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Psalm 134

Psalm 134^[a]

Invitation to Night Prayer

¹A song of ascents.

Come forth to bless the Lord,
    all you servants of the Lord,^[b]
who minister throughout the night
    in the house of the Lord.
²Lift up your hands toward^[c] the sanctuary
    and bless the Lord.
³May the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth,
    bless you from Zion.^[d]

Footnotes

Psalm 134:1 As the pilgrims leave the temple and invite the priests to keep up their praise during the night, the latter direct to them a blessing that brings to a close the Songs of Ascents, the Pilgrim’s Psalter, just as Ps 117 concludes the collection of Alleluia (or Hallelujah) Psalms (Pss 111–117).
This psalm should remind us that Jesus spent whole nights in prayer (see Lk 6:12) and that he urged the disciples to pray always and not lose heart (see Lk 18:1), a point reiterated by Paul in his first Letter: “Pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances” (1 Thes 5:17f). Hence, this dialogued hymn can be exchanged between Christians on earth: those who are often taken away from divine praise by their earthly duties should ask those who are better prepared for this (priests and religious) to assure in their name the work of praise that is so necessary.
Psalm 134:1 The psalmist calls upon the priests and Levites to lead the people in worship. These are the servants of the Lord who minister (literally, “stand”) in the house of the Lord. The priestly and Levitical ministry is often designated by the verb “stand” (see Ps 135:2; Deut 10:8), and they offered up musical praise to the Lord both day and night (see 1 Chr 9:33; 23:26, 30).
Psalm 134:2 The priests and Levites also prayed with hands lifted up (see Ps 28:2; 1 Tim 2:8) toward the sanctuary (see 1 Ki 8:30).
Psalm 134:3 The words of this verse recall the words spoken by the priests when blessing (see Num 6:24f). The blessing follows the people wherever they may go or live, because it comes from the Maker of heaven and earth, i.e., the Great King of the universe (see Ps 121:2). Yet, like God’s commandments, the blessing is not “beyond reach,” not “in heaven,” nor “beyond the sea,” but “very near” (see Deut 30:11-14; Rom 10:6ff)—from Zion. And it is the true Mount Zion, the heavenly Jerusalem, where Jesus the “mediator of a new covenant” reigns in the midst of his people (see Heb 12:22-24).

Psalm 146-150

The Concluding Hallel—Pss 146–150^[a]

Psalm 146^[b]

Trust in God, Creator and Redeemer

¹^[c]Alleluia.

Praise the Lord, O my soul.^[d]
²    I will praise the Lord as long as I live;
    I will sing praise to my God throughout my life.^[e]
³Do not place your trust in princes,
    in mortal men who have no power to save.
⁴When the spirit departs, they return to the earth;
    on that very day all their plans come to naught.^[f]
⁵^[g]Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob,^[h]
    whose hope is in the Lord, his God,
⁶the Maker of heaven and earth,^[i]
    the sea, and everything in them—
    the one who keeps faith forever.
⁷He grants justice to the oppressed^[j]
    and gives bread to the hungry.
The Lord releases prisoners
⁸    and opens the eyes of those who cannot see.^[k]
The Lord lifts up those who are bowed down;
    the Lord loves the righteous.
⁹The Lord watches over the stranger
    and sustains the fatherless and the widow,^[l]
    but he blocks the way of the wicked.
¹⁰The Lord will reign forever,^[m]
    your God, O Zion, for all generations.
Alleluia.

Psalm 147^[n]

Hymn to the City of God

¹^[o]Alleluia.

