Who Is Like the LORD?
Psalm 113 summary: what it means
Psalm 113 is a short hymn of praise with a clear shape. It opens by calling the LORD's servants to praise his name, now and forever, from the rising of the sun to its setting. It then asks who is like the LORD, who is high above the nations and whose glory is above the heavens. The surprise is what that high God does: he stoops down to see heaven and earth.
The last three verses show what his stooping looks like. He lifts the poor out of the dust and the needy from the ash heap and seats them with princes. He settles the barren woman in her home as a joyful mother. The psalm ends as it began, with Praise the LORD. In Jewish practice it opens the Hallel, Psalms 113 to 118.
Psalm 113: Who Is Like the LORD?
World English Bible, public domain. allpsalms.com/psalm-113
Psalm 113 commentary: explained verse by verse
Praise the LORD!Praise, you servants of the LORD,praise the LORD’s name.
Praise ye the LORD. Praise, O ye servants of the LORD, praise the name of the LORD.
The psalm opens with a triple call to praise, addressed to the servants of the LORD. Each time, the one to be praised is the LORD or his name.
Also read Psalm 34:22, Psalm 33:1-2, Revelation 19:5, Psalm 135:20
Blessed be the LORD’s name,from this time forward and forever more.
Blessed be the name of the LORD from this time forth and for evermore.
The praise has no end date. God's name is to be blessed from this time forward and forever more.
Also read Ephesians 3:21, Psalm 106:48, 1 Chronicles 16:36, Revelation 5:13
From the rising of the sun to its going down,the LORD’s name is to be praised.
From the rising of the sun unto the going down of the same the LORD’s name is to be praised.
Time becomes space. From the rising of the sun to its going down, the LORD's name is to be praised, so the call covers every hour and every place. The KJV reads From the rising of the sun unto the going down of the same.
Also read Isaiah 59:19, Psalm 48:10, Romans 15:9-10, Isaiah 42:10-12
The LORD is high above all nations,his glory above the heavens.
The LORD is high above all nations, and his glory above the heavens.
The LORD is high above all nations and his glory is above the heavens. This sets up the question of the next verse.
Also read Psalm 148:13, Isaiah 40:22, 1 Kings 8:27, Isaiah 40:17
Who is like the LORD, our God,who has his seat on high,
Who is like unto the LORD our God, who dwelleth on high,
The question expects no answer: who is like the LORD our God, seated on high? The psalm has just said he is above nations and heavens.
Also read Exodus 15:11, Isaiah 40:18, Jeremiah 10:6, Isaiah 40:25
who stoops down to see in heaven and on the earth?
Who humbleth himself to behold the things that are in heaven, and in the earth!
Here is the turn. The God seated on high stoops down to see what is in heaven and on earth. His height does not keep him distant.
Also read Psalm 11:4, Psalm 138:6, Isaiah 66:2, Job 4:18
He raises up the poor out of the dust,and lifts up the needy from the ash heap,
He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, and lifteth the needy out of the dunghill;
Stooping becomes lifting. He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap, the lowest places the psalm can name.
Also read Isaiah 26:19, Psalm 22:15, 1 Samuel 2:7-8, Ephesians 1:20-21
that he may set him with princes,even with the princes of his people.
That he may set him with princes, even with the princes of his people.
The lifting goes all the way up. The poor are seated with princes, even the princes of God's own people.
Also read Job 36:7, Revelation 5:9-10, Psalm 45:16, Philippians 2:8-11
He settles the barren woman in her homeas a joyful mother of children.Praise the LORD!
He maketh the barren woman to keep house, and to be a joyful mother of children. Praise ye the LORD.
The last example is personal. The barren woman is settled in her home as a joyful mother of children. The psalm closes with the words it opened with, Praise the LORD.
Also read Psalm 68:6, Galatians 4:27, Genesis 25:21, 1 Samuel 2:5
A prayer from Psalm 113
LORD, I praise your name, from this time forward and forever more. From the rising of the sun to its going down, your name is to be praised. You are high above all nations, and your glory is above the heavens. Who is like you, our God? You sit on high, yet you stoop down to see the heavens and the earth. You raise up the poor out of the dust and lift the needy from the ash heap. You settle the barren woman in her home as a joyful mother of children. Help me to see the lowly the way you see them, and to praise you for it. Amen.
Psalm 113 Bible study questions
- In verse 3, how far does the praise of the LORD's name reach, and what picture is used to describe it?
- In verses 7 to 9, which three people does the LORD lift up, and where does each one end up?
- Verses 5 and 6 place God high above yet stooping down to see: how do you hold those two ideas together?
- The psalm moves from the heavens to the ash heap: what does that movement suggest about who God notices?
- Psalm 138:6 says the LORD is high yet looks after the lowly: how does that verse echo Psalm 113?
Questions about Psalm 113
What does Psalm 113 mean?
It praises the LORD as high above all nations and heavens, then shows that same God stooping down to lift the poor and give the barren woman a family.
Who wrote Psalm 113?
The psalm does not name its author. It has no heading in the World English Bible or the King James Version.
What are Psalms 113 to 118?
In Jewish practice, Psalms 113 to 118 are recited together as a prayer called Hallel on joyful occasions, including each day of the pilgrimage festivals of Passover, Shavuot and Sukkot, and at Hanukkah.
What does Psalm 113:3 say in the KJV?
From the rising of the sun unto the going down of the same the LORD's name is to be praised.
What does Psalm 113:7-8 mean?
These verses say God raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap, and seats them with princes.
What does Psalm 113:9 mean?
It says God settles the barren woman in her home as a joyful mother of children. It is the psalm's last example of God lifting the lowly.
