Bible Commentary

Expositor's Bible Commentary Psalm 135:1 Praise ye the LORD. Praise ye the name of the LORD; praise him , O ye servants of the LORD. Psalm 135:1-21 LIKE Psalm 97:1-12 ; Psalm 98:1-9 , this is a cento, or piece of mosaic work, apparently intended as a call to worship Jehovah in the Temple. His greatness, as manifested in Nature, and especially in His planting Israel in its inheritance, is set forth as the reason for praise; and the contemptuous contrast of the nothingness of idols is repeated from Psalm 115:1-18 , and followed, as there, by an exhortation to Israel to cleave to Him. We have not here to do with a song which gushed fresh from the singer’s heart, but with echoes of many strains which a devout and meditative soul had made its own. The flowers are arranged in a new bouquet, because the poet had long delighted in their fragrance. The ease with which he blends into a harmonious whole fragments from such diverse sources tells how familiar he was with these, and how well he loved them. Psalm 135:1-4 are an invocation to praise Jehovah, and largely consist of quotations or allusions. Thus Psalm 134:1 underlies Psalm 135:1-2 . But here the reference to nightly praises is omitted, and the summons is addressed not only to those who stand in the house of Jehovah, but to those who stand in its courts. That expansion may mean that the call to worship is here directed to the people as well as to the priests (so in Psalm 135:19 ). Psalm 135:3 closely resembles Psalm 147:1 , but the question of priority may be left undecided. Since the act of praise is said to be "pleasant" in Psalm 147:1 , it is best to refer the same word here to the same thing, and not, as some would do, to the Name, or to take it as an epithet of Jehovah. To a loving soul praise is a delight. The songs which are not winged by the singer’s joy in singing will not rise high. True worship pours out its notes as birds do theirs-in order to express gladness which, unuttered, loads the heart. Psalm 135:4 somewhat passes beyond the bounds of the invocation proper, and anticipates the subsequent part of the psalm. Israel’s prerogative is so great to this singer that it forces utterance at once, though "out of season," as correct critics would say. But the throbs of a grateful heart are not always regular. It is impossible to keep the reasons for praise out of the summons to praise. Psalm 135:4 joyfully and humbly accepts the wonderful title given in Deuteronomy 7:6 . In Psalm 135:5-7 God’s majesty as set forth in Nature is hymned. The psalmist says emphatically in Psalm 135:5 "I-I know," and implies the privilege which he shared, in common with his fellow Israelites (who appear in the "our" of the next clause), of knowing what the heathen did not know-how highly Jehovah was exalted above all their gods. Psalm 135:6 is from Psalm 115:3 , with the expansion of defining the all-inclusive sphere of God’s sovereignty. Heaven, earth, seas, and depths cover all space. The enumeration of the provinces of His dominion prepares for that of the phases of His power in Nature, which is quoted with slight change from Jeremiah 10:13 ; Jeremiah 51:16 . The mysterious might which gathers from some unknown region the filmy clouds which grow, no man knows how, in the clear blue; the power which weds in strange companionship the fire of the lightning flash and the torrents of rain; the controlling hand which urges forth the invisible wind, -these call for praise. But while the psalmist looks on physical phenomena with a devout poet’s eye, he turns from these to expatiate rather on what Jehovah has done for Israel. Psalmists are never weary of drawing confidence and courage for today from the deeds of the Exodus and the Conquest. Psalm 135:8 is copied Exodus 13:15 , and the whole section is saturated with phraseology drawn from Deuteronomy. Psalm 135:13 is from Exodus 3:15 , the narrative of the theophany at the Bush. That Name, proclaimed then as the basis of Moses’ mission and Israel’s hope, is now, after so many centuries and sorrows, the same, and it will endure forever. Psalm 135:14 is from Deuteronomy 32:36 . Jehovah will right His people -i.e., deliver them from oppressors-which is the same thing as "relent concerning His servants," since His wrath was the reason of their subjection to their foes. That judicial deliverance of Israel is at once the sign that His Name, His revealed character, continues the same, unexhausted and unchanged forever, and the reason why the Name shall continue as the object of perpetual adoration and trust. Psalm 135:15-20 are taken bodily from Psalm 115:1-18 , to which the reader is referred. Slight abbreviations and one notable difference occur. In Psalm 135:17 b, " Yea, there is no breath at all in their mouths," takes the place of "A nose is theirs-and they cannot smell." The variation has arisen from the fact that the particle of strong affirmation (yea) is spelt like the noun "nose," and that the word for "breath" resembles the verb "smell." The psalmist plays upon his original, and by his variation makes the expression of the idols’ lifelessness stronger. The final summons to praise, with which the end of the psalm returns to its beginning, is also moulded on Psalm 115:9-11 , with the addition of "the house of Levi" to the three groups mentioned there, and the substitution of a call to "bless" for the original invitation to "trust." Psalm 135:21 looks back to the last verse of the preceding psalm, and significantly modifies it. There, as in Psalm 118:1-29 , Jehovah’s blessing comes out of Zion to His people. Here the people’s blessing in return goes from Zion and rises to Jehovah. They gathered there for worship, and dwelt with Him in His city and Temple. Swift interchange of the God-given blessing, which consists in mercies and gifts of gracious deliverance, and of the human blessing, which consists in thanksgiving and praise, fills the hours of those who dwell with Jehovah, as guests in His house, and walk the streets of the city which He guards and Himself inhabits. The Expositor's Bible Text Courtesy of BibleSupport.com . Used by Permission.

