Psalm 134:2 kjv
Lift up your hands in the sanctuary, and bless the LORD.
Psalm 134:2 nkjv
Lift up your hands in the sanctuary, And bless the LORD.
Psalm 134:2 niv
Lift up your hands in the sanctuary and praise the LORD.
Psalm 134:2 esv
Lift up your hands to the holy place and bless the LORD!
Psalm 134:2 nlt
Lift your hands toward the sanctuary,
and praise the LORD.
Psalm 134 2 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Ps 28:2 | "Hear the voice of my supplications when I cry to You, when I lift up my hands..." | Prayer posture, calling out to God. |
| Ps 63:4 | "So I will bless You as long as I live; I will lift up my hands in Your name." | Posture in blessing God. |
| Lam 2:19 | "Arise, cry out in the night...Pour out your heart like water before the face of the Lord. Lift up your hands to Him..." | Posture in earnest prayer and lament. |
| 1 Tim 2:8 | "I desire therefore that men pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting;" | Holy hands in prayer in all places. |
| Ezra 9:5 | "...I arose from my humiliation, and on my knees I spread out my hands to the LORD my God." | Posture of reverence and appeal. |
| Ps 141:2 | "Let my prayer be set before You as incense, The lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice." | Lifting hands as a spiritual offering. |
| Neh 8:6 | "Then Ezra blessed the LORD, the great God; and all the people answered, 'Amen, Amen!' while lifting up their hands." | Corporate lifting of hands in blessing God. |
| Ps 96:8 | "Give to the LORD the glory due His name; Bring an offering, and come into His courts." | Call to honor God in His presence. |
| Ps 103:1 | "Bless the LORD, O my soul; And all that is within me, bless His holy name!" | Call to personal and full-hearted praise. |
| Ps 145:1 | "I will extol You, my God, O King; And I will bless Your name forever and ever." | Perpetual blessing of God's name. |
| 1 Chr 29:10 | "Therefore David blessed the LORD before all the assembly..." | A leader's public act of blessing the LORD. |
| Dan 2:20 | "Daniel answered and said: 'Blessed be the name of God forever and ever, For wisdom and might are His.'" | Blessing God for His attributes. |
| Jas 3:9 | "With it we bless our God and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the similitude of God." | The tongue used to bless God. |
| Ex 25:8 | "And let them make Me a sanctuary, that I may dwell among them." | The purpose of the sanctuary: God's presence. |
| Lev 10:3 | "Then Moses said to Aaron, 'This is what the LORD spoke, saying: "By those who come near Me I must be regarded as holy;"'" | Sanctification required in God's presence. |
| Ps 29:2 | "Give to the LORD the glory due His name; Worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness." | Worship in the sacred context. |
| Heb 9:11-12 | "But Christ came as High Priest...not with the blood of goats...but with His own blood He entered the Most Holy Place..." | Christ's entrance into the heavenly sanctuary. |
| Heb 10:19-22 | "Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus...let us draw near with a true heart..." | Believers' access to God's presence. |
| Isa 57:15 | "For thus says the High and Lofty One Who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: 'I dwell in the high and holy place;'" | God's dwelling, both exalted and accessible. |
| 1 Pet 2:5 | "you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ." | Believers as a spiritual sanctuary and priests. |
| Jn 4:23-24 | "But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him." | Worship beyond physical locations. |
Psalm 134 verses
Psalm 134 2 Meaning
Psalm 134:2 is an exhortation to those who serve or stand in the sacred space of the LORD, calling them to an act of profound worship. It commands them to express their devotion outwardly by lifting their hands in the holy place and to acknowledge the supreme worth and benevolence of God through active praise and adoration. This verse serves as a reminder to consistently honor the LORD in both posture and declaration.
Psalm 134 2 Context
Psalm 134 is the final "Song of Ascents" (Psalms 120-134), a collection likely sung by pilgrims journeying to Jerusalem for the annual feasts or by Levitical singers during their temple duties. This psalm, exceptionally short, appears to be a dialogue or a two-part benediction. Psalm 134:1-2 is typically understood as an instruction or blessing delivered to the night watchmen or servants in the Temple, perhaps from the departing pilgrims or another group of Levitical priests, urging them to continue their devotion through the night. Conversely, the "servants of the LORD" (mentioned in Ps 134:1) might be addressing themselves or the incoming pilgrims, offering a call to worship within the sanctuary. Given its placement at the end of the pilgrimage psalms, it powerfully concludes the series with an emphatic call to continuous, devoted worship of the LORD in His sacred dwelling, highlighting the perpetual nature of praise.
Psalm 134 2 Word analysis
- Lift up (נְשׂוּ - nesu): This is a Piel imperative verb, meaning to raise, bear, or carry. In this context, it signifies a deliberate, outward physical gesture. It's not merely a casual act but an intentional movement that reflects inner reverence and commitment. The act of lifting hands was a common posture of prayer, supplication, surrender, and praise in the ancient world and particularly in Israelite worship. It represents offering oneself or one's prayers to God, dependence, and openness to receive divine blessing.
