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Psalms 148

Study

   

1 Praise ye Jehovah. Praise ye Jehovah from the heavens: Praise him in the heights.

2 Praise ye him, all his angels: Praise ye him, all his host.

3 Praise ye him, sun and moon: Praise him, all ye stars of light.

4 Praise him, ye heavens of heavens, And ye waters that are above the heavens.

5 Let them praise the name of Jehovah; For he commanded, and they were created.

6 He hath also established them for ever and ever: He hath made a decree which shall not pass away.

7 Praise Jehovah from the earth, Ye sea-monsters, and all deeps.

8 Fire and hail, snow and vapor; Stormy wind, fulfilling his word;

9 Mountains and all hills; Fruitful trees and all cedars;

10 Beasts and all cattle; Creeping things and flying birds;

11 Kings of the earth and all peoples; Princes and all judges of the earth;

12 Both young men and virgins; Old men and children:

13 Let them praise the name of Jehovah; For his name alone is exalted; His glory is above the earth and the heavens.

14 And he hath lifted up the horn of his people, The praise of all his saints; Even of the children of Israel, a people near unto him. praise ye Jehovah.

   

Commentary

 

Exploring the Meaning of Psalms 148

By Julian Duckworth

Psalm 148 praises all of the Lord’s creation. We marvel at the world the Lord has made and see miracles in nature. We see how the world around us mirrors our spirit in the growth of plants, the changing seasons, the beautiful scenery, and so much more.

The psalm moves and progresses from the highest heavens down to the depths of the oceans on earth. Then it turns to all of humanity, putting the spotlight on royalty and the common man. There is a final command for all to praise the Lord.

We certainly feel power in this psalm. Each thing mentioned has meaning and corresponds to us and our inner life or soul. In the language of this psalm, we are lifted up and created in the image of God – upheld by His love and truth.

Let’s do a quick run through of the deeper spiritual meaning of the things mentioned in praising the Lord. Creation, a frequent feature in the psalms, is a wonderful source for seeing spiritual correspondences. The initial mention of heaven and later of earth, correspond to our spiritual and natural life when our spiritual loves are put into action and use. (See Heaven and Hell 5)

The sun, moon, and stars represent the Lord, faith, and spiritual truths. The 'heavens of heavens' and the waters above the heavens correspond to divine truths which are beyond visual observation. Sea creatures and depths of the ocean correspond to worldly knowledge and intelligence, which in this case are truths of faith applied to natural life. (See Apocalypse Explained 405)

Fire, hail, snow, and stormy winds represent changes in our attitudes at seemingly random times that wreak havoc on our spiritual lives. All of this, however, is permitted under Divine Providence for the refining us. (See Arcana Caelestia 842)

Trees bearing fruit symbolize everything that is useful in our lives on earth and to the Lord. Cedars correspond to our rational mind with its ability to reason figure out how to best be of use. (Apocalypse Explained 514) Animals correspond to our affections and spiritual loves. (Heaven and Hell 110)

The psalm ends with the focus on Israel – the spiritual and eternal side to our being. (Arcana Caelestia 4286, 4292)

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