Psalms 113
Old Testament · King James Version
Psalm 113 calls God's servants to praise from sunrise to sunset, celebrates God's incomparable majesty, and then emphasizes divine attention to those society places low: the poor, the needy, and the childless woman.
Praise ye the Lord. Praise, O ye servants of the Lord, praise the name of the Lord.
Blessed be the name of the Lord from this time forth and for evermore.
From the rising of the sun unto the going down of the same the Lord’s name is to be praised.
The Lord is high above all nations, and his glory above the heavens.
Who is like unto the Lord our God, who dwelleth on high,
Who humbleth himself to behold the things that are in heaven, and in the earth!
He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, and lifteth the needy out of the dunghill;
That he may set him with princes, even with the princes of his people.
He maketh the barren woman to keep house, and to be a joyful mother of children. Praise ye the Lord.
Context
A compact hymn of praise and social reversal, traditionally grouped with the Egyptian Hallel. Its movement is from universal praise, to God's transcendence, to God's care for the lowly.
Themes & application
- Praise
- Name of the Lord
- Divine transcendence
- Care for the poor
- Dignity
- Social reversal
- Infertility and childlessness
Praise God broadly while letting worship reshape how you treat people with little status, wealth, or social security. Pair spiritual language with practical solidarity and resist simplistic promises about money, status, or fertility.
Key verses
Praise stretches from sunrise to sunset without becoming coercive religion.
God's attention to the poor overturns contempt and prosperity theology.
The closing fertility image celebrates reversal without promising conception to everyone.
Common misreadings of Psalms 113
Misreading: Psalm 113 promises wealth and upward mobility to every faithful person.
In context: The psalm celebrates God's care for the lowly; it does not guarantee money, office, or social promotion.
Misreading: Verse 9 guarantees biological children to every faithful woman.
In context: It is a poetic image of reversal in an ancient context, not a universal fertility contract.
Misreading: Universal praise authorizes forced conversion.
In context: The psalm proclaims God's worthiness and does not authorize coercion or suppression of conscience.
Cross-references
- 1 Samuel 2:8 — God raises the poor from the dust.
- Luke 1:52–53 — A later biblical song of reversal and care for the lowly.
- Psalm 112 — The preceding acrostic emphasizes generosity and righteousness.
Frequently asked questions about Psalms 113
Does Psalm 113 teach prosperity gospel?
Does Psalm 113:9 promise pregnancy?
Sources & editorial notes
- Translation
- Commentary anchored in the public-domain Psalm 113 text used by the site (en).
- Authorship
- The psalm heading does not name an individual author; the commentary does not assign one beyond the text.
- Editorial process
- Synthesis checked against the psalm's three literary movements and safeguards around coercion, prosperity, poverty, status, infertility, and reproductive pressure.
References
- Psalm 113 — Primary text and literary structure.
- 1 Samuel 2:8 — Canonical parallel for raising the poor.
Author: The Lord Will Editorial Team · Reviewed by: Ugo Candido · Updated: 2026-08-22