Psalms 115:12
in Psalms 115The LORD is mindful of us; He will bless us. He will bless the house of Israel; He will bless the house of Aaron;
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Jehovah hath been mindful of us; he will bless us: He will bless the house of Israel; He will bless the house of Aaron.
KJV
The Lord hath been mindful of us: he will bless us; he will bless the house of Israel; he will bless the house of Aaron.
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This verse in Psalms 115
Commentary
9 notes on this verseThe Lord hath been mindful of us,.... The Targum is, "the Word of the Lord hath remembered us for good.'' And is another reason why his people should trust in him: he has been mindful of his covenant with them and promises to them, and has kept them; he remembered them in their low estate, and sent redemption to them; goodness and mercy have followed them all their days.
This site's exposition
The LORD is mindful of us
on Psalms 115:12-15
The LORD is mindful of us, answering the taunt of verse 2. The three groups are blessed, Israel, the house of Aaron, and everyone who fears the LORD, and verse 14 carries the blessing to the children. Verse 15 names who blesses, the Maker of heaven and earth.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
For we do not by our deservings prevent the mercy of God; but, "The Lord has been mindful of us, and has blessed us. He has blessed the house of Israel, He has blessed the house of Aaron" [Psalm 115:12]. But in blessing both of these, "He has blessed all that fear the Lord" [Psalm 115:13]. Do you ask, who are meant by both of these? He answers, "both small and great." That is, the house of Israel with the house of Aaron, those who among that nation believed in Jesus the Saviour....For in the character of those who out of that nation believed, it is said, "Except the Lord of Sabaoth had left us a seed, we had been as Sodoma, and been made like Gomorrha." [Romans 9:29] Seed, because when it has been scattered over the earth, it multiplied.
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
He has been mindful of our case, our wants and burdens, mindful of our prayers to him, his promises to us, and the covenant-relation between him and us. All our comforts are derived from God's thoughts to us-ward; he has been mindful of us, though we have forgotten him. Let this engage us to trust in him, that we have found him faithful.
Poor returns for such receivings! Nay, we will not only do it ourselves, but will engage others to do it. Praise the Lord; praise him with us; praise him in your places, as we in ours; praise him when we are gone, that he may be praised for evermore.
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
The Lord hath been mindful of us, or "Jehovah hath remembered us." His past mercies prove that we are on his heart, and though for the present he may afflict us, yet he does not forget us. We have not to put him in remembrance as though he found it hard to recollect his children, but he hath remembered us and therefore he will in future deal well with us. He will bless us.
The Lord hath been mindful of us, or "Jehovah hath remembered us." His past mercies prove that we are on his heart, and though for the present he may afflict us, yet he does not forget us. We have not to put him in remembrance as though he found it hard to recollect his children, but he hath remembered us and therefore he will in future deal well with us. He will bless us. The word "us" is supplied by the translators, and is superfluous, the passage should run, He will bless; he will bless the house of Israel he will bless the house of Aaron. The repetition of the word "bless" adds great effect to the passage. The Lord has many blessings, each one worthy to be remembered, he blesses and blesses and blesses again. Where he has once bestowed his favour he continues it; his blessing delights to visit the same house very often and to abide where it has once lodged. Blessing does not impoverish the Lord: he has multiplied his mercies in the past, and he will pour them forth thick and threefold in the future. He will have a general blessing for all who fear him, a peculiar blessing for the whole house of Israel, and a double blessing for the sons of Aaron. It is his nature to bless, it is his prerogative to bless, it is his glory to bless, it is his delight to bless; he has promised to bless, and therefore be sure of this, that he will bless and bless and bless without ceasing.
