Verse-by-Verse Bible Commentary
Psalms 134:2

Clarke's Commentary

Verse Psalms 134:2. Lift up your hands in the sanctuary — קדש kodesh, "in holiness:" or, as the SYRIAC, [Syriac] lekoudishe, "to holiness;" in sancta, VULGATE; and εις τα ἁγια, SEPTUAGINT; "in holy things; or, as the AETHIOPIC, in the house of the sanctuary." The expression seems very similar to that of St. Paul, 1 Timothy 2:8: "Lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting."

Bless the Lord. — That is, speak good of his name: tell the wonders he has wrought, and show that his name is exalted.

Bridgeway Bible Commentary

Psalm 132 -134 A house of prayer for Israel

A visit to the temple is a fitting occasion to recall the origins of the temple. David, with much difficulty, brought the ark (or covenant box) to Jerusalem with the aim of building God a house (132:1-5; cf. 2 Samuel 6:3-13; 2 Samuel 7:1-3; see also introductory notes to Psalms 24:0). Previously the ark had been at Kiriath-jearim, also known as Baale-judah and here called ‘the fields of Jaar’. David therefore went from Bethlehem (Ephrathah) to Kiriath-jearim to collect the ark and bring it to Jerusalem (6-9; see 2 Samuel 6:2,2 Samuel 6:14-19; 1 Chronicles 13:5; 1 Chronicles 13:5).

Although David wanted to build God a house in Jerusalem, God wanted to do something far greater for David. God wanted to build David a house in Jerusalem; not a house of stone, but a line of royal descendants to rule from Zion where the living God dwelt (10-14; cf. 2 Samuel 7:4-16). God would give his people all they needed for healthy lives, physically and spiritually (15-16). He would give the Davidic king power, prosperity, victory and glory (17-18).

The psalmist rejoices to see Israelites from all parts of the country worshipping together in unity in Jerusalem. He considers it a precious sight, having a pleasantness that he likens to the perfume of the sweet-smelling oils used to anoint Israel’s high priest. It has a freshness like the dew that falls on Mount Hermon (133:1-3).
At the end of the day’s festival activities, the worshippers wish the priests and Levites good-night on a note of praise to God (134:1-2). The priests and Levites respond by wishing the worshippers God’s blessing (3). This concludes the fifteen Songs of Ascents.

Coffman's Commentaries on the Bible

"Behold, bless ye Jehovah, all ye servants of Jehovah, That by night stand in the house of Jehovah. Lift up your hands to the sanctuary, And bless ye Jehovah. Jehovah bless thee out of Zion; Even he that made heaven and earth."

"Behold, bless ye Jehovah" "`Behold' is a word which usually draws attention to something that is liable to be overlooked."H. C. Leupold, p. 222. Certainly, the obligation of God's people to bless his holy name and to offer thanks and prayers to him continually is just such a thing that is easy to overlook, neglect and omit in the hustle and bustle of every day life. However, it was the neglect of this very common duty that precipitated the judicial hardening of all mankind in the pre-Christian era.

"Knowing God, they glorified him not as God, neither gave thanks; but became vain in their reasonings, and their foolish heart was darkened" (Romans 1:21). Note the brief words, "Neither gave thanks."

"All ye servants of Jehovah" This phrase may be understood, either as the Levites keeping the night vigil in the Temple, or as the "community at worship."Leslie C. Allen, Vol. II, p. 216. Either meaning could be correct. All depends upon what the situation here actually is. If the scene is that of a group of pilgrims arriving at night before the Temple and addressing the Levites on night duty there, then the words refer to the Levites. The second half of the verse, appears to favor that meaning.

"That by night stand in the house of Jehovah" The Temple was never left without its full contingent of Levites and priests. The company of pilgrims arriving at night would have been welcomed.

If that is the case, the words "Bless ye, Jehovah" would carry the same meaning as "Pray to Jehovah on our behalf."

