Psalm 150
Psalm 150 closes the book with a call for everything that breathes to praise God for his greatness.
A call to praise God sounds from the sanctuary to the heavens, then gathers trumpets, strings, dancing, and resounding cymbals. The speaker is unnamed, and no specific occasion is given. God’s mighty acts and excellent greatness are the stated reasons for praise. The commands build toward a final call for everything that breathes to praise YHWH. This closing psalm brings the book to its end with worship that reaches beyond any single congregation.
Psalm 150 shares with 1 Chronicles and 2 Samuel scenes of praise marked by instruments and celebration before God, including cymbals and dancing. Revelation shares its picture of heavenly worship, with harps accompanying praise and all creation honoring God.
After reading the whole chapter
Which part of this psalm’s call to praise most challenges or enlarges your understanding of worship?
Write on thisWhat acts of God would you name in response to the call to praise his mighty acts?
Write on thisQuestions people ask about Psalm 150
Who wrote Psalm 150?
Psalm 150 does not name its author or identify the event behind it. Its position makes it the closing song of praise in the book, but the text does not say when it was composed. Assigning it to David or a specific period goes beyond the information given.
What does “Let everything that has breath praise the LORD!” mean?
The phrase extends the command to praise as far as breath reaches. After naming places of worship and musical instruments, the psalm calls on all breathing life to honor God. It does not explain how each creature praises; its closing emphasis is the breadth of the call.
Read it. Now write it.
Start an entry on Psalm 150. Your words go beside the text, and you get one next step for the week.
Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY). Scripture from the World English Bible (public domain). Arc diagram after Chris Harrison and Christoph Römhild (2007).