149:1
Hallelujah! [i.e., Praise Yah]
Sing to Yahweh a new song,
[sing] his praise in the assembly of [the] faithful.
149:2
Let Israel be glad in his maker;
let the sons of Zion rejoice in their king.
149:3
Let them praise his name in dance;
let them make music to him with tambourine and lyre.
149:4
For Yahweh is pleased with his people,
He will beautify the afflicted with salvation.
149:5
The faithful will exult in glory.
They will ululate upon their beds.
149:6
The upliftings of God are in their throats
and a sword of two edges [is] in their hand
Psalm 149:7
to do vengeance on [the] nations,
punishments upon [the] peoples,
149:8
to bind their kings with chains
and their glorious ones with fetters of iron,
149:9
to do upon them [the] judgement [which was] written.
It [is] honour for all his faithful ones.
Praise Yah!
THE FAITHFUL CALLED TO PRAISE YAHWEH (vv. 1-3)
Psalm 149:1a WLC Impv הַ֥לְלוּ יָ֨הּ
Psalm 149:1a MOMT Praise Yah!
Psalm 149:1b WLC Impv שִׁ֣ירוּ לַֽ֭יהוָה שִׁ֣יר חָדָ֑שׁ
Psalm 149:1b MOMT Sing to Yahweh a new song, [Rev 5:9; 14:3]
Psalm 149:1c WLC dependent תְּ֝הִלָּתֹ֗ו בִּקְהַ֥ל חֲסִידִֽים׃
Psalm 149:1c MOMT his praise in the assembly of [the] faithful.
[‘Faithful’ (vv. 1, 5, 9) renders Hebrew adjective khasid, sometimes also rendered 'godly' or 'saints'. Properly, it denotes those faithful and loyal to God’s covenant (cf. the important related noun khesed).]
Psalm 149:2a WLC Yiqtol (jussive) יִשְׂמַ֣ח יִשְׂרָאֵ֣ל בְּעֹשָׂ֑יו
Psalm 149:2a MOMT Let Israel be glad (שָׂמַח) in his maker,
Psalm 149:2b WLC X-Yiqtol (jussive) בְּנֵֽי־צִ֝יֹּ֗ון יָגִ֥ילוּ בְמַלְכָּֽם׃
Psalm 149:2b MOMT let the sons of Zion rejoice (גִּיל) in their king.
Psalm 149:3a WLC Yiqtol יְהַֽלְל֣וּ שְׁמֹ֣ו בְמָחֹ֑ול
Psalm 149:3a MOMT They will praise his name in dance, [Ps 150:4]
Psalm 149:3b WLC X-Yiqtol בְּתֹ֥ף וְ֝כִנֹּ֗ור יְזַמְּרוּ־לֹֽו׃
Psalm 149:3b MOMT With tambourine and lyre they will make music to him. [Exod 15:20; also Ps 150:3-4]
[Does the string of imperfects take the mood of the imperative at the head of the string? In form, all are imperfects and not jussives. Probably they take the imperative mood, that is, are jussives. The difference is whether it is a call to praise, or a description of future or present praises. Most likely they are all jussives in force.]
REASONS FOR PRAISE: YAHWEH DELIGHTS IN AND SAVES HIS AFFLICTED ONES (v. 4)
Psalm 149:4a WLC Ki-SNC כִּֽי־רוֹצֶ֣ה יְהוָ֣ה בְּעַמֹּ֑ו
Psalm 149:4a MOMT For Yahweh is pleased [ptcp of רָצָה] with his people,
Psalm 149:4b WLC Yiqtol יְפָאֵ֥ר עֲ֝נָוִ֗ים בִּישׁוּעָֽה׃
Psalm 149:4b MOMT He will beautify [piel of פָאַר] the afflicted with salvation.
