Praise ye the LORD. Praise ye the name of the LORD; praise him, O ye servants of the LORD.
Psalms 135:1-21.-Call to praise, as Yahweh hath chosen Israel for His treasure (Psalms 135:1-4); His omnipotence to do what He will in the heaven, the earth, the seas, and the air (Psalms 135:5-7); His wonders in Egypt performed for Israel, and His gift of Sihon's and Og's lands to His people (Psalms 135:8-12); a pledge that He will again vindicate His afflicted servant (Psalms 135:13-14); what a contrast of weakness the idols present (Psalms 135:15-18); concluding call to all to bless Yahweh (Psalms 135:19-21). As Psalms 115:1-18 belongs to the time when the second temple's foundation was laid; and Psalms 134:1-3 when the building was interrupted; so this psalm was perhaps written when Nehemiah went to Jerusalem and built the walls amidst the opposition of Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite, with the Arabians and Ashdodites. For the reference to God's past deliverances of Israel (Psalms 135:8-11) implies that God's people now again needed deliverance from foes. Psalms 135:1 refers to Psalms 134:1-2; and Psalms 135:21 to Psalms 134:3; Psalms 135:15-18 are drawn from Psalms 115:4-8; Psalms 135:19-21 from Psalms 115:9-12.
Praise ye the Lord - `Hallelujah.' The theme of the psalm, with which it opens and closes.
Praise him, O ye servants of the Lord - not only the priests, as in Psalms 134:1, but the Levites and all Israel (Psalms 135:19-20).