Psalms 135:1

“Praise ye the Lord, etc.] Or hallelujah; which may be considered as the title of the psalm; as in the Targum, Septuagint, Vulgate Latin, Ethiopic, and Arabic versions: praise ye the name of the Lord; that is, the Lord himself, and the perfections of his nature; his greatness, goodness, grace, and mercy; his holiness, justice, power, truth, and faithfulness; and also his word, by which he makes known himself, and is a distinguishing blessing to his people, and to be praised for it; (see <194801>Psalm 48:1 147:19,20); praise [him], O ye servants of the Lord; priests and Levites, and ministers of the word, and all the people of God; who once were the servants of sin, Satan, and the world, but…”

“This Psalm records the mourning of the captive Israelites, and a prayer and prediction respecting the destruction of their enemies. (Psa 137:1-9) rivers of Babylon--the name of the city used for the whole country. remembered Zion--or, Jerusalem, as in Psa 132:13.”

“Praise ye the Lord - Hebrew, Hallelu-jah. Literally, “Praise Jah,” an abridged name for Yahweh. See the notes at Psalms 68:4. Praise ye the name of the Lord - The same as praising God himself. Praise him, O ye servants of the Lord - You who are especially designated or appointed to this service, Psalms 134:1. return to 'Top of Page'”

“Ps 135 God, the Creator and the Lord of history, “made heaven and earth” (134:3). He deserves praise because, unlike idols, he redeems his people.”

“am 3000, bc 1004 (Title), Bp. Patrick supposes this to be the morning hymn which the precentor called upon the Levites to sing at the opening of the gates of the temple, as the foregoing was sung at the shutting in the evening; but it is more probable that it was composed by Solomon, to be sung at the dedication of the temple. Praise ye the Lord: Psa 33:1, Psa 33:2, Psa 96:1-4, Psa 106:1, Psa 107:8, Psa 107:15, Psa 111:1, Psa 112:1, Psa 113:1, Psa 117:1, Psa 117:2, Psa 150:6 Praise ye the name: Psa 7:17, Psa 102:21, Psa 113:2, Psa 113:3, Psa 148:13; Exo 34:5-7; Neh 9:5 O ye servants: Psa 113:1, Psa 134:1, Psa 149:1-3 Psalms 135:2”

“The beginning is taken from Psa 134:1; Psa 135:2 recalls Psa 116:19 (cf. Psa 92:14); and Psa 135:4 is an echo of Deu 7:6. The servants of Jahve to whom the summons is addressed, are not, as in Psa 134:1., His official servants in particular, but according to Psa 135:2, where the courts, in the plural, are allotted to them as their standing-place, and according to Psa 135:19-20, those who fear Him as a body. The threefold Jahve at the beginning is then repeated in Jāh (הללוּ־יהּ, cf. note 1 to Ps Psa 104:35), Jahve, and Jāh. The subject of כּי נעים is by no means Jahve (Hupfeld), whom they did not dare to call נעים in the Old Testament, but either the Name, according to Ps 54:8 (Luther,…”