Psalms 146 Study Notes: Trust the Lord, Not Princes
The psalmist vows lifelong praise and warns against relying on mortal rulers, whose plans die with them. Instead he calls blessed the one who hopes in the Creator, who stays faithful, cares for the oppressed, the hungry, the blind, and the vulnerable, and reigns forever.
General
What reason does 146:3-4 give for not putting one's trust in princes?
Answer: They are mortal, cannot save, and their plans die with them
The psalmist warns against relying on princes, powerful human leaders, because they are mere mortals who cannot bring salvation (146:3). When a person's breath leaves him, he goes back to the ground, and on that same day all his plans come to nothing (146:4). The point is not about any particular ruler or government but about where ultimate hope belongs. Even the strongest human being is temporary; only God can truly save. Another psalm says sheltering in the LORD is better than relying on princes (Psalm 118:8-9), Isaiah asks why anyone would rely on a human being, whose life is only a breath (Isaiah 2:22), and Jeremiah warns against trusting in mankind and turning the heart away from the LORD (Jeremiah 17:5).
- Psalm 146:3-4 (BSB)“Put not your trust in princes, in mortal man, who cannot save. When his spirit departs, he returns to the ground; on that very day his plans perish.”The psalmist warns against relying on human rulers, who are mortal and whose plans end at death.
- Psalm 118:8-9 (BSB)“It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in man. It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in princes.”It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in people or in princes.
- Isaiah 2:22 (BSB)“Put no more trust in man, who has only the breath in his nostrils. Of what account is he?”Isaiah warns against trusting man, who has only breath in his nostrils.
- Jeremiah 17:5 (BSB)“This is what the LORD says: “Cursed is the man who trusts in mankind, who makes mere flesh his strength and turns his heart from the LORD.”Jeremiah pronounces a curse on the one who trusts in mankind and turns his heart from the LORD.
Theological
What ground does 146:3-4 give for refusing to rely on princes?
Answer: They are mortal, cannot save, and their plans die with them
Princes are mortal men in whom there is no salvation (146:3); when their breath departs they return to the earth and their plans perish that same day (146:4). The warning concerns the object of ultimate confidence, not any particular ruler: human power is transient, and salvation belongs to God alone. Psalm 118:8-9, Isaiah 2:22, and Jeremiah 17:5 contrast trust in man with sheltering in the LORD in the same way.
- Psalm 146:3-4 (BSB)“Put not your trust in princes, in mortal man, who cannot save. When his spirit departs, he returns to the ground; on that very day his plans perish.”The psalmist warns against relying on human rulers, who are mortal and whose plans end at death.
- Psalm 118:8-9 (BSB)“It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in man. It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in princes.”It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in people or in princes.
- Isaiah 2:22 (BSB)“Put no more trust in man, who has only the breath in his nostrils. Of what account is he?”Isaiah warns against trusting man, who has only breath in his nostrils.
- Jeremiah 17:5 (BSB)“This is what the LORD says: “Cursed is the man who trusts in mankind, who makes mere flesh his strength and turns his heart from the LORD.”Jeremiah pronounces a curse on the one who trusts in mankind and turns his heart from the LORD.
General
In contrast to mortal princes, what does 146:5-6 say about the God in whom the blessed person hopes?
Answer: He made heaven, earth, and sea, and He stays faithful forever
Right after the warning about mortal rulers, the psalmist calls blessed the person who looks to Jacob's God for help and rests his hope on the LORD (146:5). This God made the heavens, the land, the seas, and all they hold, and unlike princes whose plans die with them, He keeps faith forever (146:6). The contrast is between a human helper who fades and the Maker of all things who never fails. Jeremiah likewise calls blessed the one who relies on the LORD (Jeremiah 17:7), another psalmist says the Creator is the source of his help (Psalm 121:2), and Isaiah calls the LORD the everlasting Creator who never tires (Isaiah 40:28).
- Psalm 146:5-6 (BSB)“Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the LORD his God, the Maker of heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them. He remains faithful forever.”The one whose help and hope are in the LORD is blessed, because He is the Creator who stays faithful forever.
- Jeremiah 17:7 (BSB)“But blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in Him.”Jeremiah calls blessed the one who trusts in the LORD and whose confidence is in Him.
- Psalm 121:2 (BSB)“My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth.”Another psalmist says his help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth.
- Isaiah 40:28 (BSB)“Do you not know? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary; His understanding is beyond searching out.”Isaiah describes the LORD as the everlasting God, Creator of the ends of the earth, who never grows weary.
Theological
How does 146:5-6 describe the God in whom the blessed man hopes, in contrast to mortal princes?
