Psalms 113: He Raises the Poor
The first of the Hallel psalms, praising the exalted Lord who stoops down to lift the lowly and seat them with princes.
Psalms 113 (WEB)
1 Praise Yah! Praise, you servants of Yahweh, praise Yahweh’s name.
2 Blessed be Yahweh’s name, from this time forward and forever more.
3 From the rising of the sun to the going down of the same, Yahweh’s name is to be praised.
4 Yahweh is high above all nations, his glory above the heavens.
5 Who is like Yahweh, our God, who has his seat on high,
6 Who stoops down to see in heaven and in the earth?
7 He raises up the poor out of the dust. Lifts up the needy from the ash heap;
8 that he may set him with princes, even with the princes of his people.
9 He settles the barren woman in her home, as a joyful mother of children. Praise Yah!
Psalms 113 (KJV)
1 Praise ye the Lord. Praise, O ye servants of the Lord, praise the name of the Lord.
2 Blessed be the name of the Lord from this time forth and for evermore.
3 From the rising of the sun unto the going down of the same the Lord’s name is to be praised.
4 The Lord is high above all nations, and his glory above the heavens.
5 Who is like unto the Lord our God, who dwelleth on high,
6 Who humbleth himself to behold the things that are in heaven, and in the earth!
7 He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, and lifteth the needy out of the dunghill;
8 That he may set him with princes, even with the princes of his people.
9 He maketh the barren woman to keep house, and to be a joyful mother of children. Praise ye the Lord.
Psalms 113 (ASV)
1 Praise ye Jehovah. Praise, O ye servants of Jehovah, Praise the name of Jehovah.
2 Blessed be the name of Jehovah From this time forth and for evermore.
3 From the rising of the sun unto the going down of the same Jehovah’s name is to be praised.
4 Jehovah is high above all nations, And his glory above the heavens.
5 Who is like unto Jehovah our God, That hath his seat on high,
6 That humbleth himself to behold The things that arein heaven and in the earth?
7 He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, And lifteth up the needy from the dunghill;
8 That he may set him with princes, Even with the princes of his people.
9 He maketh the barren woman to keep house, And to bea joyful mother of children. Praise ye Jehovah.
Summary
Psalm 113 begins the Egyptian Hallel (Psalms 113-118), the songs sung at Passover and likely on Jesus' lips with his disciples at the Last Supper. It opens with a threefold call to praise: praise the name of the Lord, blessed from this time forth and forevermore, from the rising of the sun to its setting. God is exalted high above all nations, his glory above the heavens, and no one is like him, enthroned on high. Yet the wonder of this psalm is that the One who is so high stoops down to see what happens in heaven and on earth. He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap, seating them with princes among his people. He settles the barren woman in her home as a joyful mother of children—an echo of God's gifts to Hannah, Sarah, and others, and a foretaste of the reversal Mary would sing about when she carried the Savior. This pairing of God's exalted majesty with his tender care for the lowly is the heartbeat of the gospel, where the Most High humbled himself in Christ to lift up the lost.
Voices
- The servants of the Lord — The worshipers called to praise the name of Yahweh from sunrise to sunset and forevermore.
- Yahweh (the LORD) — The God exalted above all nations and the heavens, who nevertheless stoops down to lift the poor and the needy.
- The poor, needy, and barren — The lowly ones God raises from the dust and ash heap, seating them with princes and giving the barren a joyful home.
Key Verse
Psalm 113:7 (WEB)
He raises up the poor out of the dust. Lifts up the needy from the ash heap;
Lessons Learned
- God's name deserves praise across all time and from every corner of the earth (Psalm 113:2-3).
- The Lord is incomparably exalted, beyond all nations and the heavens themselves (Psalm 113:4-5).
- The God who is highest is the God who stoops lowest to see and to help (Psalm 113:6).
- God delights to reverse fortunes, lifting the poor and the forgotten (Psalm 113:7-8).
- This pattern of exaltation and condescension is fulfilled in Christ, who humbled himself to raise us up.
- Praise has no boundaries. "From the rising of the sun to the going down of the same, Yahweh’s name is to be praised" (Psalm 113:3, WEB). His worship spans all time and place.
- God is incomparable. "Who is like Yahweh, our God, who has his seat on high" (Psalm 113:5, WEB). No rival can be set beside him.
- The exalted God stoops. He "stoops down to see in heaven and in the earth" (Psalm 113:6, WEB). His greatness is matched by his gentleness.
- God lifts the lowly. "He raises up the poor out of the dust" and seats them "with princes" (Psalm 113:7-8, WEB). He specializes in reversals of grace.
- He turns barrenness to joy. "He settles the barren woman in her home, as a joyful mother of children" (Psalm 113:9, WEB), a sign of his life-giving power.
- What does it mean to praise God's name "from the rising of the sun to the going down of the same"?
- How do you hold together God's being "high above all nations" and his stooping down to see the lowly?
- Why is it good news that God lifts "the poor" and "the needy" specifically?
- How does this psalm's pattern of high and low foreshadow what God did in Christ (see Philippians 2:6-9)?
- Where do you need to know the God who stoops down to lift you from the dust?
- The phrase spans the whole day and the whole earth (113:3): God's praise is meant to be constant and global. Help the group imagine worship that fills ordinary hours, not just gathered services.
- This is the central marvel of the psalm: the One enthroned on high (113:5) bends down to notice and help (113:6). His majesty and mercy are not in tension—his greatness is the very reason his condescension amazes us.
- God's pattern is to lift those the world overlooks (113:7-8). This is good news because it means no one is too low for his grace. Encourage members that God draws near to the humble and forgotten.
- Philippians 2 echoes this rhythm: Christ, in the form of God, humbled himself to death and was exalted to the highest place. The psalm's God who stoops to lift is fully revealed in Jesus. Draw the connection with warmth.
- This is a personal-application question. Invite members to bring their own low places to the God who stoops down. As leader, close by praising the Most High who delights to lift the lowly.