Behold, bless ye the LORD, all ye servants of the LORD, which by night stand in the house of the LORD.
Lift up your hands in the sanctuary, and bless the LORD.
The LORD that made heaven and earth bless thee out of Zion.
Commentary
Psalms 134:1 « A Song of degrees. » Behold, bless ye the LORD, all [ye] servants of the LORD, which by night stand in the house of the LORD.
Ver. 1. Behold, bless ye the Lord ] This short psalm (the last of the fifteen graduals) is breve Sacerdotum speculum, saith an expositor; a mirror for ministers, who are first excited by a Behold, as by the sounding of a trumpet, or the ringing of a sermon bell. And, secondly, exhorted to praise God, and to pray unto him; whereunto if we add their teaching of Jacob God’s judgments, whereof Moses reminds them, Deuteronomy 33:10 , what more can be required of Archippus, to the fulfilling of his ministry? and if he be slack, he must be told of it, Colossians 4:17 , yet with all due respect and reverence to his office, 1 Timothy 5:1 . And it were far better, if they would rouse up themselves with the wakeful cock, and not keep sleepy sentry in the sanctuary.
All ye servants of the Lord ] Ye priests and Levites, who are God’s servants, but of a more than ordinary alloy; servants of noblest employment about him. Such are all faithful ministers; each of them may say with Paul, Acts 27:23 , "Whose I am, and whom I serve."
Which by night stand in the house of the Lord ] Keeping watch and ward there in your turns, Numbers 18:1-2 , &c.; 1 Chronicles 9:33 . The Rabbis say, that the high-priest only sat in the sanctuary (as did Eli, 1Sa 1:1-28 ), the rest stood, as ready priest to do their office.