| Barnes' Notes on the Bible Praise ye the Lord - Hebrew, Hallelu-jah. Literally, "Praise Jah," an abridged name for Yahweh. See the notes at Psalm 68:4. Praise ye the name of the Lord - The same as praising God himself. Praise him, O ye servants of the Lord - You who are especially designated or appointed to this service, Psalm 134:1.
Clarke's Commentary on the BiblePraise ye the Lord - This may be considered as the title, for it has none other. Praise ye the name of the Lord - Perhaps the original הללו את שם יהוה haleu eth shem Yehovah, should be translated, Praise ye the name Jehovah; that is, Praise God in his infinite essence of being, holiness, goodness, and truth.
Gill's Exposition of the Entire BiblePraise ye the Lord,.... Or hallelujah; which may be considered as the title of the psalm; as in the Targum, Septuagint, Vulgate Latin, Ethiopic, and Arabic versions: praise ye the name of the Lord; that is, the Lord himself, and the perfections of his nature; his greatness, goodness, grace, and mercy; his holiness, justice, power, truth, and faithfulness; and also his word, by which he makes known himself, and is a distinguishing blessing to his people, and to be praised for it; see Psalm 48:1; praise him, O ye servants of the Lord; priests and Levites, and ministers of the word, and all the people of God; who once were the servants of sin, Satan, and the world, but now by the grace of God become his servants; see Romans 6:17. Some observe that the word praise is here used three times, which is thought not to be without a mystery; and may have regard to the three divine Persons in the Godhead, who are each to be praised; the Father for electing grace, the Son for redeeming grace, and the Spirit for regenerating and sanctifying grace.
The Treasury of DavidLord. Praise ye the name of the Lord; praise him, O ye servants of the Lord. 2 Ye that stand in the house of the Lord, in the courts of the house of our God, 3 Praise the Lord; for the Lord is good, sing praises unto his name; for it is pleasant. 4 For the Lord hath chosen Jacob unto himself, and Israel for his peculiar treasure. 5 For I know that the Lord is great, and that our Lord is above all gods. 6 Whatsoever the Lord pleased, that did he in heaven, and in earth, in the seas, and all deep places. 7 He causeth the vapours to ascend from the ends of the earth; he maketh lightnings for the rain; he bringeth the wind out of his treasuries. 8 Who smote the firstborn of Egypt, both of man and beast. 9 Who sent tokens and wonders into the midst of thee, O Egypt, upon Pharaoh, and upon all his servants. 10 Who smote great nations, and slew mighty kings; 11 Sihon king of the Amorites, and Og king of Bashan, and all the kingdoms of Canaan; 12 And gave their land for an heritage, an heritage unto Israel his people. 13 Thy name, O Lord, endureth for ever; and thy memorial, O Lord, throughout all generations. 14 For the Lord will judge his people, and he will repent himself concerning his servants. continued...
Keil and Delitzsch Biblical Commentary on the Old TestamentThe beginning is taken from Psalm 134:1; Psalm 135:2 recalls Psalm 116:19 (cf. Psalm 92:14); and Psalm 135:4 is an echo of Deuteronomy 7:6. The servants of Jahve to whom the summons is addressed, are not, as in Psalm 134:1., His official servants in particular, but according to Psalm 135:2, where the courts, in the plural, are allotted to them as their standing-place, and according to Psalm 135:19-20, those who fear Him as a body. The threefold Jahve at the beginning is then repeated in Jāh (הללוּ־יהּ, cf. note 1 to PsPsa 104:35), Jahve, and Jāh. The subject of כּי נעים is by no means Jahve (Hupfeld), whom they did not dare to call נעים in the Old Testament, but either the Name, according to Psalm 54:8 (Luther, Hitzig), or, which is favoured by Psalm 147:1 (cf. Proverbs 22:18), the praising of His Name (Appolinaris: ἐπεὶ τόδε καλὸν ἀείδειν): His Name to praise is a delightful employ, which is incumbent on Israel as the people of His choice and of His possession.
Geneva Study BiblePraise ye the LORD. Praise ye the name of the LORD; praise him, O ye servants of the LORD.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible CommentaryPSALM 135 Ps 135:1-21. A Psalm of praise, in which God's relations to His Church, His power in the natural world, and in delivering His people, are contrasted with the vanity of idols and idol-worship. 1-3. In the general call for praise, the priests, that stand in the house of the Lord, are specially mentioned.
Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary135:1-4 The subject-matter of praise, is the blessings of grace flowing from the everlasting love of God. The name of God as a covenant God and Father in Christ, blessing us with all spiritual blessings in him, is to be loved and praised. The Lord chose a people to himself, that they might be unto him for a name and a praise. If they do not praise him for this distinguishing favour, they are the most unworthy and ungrateful of all people.
Matthew Henry's Whole Bible CommentaryPSALM 135 This is one of the Hallelujah-psalms; that is the title of it, and that is the Amen of it, both its Alpha and its Omega. I. It begins with a call to praise God, particularly a call to the "servants of the Lord" to praise him, as in the foregoing psalm (v. 1-3). II. It goes on to furnish us with matter for praise. God is to be praised, 1. As the God of Jacob (v. 4). 2. As the God of gods (v. 5). 3. As the God of the whole world (v. 6, 7). 4. As a terrible God to the enemies of Israel (v. 8-11). 5. As a gracious God to Israel, both in what he had done for them and what he would do (v. 12-14). 6. As the only living God, all other gods being vanity and a lie (v. 15-18). III. It concludes with another exhortation to all persons concerned to praise God (v. 19-21). In singing this psalm our hearts must be filled, as well as our mouths, with the high praises of God. Verses 1-4 Here is, 1. The duty we are called to-to praise the Lord, to praise his name; praise him, and again praise him. We must not only thank him for what he has done for us, but praise him for what he is in himself and has done for others; take all occasions to speak well of God and to give his truths and ways a good word. 2. The persons that are called upon to do this-the servants of the Lord, the priests and Levites that stand in his house, and all the devout and pious Israelites that stand in the courts of his house to worship there, v. 2. Those that have most reason to praise God who are admitted to the privileges of his house, and those see most reason who there behold his beauty and taste his bounty; from them it is expected, for to that end they enjoy their places. Who should praise him if they do not? 3. The reasons why we should praise God. (1.) Because he whom we are to praise is good, and goodness is that which every body will speak well of. He is good to all, and we must give him the praise of that. His goodness is his glory, and we must make mention of it to his glory. (2.) Because the work is its own wages: Sing praises to his name, for it is pleasant. It is best done with a cheerful spirit, and we shall have the pleasure of having done our duty. It is a heaven upon earth to be praising God; and the pleasure of that should quite put our mouths out of taste for the pleasures of sin. (3.) Because of the peculiar privileges of God's people (v. 4): The Lord hath chosen Jacob to himself, and therefore Jacob is bound to praise him; for therefore God chose a people to himself that they might be unto him for a name and a praise (Jer. 13:11), and therefore Jacob has abundant matter for praise, being thus dignified and distinguished. Israel is God's peculiar treasure above all people (Ex. 19:5); they are his Segullah, a people appropriated to him, and that he has a delight in, precious in his sight and honourable. For this distinguishing surprising favour, if the seed of Jacob do not praise him, they are the most unworthy ungrateful people under the sun. | 