Answer: He made heaven, earth, and sea, and He stays faithful forever
The beatitude of 146:5 rests on two attributes set against the princes of 146:3-4: God is Creator of heaven, earth, sea, and all they contain, and He keeps faith forever (146:6). Almighty power and unchanging faithfulness make Him a sure object of hope where mortal power fails. Jeremiah 17:7 and Psalm 121:2 make the same contrast and confession, and Isaiah 40:28 joins the LORD's everlasting nature to His role as Creator.
- Psalm 146:5-6 (BSB)“Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the LORD his God, the Maker of heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them. He remains faithful forever.”The one whose help and hope are in the LORD is blessed, because He is the Creator who stays faithful forever.
- Jeremiah 17:7 (BSB)“But blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in Him.”Jeremiah calls blessed the one who trusts in the LORD and whose confidence is in Him.
- Psalm 121:2 (BSB)“My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth.”Another psalmist says his help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth.
- Isaiah 40:28 (BSB)“Do you not know? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary; His understanding is beyond searching out.”Isaiah describes the LORD as the everlasting God, Creator of the ends of the earth, who never grows weary.
General
Which group is NOT among those 146:7-9 says the LORD helps or protects?
Answer: The wealthy who are proud of their riches
Verses 7-9 list what the LORD does: He sees that the oppressed receive justice, feeds the hungry, frees prisoners, opens blind eyes, lifts those bent low, loves the righteous, protects foreigners, and upholds orphans and widows. But He overturns the way of the wicked (146:9). The proud rich are not on the list; this is a God who stoops to the weak and the powerless. Moses describes the LORD in the same way (Deuteronomy 10:18), another psalm calls God a father to the fatherless and defender of widows (Psalm 68:5), and when John the Baptist asked whether Jesus was the One who was to come, Jesus pointed to His works, among them the blind receiving sight (Matthew 11:5). Giving sight to the blind is one of the works this psalm credits to the LORD, a connection many readers have drawn.
- Psalm 146:7-9 (BSB)“He executes justice for the oppressed and gives food to the hungry. The LORD sets the prisoners free, the LORD opens the eyes of the blind, the LORD lifts those who are weighed down, the LORD loves the righteous. The LORD protects foreigners; He sustains the fatherless and the widow, but the ways of the wicked He frustrates.”The psalm lists the LORD's care for the oppressed, hungry, prisoners, blind, burdened, righteous, foreigners, fatherless, and widows.
- Deuteronomy 10:18 (BSB)“He executes justice for the fatherless and widow, and He loves the foreigner, giving him food and clothing.”Moses describes God as the One who does justice for the fatherless and widow and loves the foreigner.
- Psalm 68:5 (BSB)“A father of the fatherless and a defender of widows is God in His holy habitation.”God is called a father to the fatherless and a defender of widows.
- Matthew 11:5 (BSB)“The blind receive sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor.”Jesus points to the blind seeing and the poor hearing good news as signs of His own ministry.
Theological
Which of the following is NOT included among the objects of the LORD's care in 146:7-9?
Answer: The wealthy who are proud of their riches
The catalogue of 146:7-9 names the oppressed, the hungry, prisoners, the blind, the bowed down, the righteous, sojourners, the fatherless, and widows, while the way of the wicked God frustrates (146:9). The proud wealthy are absent; the LORD's royal care stoops to the powerless. Deuteronomy 10:18 and Psalm 68:5 describe God in the same terms. Jesus' answer to John the Baptist (Matthew 11:5) presents His own works, including sight for the blind and good news for the poor, as the evidence of who He is. Sight for the blind is also among the works the psalm ascribes to the LORD, a connection rather than a quotation of the psalm.
- Psalm 146:7-9 (BSB)“He executes justice for the oppressed and gives food to the hungry. The LORD sets the prisoners free, the LORD opens the eyes of the blind, the LORD lifts those who are weighed down, the LORD loves the righteous. The LORD protects foreigners; He sustains the fatherless and the widow, but the ways of the wicked He frustrates.”The psalm lists the LORD's care for the oppressed, hungry, prisoners, blind, burdened, righteous, foreigners, fatherless, and widows.
- Deuteronomy 10:18 (BSB)“He executes justice for the fatherless and widow, and He loves the foreigner, giving him food and clothing.”Moses describes God as the One who does justice for the fatherless and widow and loves the foreigner.
- Psalm 68:5 (BSB)“A father of the fatherless and a defender of widows is God in His holy habitation.”God is called a father to the fatherless and a defender of widows.
- Matthew 11:5 (BSB)“The blind receive sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor.”Jesus points to the blind seeing and the poor hearing good news as signs of His own ministry.
