Chapter Overview
Summary
Psalm 150 (MT = LXX) is the Psalter's DOXOLOGICAL CLIMAX — a 6-verse, 13-fold HALLELU (praise!) summons that closes not only Book V but the entire Psalter. The psalm answers Book I's opening question ('who is the blessed man?' Ps 1) with universal-praise: EVERY BREATHING CREATURE praises the LORD. The thirteen-fold structure: WHERE to praise (v. 1), WHY to praise (v. 2), HOW to praise with eight instruments (vv. 3–5), WHO praises (v. 6). The Psalter begins with solitary-torah-delight (Ps 1) and ends with universal-orchestral-vocal-praise (Ps 150).
Notable Variants
150 is the Psalter's doxological climax; 150:6 'let everything that has breath praise the LORD' universal-breath-praise closure; the 13-fold HALLELU structure; the eight-instrument orchestration (shofar, lyre, harp, tambourine, stringed-instruments, flute, loud-cymbals, clashing-cymbals).
Structural Notes
MT Ps 150 = LXX Ps 150. 6 verses. The PSALTER'S DOXOLOGICAL CLIMAX.
Halleluyah! Praise God in his sanctuary. Praise him in his mighty heavens.
'Praise the LORD! Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty heavens!' tracks MT. WHERE to praise: sanctuary-and-heavens (earthly-temple and cosmic-temple coupled). First and second HALLELU.
Praise him for his mighty acts. Praise him according to his surpassing greatness.
'Praise him for his mighty deeds; praise him according to his excellent greatness!' tracks MT. WHY to praise: mighty-deeds and excellent-greatness. Third and fourth HALLELU.
Praise him with the blast of the ram's horn. Praise him with harp and lyre.
'Praise him with trumpet sound; praise him with lute and harp!' tracks MT. HOW to praise — instruments begin. SHOFAR (trumpet), NEVEL (lute), KINNOR (harp). Fifth, sixth, seventh HALLELU.
Praise him with tambourine and dancing. Praise him with strings and pipe.
'Praise him with tambourine and dance; praise him with strings and pipe!' tracks MT. TOF (tambourine), MACHOL (dance), MINIM (strings), UGAV (pipe). Eighth, ninth, tenth, eleventh HALLELU.
Praise him with resounding cymbals. Praise him with crashing cymbals.
'Praise him with sounding cymbals; praise him with loud clashing cymbals!' tracks MT. TZILTZELEI-SHAMA (sounding cymbals), TZILTZELEI-TERUAH (loud clashing cymbals). Twelfth and thirteenth HALLELU. Eight instruments total — completion-number.
Let everything that has breath praise the LORD. Halleluyah!
'Let everything that has breath praise the LORD! Praise the LORD!' tracks MT. THE FINAL-WORD OF THE PSALTER. 'KOL HANESHAMAH TEHALLEL YAH / pasa pnoē ainesatō ton kyrion' — everything-that-has-breath (literally 'every neshamah,' the God-breathed animating-principle of Gen 2:7). The psalm's closure is cosmic-in-scope: from the psalmist's-solitary meditation (Ps 1:2, 'his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night') to universal-breath-praise. Revelation 5:13 ('every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea … saying: To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever!') — the canonical-conclusion matching the Psalter-conclusion. THE PSALTER CLOSES WITH HALLELUJAH.