Psalms 134:1
in Psalms 134Come, bless the LORD, all you servants of the LORD who serve by night in the house of the LORD!
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Behold, bless ye Jehovah, all ye servants of Jehovah, That by night stand in the house of Jehovah.
KJV
Behold, bless ye the Lord, all ye servants of the Lord, which by night stand in the house of the Lord.
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This verse in Psalms 134
Commentary
13 notes on this verseBehold now, bless the Lord, all you servants of the Lord. This is the last psalm of the Song of Ascents. The first of the gradual psalms had been: 'To the Lord, when I was in tribulation, I cried, and he heard me.' In the second he had climbed higher: 'I lifted up my eyes to the mountains.' In the third: 'I rejoiced in the things that were said to me.' In the fourth: 'To you I have lifted up my eyes, you who dwell in heaven.'
This site's exposition
Come, bless the LORD
on Psalms 134:1-2
The call goes to the servants of the LORD who are on duty in His house at night. The Hebrew word behind serve is stand. Spurgeon put their main business as blessing the LORD, hands lifted to the sanctuary.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers3 voices
It seems to have stopped here: but see the increase. It is not enough only to be a servant of the Lord, unless the servants themselves also stand. For there are some who stand, others who fall, others who sit, others who lie down. Therefore those who fall, who sit, who lie down—they cannot praise the Lord: you who stand, praise him. But someone may say: Others stand too, there are many churches, there are many congregations. Who then stand? Do the Arians stand? They name Christ—the Eunomians too, and the other heresies: do they then stand? So then, lest he should seem to grant them license to praise the Lord, see what he says. You who stand in the house of the Lord. So that, as the apostle says: 'until I come,' he says, 'that you may know how you ought to order the house of God, which is the church.' The church does not consist in walls, but in the truth of doctrines. The church is there, where the true faith is. Yet fifteen and twenty years ago the heretics possessed all the walls of the churches. For twenty years ago the heretics possessed all these churches. But the true church was there, where the true faith was. Therefore bless the Lord, you who are servants of the Lord. 'Praise is not comely in the mouth of a sinner.' Therefore praise, you who are servants of the Lord: you who both are servants, and stand. You who stand. 'He set,' he says, 'my feet upon a rock.' And to Moses: 'But you, stand here with me.' 'God stood in the assembly of the gods.' And you who stand, not just anywhere, but in the house of God. 'In the courts of the house of our God' is not found in the Hebrew volumes: but it is in the following psalm. For how does it run in that psalm? […]
But notice what "Lift up" means: "Give alms more generously," for the Lord not only demands pious words from us, but also deeds. He added, "in the sanctuary," so that the hand of a Christian may produce the alms. For if heretics or pagans give …
Sitting we speak against others, but standing up we praise the Lord, as it is said; "Behold now, praise the Lord, all ye servants of the Lord; ye that stand in the house of the Lord." He who sits, to speak of the habit of the body, is, as it were, dissolved by ease, and relaxes the energy of his mind. But the careful watchman, the unwearied scout, the wakeful sentinel who keeps the outposts of the camp, these stand. The brave warrior also, who would prevent the designs of his enemy, stands ready in his rank ere he is looked for.
The Reformation1 voice
The Psalmist would show that merely to keep nightly watch over the Temple, kindle the lamps, and superintend the sacrifices, was of no importance, unless they served God spiritually, and referred all outward ceremonies to that which must be considered the main sacrifice the celebration of God's praises.
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
Servant - Peculiarly so called, priests and Levites. Night - Not only by day, but also by night, when their watch was more necessary. Stand - Serve or minister.
6 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
Behold, bless ye the Lord, all ye servants of the Lord,....
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.
The Nineteenth Century4 voices
Behold. By this call the pilgrims bespeak the attention of the night watch. They shout to them—Behold! The retiring pilgrims stir up the holy brotherhood of those who are appointed to keep the watch of the house of the Lord. Let them look around them upon the holy place, and everywhere "behold" reasons for sacred praise. Let them look above them at night and magnify him that made heaven and earth, and lighted the one with stars and the other with his love. Let them see to it that their hallelujahs never come to an end. Their departing brethren arouse them with the shrill cry of "Behold!" Behold!—see, take care, be on the watch, diligently mind your work, and incessantly adore and bless Jehovah's name. Bless ye the Lord. Think well of Jehovah, and speak well of him. Adore him with reverence, draw near to him with love, delight in him with exultation. Be not content with praise, such as all his works render to him; but, as his saints, see that ye "bless" him. He blesses you; therefore, be zealous to bless him. The word "bless" is the characteristic word of the Psalm. The first two verses stir us up to bless Jehovah, and in the last verse Jehovah's blessing is invoked upon the people. Oh to abound in blessing! May blessed and blessing be the two words which describe our lives. Let others flatter their fellows, or bless their stars, or praise themselves; as for us, we will bless Jehovah, from whom all blessings flow. All ye servants of the Lord. It is your office to bless him; take care that you lead the way therein. Servants should speak well of their masters. Not one of you should serve him as of compulsion, but all should bless him while you serve him; yea, bless him for permitting you to serve him, fitting you to serve him, and accepting your service. To be a servant of Jehovah is an incalculable honour, a blessing beyond all estimate.
