Psalm 135:6 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Whatever the Lord pleases, he does, in heaven and on earth, in the seas and all deeps.

NIV: The Lord does whatever pleases him, in the heavens and on the earth, in the seas and all their depths.

NASB: Whatever the Lord pleases, He does, In heaven and on earth, in the seas and in all the ocean depths.

CSB: The Lord does whatever he pleases in heaven and on earth, in the seas and all the depths.

NLT: The Lord does whatever pleases him throughout all heaven and earth, and on the seas and in their depths.

KJV: Whatsoever the Lord pleased, that did he in heaven, and in earth, in the seas, and all deep places.

NKJV: Whatever the Lord pleases He does, In heaven and in earth, In the seas and in all deep places.

Psalm 135:5–7 lifts up God as the Creator. He has perfect sovereignty: His will cannot be countered. The Lord is the One who created the universe (Genesis 1:1) and sustains everything which exists (Colossians 1:17). One of the most prominent aspects of His creation is weather.

This psalm declares God's greatness with a series of comparisons. The psalmist calls on the temple workers to praise the Lord. He is superior to all idols or false gods. His sovereignty is absolute. He is more powerful than any human king or nation. His fame will never end. Manmade idols are lifeless objects, and those who worship them will become lifeless, as well. All those who honor the Lord should bring their praise.

This song mentions God's creation (Genesis 1:1) and His role in defeating Israel's enemies during the exodus (Exodus 12:29–30; Deuteronomy 29:7). Scripture often points out that objects such as idols have no power, at all (1 Chronicles 16:26; 1 Corinthians 8:4; 12:2). Jerusalem and Zion are often used as different names for the same city (2 Samuel 5:7; 1 Kings 8:1). Psalm 135 includes three uses of the renowned term halelu-yāh. Parts of this psalm resemble segments of Psalm 115.

The book of Psalms is composed of individual songs, hymns, or poems, each of which is a ''Psalm'' in and of itself. These works contain a wide variety of themes. Some Psalms focus on praising and worshipping God. Others cry out in anguish over the pain of life. Still other Psalms look forward to the coming of the Messiah. While some Psalms are related, each has its own historical and biblical context.

Accessed 6/15/2025 11:15:18 AM