Psalms 135 Study Notes: Praise for the Sovereign God of Israel
The psalmist calls the LORD's servants to praise Him because He is good, chose Israel as His own, and does whatever He pleases in all creation. He recalls the judgment on Egypt and the defeat of Sihon and Og, contrasts the living God with lifeless idols, and calls every group in Israel to bless Him.
General
Which groups are called on to bless the LORD at the end of Psalm 135 (135:19-20)?
Answer: Israel, the houses of Aaron and Levi, and all who revere Him
The psalm ends as it began, with a call to praise (135:19-21). Each group is named in turn: Israel's house (the whole nation), Aaron's house (the priests), Levi's house (the Levites who served at the temple), and everyone who reveres the LORD. Everyone is to bless Him, and He is to be blessed from Zion, the One whose dwelling is Jerusalem. A final Hallelujah closes the psalm. Psalm 115 addresses nearly the same groups (Psalm 115:9-11), as does Psalm 118 (Psalm 118:2-4). In Revelation a voice from God's throne calls on all who serve and revere Him, whether great or small, to praise Him (Revelation 19:5).
- Psalm 135:19-21 (BSB)“O house of Israel, bless the LORD; O house of Aaron, bless the LORD; O house of Levi, bless the LORD; you who fear the LORD, bless the LORD! Blessed be the LORD from Zion—He who dwells in Jerusalem. Hallelujah!”The psalm closes by calling the house of Israel, the houses of Aaron and Levi, and all who fear the LORD to bless Him from Zion.
- Psalm 115:9-11 (BSB)“O Israel, trust in the LORD! He is their help and shield. O house of Aaron, trust in the LORD! He is their help and shield. You who fear the LORD, trust in the LORD! He is their help and shield.”Psalm 115 likewise addresses Israel, the house of Aaron, and those who fear the LORD.
- Psalm 118:2-4 (BSB)“Let Israel say, “His loving devotion endures forever.” Let the house of Aaron say, “His loving devotion endures forever.” Let those who fear the LORD say, “His loving devotion endures forever.””Psalm 118 calls Israel, the house of Aaron, and those who fear the LORD to declare His loving devotion.
- Revelation 19:5 (BSB)“Then a voice came from the throne, saying: “Praise our God, all you who serve Him, and those who fear Him, small and great alike!””A voice from the throne calls all God's servants and those who fear Him, small and great, to praise Him.
Theological
Which groups are summoned to bless the LORD in 135:19-20?
Answer: Israel, the houses of Aaron and Levi, and all who revere Him
The closing call to praise (135:19-21) proceeds through Israel's house, Aaron's priestly house, Levi's house, and everyone who reveres the LORD, concluding with the LORD blessed from Zion as the one dwelling in Jerusalem, and a final Hallelujah that matches the psalm's opening (135:1). Comparable liturgical sequences occur in Psalm 115:9-11 and Psalm 118:2-4, and Revelation 19:5 extends the summons to all who serve and revere God, whatever their rank.
- Psalm 135:19-21 (BSB)“O house of Israel, bless the LORD; O house of Aaron, bless the LORD; O house of Levi, bless the LORD; you who fear the LORD, bless the LORD! Blessed be the LORD from Zion—He who dwells in Jerusalem. Hallelujah!”The psalm closes by calling the house of Israel, the houses of Aaron and Levi, and all who fear the LORD to bless Him from Zion.
- Psalm 115:9-11 (BSB)“O Israel, trust in the LORD! He is their help and shield. O house of Aaron, trust in the LORD! He is their help and shield. You who fear the LORD, trust in the LORD! He is their help and shield.”Psalm 115 likewise addresses Israel, the house of Aaron, and those who fear the LORD.
- Psalm 118:2-4 (BSB)“Let Israel say, “His loving devotion endures forever.” Let the house of Aaron say, “His loving devotion endures forever.” Let those who fear the LORD say, “His loving devotion endures forever.””Psalm 118 calls Israel, the house of Aaron, and those who fear the LORD to declare His loving devotion.
- Revelation 19:5 (BSB)“Then a voice came from the throne, saying: “Praise our God, all you who serve Him, and those who fear Him, small and great alike!””A voice from the throne calls all God's servants and those who fear Him, small and great, to praise Him.
