Tap any verse number for what that verse means.
1Praise ye the LORD. Praise, O ye servants of the LORD, praise the name of the LORD.
2Blessed be the name of the LORD from this time forth and for evermore.
3From the rising of the sun unto the going down of the same the LORD’s name is to be praised.
4The LORD is high above all nations, and his glory above the heavens.
5Who is like unto the LORD our God, who dwelleth on high,
6Who humbleth himself to behold the things that are in heaven, and in the earth!
7He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, and lifteth the needy out of the dunghill;
8That he may set him with princes, even with the princes of his people.
9He maketh the barren woman to keep house, and to be a joyful mother of children. Praise ye the LORD.
Understand This
Psalm 113, explained
What Psalm 113 is saying
Psalm 113 opens the Egyptian Hallel (Psalms 113–118), the collection sung at Passover and major festivals. The psalm celebrates YHWH's transcendence—enthroned above the heavens—and His condescension—stooping down to raise the poor from the dust and seat them with princes. The barren woman given a home with children echoes Hannah's song (1 Samuel 2).
The background behind it
As the first psalm of the Hallel, it was sung before the Passover meal (the 'hymn' of Matthew 26:30 likely included Psalms 113–118). The Mishnah (Pesachim 10:5–7) prescribes its liturgical placement in the Seder.
Themes running underneath
The psalm's theology centers on the paradox of divine transcendence and immanence: the God who dwells on high is the same God who lifts the needy from the ash heap. This reversal theology—exalting the lowly—becomes programmatic for Mary's Magnificat and the gospel itself.
Why it still matters
This psalm redefines greatness: true power stoops. It challenges communities of faith to reflect God's preferential attention to the marginalized and to recognize that God's most characteristic action is lifting up the overlooked.
Scripture text: King James Version — public domain.