Psalms 134

The final Ascents psalm opens with call to worship: 'Behold, bless ye the LORD, all ye servants of the LORD, which by night stand in the house of the LORD.' The word 'behold' calls attention to what follows. The imperative 'bless ye the LORD' commands worship - not God blessing people but people blessing God, meaning to praise, honor, exalt. The audience 'all ye servants of the LORD' includes all ...

(1) **All ye servants.—**We learn from 1Chronicles 9:33 that there were Levites whose duties brought them to the Temple by night. Moreover, the word *‘āmad, *“stand,” is the customary word for sacerdotal service (Deuteronomy 10:8; Deuteronomy 18:7; 1Chronicles 23:30, &c).

**20-22. do his commandments ... word--**or, literally, "so as to hearken," &c., that is, their acts of obedience are prompt, so that they are ever ready to hear, and know, and follow implicitly His declared will (compare De 26:17; Lu 1:19).

The call specifies worship's form: 'Lift up your hands in the sanctuary, and bless the LORD.' The command 'lift up your hands' describes physical posture in prayer and worship. Raised hands expressed dependence, surrender, appeal, and praise (Psalm 28:2; 63:4; 141:2; 143:6; Lamentations 2:19; 1 Timothy 2:8). The location 'in the sanctuary' (qodesh) means the holy place, the temple/tabernacle - the...

(2) **Lift up your hands **(see Note, Psalm 28:2) (in) the sanctuary.—The usual meaning would be *to the sanctuary *(see reference above), but since the servants of Jehovah are here addressed as standing *in *the sanctuary, this direction seems unreasonable. Render, therefore, *in holiness, *and comp. “lifting up holy hands” (1Timothy 2:8).

The psalm concludes with priestly blessing: 'The LORD that made heaven and earth bless thee out of Zion.' This verse shifts from imperative (vv. 1-2: you bless the LORD) to petition/promise (may the LORD bless you). The description 'LORD that made heaven and earth' emphasizes God's comprehensive creative power and authority - the Creator of all blesses His people. This title appears repeatedly in ...

(3) **Made heaven and earth.**—For this style, as frequent in this group of psalms, see Psalm 121:2. Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers Text Courtesy of BibleSupport.com. Used by Permission. Bible Hub

PSALM 104 Psa 104:1-35. The Psalmist celebrates God's glory in His works of creation and providence, teaching the dependence of all living creatures; and contrasting the happiness of those who praise Him with the awful end of the wicked. 1. God's essential glory, and also that displayed by His mighty works, afford ground for praise.