- your hands (יְדֵיכֶם - yedeikhem): Refers to the physical limbs. In a symbolic sense, hands represent one's actions, work, strength, and life. Lifting one's hands is an embodiment of consecrating one's entire being and active service to the LORD. It signifies an appeal for God's help or an expression of praise. It could also represent an offering to God, echoing priestly duties in the temple.
- in the sanctuary (קֹדֶשׁ - qodesh): The Hebrew term qodesh means "holiness," "sacred place," or "consecrated thing." While it often refers specifically to the Temple or Tabernacle's inner sanctum or the entire sacred precinct where God's presence dwelt, it also carries the broader spiritual connotation of sacredness. It refers to a space made holy by the presence of God or set apart for His service. In the context of Psalm 134, it refers to the physical Temple in Jerusalem where the Levites served, yet also implicitly extends to the very presence of God, irrespective of a physical location, as New Testament understanding elaborates. The "holiness" here calls for reverent and pure conduct in the presence of God.
- And bless (וּבָרְכוּ - uvarekhu): A Piel imperative verb derived from the root barakh. To "bless the LORD" means to praise Him, adore Him, acknowledge His supreme worth, and speak highly of Him. It is an act of recognizing God's inherent goodness, power, and the source of all blessings. While God blesses humanity with favor and gifts, humans bless God by acknowledging His greatness and responding with gratitude, loyalty, and worship. It implies setting God apart as truly worthy of all honor.
- the LORD (יְהוָה - YHWH): This is the tetragrammaton, the personal covenant name of God, often transliterated as Yahweh. It denotes God as the self-existent, faithful, and personal God of Israel, who fulfills His promises and reveals Himself to His people. To bless YHWH specifically directs worship and adoration to the one true God, distinct from any false deities.
Words-group analysis
- Lift up your hands in the sanctuary: This phrase combines an outward, bodily expression with a specific sacred location. It highlights the posture of submission, adoration, and prayer performed within God's consecrated space or presence. This command directs one's full physical and spiritual attention towards God in an environment dedicated to His worship. It speaks to intentional, focused devotion. For those in Temple service, it described their priestly actions. For general worshipers, it represented deep personal engagement.
- And bless the LORD: This completes the instruction by stating the purpose of the lifted hands: to offer praise and honor to YHWH. It is a verbal acknowledgment of God's majesty and goodness. The connection between the physical posture ("lift up your hands") and the verbal declaration ("bless the LORD") signifies that worship is holistic—involving both body and spirit, action and utterance, outward reverence and inner devotion. It’s a dynamic act of reciprocation; acknowledging the blessings received from God by offering Him praise in return.
Psalm 134 2 Bonus section
The Septuagint (LXX) translates "in the sanctuary" (קֹדֶשׁ) as "εἰς τὰ ἅγια" (eis ta hagia), which means "into the holy places" or "into the holies." This reinforces the idea of accessing a consecrated or inner sacred space. In later Christian interpretation, particularly from Hebrews, "the sanctuary" finds its ultimate fulfillment in Christ Himself, who is the true and greater "holy place" through whom believers now have access to God's presence. Therefore, while historically rooted in the Temple, the verse expands to signify worship offered within Christ's presence, whether individually or corporately gathered as His body, the spiritual temple. This elevates the call to worship from a physical location to a spiritual state of being in relationship with God through His Son, yet still requiring the posture of reverence and praise. The Piel imperative forms of both nesu and barakh emphasize continuous, vigorous, and intentional action, highlighting that blessing God is an ongoing and active engagement, not a passive observance.
Psalm 134 2 Commentary
Psalm 134:2 issues a succinct yet profound directive for worship, encapsulated in two powerful actions: "Lift up your hands in the sanctuary, And bless the LORD." This verse moves beyond mere instruction to encapsulate the very essence of devoted adoration. The command to "lift up your hands" signifies an ancient and enduring posture of prayer, surrender, and supplication. It embodies an act of reaching out to God, acknowledging His sovereignty, seeking His favor, or expressing praise. It represents an opening of the self, a physical declaration of availability and submission to divine authority. This gesture, particularly "in the sanctuary," roots the act of worship within a designated holy space, whether the physical Temple of Jerusalem, where Levitical priests ministered day and night, or symbolically within the very presence of God. It implies an approach to God that is marked by reverence, intentionality, and a recognition of His holiness. The presence of God makes the space sacred and necessitates a pure and consecrated approach.
The accompanying injunction, "And bless the LORD," elevates the physical act into a spiritual and verbal declaration. To bless the LORD means far more than simply speaking well of Him; it is an act of acknowledging His inherent worth, power, and benevolence. It recognizes Him as the supreme source of all good and the worthy recipient of all praise. It’s a call to respond to God’s greatness with fervent adoration and thanksgiving, engaging one's whole being—heart, mind, and voice—in praising His unique, covenantal Name, YHWH. In essence, Psalm 134:2 provides a blueprint for active and holistic worship, combining a visual, physical expression with a vocal, heartfelt acknowledgment of God's majesty, demonstrating that true worship engages both body and spirit in a unified act of homage and praise before the Holy One.