General
What reason does 135:3 give for praising the LORD?
Answer: He is good, so His name is to be sung
Psalm 135 has no author named; it opens and closes with Hallelujah, a call to praise the LORD. It calls the LORD's servants, those who stand in His house and its courts, to praise His name (135:1-2). Verse 3 gives the reason: God is good. It calls His people to praise His name, meaning His revealed character, in song, and calls this lovely. The psalm picks up the call to the servants in God's house from the end of the songs of ascents (Psalm 134:1). Psalm 113 opens with the same summons to those who serve the LORD (Psalm 113:1), and another psalm says singing praise to God is good, pleasant, and lovely (Psalm 147:1).
- Psalm 135:1-3 (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. Hallelujah, for the LORD is good; sing praises to His name, for it is lovely.”The psalm opens with a call to the LORD's servants in His house to praise His name, because He is good and His name is lovely.
- 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!”The previous psalm likewise calls the LORD's servants in His house to bless Him.
- Psalm 113:1 (BSB)“Hallelujah! Give praise, O servants of the LORD; praise the name of the LORD.”Another psalm opens with the same call for the servants of the LORD to praise His name.
- Psalm 147:1 (BSB)“Hallelujah! How good it is to sing praises to our God, how pleasant and lovely to praise Him!”Another psalm says it is good, pleasant, and lovely to sing praises to God.
Theological
On what ground does 135:3 call for praise?
Answer: He is good, so His name is to be sung
Psalm 135, anonymous and framed by Hallelujah, summons the LORD's servants standing in His house and courts to praise His name (135:1-2), and grounds the summons in 135:3: God is good, and song offered to His name, His revealed character, is called lovely. The address to temple servants resumes that of Psalm 134:1, and the opening echoes Psalm 113:1; Psalm 147:1 likewise commends praise as good, pleasant, and lovely.
- Psalm 135:1-3 (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. Hallelujah, for the LORD is good; sing praises to His name, for it is lovely.”The psalm opens with a call to the LORD's servants in His house to praise His name, because He is good and His name is lovely.
- 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!”The previous psalm likewise calls the LORD's servants in His house to bless Him.
- Psalm 113:1 (BSB)“Hallelujah! Give praise, O servants of the LORD; praise the name of the LORD.”Another psalm opens with the same call for the servants of the LORD to praise His name.
- Psalm 147:1 (BSB)“Hallelujah! How good it is to sing praises to our God, how pleasant and lovely to praise Him!”Another psalm says it is good, pleasant, and lovely to sing praises to God.
General
According to 135:18, what happens to those who make idols and trust in them?
Answer: They become like the lifeless idols
In 135:15-18 the psalm contrasts the living LORD with the idols the nations worship. The idols are only silver and gold shaped by human hands; they have mouths that do not speak, eyes that do not see, ears that do not hear, and no breath at all. The shocking conclusion is that idol-makers, and everyone who relies on idols, end up resembling them: as lifeless, blind, and deaf to God as the images they worship. This passage closely matches Psalm 115:4-8. Jeremiah likewise mocks idols as scarecrows that cannot speak or walk (Jeremiah 10:5), and Israel's history shows the same danger: they chased empty idols and ended up empty themselves (2 Kings 17:15). By contrast, the LORD does whatever He pleases (135:6).
- Psalm 135:15-18 (BSB)“The idols of the nations are silver and gold, made by the hands of men. They have mouths, but cannot speak; they have eyes, but cannot see; they have ears, but cannot hear; nor is there breath in their mouths. Those who make them become like them, as do all who trust in them.”Idols are lifeless human creations, and those who make them and trust in them become like them.
- Psalm 115:4-8 (BSB)“Their idols are silver and gold, made by the hands of men. They have mouths, but cannot speak; they have eyes, but cannot see; they have ears, but cannot hear; they have noses, but cannot smell; they have hands, but cannot feel; they have feet, but cannot walk; they cannot even clear their throats. Those who make them become like them, as do all who trust in them.”Psalm 115 contains a very similar description of idols and those who trust them.
- Jeremiah 10:5 (BSB)“Like scarecrows in a cucumber patch, their idols cannot speak. They must be carried because they cannot walk. Do not fear them, for they can do no harm, and neither can they do any good.””Jeremiah compares idols to scarecrows that cannot speak or walk.
