Verse 1

Behold, bless ye the LORD, all ye servants of the LORD, which by night stand in the house of the LORD.

Psalms 134:1-3.-Call to Yahweh's servants, who stand by night in the sanctuary, to bless Yahweh (Psalms 134:1-2); their blessing in reply (Psalms 134:3). In Psalms 134:1-2 the pilgrims arriving in the afternoon address Yahweh's servants, the priests assembled at the evening sacrifice in the Lord's house, and ask them to bless Him in their and the people's name, and to prey. In Psalms 134:3 the priests in reply bless the people as represented by the pilgrims. When we bless God, He immediately blesses us. Compare the interchange of blessing between man and the Most High, Genesis 14:19-20. This psalm is the epilogue to the collection of pilgrim-songs, in all fifteen.

Behold, bless ye the Lord, al ye servants of the Lord, which by night stand in the house of the Lord. "Behold" vividly realizes the scene before the eyes. The priests alone, not also the Levites, had power to pronounce the blessing (Psalms 134:3). To "bless the Lord" in the praise and glorify Him. The people, represented by the pilgrims, are not hereby reminding the priests to fulfill the duty of their office; but are desiring the priests to offer their (the people's) blessings and thanksgivings to the Lord, which are virtually prayers for help; because they bless the Lord as One who has saved them in times past, and who therefore can and will save them now. "By night" does not imply that the priest stood all night serving the Lord; nor does 1 Chronicles 9:33 prove that even the Levite singers were engaged throughout the night; though watches were kept by night in the temple: the reference is to the evening sacrifice with which the service of the priests terminated. Compare Psalms 92:2.

Verse 2

Lift up your hands in the sanctuary, and bless the LORD.

Lift up your hands. The gesture signified elevation of the heart in prayer (Psalms 28:2).

In the sanctuary. The Chaldaic Targum has 'with holiness;' the Syriac, 'to holiness;' the Septuagint, Vulgate, Ethiopic, and Arabic, 'toward the sanctuary.' Psalms 27:2 favours the last.

Verse 3

The LORD that made heaven and earth bless thee out of Zion.

The Lord that made heaven and earth - and who, therefore, has infinite resources at command: the counterpoise to the feebleness of the people of God at the time (Psalms 121:2; Psalms 124:8).

Bless thee out of Zion. "Thee" - i:e., the people (Psalms 128:5). The Lord blesses thee in return for thy blessing the Lord (Psalms 134:1-2). The reference is to the Mosaic blessing pronounced by the priests alone (Numbers 6:24). So the whole collection of pilgrim-songs close with the blessing of the Lord on the people: a fit conclusion.