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149. Psalm 149

¹ Praise the LORD. Hebrew Hallelu Yah; also in verse 9

Sing to the LORD a new song,
his praise in the assembly of his faithful people.

    ² Let Israel rejoice in their Maker;
   let the people of Zion be glad in their King.
³ Let them praise his name with dancing
   and make music to him with timbrel and harp.
⁴ For the LORD takes delight in his people;
   he crowns the humble with victory.
⁵ Let his faithful people rejoice in this honor
   and sing for joy on their beds.

    ⁶ May the praise of God be in their mouths
   and a double-edged sword in their hands,
⁷ to inflict vengeance on the nations
   and punishment on the peoples,
⁸ to bind their kings with fetters,
   their nobles with shackles of iron,
⁹ to carry out the sentence written against them—
   this is the glory of all his faithful people.

Praise the LORD.

5. They shall rejoice. In making mention here of joy, jubilee, and the high praises of God, he shows still more clearly from the effects which it would produce, that he does not speak of a common benefit of God; for had not the deliverance of the people been of a remarkable kind, there would have been no occasion for such joy, and even triumph. And by these expressions he intimates that the people would not be brought back from exile to be immediately dispersed again, but to flourish in the enjoyment of every species of blessing. He on this account makes mention of couches, teaching them to expect daily rest under the divine protection. He declares that they would be furnished with arms and power, not only to ward off enemies, but to put them to flight on every side, so as to reduce to subjection kings and nations which formerly ruled over them. By swords of a double-mouth, or two-edged, are meant such as cut on both sides, for at that time swords had but one edge.