- 2 Kings 17:15 (BSB)“They rejected His statutes and the covenant He had made with their fathers, as well as the decrees He had given them. They pursued worthless idols and became worthless themselves, going after the surrounding nations that the LORD had commanded them not to imitate.”Israel pursued worthless idols and became worthless themselves.
Theological
What does 135:18 say befalls the makers of idols and those who trust them?
Answer: They become like the lifeless idols
In 135:15-18 the living LORD is set against the idols the nations worship: silver and gold fashioned by human hands, with mouths, eyes, and ears that cannot function and no breath in them. The verdict is that their makers and everyone who relies on them come to resemble them; worshipers are conformed to the object of their worship. The passage closely parallels Psalm 115:4-8. Jeremiah 10:5 ridicules idols as mute scarecrows, and 2 Kings 17:15 records Israel's pursuit of worthless idols ending in their own worthlessness. The contrast with the sovereign God of 135:6 is deliberate.
- Psalm 135:15-18 (BSB)“The idols of the nations are silver and gold, made by the hands of men. They have mouths, but cannot speak; they have eyes, but cannot see; they have ears, but cannot hear; nor is there breath in their mouths. Those who make them become like them, as do all who trust in them.”Idols are lifeless human creations, and those who make them and trust in them become like them.
- Psalm 115:4-8 (BSB)“Their idols are silver and gold, made by the hands of men. They have mouths, but cannot speak; they have eyes, but cannot see; they have ears, but cannot hear; they have noses, but cannot smell; they have hands, but cannot feel; they have feet, but cannot walk; they cannot even clear their throats. Those who make them become like them, as do all who trust in them.”Psalm 115 contains a very similar description of idols and those who trust them.
- Jeremiah 10:5 (BSB)“Like scarecrows in a cucumber patch, their idols cannot speak. They must be carried because they cannot walk. Do not fear them, for they can do no harm, and neither can they do any good.””Jeremiah compares idols to scarecrows that cannot speak or walk.
- 2 Kings 17:15 (BSB)“They rejected His statutes and the covenant He had made with their fathers, as well as the decrees He had given them. They pursued worthless idols and became worthless themselves, going after the surrounding nations that the LORD had commanded them not to imitate.”Israel pursued worthless idols and became worthless themselves.
General
According to 135:4, why did Israel belong to the LORD as His prized people?
Answer: The LORD chose Jacob for Himself
Verse 4 gives a reason for praise: the LORD chose Jacob (the ancestor whose name stands for the whole nation) to belong to Him, making Israel His prized people. Election here means God's free choice of a people to be His. Moses explains that God did not choose Israel because it was more numerous than others, for it was the fewest of peoples, but because He loved it and kept His oath to its fathers (Deuteronomy 7:6-8). At Sinai, in giving His covenant, God spoke of Israel as His own special treasure among the peoples (Exodus 19:5). This choosing was grace, not a reward. Peter uses the same language for believers in Christ: a chosen people, God's own possession (1 Peter 2:9).
- Psalm 135:4 (BSB)“For the LORD has chosen Jacob as His own, Israel as His treasured possession.”The psalmist gives another reason for praise: the LORD chose Jacob, Israel, as His own treasured possession.
- Deuteronomy 7:6-8 (BSB)“For you are a people holy to the LORD your God. The LORD your God has chosen you to be a people for His prized possession out of all peoples on the face of the earth. The LORD did not set His affection on you and choose you because you were more numerous than the other peoples, for you were the fewest of all peoples. But because the LORD loved you and kept the oath He swore to your fathers, He brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you from the house of slavery, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt.”Moses says God chose Israel not because it was great but because He loved it and kept His oath.
- Exodus 19:5 (BSB)“Now if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, you will be My treasured possession out of all the nations—for the whole earth is Mine.”At Sinai God calls Israel His treasured possession out of all the nations.
- 1 Peter 2:9 (BSB)“But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, to proclaim the virtues of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.”Peter applies the language of a chosen people and God's own possession to believers in Christ.
Theological
On what basis does 135:4 say Israel became the LORD's treasured possession?