Behold. By this call the pilgrims bespeak the attention of the night watch. They shout to them—Behold! The retiring pilgrims stir up the holy brotherhood of those who are appointed to keep the watch of the house of the Lord. Let them look around them upon the holy place, and everywhere "behold" reasons for sacred praise. Let them look above them at night and magnify him that made heaven and earth, and lighted the one with stars and the other with his love. Let them see to it that their hallelujahs never come to an end.
Behold, bless ye the Lord - I believe הנה hinneh should be taken here in the sense of take heed! Be upon your guard; you serve a jealous God; provoke him not. Which by night stand - Who minister during the night.
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
Behold - As if calling attention to the fact that they were there, or had come. Bless ye the Lord - Praise Yahweh. Making known their desire that God should be praised, and calling on those who presided over the public worship of the sanctuary to engage now in that service as expressive of their feelings. All ye servants of the Lord - The priests or ministers of religion, appointed especially to this service. Which by night stand in the house of the Lord - There was a class of singers in the temple who devoted the night, or a part of the night, to praise; and it is possible that this service may have been, as it was subsequently in some of the monasteries, continued by succeeding choirs, during the entire night. Thus in 1Ch 9:33, it is said, “And these are the singers, chief of the fathers of the Levites, who remaining in the chambers were free, for they were employed in that work day and night.” This class is particularly addressed in this psalm, as if they were especially favored, or as if they especially possessed the ear of God in the silence of the night, and when the world slumbered around them. There is something favorable to devotion in the silence of the night; when the world sleeps; when we are alone with God; when it seems as if God would more particularly attend to our cry since the rest of the world is still, and does not (as it were) need his care. All this may be fancy; but the effect may be to make the mind more solemn, and better suited for devotion.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| הִנֵּ֤ה׀ | hineh | here! | H2009 → | 843 times |
| בָּרֲכ֣וּ | barakhu | bless | H1288 → | 330 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| יְ֭הוָה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| כָּל־ | kol- | O all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| עַבְדֵ֣י | ʾavdei | [the] servants of | H5650 → | 799 times |
| יְהוָ֑ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| הָעֹמְדִ֥ים | haomedim | who stand | H5975 → | 521 times |
| בְּבֵית־ | beveit- | in [the] house of | H1004 → | 2046 times |
| יְ֝הוָ֗ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| בַּלֵּילֽוֹת׃ | baleilot | in the nights | H3915 → | 233 times |
הִנֵּ֤ה׀here!
hinehH2009 →843 times
בָּרֲכ֣וּbless
barakhuH1288 →330 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
יְ֭הוָהYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
כָּל־O all
kol-H3605 →5413 times
עַבְדֵ֣י[the] servants of
ʾavdeiH5650 →799 times
יְהוָ֑הYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
הָעֹמְדִ֥יםwho stand
haomedimH5975 →521 times
בְּבֵית־in [the] house of
beveit-H1004 →2046 times
יְ֝הוָ֗הYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
בַּלֵּילֽוֹת׃in the nights
baleilotH3915 →233 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
Psalms 120:1In my distress I cried to the LORD, and He answered me.
it leads to
- Psalms 18:6
In my distress I called upon the LORD; I cried to my God for help. From His temple He heard my voice, and my cry for His help reached His ears.
- Jonah 2:2
saying: “In my distress I called to the LORD, and He answered me. From the belly of Sheol I called for help, and You heard my voice.
- Psalms 118:5
In my distress I called to the LORD, and He answered and set me free.
- Hebrews 5:7
During the days of Jesus’ earthly life, He offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears to the One who could save Him from death, and He was heard because of His…
- Psalms 50:15
Call upon Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you will honor Me.”
- Psalms 18:6
Through
Revelation 19:5Then a voice came from the throne, saying: “Praise our God, all you who serve Him, and those who fear Him, small and great alike!”
it leads to
- Psalms 150:6
Let everything that has breath praise the LORD! Hallelujah!
- Psalms 148:11–13
kings of the earth and all peoples, princes and all rulers of the earth,
- Psalms 150:6
Through
1 Chronicles 9:33Those who were musicians, the heads of Levite families, stayed in the temple chambers and were exempt from other duties because they were on duty day and night.
it leads to
- 1 Chronicles 6:31–33
These are the men David put in charge of the music in the house of the LORD after the ark rested there.
- 1 Chronicles 6:31–33
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Psalms
This page draws on 11 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Ambrose of Milan, Letter 63: To the church of Vercellae; Cassiodorus, EXPOSITIONS OF THE PSALMS 133:1-2; Charles Spurgeon, The Treasury of David; Charles Spurgeon, The Treasury of David, Vol. 7; Jerome, Homily 46, on Psalm 133; John Calvin, Commentaries; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.