Praise ye the Lord. Psalm 135 The sublime object of worship Homilist. : — I. IN HIS ABSOLUTE GOODNESS (vers. 1-3). He is "good" — essentially, eternally, infinitely, immutably. II. IN HIS RELATIVE KINDNESS (ver. 4). Britain is more favoured than ever Palestine was. It is the land of liberty, Bibles, churches, etc. III. IN HIS TRANSCENDENT SUPREMACY (ver. 5). He is King of all kings, and Lord of all lords. IV. IN HIS SOVEREIGN OPERATIONS (vers. 6-12). 1. In material nature (vers. 6, 7). 2. In human history (vers. 8-12). V. IN HIS ENDLESS EXISTENCE (vers. 13, 14). 1. His character is everlasting. 2. His remembrance is everlasting. 3. His kindness is everlasting. VI. IN HIS UNAPPROACHABLE GREATNESS (vers. 15-18). Idols, what are they to Him? What are the highest objects of the earth to Him? CONCLUSION — Do not the aspects in which the author of this ode presents Jehovah manifest His supreme claim to the hallelujah of all souls? ( Homilist. ) The Lord hath chosen Jacob unto Himself. Psalm 135:4 A strange yet gracious choice : — This is a psalm of praise all through. It is to be sung to the highsounding cymbals. There is not a low note anywhere; it is all robust, exhilarating, joyful. It is "Hallelujah!" from beginning to end; and it did not seem possible to the psalmist that he could omit from it the high jubilant note of election; for if there is anything that makes believers' hearts sing unto the Lord, it is the recollection that He has chosen them, and fixed His love upon them. I. THE CHOICE. 1. Divine. 2. Sovereign — irrespective of character. 3. Most gracious. 4. Very wonderful.When you have told me why He chose Jacob, I shall then try to find out why He chose me; and if I should find that out, probably you will at the same time discover why He chose you. God never acts unreasonably; yet He does not find His reasons for acting in men, but within Himself, in His compassion, in the eternal counsels of His own will. II. THE REASON OR RESULT OF GOD'S CHOICE. 1. That we might know Him. 2. That we might keep His truth alive in the world. 3. To keep up His worship. 4. That He might commune with us. III. THE SEPARATION WHICH GROWS OUT OF THIS CHOICE. He led Israel out into the wilderness that there He might speak to their hearts. He drew them away from men; He made them live solitary and alone, like eagles on the rock, that they might dwell there with Him, and have no strange god among them. Blessed are the people who enjoy this separation; but unhappy are the men and women who talk about election, and yet have never known the separation which stamps their election as being a matter of fact. IV. THEIR ELEVATION. "His peculiar treasure." God's people are everything to Him; there is nothing that you have, that you account rich or rare, that is anything to you in value in comparison with what God's people are to Him. His delight is in them: the pleasure which God has in His people is truly wonderful. ( C. H. Spurgeon . ) I know that the Lord is great. Psalm 135:5 A great God J. H. Evans, M. A. Right views of God lie at the foundation of all right religion. If our views of God are spiritual, scriptural — if they have a sanctifying tendency in our souls — we are right in other things. If we are wrong in this, we are wrong in all things: like the error in the proof-sheet, all goes through wrong. If we are right here, we are at the foundation of all that is right. I. THE GREATNESS OF GOD. God is great. If I look at Him in His being, He is great; if I look at Him in His perfections, He is great; if I look at Him in creation, He is great; if I look at Him in His providence, He is great; if I look at Him in His law, He is great; and still more gloriously does He appear great in the greatness of His Gospel. II. THE CERTAINTY WHICH DAVID SEEMED TO FEEL OF THIS BEING THE TRUTH. "I know" it, he says. There was a special inspiration, I doubt not; but he was led into the school of holy experience; he knew that God was great; and so does every child of God. He knows that He is great in His regenerating grace. Equally great is the work of revealing Christ. He has given you His Son, He has given you His Spirit, He has given you Himself, He has given you His Word, He has given you His promises, He has given you the foretastes of heaven; and He expects from you the very best that you have, to be given up to Him to be His own, because He is a great God. ( J. H. Evans, M. A. ) Whatsoever the Lord pleased, that did He. Psalm 135:6 The activity of God David Thomas, D. D. : — I. God ACTS. He is the great worker, — never resting, never failing, never wearying, — the worker of all workers, the motor in all motions. II. God acts EVERYWHERE. In the heavens He rolls the massive orbs of space; on the earth He maketh the grass to grow and clotheth the earth with verdure. III. God acts FROM and FOR HIMSELF. 