Psalms Chapter 113

Chapter Overview

Psalm 113 opens the collection known as the "Hallel" or "Songs of Hallelujah" that call God’s people to praise. It is a compact, high-energy hymn that functions as a gateway to the Psalter’s range of prayers: it begins with praise, moves to God’s sovereignty, and then grounds that sovereignty in God’s heart for the vulnerable. The chapter is paradoxically simple and theologically deep. It begins with a command to praise the Lord, calling servants, and all who call on God’s name to join in worship. The refrain—praise the name of the Lord—frames not just a moment of worship but a posture that should endure “from this time forth and forevermore” (v. 2). This timeless scope signals that true worship is not episodic but lifelong.

The Psalm then telescopes from the heavens to the poor. God’s majesty (v. 4) is paired with a surprising tenderness: the one who dwells on high also humbles himself to behold what is in heaven and earth (v. 5–6). In short, divine sovereignty and divine accessibility are not opposites but coordinates. The psalmist moves from God’s exaltation to God’s compassion: God “raiseth up the poor out of the dust, and lifteth the needy out of the dunghill” (v. 7). The language of social reversal is brisk and vivid, pointing to a God who locates worth not in status but in mercy. The final line uses domestic imagery—making the barren woman a joyful mother of children (v. 9)—to illustrate blessing as the fruit of divine intervention.

Together, the chapter’s arc celebrates God’s exalted name and invites believers into a humble, generous, worship-filled life. It declares that praising God is the proper response to who God is: transcendent, holy, and radically concerned for those on the margins. The overarching message is that worship rightly ordered shapes reality: God’s glory radiates in the heavens, and God’s mercy reforms the earth by reordering human hierarchies.

Historical & Literary Context

Psalm 113 sits in the early part of the Book of Psalms (Psalms 1–41) often labeled as a collection of hymns of ascent or wisdom psalms. Bearing the form and cadence of Israel’s liturgical tradition, it likely dates to the post-exilic period or earlier, reflecting the temple-centered worship that characterized Israel’s worship life. The genre is a congregational hymn—short, vivid, and rhythmic—designed for public reading or singing in corporate worship.

As a unit, it serves as an introduction to the Psalter’s overarching themes: the character of God (holy, sovereign, merciful), the call to praise, and the ethical implications of worship (God’s concern for the vulnerable). It’s also notable for its “theology of reversal” motif, a recurring biblical motif that presents divine action as overturning human social orders—precisely the kind of synthesis that anchors the Psalter’s ability to address both cosmic and personal concerns. This Psalm is thematically interwoven with other royal or theocentric psalms but distinguishes itself with its intimate focus on social justice and the upending of human pride by God’s mercy.

Key Themes

- God’s majesty and accessibility: The paradox that the “LORD on high” nevertheless notices and engages with the lowly (v. 5–6).

- Divine reversal: God lifts the poor and needy from obscurity to a position of honor (v. 7–8), illustrating a Godward ethics that values mercy and social concern.

- Worship as responsive action: The imperative to praise God is both a duty and a locus of blessing (v. 1–3, 9). Worship shapes perception of reality.

- God’s care for the vulnerable: The imagery of lifting the “dunghill” and the barren woman foregrounds social justice within worship.

- God’s name: The repetition of praising “the name of the LORD” underscores the significance of God’s character and name as the center of praise and life.

Modern Application

Psalm 113 invites readers to see worship as more than personal piety; it is a stance toward the vulnerable and a critique of systems that perpetuate inequality. For contemporary life, the chapter challenges believers to honor God in daily routines (praising “from the rising of the sun to the going down of the same”) while embodying God’s mercy in practical ways—lending support to the poor, advocating for dignity for the marginalized, and resisting cynicism about social change. The promise that God “humbleth himself to behold” what is in heaven and earth invites Christians to cultivate humility and attentiveness—seeing others as God sees them, especially those overlooked by society. The stark image of turning barren women into joyful mothers can translate into a broader call to bless. In a world anxious about status, Psalm 113 reorients ambition toward compassion and generosity.

- Psalm 112 (ethical blessing on the righteous; complement to God’s reversal of fortunes)

- Psalm 115 (contrast between trusting in the Lord and idols)

- Psalm 113:2–3 (the call to bless and praise continuously)

- Luke 1:46–55 (Mary’s Magnificat echoes reversal, mercy toward the humble)

- James 2:5–7 (warning against favoritism and the call to care for the vulnerable)

- Moses (leadership, humility, justice for the vulnerable)

- Jesus (the upside-down kingdom, concern for the poor and marginalized)

- Paul (theology of God’s surpassing greatness and living as worship)