How good it is to sing praises to our God;
    how pleasant it is to give him fitting praise.^[p]
²The Lord restores Jerusalem
    and gathers together the dispersed people of Israel.^[q]
³He heals the brokenhearted
    and bandages their wounds.^[r]
⁴He fixes the number of the stars
    and assigns a name to each.^[s]
⁵Great is our Lord and awesome in power;
    his wisdom is without limit.^[t]
⁶The Lord sustains the poor
    but humbles the wicked in the dust.^[u]
⁷^[v]Offer songs of thanksgiving to the Lord;
    play the lyre in honor of our God.
⁸He veils the heavens with clouds,
    supplies the earth with rain,
    and makes the hills sprout with grass.^[w]
⁹He provides food for the animals
    and for the young ravens when they call.^[x]
¹⁰^[y]He takes no pleasure in the strength of the horse,
    or delight in the fleetness of a runner.
¹¹The Lord takes pleasure in those who fear him,
    those who place their hope in his kindness.
¹²^[z]Praise the Lord, O Jerusalem!
    Glorify your God, O Zion!
¹³For he strengthens the bars of your gates
    and blesses your children within you.^[aa]
¹⁴He brings peace to your borders
    and fills you with the finest of wheat.^[ab]
¹⁵He sends a command to the earth;
    his word runs with utmost speed.
¹⁶He gives the snow like wool
    and scatters the frost like ashes.^[ac]
¹⁷He hurls down his hail like crumbs;
    who can withstand his cold?^[ad]
¹⁸He sends his word, and the ice melts;
    he stirs up his breezes, and the waters flow.
¹⁹^[ae]He has revealed his word to Jacob,
    his decrees and his judgments to Israel.
²⁰He has not done this for the other nations;
    they are not aware of his judgments.
Alleluia.

Psalm 148^[af]

Song of the Universe

¹^[ag]Alleluia.

Praise the Lord from the heavens;
    offer praise to him in the heights!
²Praise him, all his angels;
    offer praise to him, all his hosts!^[ah]
³Praise him, sun and moon;
    offer praise to him, all you shining stars!
⁴Praise him, you highest heavens,^[ai]
    and you waters above the heavens.
⁵Let them praise the name^[aj] of the Lord,
    for it was at his command that they were created.
⁶He established them in place forever and ever;
    he issued a law that will never pass away.^[ak]
⁷^[al]Praise the Lord from the earth,
    you sea monsters and ocean depths,
⁸fire and hail, snow and clouds,
    storm winds that carry out his word,^[am]
⁹all mountains and hills,
    all fruit trees and cedars,
¹⁰wild animals and all cattle,
    creeping creatures and flying birds,^[an]
¹¹kings of the earth and all nations,
    princes and all rulers on the earth,
¹²young men and women,
    the elderly, as well as children.^[ao]
¹³^[ap]Let them all praise the name of the Lord,
    for his name alone is exalted;
    his majesty is above the earth and the heavens.^[aq]
¹⁴He has raised high a horn^[ar] for his people,
    to the glory of all his saints,
    for the people of Israel who are close to him.
Alleluia.

Psalm 149^[as]

Glorification of God, Lord and Creator

¹^[at]Alleluia.

Sing to the Lord a new song,^[au]
    his praise in the assembly of the saints.
²Let Israel rejoice in its Maker;
    let the children of Zion rejoice in their King.
³Let them praise his name^[av] with dancing
    and make music to him with tambourine and lyre.
⁴For the Lord takes delight in his people,
    and he crowns the humble with salvation.^[aw]
⁵Let the saints exult in their glory
    and sing for joy on their beds.^[ax]
⁶^[ay]May the praises of God be on their lips
    and a double-edged sword in their hands^[az]
⁷to wreak vengeance^[ba] on the nations
    and punishment on the peoples,
⁸to shackle their kings with chains
    and their nobles with iron fetters,
⁹to execute the judgments decreed against them:
    such is the glory for all his saints.^[bb]
Alleluia.

Psalm 150^[bc]

Harmonious Praise of God

¹Alleluia.

