Psalm 134 Verse-by-Verse

Back to Psalm 134 overview page.

Welcome to the Verse-by-Verse Notes for Psalm 134!

The Verse-by-Verse Notes present scholarly, exegetical materials (from all layers of analysis) in a verse-by-verse format. They often present alternative interpretive options and justification for a preferred interpretation. The Verse-by-Verse Notes are aimed at consultant-level users.

The discussion of each verse of this psalm includes the following items.

1. A link to the part of the overview video where the verse in question is discussed.
2. The verse in Hebrew and English.
3. An expanded paraphrase of the verse.
4. A grammatical diagram of the verse, which includes glosses for each word and phrase.
5. A series of notes on the verse, which contain information pertaining to the interpretation of the psalm (e.g., meaning of words and phrases, poetic features, difficult grammatical constructions, etc.).

The People Bless YHWH (vv. 1-2)

• Participant analysis is especially important for understanding this psalm. There are two (groups of) speakers:
  • (1) The people of Israel, the ones who have been journeying up to Jerusalem for a holy festival. They speak in vv. 1-2. Some scholars think this verbal exchange might have occurred just as the pilgrims arrived in Jerusalem, or just as they are leaving to go back home after the festival gathering.
  • (2) The priests/Temple workers, who return the blessing to the people in v. 3. (There is some debate as to the identity of the "servants of YHWH" in v. 1: some believe it is the congregation of Israel, others believe it is the priesthood/Levites. For more details, as well as why we believe it is the priests, see our exegetical issue.) "The power of pronouncing blessings in Israel was especially vested in God’s appointed agents, namely, the priests". The priests are the intermediaries of the exchange of blessing that takes place between YHWH and his covenant people. They themselves do not explicitly receive blessing in this psalm. And though YHWH's name appears in each verse, he does not speak or (explicitly) act.
• In terms of emotional content, it makes sense that this psalm, which immediately follows Psalm 133, would carry over some of those same joyful emotions associated with unity and blessing, as it celebrates the restored connection between YHWH and his people via rituals and prayer. Joy and camaraderie are felt throughout the psalm by both parties; and, the two appositive participial phrases referring to the addressees ("the ones who stand in the house of YHWH by night" in v. 1, and "the maker of heaven and earth" in v. 3) seem to convey the related emotions of respect (for the Temple workers) and awe/reverence (for YHWH).
• There are two important repeated roots, each occurring in all 3 verses of this psalm: bless (ברך) and YHWH (יהוה). These two words capture the main themes/thrusts of the psalm, which showcases an exchange of blessing between YHWH and his people, mediated by the priesthood.
• There are many features which indicate that this is a "twin psalm" with Psalm 133.
  • Both psalms are very short (3 verses).
  • Both psalms begin with the attention-getting particle הִנֵּה (cf. also the connection between 'dwelling' שבת and 'standing' עמד in the first verses).
  • Both psalms mention the priests ('Aaron' in Ps 133, and the 'servants of YHWH' in Ps 134).
  • Both psalms are about blessing.
  • Both psalms mention Zion in verse 3.

v. 1

Watch the Overview video on v. 1.

v.	Hebrew	Close-but-clear
ss	שִׁ֗יר הַֽמַּ֫עֲל֥וֹת	The song of the ascents.
1a	הִנֵּ֤ה ׀ בָּרֲכ֣וּ אֶת־יְ֭הוָה כָּל־עַבְדֵ֣י יְהוָ֑ה	Come on! Bless YHWH, all servants of YHWH
1b	הָעֹמְדִ֥ים בְּבֵית־יְ֝הוָ֗ה בַּלֵּילֽוֹת׃	–the ones who stand in the house of YHWH by night!

Expanded Paraphrase

The song of the ascents(, written for pilgrims coming to Zion for a holy festival). (The pilgrims, having just arrived at the Temple, say to the priests: ) Come on! Bless YHWH (because he is worthy of blessing) (and because blessing YHWH is part of serving him), all servants of YHWH(, you priests and Temple workers, whose job is to bless YHWH on behalf of all Israel)–the ones who stand (or serve) in the house of YHWH by night (especially when night vigils were held during holy festivals)! (In this way blessings will never cease, for somebody will always be blessing YHWH.)

