Psalm 134:1-135:2

Joseph Benson's Commentary of the Old and New Testaments - Psalms 134:1-2

Psalms 134:1-2. Behold, bless ye the Lord, &c. Attend to your duty, O ye ministers of the Lord; who not only by day, but by night also, reverently wait upon him in his house, 1 Chronicles 9:33. Employ your hearts and tongues in his praises, and cease not to declare how great and good he is. Lift up your hands, &c. Unto God, in prayer and praise; in the sanctuary In that holy house of God where you stand; or, in holiness, as the margin reads it, and as is prescribed 1 Timothy... read more

Donald C. Fleming

Bridgeway Bible Commentary - Psalms 134:1-3

Psalm 132 -134 A house of prayer for IsraelA visit to the temple is a fitting occasion to recall the origins of the temple. David, with much difficulty, brought the ark (or covenant box) to Jerusalem with the aim of building God a house (132:1-5; cf. 2 Samuel 6:3-13; 2 Samuel 7:1-3; see also introductory notes to Psalms 24:0). Previously the ark had been at Kiriath-jearim, also known as Baale-judah and here called ‘the fields of Jaar’. David therefore went from Bethlehem (Ephrathah) to... read more

E.W. Bullinger

E.W. Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes - Psalms 134:1

Title. A Song of degrees. Same as 120. See App-67 . Behold. See note on Psalms 133:1 . the LORD. Hebrew. Jehovah. App-4 . servants. Limited and denned in next clause, as in Psalms 135:2 . stand. The night-watchmen. The reference is to 2 Chronicles 29:11 ; 2 Chronicles 30:16 ; 2 Chronicles 31:2 . There were no seats in the Tabernacle or Temple. Compare Hebrews 10:11 . the house of the LORD. The reference is to Hezekiah's interest in the Temple. See App-67 . read more

James Burton Coffman

Coffman Commentaries on the Bible - Psalms 134:1

PSALM 134THE BENEDICTION FOR THE PILGRIM SONGSJust as each of the Five Books of the Psalter ends with a doxology, this Little Psalter of Fifteen Psalms likewise ends with this benediction, which in some ways corresponds to a doxology.Psalms 134:1-3"Behold, bless ye Jehovah, all ye servants of Jehovah,That by night stand in the house of Jehovah.Lift up your hands to the sanctuary,And bless ye Jehovah.Jehovah bless thee out of Zion;Even he that made heaven and earth.""Behold, bless ye Jehovah"... read more

Thomas Coke

Thomas Coke Commentary on the Holy Bible - Psalms 134:1

Psalms 134:0. An exhortation to bless God. A Song of Degrees. Title. המעלות שׁיר Shiir hammangaloth.] It is not known by whom this psalm was composed; but it seems to have been designed to be sung at the shutting up of the gates of the temple: the two first verses by the high priest, to excite the priests and Levites, whose turn it was to watch that night, to be diligent in their office of singing psalms: and making devout prayers for the people; and the last verse by those priests and Levites... read more

Thomas Constable

Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable - Psalms 134:1-2

1. A call for God’s servants to praise Him 134:1-2Priests were on duty 24 hours a day at the temple. They served as guards, and they also offered sacrifices and carried out other sacerdotal functions during the daylight hours. The psalmist called on them to praise God even at night. Lifting up the hands in prayer was a common posture that symbolized the petitioners offering praise up to God and receiving blessings from Him. read more

Thomas Constable

Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable - Psalms 134:1-3

Psalms 134This last pilgrim psalm called on the priests who served God at the temple to praise Him, and it called on God to bless them. read more

John Dummelow

John Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible - Psalms 134:1-3

A night-greeting addressed to the priests and Levites in the Temple. Psalms 134:3 is their reply to the greeting. read more

Charles John Ellicott

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers - Psalms 134:1

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

William Nicoll

Expositor's Bible Commentary - Psalms 134:1-3

Psalms 134:1-3THIS fragment of song closes the pilgrim psalms after the manner of a blessing. It is evidently antiphonal, Psalms 134:1-2 being a greeting, the givers of which are answered in Psalms 134:3 by a corresponding salutation from the receivers. Who are the parties to the little dialogue is doubtful. Some have thought of two companies of priestly watchers meeting as they went their rounds in the Temple; others, more probably, take Psalms 134:1-2, to be addressed by the congregation to... read more

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