TITLE. A Song of Degrees. We have
now reached the last of the Gradual Psalms. The Pilgrims are
going home, and are singing the last song in their psalter. They
leave early in the morning, before the day has fully commenced,
for the journey is long for many of them. While yet the night
lingers they are on the move. As soon as they are outside the
gates they see the guards upon the temple wall, and the lamps
shining from the windows of the chambers which surround the
sanctuary; therefore, moved by the sight, they chant a farewell
to the perpetual attendants upon the holy shrine. Their parting
exhortation arouses the priests to pronounce upon them a
blessing out of the holy place: this benediction is contained in
the third verse. The priests as good as say, "You have
desired us to bless the Lord, and now we pray the Lord to bless
you."
The Psalm teaches us to pray for those who
are continually ministering before the Lord, and it invites all
ministers to pronounce benedictions upon their loving and
prayerful people.
EXPOSITION
Verse 1. 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. To be a
servant in his temple, a domestic in his house, is even more a
delight and a glory: if those Who are ever with the Lord, and
dwell in his own temple, do not bless the Lord, who will? Which
by night stand in the house of the LORD. We can well understand
how the holy pilgrims half envied those consecrated ones who
guarded the temple, and attended to the necessary offices
thereof through the hours of night. To the silence and solemnity
of night there was added the awful glory of the place where
Jehovah had ordained that his worship should be celebrated,
blessed were the priests and Levites who were ordained to a
service so sublime. That these should bless the Lord throughout
their nightly vigils was most fitting: the people would have
them mark this, and never fail in the duty. They were not to
move about like so many machines, but to put their hearts into
all their duties, and worship spiritually in the whole course of
their duty. It would be well to watch, but better still to be
"watching unto prayer" and praise. When night settles
down on a church the Lord has his watchers and holy ones still
guarding his truth, and these must not be discouraged, but must
bless the Lord even when the darkest hours draw on. Be it ours
to cheer them, and lay upon them this charge—to bless the Lord
at all times, and let his praise be continually in their mouths.
Verse 2. Lift up your hands in the sanctuary.
In the holy place they must be busy, full of strength, wide
awake, energetic, and moved with holy ardour. Hands, heart, and
every other part of their manhood must be upraised, elevated,
and consecrated to the adoring service of the Lord. As the
angels praise God day without night, so must the angels of the
churches be instant in season and out of season. And bless the
LORD. This is their main business. They are to bless men by
their teaching, but they must yet more bless Jehovah with their
worship. Too often men look at public worship only from the side
of its usefulness to the people; but the other matter is of even
higher importance: we must see to it that the Lord God is
adored, extolled, and had in reverence. For a second time the
word "bless" is used, and applied to Jehovah. Bless
the Lord, O my soul, and let every other soul bless him. There
will be no drowsiness about even midnight devotion if the heart
is set upon blessing God in Christ Jesus, which is the gospel
translation of God in the sanctuary.
Verse 3. This last verse is the answer from the temple
to the pilgrims preparing to depart as the day breaks. It is the
ancient blessing of the high priest condensed, and poured forth
upon each individual pilgrim. The LORD that made heaven and
earth bless thee out of Zion. Ye are scattering and going to
your homes one by one; may the benediction come upon you one by
one. You have been up to Jehovah's city and temple at his
bidding; return each one with such a benediction as only he can
give—divine, infinite, effectual, eternal. You are not going
away from Jehovah's works or glories, for he made the heaven
above you and the earth on which you dwell. He is your Creator,
and he can bless you with untold mercies; he can create joy and
peace in your hearts, and make for you a new heaven and a new
earth. May the Maker of all things make you to abound in
blessings. The benediction comes from the City of the Great
King, from his appointed ministers, by virtue of his covenant,
and so it is said to be "out of Zion." To this day the
Lord blesses each one of his people through his church, his
gospel, and the ordinances of his house. It is in communion with
the saints that we receive untold benisons. May each one of us
obtain yet more of the blessing which cometh from the Lord
alone. Zion cannot bless us; the holiest ministers can only wish
us a blessing; but Jehovah can and will bless each one of his
waiting people. So may it be at this good hour. Do we desire it?
Let us then bless the Lord ourselves. Let us do it a second
time. Then we may confidently hope that the third time we think
of blessing we shall find ourselves conscious receivers of it
from the Ever blessed One. Amen.