Answer: The LORD chose Jacob for Himself
Verse 4 grounds praise in divine election: the LORD chose Jacob for Himself and made Israel His prized people. The choice was sovereign and gracious, not merited. Deuteronomy 7:6-8 excludes any ground in Israel's numbers and traces it solely to God's love and His oath to the fathers, and Exodus 19:5 names Israel His treasured possession among the nations. The same electing grace that constituted Israel's national covenant privilege is applied in 1 Peter 2:9 to the church as a chosen people and God's own possession.
- Psalm 135:4 (BSB)“For the LORD has chosen Jacob as His own, Israel as His treasured possession.”The psalmist gives another reason for praise: the LORD chose Jacob, Israel, as His own treasured possession.
- Deuteronomy 7:6-8 (BSB)“For you are a people holy to the LORD your God. The LORD your God has chosen you to be a people for His prized possession out of all peoples on the face of the earth. The LORD did not set His affection on you and choose you because you were more numerous than the other peoples, for you were the fewest of all peoples. But because the LORD loved you and kept the oath He swore to your fathers, He brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you from the house of slavery, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt.”Moses says God chose Israel not because it was great but because He loved it and kept His oath.
- Exodus 19:5 (BSB)“Now if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, you will be My treasured possession out of all the nations—for the whole earth is Mine.”At Sinai God calls Israel His treasured possession out of all the nations.
- 1 Peter 2:9 (BSB)“But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, to proclaim the virtues of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.”Peter applies the language of a chosen people and God's own possession to believers in Christ.
General
Which act of God against Egypt does 135:8 name?
Answer: Killing the firstborn of both people and animals
Moving from creation to history, the psalm recalls how God acted for Israel in Egypt. It names first the death of Egypt's firstborn, both human and animal (135:8), and then speaks in general of the signs and wonders God sent against Pharaoh and his officials (135:9). God had announced beforehand that He would strike every male firstborn throughout Egypt, human and animal (Exodus 12:12), and at midnight He did so, from Pharaoh's firstborn to the prisoner's, along with the livestock's firstborn (Exodus 12:29). Moses later reminded Israel of the great signs and wonders God did before their eyes against Egypt and Pharaoh (Deuteronomy 6:22). The same God who rules the storm rules the nations.
- Psalm 135:8-9 (BSB)“He struck down the firstborn of Egypt, of both man and beast. He sent signs and wonders into your midst, O Egypt, against Pharaoh and all his servants.”The psalmist recalls God striking Egypt's firstborn and sending signs and wonders against Pharaoh and his servants.
- Exodus 12:12 (BSB)“On that night I will pass through the land of Egypt and strike down every firstborn male, both man and beast, and I will execute judgment against all the gods of Egypt. I am the LORD.”God announced He would strike down every firstborn male in Egypt, both man and beast.
- Exodus 12:29 (BSB)“Now at midnight the LORD struck down every firstborn male in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh, who sat on his throne, to the firstborn of the prisoner in the dungeon, as well as all the firstborn among the livestock.”At midnight the LORD struck down every firstborn in Egypt, from Pharaoh's firstborn to the prisoner's, and the firstborn of the livestock.
- Deuteronomy 6:22 (BSB)“Before our eyes the LORD inflicted great and devastating signs and wonders on Egypt, on Pharaoh, and on all his household.”Moses recalls the great signs and wonders the LORD brought on Egypt, Pharaoh, and his household.
Theological
Which judgment on Egypt does 135:8 specifically name?
Answer: Killing the firstborn of both people and animals
Turning from creation to redemptive history, the psalm names the death of Egypt's firstborn, of man and beast alike (135:8), and then summarizes the signs and wonders sent against Pharaoh and his officials (135:9). Exodus 12:12 records the announcement of that judgment and Exodus 12:29 its execution at midnight, from Pharaoh's firstborn to the prisoner's and the livestock's firstborn. Deuteronomy 6:22 recalls the signs and wonders wrought against Egypt, Pharaoh, and his household. The sovereign Lord of the elements is equally sovereign over the nations.
- Psalm 135:8-9 (BSB)“He struck down the firstborn of Egypt, of both man and beast. He sent signs and wonders into your midst, O Egypt, against Pharaoh and all his servants.”The psalmist recalls God striking Egypt's firstborn and sending signs and wonders against Pharaoh and his servants.