Praise God in his sanctuary;
    praise him in the firmament of his power.^[bd]
²Praise him for his awesome acts,^[be]
    praise him for his immeasurable greatness.
³^[bf]Praise him with the sound of the trumpet,
    praise him with the harp and lyre.
⁴Praise him with tambourines and dancing,
    praise him with strings and flutes.
⁵Praise him with clanging cymbals,
    praise him with crashing cymbals.
⁶Let everything that breathes
    offer praise to the Lord.
Alleluia.^[bg]

Footnotes

Psalm 146:1 The Concluding Hallel (see notes on Pss 113–118). After all the prayers and praises of the Psalter, we are now at the end; all the instruments of creation and all the voices of human beings enter into a great chorus, a symphony destined never to end. The Psalms are a foretaste of and prelude to the acclamations of eternity.
Psalm 146:1 The long procession of the unhappy and the persecuted has wound its way through the Psalter, endlessly repeating their supplications. This time, their prayer takes the form of a hymn of happiness and security. How uncertain is the help of the mighty! God alone truly frees us of every anxiety.
Inaugurating the third Hallel and composed of reminiscences, this hymn sings of what the Prophets promised (see Isa 29:18f; 49:9; 61:1), promises whose fulfillment Jesus proclaims (see Lk 4:16-21). “The blind receive their sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised to life, and the poor have the good news proclaimed to them” (Mt 11:5)—such is the kingdom that comes; it inaugurates a new time, that of peace. Accordingly, like the next four psalms, it is framed with “Alleluia” or “Hallelujah” (“Praise [or bless] the Lord”).
We can pray this psalm in honor of the heavenly Father but also in honor of Christ “[whom] God exalted . . . at his right hand as leader and Savior so that he might grant repentance and forgiveness of sins to Israel” (Acts 5:31).
Psalm 146:1 The psalmist calls upon his people to praise and trust the Lord, for human beings are unable to provide salvation owing to their mortality.
Psalm 146:1 The Septuagint and Vulgate attribute this psalm to the prophets Haggai and Zechariah. Soul: see note on Ps 6:4.
Psalm 146:2 Life is for the purpose of praising the Lord (see Pss 103:1; 104:33).
Psalm 146:4 See Pss 90:3; 104:29; Eccl 9:5; 12:7; Isa 2:22.
Psalm 146:5 The psalmist identifies this Lord as the God of Jacob, the Covenant God who is Creator and Lord over all, Sustainer and Provider, the Righteous One who dispenses justice to both the godly and the wicked, and the Great King who reigns forever.
Psalm 146:5 See Ps 2:12; Deut 33:29; Jer 17:7. God of Jacob: the God of Zion (see note on v. 10 below), whose kingship is established (see Pss 47:8; 48:2), and who blesses those who trust in him (see Ps 84:13).
Psalm 146:6 The Lord is faithful, using his power to control creation, including the unruly sea, and to bless his creatures (see Ps 107:8f) with his kindness (see note on Ps 6:5). Maker of heaven and earth: see Pss 121:2 and note; 124:8; Ex 20:11; Jer 32:17; Acts 14:15.
Psalm 146:7 He grants justice to the oppressed: see Ps 103:6; Deut 7:9. The Lord releases prisoners: see Ps 68:7; Isa 49:9; 61:1.
Psalm 146:8 Opens the eyes of those who cannot see: see Isa 35:5; Bar 6:36; Mt 9:30; Jn 9:1ff; Acts 26:18. Lifts up those . . . bowed down: see Ps 145:14; Lk 13:12.
Psalm 146:9 Watches over the stranger . . . the fatherless and the widow: see Ps 68:6; Ex 22:21. Blocks the way of the wicked: see Pss 11:6; 147:6; Job 5:12.
Psalm 146:10 The Lord is the Great King who has promised to dwell with his people and to deliver them (see Pss 29:10; 132:13-15; Ex 15:17). The Lord will reign forever: see Ps 145:13; Ex 15:18.
