Psalms 135: Praise The Lord Who Reigns
A grand call to praise the LORD who chose Israel, rules heaven and earth, redeemed his people from Egypt, and stands above all lifeless idols.
Psalms 135 (WEB)
1 Praise Yah! Praise Yahweh’s name! Praise him, you servants of Yahweh,
2 you who stand in Yahweh’s house, in the courts of our God’s house.
3 Praise Yah, for Yahweh is good. Sing praises to his name, for that is pleasant.
4 For Yah has chosen Jacob for himself; Israel for his own possession.
5 For I know that Yahweh is great, that our Lord is above all gods.
6 Whatever Yahweh pleased, that he has done, in heaven and in earth, in the seas and in all deeps;
7 who causes the clouds to rise from the ends of the earth; who makes lightnings with the rain; who brings the wind out of his treasuries;
8 Who struck the firstborn of Egypt, both of man and animal;
9 Who sent signs and wonders into your midst, Egypt, on Pharaoh, and on all his servants;
10 who struck many nations, and killed mighty kings,
11 Sihon king of the Amorites, Og king of Bashan, and all the kingdoms of Canaan,
12 and gave their land for a heritage, a heritage to Israel, his people.
13 Your name, Yahweh, endures forever; your renown, Yahweh, throughout all generations.
14 For Yahweh will judge his people, and have compassion on his servants.
15 The idols of the nations are silver and gold, the work of men’s hands.
16 They have mouths, but they can’t speak. They have eyes, but they can’t see.
17 They have ears, but they can’t hear; neither is there any breath in their mouths.
18 Those who make them will be like them; yes, everyone who trusts in them.
19 House of Israel, praise Yahweh! House of Aaron, praise Yahweh!
20 House of Levi, praise Yahweh! You who fear Yahweh, praise Yahweh!
21 Blessed be Yahweh from Zion, Who dwells at Jerusalem. Praise Yah!
Psalms 135 (KJV)
1 Praise ye the Lord. Praise ye the name of the Lord; praise him, O ye servants of the Lord.
2 Ye that stand in the house of the Lord, in the courts of the house of our God,
3 Praise the Lord; for the Lord is good: sing praises unto his name; for it is pleasant.
4 For the Lord hath chosen Jacob unto himself, and Israel for his peculiar treasure.
5 For I know that the Lord is great, and that our Lord is above all gods.
6 Whatsoever the Lord pleased, that did he in heaven, and in earth, in the seas, and all deep places.
7 He causeth the vapours to ascend from the ends of the earth; he maketh lightnings for the rain; he bringeth the wind out of his treasuries.
8 Who smote the firstborn of Egypt, both of man and beast.
9 Who sent tokens and wonders into the midst of thee, O Egypt, upon Pharaoh, and upon all his servants.
10 Who smote great nations, and slew mighty kings;
11 Sihon king of the Amorites, and Og king of Bashan, and all the kingdoms of Canaan:
12 And gave their land for an heritage, an heritage unto Israel his people.
13 Thy name, O Lord, endureth for ever; and thy memorial, O Lord, throughout all generations.
14 For the Lord will judge his people, and he will repent himself concerning his servants.
15 The idols of the heathen are silver and gold, the work of men’s hands.
16 They have mouths, but they speak not; eyes have they, but they see not;
17 They have ears, but they hear not; neither is there any breath in their mouths.
18 They that make them are like unto them: so is every one that trusteth in them.
19 Bless the Lord, O house of Israel: bless the Lord, O house of Aaron:
20 Bless the Lord, O house of Levi: ye that fear the Lord, bless the Lord.
21 Blessed be the Lord out of Zion, which dwelleth at Jerusalem. Praise ye the Lord.
Psalms 135 (ASV)
1 Praise ye Jehovah. Praise ye the name of Jehovah; Praisehim, O ye servants of Jehovah,
2 Ye that stand in the house of Jehovah, In the courts of the house of our God.
3 Praise ye Jehovah; for Jehovah is good: Sing praises unto his name; for it is pleasant.
4 For Jehovah hath chosen Jacob unto himself, AndIsrael for his own possession.
5 For I know that Jehovah is great, And that our Lord is above all gods.
6 Whatsoever Jehovah pleased, that hath he done, In heaven and in earth, in the seas and in all deeps;
7 Who causeth the vapors to ascend from the ends of the earth; Who maketh lightnings for the rain; Who bringeth forth the wind out of his treasuries;