Grammatical Diagram

Notes

• The section comprised of vv. 1-2 (minus the superscription) comprises the pilgrims' speech, and is set off by an inclusio, a Hebrew poetic feature where a word or phrase is repeated at the beginning and end of a piece of poetry. Here, the inclusio is bless YHWH.

• The superscription tells us that this is a (song) of ascents. For more information about this special group of psalms, see our page Psalms of Ascent.
• The verbs in this short psalm are interesting and unique: 3 imperatives (vv. 1b, 2ab), one jussive with imperative force (v. 3a), and two participles that serve as appositives for the participants (vv. 1c, 3b). This means that the commands given by the imperatives shape how we understand the psalm--in terms of an exchange of (commanded/requested) blessings. In verse 1, we have an imperative ("bless") followed by the participle functioning as an attributive ("[the ones who] stand").
• The particle glossed as Come on! (הִנֵּה) is a common attention-drawing device in biblical Hebrew. It is often translated "Look!" or "Here!" or something similar, but when it appears with an imperative (as is the case here with "bless") it has the sense of "Come" or "Come on". For a more detailed look at the possible interpretations of this word, along with our reasoning for arriving at our interpretation, see our exegetical issue on this topic. It is also worth noting that Psalm 133, which has many parallels with this psalm, begins with the same word (after the superscription).
• What does it mean to bless YHWH? God blesses people by conferring good on them; we bless God by praising the good in him.. See the Venn diagram below for a comparison and contrast of the ancient Hebrew and modern English understanding of the idea to bless.

• It is not clear who the servants of YHWH (עַבְדֵי יְהוָה) are. Some scholars think this refers to the whole congregation of Israel. For a full treatment of this issue, see our page Who are the "servants of YHWH" in Ps. 134:1? In short, the phrase probably refers to the priests/Temple and not the entire congregation of pilgrims. The "servants of YHWH" are referred to with an appositive in the following line (v. 1c): the ones who stand in the house of YHWH. Stand could refer to literal standing in the Temple (house of YHWH), or it could be a figurative way to say those who serve in the Temple. See the Venn diagram below for a comparison and contrast between the ancient Hebrew and modern English understanding of this idea of servant.

• The noun "night" in the Hebrew phrase by night (בַּלֵּילוֹת) is plural, but English uses the singular in this case to indicate habitual or regular action. Night vigils were held in the temple in Jerusalem for the purpose of prolonged festive celebration (cf. Isa 30:29), much like the festival gatherings that drew the people of Israel to the Temple. In general, night vigils were common in the Ancient Near East . Some have speculated that this psalm displays a formulaic greeting or leave-taking, with the pilgrims either finally arriving at Jerusalem at night before the festival, or leaving before dawn after the festival is over.
• There's alliteration in 1b, with similar sounds repeated within and between בְּבֵית ('bebet') and בַּלֵּילוֹת ('balaylot') .

v. 2

Watch the Overview video on v. 2.

v.	Hebrew	Close-but-clear
2a	שְׂאֽוּ־יְדֵכֶ֥ם קֹ֑דֶשׁ	Lift up your hands toward the holy place,
2b	וּ֝בָרֲכוּ אֶת־יְהוָֽה׃	and bless YHWH!

Expanded Paraphrase

Lift up your hands (as the gesture of prayer to YHWH which he decreed at the dedication of the Temple) toward the holy place (also known as the Temple)(, you who are in the courtyard, just outside the Temple), and bless YHWH (because he is our covenant God and worthy of blessing)!

