Psalms 146:1-10
1 Praise ye the LORD. Praise the LORD, O my soul.
2 While I live will I praise the LORD: I will sing praises unto my God while I have any being.
3 Put not your trust in princes, nor in the son of man, in whom there is no help.a
4 His breath goeth forth, he returneth to his earth; in that very day his thoughts perish.
5 Happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the LORD his God:
6 Which made heaven, and earth, the sea, and all that therein is: which keepeth truth for ever:
7 Which executeth judgment for the oppressed: which giveth food to the hungry. The LORD looseth the prisoners:
8 The LORD openeth the eyes of the blind: the LORD raiseth them that are bowed down: the LORD loveth the righteous:
9 The LORD preserveth the strangers; he relieveth the fatherless and widow: but the way of the wicked he turneth upside down.
10 The LORD shall reign for ever, even thy God, O Zion, unto all generations. Praise ye the LORD.
We now come to the final psalms of adoration, each one of which opens and closes with the great call to praise. “Hallelujah, praise the Lord.”
The theme of this first is that of the sufficiency of God as the Helper of His people. It opens with the personal note of determination to praise (vv. Psa 146:1-2). As a background the inability of man to help is declared. He is not to be trusted, for “his breath goeth forth.” In contrast with this helplessness the strength of Jehovah is celebrated as manifested in creation, and the maintenance of order (v. Psa 146:6), As exercised on behalf of the needy and the oppressed (vv. Psa 146:7-9). Notice the descriptions of the people whom Jehovah helps. “The oppressed... the hungry... the prisoners... the blind... they that are bowed down... the righteous... the strangers... the fatherless and widow.”
Then notice how the Divine activity exactly meets the need. “Executeth judgement... giveth food... looseth... openeth the eyes... raiseth up... loveth... preserveth... upholdeth.” In contrast with the vanishing life of princes and sons of men, Jehovah reigns for ever, and is the God of Zion to all generations.