- Exodus 12:12 (BSB)“On that night I will pass through the land of Egypt and strike down every firstborn male, both man and beast, and I will execute judgment against all the gods of Egypt. I am the LORD.”God announced He would strike down every firstborn male in Egypt, both man and beast.
- Exodus 12:29 (BSB)“Now at midnight the LORD struck down every firstborn male in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh, who sat on his throne, to the firstborn of the prisoner in the dungeon, as well as all the firstborn among the livestock.”At midnight the LORD struck down every firstborn in Egypt, from Pharaoh's firstborn to the prisoner's, and the firstborn of the livestock.
- Deuteronomy 6:22 (BSB)“Before our eyes the LORD inflicted great and devastating signs and wonders on Egypt, on Pharaoh, and on all his household.”Moses recalls the great signs and wonders the LORD brought on Egypt, Pharaoh, and his household.
General
Which two kings does 135:11 name among those God defeated for Israel?
Answer: Sihon of the Amorites and Og of Bashan
In 135:10-12 the psalm moves from Egypt to the conquest. God defeated many nations and powerful kings, naming Sihon, the Amorite king, and Og, who ruled Bashan, along with every king in Canaan, and handed their land to His people as an inheritance. Sihon refused to let Israel pass and came out to fight, but Israel defeated him and took his land (Numbers 21:23-24). God told Moses not to fear Og, because He had handed him over, and Israel took his land too (Numbers 21:33-35). The next psalm recounts the same victories and the same gift of land (Psalm 136:17-22). The land was God's gift, not Israel's own achievement.
- Psalm 135:10-12 (BSB)“He struck down many nations and slaughtered mighty kings: Sihon king of the Amorites, Og king of Bashan, and all the kings of Canaan. He gave their land as an inheritance, as a heritage to His people Israel.”God struck down nations and kings, including Sihon and Og, and gave their land to Israel as an inheritance.
- Numbers 21:23-24 (BSB)“But Sihon would not let Israel pass through his territory. Instead, he gathered his whole army and went out to confront Israel in the wilderness. When he came to Jahaz, he fought against Israel. And Israel put him to the sword and took possession of his land, from the Arnon to the Jabbok—but only up to the border of the Ammonites, because it was fortified.”Sihon refused Israel passage and attacked, and Israel defeated him and took his land.
- Numbers 21:33-35 (BSB)“Then they turned and went up the road to Bashan, and Og king of Bashan and his whole army came out to meet them in battle at Edrei. But the LORD said to Moses, “Do not fear him, for I have delivered him into your hand, along with all his people and his land. Do to him as you did to Sihon king of the Amorites, who lived in Heshbon.” So they struck down Og, along with his sons and his whole army, until no remnant was left. And they took possession of his land.”God delivered Og king of Bashan into Israel's hand, and Israel took his land.
- Psalm 136:17-22 (BSB)“He struck down great kings His loving devotion endures forever. and slaughtered mighty kings—His loving devotion endures forever. Sihon king of the Amorites His loving devotion endures forever. and Og king of Bashan—His loving devotion endures forever. and He gave their land as an inheritance, His loving devotion endures forever. a heritage to His servant Israel. His loving devotion endures forever.”The next psalm recounts the defeat of Sihon and Og and the gift of their land to Israel.
Theological
Which two kings are named in 135:11?
Answer: Sihon of the Amorites and Og of Bashan
In 135:10-12 the historical recital moves to the conquest: God defeated many nations and mighty rulers, Sihon the Amorite, Og of Bashan, and every Canaanite kingdom, and bestowed their land on Israel as a heritage. Numbers 21:23-24 records Sihon's hostility and defeat, and Numbers 21:33-35 the LORD's delivering Og into Israel's hand. Psalm 136:17-22 rehearses the same victories and gift. The land is presented throughout as the LORD's gift, not Israel's accomplishment.
- Psalm 135:10-12 (BSB)“He struck down many nations and slaughtered mighty kings: Sihon king of the Amorites, Og king of Bashan, and all the kings of Canaan. He gave their land as an inheritance, as a heritage to His people Israel.”God struck down nations and kings, including Sihon and Og, and gave their land to Israel as an inheritance.
