Psalm 113 is the Church’s hymn of humble praise from sunrise to sunset. St Augustine refuses to limit “children” to bodily age: “let old age be childlike, and your childhood like old age.” The true child is the one stripped of pride and taught to praise with simplicity of heart. From that humble beginning the Psalm rises to the Lord’s transcendence and then descends again to His tenderness toward the poor, the barren, and the forgotten.
Its spiritual center is the union of divine majesty and divine condescension. The God who dwells on high also lifts the needy from the dunghill and seats them with princes. In the Church this naturally resonates with Hannah’s song and the Magnificat: the Lord casts down pride, remembers the lowly, and makes the poor rich in His praise.
Psalm 113 (LXX 112) - Praise the Lord, Ye Servants of His
Psalm Metadata
| Field | Notes |
|---|---|
| NKJV / Masoretic numbering | Psalm 113 |
| Septuagint / Coptic numbering | Psalm 112 |
| Accepted author | Alleluia. |
| Period in author’s life | No precise life event is given; the Psalm is a liturgical call to universal praise. |
| Christ prophecy status | Typological and ecclesial. The Lord who is high above the nations yet lifts up the poor points toward Christ, the exalted One who lifts up the humble. |
| Coptic lectionary/service use | Scripture from this study has an established place in the Coptic Orthodox lectionary through documented Church readings. |
| Numbering issue | This note embeds Brenton LXX Psalm 112. The local lectionary rows (if any) would preserve printed Psalm 113 references. |
Historical and Scriptural Context
Psalm 113 is the first of the “Hallel” Psalms (113-118) sung at the Passover and other feasts. It is a hymn of praise that emphasizes the transcendence and immanence of God. The Lord is high above the heavens, yet He looks upon the low things and lifts up the poor.
Scripturally, it echoes the Song of Hannah in 1 Samuel 2 and the Magnificat in Luke 1, where God lifts up the lowly.
Geographical Significance ⛰️
The geography is from the rising of the sun to its setting, encompassing the whole earth. The high places and the low things in heaven and on the earth show the Lord’s sovereignty over all creation. The dunghill and the house represent the transformation from lowliness to honor.
The Characters 👥
The Lord our God. The One who is high above all the nations, whose glory is above the heavens, yet who looks upon the low things and lifts up the poor.
The servants of the Lord. Those called to praise His name from the rising of the sun to its setting.
The poor and needy. Those lifted up from the earth and the dunghill to sit with princes.
The barren woman. The one settled in a house as a mother rejoicing over children.
🕯️ Light from the Word
Psalm 112:1-3, Praise the Lord, ye servants of his
112:1 Alleluia. Praise the Lord, ye servants of his, praise the name of the Lord. 112:2 Let the name of the Lord be blessed, from this present time and for ever. 112:3 From the rising of the sun to his setting, the name of the Lord is to be praised.
The Psalm opens with the call to the servants of the Lord to praise His name. Let the name of the Lord be blessed from this present time and for ever. From the rising of the sun to His setting, the name of the Lord is to be praised.
St Augustine sees the universal call to praise as the response of the whole earth to the name of the Lord. Theodoret emphasizes that the name of the Lord is to be praised at all times and in all places.
The Christological reading is that Christ is the name of the Lord made known to the nations, and His praise endures from the rising of the sun to its setting.
Lesson Guide
- Key phrases: “Praise the Lord, ye servants of his, praise the name of the Lord”; “From the rising of the sun to his setting, the name of the Lord is to be praised.”
- Emphasize: the praise of the Lord’s name is the calling of all His servants at all times and in all places.
- Avoid: limiting praise to certain times or places. The Psalm calls for continual and universal praise.
Psalm 112:4-6, The Lord is high above all the nations
112:4 The Lord is high above all the nations; his glory is above the heavens. 112:5 Who is as the Lord our God? who dwells in the high places, 112:6 and yet looks upon the low things in heaven, and on the earth:
The Psalm continues with the declaration that the Lord is high above all the nations; His glory is above the heavens. Who is as the Lord our God? Who dwells in the high places, and yet looks upon the low things in heaven and on the earth?
St Augustine sees the contrast between the high places and the low things as the mystery of the Incarnation, where the Lord who dwells in the high places looks upon the low things. Theodoret emphasizes that the Lord is incomparable in His majesty and mercy.
