Commentary - Psalm 150:6

Bird's-eye view

Psalm 150:6 is not merely the last verse of the last psalm; it is the final, thundering crescendo to the entire book of Psalms. It is the logical and doxological summit toward which all the previous laments, petitions, imprecations, and praises have been climbing. Having established the place of praise (the sanctuary and the heavens), the reason for praise (His mighty deeds and excellent greatness), and the means of praise (a full orchestra of instruments), the Psalter concludes by defining the choir. And the choir is all-inclusive: if it breathes, it must praise. This final command, bookended by "Hallelujah," transforms the hymnbook of Israel into the anthem of the cosmos. It is a command that is also a prophecy, looking forward to the day when the knowledge of the glory of the Lord will cover the earth as the waters cover the sea, and every living thing will joyfully acknowledge its Creator and Redeemer.

This is the ultimate answer to every "how long, O Lord?" that we find in the earlier psalms. The answer to suffering, sin, and sorrow is not a philosophical treatise but a deafening, universal shout of praise to Yahweh. The very breath that God breathed into man at creation is to be returned to Him in worship. This verse is the divinely orchestrated "Amen" to the entire symphony of redemption, a final declaration that the chief end of man, and indeed of all creation, is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever.

Outline

Context In Psalms

The book of Psalms is masterfully arranged in five books, each ending with a doxology. The entire collection demonstrates a clear movement from lament to praise. While Book I (Psalms 1-41) is dominated by the laments of David, Book V (Psalms 107-150) is characterized by triumphant praise. The final five psalms (146-150) form a grand Hallelujah chorus, with each one beginning and ending with "Praise Yah!" Psalm 150 is the capstone of this entire structure. It is pure, unadulterated praise. There are no petitions, no complaints, no historical reflections, only a relentless, cascading series of calls to worship. Therefore, verse 6 is the final word of the final doxology of the final book of the Psalter. It is the period at the end of the sentence that God has been writing through all the joys and sorrows of His people. It is the universal summons that fulfills the promise made to Abraham, that in him all the families of the earth would be blessed.

Key Issues

Creation's Final Amen

We have arrived at the end. After the long and often arduous journey through the valleys of lament and the foothills of thanksgiving, we now stand on the highest peak. And from this vantage point, there is only one thing to do, only one thing that can be done. Praise. The final word of the Psalms is not a suggestion or a polite invitation. It is a divine imperative, a command that reverberates through the cosmos. It is the fundamental law of the universe, because it is the fundamental reality of the universe. God is, and because He is, He is to be praised. This is not a duty that we invent, but one that we discover. It is the very purpose for which we were made, and in which we find our ultimate joy and freedom.

The scope here is breathtaking. It is not "Let every Israelite praise Yah," or "Let every believer praise Yah." It is "Let everything that has breath praise Yah." This is the great restoration. The breath that was breathed into Adam in the garden (Gen 2:7), the neshamah of life, was given for this purpose. Sin corrupted that purpose, turning our breath into sighs of sorrow, whispers of rebellion, and shouts of vanity. But in Christ, that breath is redeemed. The new man in Christ is filled with the Holy Spirit, the very breath of God, and so he is enabled to fulfill his original design. This verse, then, is an eschatological promise. It points to the day when the effects of the fall are fully reversed, and every living creature, from the smallest insect to the greatest king, will use its God-given life to praise the God who gave it.

Verse by Verse Commentary

6 Let everything that has breath praise Yah. Praise Yah!

We must take this command apart piece by piece. Let everything... The word is kol in Hebrew, meaning all, the whole, every single one. There are no exceptions. Nothing is exempt. This is a totalitarian command in the most glorious sense. God's claim on praise is absolute and extends to the farthest reaches of His creation. This is the death knell of all secularism, which tries to carve out little pockets of reality where God is not to be praised. The psalmist says no. All things, every thing, must praise Him.

...that has breath... The Hebrew is neshamah. This is a direct echo of the creation account. "Then the LORD God formed man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being" (Gen 2:7). The very principle of life, the animating force given by God, is what obligates the creature to praise. To be alive is to be in debt to the life-giver. Therefore, to use your breath for anything other than praise is a form of cosmic embezzlement. It is to take the gift and refuse to acknowledge the Giver. This includes all of humanity, regenerate and unregenerate, and in a broader poetic sense, the entire animal kingdom. If you are breathing, you are in the choir.

...praise Yah. The praise is not a vague, sentimental feeling. It has a definite object: Yah, the short form of Yahweh, the covenant name of the God of Israel. This is the God who is, who was, and who is to come. He is the God who revealed Himself to Moses, who delivered His people from Egypt, who gave them the Law, and who, in the fullness of time, sent His Son, Jesus Christ. All praise must be directed to this God, and this God alone. To praise anyone or anything else is idolatry, the fundamental sin.

And then, the final exclamation: Praise Yah! This is the Hebrew Hallelujah. It functions as a divine bookend, sealing the entire collection of Psalms with one last, explosive command. It is both the beginning and the end. It is the first word of Psalm 146 and the last word of Psalm 150. It is the summary of all theology, the purpose of all history, and the joy of all eternity. It is the final, unanswerable word.

Application

First, this verse is a diagnostic tool for your own heart. Are you using the breath God has given you for its intended purpose? Is your life characterized by praise, or by grumbling, complaining, and anxiety? To be a Christian is to have your breath redeemed. It means that the Holy Spirit, the breath of God, now dwells in you, enabling you to offer up true praise. So, repent of your prayerless and praiseless moments. Recognize that every breath is a gift, and every heartbeat is a mercy, and let your response be gratitude.

Second, this verse is a mandate for the mission of the Church. If everything that has breath is commanded to praise God, then our task is to go into all the world and proclaim the gospel that makes true praise possible. We are calling people out of the silent kingdom of darkness, where breath is wasted on idols, and into the glorious kingdom of light, where they can join the eternal chorus. Our evangelism is a recruitment drive for the cosmic choir.

Finally, this verse is a promise of ultimate victory. It is not a question of if everything that has breath will praise God, but when. This command will be fulfilled. The day is coming when "at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father" (Phil 2:10-11). This is the end toward which all of history is moving. And because we know the end of the song, we can sing it with confidence now, even in a world that is still tragically out of tune. Hallelujah!