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Psalms 134:2 King James Version with Strong's Concordance (STRONG)

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2 Lift up H5375 your hands H3027 in the sanctuary, H6944 and bless H1288 the LORD. H3068

Cross Reference

Psalms 28:2 STRONG

KJV ASV YLT DARBY WEB BBE

Hear H8085 the voice H6963 of my supplications, H8469 when I cry H7768 unto thee, when I lift up H5375 my hands H3027 toward thy holy H6944 oracle. H1687

1 Timothy 2:8 STRONG

KJV ASV YLT DARBY WEB BBE

I will G1014 therefore G3767 that men G435 pray G4336 every G1722 G3956 where, G5117 lifting up G1869 holy G3741 hands, G5495 without G5565 wrath G3709 and G2532 doubting. G1261

Psalms 63:4 STRONG

KJV ASV YLT DARBY WEB BBE

Thus will I bless H1288 thee while I live: H2416 I will lift up H5375 my hands H3709 in thy name. H8034

Psalms 141:2 STRONG

KJV ASV YLT DARBY WEB BBE

Let my prayer H8605 be set forth H3559 before H6440 thee as incense; H7004 and the lifting up H4864 of my hands H3709 as the evening H6153 sacrifice. H4503

Lamentations 2:19 STRONG

KJV ASV YLT DARBY WEB BBE

Arise, H6965 cry out H7442 in the night: H3915 in the beginning H7218 of the watches H821 pour out H8210 thine heart H3820 like water H4325 before H5227 the face H6440 of the Lord: H136 lift up H5375 thy hands H3709 toward him for the life H5315 of thy young children, H5768 that faint H5848 for hunger H7458 in the top H7218 of every street. H2351

Lamentations 3:41 STRONG

KJV ASV YLT DARBY WEB BBE

Let us lift up H5375 our heart H3824 with our hands H3709 unto God H410 in the heavens. H8064

Psalms 26:6 STRONG

KJV ASV YLT DARBY WEB BBE

I will wash H7364 mine hands H3709 in innocency: H5356 so will I compass H5437 thine altar, H4196 O LORD: H3068

Psalms 63:2 STRONG

KJV ASV YLT DARBY WEB BBE

To see H7200 thy power H5797 and thy glory, H3519 so as I have seen H2372 thee in the sanctuary. H6944

Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on Psalms 134

Commentary on Psalms 134 Matthew Henry Commentary

John Gill   Keil & Delitzsch   Robert Jamieson: Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible  

Psalm 134

This is the last of the fifteen songs of degrees; and, if they were at any time sung all together in the temple-service, it is fitly made the conclusion of them, for the design of it is to stir up the ministers to go on with their work in the night, when the solemnities of the day were over. Some make this psalm to be a dialogue.

  • I. In the first two verses, the priests or Levites who sat up all night to keep the watch of the house of the Lord are called upon to spend their time while they were upon the guard, not in idle talk, but in the acts of devotion.
  • II. In the last verse those who were thus called upon to praise God pray for him that gave them the exhortation, either the high priest or the captain of the guard. Or thus: those who did that service did mutually exhort one another and pray for one another.

In singing this psalm we must both stir up ourselves to give glory to God and encourage ourselves to hope for mercy and grace from him.

A song of degrees.

Psa 134:1-3

This psalm instructs us concerning a two-fold blessing:-

  • I. Our blessing God, that is, speaking well of him, which here we are taught to do, v. 1, 2.
    • 1. It is a call to the Levites to do it. They were the servants of the Lord by office, appointed to minister in holy things; they attended the sanctuary, and kept the charge of the house of the Lord, Num. 3:6, etc. Some of them did by night stand in the house of the Lord, to guard the holy things of the temple, that they might not be profaned, and the rich things of the temple, that they might not be plundered. While the ark was in curtains there was the more need of guards upon it. They attended likewise to see that neither the fire on the altar nor the lamps in the candlestick went out. Probably it was usual for some devout and pious Israelites to sit up with them; we read of one that departed not from the temple night or day, Lu. 2:37. Now these are here called upon to blesss the Lord. Thus they must keep themselves awake by keeping themselves employed. Thus they must redeem time for holy exercises; and how can we spend our time better than in praising God? It would be an excellent piece of husbandry to fill up the vacancies of time with pious meditations and ejaculations; and surely it is a very modest and reasonable to converse with God when we have nothing else to do. Those who stood in the house of the Lord must remember where they were, and that holiness and holy work became that house. Let them therefore bless the Lord; let them all do it in concert, or each by himself; let them lift up their hands in the doing of it, in token of the lifting up of their hearts. Let them lift up their hands in holiness (so Dr. Hammond reads it) or in sanctification, as it is fit when they lift them up in the sanctuary; and let them remember that when they were appointed to wash before they went in to minister they were thereby taught to lift up holy hands in prayer and praise.
    • 2. It is a call to us to do it, who, as Christians, are made priests to our God, and Levites, Isa. 66:21. We are the servants of the Lord; we have a place and a name in his house, in his sanctuary; we stand before him to minister to him. Even by night we are under his eye and have access to him. Let us therefore bless the Lord, and again bless him; think and speak of his glory and goodness. Let us lift up our hands in prayer, in praise, in vows; let us do our work with diligence and cheerfulness, and an elevation of mind. This exhortation is ushered in with Behold! a note commanding attention. Look about you, Sirs, when you are in God's presence, and conduct yourselves accordingly.
  • II. God's blessing us, and that is doing well for us, which we are here taught to desire, v. 3. Whether it is the watchmen's blessing their captain, or the Levites' blessing the high priest, or whoever was their chief (as many take it, because it is in the singular number, The Lord bless thee), or whether the blessing is pronounced by one upon many ("The Lord bless thee, each of you in particular, thee and thee; you that are blessing God, the Lord bless you'), is not material. We may learn,
    • 1. That we need desire no more to make us happy than to be blessed of the Lord, for those whom he blesses are blessed indeed.
    • 2. That blessings out of Zion, spiritual blessings, the blessings of the covenant, and of communion with God, are the best blessings, which we should be most earnest for.
    • 3. It is a great encouragement to us, when we come to God for a blessing, that it is he who made heaven and earth, and therefore has all the blessings of both at his disposal, the upper and nether springs.
    • 4. We ought to beg these blessings, not only for ourselves, but for others also; not only, The Lord bless me, but, The Lord bless thee, thus testifying our belief of the fulness of divine blessings, that there is enough for others as well as for us, and our good-will also to others. We must pray for those that exhort us. Though the less is blessed of the greater (Heb. 7:7), yet the greater must be prayed for by the less.