PsalmsChapter 113

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Hallelujah! Praise, you servants of the LORD, praise the name of the LORD.

Blessed be the name of the LORD, from this time forth and forevermore.

From the rising of the sun to its setting, the name of the LORD is to be praised.

The LORD is high above all nations, his glory above the heavens.

Who is like the LORD our God, who is enthroned on high,

who stoops down to look upon the heavens and the earth?

He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap,

to seat them with princes, with the princes of his people.

He gives the barren woman a home, making her the joyful mother of children. Hallelujah!

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Summary2

Chapter 113

Main Theme: A hymn of praise that exalts the Lord's greatness and his gracious care for the lowly and helpless.

Content: The psalm opens and closes with "Hallelujah" and calls upon the servants of the Lord to praise his name from now on forever, from sunrise to sunset. The Lord is exalted above all nations, with his glory over the heavens, yet he stoops down to look at heaven and earth. He lifts the poor from the dust and the needy from the ash heap to set them among princes, and gives the childless woman a place as a joyful mother.

Key Words/Images:

Hallelujah: The framework of the psalm (vv. 1, 9), an exhortation to praise the Lord (יָהּ).
The Name of the Lord: God's name is to be blessed and praised universally—in time (forever) and space (all over the earth).
Exalted yet near: God reigns on high, but stoops down to lift up the lowly and poor.
From dust to princes: A picture of God's radical restoration of the needy to honor and dignity.

Historical context

Historical and Cultural Context for Psalms 113

Events and Customs

Psalm 113 is the first of the six "Hallel psalms" (113–118), which were sung during the major Jewish festivals: Passover, Pentecost, the Feast of Tabernacles, and Hanukkah. At the Passover meal, Psalms 113–114 were traditionally sung before the meal, and Psalms 115–118 afterward. This means that Jesus and his disciples likely sang this psalm at their last supper (cf. Matt 26:30). The expression "servants of the Lord" (עַבְדֵי יְהוָה) in verse 1 refers to the assembly of worshippers, possibly specifically the Levites who served in the temple.

Key Terms

The psalm opens and closes with "Hallelujah" (הַלְלוּ יָהּ), an imperative calling for praise of Yahweh. The short form "Yah" (יָהּ) is a poetic abbreviation of the divine name YHWH. The expression "from the rising of the sun to its setting" (verse 3) is a merism—a literary technique that uses two extremes to express wholeness, meaning "everywhere on earth."

The word "ash heap" (אַשְׁפֹּת) in verse 7 refers to the garbage dumps outside cities where the poorest searched for food and warmth. The fact that God lifts someone "from the dust" and "from the ash heap" illustrates the radical social elevation that only God can accomplish. This imagery has clear parallels with Hannah's song of praise in 1 Samuel 2:8, suggesting literary dependence or a shared tradition.

Chapter-Specific Insights

Psalm 113:9, concerning the barren woman who becomes "a joyful mother," has interesting parallels in other Old Testament texts, especially Hannah's song (1 Sam 2:1–10). In ancient Israel, barrenness was a source of great social shame and personal sorrow, while fertility was seen as a blessing from God. Therefore, God giving children to the barren woman was regarded as a powerful sign of divine intervention and care for the marginalized—a recurring theme in the psalm alongside the exaltation of the poor.

People

No known people in this chapter.

Key words10

LORD — The name often used for God in the Old Testament, the almighty Creator.
Praise — To express admiration or gratitude for something, especially toward God for His deeds and character.
Servant — A person dedicated to serving or carrying out tasks for another, here referring to believers who serve God.
Sunrise — The time when the sun rises above the horizon in the morning, symbolizing the beginning of a new day.
Sunset — The time when the sun sinks below the horizon in the evening, marking the end of the day.
Name — A designation that identifies and represents a person; here it refers to God's name and character.
High — An adjective describing something far above the ground or above a certain level, used here to describe God's position and greatness.
Low — An adjective describing something near the ground or below a certain level, used here to describe human position compared with God.
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