blessings in him, is to be loved and praised. The Lord chose a people to himself, that they might be unto him for a name and a praise. If they do not praise him for this distinguishing favour, they are the most unworthy and ungrateful of all people.

Verses 5-14 God is, and will be always, the same to his church, a gracious, faithful, wonder-working God. And his church is, and will be, the same to him, a thankful, praising people: thus his name endures for ever. He will return in ways of mercy to them, and will delight to do them good.

Verses 15-21 These verses arm believers against idolatry and all false worship, by showing what sort of gods the heathen worshipped. And the more deplorable the condition of the Gentile nations that worship idols, the more are we to be thankful that we know better. Let us pity, and pray for, and seek to benefit benighted heathens and deluded sinners. Let us endeavour to glorify his name, and recommend his truth, not only with our lips, but by holy lives, copying the example of Christ's goodness and truth.

Chapter Summary

INTRODUCTION TO PSALM 135

This psalm was written very probably by the same hand as the former. It begins in much the same manner; it has some likeness with Psalm 113 and 114. It begins and ends with "hallelujah"; and is throughout an exhortation of praise to God, on account of his name, nature, and perfections; and because of his works of creation, providence, and grace, many of which are enumerated. The Syriac interpreter says, there is an intimation in it of the conversion of the people of the Messiah unto the faith.