General
How does Psalm 146 conclude, in contrast to the princes whose plans perish (146:4)?
Answer: The LORD, Zion's God, reigns forever through all generations
The psalm ends where it began, with Hallelujah, and with a final contrast. Human princes die and their plans perish on the same day (146:4), but the LORD's reign never ends; He remains Zion's God for every generation, Zion being Jerusalem, the city of His presence (146:10). Israel sang the same truth after the crossing of the Red Sea (Exodus 15:18), the previous psalm calls God's kingdom everlasting (Psalm 145:13), and Revelation announces that the Lord and His Christ will reign forever (Revelation 11:15).
- Psalm 146:10 (BSB)“The LORD reigns forever, your God, O Zion, for all generations. Hallelujah!”The psalm closes by declaring that the LORD, Zion's God, reigns forever.
- Exodus 15:18 (BSB)“The LORD will reign forever and ever!””At the Red Sea Israel sang that the LORD will reign forever and ever.
- Psalm 145:13 (BSB)“Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and Your dominion endures through all generations. The LORD is faithful in all His words and kind in all His actions.”The previous psalm declares God's kingdom everlasting and His dominion lasting through all generations.
- Revelation 11:15 (BSB)“Then the seventh angel sounded his trumpet, and loud voices called out in heaven: “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ, and He will reign forever and ever.””Heaven proclaims that the kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and His Christ, who will reign forever.
Theological
What climactic affirmation closes Psalm 146, over against the transience of princes?
Answer: The LORD, Zion's God, reigns forever through all generations
Against princes whose plans perish at death (146:4), the psalm closes with the LORD's eternal reign as Zion's God for all generations, framed by Hallelujah (146:10). The Song of the Sea (Exodus 15:18), the everlasting kingdom of Psalm 145:13, and the heavenly proclamation of Revelation 11:15 all confess the same unending reign.
- Psalm 146:10 (BSB)“The LORD reigns forever, your God, O Zion, for all generations. Hallelujah!”The psalm closes by declaring that the LORD, Zion's God, reigns forever.
- Exodus 15:18 (BSB)“The LORD will reign forever and ever!””At the Red Sea Israel sang that the LORD will reign forever and ever.
- Psalm 145:13 (BSB)“Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and Your dominion endures through all generations. The LORD is faithful in all His words and kind in all His actions.”The previous psalm declares God's kingdom everlasting and His dominion lasting through all generations.
- Revelation 11:15 (BSB)“Then the seventh angel sounded his trumpet, and loud voices called out in heaven: “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ, and He will reign forever and ever.””Heaven proclaims that the kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and His Christ, who will reign forever.
General
True or False: In 146:1-2 the psalmist promises to praise the LORD for as long as he lives.
Answer: True
This is true. Psalm 146 begins the last five psalms of the book, each of which opens and closes with Hallelujah, a call to praise the LORD. The psalmist speaks to his own soul, urging himself to praise, and vows to praise and sing to God for as long as he has life (146:1-2). No author is named in this psalm. Psalm 104 contains a very similar vow of lifelong praise (Psalm 104:33), and the last psalm calls every living, breathing thing to praise the LORD (Psalm 150:6).
- Psalm 146:1-2 (BSB)“Hallelujah! Praise the LORD, O my soul. I will praise the LORD all my life; I will sing praises to my God while I have my being.”The psalmist opens with Hallelujah and resolves to praise the LORD as long as he lives.
- Psalm 104:33 (BSB)“I will sing to the LORD all my life; I will sing praise to my God while I have my being.”Another psalmist makes almost the same lifelong vow of praise.
- Psalm 150:6 (BSB)“Let everything that has breath praise the LORD! Hallelujah!”The book of Psalms ends by calling everything that has breath to praise the LORD.
Theological
True or False: The psalmist's resolve in 146:1-2 is to praise the LORD throughout his life.
Answer: True
This is true. Opening the final Hallelujah collection (146-150), the psalmist exhorts his own soul and vows lifelong praise, as long as he has being (146:1-2). The psalm is anonymous. The vow nearly repeats Psalm 104:33, and the collection culminates in the summons of Psalm 150:6.
- Psalm 146:1-2 (BSB)“Hallelujah! Praise the LORD, O my soul. I will praise the LORD all my life; I will sing praises to my God while I have my being.”The psalmist opens with Hallelujah and resolves to praise the LORD as long as he lives.
- Psalm 104:33 (BSB)“I will sing to the LORD all my life; I will sing praise to my God while I have my being.”Another psalmist makes almost the same lifelong vow of praise.
- Psalm 150:6 (BSB)“Let everything that has breath praise the LORD! Hallelujah!”The book of Psalms ends by calling everything that has breath to praise the LORD.