2 more voices on this verse
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
The Lord hath been mindful - He has never yet wholly abandoned us to our enemies. He will bless the house of Israel - He will bless the people as a nation; he will bless the priesthood and Levites; he will bless all of them who fear him, great and small, in whatsoever station or circumstances found. There is a great deal of emphasis in this verse: several words are redoubled to make the subject the more affecting. I give a literal translation: - Psa 115:12 “The Lord has been mindful of us he will bless the house of Israel; she will bless the house of Aaron. Psa 115:13 He will bless them that fear Jehovah, the small with the great. Psa 115:14 Jehovah will add upon you, upon you and upon all your children. Psa 115:15 Blessed are ye of the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth. Psa 115:16 The heavens of heavens are the Lord’s: but the earth he hath given to the sons of Adam.” Jehovah is absolute Master of the universe. He has made the heavens of heavens, and also the earth; and this he gives to the children of Adam. When he exiled him from paradise, he turned him out into the earth, and gave it to him and his sons for ever, that they might dress, till, and eat of its produce all their days.
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
The Lord hath been mindful of us - This would be especially appropriate if the psalm was written, as is commonly supposed, after the return from the captivity of Babylon. In such circumstances it would be every way proper to bring before the mind of the people the fact that God had remembered them and had delivered them. He will bless us - Our past experience furnishes the fullest evidence that he will continue to bless us. He who has delivered us from so great calamities, and who has restored us to our native land after so long and so painful a captivity, will not forsake us now. There can be now no circumstances in which he cannot bestow on us all the blessings which we need; there will be none when we may not hope that he will bless us. If he could save us from such troubles, be can save us from all; if he did thus interpose, we may argue that he will always grant us his help when we need it. He will bless the house of Israel; he will bless the house of Aaron - Compare Psa 115:9-10.
The words behind it
11 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| יְהוָה֮ | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| זְכָרָ֪נוּ | zekharanu | he has remembered us | H2142 → | 230 times |
| יְבָ֫רֵ֥ךְ | yevarekh | he will bless | H1288 → | 330 times |
| יְ֭בָרֵךְ | yevarekh | he will bless | H1288 → | 330 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| בֵּ֣ית | beit | [the] house of | H1004 → | 2046 times |
| יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל | yisrael | Israel | H3478 → | 2507 times |
| יְ֝בָרֵ֗ךְ | yevarekh | he will bless | H1288 → | 330 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| בֵּ֥ית | beit | [the] house of | H1004 → | 2046 times |
| אַהֲרֹֽן׃ | ʾaharon | Aaron | H175 → | 347 times |
יְהוָה֮Yahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
זְכָרָ֪נוּhe has remembered us
zekharanuH2142 →230 times
יְבָ֫רֵ֥ךְhe will bless
yevarekhH1288 →330 times
יְ֭בָרֵךְhe will bless
yevarekhH1288 →330 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
בֵּ֣ית[the] house of
beitH1004 →2046 times
יִשְׂרָאֵ֑לIsrael
yisraelH3478 →2507 times
יְ֝בָרֵ֗ךְhe will bless
yevarekhH1288 →330 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
בֵּ֥ית[the] house of
beitH1004 →2046 times
אַהֲרֹֽן׃Aaron
ʾaharonH175 →347 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Ephesians 1:3Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms.
it leads to
- 1 Peter 1:3
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! By His great mercy He has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
- 2 Corinthians 1:3
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort,
- Ephesians 2:6
And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with Him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus,
- Genesis 22:18
And through your offspring all nations of the earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice.”
- Revelation 5:9–14
And they sang a new song: “Worthy are You to take the scroll and open its seals, because You were slain, and by Your blood You purchased for God those from every tribe and…
- 1 Peter 1:3
Through
Isaiah 44:21Remember these things, O Jacob, for you are My servant, O Israel. I have made you, and you are My servant; O Israel, I will never forget you.
it leads to
- Isaiah 44:1–2
But now listen, O Jacob My servant, Israel, whom I have chosen.
- Isaiah 49:15–16
“Can a woman forget her nursing child, or lack compassion for the son of her womb? Even if she could forget, I will not forget you!
- Isaiah 44:1–2
Through
Psalms 136:23He remembered us in our low estate His loving devotion endures forever.
it leads to
- Isaiah 63:9
In all their distress, He too was afflicted, and the Angel of His Presence saved them. In His love and compassion He redeemed them; He lifted them up and carried them all the days…
- Isaiah 63:9
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies1
About Psalms
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes on the Book of Psalms; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Augustine of Hippo, Exposition on Psalm 115; Charles Spurgeon, The Treasury of David, Vol. 5; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.