Psalm 113 KJV: the King James Version
Praise ye the LORD. Praise, O ye servants of the LORD, praise the name of the LORD.1
Blessed be the name of the LORD from this time forth and for evermore.2
From the rising of the sun unto the going down of the same the LORD’s name is to be praised.3
The LORD is high above all nations, and his glory above the heavens.4
Who is like unto the LORD our God, who dwelleth on high,5
Who humbleth himself to behold the things that are in heaven, and in the earth!6
He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, and lifteth the needy out of the dunghill;7
That he may set him with princes, even with the princes of his people.8
He maketh the barren woman to keep house, and to be a joyful mother of children. Praise ye the LORD.9
Psalm 113 in Hebrew
The Hebrew text from the Westminster Leningrad Codex, public domain. Verse numbers follow the Hebrew Bible, which counts a psalm's heading as verse 1, so they can run one ahead of English Bibles.
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1 הַ֥לְלוּ יָ֨הּ ׀ הַ֭לְלוּ עַבְדֵ֣י יְהוָ֑ה הַֽ֝לְלוּ אֶת־שֵׁ֥ם יְהוָֽה׃
2 יְהִ֤י שֵׁ֣ם יְהוָ֣ה מְבֹרָ֑ךְ מֵֽ֝עַתָּ֗ה וְעַד־עוֹלָֽם׃
3 מִמִּזְרַח־שֶׁ֥מֶשׁ עַד־מְבוֹא֑וֹ מְ֝הֻלָּ֗ל שֵׁ֣ם יְהוָֽה׃
4 רָ֖ם עַל־כָּל־גּוֹיִ֥ם ׀ יְהוָ֑ה עַ֖ל הַשָּׁמַ֣יִם כְּבוֹדֽוֹ׃
5 מִ֭י כַּיהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֵ֑ינוּ הַֽמַּגְבִּיהִ֥י לָשָֽׁבֶת׃
6 הַֽמַּשְׁפִּילִ֥י לִרְא֑וֹת בַּשָּׁמַ֥יִם וּבָאָֽרֶץ׃
7 מְקִֽימִ֣י מֵעָפָ֣ר דָּ֑ל מֵֽ֝אַשְׁפֹּ֗ת יָרִ֥ים אֶבְיֽוֹן׃
8 לְהוֹשִׁיבִ֥י עִם־נְדִיבִ֑ים עִ֝֗ם נְדִיבֵ֥י עַמּֽוֹ׃
9 מֽוֹשִׁיבִ֨י ׀ עֲקֶ֬רֶת הַבַּ֗יִת אֵֽם־הַבָּנִ֥ים שְׂמֵחָ֗ה הַֽלְלוּ־יָֽהּ׃
Psalm 113 in the Catholic Douay-Rheims Bible
The Douay-Rheims Bible, 1899 edition, public domain. It follows the Greek and Latin numbering, so this psalm is Psalm 112 there.
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1 Praise the Lord, ye children: praise ye the name of the Lord.
2 Blessed be the name of the Lord, from henceforth now and for ever.
3 From the rising of the sun unto the going down of the same, the name of the Lord is worthy of praise.
4 The Lord is high above all nations; and his glory above the heavens.
5 Who is as the Lord our God, who dwelleth on high:
6 And looketh down on the low things in heaven and in earth?
7 Raising up the needy from the earth, and lifting up the poor out of the dunghill:
8 That he may place him with princes, with the princes of his people.
9 Who maketh a barren woman to dwell in a house, the joyful mother of children.
Psalm 113 in Latin
The Clementine Vulgate, public domain, where this psalm is Psalm 112.
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1 Alleluja. Laudate, pueri, Dominum; laudate nomen Domini.
2 Sit nomen Domini benedictum ex hoc nunc et usque in sæculum.
3 A solis ortu usque ad occasum laudabile nomen Domini.
4 Excelsus super omnes gentes Dominus, et super cælos gloria ejus.
5 Quis sicut Dominus Deus noster, qui in altis habitat,
6 et humilia respicit in cælo et in terra?
7 Suscitans a terra inopem, et de stercore erigens pauperem:
8 ut collocet eum cum principibus, cum principibus populi sui.
9 Qui habitare facit sterilem in domo, matrem filiorum lætantem.
Printable Psalm 113: free, large print and PDF
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Psalm 113 at a glance
| Verses | 9 |
| Heading in the text | No heading |
| Attributed to | Not named in the text. Psalm 113 has no heading. |
| Type | Praise |
| Number in Greek and Latin Bibles | Psalm 112 |
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Psalm 113 in other translations
This page prints the World English Bible and the King James Version because both are public domain. The NIV, ESV, NKJV, NLT and NASB are under copyright, so they cannot be printed in full here. You can read Psalm 113 in those translations at Bible Gateway.
Where Psalm 113 belongs
How this page was made
The psalm text comes from public domain translations and is not edited. The summary, the verse notes and the answers are written for this page from the text of the psalm itself. Where a claim goes beyond the text, it is sourced below.
Sources
- Text: World English Bible and King James Version, both public domain, from ebible.org source
- Hallel: Psalms 113 to 118 are recited as Hallel on Jewish festivals including Passover, Shavuot, Sukkot and Hanukkah source
- Hebrew text: Westminster Leningrad Codex, public domain, from ebible.org source
- Douay-Rheims: Douay-Rheims Bible, 1899 edition, public domain, from ebible.org source
- Latin text: Clementine Vulgate, public domain, from ebible.org source
- Numbering: Greek and Latin psalm numbering, Wikipedia, Psalms source