Psalm 149 · a question people ask
"May the high praises of God be in their mouths, and a two-edged sword in their hand" (149:6). What is the sword for?
First, what the verses say. One verse puts praise in their mouths and a sword in their hand (149:6), and their runs on from "the saints" of 149:5. The next three verses say what the sword is for: "to execute vengeance on the nations, and punishments on the peoples; to bind their kings with chains, and their nobles with fetters of iron; to execute on them the written judgment" (149:7-9). Vengeance is neqamah (tap vengeance), and punishments is a word Brown-Driver-Briggs gives as "rebuke, correction". The psalm calls the judgment "written" (149:9), and doesn't say where it is written or what it says. It names no nation, people or king, and gives no place or time. Then it ends, "All his saints have this honor. Praise the LORD!" (149:9). Psalms 109 and 137 pray to God against enemies (109:1-5, 137:7); Psalm 149 calls on God's people (149:1-3) and puts the sword in their hand (149:6). Christians read the psalms' words about vengeance in more than one way. The chapters on Psalms 109 and 137 set out the main readings of those psalms' prayers, each resting on its verses, and choose none. These notes don't carry those readings over to Psalm 149, add others, or choose how to read 149:6-9, and they apply none of it to any person, people or nation today.
The verses
“Praise the LORD! Sing to the LORD a new song, his praise in the assembly of the saints. Let Israel rejoice in him who made them. Let the children of Zion be joyful in their King. Let them praise his name in the dance! Let them sing praises to him with tambourine and harp!”
“Let the saints rejoice in honor. Let them sing for joy on their beds. May the high praises of God be in their mouths, and a two-edged sword in their hand, to execute vengeance on the nations, and punishments on the peoples; to bind their kings with chains, and their nobles with fetters of iron; to execute on them the written judgment. All his saints have this honor. Praise the LORD!”
“For the Chief Musician. A Psalm by David. God of my praise, don’t remain silent, for they have opened the mouth of the wicked and the mouth of deceit against me. They have spoken to me with a lying tongue. They have also surrounded me with words of hatred, and fought against me without a cause. In return for my love, they are my adversaries; but I am in prayer. They have rewarded me evil for good, and hatred for my love.”
“Remember, LORD, against the children of Edom in the day of Jerusalem, who said, “Raze it! Raze it even to its foundation!””