The Christological depth is that Christ is the Lord who, though high above the heavens, looked upon the low estate of His people and came down to lift them up.
Lesson Guide
- Key phrases: “The Lord is high above all the nations; his glory is above the heavens”; “who dwells in the high places, and yet looks upon the low things in heaven, and on the earth.”
- Emphasize: the Lord is both transcendent and immanent; He is high above all yet looks upon the low things.
- Avoid: thinking that God’s majesty separates Him from the lowly. The Psalm teaches that His glory is seen in His mercy to the low.
Psalm 112:7-9, Who lifts up the poor from the earth
112:7 Who raises up the poor from the earth, and lifts up the needy from the dunghill; 112:8 that he may set him with princes, even with the princes of his people: 112:9 who settles the barren woman in a house, as a mother rejoicing over children.
The Psalm reaches its most tender point here. The Lord does not merely notice the lowly; He raises, seats, and settles them. Poverty, shame, and barrenness are not romanticized. They are reversed by divine mercy.
Augustine insists that God exalts the humble without feeding their pride: “He thus exalts the humble, so as not to make them proud.” That insight keeps the section spiritually clean. The Lord’s lifting up is never a transfer from one vanity to another. It is participation in His own mercy. In the wider scriptural tradition, the lines naturally echo Hannah’s song and prepare the ear for the Magnificat, where the same God remembers the lowly and fills the hungry with good things.
Lesson Guide
- Key phrases: “raises up the poor from the earth”; “settles the barren woman in a house.”
- Emphasize: divine exaltation heals shame and creates praise without inflating pride.
- Avoid: treating the lowly merely as symbols. The Psalm speaks to real humiliation, real barrenness, and real mercy.
The Church’s Voice in Worship 📖
Scripture from this study has an established place in the Coptic Orthodox lectionary through documented Church readings.
Iconography Connection 🖼️
Psalm 113 connects with icons of the exaltation of the Lord, the lifting up of the poor, and the fruitfulness of the barren woman. The icon of the Theotokos or the righteous Hannah reminds the faithful that the Lord looks upon the low estate of His servants and lifts them up.
Spiritual Fruit 🍇
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Praise the Lord at all times and in all places. From the rising of the sun to its setting, let the name of the Lord be blessed.
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Marvel at the majesty and mercy of God. The Lord is high above the heavens yet looks upon the low things and lifts up the poor.
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Trust that the Lord reverses fortunes. He lifts up the poor and sets them with princes; He settles the barren woman in a house.
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Rejoice in the exaltation of the humble. The Lord makes the needy sit with princes and gives joy to the barren.
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Let your life be a praise to the Lord. The servants of the Lord are called to praise His name continually.
Teacher's Notes
- Timing: 10 minutes for the universal call to praise, 15 minutes for the majesty and mercy of God, 15 minutes for the lifting up of the poor and the barren, 10 minutes for application.
- Where to linger: Psalm 112:4-6 and 112:7-9.
- Key phrase to say slowly: “Who is as the Lord our God? who dwells in the high places, and yet looks upon the low things in heaven, and on the earth.”
- Pastoral warning: do not use the Psalm to promise material elevation without the fear of the Lord. The lifting up is spiritual and for the glory of God.
Glossary
- Servants of the Lord: Those called to praise His name at all times.
- Dunghill: The place of lowliness and need from which the Lord raises the needy.
- Princes of His people: The place of honor among the people of God.
- Barren woman: The one who is settled in a house as a mother rejoicing over children.
Translation and Source Notes
Embedded Scripture is Brenton’s English Septuagint, Psalm 112. The study title uses NKJV/Masoretic numbering first, Psalm 113, with LXX 112 in parentheses. No verified local lectionary rows were found for the printed Psalm 113 in the current data.
Sources
Primary sources: Brenton Septuagint, Psalm 112; 1 Samuel 2; Luke 1:46-55; St Augustine, Exposition on Psalm 113 in the older English numbering tradition corresponding to LXX Psalm 112; Theodoret of Cyrus, Commentary on Psalm 113 in the Hill translation.
Coptic Orthodox / liturgical sources: Scripture from this study has an established place in the Coptic Orthodox lectionary through documented Church readings.