Psalm 147:1 Three times the psalmist sounds the invitation to praise, and three times he acclaims the almighty God. Immense is his power deployed throughout the universe, and without measure is his benevolence for his people. He rebuilds Jerusalem, leads captives back to freedom, and reveals his law. Yet the author of wonders in nature and the liberator of his people is a God who takes pleasure in the lowly. “He will wipe every tear from their eyes” (Rev 21:4)—such will be the grace of the Almighty in the new Jerusalem (see Isa 60; 62).
In the Septuagint and Vulgate, this psalm is divided into two (147:1-11 = Ps 146; 147:12-20 = Ps 147) and attributed to the prophets Haggai and Zechariah. It contains many reminiscences of Isaiah, Job, and Psalms.
We can pray this psalm while keeping in mind that the restoration of Jerusalem and Israel after the disaster of 587 B.C. and the Babylonian Captivity constitutes a wonderful work of God. However, it is only a pale image of a more beautiful work of restoration that the heavenly Father accomplishes through Christ in building his Church.
Psalm 147:1 The psalmist enumerates the reasons why it is good to praise the Lord: the restoration that he has worked for his people in accord with his word by rebuilding Jerusalem and bringing back the exiles; his concern for all creation; and his redemption, i.e., the vindication of his people.
Psalm 147:1 See Ps 92:2 and note on Ps 135:3.
Psalm 147:2 See Deut 30:3f; Isa 11:12; 56:8; Jer 31:10; Dan 9:25.
Psalm 147:3 See Job 5:18; Isa 30:26; 61:1; Jer 33:6; Ezek 34:16. Brokenhearted: e.g., those in exile (see Ps 137) and those who returned from exile and attempted to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem (see Neh 2:17-20; 4:1-17).
Psalm 147:4 See Gen 15:5; Isa 40:26; Bar 3:34f. In this connection, scholars cite the Wisdom of Ahiqar (VIII, 116): “Numerous are the stars of heaven, and no one knows their names.”
Psalm 147:5 See Ps 48:2; Job 36:22, 26; Isa 40:28; Jer 51:15.
Psalm 147:6 See Pss 37:9-10; 145:20; 146:9; 1 Sam 2:7f; Job 5:11; Lk 1:52.
Psalm 147:7 God is owed praise because he is the Great King over his creation, sustaining all that he has made, both the creatures in the heavens and the creatures on earth. He wants people to trust in him rather than in themselves.
Psalm 147:8 See Pss 104:10-14, 27f; Job 5:9f; Jer 14:22; Joel 2:23.
Psalm 147:9 See Job 38:41; Mt 6:26. When they call: the Lord feeds the birds, especially the ravens, whose cawing resembles a call for food (see Mt 6:26-30).
Psalm 147:10 Arrogant reliance on one’s own natural ability is both futile (see Am 2:14f) and displeasing to God, who comes to the aid of those who trust only in him (see Pss 20:8f; 33:16-18; Eccl 9:11; Mal 3:16f). Kindness: see note on Ps 6:5.
Psalm 147:12 The psalmist stresses that God is to be praised because he has brought about restoration, security, peace, and prosperity, for he alone commands the forces of nature.
Psalm 147:13 See Pss 48:14; 128:5; Isa 65:18f; Jer 33:10f.
Psalm 147:14 See Ps 81:17 and note; Lev 26:6.
Psalm 147:16 See Job 37:6, 10.
Psalm 147:17 See Job 6:16; 37:10; 38:22.
Psalm 147:19 Finally, God is to be praised because he has given his people his word of revelation, making known his saving plan (see Ps 50:16f; Deut 33:3f; Neh 8; Eph 3:10f), which he has done for no other people (see Deut 4:7f; Acts 14:16).
Psalm 148:1 The exiles have returned home, the temple has been rebuilt, and its precincts have been restored. God has reestablished the people he loves. What a testament to his glory (vv. 13-14). Joy invades all hearts and expands to worldwide dimensions. The whole universe and all earthly creatures are invited to praise the Lord, the Creator and Redeemer. This theme also permeates the next two psalms, forming the conclusion and the synthesis of the Psalter.