EXPLANATORY NOTES AND QUAINT SAYINGS
Whole Psalm. It is a beautiful little ode, equally
full of sublimity and simplicity. It is commonly supposed to be
the work of David. With what admiration should we contemplate
the man whose zeal in the cause of religion thus urged him to
embrace every opportunity that could occur to him, among the
lowest as well as the highest ranks of life, of promoting the
praise and glory of his Creator; now composing penitential hymns
for his own closet; now leading the temple service in national
eulogies of the most sublime pitch to which human language can
reach; and now descending to the class of the watchmen and
patrol of the temple and the city, and tuning their lips to a
reverential utterance of the name and the service of God!—John
Mason Good (1764-1827), in "An Historical Outline of
the Book of Psalms."
Whole Psalm. This Psalm consists of a greeting, Ps
109:1-2, and the reply thereto. The greeting is addressed to
those priests and Levites who have the night watch in the
Temple; and this antiphon is purposely placed at the end of the
collection of Songs of Degrees in order to take the place of a
final "beracha" (Blessing). In this sense Luther
styles the Psalm epiphonema superiorum. ("I take
this Psalm to be a conclusion of those things which were spoken
of before."—Luther). It is also in other respects
an appropriate finale.—Franz Delitzsch.
Whole Psalm. The last cloud of smoke from the evening
sacrifice has mixed with the blue sky, the last note of the
evening hymn has died away on the ear. The watch is being set
for the night. The twenty-four Levites, the three priests, and
the captain of the guard, whose duty it was to keep ward from
sunset to sunrise over the hallowed precincts, are already at
their several posts, and the multitude are retiring through the
gates, which will soon be shut, to many of them to open no more.
But they cannot depart without one last expression of the piety
that fills their hearts; and turning to the watchers on tower
and battlement, they address them in holy song, in what was at
once a brotherly admonition and a touching prayer: Behold,
bless ye LORD, all ye servants of the LORD, which by night stand
in the house of the LORD. Lift up your hands in the sanctuary,
and bless the LORD. The pious guard are not unprepared for
the appeal, and from their lofty heights, in words that float
over the peopled city and down into the quiet valley of the
Kidron, like the melody of angels, they respond to each
worshipper who thus addressed them with a benedictory farewell: The
LORD bless thee out of Zion, even he who made heaven and earth.—Robert
Nisbet.
Whole Psalm. The tabernacle and temple were served by
priests during the night as well as the day. Those priests
renewed the altar fire, fed the lamps, and guarded the sacred
structure from intrusion and from plunder. The Psalm before us
was prepared for the priests who served the sacred place by
night. They were in danger of slumbering; and they were in
danger of idle reverie. Oh, how much time is wasted in mere
reverie—in letting thought wander, and wander, and wander! The
priests were in danger, we say, of slumbering, of idle reverie,
of vain thoughts, of useless meditation, and of profitless talk:
and therefore it is written,—"Behold, bless ye the LORD,
all ye servants of the LORD, which by night stand in the house
of the LORD." Is it your duty to spend the night in
watching? Then spend the night in worship. Do not let the time
of watching be idle, wasted time; but when others are slumbering
and sleeping, and you are necessarily watchful, sustain the
praises of God's house; let there be praise in Zion—still
praise by night as well as by day! Lift up your hands in the
sanctuary, and bless the LORD. We may suppose these words to
be addressed to the sacred sentinels, by the head of their
course, or by the captain of the guard, or even by the high
priest. We can imagine the captain of the guard coming in during
the night watches, and saying to the priests who were guarding
the temple, Behold, bless ye the LORD, all ye servants of the
LORD, which by night stand in the house of the LORD. Or we
could imagine the high priest, when the watch was set for the
first part of the night, going to the priests who were under his
control, and addressing to them these same soul stirring words.
Now our text is the response of these sacred sentinels. As they
listened to the captain of the guard, or to the high priest,
telling them to worship by night in the courts of the Lord—to
lift up their hands in the sanctuary, and bless the Lord—they
answered him, The LORD that made heaven and earth bless thee
out of Zion. So that here you have brought before you the
interesting and instructive subject of mutual benediction—the
saints blessing each other.—Samuel Martin, 1817-1878.
Verse 1. The Targum explains the first verse of the
Temple watch. "The custom in the Second Temple appears to
have been this. After midnight the chief of the doorkeepers took
the key of the inner Temple, and went with some of the priests
through the small postern of the Fire Gate. In the inner court
this watch divided itself into two companies, each carrying a
burning torch; one company turned west, the other east, and so
they compassed the court to see whether all were in readiness
for the Temple service on the following morning. In the
bakehouse, where the Mincha ("meat offering")
of the High Priest was baked, they met with the cry, `All well.'
Meanwhile the rest of the priests arose, bathed themselves, and
put on their garments. They then went into the stone chamber
(one half of which was the hall of session of the Sanhedrim),
and there, under the superintendence of the officer who gave the
watchword, and one of the Sanhedrim, surrounded by the priests
clad in their robes of office, their several duties for the
coming day were assigned to each of the priests by lot. Lu
1:9."—J.J. Stewart Perowne.
