Psalm 150

Psalm 150 is the final psalm of the Book of Psalms. The five psalms beginning with Psalm 146 all open and close with "Hallelujah," and Psalm 150 is the last of them. The preceding psalm, Psalm 149, called for praise with a new song, with dance, and with the timbrel. Psalm 150 extends this call to heaven and earth and to everything that has breath.

Structure

• Verse 1 opens with Hallelujah and calls for God to be praised in his sanctuary and in the firmament of his power. It names the place of praise.
• Verse 2 calls for God to be praised for his mighty acts and his excellent greatness. It names the reason for praise.
• Verses 3–5 call for praise with the trumpet, the psaltery and harp, the timbrel and dance, stringed instruments and organs, the loud cymbals, and the high sounding cymbals. They name the means of praise.
• Verse 6 calls on everything that has breath to praise the LORD and closes with Hallelujah. It names who is to give praise.

Key Verses

• Psalm 150:1 "Praise God in his sanctuary": By setting the earthly sanctuary alongside the heavens (the firmament), the verse portrays the whole world as the place of praise.
• Psalm 150:4 "Praise him with the timbrel and dance": This verse is frequently cited in discussions of praise offered with instruments and with the body.
• Psalm 150:6 "Let every thing that hath breath praise the LORD": This is the final call that concludes the entire Psalter.

People and Places

• The LORD: The one who receives praise. Verse 1 refers to him as "God," and verse 6 as "the LORD."
• The sanctuary: The holy place where God is worshiped. Some interpreters understand it as the Temple in Jerusalem, while others understand it as the heavenly sanctuary.
• The firmament: A term referring to the heavens. It is the same word used for the firmament in Genesis 1.

Points for Reflection

• The Psalter is divided into five books. Each book ends with a doxology, a brief ascription of glory to God (Psalm 41:13; 72:18–19; 89:52; 106:48). Psalm 150 is read as the doxology that closes both Book Five and the Psalter as a whole.
• Interpretations of the list of instruments differ. Many churches take this psalm as a basis for using instruments and dance in worship. Some traditions, however, regard instruments as an Old Testament ordinance tied to temple sacrifice, and therefore either do not use instruments or restrict their use in the worship of the New Testament church. The a cappella tradition of the Churches of Christ and the psalm-singing tradition of some Reformed and Presbyterian churches fall into this category. For details, see the worship music controversy.
• The Septuagint contains an additional psalm, Psalm 151, which the Eastern Orthodox Church includes in its Bible. Protestant and Catholic Bibles end with Psalm 150.
• In the New Testament, "Hallelujah" appears only in the heavenly praise of Revelation 19. Revelation 5 depicts every creature praising God and the Lamb and is read in connection with verse 6. Paul's reference to "psalms and hymns and spiritual songs" (Colossians 3:16) is also linked to the tradition of praise through the Psalms.

In the Korean Church

• The psalm is frequently read as a call to worship, at praise gatherings, and in services in which choirs and praise teams take part.
• It is commonly cited as a biblical basis for playing instruments in worship and for praise ministry.