Psalm 148

“The whole creation, animate and inanimate, is called upon to praise God” Miller, 450. “The poem expressed a grand cosmic vision” Alter, 509. “This hymn of praise consists almost entirely of imperative calls to praise” Broyles, 515. “’Praise the LORD’ occurs twelve times in Psalm 148” NICOT, 1002. 

“The psalm is naturally divined into two parts by the poetic structure. First, the summons goes out to praise the Lord from the heavens (vs. 1) and then from the earth (vs. 7). Next, in each section certain persons and things which inhabit the heavens (vss. 1b-4) and the earth (vss. 7b-12) are addressed in the second person and exhorted to praise God. Finally, in each section a partial refrain is uttered in the third person in which reasons for praising God are stated (vss. 5-6, 13-14). The psalmist moves from conscious (vs. 2) to unconscious (vss. 3-4) praise and then from unconscious (vss. 7b-10) to conscious praise (vss. 11-12)” Miller, 450. “This psalm rather regards worship as virtually inherent in the world’s structures” NICOT, 1004. 

“Psalm 148 displays the typical structure of a song of praise- invitation to praise followed by reasons for praise” McCann, 1271. 

 1.     Hallelujah, praise Jehovah,

From the heavens praise His name;

Praise Jehovah in the highest,

All His angels praise proclaim.

All His hosts together praise Him,

Sun, and moon, and stars on high;

Praise Him, O ye heav'n of heavens,

And ye floods above the sky.

Refrain:

Let them praises give Jehovah,

For His name alone is high,

And His glory is exalted,

And His glory is exalted,

And His glory is exalted,

Far above the earth and sky.

2.     Let them praises give Jehovah,

They were made at His command,

Them forever He established;

His decree shall ever stand.

From the earth, oh, praise Jehovah,

All ye floods, ye dragons all;

Fire, and hail, and snow, and vapors,

Stormy winds that hear His call.

Refrain:

Let them praises give Jehovah,

For His name alone is high,

And His glory is exalted,

And His glory is exalted,

And His glory is exalted,

Far above the earth and sky

3.     All ye fruitful trees and cedars,

All ye hills and mountains high,

Creeping things, and beasts, and cattle,

Birds that in the heavens fly.

Kings of earth, and all ye people,

Princes great, earth's judges all,

Praise His name, young men and maidens,

Aged men and children small.

Refrain:

Let them praises give Jehovah,

For His name alone is high,

And His glory is exalted,

And His glory is exalted,

And His glory is exalted,

Far above the earth and sky

Jesus and Psalm 148

“The intimate turn taken by the psalm at its close reminds the Christian of the progression from old song to new in Rev. 4:11; 5:9ff.” Laymen, 701. 

In Rev. 5:8-14 ever increasing numbers are praising the one on the throne and the Lamb. 

148:2 The angels praise Him- Luke 2:13-14

148:8 The stormy wind shows God’s power and Jesus controlled the winds and waves- Matt. 8:23-27; Mark 4:35-41; Luke 8:22-25.

All nature proclaims the identity of Jesus- Luke 19:39-40.

148:11-12 Kings, princes, judges bowed before Him- Matt. 2:1-12.

148:14 Kidner, 488, regards raising up a horn as a Messianic prophecy- Luke 1:69.