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Psalms

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Psalm 135

1 Praise the Lord. Praise the name of the Lord. Offer praise, you servants of the Lord, 2 who serve in the Lord’s temple, in the courts of the temple of our God. 3 Praise the Lord, for the Lord is good. Sing praises to his name, for it is pleasant. 4 Indeed, the Lord has chosen Jacob for himself, Israel to be his special possession.⁠ 5 Yes, I know the Lord is great, and our Lord is superior to all gods. 6 He does whatever he pleases in heaven and on earth, in the seas and all the ocean depths. 7 He causes the clouds to arise from the end of the earth, makes lightning bolts accompany the rain, and brings the wind out of his storehouses.⁠ 8 He struck down the firstborn of Egypt, including both men and animals. 9 He performed awesome deeds and acts of judgment in your midst, O Egypt, against Pharaoh and all his servants. 10 He defeated many nations, and killed mighty kings— 11 Sihon, king of the Amorites, and Og, king of Bashan, and all the kingdoms of Canaan. 12 He gave their land as an inheritance, as an inheritance to Israel his people. 13 O Lord, your name endures, your reputation, O Lord, lasts.⁠ 14 For the Lord vindicates his people and has compassion on his servants.⁠ 15 The nations’ idols are made of silver and gold; they are man-made.⁠ 16 They have mouths, but cannot speak, eyes, but cannot see, 17 and ears, but cannot hear. Indeed, they cannot breathe. 18 Those who make them will end up like them, as will everyone who trusts in them. 19 O family of Israel, praise the Lord. O family of Aaron, praise the Lord. 20 O family of Levi, praise the Lord. You loyal followers of the Lord, praise the Lord. 21 The Lord deserves praise in Zion—he who dwells in Jerusalem. Praise the Lord.

Texts in conversation

Compare Deuteronomy 32:36 and Psalm 135:14

Hebrew Bible

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Summary

Deuteronomy 32 describes Israel as helpless, with no aid from other gods, just before judgment is followed by compassion. Psalm 135 repeats this language in worship, using it to recall that judgment is paired with mercy.

Passages

Deuteronomy 32:36

Hebrew Bible
34 “Is this not stored up with me?” says the Lord, “Is it not sealed up in my storehouses? 35 I will get revenge and pay them back at the time their foot slips; for the day of their disaster is near, and the impending judgment is rushing upon them!” 36 The Lord will judge his people, and will have compassion on his servants;62 when he sees that their power has disappeared, and that no one is left, whether confined or set free. 37 He will say, “Where are their gods, the rock in whom they sought security, 38 who ate the best of their sacrifices, and drank the wine of their drink offerings? Let them rise and help you; let them be your refuge!
750–400 BCE (scholarly estimate) Read in Deuteronomy

Psalm 135:14

Hebrew Bible
12 He gave their land as an inheritance, as an inheritance to Israel his people. 13 O Lord, your name endures, your reputation, O Lord, lasts. 14 For the Lord vindicates his people and has compassion on his servants. 15 The nations’ idols are made of silver and gold; they are man-made. 16 They have mouths, but cannot speak, eyes, but cannot see,
600–201 BCE (scholarly estimate) Read in Psalms

References

"... Verse 10 contains three great affirmations: (1) Yahweh exercises the power of divine kingship; (2) the created world is immovably fixed, having been made that way by Yahweh; (3) Yahweh will “judge” the peoples of the world with equity (for Yahweh’s judgment of the nations, see Genesis 15:14; 1 Samuel 2:10; Psalm 7:9; 9:9; 76:9; 110:6; Job 36:31). Yahweh’s judgments “set things right,” punishing the wicked and granting help and protection for the righteous (compare Deuteronomy 32:36; Psalm 135:14; Job 35:14; Daniel 7:22 with Isaiah 3:13–14; Psalm 50:4). Sovereignty, stability, and equity are the key concepts. Howard argues for verse 10 as an independent unit in Psalm 96, serving as a bridge between verses 1–9 and verses 11–13. He notes the parallel between the almost identical formulas in v 3a, “declare among the nations” and that in 10a, “say among the nations.” ..."
Marvin E. Tate, Word Biblical Commentary: Psalms 51-100 (Dallas: Word, 2000), 914.

References are not endorsements of their contents. Read each reference in full to understand its author's intentions in using these texts.

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Deuteronomy 32:36 and Psalm 135:14

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