Verse 1. Behold. The Psalm begins with the
demonstrative adverb Behold setting the matter of their duty
before their eyes, for they were to be stimulated to devotion by
looking constantly to the Temple. We are to notice the
Psalmist's design in urging the duty of praise so earnestly upon
them. Many of the Levites, through the tendency which there is
in all men to abuse ceremonies, considered that nothing more was
necessary than standing idly in the Temple, and thus overlooked
the principal part of their duty. 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. You may think it a very laborious
service, as if he had said, to stand at watch in the Temple,
while others sleep in their own houses; but the worship which
God requires is something more excellent than this, and demands
of you to sing his praises before all the people.—John
Calvin.
Verse 1. Behold. The first word in this verse, "Behold",
seemeth to point at the reasons which the priests in the Temple
had to bless Jehovah; as if it had been said, Behold, the house
of God is built, the holy services are appointed, and the Lord
hath given you rest from your enemies, that you may serve him
acceptably; set about it, therefore, with gratitude and
alacrity. We read (1Ch 9:33) that the Levitical singers were
"employed in their work day and night"; to the end,
doubtless, that the earthly sanctuary might bear some
resemblance to that above, where St. John tells us, the redeemed
"are before the throne of God, and serve him day and night
in his temple": Re 7:15.—George Horne.
Verse 1. Behold, bless ye the LORD, all ye servants
of the LORD. From the exhortation to the Lord's ministers,
learn, that the public worship of God is to be carefully looked
unto; and all men, but especially ministers, had need to be
stirred up to take heed to themselves, and to the work of God's
public worship, when they go about it; for so much doth "behold"
in this place import.—David Dickson.
Verse 1. By night. Even by night the Lord is to
be remembered, and his praises are to be rehearsed.—Martin
Geier, 1614-1681.
Verse 1. Stand in the house of the LORD. The
Rabbins say, that the high priest only sat in the sanctuary (as
did Eli, 1Sa 1:9); the rest stood, as ready pressed to do their
office.—John Trapp.
Verse 1. Which stand in the house of the LORD.
YOU who have now a permanent house, and no longer, like
pilgrims, have to dwell in tents.—Robert Bellarmine.
Verse 1. Which stand in the house of the LORD.
Let not this your frequent being in his presence breed in you
contempt; as the saying is, "Too much familiarity breeds
contempt; "but bless him always, acknowledge, and with
reverence praise his excellency.—John Mayer, 1653.
Verse 2. Lift up your hands, etc. The lifting
up of the hands was a gesture in prayer, it was an intimation of
their expectation of receiving blessings from the Lord, and it
was also an acknowledgment of their having received the same.—Samuel
Eyles Pierce.
Verse 2. In the sanctuary. The Hebrew work
signifying holiness as well as the holy place may
here be taken in the former sense, the latter having been
sufficiently expressed (Ps 134:1) by "the house of the
Lord" ...The priests (which are here spoken to) before
their officiating, which is here expressed by lifting up
their hands, were obliged to wash their hands.—Henry
Hammond.
Verse 3. The LORD that made heaven and earth bless
thee out of Zion. He doth not say, the Lord that made the
earth bless thee out of heaven; nor, the Lord that made heaven
bless thee out of heaven; but "bless thee out of
Zion." As if he would teach us that all blessings come
as immediately and primarily from heaven, so mediately and
secondarily from Zion, where the Temple stood. If ever,
therefore, we would have blessings outward, inward, private,
public, secular, spiritual; if ever we would have blessing in
our estate, blessing in our land, blessing in our souls, we must
pray for it, and pray for it here, in Zion, in God's
house: for from the piety there exercised all blessings flow, as
from a fountain that can never be drawn dry.—Abraham
Wright.
Verse 3. The LORD that made heaven and earth,
etc. The priestly benediction brings God before us in a twofold
character. He is described first as the Creator of the universe.
He is described, in the second place, as dwelling "in
Zion." In the first aspect, he is represented as the God of
nature; in the second, as the God of grace. When I contemplate
him as the Creator of the universe, there is abundant proof that
he can bless me. When I contemplate him as dwelling in
the Church, there is abundant proof that he will bless
me. Both of these elements are essential to our faith.—N.
M`michael.
Verse 3. The LORD that made heaven and earth,
etc. As the priests were called upon to bless God in behalf of
the people, so here they bless the people in behalf of God.