8 Who smote the first-born of Egypt, Both of man and beast;
9 Who sent signs and wonders into the midst of thee, O Egypt, Upon Pharaoh, and upon all his servants;
10 Who smote many nations, And slew mighty kings,
11 Sihon king of the Amorites, And Og king of Bashan, And all the kingdoms of Canaan,
12 And gave their land for a heritage, A heritage unto Israel his people.
13 Thy name, O Jehovah, endurethfor ever; Thy memorial name, O Jehovah, throughout all generations.
14 For Jehovah will judge his people, And repent himself concerning his servants.
15 The idols of the nations are silver and gold, The work of men’s hands.
16 They have mouths, but they speak not; Eyes have they, but they see not;
17 They have ears, but they hear not; Neither is there any breath in their mouths.
18 They that make them shall be like unto them; Yea, every one that trusteth in them.
19 O house of Israel, bless ye Jehovah: O house of Aaron, bless ye Jehovah:
20 O house of Levi, bless ye Jehovah: Ye that fear Jehovah, bless ye Jehovah.
21 Blessed be Jehovah out of Zion, Who dwelleth at Jerusalem. Praise ye Jehovah.
Summary
This grand hymn of praise summons God's servants to worship the LORD for who he is and what he has done. It opens with a ringing call to praise Yahweh's name, addressed to the servants who stand in his house and courts, and grounds that praise in God's goodness and the pleasantness of singing to him. The psalmist then gives reasons for praise that sweep across the whole story of God's people. God chose Jacob for himself, Israel as his own treasured possession—their existence rests on his electing love. He is great, above all so-called gods, sovereign over all creation; whatever he pleases he does, in heaven and earth, in the seas and all the deeps, raising clouds, sending lightning and rain, and bringing the wind from his storehouses. He is the Redeemer of history, who struck Egypt's firstborn, sent signs and wonders, defeated mighty kings like Sihon and Og, and gave their land as Israel's inheritance. His name endures forever, and he will vindicate and have compassion on his people. By sharp contrast, the idols of the nations are mere silver and gold, the work of human hands—mouths that cannot speak, eyes that cannot see, ears that cannot hear, with no breath in them—and those who make and trust them become as lifeless as they are. The psalm closes by calling every house of Israel, Aaron, and Levi, and all who fear the LORD, to bless him, ending with praise to the One who dwells in Jerusalem. The living, reigning, redeeming God alone is worthy of worship, a worship fulfilled as his people bless him in Christ.
Voices
- The servants of the LORD — Those who stand in God's house and courts, called to praise his name for his goodness and mighty deeds.
- Yahweh who reigns — The great LORD above all gods who chose Israel, rules creation, redeemed his people, and judges and has compassion on them.
- The idols of the nations — The lifeless gods of silver and gold, with mouths, eyes, and ears that cannot work, contrasted with the living God.
Key Verse
Psalm 135:5 (WEB)
For I know that Yahweh is great, that our Lord is above all gods.
Lessons Learned
- God's people exist because he chose them for himself as his own treasured possession.
- The LORD is sovereign over all creation, doing whatever he pleases in heaven, earth, and sea.
- God's mighty acts in history—redemption from Egypt, victory over kings—are reasons for praise.
- Idols are lifeless and powerless, and those who trust them become as empty as the things they worship.
- Praise rests on God's choosing love. "For Yah has chosen Jacob for himself; Israel for his own possession" (Psalm 135:4, WEB); our standing before God begins with his electing grace.
- God does whatever he pleases. "Whatever Yahweh pleased, that he has done, in heaven and in earth, in the seas and in all deeps" (Psalm 135:6, WEB); his sovereignty spans all creation.
- Idols are lifeless and powerless. "They have mouths, but they can't speak. They have eyes, but they can't see" (Psalm 135:16, WEB); what we worship shapes us, for good or for emptiness.
- The living God endures forever. "Your name, Yahweh, endures forever" (Psalm 135:13, WEB); the eternal, reigning Lord alone is worthy of his people's praise.
- Who is called to praise the LORD, and what reasons for praise does the psalm give?
- How does the psalm describe God's sovereignty over creation?
- What acts in Israel's history does the psalmist recall as grounds for worship?
- How does the psalm contrast the LORD with the idols of the nations?
- What lifeless "idols" compete for your trust, and how does this psalm draw your worship back to the living God?
- The servants who stand in the LORD's house and courts are called to praise (135:1-2). The reasons span God's goodness, his choosing of Israel, his rule over creation, and his redeeming acts.
- He does whatever he pleases in heaven, earth, sea, and all the deeps—raising clouds, making lightning and rain, and bringing wind from his storehouses (135:6-7). All creation answers to his will.
- He recalls striking Egypt's firstborn, sending signs and wonders, defeating mighty kings like Sihon and Og, and giving their land to Israel as a heritage (135:8-12)—saving acts that ground praise.
- The idols are silver and gold, made by human hands, with mouths, eyes, and ears that cannot work and no breath in them (135:15-17), while the LORD lives, reigns, and acts. Their makers become as lifeless as they are.
- This is a gentle personal-application question. Invite members to name the powerless things they are tempted to trust—wealth, image, control—and to let the living, reigning God reclaim the worship that belongs to him alone.