- Numbers 21:23-24 (BSB)“But Sihon would not let Israel pass through his territory. Instead, he gathered his whole army and went out to confront Israel in the wilderness. When he came to Jahaz, he fought against Israel. And Israel put him to the sword and took possession of his land, from the Arnon to the Jabbok—but only up to the border of the Ammonites, because it was fortified.”Sihon refused Israel passage and attacked, and Israel defeated him and took his land.
- Numbers 21:33-35 (BSB)“Then they turned and went up the road to Bashan, and Og king of Bashan and his whole army came out to meet them in battle at Edrei. But the LORD said to Moses, “Do not fear him, for I have delivered him into your hand, along with all his people and his land. Do to him as you did to Sihon king of the Amorites, who lived in Heshbon.” So they struck down Og, along with his sons and his whole army, until no remnant was left. And they took possession of his land.”God delivered Og king of Bashan into Israel's hand, and Israel took his land.
- Psalm 136:17-22 (BSB)“He struck down great kings His loving devotion endures forever. and slaughtered mighty kings—His loving devotion endures forever. Sihon king of the Amorites His loving devotion endures forever. and Og king of Bashan—His loving devotion endures forever. and He gave their land as an inheritance, His loving devotion endures forever. a heritage to His servant Israel. His loving devotion endures forever.”The next psalm recounts the defeat of Sihon and Og and the gift of their land to Israel.
General
What does 135:6 say about the LORD's will?
Answer: He does whatever He wishes in heaven, on earth, and in the seas
The psalmist says he knows how great the LORD is, higher than all gods (135:5). Then he states God's rule in the widest terms: nothing in the sky, on land, in the oceans, or in the deepest places lies outside what the LORD is pleased to do (135:6). He raises the clouds, makes lightning accompany the rain, and draws the wind out of His storerooms (135:7). This is God's sovereignty, His complete rule over everything, and His providence, His ongoing control of all that happens. Psalm 115 says the same: from heaven God carries out whatever He wills (Psalm 115:3). Even the pagan king Nebuchadnezzar confessed that no one can hold back God's hand (Daniel 4:35), Paul says God works out everything according to His will (Ephesians 1:11), and Jeremiah describes God's command of clouds, lightning, and wind in words very close to this psalm (Jeremiah 10:13).
- Psalm 135:5-7 (BSB)“For I know that the LORD is great; our Lord is above all gods. The LORD does all that pleases Him in the heavens and on the earth, in the seas and in all their depths. He causes the clouds to rise from the ends of the earth. He generates the lightning with the rain and brings forth the wind from His storehouses.”The LORD is greater than all gods and does whatever He pleases everywhere, including ruling the clouds, lightning, rain, and wind.
- Psalm 115:3 (BSB)“Our God is in heaven; He does as He pleases.”Another psalm says God is in heaven and does as He pleases.
- Daniel 4:35 (BSB)“All the peoples of the earth are counted as nothing, and He does as He pleases with the army of heaven and the peoples of the earth. There is no one who can restrain His hand or say to Him, ‘What have You done?’””Nebuchadnezzar confesses that God does as He pleases and no one can restrain His hand.
- Ephesians 1:11 (BSB)“In Him we were also chosen as God’s own, having been predestined according to the plan of Him who works out everything by the counsel of His will,”Paul says God works out everything by the counsel of His will.
- Jeremiah 10:13 (BSB)“When He thunders, the waters in the heavens roar; He causes the clouds to rise from the ends of the earth. He generates the lightning with the rain and brings forth the wind from His storehouses.”Jeremiah describes God's rule over clouds, lightning, rain, and wind in almost the same words as 135:7.
Theological
What does 135:6 affirm regarding the scope of the LORD's will?
Answer: He does whatever He wishes in heaven, on earth, and in the seas
Having confessed the LORD great and above all gods (135:5), the psalmist asserts the unlimited scope of His sovereign will: whatever He pleases He performs, in heaven, on land, in the oceans, and in every deep (135:6), illustrated by His providential government of clouds, lightning, rain, and wind (135:7). The same confession appears in Psalm 115:3; Nebuchadnezzar acknowledges that none can stay God's hand (Daniel 4:35); and Ephesians 1:11 extends it to all things, worked out according to His purposeful will. Jeremiah 10:13 describes God's rule over the weather in nearly identical terms.