Grammatical Diagram

Notes

• The command to lift up your hands is a parallel to the command to bless YHWH. Lifting of hands was a gesture associated with addressing Yahweh in prayer (Ps 28:2; cf. Ps 77:3) or, as here, in praise (Ps 63:5)..
• Holy place (קֹדֶשׁ) can signify the temple together with its precincts or the temple itself, or its nave/inner chamber.. We have analyzed the adverbial accusative "holy place" as implying motion toward the holy place, which probably indicates that the priests, the congregation, or both, were standing in the courtyard and surroundings of the Temple, and that the priests were being instructed to lift their hands toward the Most Holy Place, inside the Temple where YHWH's presence resided. (For more details on our interpretation, see our exegetical issue on this Hebrew word.)

YHWH blesses the people (v. 3)

The second 'section' is just one verse, v. 3. This is the priests' return of blessing to the congregation. It is linked to the first section by the participle in apposition (the teal text in the below visual).

Watch the Overview video on v. 3.

v.	Hebrew	Close-but-clear
3a	יְבָרֶכְךָ֣ יְ֭הוָה מִצִּיּ֑וֹן	May YHWH bless you from Zion
3b	עֹ֝שֵׂ֗ה שָׁמַ֥יִם וָאָֽרֶץ׃	–the maker of heaven and earth!

Expanded Paraphrase

(The covenant has obligations on both sides, which means blessing flows between them) (and the priests serve as intermediaries between the two) (so, in response to the blessing of the people to YHWH, the priests say to the pilgrims: ) May YHWH (,the one with authority to bless,) (reciprocally) bless you from Zion (where his presence is located)–the maker (and ruler) of heaven and earth(, that is, the one responsible for both heaven and earth and therefore responsible for blessing flowing back and forth)! (In this way we of Israel, on earth, worship our God in heaven whose presence still dwells on Zion.)

Grammatical Diagram

Notes

• The verb bless in this verse, though a repeated root, is unique in the psalm, because it is the only verb that is not an imperative or participle. It has jussive modality, meaning it expresses a third-person wish rather than a second- or first-person command. This makes sense given the shift of speaker and addressee that occurs in this verse: now the priests are speaking to the congregation, and they are invoking a blessing from YHWH onto the people.
• If the congregation of Israel is composed of many people, why is the second person masculine singular pronoun suffix -ךָ ("you") used in this address? The singular pronoun may be referring to the congregation as a whole, or perhaps directed at each individual in the congregation. The pronoun could be considered a stereotyped element--a common device in the Hebrew Bible, which can be exemplified by the use of the singular "you" in the Aaronic blessing in Num 6:24-26. The suffix is used generically and not intended to be directed at any one person.
• Zion was another name for Jerusalem and/or the Temple, where God's presence resided. See the table below for more details on the use of this imagery.

• Why would the psalmist choose to describe YHWH using the phrase the maker of heaven and earth? Many Ancient Near Eastern peoples understood the entire created universe to consist of two parts: heaven/the heavens (God's space), and earth (humans'/the natural world's space). Thus, this phrase is an artful way to describe YHWH as the creator of the entire universe. What is more, this phrase could hint at the coming together of heaven and earth that happened at Zion (see imagery table).
• Maker (עֹשֵׂה) is functioning as an adjectival participle.