We can pray this psalm to exhort all creation, both animate and inanimate, to praise the Triune God not only as the Creator but also as the Savior and Sanctifier. For although all creation is presently subject to vanity, it hopes to be freed from corruption so as to enter into the freedom of God’s children, when God will transform the universe with a new heaven and a new earth (see Rom 8:19-22; Rev 21:1-5). May the angels and saints of heaven do likewise.
Psalm 148:1 The psalmist calls upon all creatures in the heavens to praise the Lord because of his creative and redeeming acts.
Psalm 148:2 See Ps 103:20f; Job 38:7.
Psalm 148:4 See Gen 1:6f; 1 Ki 8:27; 2 Cor 12:2; Eph 4:10. Highest heavens: literally, “the heavens of the heavens,” i.e., the space above the “expanse,” which separated the “waters above” from the “waters below” (see Ps 104:3, 13; Gen 1:6f).
Psalm 148:5 Name: see note on Ps 5:12.
Psalm 148:6 See Jer 31:35f.
Psalm 148:7 The psalmist now calls upon all creatures on earth to praise the Lord: sea creatures, depths, the powers of nature, mountains and hills, fruit trees and the cedars, animals and birds, and finally all human beings, including the powerful as well as the young and old.
Psalm 148:8 Carry out his word: i.e., “do his bidding” (see Ps 147:15).
Psalm 148:10 See Gen 1:21, 24f; Isa 43:20.
Psalm 148:12 See Jer 31:13.
Psalm 148:13 The psalmist gives the reasons behind the praise: God is the exalted Ruler, who is not subject to the limitations of the earth or the heavens, and he has unique concern for his people, i.e., those devoted to him, his saints.
Psalm 148:13 See Pss 108:5; 113:2-4.
Psalm 148:14 Horn: i.e., the Lord’s anointed (see note on Ps 18:3; see also Ps 2:2); it may also refer to the strength and power of God’s people (see Ps 92:11; 1 Sam 2:1; Jer 48:25; Lam 2:17). Saints: see notes on Pss 4:3; 34:10.
Psalm 149:1 The spiritual elite of God’s people rebuilt the walls of Jerusalem, weapons at the ready (see Neh 4:11); they put up an unyielding resistance to the persecution of Antiochus IV Epiphanes (see 1 Mac; 2 Mac). They were conscious of defending the rights of God and the right to worship him. This was their glory: Israel was the sword of God against the advance of blasphemous and wicked forces (see Zec 9:13-16). But the images of war foretell victories, those of God’s elect over the forces of evil at the time of the Messiah. The seer of the Book of Revelation will also describe great battles in heaven (see Rev 11:14).
We can pray this psalm for the Church, the new People of God, enduring in this world an ever-difficult existence, an ever-renascent war. She scores blows and gains victories against her spiritual enemies, but never decisive ones. Happily, it is Christ who leads her and animates her in battle in order to ensure victory for her and renew her fervor (see Mt 16:18; 28:20).
Psalm 149:1 The psalmist calls on the people to sing a new song in view of the restoration and the eschatological expectation of the Lord’s complete victory over evil (see Isa 61:2ff; Rev 14:3). The object of praise is the Maker and King of his people, and the devout among them are the beneficiaries of his mighty acts.
Psalm 149:1 New song: see note on Ps 33:3. Saints: see notes on Pss 4:3; 34:10.
Psalm 149:3 Name: see note on Ps 5:12. Dancing: which formed part of the liturgy (see Pss 87:7; 150:4; Ex 15:20; 2 Sam 6:14; Jer 31:4).
Psalm 149:4 See Ps 73:1; 1 Sam 2:8; Isa 49:13; 61:9; 62:4f.
Psalm 149:5 Beds: the beds, which had before been soaked with tears, share in the Lord’s deliverance (see Pss 4:5; 6:7; 63:7; Hos 7:14). Some take “beds” as “couches” used in worship or at banquets.
Psalm 149:6 The psalmist envisages the eschatological future (see Isa 61:2ff) and presents God’s people as the instruments of the divine vindication (see Zec 9:13-16). The Lord will grant victory to his people, as he did to Nehemiah and his men (see Neh 4:10-12), which will be their glory.
