Commentary - Psalm 135:8-12

Bird's-eye view

This section of Psalm 135 is a recital of God's mighty acts of redemptive history. It is a call to praise that is grounded not in sentimental feelings, but in the hard facts of what God has done in the world. The psalmist moves from the climax of the Egyptian plagues to the completion of the conquest of Canaan. This is not just a history lesson; it is theological ammunition for worship. The central point is that our God is a God who acts, who judges, who saves, and who keeps His promises. He is not an abstract deity, but the Lord of history who tears down pagan kingdoms in order to establish His own people in their promised inheritance. This is salvation through judgment, a theme that runs from Genesis to Revelation.

We are being summoned to remember that the God of Israel is a warrior. He fights for His people. The judgments on Egypt and Canaan were not random acts of violence, but the righteous execution of a sentence against idolatrous and wicked nations, and simultaneously the faithful fulfillment of God's covenant promises to Abraham. This passage reminds us that God's mercy to His people and His wrath against His enemies are two sides of the same glorious coin. We cannot praise Him for one without acknowledging the other.

Outline

Clause by Clause Commentary

Verse 8

He struck the firstborn of Egypt, From man to beast.

The psalmist begins with the tenth and final plague, the one that broke the back of Egyptian resistance. The language is blunt and direct: He struck. This was a divine act, a sovereign intervention. God did this. This was not a tragic coincidence or a natural disaster that happened to have good timing. This was the targeted judgment of God against a nation that had set itself against Him and His people. The scope is total, from the highest to lowest, from man to beast. This was an undoing of their created order, a sign that Yahweh, not Pharaoh, was Lord over all life. This judgment was also an act of salvation. The death of the Egyptian firstborn was the price for the life of God's firstborn, Israel (Ex. 4:22-23). This is a stark foreshadowing of the gospel: salvation comes through a substitutionary death. The angel of death passed over the Israelites because of the blood of the lamb on the doorposts, just as God's final judgment passes over us because of the blood of Christ, the Lamb of God.

Verse 9

He sent signs and wonders into your midst, O Egypt, Amongst Pharaoh and all his slaves.

The psalmist now addresses Egypt directly, as though taunting a defeated foe. The plagues were not just punishments; they were signs and wonders. They were signs that pointed to the absolute authority and power of Yahweh over the pantheon of Egyptian gods. Each plague was a theological statement, a polemic against a specific Egyptian deity. They were wonders that were meant to provoke awe and terror. And they were sent right into your midst, into the heart of the empire. No one was exempt from this display of divine power, from the top of the political structure, Pharaoh, down to the very bottom, all his slaves. The entire corrupt system was put on notice and judged. This is a principle of God's government of the world. When He judges a nation, the judgment is comprehensive, touching every level of that society.

Verse 10

He struck many nations And slew mighty kings,

The action now shifts from the deliverance from Egypt to the conquest of Canaan. The same verb is used: He struck. The God who saved His people at the Red Sea is the same God who fought for them in the promised land. His character is consistent. He is a God of salvation for His people and a God of judgment for those who stand in obstinate rebellion. We must not try to domesticate this God. The Bible is clear: He slew mighty kings. This is not something for the modern church to be embarrassed by, but rather something to praise Him for. These were not innocent nations; the cup of their iniquity was full (Gen. 15:16). God, in His justice, used Israel as His instrument of judgment. This is a picture of the final judgment, where Christ the King will strike down all His enemies and put them under His feet.

Verse 11

Sihon, king of the Amorites, And Og, king of Bashan, And all the kingdoms of Canaan;

The psalmist now names names. This is not a vague, abstract account. This is rooted in history. Sihon and Og were the two formidable kings east of the Jordan whose defeat was a powerful sign to Israel that God would indeed give them the whole land. By naming them, the psalmist anchors this praise in historical fact. Our faith is not based on myths, but on what God has actually done in time and space. The list concludes with a summary statement: and all the kingdoms of Canaan. The initial victories over Sihon and Og were the down payment on the whole inheritance. God finishes what He starts. His conquest is total. This points to the victory of Christ over all principalities and powers. He has defeated not just one or two demons, but has triumphed over them all by the cross (Col. 2:15).

Verse 12

And He gave their land as an inheritance, An inheritance to Israel His people.

Here we find the ultimate purpose for all the striking and slaying. God's judgment clears the way for His grace. He tore down in order to build up. He gave the land of the Canaanites to Israel, not as a wage they had earned, but as an inheritance. An inheritance is a gift, rooted in relationship. It is given by a father to a son. Israel received the land because they were God's chosen people, His son. The repetition, an inheritance, an inheritance, emphasizes the security and the graciousness of the gift. It was given to Israel His people. The gift of the land was tied to their identity as the covenant people of God. For the Christian, this points to our far greater inheritance. Through Christ, we are adopted as sons of God, and we receive an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, which is nothing less than the new heavens and the new earth (1 Pet. 1:4).

Application

This passage forces us to worship God as He is, not as we would like Him to be. Our God is a God of wrath and judgment against sin, and this is a good thing. A god who is indifferent to evil is not a god worthy of worship. We must praise God for His judgments on Egypt and Canaan because they were righteous, and because they were the necessary prelude to the salvation and establishment of His people.

We see here that salvation and judgment are inextricably linked. You cannot have one without the other. The cross is the ultimate expression of this truth. At the cross, the fierce judgment of God against sin was poured out upon His own Son, in order that we, His people, might receive the inheritance of salvation. The plagues on Egypt and the wars in Canaan are types and shadows of this ultimate battle.

Finally, this passage is a profound encouragement. The God who struck the firstborn of Egypt and slew Sihon and Og is our God. He has not changed. He has defeated our ultimate enemies, sin, death, and the devil, through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. And He has secured for us an eternal inheritance. Therefore, we should praise Him with confidence, remembering His mighty acts of the past as a sure guarantee of the glorious future He has promised to us, His people.