Psalms 150 — Overview

The final psalm — the great crescendo of the entire Psalter. Praise God in His sanctuary! Praise Him in the heavens! Praise Him for His mighty acts! Praise Him with every instrument — trumpet, harp, lyre, tambourine, dancing, strings, flute, cymbals! Let everything that breathes praise the Lord!

Everything that breathes should praise God — with every instrument, every kind of music, and every voice. Praise is not just a Sunday activity: it is what we were made for!

Psalm 150 is the doxology of the entire book of Psalms — the five books of Psalms (each ending with a doxology) culminate here in this burst of all-inclusive praise. Note the structure: WHERE to praise (sanctuary and heavens — all of creation), WHY to praise (His mighty acts and excellent greatness), and HOW to praise (with every instrument imaginable). The list of instruments is the full orchestra of the ancient world — no instrument is excluded. The final verse is the most expansive command in Scripture: 'everything that has breath' — not just Israel, not just musicians, not just the deserving, but every breathing creature. For families: this is a psalm to PERFORM, not just read. Make noise, dance, bang on things, sing loud — Psalm 150 is permission for joyful chaos in worship.

God made YOU to praise Him! You can praise God with singing, clapping, dancing, instruments, or just by shouting 'Thank You!' with your whole heart. Don't hold back — everything that breathes was made to praise the Lord!

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Psalms 150 — OverviewPsalms 150 · Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole BibleThe first and last of the psalms have both the same number of verses, are both short, and very memorable. But the scope of them is very different: the first psalm is an elaborate instruction in our duty, to…Psalms 150 — OverviewPsalms 150 · Treasury of Scripture KnowledgePsalms 150:1, An exhortation to praise God; Psalms 150:3, with all kinds of instruments.Psalms 150 — OverviewPsalms 150 · John Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleThis psalm is of the same kind and upon the same subject with the two preceding ones; and very probably was written by the same hand, and about the same time; and is a very proper psalm to conclude this book with, being…Psalms 150:1-6Psalms 150:1-6 · Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole BibleWe are here, with the greatest earnestness imaginable, excited to praise God; if, as some suppose, this psalm was primarily intended for the Levites, to stir them up to do their office in the house of the Lord,…Psalms 150:1Psalms 150:1 · The Pulpit CommentaryPraise ye the Lord. Praise God in his sanctuary. This is the right rendering, and not that of the Prayer-book Version, "Praise God in his holiness." Israel is called upon to give God praise in his holy temple. Praise…Psalms 150:1Psalms 150:1 · The Pulpit CommentaryPlaces to praise God in. "This psalm is a rapture. The poet-prophet is full of inspiration and enthusiasm." Lamartine says, "In this closing psalm we see the almost inarticulate enthusiasm of the lyric poet; so rapidly…