Psalms
Chapter 113
1
The God of the Humble
Alleluia!
Praise, O servants of the Lord, praise the name of the Lord!
2
Blessed be the name of the Lord now and forever!
3
From eastern lands to the western islands, may the name of the Lord be praised!
4
The Lord is exalted over the nations; his glory above the heavens.
5
Who is like the Lord our God, who sits enthroned on high,
6
but also bends down to see on earth as in heaven?
7
He lifts up the poor from the dust and the needy from the ash heap.
8
He makes them sit with princes, with rulers of his people.
9
He gives a home to the barren woman, and makes her a joyful mother. Praise the Lord!
Commentaries
113
The psalmist encourages the people to praise the Almighty Lord of heaven and earth. God calls them his friends, elevating them to his own level. What sets God apart from humans isn’t the vastness of his creation but his way of being with us, his preference for what many despise. God often chooses humble instruments to carry out his great acts of grace. Our God doesn’t stay isolated in heaven; he has come down to earth, become one of us, and identified with the helpless. Let us exalt the Name of the Lord with a grand and sublime psalm.