1. From Himself. Our activity is often excited and controlled by something external to ourselves. His never. Nothing is extra. No ruling principles or persons, not all the hierarchies of intelligences, nor the rushing forces and forms of universal matter can excite Him. His action is that of absolute spontaneity. He is responsible to no one. 2. For Himself. There is no other reason for His activity but what pleases Him. The chief measure of any moral intelligence is the gratification of His predominant disposition. In God this is love. Hence His pleasure in creating the universe and sustaining it is the diffusion of His own happiness. His pleasure is the pleasure of His creatures; His happiness and theirs are identical. ( David Thomas, D. D. ) The idols... are silver and gold. Psalm 135:16 The gold-god David Thomas, D. D. Idolatry consists in giving to any object, whether animate or inanimate, the work of man's hands, or the work of the Divine hands, the love and worship which belongs to the Supreme Existence. "Thou shalt have no other God but Me." But to have Him means to love Him with all the heart, mind, and strength. The god of the man is the object he most loves. Hence gold is a divinity, and by no means an insignificant one, perhaps the chief. I. The gold-god is the most POPULAR of the gods. It is said that ancient Greece and Rome had not less than thirty thousand divinities, and that in modern heathendom, at present, their name is legion. But throughout this civilized world the gold-god reigns supreme. Tell me, is there aught besides that engrosses so much of human thoughts, human affections, human plans, activities and time, as gold? Civilization everywhere multiplies the shrines, the altars, and the devotees of mammon. II. The gold-god is the most MISCHIEVOUS of the gods. The ponderous wheels of Juggernaut's chariot have crushed millions; Krishna, Moloch and other heathen divinities have tortured and destroyed their devotees, but is there a divinity in the long roll of idolatrous worship more terribly destructive than the gold-god? 1. How soul-debasing! It deadens the sense of virtue, blinds moral perceptions, seals up the social sympathies, manacles the moral faculties, and chains that soul made to wing the immeasurable regions of light and truth to a mere clod of dust. It is a law that the soul can never rise above its god. 2. How peace disturbing! It keeps its devotee in a constant tumult. It breaks the harmony of families, disturbs the order of society, raises nations into war and bloodshed. "Midas," says Carlyle," longed for gold and insulted the Olympians. He got gold so that whatever he touched became gold, and he, with his long ears, was little the better for it. Midas had insulted Apollo and the gods: the gods gave him his wish, and a pair of long ears which also were a good appendage to it. What a truth in these old fables!" ( David Thomas, D. D. ) Blessed be the Lord out of Zion. Psalm 135:21 Thankfulness W. D. Horwood. I. THE PSALMIST'S EXPRESSIONS OF THANKFULNESS. 1. We are taught by the whole of this psalm that these expressions spring from a grateful memory. Everywhere around him he beholds some memorial of the Divine goodness, some landmark of the ancient inheritance of his fathers, some footprint of the Divine mercy and power, which has lingered on from generation to generation, through calms and storms, judgments and blessings. And surely we also can recall the past, with its evidences of God's love and pity. 2. The expressions of thankfulness, observe, are specially appropriate to the Church in her present state of trial. It is "out of Zion" the voice of blessing is to go up to heaven. It is in our gatherings on the Sabbath that the heart is to give free scope to its grateful memories and feelings. The Church of God is still in the wilderness; but though in the wilderness, battling with wrong, and with the visible and invisible enemies of her path, still she is able to raise the anthem — "Blessed be the Lord out of Zion, which dwelleth at Jerusalem." II. THE REASONABLENESS OF THIS THANKFULNESS. 1. This might be urged from the Divine Presence of "the Lord, which dwelleth at Jerusalem." It was the fact of this recognized Presence, this "Shield," this "Refuge," this "Strength," which gave the deep, full impulse to the thankfulness of the Jewish heart; so should it act with us. There is no comfort so great and so lasting to a right. minded Christian man as the consciousness of the Almighty Presence. 2. The reasonableness of thanksgiving arises, too, not only from a sense of duty, and of manifold blessings bestowed from day to day, but also from the gracious truth that God's dwelling is to be found on earth; that He has not deserted it, nor given it over to destruction. And the fact that this meaning is conveyed to us by the naming of Jerusalem is very certain. Thus we are not directed to look for the Divine Presence out of our own spheres of existence, far away beyond the limits of our comprehension, but to look for it at our very doors, even within our own hearts. Is not this a cause of thankfulness? 3. In the fact of God's dwelling at Jerusalem we find another reason for thankfulness in the form of His dwelling, namely, the symbol of "the Shekinah," the visible glory between "the wings of the cherubim overshadowing the mercy-seat." Thus, in the presence of Christ, our God and Saviour, we have a protection, a shelter, and a security against danger. ( W. D. Horwood. ).

135:1-4 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. 135:5-14 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. 135:15-21 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.