Psalms 134:3

The LORD that made heaven and earth bless thee out of Zion. THE LORD THAT MADE HEAVEN AND EARTH - and who, therefore, has infinite resources at command: the counterpoise to the feebleness of the people of God at the time (; ). BLESS THEE OUT OF ZION. "Thee" - i:e., the people (). The Lord blesses thee in return for thy blessing the Lord (Psalms 134:1). The reference is to the Mosaic blessing pronounced by the priests alone (). So the whole collection of pilgrim-songs close with the blessing of the Lord on the people: a fit conclusio...

3._Jehovah bless thee out of Zion! _We have conclusive proof in my opinion from this verse that the Psalm is to be considered as referring to the priests and Levites only, for to them it properly belonged under the law to bless the people. (Numbers 6:23.) The Psalmist had first told them to bless God; now he tells them to bless the people in his name. Not that God meant by any such injunction that the people might themselves indulge in a life of carnal security ­ an opinion prevalent among the Papists, who think that if the monks chant in the temples, this is all the worship necessary on the part of the whole body of the people. What God intended was, that the priests should lead the way in divine service, and the people take example by what was done in the temple, and practice it individually in their private houses. The duty of blessing the people was enjoined upon the priests, as r

Verse Psalms 134:3. _THE LORD THAT MADE HEAVEN AND EARTH_] Who governs and possesses all things; and who can give you every spiritual and earthly blessing. _BLESS THEE OUT OF ZION._] As if they had said, "We will attend to your orders; go in peace, and may God shower down his blessings upon you!" The blessing pronounced by the priests was the following: "The Lord bless thee and keep thee! The Lord make his face shine upon thee, and he gracious unto thee! The Lord lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace!" Numbers 6:24-4. ANALYSIS OF THE HUNDRED AND THIRTY FOURTH PSALM In this Psalm the prophet - I. Exhorts the Levites and ministers of religion to attend the appointed hours of prayer.

THE LORD THAT MADE HEAVEN AND EARTH - The great Creator of all things. This is probably the language of those who were thus employed in the service of the Lord at night; their response to the address in the first two verses. BLESS THEE OUT OF ZION - That is, bless those who thus approached the sanctuary, and called on those within to praise the Lord. This is the answer. Let the blessing of God rest on you. It is language showing that they appreciated the kind and encouraging salutation, and that they reciprocated the feelings and the good wishes of those who came to worship. In the name of the Lord whom they served, therefore, and appealing to him, they pronounced a blessing on those who thus approached the sanctuary. People do not come near the house of God - the place of public worship - with kind and sympathizing feelings without a blessing from the sanctuary, without a response that...

EXPOSITION THE" Little Psalter" of" Songs of Ascents" terminates here with a short psalm, due probably to the compiler—a psalm of four lines only. It consists of two portions: (1) A call from those without the temple, upon God's servants, who conduct his service within his house during the night season (1 Chronicles 9:33), to praise and thank the Lord in their name for his met-ties vouchsafed to them (Psalms 134:1, Psalms 134:2); and (2) a response from those within the temple, who ask God to" bless out of Zion" those who have addressed them. The psalm is very suitable for pilgrim-bands arriving, as they commonly would, late in the day

THE LORD, THAT MADE HEAVEN AND EARTH, BLESS THEE OUT OF ZION. These are not the words of the priests blessing the people in this form, as some; but rather, as others, the wish of the servants of the Lord, that he would bless him that exhorted them to this service; whether one of the priests, or the captain of the temple, or the psalmist: though, according to Kimchi, and which seems agreeable, they are the words of the psalmist, promising a blessing from the Lord to those that blessed him; as an encouragement to them, to everyone of them, to be constant and diligent in this service. For so it may be rendered, "the Lord shall bless thee" f; all blessings come from the Lord, whether spiritual or temporal; and are to be asked of him, and expected from him: and the blessings here promised or asked for are blessings out of Zion, the church, where God blesses his people with his word and ordina...

PSALM 120-134 The Psalms of Degrees Fifteen brief Psalms follow, called songs of degrees, or, ascents. They were in all probability used by Israel going up to Jerusalem three times a year to celebrate the feasts of the Lord--”Whither the tribes go up, the tribes of the LORD, a testimony for Israel, to give thanks unto the name of the LORD.” They are indeed Psalms of “the goings-up” for we rise higher and higher as we read through them. Prophetically they give us again the steps from trial and suffering to the glorious consummation. As they are so simple in language and construction no lengthy annotations are needed. Psalms 120:1 begins with distress, picturing again the suffering of the righteous godly remnant. In Psalms 121:1 the Keeper of Israel, the Covenant Keeping God, is revealed

CXXXIV. EXHORTATION TO THE NIGHTLY SERVICE OF YAHWEH. Psalms 134:1 f. may be addressed by a band of pilgrims to Levites who were about to begin their nocturnal service. To them in response comes the priestly blessing of Psalms 134:3. Psalms 134:2. Primitive men worshipped towards the place where their God dwelt. We have a survival of this custom here in the exhortation to lift up the hands to the Sanctuary. Psalms 134:3. read, bless you....

HEAVEN AND EARTH. The reference is to 2 Chronicles 32:19; 2 Kings 19:15.Isaiah 37:16. See App-67. BLESS THEE. The reference may be to 2Ch 30:27. 2 Chronicles 31:10. This is the last of the fifteen Songs of THE Degrees, which are referred to in Isaiah 38:20. See App-67. OUT OF ZION. See note on "there", Psalms 133:3....

The response of the priests, Jehovah bless thee out of Zion, Even the maker of heaven and earth. The first line is taken from the priestly blessing in Numbers 6:24, with the addition of _out of Zion_(Psalms 128:5). The singular _thee_may denote the congregation as a whole or each individual in it. The attribute _Maker of heaven and earth_implies Jehovah's power to bless. Cp. Psalms 115:15, note....