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The Bible · 591 of 1189
Psalms 113
1.Praise ye the LORD. Praise, O ye servants of the LORD, praise the name of the LORD.
2.Blessed be the name of the LORD from this time forth and for evermore.
3.From the rising of the sun unto the going down of the same the LORD’s name is to be praised.
4.The LORD is high above all nations, and his glory above the heavens.
5.Who is like unto the LORD our God, who dwelleth on high,
6.Who humbleth himself to behold the things that are in heaven, and in the earth!
7.He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, and lifteth the needy out of the dunghill;
8.That he may set him with princes, even with the princes of his people.
9.He maketh the barren woman to keep house, and to be a joyful mother of children. Praise ye the LORD.
Asked of Guide
Why does this psalm praise God for both cosmic glory and lifting the lowly?
The psalm names God’s greatness — “high above all nations” and “his glory above the heavens” — to insist that praise is due across the whole world from “the rising of the sun unto the going down.” It then shows that the same sovereign God attends to everyday human need, humbling himself to “behold the things that are in heaven, and in the earth.”
By pairing cosmic majesty with care for the poor and barren, the psalm argues that power and compassion belong to one God: the One who rules the heavens also “raiseth up the poor out of the dust” and makes the barren “a joyful mother.” This unity of transcendence and tenderness echoes Psalms like 8 and the prophetic hope in Isaiah that God’s glory will bring restoration to the lowly.
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