Psalm 146

Psalm 146 stands near the end of Book Five of the Psalms and is the first of the closing group of praise psalms, Psalms 146–150. All five begin and end with Hallelujah. The preceding Psalm 145 ends with "let all flesh bless his holy name for ever and ever," and Psalm 146 takes up that praise, opening with the psalmist's own resolve.

Structure

• Verses 1–2 The psalmist calls on his own soul to praise the LORD and vows to sing praises to Him as long as he lives.
• Verses 3–4 He urges the reader not to trust in princes (officials and nobles) or in any human being. When a person's breath goes forth, he returns to the earth, and on that very day his thoughts (his plans) perish.
• Verses 5–9 He declares blessed the one who has the God of Jacob for his help. He then lists the works of the LORD: He made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them; He keeps truth forever; He executes judgment for the oppressed and gives food to the hungry; He sets the prisoners free and opens the eyes of the blind. He raises up those who are bowed down (bent over and brought low) and loves the righteous; He preserves the strangers (sojourners), upholds the fatherless and the widow, and turns the way of the wicked upside down.
• Verse 10 Addressing Zion, the psalmist proclaims that the LORD shall reign forever, unto all generations, and closes with Hallelujah.

Key Verses

• Psalm 146:3 "Put not your trust in princes…" A representative verse on the limits of trusting in human beings, including those in power.
• Psalm 146:5 "Happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help…" The central declaration of the psalm.
• Psalm 146:10 "The LORD shall reign for ever, even thy God, O Zion, unto all generations." This verse concludes the psalm with a confession of God's kingship.

People and Places

• Jacob: The ancestor of Israel. "The God of Jacob" refers to the God who made a covenant with the people of Israel.
• Zion: A poetic name for Jerusalem and its people.

Points for Reflection

• The phrase "he returneth to his earth" in verse 4 reflects the same idea as Genesis 3:17–19.
• The Hebrew text has no superscription. Some manuscripts of the Septuagint are reported to attach the names of Haggai and Zechariah to this psalm and several of those that follow, but the text itself does not identify an author.
• Jewish tradition includes the recitation of Psalms 145–150 in the morning prayers.
• The psalm has several connections with the New Testament. The phrase "which made heaven, and earth, the sea, and all that therein is" in verse 6 appears in similar form in the prayer of Acts 4:24 and the sermon of Acts 14:15. The release of prisoners and the opening of the eyes of the blind in verses 7–8 overlap in content with Isaiah 61:1–3 and with Luke 7:22, where Jesus describes His own ministry. For this reason, Christian interpreters sometimes read this passage in connection with the ministry of Jesus.