Between the verses we may suppose the previous request to be
complied with. The priests, having blessed God, turn and bless
the people. The obvious allusion to the sacerdotal blessing (Nu
6:23-27), favours the optative construction of this verse, which
really includes a prediction—the Lord will bless thee.—Joseph
Addison Alexander.
Verse 3. The LORD bless thee. All men lie under
the curse, till God brings them into the fellowship of his
church, and pronounce them blessed by his word, as "The
LORD bless thee" doth import.—David Dickson.
Verse 3. The LORD bless thee out of Zion. The
Church is the conservator of Divine revelation; the Church is
the offerer on earth of true worship; it consists of a company
of priests, a royal priesthood, part of whose mission is
"to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God by
Jesus Christ." The Church is the heritor of the covenants.
God's covenants are made with his Church, and his promises are
addressed chiefly to his Church. The Church is the scene of
special Divine ministrations, God shows himself to his Church as
he does not to that which is called the world. It is also the
scene of special heavenly influences: and in a sense next to
that in which God is said to reside in heaven, the Church is the
dwellingplace of the Most High. Now, what is it to be blessed
out of Zion? It is surely to be blessed with Zion's
blessings, and to have Zion's endowments and gifts rendered
sources of advantage and profit to us.—Samuel Martin.
Verse 3. Bless thee. The singular instead of
the plural "bless you", because the words are
taken from the form used by the High Priest in blessing the
people. Nu 6:24.—J.J. Stewart Perowne.
Verse 3. Bless thee. It is addressed to the
church as one person, and to each individual in this united,
unit like church.—Franz Delitzsch.
HINTS TO THE VILLAGE PREACHER
Whole Psalm. There are two things in this Psalm.
1. Our blessing God: Ps 134:1-2.
a) How? By gratitude, by love, by obedience, by prayer, by
praise.
b) Where? "in the house of the Lord", "in the
sanctuary."
c) When? Not in the day merely, but at night. Some of old
spent the whole night, others part of the night, in the temple,
praising God. As Christ spent whole nights in prayer for his
people, they should not think it too much occasionally to spend
whole nights in praise of him. Evening services should not be
neglected on the Sabbath, nor on other days of the week.
2. God blessing us: Ps 134:3.
a) The persons blessed: "bless thee"—every one
who blesses him.
b) The condition: "out of Zion." In the fulfilment
of religious duties, not in the neglect of them.
c) The blessing itself: of the Lord. They are blessed whom he
blesses.—R.
Whole Psalm.
1. God—Jehovah—the fountain of blessing.
2. The heavens and the earth, evidence of divine capacity to
bless.
3. The church, a channel of blessing.
4. The saints, the means of spreading blessing, through the
spirit of blessing.
5. The riches involved in the divine benediction.—Samuel
Martin.
Whole Psalm.
1. Unique service: temple watching, night sentinelship. 2
Sublime society: the awful things of the sanctuary.
3. Holy uplifting: hands, hearts, eyes.
4. Praise in the darkness heard far up in the light.
5. Response from the stars fulfilling the prayer: "The
Creator Lord bless thee."—W.B.H.
Verse 1.
1. Night settles on the holy place: dark periods of church
story.
2. But God has his guards: Wycliffe and his band watching for
the Reformation; Waldenses, etc. Never a night so dark but God
is praised and served.
3. Be it night or day, let the Levites fulfil their
courses.—W.B.H.
Verse 1. The Lord's servants exhorted to be,
1. Devout and joyful in their service. Sing at your work,
though it be in the dark.
2. Zealous to employ every season of service aright. "By
night", as by day, "bless the Lord."
3. Careful to avoid all hindrances to devotion in their
service. When tempted to indolence and drowsiness, say:
"Wake, and lift up thyself, my heart,
And with the angels bear thy part,
Who all night long, unwearied, sing
High praise to the Eternal King." W.H.J.P.
Verse 1. Directions for worship.
1. It should be with great care: "Behold."
2. With grateful joy: "Bless ye the Lord."
3. Unanimously: "all ye."
4. With holy reverence, as by "servants of the Lord."
5. With unflagging constancy: "stand by night."
Verse 1. Ye that stand by night. The night
watchmen of the Lord's house, their value, their obscurity,
their danger slumber, their consolation, their dignity, their
reward.
Verse 2. Ingredients of worship.
1. Uplifted hands. Energy, courage, prayer, aspiration.
2. Uplifted hearts. Thank, praise, adore, and love the Lord.
Verse 3. The Divine Benediction.
1. From the Creator: ample, new, varied, boundless,
enduring—all illustrated by his making heaven and earth.
2. From the Redeemer: blessings most needful, rich,
effectual, abiding,—all illustrated and guaranteed by his
dwelling among men, purchasing a church, building an abode,
revealing his glory, reigning on his throne.