Translation: ESV
Praise the LORD! Praise, O servants of the LORD, praise the name of the LORD!
For those who are servants of God, praising his name is the essential purpose of life.
▸Psalms 113-118 are the 'Hallel Psalms,' sung by Jews during the Passover meal.
Psalms 113-118 are the 'Hallel Psalms,' sung by Jews during the Passover meal. Jesus would have sung these psalms after the Last Supper (Matt. 26:30). 'Servants of the LORD' refers to the worshiping community.
From the rising of the sun to its setting, the name of the LORD is to be praised!
The praise of God is not limited to a particular people and region but should resound throughout the whole world.
▸From east to west—that is, throughout the whole world—the name of God is to be praised.
Who is like the LORD our God, who is seated on high,
God is the only one who is enthroned on high while caring for the lowly.
▸The rhetorical question emphasizes God's uniqueness.
He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap,
God's greatness is revealed in the paradoxical way of lifting up the lowest and most discarded.
▸This is the paradox of the exalted God lifting up the lowest.