Legends

Grammatical diagram

For legend, click "Expand" to the right

Grammatical Term	Definition	Diagram	Example
Clausal Additions
Subject	The subject performs the action of the active verb or receives the action of a passive verb. With intransitive verbs	Indicated at the beginning of the main clausal line, and followed by a vertical line that crosses over the main clause line (separating the subject from the predicate).
Direct Object	Object that receives the direct action of a (transitive) verb	Indicate with a vertical line up from main clausal line
Predicate adjective/ Subject complement	A word used with a linking verb (ex. "to be"), renaming or restating the subject. Can be a whole prepositional phrase.	Indicate with a vertical slanted line up from the main clausal line. It can be on a stand if it is an embedded clause.
Object Complement	Word following a direct object to state what it has become.	Indicate with a vertical slanted line up from the main clausal line.
Infinitives	Can be subject, adverbial, or an infinitive construct.	Indicate with double vertical lines that cross the main clausal line. If used adverbially (ie. an embedded clause), place on a stand.
Participles	A verbal noun/adjective that can be used in three positions: (1) substantival; (2) attributive; (3) predicative.	Indicate with a round vertical line. Substantival participles are placed on a stand (they are embedded). Attributive participles are placed with a rounded line underneath what is modified.
Modifiers
Adjectives	A word modifying a noun to indicate quality, quantity, extent, or differentiating something from something else.	Indicate with a slanted line down from what is modified.
Adverbs	A word that modifies a verb, adverb, adjective, prepositional phrase, clause, or sentence to express a relation (ex. manner, quality, or time).	Indicate with a slanted line down from what is modified.
Construct relationships	Construction can express many different relationships between two (or more) nouns. English grammarians call this construction a ‘Construct’ (our term) or ‘Genitive’ phrase; Hebrew grammarians call it smīḵūt (סְמִיכוּת).	Indicate with a stair-step down from the modified word/clause/phrase.
Prepositional phrases	A phrase that consists of a preposition and its object and has adjectival or adverbial value	Indicate with a slanted vertical line connecting to a new clause.
Connectives	(1) Coordinating conjunctions join together words or word groups of equal grammatical rank (2) Subordinating conjunctions join a main clause and a clause which does not form a complete sentence by itself.	Indicate with a dashed line down from a vertical line marker.
Embedded clause	A clause inside another clause which can include substantival participles, adverbial infinitives, and prepositional phrases.	Indicate using stilts.
Particles
Subordinating particle	Indicates a dependent clause.	Indicate with a dashed line down from the antecedent to the pronoun.
Apposition	A word that is functioning as an explanatory equivalent as another in the sentence	Place on a line apart from the diagram but next to the word it is the equivalent of with an equal sign in between.
Vocative	Indicating a person being addressed (usually with a 2nd person verb)	Place on a line apart from the diagram next to the '()' indicating the gapped subject an equal sign in between.

Master Diagram

Shapes and colours on grammatical diagram

For legend, click "Expand" to the right

	Prepositional phrase	Construct chain	Construct chain within a prepositional phrase	Phrase-level waw	Article and כֹּל
Diagram Shading
Definition	- A prepositional phrase consists of a preposition plus its object. The phrase usually modifies the clause or another constituent in the clause.	- A construct chain, also called a 'genitive phrase', is a grammatical encoding of the relationship 'A of B,' in which A is a phonologically modified noun (in the construct state), and B is a phonologically unmodified noun (the absolute state).	- Some construct chains occur within prepositional phrases	- A waw conjunction can join units of all sizes. Phrase level waw join units at the word or phrase level (i.e., below the level of the clause).	- Definite articles tell you something about the identifiability or inclusiveness about the word it is attached to - כֹּל is a quantifier that tells you about the scope of a word it is attached to

Expanded paraphrase

For legend, click "Expand" to the right

• Close but Clear (CBC) translation
• Assumptions which provide the most salient background information, presuppositions, entailments, and inferences

Bibliography

Allen, Leslie C. 2002. Psalms 101–150 (Revised). Vol. 21. Word Biblical Commentary. Dallas: Word, Incorporated.

DeClaisse-Walford, Nancy L., Rolf A. Jacobson, and Beth LaNeel Tanner. 2014. The Book of Psalms. New International Commentary on the Old Testament. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans.

Keel, Othmar. 1997. The Symbolism of the Biblical World: Ancient Near Eastern Iconography and the Book of Psalms. Winona Lake, Ind: Eisenbrauns.

Kirkpatrick, Alexander Francis. 1897. The Book of Psalms. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Matthews, Victor Harold, Mark W. Chavalas, and John H. Walton. 2000. The IVP Bible Background Commentary: Old Testament. Electronic ed. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.

VanGemeren, Willem. 1997. New International Dictionary of Old Testament Theology & Exegesis. Grand Rapids, Mich.: Zondervan Pub. House.

Footnotes

134