Psalms 134 Study Notes: A Night Call to Bless the LORD
The last of the songs of ascents calls the LORD's servants who serve in His house through the night to raise their hands toward the sanctuary and praise Him. It closes with a blessing on them from the Creator, given from Zion.
General
How does Psalm 134 end (134:3)?
Answer: With a prayer that the LORD, the Creator, bless them from Zion
The psalm ends with a turn (134:3). The servants have been called to bless the LORD; now they receive a blessing from Him. The LORD who made all things, the skies and the land, is asked to bless them from Zion, the hill in Jerusalem where His temple stood. Blessing goes up to God in praise and comes back down from God as favor. This echoes the priestly blessing God gave Israel, which begins with a prayer that the LORD would bless and keep His people (Numbers 6:24-26). The songs of ascents often name the Creator as the source of help (Psalm 121:2), and they pray for His blessing to come from Zion (Psalm 128:5).
- Psalm 134:3 (BSB)“May the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth, bless you from Zion.”The psalm closes with a blessing on the worshipers from the LORD, the Creator, from Zion.
- Numbers 6:24-26 (BSB)“‘May the LORD bless you and keep you; may the LORD cause His face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; may the LORD lift up His countenance toward you and give you peace.’”God gave the priests a blessing to speak over Israel, beginning with a prayer that the LORD would bless and keep them.
- Psalm 121:2 (BSB)“My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth.”Another song of ascents names the LORD, the Creator of all, as the source of help.
- Psalm 128:5 (BSB)“May the LORD bless you from Zion, that you may see the prosperity of Jerusalem all the days of your life,”A neighboring song of ascents also prays for the LORD to bless His people from Zion.
Theological
How does 134:3 bring Psalm 134 to a close?
Answer: With a prayer that the LORD, the Creator, bless them from Zion
Verse 3 inverts the direction of blessing. Having summoned the servants to bless the LORD, the psalm pronounces the LORD's blessing on them: the Creator of all is invoked to bless them from Zion. Doxology ascends; benediction descends. The form recalls the Aaronic benediction (Numbers 6:24-26). The songs of ascents repeatedly identify the LORD as Maker of all as the source of help (Psalm 121:2) and speak of blessing issuing from Zion (Psalm 128:5).
- Psalm 134:3 (BSB)“May the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth, bless you from Zion.”The psalm closes with a blessing on the worshipers from the LORD, the Creator, from Zion.
- Numbers 6:24-26 (BSB)“‘May the LORD bless you and keep you; may the LORD cause His face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; may the LORD lift up His countenance toward you and give you peace.’”God gave the priests a blessing to speak over Israel, beginning with a prayer that the LORD would bless and keep them.
- Psalm 121:2 (BSB)“My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth.”Another song of ascents names the LORD, the Creator of all, as the source of help.
- Psalm 128:5 (BSB)“May the LORD bless you from Zion, that you may see the prosperity of Jerusalem all the days of your life,”A neighboring song of ascents also prays for the LORD to bless His people from Zion.
General
True or False: In 134:2 the servants are told to lie face down on the ground as they praise the LORD.
Answer: False
This is false. In 134:2 the servants who serve the LORD are told to raise their hands toward the sanctuary, the holy place of God's presence, and to praise Him; nothing is said about lying face down. Lifting the hands was a familiar gesture of prayer and praise in Scripture. David asks that his raised hands in prayer be accepted as an evening sacrifice (Psalm 141:2), and Paul wants men in every place to raise holy hands in prayer (1 Timothy 2:8). The gesture expresses turning toward God and offering Him praise from the heart.
- Psalm 134:2 (BSB)“Lift up your hands to the sanctuary and bless the LORD!”The servants are told to lift their hands toward the sanctuary and bless the LORD.
- Psalm 141:2 (BSB)“May my prayer be set before You like incense; my uplifted hands, like the evening offering.”David asks that his uplifted hands be like the evening offering before God.
- 1 Timothy 2:8 (BSB)“Therefore I want the men everywhere to pray, lifting up holy hands, without anger or dissension.”Paul wants men everywhere to pray, lifting up holy hands.
Theological
True or False: 134:2 instructs the LORD's servants to prostrate themselves on the ground in praise.
