Song Deep Dive: Psalm 134 (Praise the LORD)
About Psalm 134
Psalm 134 brings the Songs of Ascent to a joyful finish. After a long journey that started in the tension and loneliness of Psalm 120, this final psalm gathers God’s people into one clear invitation: come into the LORD’s presence and praise Him. The servants who minister through the night are called to lift their hands in the sanctuary and bless the LORD. It is a picture of what our hearts are made for: to stand before God and worship.
Psalm 134
A song of ascents. Of David
1 Praise the Lord, all you servants of the Lord
who minister by night in the house of the Lord.
2 Lift up your hands in the sanctuary
and praise the Lord.
3 May the Lord bless you from Zion,
he who is the Maker of heaven and earth.
Stephen's Thoughts
Even though this is the final Song of Ascent, Psalm 134 was actually the first one I ever wrote music for. I composed it in 2013, long before I imagined writing music for all fifteen Songs of Ascent.
I wrote it during seminary in my first summer course with Dr. Peter Walker, in his class on prayer and discipleship in the Great Tradition at Trinity School for Ministry. My research paper for that class was titled “Using the Psalms for Meditation, Prayer, and Praise.” Like many others, I became captivated by the Psalms. While working on that paper, I picked up my guitar and wrote a simple call-and-response song based on Psalm 134.
Since then, our church has sung this song regularly. I pray it finds its way into other worshipping communities as well, and that together we keep praising the LORD.
Listen to Psalm 134 (Praise the LORD)
Musical Credits
Centerpoint Community Church
Lyrics
Praise the LORD (Praise the LORD)
All you servants of the LORD (all you servants of the LORD)
Who minister (Who minister)
in the house of the LORD (in the house of the LORD)
Lift up your hands in the sanctuary (Lift up your hands in the sanctuary)
and praise the LORD!
Praise the LORD, all you servants of the LORD
who minister by night in the house of the LORD.
Lift up your hands in the sanctuary and praise the LORD.
Praise the LORD (Praise the LORD)
All you servants of the LORD (all you servants of the LORD)
Who minister (Who minister)
in the house of the LORD (in the house of the LORD)
Lift up your hands in the sanctuary (Lift up your hands in the sanctuary)
and praise the LORD!
Praise the LORD, all you servants of the LORD
who minister by night in the house of the LORD.
Lift up your hands in the sanctuary and praise the LORD.
(May the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth, bless you from Zion) 4x
Praise the LORD (Praise the LORD)
All you servants of the LORD (all you servants of the LORD)
Who minister (Who minister)
in the house of the LORD (in the house of the LORD)
Lift up your hands in the sanctuary (Lift up your hands in the sanctuary)
and praise the LORD!
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