Salmos 148

VBL · Chapter 148/150

1¡Alaben al Señor! ¡Alaben al Señor del cielo! ¡Alábenlo en las alturas!

2¡Alábenle todos sus ángeles! ¡Alábenle todos sus ejércitos celestiales!

3¡Alábenle el sol y la luna! ¡Alábenle todas las estrellas!

4¡Alábenle los cielos y las aguas que están sobre los cielos!

5Todos alaben el carácter del Señor, porque él les puso orden en el cielo y por él fueron creados.

6Él designó a cada uno en su lugar por siempre y para siempre. Estableció una ley que nunca tendrá fin.

7Alaben al Señor desde la tierra, y las criaturas de todas las profundidades de los mares,

8Que le alaben los relámpagos, el granizo, la nieve, las nubes, y los vientos tormentosos, así como todos los que obedecen su voz de mando.

9Las montañas y las colinas, los árboles frutales y los árboles del bosque,

10los animales y el ganado, los reptiles y las aves silvestres,

11los reyes de la tierra y todos los pueblos; así como los líderes y gobernantes del mundo,

12los hombres y mujeres jóvenes, los ancianos y los niños,

13Que todos alaben al Señor y su reputación inigualable. Su gloria sobrepasa todo lo que existe en la tierra y el cielo.

14Él le ha dado a su pueblo una fuente de fortaleza, y ha dado honra a sus seguidores fieles, al pueblo de Israel a quien ama. ¡Alaben al Señor!

📖 Chapter study

Summary

A cosmic, universal call for everything to praise the Lord — angels, sun, moon, stars, waters, sea creatures, storms, mountains, animals, kings, young and old — because only God's name is exalted above earth and heaven.

Explanation

This psalm is one of the most sweeping expressions of praise in the entire Bible, literally summoning all of creation — from the highest heaven to the deepest depths, from the greatest king to the smallest insect — to join in praising God, following roughly the order of creation in Genesis 1 (heavens, lights, waters, earth, creatures, humanity). The mention of 'sea monsters' or 'whales' (v.7) echoes the fifth day of creation in Genesis 1:21. The application for today is to remember that worshiping God is not an activity reserved for religious human beings, but part of the purpose of all creation, each part in its own way.

Fun facts

  • The structure of this psalm closely follows the order of the days of creation in Genesis 1, from the highest (angels, heavens) to the most earthly (animals, human beings).
  • This psalm inspired the famous 'Canticle of the Creatures' by Saint Francis of Assisi (13th century), one of the earliest great poems in the Italian language, which likewise calls all of creation to praise God.

Verse-by-verse explanation

  1. Salmos 148:1The psalm begins from the top: the call to praise “from the heavens” opens a structure that will sweep, verse by verse, from the highest point of creation down to the lowest.
  2. Salmos 148:2The first group summoned is the angels and the heavenly hosts, following the pattern of starting at the top, closest to God.
  3. Salmos 148:3Sun, moon, and stars are called to praise as if they were capable of a conscious response, even though they are objects — the same personification used in other nature psalms.
  4. Salmos 148:4Mentioning “the waters that be above the heavens” reflects the ancient cosmology, the same found in Psalm 104, which imagined a reservoir of water stored above the firmament.
  5. Salmos 148:5The reason all of this must praise appears here: the very existence of these things came from a simple command from God, created at the exact moment He ordered it.
  6. Salmos 148:6Calling the cosmic order a “decree” the stars cannot cross extends the concept of law beyond human ethics, all the way to the physical laws of nature itself.
  7. Salmos 148:7“Dragons,” in this older translation, is the name given to the great creatures of the deep sea — the same idea as the Leviathan of Psalm 104. Summoning them together with all the deep places shows that even the most distant and feared parts of creation join the chorus of praise.
  8. Salmos 148:8The “from the earth” section begins: phenomena like fire, hail, and stormy wind are described as agents “fulfilling” God’s word, even though they seem chaotic.
  9. Salmos 148:9The earthly list continues with the landscape: mountains, hills, fruit trees, and cedars, each part of the geography summoned to join the praise.
  10. Salmos 148:10Wild animals, cattle, reptiles, and birds form a complete picture of the animal kingdom, leaving no category left out of the call.
  11. Salmos 148:11The list runs through the whole social hierarchy of the time, from kings and judges to young men and children. The point is to make clear that no category of person is excluded from this call to praise.
  12. Salmos 148:12The list arrives at human beings, covering every age and both sexes — young men, young women, old men, and children — no one is left out of this summons.
  13. Salmos 148:13After such a long list, the reason is given in one line: only God’s name deserves this kind of exaltation, with glory covering both earth and heaven.
  14. Salmos 148:14“Near” here is old-fashioned English for “close.” It describes the special relationship between God and this people, not a physical location.

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