Psa 135 | TNotes | STEP | Summary for Ps 135:1-21: Ps 135 God, the Creator and the Lord of history, “made heaven and earth” (134:3 ). He deserves praise because, unlike idols, he redeems his people.

Summary for Ps 135:1-21: Ps 135 ^a God, the Creator and the Lord of history, “made heaven and earth” (134:3 ^b). He deserves praise because, unlike idols, he redeems his people.
135:4 ^c The synonyms Jacob and Israel include all twelve tribes. The Lord cherishes his chosen people. They are his treasure out of all the kingdoms of the world (Exod 19:5-6 ^d).
135:5 ^e The Lord is superior to any real or imagined supernatural being (see 95:3-5 ^f; 115:4-8 ^g).
135:6 ^h God is sovereign over the whole created order—he does whatever pleases him him.

• The phrase heaven and earth refers to all of creation.
135:7 ⁱ The psalmist tells of God’s sovereignty over the weather (Pss 29 ^j; 77:17-18 ^k; 78:26 ^l; 104:4 ^m; 147:8-9 ⁿ; 148:5-6 ^o).
Summary for Ps 135:8-12: 135:8-12 ^p The Lord was sovereign over the Exodus and the conquest of the Promised Land.
Summary for Ps 135:8-11: 135:8-11 ^q In the tenth and culminating plague against Egypt, God destroyed the firstborn of each family.

• The miraculous signs and wonders are the ten plagues (see Exod 7–11 ^r; Deut 4:34 ^s; Neh 9:10 ^t).
Summary for Ps 135:13-18: 135:13-18 ^u The Lord’s name and character stand in contrast to idols.
Summary for Ps 135:15-20: 135:15-20 ^v This entire section is repeated in 115:4-11 ^w.
Summary for Ps 135:15-18: 135:15-18 ^x Idols corrupt the thinking because they are merely things made by humans; they cannot speak, see, hear, or breathe (Isa 41:22-24 ^y; 44:9 ^z, 18 ^aa; Rom 1:21-23 ^ab).
Summary for Ps 135:19-21: 135:19-21 ^ac The groups named here comprised the covenant community (see 115:9-11 ^ad).