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Psalm 150 Bible study: Everything that has breath

The book of Psalms ends with the verb praise thirteen times in six verses. Its "heavens" are the expanse of Genesis 1 (150:1), its word for sounding comes nowhere else in the Hebrew Bible (150:3), and its breath is the word of Genesis 2:7: "Let everything that has breath praise the LORD!" (150:6).

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“Let everything that has breath praise the LORD! Praise the LORD!”
Psalm 150:6 · World English Bible

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“Psalm 150's last verse calls "everything that has breath" to praise the LORD.”

Is that in Psalm 150, or not? Make your call.

What's really going on

Nothing but praise

In the text

Psalm 150 has no title and names no speaker. It asks God for nothing, and it never says I or me. Every line is a call to praise him (tap Praise). In Hebrew the verb halal comes thirteen times in six verses: hallelu, a command to many, three times (twice in 150:1 and once at the end of 150:6); halleluhu, praise him, nine times (150:1-5); and once tehallel, spoken not to the many but of everything that has breath: "Let everything that has breath praise the LORD!" (150:6). Here is what almost everyone misses: for five verses the psalm calls on many without ever naming them. Only its last verse names who is to praise, and it names everyone: "everything that has breath" (150:6).

Honest questions

Questions people ask about Psalm 150

That was a taste

The rest of Psalm 150 is waiting in Favor

  • Where, for what, with what, and who
  • His heavens are the expanse of Genesis 1
  • Five psalms that open and close the same way
  • The instruments, elsewhere in the Bible
  • 7 questions as you read
  • 14 more Hebrew words
  • A short check at the end
  • Your notes, saved as you go
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The Hebrew word behind it

הָלַלhalalsay ha-LAL

Brown-Driver-Briggs gives the verb as "be boastful", and in its intensive form "praise". Strong's gives among the root's senses "to shine", "to boast", and "causatively, to celebrate". Psalm 150 has it thirteen times in six verses: hallelu, a command to many, three times (twice in 150:1 and once at the end of 150:6); halleluhu, praise him, nine times (150:1-5); and once tehallel, with everything that has breath as the one who praises: "Let everything that has breath praise the LORD!" (150:6). In 150:1 one hallelu is followed by the short form of the divine name and the other by El, God; in 150:6 both tehallel and hallelu are followed by the short form. The WEB prints the LORD for the short form. Psalm 113's notes follow the same verb three times in one verse (Psalm 113:1).

For your group

Psalm 150 Bible study questions

  1. 1Psalm 150 calls for praise "for his mighty acts" (150:2) but doesn't name them. If you added one line to the psalm this week, which of God's acts would you name?
  2. 2The psalm brings in trumpet, harp and lyre, tambourine and dancing, strings, flute and cymbals (150:3-5). What would it look like for you to praise God this week with what you have and do, not only with words?
  3. 3The book of Psalms ends, "Let everything that has breath praise the LORD!" (150:6). After all its cries, questions and confessions, what helps you end a hard week with praise?

Leading a group? In Favor, everyone reads Psalm 150 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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