- Psalm 135:5-7 (BSB)“For I know that the LORD is great; our Lord is above all gods. The LORD does all that pleases Him in the heavens and on the earth, in the seas and in all their depths. He causes the clouds to rise from the ends of the earth. He generates the lightning with the rain and brings forth the wind from His storehouses.”The LORD is greater than all gods and does whatever He pleases everywhere, including ruling the clouds, lightning, rain, and wind.
- Psalm 115:3 (BSB)“Our God is in heaven; He does as He pleases.”Another psalm says God is in heaven and does as He pleases.
- Daniel 4:35 (BSB)“All the peoples of the earth are counted as nothing, and He does as He pleases with the army of heaven and the peoples of the earth. There is no one who can restrain His hand or say to Him, ‘What have You done?’””Nebuchadnezzar confesses that God does as He pleases and no one can restrain His hand.
- Ephesians 1:11 (BSB)“In Him we were also chosen as God’s own, having been predestined according to the plan of Him who works out everything by the counsel of His will,”Paul says God works out everything by the counsel of His will.
- Jeremiah 10:13 (BSB)“When He thunders, the waters in the heavens roar; He causes the clouds to rise from the ends of the earth. He generates the lightning with the rain and brings forth the wind from His storehouses.”Jeremiah describes God's rule over clouds, lightning, rain, and wind in almost the same words as 135:7.
General
What does 135:14 say the LORD will do for His people?
Answer: Defend their cause and show them compassion
After recalling God's past deeds, the psalmist turns to God in praise: His name and His fame last forever, through every generation (135:13). Then he looks ahead: God will vindicate those who belong to Him, meaning He will defend their cause and set them in the right, and He will show mercy to those who serve Him (135:14). The God who acted in Egypt and in the conquest has not changed. God told Moses His name was to be remembered through all generations (Exodus 3:15), another psalm says His renown endures to every generation (Psalm 102:12), and 135:14 closely repeats a line from the Song of Moses (Deuteronomy 32:36).
- Psalm 135:13-14 (BSB)“Your name, O LORD, endures forever, Your renown, O LORD, through all generations. For the LORD will vindicate His people and will have compassion on His servants.”The LORD's name and renown last forever, and He will vindicate His people and have compassion on His servants.
- Exodus 3:15 (BSB)“God also told Moses, “Say to the Israelites, ‘The LORD, the God of your fathers—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob—has sent me to you.’ This is My name forever, and this is how I am to be remembered in every generation.”God tells Moses that His name is to be remembered in every generation.
- Psalm 102:12 (BSB)“But You, O LORD, sit enthroned forever; Your renown endures to all generations.”Another psalm says the LORD is enthroned forever and His renown endures to all generations.
- Deuteronomy 32:36 (BSB)“For the LORD will vindicate His people and have compassion on His servants when He sees that their strength is gone and no one remains, slave or free.”The Song of Moses contains nearly the same promise that the LORD will vindicate His people.
Theological
What does 135:14 affirm the LORD will do for His people?
Answer: Defend their cause and show them compassion
The recital issues in doxology and confidence: the LORD's name endures forever and His renown through all generations (135:13), and He will vindicate His own and show mercy to those who serve Him (135:14). God's past acts ground future hope because He is unchanging. The perpetuity of His name reaches back to Exodus 3:15 and is echoed in Psalm 102:12, while 135:14 closely reproduces a line of the Song of Moses (Deuteronomy 32:36).
- Psalm 135:13-14 (BSB)“Your name, O LORD, endures forever, Your renown, O LORD, through all generations. For the LORD will vindicate His people and will have compassion on His servants.”The LORD's name and renown last forever, and He will vindicate His people and have compassion on His servants.
- Exodus 3:15 (BSB)“God also told Moses, “Say to the Israelites, ‘The LORD, the God of your fathers—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob—has sent me to you.’ This is My name forever, and this is how I am to be remembered in every generation.”God tells Moses that His name is to be remembered in every generation.
- Psalm 102:12 (BSB)“But You, O LORD, sit enthroned forever; Your renown endures to all generations.”Another psalm says the LORD is enthroned forever and His renown endures to all generations.
- Deuteronomy 32:36 (BSB)“For the LORD will vindicate His people and have compassion on His servants when He sees that their strength is gone and no one remains, slave or free.”The Song of Moses contains nearly the same promise that the LORD will vindicate His people.