Psalm 113:3

Commentary on Psalm 113:3

Verse Text (NKJV)

“From the rising of the sun unto its going down, the Lord’s name is to be praised.”

Context of Psalm 113

Psalm 113[i] inaugurates the “Egyptian Hallel” (Psalms 113–118), a festival hymn sung at Israel’s principal feasts and likely the very hymn Jesus and His disciples sang at the last Passover before His passion. The psalm is divided into three stanzas:

• Verses 1–3 call God’s people to universal, unceasing praise.
• Verses 4–6 celebrate God’s incomparable majesty and condescension.
• Verses 7–9 extol His care for the poor, the needy and the childless.

Psalm 113:3 anchors the first stanza’s emphasis on time and space, framing praise as the daily, all-encompassing duty of God’s servants.

Exegetical Insight

Psalm 113:3 employs a twofold Hebrew parallelism to stress praise’s universality:

• “From the rising of the sun”: symbolising morning, east and the start of time.
• “Unto its going down”: symbolising evening, west and the close of time.

By invoking the sun’s daily circuit—from east to west—the psalmist declares that every hour and every horizon are ordained to honour Yahweh’s name. This use of everyday imagery echoes other biblical poetic expressions, where phenomenological language conveys spiritual truth without implying scientific discourse.

Furthermore, the parallelism underscores continuity: just as the sun travels its fixed course, so too should praise follow an unbroken path in the life of every believer. The psalmist’s choice of “to be praised” (a perfect passive in Hebrew) indicates both an enduring ought and an assured reality in God’s eternal plan.

Theological Reflection

Psalm 113:3 testifies to God’s immutability and the proper response of His covenant people. Because God’s character and redemptive acts are steadfast—from creation’s dawn to the consummation’s dusk—our worship likewise transcends temporal limits. “The unchanging God never becomes unworthy of our praise. For the child of God with open eyes, time only reveals more reasons to praise Him.”

This verse also foreshadows the apostolic exhortation to “pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17). Constant praise is not mere liturgical formality; it is the believer’s posture before a sovereign Lord whose works in nature and grace merit perpetual adoration. In Christ, our worship extends the redemptive echo of the Hallel: from the first rising of the dawn of salvation history in Eden, through the sunlit ministry of Jesus, to the final setting when He returns.

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Teaching from Psalm 113:3

Psalm 113:3 teaches that:

1. Praise is ceaseless – God’s worthiness does not ebb with our circumstances but endures past every sunrise and sunset.
2. Praise is universal – every geographic and cultural boundary lies within the compass of God’s praise.
3. Praise shapes time – the believer’s day is sanctified not by what we do but by the constant orientation of our hearts toward God.

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Application to Modern Christian Living

1. Daily Rhythms of Worship
   ‑ Begin each morning with a moment of adoration, acknowledging God’s sovereignty over the coming day.
   ‑ End each evening by recalling specific mercies, sealing the day in gratitude before His throne.
2. Habitual Heart of Praise
   ‑ In routine tasks—commuting, work, study—pray short words of worship.
   ‑ Use technology (timers or apps) not to distract the soul but to remind it to lift praise.
3. Corporate Continuity
   ‑ Structure corporate gatherings to reflect this Psalm’s flow: praises that begin at dawn’s metaphorical rising and culminate at day’s end.
   ‑ Cultivate small‐group practices where sharing thanksgivings from “east to west” binds the body of Christ in unified worship.
4. Worldwise Witness
   ‑ Let the psalm’s “from east to west” vision fuel mission zeal, affirming that every nation needs to glorify God.
   ‑ Support cross‐cultural ministries that carry this unceasing hymn into unreached lands.

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[i] Psalm 113

New King James Version

The Majesty and Condescension of God

113 Praise[a] the Lord!

Praise, O servants of the Lord,
Praise the name of the Lord!
2 Blessed be the name of the Lord
From this time forth and forevermore!
3 From the rising of the sun to its going down
The Lord’s name is to be praised.

4 The Lord is high above all nations,
His glory above the heavens.
5 Who is like the Lord our God,
Who dwells on high,
6 Who humbles Himself to behold
The things that are in the heavens and in the earth?

7 He raises the poor out of the dust,
And lifts the needy out of the ash heap,
8 That He may seat him with princes—
With the princes of His people.
9 He grants the [b]barren woman a home,
Like a joyful mother of children.

Praise the Lord!

Footnotes

Psalm 113:1 Heb. Hallelujah

Psalm 113:9 childless