Psalm 149:6 The godly will become the sword of the Lord (see Jdg 3:16; Prov 5:4; Zec 9:13). Some interpret this verse as saying that the praise of God is a fearsome but peaceful weapon in the hands of the godly (see 2 Chr 20:17ff).
Psalm 149:7 Vengeance: see notes on Pss 5:11; 35. The new People of God depends on the “sword of the Spirit” to combat the powers of evil (see 2 Cor 6:7; 10:4; Eph 6:12, 17; Heb 4:12) and will obtain complete victory only at the Last Judgment (see 1 Cor 6:2f).
Psalm 149:9 Allusion to the prophecies against the nations, announcing their final defeat by Israel (see Ps 139:16 and note; Ezek 25:14; 39:10; Joel 4:2; Mic 4:13; Zec 10:5; 12:6; 14:3, 12ff).
Psalm 150:1 In the same manner in which our “Glory be to the Father” concludes the recitation of our psalms, this doxological psalm concludes the Psalter on an urgent invitation to praise (see the conclusions to the first four Books: Pss 41:14; 72:18f; 89:53; 106:48). May every living creature praise the Lord everywhere, on the part of everyone, and by every means. The word “Alleluia” or “Hallelujah” (translated as “Praise [or bless] the Lord” or “Praise [or bless] him”) echoes thirteen times in this psalm. The Psalter could not end on a richer or more powerful note. Everything leads to the immensity of God’s glory (see Rev 15:3-4; 19:4-8). “Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, saying: ‘To the One seated on the throne / and to the Lamb / be blessing and honor and glory and might / forever and ever!’. . . Amen!” (Rev 5:13f).
We should heed this recommendation and carry it out, for we Christians are more aware than the psalmist of the work of God and Christ in the world and in us. Christ is enthroned in the highest heavens, his own sanctuary, but he is present and active in the heart of every creature, giving to each existence, motion, and life, as the case may be. He is in the heart of the whole world, directing its march in the material, living, human, and spiritual spheres and realizing his greatest victory in the last—the construction of the Church, his Body, his spiritual Spouse.
Psalm 150:1 God is to be praised in his sanctuary on earth and his sanctuary in heaven (see Ps 8:3). The Church of the New Covenant has the mission to glorify God in the world, and her members must gather in the house of God in order to carry out this mission. Firmament of his power: this is also translated as “mighty heavens,” which ensures the well-being of those on earth.
Psalm 150:2 God is to be praised because of his creating and redeeming awesome acts (see Pss 106:2; 145:4, 12), which reveal his greatness (see Pss 145:3; 147:5; 1 Chr 29:11).
Psalm 150:3 God is to be praised with a full orchestra (with trumpet, harp, lyre, and tambourine) and with dance in a liturgy of praise that will reach as high as the heavens.
Psalm 150:6 God is to be praised by everyone and everything endowed with life by the Creator (see Pss 103:22; 148:7-12; Rev 5:13). By doing so, Christians will be following the “way” of the Lord, with which the Psalter began (see Ps 1:2), a way that leads to eternal life.

New Catholic Bible (NCB)

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Chronological

Psalm 134[a]

Invitation to Night Prayer

Footnotes

The Concluding Hallel—Pss 146–150[a]

Psalm 146[b]

Trust in God, Creator and Redeemer

Psalm 147[n]

Hymn to the City of God

Psalm 148[af]

Song of the Universe

Psalm 149[as]

Glorification of God, Lord and Creator

Psalm 150[bc]

Harmonious Praise of God

Footnotes

Psalm 134^[a]

The Concluding Hallel—Pss 146–150^[a]

Psalm 146^[b]

Psalm 147^[n]

Psalm 148^[af]

Psalm 149^[as]

Psalm 150^[bc]