Chapter Overview
Summary
Psalm 134 (MT) / Psalm 133 (LXX) closes the fifteen Songs of Ascents — a short (3-verse) night-time-Temple-blessing psalm. The pilgrimage complete, the night-priests are addressed: 'who stand by night in the house of the LORD.' Verse 3's 'may the LORD bless you from Zion, he who made heaven and earth' is a pilgrim-departure-benediction.
Notable Variants
134:1 night-priests-addressed as Temple-watch; 134:3 'the LORD bless you from Zion' pilgrim-departure benediction closing the Songs of Ascents cluster.
Structural Notes
MT Ps 134 = LXX Ps 133. 3 verses. Last Song of Ascents (closes the 15-psalm pilgrimage cluster).
A song of ascents. Come, bless the LORD, all you servants of the LORD who stand in the house of the LORD at night.
'Come, bless the LORD, all you servants of the LORD, who stand by night in the house of the LORD!' tracks MT. NIGHT-PRIESTS addressed. 1 Chronicles 9:33 ('the singers … lodged in the chambers of the temple, for they were on duty day and night') describes the Levitical-night-watch. Traditional Jewish-liturgy uses this psalm at the Sabbath-evening service and BEFORE-SLEEP-PRAYERS.
Lift your hands toward the sanctuary and bless the LORD.
'Lift up your hands to the holy place and bless the LORD!' tracks MT. LIFT-UP-HANDS-TOWARD-THE-SANCTUARY. 1 Timothy 2:8 ('lifting holy hands without anger or quarreling') extends.
May the LORD bless you from Zion — the maker of heaven and earth.
'May the LORD bless you from Zion, he who made heaven and earth!' tracks MT. BLESSING-FROM-ZION closing. The pilgrim-community receives the benediction before-departing-Jerusalem. Hebrews 12:22 ('you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God') extends Christologically.