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Psalm 134 Bible study: By night in the LORD's house
Psalm 134, the last Song of Ascents, calls all the LORD's servants "who stand by night in the LORD’s house" (134:1) to lift their hands and praise him. In Hebrew that Praise is bless, the same verb as the last verse's "May the LORD bless you from Zion" (134:3): the servants bless the LORD, and the LORD blesses, many called and one blessed.
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“May the LORD bless you from Zion, even he who made heaven and earth.”
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“Psalm 134 calls on servants of the LORD who stand in the LORD's house by night.”
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What's really going on
*Praise*, and *bless*, are one word
In the WEB the psalm says "Praise the LORD" twice, then "May the LORD bless you": "Praise the LORD, all you servants of the LORD" (134:1), "Lift up your hands in the sanctuary. Praise the LORD!" (134:2), and "May the LORD bless you from Zion" (134:3). Here is what almost everyone misses: in Hebrew all three are one verb, barakh (tap Praise). Brown-Driver-Briggs gives it as "kneel, bless", and Strong's as "to bless God (as an act of adoration), and (vice-versa) man (as a benefit)". So the psalm runs both ways. Twice the servants are called to bless the LORD, and in its last verse the LORD blesses. The psalm has three verses, and the verb is in each of them.
Honest questions
Questions people ask about Psalm 134
That was a taste
The rest of Psalm 134 is waiting in Favor
- Servants, standing, by night
- Called as many, blessed as one
- The same blessing, the same maker
- Lifted hands
- "In the nights"
- 6 questions as you read
- 11 more Hebrew words
- A short check at the end
- Your notes, saved as you go
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The Hebrew word behind it
בָּרַךְbarakhsay ba-RAKH
Brown-Driver-Briggs: "kneel, bless". Strong's: "to kneel; by implication to bless God (as an act of adoration), and (vice-versa) man (as a benefit)". The psalm has it once in each verse. The WEB gives it as Praise twice, "Praise the LORD, all you servants of the LORD" (134:1) and "Praise the LORD!" (134:2), and as bless once, "May the LORD bless you from Zion" (134:3). The call barkhu, bless said to many, comes 13 times in the Psalms in Hebrew, and the WEB gives it both ways: "Praise the LORD, you angels of his" (Psalm 103:20), and "Give thanks to him, and bless his name" (Psalm 100:4). It isn't the word of Praise in "Praise him, you servants of the LORD" (Psalm 135:1).
For your group
Psalm 134 Bible study questions
- 1The psalm calls on servants who stand "by night" in the LORD's house to bless him (134:1). When do you praise God, and what helps you keep doing it at the end of a long day?
- 2"Lift up your hands in the sanctuary. Praise the LORD!" (134:2). What do you do with your body when you pray or praise, and does it make a difference to you?
- 3The psalm ends by blessing one person: "May the LORD bless you from Zion" (134:3). Who has asked God's blessing on you, and whom could you bless this week?
Leading a group? In Favor, everyone reads Psalm 134 during the week and answers these questions privately. Answers stay sealed until you meet, then appear together, and you can print the week's sheet.
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Questions
What is Favor?
Favor is a Bible study app that explains every chapter as you read: the Hebrew and Greek behind the words, the details most readers miss, and how each part of the Bible leads to Jesus. Read on your own, or start a Bible study with friends, family or your church.
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Yes. Favor starts where you are and explains as it goes. The questions along the way aren't marked right or wrong: you answer, then see what the text shows.
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The World English Bible, a modern, readable translation in the public domain. God's name appears as "the LORD", as in most English Bibles.
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Scripture quotations are from the World English Bible, which is in the public domain. Hebrew and Greek words are checked against the original-language texts and public-domain lexicons. What we believe · Favor home