"Lift up your hands to the sanctuary, and bless ye Jehovah" This may have been the invitation of the Levitical contingent in the temple to the night-arrivals for them to begin the worship service. "Lifting up the hands" was a gesture associated with praying from the very earliest times. Dahood tells us that the custom of "lifting up the hands toward heaven" in worship "was customary among the Canaanites,"Mitchell Dahood in The Anchor Bible, Vol. III, p. 255. even before the conquest by Israel.

"Jehovah bless thee out of Zion" Throughout the Old Testament, the blessings of God are represented as coming "out of Zion"; a truth that in the New Dispensation appears in the affirmation that "all spiritual blessings" are in Christ and become available to mankind only through him and "in him."

"Bless thee" This word was viewed by Kidner as the key to the whole passage. Whereas, it is God who is blessed in the first lines, the reverse appears here, where it is man who receives the blessing, "To bless God is to acknowledge gratefully what He is; but to bless man, God must make of him what he is not, and give him what he has not."Derek Kidner, Vol. II, p. 454.

The pattern of all Old Testament blessings is that of Aaron given in Numbers 6:24 ff.

The Lord bless thee, and keep thee; The Lord make his face to shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee:
The Lord lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace.

"Even he that made heaven and earth" This concludes this brief psalm. "The worshippers will leave enriched and strengthened, with the invocation of divine blessing ringing in their ears."Leslie C. Allen, op. cit., p. 218. "This Psalm is a fitting conclusion to the Psalms of Ascents."C. M. Miller, co-author with Anthony L. Ash, p. 416.

Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible

Lift up your hands in the sanctuary - Margin, In holiness. The Hebrew word properly means holiness, but it may be applied to a holy place. See Psalms 20:2. The lifting up of the hands is properly expressive of prayer, but the phrase may be used to denote praise or worship in general.

And bless the Lord - In the night-watches - while all around is still, - let there be one place where the voice of praise shall ascend on high.

Smith's Bible Commentary

Psalms 134:1-3

Behold, bless ye the LORD, all ye servants of the LORD, which stand by night in the house of the LORD. Lift up your hands in the sanctuary, and bless the LORD. The LORD that made heaven and earth bless thee out of Zion ( Psalms 134:1-3 ).

So twofold: bless the Lord, and then may you receive the blessing of the Lord. "Behold, bless ye the Lord, all ye servants of the Lord, which by night stand in the house of the Lord."

One of the glorious ministries of Calvary Chapel is the Men's Prayer Ministry where men gather by night in the house of the Lord. Where men are here all night long, standing before the Lord, bringing before the Lord the prayer requests, the needs of the body. Men volunteer on three-hour shifts maybe every second week or so to just come in, just to stand before the Lord in His sanctuary. "Behold, bless ye the Lord, all ye servants of the Lord, which stand by night in the house of the Lord." What a privilege, what a blessing. Just to come down and stand before the Lord for the needs of the body. "Lift up your hands in the sanctuary. Bless the Lord." How glorious it is. How beautiful it is. May God bless you out of Zion. "

Dr. Constable's Expository Notes

1. A call for God’s servants to praise Him 134:1-2

Priests were on duty 24 hours a day at the temple. They served as guards, and they also offered sacrifices and carried out other sacerdotal functions during the daylight hours. The psalmist called on them to praise God even at night. Lifting up the hands in prayer was a common posture that symbolized the petitioners offering praise up to God and receiving blessings from Him.

Dr. Constable's Expository Notes

Psalms 134

This last pilgrim psalm called on the priests who served God at the temple to praise Him, and it called on God to bless them.

Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

Lift up your hands [in] the sanctuary,.... Which Aben Ezra interprets of the priests lifting up their hands to bless the people; but Kimchi, better, of lifting up of the hands to God in prayer; see

Psalms 141:2; which should be done "with holiness", as the Targum renders it, in a holy manner; and is the same with lifting up holy hands, 1 Timothy 2:8; or towards the holy place; the oracle in the holy of holies, and the ark of the covenant, typical of Christ; see 1 Kings 8:29

Psalms 28:2; so Kimchi; or rather, according to Arama, unto the holy name of God, to whom prayer is to be directed;

and bless the Lord; which is repeated, to show the importance of the work, that it might not be forgotten and neglected; this being a principal part of spiritual service, and greatly acceptable to God.

