Psalms 148:4-14

148:4 Praise him, O highest heaven,

and you waters above the sky! ¹ 

148:5 Let them praise the name of the Lord,

for he gave the command and they came into existence.

148:6 He established them so they would endure; ² 

he issued a decree that will not be revoked. ³ 

148:7 Praise the Lord from the earth,

you sea creatures and all you ocean depths,

148:8 O fire and hail, snow and clouds, ⁴ 

O stormy wind that carries out his orders, ⁵ 

148:9 you mountains and all you hills,

you fruit trees and all you cedars,

148:10 you animals and all you cattle,

you creeping things and birds,

148:11 you kings of the earth and all you nations,

you princes and all you leaders ⁶  on the earth,

148:12 you young men and young women,

you elderly, along with you children!

148:13 Let them praise the name of the Lord,

for his name alone is exalted;

his majesty extends over the earth and sky.

148:14 He has made his people victorious, ⁷ 

and given all his loyal followers reason to praise –

the Israelites, the people who are close to him. ⁸ 

Praise the Lord!

[148:4]  ¹ sn The “water” mentioned here corresponds to the “waters above” mentioned in Gen 1:7. See also Ps 104:3. For a discussion of the picture envisioned by the psalmist, see L. I. J. Stadelmann, The Hebrew Conception of the World, 47.

[148:6]  ² tn Or “forever and ever.”

[148:6]  ³ tn Heb “and it will not pass away.”

[148:8]  ⁴ tn In Ps 119:83 the noun refers to “smoke,” but here, where the elements of nature are addressed, the clouds, which resemble smoke, are probably in view.

[148:8]  ⁵ tn Heb “[that] does his word.”

[148:11]  ⁶ tn Or “judges.”

[148:14]  ⁷ tn Heb “and he lifted up a horn for his people.” The horn of an ox underlies the metaphor (see Deut 33:17; 1 Kgs 22:11; Ps 92:10). The horn of the wild ox is frequently a metaphor for military strength; the idiom “exalt/lift up the horn” signifies military victory (see 1 Sam 2:10; Pss 75:10; 89:17, 24; 92:10; Lam 2:17). Another option is to take the “horn” as a symbol for the Davidic king, through whom the Lord gives his people military victory.

[148:14]  ⁸ tn “[there is] praise for all his loyal followers, to the sons of Israel, the people near him.” Here “praise” stands by metonymy for the victory that prompts it.