[‘Afflicted’ and ‘poor’ render the noun ‘anaw and its passive form ‘ani. Sometimes translated ‘affliction’ (9:13). It can refer to physical or emotional suffering. As a substantive, it includes day-labourers (Deut 24:14), those gleaning fields (Lev 19:10; 23:22), orphans, widows, and refugees. Traditionally translated ‘meek’ (37:11) or ‘humble’ (18:27; 25:9; 34:2). The related verb is ‘anah, ‘to afflict’ (with fasting: 35:13).]
THE FAITHFUL AGAIN CALLED TO PRAISE (v. 5)
Psalm 149:5a WLC Yiqtol יַעְלְז֣וּ חֲסִידִ֣ים בְּכָבֹ֑וד
Psalm 149:5a MOMT The faithful will exult (עָלַז) in glory.
Psalm 149:5b WLC Yiqtol יְ֝רַנְּנ֗וּ עַל־מִשְׁכְּבֹותָֽם׃
Psalm 149:5b MOMT They will ululate upon their couches/beds.
[They will go to bed rejoicing. They are happy. Nothing can take away their happiness. If ululation, it is not singing words, but a tongue trill. They are happy and rejoicing. But they won’t just stay in bed according to vv. 6-9. They will strap on their swords.]
THE FAITHFUL’S PRAISES EXPRESSED ALSO IN THEIR JUST VENGEANCE (vv. 6-9)
Psalm 149:6a WLC SNC רֹומְמֹ֣ות אֵ֭ל בִּגְרֹונָ֑ם
Psalm 149:6a MOMT The upliftings of God are in their throats
Psalm 149:6b WLC We-SNC וְחֶ֖רֶב פִּֽיפִיֹּ֣ות בְּיָדָֽם׃
Psalm 149:6b MOMT and a sword of two edges [is] in their hand [Rev 1:16; 2:12]
Psalm 149:7a WLC prep+Infin cs (purpose) לַעֲשֹׂ֣ות נְ֭קָמָה בַּגֹּויִ֑ם
Psalm 149:7a MOMT to do vengeance on [the] nations,
Psalm 149:7a LXX τοῦ ποιῆσαι ἐκδίκησιν ἐν τοῖς ἔθνεσιν,
Psalm 149:7b WLC dependent תֹּֽ֝וכֵחֹ֗ת בַּל־אֻמִּֽים׃
Psalm 149:7b MOMT punishments upon [the] peoples.
Psalm 149:7b LXX ἐλεγμοὺς ἐν τοῖς λαοῖς,
Psalm 149:8a WLC prep+Infin cs לֶאְסֹ֣ר מַלְכֵיהֶ֣ם בְּזִקִּ֑ים
Psalm 149:8a MOMT to bind their kings with chains
Psalm 149:8b WLC dependent וְ֝נִכְבְּדֵיהֶ֗ם בְּכַבְלֵ֥י בַרְזֶֽל׃
Psalm 149:8b MOMT and their glorious ones with fetters/bonds of iron.
Psalm 149:9a WLC prep+Infin cs לַעֲשֹׂ֤ות בָּהֶ֨ם ׀ מִשְׁפָּ֬ט כָּת֗וּב
Psalm 149:9a MOMT to do upon them [the] judgement [which was] written.
[In verses 6-9, the Messiah of Psalm 2 is sharing his rule and judgement (and its execution) with the saints. Cf. Revelation 2:26-27: "The one who conquers and who keeps my works until the end, to him I will give authority over the nations, 27 and he will rule [shepherd] them with a rod of iron, as when earthen pots are broken in pieces, even as I myself have received authority from my Father" (ESV). Also Rev 3:21. For allusions to Psalm 2 and doubled-edged swords, see also Rev 19:15-16]
Psalm 149:9b WLC SNC ה֭וּא לְכָל־חֲסִידָ֗יו
Psalm 149:9b MOMT Honour/splendour it [is] for all his faithful ones.
Psalm 149:9c ESV Praise the LORD!
Psalm 149:9c WLC Impv הַֽלְלוּ־יָֽהּ׃
Psalm 149:9c MOMT Praise Yah!