What does Psalm 150:1 mean?
ESV: Praise the Lord! Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty heavens!
NIV: Praise the Lord. Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty heavens.
NASB: Praise the Lord! Praise God in His sanctuary; Praise Him in His mighty expanse.
CSB: Hallelujah! Praise God in his sanctuary. Praise him in his mighty expanse.
NLT: Praise the Lord! Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty heaven!
KJV: Praise ye the Lord. Praise God in his sanctuary: praise him in the firmament of his power.
NKJV: Praise the Lord! Praise God in His sanctuary; Praise Him in His mighty firmament!
Verse Commentary:
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.
Verse Context:
Psalm 150:1–2 gives reasons why the Lord ought to be praised. God is the One worshipped in Israel's temple (Psalm 73:17), though He is "seated" in heaven (Psalm 11:4). He is the Creator (Genesis 1:1). He has done in-credible things for His people (Psalm 78:2–4). Everything about His nature is worthy of worship and admiration (Psalm 29:1–2; 148:13).
Chapter Summary:
This song uses a poetic form of repetition, calling for worship of the Lord. God should be praised for His attributes and mira-cles. All forms of instruments and singing should be included in this celebration. This psalm begins and ends with the He-brew phrase often translated into English as "hallelujah!"
Chapter Context:
This song completes the biblical collection of psalms, which traditionally has five divisions. These are Psalm 1—41, 42—72, 73—89, 90—106, and 107—150. Each "book" division ends with an exclama-tion of praise (41:13; 72:18–19; 89:52; 106:48). The last five songs of this "book" each begin and end with the term halelu-yāh, literally meaning "praise the Lord!" The text broadly describes all manner of instruments, indicating that worshipful praise can take many forms and styles.
Book Summary:
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 6/18/2025 7:58:13 AM
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