Psalm chapter 149
English Standard Version
1 Praise the Lord! Sing to the Lord a new song, his praise in the assembly of the godly! 2Let Israel be glad in his Maker; let the children of Zion rejoice in their King! 3Let them praise his name with dancing, making melody to him with tambourine and lyre! 4For the Lord takes pleasure in his people; he adorns the humble with salvation. 5Let the godly exult in glory; let them sing for joy on their beds. 6Let the high praises of God be in their throats and two-edged swords in their hands, 7to execute vengeance on the nations and punishments on the peoples, 8to bind their kings with chains and their nobles with fetters of iron, 9to execute on them the judgment written! This is honor for all his godly ones. Praise the Lord!
New International Version
1Praise the Lord. Sing to the Lord a new song, his praise in the assembly of his faithful people. 2Let Israel rejoice in their Maker; let the people of Zion be glad in their King. 3Let them praise his name with dancing and make music to him with timbrel and harp. 4For the Lord takes delight in his people; he crowns the humble with victory.
5Let his faithful people rejoice in this honor and sing for joy on their beds. 6May the praise of God be in their mouths and a double-edged sword in their hands, 7to inflict vengeance on the nations and punishment on the peoples, 8to bind their kings with fetters, their nobles with shackles of iron,
New American Standard Bible
1 Praise the Lord! Sing a new song to the Lord, And His praise in the congregation of the godly ones. 2Israel shall be joyful in his Maker; The sons of Zion shall rejoice in their King. 3They shall praise His name with dancing; They shall sing praises to Him with tambourine and lyre. 4For the Lord takes pleasure in His people; He will glorify the lowly with salvation. 5The godly ones shall be jubilant in glory; They shall sing for joy on their beds. 6The high praises of God shall be in their mouths, And a two-edged sword in their hands, 7To execute vengeance on the nations, And punishment on the peoples, 8To bind their kings with chains, And their dignitaries with shackles of iron, 9To execute against them the judgment written. This is an honor for all His godly ones. Praise the Lord!
Christian Standard Bible
1Hallelujah! Sing to the Lord a new song, his praise in the assembly of the faithful. 2Let Israel celebrate its Maker; let the children of Zion rejoice in their King. 3Let them praise his name with dancing and make music to him with tambourine and lyre. 4For the Lord takes pleasure in his people; he adorns the humble with salvation.
5Let the faithful celebrate in triumphal glory; let them shout for joy on their beds. 6Let the exaltation of God be in their mouths and a double-edged sword in their hands, 7inflicting vengeance on the nations and punishment on the peoples, 8binding their kings with chains and their dignitaries with iron shackles, 9carrying out the judgment decreed against them. This honor is for all his faithful people. Hallelujah!
New Living Translation
2O Israel, rejoice in your Maker. O people of Jerusalem, exult in your King. 3Praise his name with dancing, accompanied by tambourine and harp. 4For the Lord delights in his people; he crowns the humble with victory. 5Let the faithful rejoice that he honors them. Let them sing for joy as they lie on their beds.
King James Version
New King James Version
1Praise the Lord! Sing to the Lord a new song, And His praise in the assembly of saints. 2Let Israel rejoice in their Maker; Let the children of Zion be joyful in their King. 3 Let them praise His name with the dance; Let them sing praises to Him with the timbrel and harp. 4For the Lord takes pleasure in His people; He will beautify the humble with salvation. 5Let the saints be joyful in glory; Let them sing aloud on their beds. 6 Let the high praises of God be in their mouth, And a two-edged sword in their hand, 7To execute vengeance on the nations, And punishments on the peoples; 8To bind their kings with chains, And their nobles with fetters of iron; 9 To execute on them the written judgment— This honor have all His saints. Praise the Lord!
What does Psalm chapter 149 mean?
This motivating song rouses the people to praise God and commit themselves to serving Him. The psalm begins and ends with the term usually translated as "hallelujah," which literally means "praise the Lord!"The psalmist's first focus is on praise and worship. Israel is the new name given to the nation's founder, Jacob (Genesis 32:28). Zion is another name for Jerusalem (2 Samuel 5:7; 1 Kings 8:1), both used as a "metonym"—a placeholder or stand-in—for the entire nation of Israel. These chosen people are called on to offer singing, dancing, and music to God. Since God is pleased with His people, those who submit to Him in faith should also experience joy. This gratitude should be apparent at all times—even when at rest (Psalm 149:1–5)!
These same people—ancient Israel—are called to praise God while fighting to com-plete His will on earth. This was Israel's mission when they came into Canaan (Deuteronomy 7:1–5; 9:4–5). At the time this psalm was written, Israel had failed to accomplish this; it was unlikely they ever would. A call for swords here is not entirely symbolic, but it's likely more about anticipating the Lord's eventual victory (Psalm 45:3–6) than planning an immediate battle (Psalm 149:6–9).
