PSALMS 146

READING CYCLE THREE(see “Guide
to Good Bible Reading“)

FOLLOWING THE ORIGINAL AUTHOR’S INTENT AT
PARAGRAPH LEVEL

This is a study guide commentary which means that you are
responsible for your own interpretation of the Bible. Each of us must walk in
the light we have. You, the Bible, and the Holy Spirit are priority in
interpretation. You must not relinquish this to a commentator.

Read the chapter in one sitting. Identify the subjects (reading cycle #3). Compare your subject divisions with the five translations
above. Paragraphing is not inspired, but it is the key to following the original
author’s intent, which is the heart of interpretation. Every paragraph has one
and only one subject.

1. First paragraph

2. Second paragraph

3. Etc.

WORD AND PHRASE STUDY

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 146:1-7
 ¹Praise the Lord!
 Praise the
Lord, O my soul!
 ²I will praise the Lord while I live;
 I will sing praises to my God
while I have my being.
 ³Do not trust in
princes,
 In mortal man, in whom there
is no salvation.
 ⁴His spirit departs,
he returns to the earth;
 In that very day his thoughts
perish.
 ⁵How blessed is he
whose help is the God of Jacob,
 Whose hope is in the
Lord his God,
 ⁶Who made heaven and
earth,
 The sea and all that is in
them;
 Who keeps faith forever;
 ⁷Who executes
justice for the oppressed;
 Who gives food to the hungry.
 The
Lord sets the prisoners free.

146:1-2 This strophe (Ps. 146:1-7)
starts with a double “hallelujah” (BDB 237, KB 248, Piel
imperatives). This is followed by two personal commitments of the
psalmist.

1. I will praise – BDB 237, KB 248, Piel cohortative

2. I will sing praises – BDB 274, KB 273, Piel cohortative)

Praise of YHWH characterizes Psalms 146-150. The Psalter closes on this
affirmation.

146:1 “soul” This is the term
nephesh (BDB 659), which denoted the entire person (cf. Ps. 103:1). See
notes online at Gen. 35:18.

146:2 Notice the parallel between

1. while I live – BDB 313

2. while I have my being – BDB 728

These reflect the Hebrew concept that there is no praise of God after death
(cf. Job 10:21-22; 38:17; Ps. 63:4; 104:33; Isa. 38:18). The OT has a
rudimentary theology of life after death. New Testament progressive revelation
supplements this theology. See
Special Topic: Sheol.

146:3 YHWH is praised because with
Him, and Him alone, is salvation/deliverance (BDB 448), certainly not in frail,
fallen mankind (MT, “a son of man”; LXX, “sons of men”; cf. Psalm 60:11;
108:12). The singular stands for
all humans, as in Ps. 118:8.

146:4 This verse picks up the thought
of Ps. 146:2. At death the body returns to dust (cf. Gen. 3:19; Job 34:15; Ps.
104:29; Eccl. 12:7). The spirit (ruah, BDB 924) or life force goes to
Sheol.

▣ “his thoughts” This word (BDB 799)
occurs only here in the OT and is translated by most modern translations as
“plans/designs.”

146:5 The Psalm praises YHWH but also
notes how “blessed” (BDB 80) are the faithful followers. Psalm 146:6-7 and 8-9
list the power and mercy of the God of Jacob.

▣ “help” This noun (BDB 740 I) is often associated with
deliverance and protection (cf. Exod. 18:4; Deut. 33:7,26; Ps. 33:20; 70:5;
115:9,10,11).

▣ “hope” The noun (BDB 960 II) can be translated

1. wait – Ps. 104:27; 145:15

2. hope – Ps. 119:166, Isa. 38:18

146:6-7 There is a series of Qal participles that describe YHWH

1. as Creator (i.e., Elohim)

a. made heaven, earth, sea, cf. Ps. 115:15; 121:2;
124:8; 134:3; Isa. 37:16; Jer. 32:17

b. created all that is in them

c. this is a summary statement related to this
planet

2. as covenant God (i.e., YHWH)

a. keeps faith/trust (see
Special Topic: Believe,
Trust, Faith and Faithfulness in the OT)

b. executes justice for the oppressed (the NEB and
REB see “forever,” לעולם, of Ps. 146:6c as “the oppressed,” לעולים, UBS Text
Project, p. 440)

c. gives food to the hungry, cf. Ps. 145:15

d. sets the prisoners free, cf. Ps. 68:6; 102:20;
107:10,14; Isa. 61:1

(1) metaphor of problems

(2) slavery for debts

(3) exiles

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 146:8-10
 ⁸The
Lord
opens the eyes of the blind;
 The
Lord raises up those who are bowed down;
 The
Lord loves the righteous;
 ⁹The
Lord
protects the strangers;
 He supports the fatherless and
the widow,
 But He thwarts the way of the
wicked.
 ¹⁰The
Lord
will reign forever,
 Your God, O Zion, to all
generations.
 Praise the Lord!

146:8-9 Like Ps. 146:6-7, these verses
describe the God who acts, so different from the lifeless idols (see
Special
Topic: Characteristics of Israel’s God).

1. opens blind eyes – BDB 824, KB 959, Qal participle

2. raises the bowed down – BDB 279, KB 279, Qal participle, cf. Ps. 145:14 (these are the only
usages of the verb in the OT)

3. loves the righteous – BDB 12, KB 17, Qal participle, cf. Ps. 11:7; 33:5

4. protects the stranger – BDB 1036, KB 1581,
Qal participle (for a good brief article see
Roland de Vaux, Ancient Israel, pp. 74-76)

5. supports the orphan and the widow – BDB 728, KB
795, Piel imperfect

6. thwarts the way of the wicked – BDB 736, KB
804, Piel imperfect

This list is a composite of God’s acts from Leviticus, Deuteronomy, and the
Prophets.

Number 6 is literally “to be bent” (BDB 736) or “to be
crooked.” This may be a play on the word “righteous” of Ps. 146:8c, which means
“to be straight” (see SPECIAL TOPIC: RIGHTEOUSNESS). All words for sin are a
play on this metaphor for God’s character, in light of which all humans are
crooked.

146:10 This speaks of the sovereignty
of the God of Israel and His plans (cf. Exod. 15:18; Ps. 10:16; 29:10).

Just a theological note, how will YHWH reign and where and over
who? Please look at
Special Topic: Why Do OT Covenant Promises Seem So Different
from NT Covenant Promises.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

This is a study guide
commentary which means that you are responsible for your own interpretation of
the Bible. Each of us must walk n the light we have. You, the Bible, and the
Holy Spirit are priority in interpretation. You must not relinquish this to a
commentator.

These discussion questions are provided to help you think
through the major issues of this section of the book. They are meant to be
thought provoking, not definitive.

1. What did the Israelites expect after death (Ps.
146:2,4)?

2. Does Ps. 146:6 speak of the universe or this
planet?

3. How is the depiction of the character and acts
of God related to ANE thought about how a king should act?

4. Will YHWH reign in/from Zion or is His reign
universal? How has the NT changed this OT concept?

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