• This Week's Bible Reading
 
January 6, 2026

Psalm 135:1-5
King James Version

"1 Praise ye the LORD. Praise ye the name of the LORD; praise him, O ye servants of the LORD.
 2 Ye that stand in the house of the LORD, in the courts of the house of our God,
 3 Praise the LORD; for the LORD is good: sing praises unto his name; for it is pleasant.
 4 For the LORD hath chosen Jacob unto himself, and Israel for his peculiar treasure.
 5 For I know that the LORD is great, and that our Lord is above all gods."

What is the meaning of KJV Psalm 135:1-5?

Psalm 135:1-5 serves as a grand invitation to worship. It transitions from a general call to praise, to a deeply personal testimony of God’s greatness.

The Call to Public Worship (Verses 1-2): “Praise ye the Lord. Praise ye the name of the Lord; praise him, O ye servants of the Lord. Ye that stand in the house of the Lord, in the courts of the house of our God.”
    • The Command: The Psalm begins with "Praise ye the Lord," which also can be translated as Hallelujah. It is not a suggestion; it is a joyous command to those who serve Him.
    • The Audience: The "servants" referred to here are primarily the priests and Levites who worked in the Temple; but the "courts" include the lay people gathered for worship; all who are closest to God’s presence.
    • The "Name": In the Bible, a name represents someone's character and attributes. To praise the "name of the Lord" is to praise everything God has revealed about who He is—His holiness, His mercy, and His power.
The Motivation for Praise (Verse 3): “Praise the Lord; for the Lord is good: sing praises unto his name; for it is pleasant.”
    • God’s Character: This verse provides the most fundamental reason for worship: God is good. He isn't just powerful; His core nature is benevolent.
    • The Reward of Worship: The word "pleasant" implies that worship is not meant to be a chore; it is a source of joy and fulfillment for us. It’s "good for the soul" to acknowledge God's goodness.
The Divine Election (Verse 4): “For the Lord hath chosen Jacob unto himself, and Israel for his peculiar treasure.”
    • "Peculiar Treasure": In the 17th Century, when the King James Bible was translated, "peculiar" did not mean "strange." It meant "private property" or a "special possession." Therefore, this verse highlights God’s grace. Out of all the people on earth, He chose a specific group to be His own. For those of us today, this signifies that God doesn't just look at us as a crowd; He sees us as His highly valued, personal treasure.
The "Everyman" Perspective (Verse 5): “For I know that the Lord is great, and that our Lord is above all gods.”
    • The Shift: Unlike many other Psalms that begin with a title such as "A Psalm of David," Psalm 135 has no named author. The author has taken famous lines from Moses, Jeremiah, and David and stitched them together into a new song. In Verses 1 through 4, he has acted in the capacity of a choir director or a worship leader. He is looking at the congregation and giving commands: "Praise ye," "Sing praises," "Ye that stand." It is all about what "we" should do as a group.
But in Verse 5, he steps out from behind the podium, so to speak, and says: "For I know." It’s the difference between saying, "Everyone says this food is good," and saying, "I have tasted it myself, and it is so delicious." He is moving from what he was taught (hearsay) to what he has lived (experience). By saying "For I know," he is declaring that even if no one else praises God, he would still do it, because he has seen God’s greatness firsthand.
    • Supremacy: By stating that God is "above all gods," he is declaring that the Lord has no rivals. In a world full of idols—money, power, or false deities—the Lord stands alone in His greatness.
In Summary:

These verses offer both comfort and challenge; comfort for those who love and fear God, and a call to truthfulness and reverence in our relationship with Him.

• God’s accessibility: He’s near to those who seek Him sincerely.
• Divine responsiveness: He hears, fulfills, and saves.
• Moral clarity: Love and reverence lead to preservation; wickedness leads to judgment.