Psalm 134

Psalm 134 belongs to Book Five of the Psalms. It concludes the fifteen "Songs of Ascents" that begin with Psalm 120. The preceding psalm, Psalm 133, celebrates the unity of brethren and ends by declaring that the LORD commands the blessing in Zion; Psalm 134 closes the pilgrimage songs with the same "blessing of Zion."

Structure

• Verses 1–2: All the servants of the LORD who stand by night in the house of the LORD (the temple) are called to lift up their hands toward the sanctuary and bless the LORD (that is, to praise and exalt Him).
• Verse 3: A prayer that the LORD, who made heaven and earth, will bless "thee" out of Zion.

Key Verses

• Psalm 134:1 "All ye servants of the LORD, which by night stand in the house of the LORD." This shows that temple worship continued not only by day but also at night.
• Psalm 134:3 "The LORD that made heaven and earth bless thee out of Zion." This is a confession that the Creator of the whole world bestows blessing on His people from one particular place, Zion. It uses the same expression as Psalm 124:8.

People and Places

• The LORD: The one who is blessed and praised, and who bestows blessing.
• The servants of the LORD: Those who minister in the temple at night, commonly understood to be the priests and Levites.
• The Temple in Jerusalem: Called "the house of the LORD" and "the sanctuary" in the text.
• Zion: The mountain in Jerusalem on which the temple stood, portrayed as the place from which blessing proceeds.

Points for Reflection

• Interpreters differ on who the "servants" of verse 1 are. One view identifies them as the priests and Levites assigned to duties at night; 1 Chronicles 9:33 records that the Levitical singers were employed in their work day and night. Another view broadens the reference to include all the worshipers gathered at the temple.
• Verses 1–2 address a plural "ye," while verse 3 addresses a singular "thee." For this reason, some interpreters read the psalm as an exchange between pilgrims and temple ministers. On this reading, verses 1–2 are the words of departing pilgrims urging the temple servants to offer praise, and verse 3 is the priest's answering benediction. This interpretation, however, is inferred from the form of the text; the text itself does not state it directly.
• The blessing of verse 3 is often compared with the priestly blessing in Numbers 6:22–27.
• In the New Testament, 1 Timothy 2:8, "I will therefore that men pray every where, lifting up holy hands," is often cited in connection with the image of lifting up hands to bless the LORD.
• In the Western monastic tradition, this psalm is known to have been sung at Compline, the night prayer that closes the day.