Answer: False
This is false. Verse 2 directs the LORD's servants to raise their hands toward the holy place and praise Him; prostration is not mentioned. The uplifted hands are a common biblical gesture of prayer and praise directed toward the place of God's presence: David likens his raised hands to the evening offering (Psalm 141:2), and Paul desires prayer in every place with holy hands lifted up (1 Timothy 2:8).
- Psalm 134:2 (BSB)“Lift up your hands to the sanctuary and bless the LORD!”The servants are told to lift their hands toward the sanctuary and bless the LORD.
- Psalm 141:2 (BSB)“May my prayer be set before You like incense; my uplifted hands, like the evening offering.”David asks that his uplifted hands be like the evening offering before God.
- 1 Timothy 2:8 (BSB)“Therefore I want the men everywhere to pray, lifting up holy hands, without anger or dissension.”Paul wants men everywhere to pray, lifting up holy hands.
General
Whom does Psalm 134 call on to bless the LORD (134:1)?
Answer: His servants who minister in His house at night
Psalm 134 is the last of the songs of ascents (Psalms 120-134), traditionally associated with worshipers going up to Jerusalem. It speaks to the LORD's servants who serve in His house through the night, and calls them to bless Him, that is, to praise Him and speak well of Him (134:1). The temple had workers on duty around the clock; the Levite musicians, for example, lived in the temple rooms because they served day and night (1 Chronicles 9:33). God had chosen the Levites to bear the ark, minister in His presence, and speak blessing in His name (Deuteronomy 10:8). The next psalm opens with a similar call to the servants in the LORD's house (Psalm 135:1-2).
- Psalm 134:1 (BSB)“A song of ascents. Come, bless the LORD, all you servants of the LORD who serve by night in the house of the LORD!”This last song of ascents calls on the LORD's servants who minister at night in His house to bless Him.
- 1 Chronicles 9:33 (BSB)“Those who were musicians, the heads of Levite families, stayed in the temple chambers and were exempt from other duties because they were on duty day and night.”The Levite musicians lived in the temple chambers because they were on duty day and night.
- Deuteronomy 10:8 (BSB)“At that time the LORD set apart the tribe of Levi to carry the ark of the covenant of the LORD, to stand before the LORD to serve Him, and to pronounce blessings in His name, as they do to this day.”The LORD set apart the tribe of Levi to stand before Him, serve Him, and bless in His name.
- Psalm 135:1-2 (BSB)“Hallelujah! Praise the name of the LORD. Give praise, O servants of the LORD, who stand in the house of the LORD, in the courts of the house of our God.”The next psalm likewise calls the servants who stand in the LORD's house to praise Him.
Theological
Whom does 134:1 summon to bless the LORD?
Answer: His servants who minister in His house at night
Psalm 134 closes the songs of ascents (Psalms 120-134) with a summons addressed to the LORD's servants who minister by night in His house, calling them to bless Him (134:1). Temple service was continual: the Levitical musicians were quartered in the temple rooms and exempt from other work because their service ran around the clock (1 Chronicles 9:33), and Levi had been consecrated to minister in the LORD's presence and speak blessing in His name (Deuteronomy 10:8). Psalm 135:1-2 opens with a parallel summons to those serving in the LORD's house.
- Psalm 134:1 (BSB)“A song of ascents. Come, bless the LORD, all you servants of the LORD who serve by night in the house of the LORD!”This last song of ascents calls on the LORD's servants who minister at night in His house to bless Him.
- 1 Chronicles 9:33 (BSB)“Those who were musicians, the heads of Levite families, stayed in the temple chambers and were exempt from other duties because they were on duty day and night.”The Levite musicians lived in the temple chambers because they were on duty day and night.
- Deuteronomy 10:8 (BSB)“At that time the LORD set apart the tribe of Levi to carry the ark of the covenant of the LORD, to stand before the LORD to serve Him, and to pronounce blessings in His name, as they do to this day.”The LORD set apart the tribe of Levi to stand before Him, serve Him, and bless in His name.
- Psalm 135:1-2 (BSB)“Hallelujah! Praise the name of the LORD. Give praise, O servants of the LORD, who stand in the house of the LORD, in the courts of the house of our God.”The next psalm likewise calls the servants who stand in the LORD's house to praise Him.