Psalm 148
The full text of Psalm 148 in the Trinity Bible Version — clear modern English, translated from the original Hebrew. Free to read.
Praise the LORD! (Hallelujah.)
1 Praise the LORD!
Praise the LORD from the heavens;
praise him in the heights!
2 Praise him, all his angels;
praise him, all his hosts!
3 Praise him, sun and moon,
praise him, all you shining stars!
4 Praise him, you highest heavens,
and you waters above the heavens!
5 Let them praise the name of the LORD!
For he commanded and they were created.
6 And he established them forever and ever;
he gave a decree, and it shall not pass away.
7 Praise the LORD from the earth,
you great sea creatures and all deeps,
8 fire and hail, snow and mist,
stormy wind fulfilling his word!
9 Mountains and all hills,
fruit trees and all cedars!
10 Beasts and all livestock,
creeping things and flying birds!
11 Kings of the earth and all peoples,
princes and all rulers of the earth!
12 Young men and maidens together,
old men and children!
13 Let them praise the name of the LORD,
for his name alone is exalted;
his majesty is above earth and heaven.
14 He has raised up a horn for his people,
praise for all his saints,
for the people of Israel who are near to him.
Praise the LORD!
Translation notes (3)
- Psalm 148:4a The phrase shemei hashshamayim (שְׁמֵי הַשָּׁמָיִם), literally 'heavens of the heavens', is a Hebrew superlative denoting the loftiest reaches of the sky. The waters above the heavens recall Genesis 1:7, where God separates the waters above the expanse from those below, and here even that celestial reservoir is summoned to praise its Creator.
- Psalm 148:7a Tanninim (תַּנִּינִים), rendered here as 'great sea creatures', denotes the vast monsters of the deep rather than ordinary fish; the same word describes the creatures of Genesis 1:21 and the chaos figures of Psalm 74:13 and Isaiah 27:1. The King James tradition rendered it 'dragons'. Even these emblems of untamed power are summoned to praise their Maker.
- Psalm 148:14a Qeren (קֶרֶן), 'horn', is a common Hebrew figure for strength and dignity, drawn from the image of a horned animal in its power; compare 1 Samuel 2:1 and Psalm 92:10. To raise up a horn for a people is to grant them strength and honor.
About this translation
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