Psalm 150 Story behind the Psalm

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Psalm Overview

The Story Behind Psalm 150.

Overview

In order to understand a Psalm, we have to understand not only what is said, but also what is assumed and left unsaid. Psalm 150, like many other Psalms, assumes a certain state of affairs (a story "behind the Psalm"). We can summarise the story behind Psalm 150 as follows: YHWH, the God of Israel, has won a great victory and become king of the whole earth (cf. Pss. 47; 93; 97; 99; Zech. 14:9). The text of Psalm 150 is the celebratory response to this story.

Background ideas

  • God's "sanctuary" (see v. 1) is his "palace," the place from which he rules.
  • The "firmament" (see v. 1) is the "base supporting the throne of YHWH."[1] Just as the firmament holds back the waters above, so YHWH holds back the forces of chaos, and his reign provides the conditions for peace and prosperity.
  • The horn (see v. 3) was blown when a king took the throne (cf. 2 Sam. 15:10; 1 Kgs. 1:34, 39; 2 Kgs. 9:13; Ps. 47:6-10).
  • The enthronement of a king, announced by the horn, might be followed by a musical celebration (cf. 1 Kgs. 1:39-40).
  • Women would play drums and dance (see v. 4) to celebrate a king's victory in battle (Ex. 15:20-21; 1 Sam. 18:6-7).

Background situation

Background situation

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

v. 1

Praise Yah (the God of Israel).[2]

Praise God who is in his sanctuary (which is in Jerusalem)[3] (which is in the heavens). (For, he is not just the God of Israel, but the God of the universe).[4] (His sanctuary is also his palace, the place from which he rules.)[5] (He has entered his sanctuary) (and so has begun to rule over the whole world).

Praise him who is in his strong firmament. (The firmament is the base that supports YHWH's throne).[6] (Just as the firmament covers the earth, so YHWH's rule is universal), (and the strength of the firmament means that YHWH's throne is stable and enduring). Psalm 150 - v. 1.jpg

v. 2

(YHWH has accomplished mighty feats) (like the great military exploits of a king).[7] Praise him for his achievements. (His achievements have earned him) (his exceedingly high status.) (And the high status of a king demands high praise from his subjects).[8] Praise him according to his great greatness. Psalm 150 - v. 2.jpg

v. 3

(YHWH has ascended to the throne in his heavenly sanctuary), (and a king's reign is announced with the blast of a horn.)[9] (So,) Praise him with the blast of a horn. (The enthronement of a king, announced by the horn, might be followed by a great musical celebration).[10] (YHWH's enthronement is cause for great celebration, joy and thanksgiving.) (So,) Praise him with lyre and lute.[11] Psalm 150 - v. 3.jpg

v. 4

(People, especially women, play drums and dance to celebrate a king's victory in battle).[12] (YHWH has won a great victory.) (He has conquered all of his enemies.) (So,) Praise him with drum and dance. (His triumph is cause for great celebration and joy.) (So,) Praise him with strings and flute. Psalm 150 - v. 4.jpg

v. 5

Praise him with loud cymbals. Praise him with resounding cymbals.[13] Psalm 150 - v. 5.jpg

v. 6

(YHWH has created every living creature.) (And because YHWH reigns over the universe, his rule extends over every living creature,) (and every living creature benefits from his rule.) (Therefore,) Let every living creature praise Yah (with the very breath which he has given them.)[14]

Praise Yah. Psalm 150 - v. 6.jpg

References

  1. ↑ Dictionary of Classical Hebrew
  2. ↑ YHWH (יהוה) is the name of the God of Israel. "Yah" (יה) is "the short form of YHWH (יהוה), only found in poetic texts" (SDBH).
  3. ↑ "As with Ps. 149, it is initially natural to assume that its praise is offered in the Jerusalem temple, though the opening line points in another direction, as does the instrumentation detailed in vv. 3–5, and the prescription in v. 6" (Goldingay 2008:747)
  4. ↑ "Title [EL] and location [sanctuary] identify the LORD as the supreme sovereign who rules over all (cf. 29:10; 96:6; Ezek. 10:1). The LORD is to be praised as the one who reigns" (Mays 1994:450).
  5. ↑ The same Hebrew word (היכל) means both "temple" and "palace." The temple, or as it is referred to here, "his sanctuary," (קדש), was the place where YHWH sat enthroned. Cf. Ps. 11:4 (holy temple // heavenly throne).
  6. ↑ God created the firmament (see Genesis 1). The firmament separated "the water on the earth from the water in the atmosphere" (SDBH). According to Walton, "the first role of the firmament was to create the space in which people could live. The second... was to be a mechanism by which precipitation was controlled" (Walton 2011). Most significant for Psalm 150 is the fact that the firmament is the "sanctuary of YHWH or base supporting the throne of YHWH" (DCH), "on top of which God's throne was located" (SDBH). See Ezekiel 1.
  7. ↑ The word for "accomplishments" (גבורות) is associated especially with kings (see e.g., 1 Kgs 22:46; 2 Kgs 13:12; 14:15, 28; Esth. 10:2), their fighting of wars and construction of public works. YHWH's accomplishments include the creation of the firmament, which guarantees the conditions for agricultural success on the earth (cf. Hezekiah's getting water to the city as one of his notable "accomplishments"). His accomplishments also include his defeat of evil and chaos. "'Mighty acts' recurs from 145:4, 12, and 106:2, where it denotes the acts whereby Yhwh brought Israel into being and delivers Israel" (Goldingay 2008:748)
  8. ↑ The noun גדל may be used to describe a king's high status (e.g., describing the king of Egypt in Ezek. 31:2, 7, 18)
  9. ↑ "The ram's horn can produce but one or two resounding tones. It is therefore more suited for use as a signal than as a musical instrument... The procession of YHWH to Zion is also accompanied by the blowing of the horn (Ps. 47:6). This may have had something to do with the significance of the ram's horn at the coronation of the king (2 Sam. 15:10; 1 Kgs. 1:34, 39, 41-42; 2 Kgs. 9:13)" (Keel 1997:341).
  10. ↑ (see 1 Kgs. 1:39-40)
  11. ↑ The lyre and lute were also played to celebrate victory in battle (see 2 Chron. 20:27-28).
  12. ↑ See Ex. 15:20; Jg. 11:34; 1 Sam. 18:6. The particular word for "dance" used here (מחול) refers to "the type of dance which is danced as an expression of joy upon the safe return of the armies of Israel from battle" (Gruber 1981).
  13. ↑ "The mesiltayim were clearly ceremonial cultic instruments, and in that capacity were considered instruments of the guild of Levites. Ezra 3:10 and 1 Chron. 16:5 identify these players as 'sons of Asaph'; 1 Chron. 15:19, 16:42, and 2 Chron. 5:12 as the singers Heman, Asaph, and Ethan. In any event, the mesiltayim were never played by women, at least in the Bible. They were often used together with other cultic instruments, but only in connection with cultic events such as the transfer of the ark (1 Chron. 15:28), the dedication of the temple and presence of God (2 Chron. 5:13), and to accompany burnt and sin offerings (2 Chron. 29:25)" (Braun 2002:21). "The two expressions ("loud cymbals" and "resounding cymbals") might denote two different kinds of cymbals (e.g., something more like castanets and something more like actual cymbals) or two different functions fulfilled by the same instruments at different times (e.g., encouraging people to listen to what is about to happen and telling them it is time to shout in acclamation)" (Goldingay 2008:749).
  14. ↑ "In the Old Testament vocabulary, 'breath' (neshama) more than any other term designates the vitality of the physical life of the human being that comes from God" (Mays 1994:450).
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