Psalm 150

Psalms 150:1-2

in his sanctuary: The Psalter's last psalm opens with the same command that seals it, Praise ye the Lord, so that the whole poem is one shout from first line to last. The sanctuary names the earthly house where Israel gathered to sing, and the firmament names the sky itself, so praise is commanded on earth and above it in the same breath. His mighty acts and his excellent greatness give the reasons before a single instrument sounds, what he has done and what he is. This is the fifth and final doxology of the Psalter, following the seams at 41:13, 72:18-20, 89:52 and 106:48 that close Books One through Four, and here the whole psalm stands as Book Five's closing praise and the Psalter's own Amen.

Psalms 150:3-6

The summons moves through the full range of Israel's worship, the trumpet's blast, the psaltery and harp of the temple choirs, the timbrel and dance of the open court, stringed instruments and organs, and cymbals both loud and high sounding, so that string, wind, percussion and the moving body are all named in turn with none ranked above another. The final verse widens the call past every named instrument to every living thing, Let every thing that hath breath praise the Lord, and the psalm closes on the same word it opened on, so Hallelujah is both the first sound and the last. Thirteen calls to praise fill these six verses, the older writers count, and bring the whole Psalter to a close on praise alone, no petition and no lament left the final word.