Psalm 135

Psalm 135 belongs to Book Five of the Psalms (Psalms 107–150). The preceding psalm, Psalm 134, closes with a call to the "servants of the LORD" who stand "in the house of the LORD," and this psalm opens with the same call. It both begins and ends with Hallelujah (meaning "Praise the LORD").

Structure

• Verses 1–4 The servants who stand in the courts of the house of the LORD (the temple courts) are called to praise him, because the LORD has chosen Jacob, that is, Israel, as his own special possession.
• Verses 5–7 The LORD is above all gods. He does whatever he pleases in heaven, on earth, and in the seas, and he brings forth the vapors, the lightning, and the wind.
• Verses 8–12 The LORD struck the firstborn of Egypt, both of man and of beast, and sent signs and wonders upon Pharaoh and all his servants. He struck down Sihon king of the Amorites, Og king of Bashan, and the kings of Canaan, and gave their land to Israel as a heritage (a portion to inherit).
• Verses 13–14 The name of the LORD endures forever. The LORD judges his people and has compassion on his servants.
• Verses 15–18 The idols of the nations are silver and gold, the work of human hands. Though they have mouths, eyes, and ears, they cannot speak, see, or hear, and there is no breath in their mouths. Those who make them and all who trust in them become like them.
• Verses 19–21 The psalm calls on the house of Israel, the house of Aaron, the house of Levi, and all who fear the LORD to bless him, and it closes by declaring that the LORD is to be blessed out of Zion.

Key Verses

• Psalm 135:3 "For the LORD is good: sing praises unto his name; for it is pleasant." This verse grounds the call to praise in the character of God.
• Psalm 135:6 "Whatsoever the LORD pleased, that did he in heaven, and in earth, in the seas, and all deep places." This verse confesses God's sovereignty over the whole of creation.
• Psalm 135:15 "The idols of the heathen are silver and gold, the work of men's hands." This verse expresses the psalm's central contrast between the living God and lifeless idols.

People and Places

• Jacob: Used as a name for the whole people of Israel.
• Pharaoh and Egypt: The king and the nation that suffered the plagues at the time of the Exodus.
• Sihon: King of the Amorites east of the Jordan, who was defeated by Israel.
• Og: King of Bashan, a region east of the Jordan, who was likewise defeated by Israel.
• Canaan: The land Israel received as its heritage.
• The house of Aaron and the house of Levi: The priests and Levites who served in the temple.
• Jerusalem and Zion: The place where the LORD dwells and receives praise.

Points for Reflection

• Verses 15–18 are nearly identical to Psalm 115:4–8, and the account of Sihon and Og in verses 10–12 reappears in the next psalm, Psalm 136. Many interpreters regard Psalm 135 as a hymn woven together from expressions found in other texts.
• Interpretations differ regarding the phrase "above all gods" in verse 5. One view holds that it does not acknowledge the actual existence of other gods but is a comparison that follows the conventional language of the time. Another view holds that the phrase must be read in light of verses 15–18, which dismiss idols as worthless.
• Verse 14 is identical to Deuteronomy 32:36 and is quoted in Hebrews 10:26–31. The "special possession" of verse 4 echoes Exodus 19:5–6.
• The confession that an idol is nothing appears again in 1 Corinthians 8:4–6.
• In Judaism, this psalm is reportedly recited together with Psalm 136 during the Sabbath morning prayers.