What does Psalm 150:1 mean?

The psalmist calls for worship of God, specifically in His "sanctuary." This might be a reference to the tabernacle (Hebrews 9:2) or temple (1 Kings 6:1; Psalm 73:17). However, paired statements in Hebrew are often meant as equivalents. Here, that would mean the God being praised is the One seated on His spiritual throne in heaven (Psalm 11:4; 102:19). The term for "heavens" here is also translated as "expanse" or "firmament." It is the same word seen in the creation account (Genesis 1:6–8).

This verse begins with the Hebrew phrase halelu-yāh, literally translated as "praise Yah" where Yah is a contracted form of the name Yahweh (Exodus 3:15). In English, this translates to "Praise the Lord!" and is often transliterated as "hallelujah." The first two verses of this psalm (Psalm 150:2) focus on praising God for His divine attributes.