Commentary - Psalm 135:13-14

Bird's-eye view

In these two verses, the psalmist pivots from recounting God's mighty acts in history to declaring the permanent significance of the God who performed them. This is the hinge of the psalm. Having just listed God's demolition of Egypt and the Canaanite kingdoms, the psalmist now explains why those events are more than just dusty history. They are demonstrations of the character of a God whose name and reputation are fixed and unchangeable. Verse 13 establishes the eternal nature of God's fame, grounding it in His covenant name, Yahweh. Verse 14 then provides the practical, ongoing result of this eternal character: God will act for His people. Because His name is everlasting, His commitment to His people is also everlasting. He will judge them, meaning He will set things right for them, and He will have compassion on them. This is not just a statement about God's abstract attributes; it is a declaration of His covenant loyalty, which is the bedrock of all comfort and hope for the believer.

This section serves as a profound encouragement to the people of God. They are reminded that the God who acted so decisively for Israel in the Exodus is the same God they worship now. His name, His very identity, has not faded over time. Therefore, His willingness to vindicate and comfort His servants has not diminished either. This stands in stark contrast to the idols mentioned in the subsequent verses, which are temporary, man-made, and utterly powerless. The eternal name of Yahweh is the foundation for His perpetual justice and comfort for His people.

Outline

Context In Psalms

Psalm 135 is one of the "Hallel" psalms, a song of praise. It is a mosaic, drawing heavily on language and themes from other parts of Scripture, particularly Deuteronomy, Jeremiah, and other psalms. It begins and ends with a call to praise (vv. 1-3, 19-21). The central section gives the reasons for this praise, which are twofold. First, God is praised for His sovereign power over creation (vv. 5-7), and second, for His mighty acts of redemption in Israel's history (vv. 8-12). Our text, verses 13-14, functions as the theological anchor for these historical acts. It answers the question, "What does God's past salvation of Israel mean for us today?" The answer is that because God's name and character are eternal, His saving purposes are also eternal. This section then sets up the brilliant contrast with the idols (vv. 15-18), which have no name, no memory, and no power to act. The psalm is a comprehensive celebration of who God is (sovereign), what He has done (redeemed), and what He will continue to do (judge and comfort).

Key Issues

The Unfading Glory

Human fame is a fickle thing. Empires rise and fall, and the names of their mighty kings fade into footnotes. What was monumental to one generation is a curiosity to the next and forgotten by the one after that. The world is a graveyard of reputations. But the psalmist here makes a claim of breathtaking scope. He declares that the name of Yahweh, the covenant God of Israel, is not subject to the erosion of time. His reputation is not like that of Sihon king of the Amorites or Og king of Bashan, names that are now remembered only because they are preserved in God's book as foils to His glory. God's name is everlasting.

This is because God's fame is not built on popular opinion or military might, but on His very being and His unchangeable character. His "remembrance" or "memorial" is what He is remembered for: His mighty acts of creation and redemption. And because He is the living God who continues to act, His memorial is not a static monument but a living testimony that is renewed in every generation. The confidence of the believer is not in a God who did great things once upon a time, but in a God whose name guarantees that He will continue to do great things forever.

Verse by Verse Commentary

13 O Yahweh, Your name is everlasting, O Yahweh, Your remembrance is from generation to generation.

The psalmist turns from the specific historical acts of God to the God who stands behind them. He addresses God directly, using His covenant name, Yahweh, twice for emphasis. This is the name God revealed to Moses at the burning bush, the name that means "I AM WHO I AM." It is the name of the self-existent, unchanging, promise-keeping God. And this name, the psalmist says, is everlasting. It does not have a shelf life. The character it represents does not decay. What God was for Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, He is now, and He will be forever.

The second clause parallels the first. His remembrance is what He is known for, the sum total of His revealed character and deeds. It is His reputation. This reputation endures "from generation to generation." Each new generation of believers does not have to discover a new God. They are introduced to the same God their fathers knew. The stories of the Exodus and the Conquest are not just tribal lore; they are the ongoing memorial of the living God. This is why we tell our children the stories of the Bible. We are ensuring that God's remembrance continues to the next generation, not as a history lesson, but as an introduction to the God who is still the same.

14 For Yahweh will render justice for His people And will give comfort to His slaves.

This verse begins with "For," connecting it directly to the previous statement. Because God's name and remembrance are everlasting, certain consequences follow. The first is that He will render justice for His people. The Hebrew word for "render justice" or "judge" (din) does not primarily mean to punish here, but to vindicate, to deliver, to set things right. When the world presses in on God's people, when they are oppressed or slandered, God acts as their advocate and judge. He steps in to plead their cause and execute justice on their behalf. This is a perpetual promise, grounded in His unchanging name.

The second consequence is that He will give comfort to His slaves. The word "comfort" here carries the idea of compassion or repentance in the sense of relenting from a course of judgment. It is the same word used in Deuteronomy 32:36, which this verse likely quotes. When God's people have sinned and are undergoing His fatherly discipline, He does not cast them off forever. His discipline is restorative, not merely punitive. At the right time, He will relent and show compassion. The term "slaves" or "servants" is not derogatory; it is a title of honor. It signifies those who belong to Him, who are under His authority and His protection. The King of the universe shows tender compassion to those who are His own servants.

Application

These verses are a potent antidote to the anxiety and discouragement that so often plague the Christian life. We live in a world where everything seems to be in flux. Cultures shift, governments change, and our own personal circumstances can be wildly unstable. It is easy to begin to think that God has somehow changed as well, or that the promises He made to a band of desert wanderers thousands of years ago have expired.

This passage shouts "No!" Our God is Yahweh. His name, His character, is the one fixed point in a spinning universe. The same God who drowned Pharaoh's army in the Red Sea and gave His people a land of their own is our God. And because He is the same, His promises are still in effect. This means two things for us directly. First, when we are wronged, we can entrust our cause to Him. He will vindicate His people. We do not need to take matters into our own hands through bitterness or revenge. The Judge of all the earth will do right. Second, when we are suffering under the consequences of our own sin and folly, we can appeal to His compassion. He is our Master, but He is a merciful Master. He disciplines us as sons, not as enemies. He knows when to relent. Our comfort, therefore, is not found in our circumstances, but in the everlasting name of the God who has bound Himself to us by a covenant of grace.