Henry's Complete Commentary on the Bible

A song of degrees.

      1 Behold, bless ye the LORD, all ye servants of the LORD, which by night stand in the house of the LORD.   2 Lift up your hands in the sanctuary, and bless the LORD.   3 The LORD that made heaven and earth bless thee out of Zion.

      This psalm instructs us concerning a two-fold blessing:--

      I. Our blessing God, that is, speaking well of him, which here we are taught to do, Psalms 134:1; Psalms 134:2. 1. It is a call to the Levites to do it. They were the servants of the Lord by office, appointed to minister in holy things; they attended the sanctuary, and kept the charge of the house of the Lord, Numbers 3:6-10, c. Some of them did by night stand in the house of the Lord, to guard the holy things of the temple, that they might not be profaned, and the rich things of the temple, that they might not be plundered. While the ark was in curtains there was the more need of guards upon it. They attended likewise to see that neither the fire on the altar nor the lamps in the candlestick went out. Probably it was usual for some devout and pious Israelites to sit up with them we read of one that departed not from the temple night or day,Luke 2:37. Now these are here called upon to bless the Lord. Thus they must keep themselves awake by keeping themselves employed. Thus they must redeem time for holy exercises; and how can we spend our time better than in praising God? It would be an excellent piece of husbandry to fill up the vacancies of time with pious meditations and ejaculations; and surely it is a very modest and reasonable to converse with God when we have nothing else to do. Those who stood in the house of the Lord must remember where they were, and that holiness and holy work became that house. Let them therefore bless the Lord; let them all do it in concert, or each by himself; let them lift up their hands in the doing of it, in token of the lifting up of their hearts. Let them lift up their hands in holiness (so Dr. Hammond reads it) or in sanctification, as it is fit when they lift them up in the sanctuary; and let them remember that when they were appointed to wash before they went in to minister they were thereby taught to lift up holy hands in prayer and praise. 2. It is a call to us to do it, who, as Christians, are made priests to our God, and Levites, Isaiah 66:21. We are the servants of the Lord; we have a place and a name in his house, in his sanctuary; we stand before him to minister to him. Even by night we are under his eye and have access to him. Let us therefore bless the Lord, and again bless him; think and speak of his glory and goodness. Let us lift up our hands in prayer, in praise, in vows; let us do our work with diligence and cheerfulness, and an elevation of mind. This exhortation is ushered in with Behold! a note commanding attention. Look about you, Sirs, when you are in God's presence, and conduct yourselves accordingly.

      II. God's blessing us, and that is doing well for us, which we are here taught to desire, Psalms 134:3; Psalms 134:3. Whether it is the watchmen's blessing their captain, or the Levites' blessing the high priest, or whoever was their chief (as many take it, because it is in the singular number, The Lord bless thee), or whether the blessing is pronounced by one upon many ("The Lord bless thee, each of you in particular, thee and thee; you that are blessing God, the Lord bless you"), is not material. We may learn, 1. That we need desire no more to make us happy than to be blessed of the Lord, for those whom he blesses are blessed indeed. 2. That blessings out of Zion, spiritual blessings, the blessings of the covenant, and of communion with God, are the best blessings, which we should be most earnest for. 3. It is a great encouragement to us, when we come to God for a blessing, that it is he who made heaven and earth, and therefore has all the blessings of both at his disposal, the upper and nether springs. 4. We ought to beg these blessings, not only for ourselves, but for others also; not only, The Lord bless me, but, The Lord bless thee, thus testifying our belief of the fulness of divine blessings, that there is enough for others as well as for us, and our good-will also to others. We must pray for those that exhort us. Though the less is blessed of the greater (Hebrews 7:7), yet the greater must be prayed for by the less.