Psalm 135 is a call to praise. It begins with servants of the LORD standing in his house and moves outward to God’s power over nature, his deliverance of Israel from Egypt, his gift of the land, and the contrast with lifeless idols. These questions are for a small group, a Sunday class, or a personal study, and they follow the psalm verse by verse so you can move through it without a separate summary.
Psalm 135 at a Glance
The psalm opens with a summons to praise, calling on the servants and priests gathered in the temple courts to sing to the LORD because he is good and his name is pleasant to sing. Verses 4 through 7 give the reason: God chose Israel as his own possession and rules over all creation, from the clouds and lightning to the deep seas. Verses 8 through 12 recall his mighty acts in history, the plagues on Egypt and the defeat of kings who stood in the way of Israel’s inheritance.
The second half turns to the contrast with idols, which have mouths, eyes and ears but cannot act, and ends by calling the whole household of Israel, Aaron and Levi, and all who fear the LORD to praise him from Zion. Use the questions below in order, or pick one section for a shorter session.
Observation Questions
Begin here so the group stays close to the text. These questions ask what the psalm actually says before anyone draws conclusions. Give people a minute of silent reading first, and let answers come from the words on the page rather than from memory of other passages.
Psalm 135:1-3
1 Praise Yah! Praise the LORD’s name! Praise him, you servants of the LORD, 2 you who stand in the LORD’s house, in the courts of our God’s house. 3 Praise Yah, for the LORD is good. Sing praises to his name, for that is pleasant.
(WEB)
Read this opening passage at the start of the session to set the tone of praise. It establishes who is called to worship and the reasons, so the group begins by joining the psalm’s invitation rather than analyzing it.
Psalm 135:4
For Yah has chosen Jacob for himself; Israel for his own possession.
(WEB)
This short verse names God’s choice of Israel as his own possession. Reading it aloud slowly helps the group hear the personal weight of belonging to God before you move into the psalm’s reasons and history.
Psalm 135:5-7
5 For I know that the LORD is great, that our Lord is above all gods. 6 Whatever the LORD pleased, that he has done, in heaven and in earth, in the seas and in all deeps; 7 who causes the clouds to rise from the ends of the earth; who makes lightnings with the rain; who brings the wind out of his treasuries…
(WEB)
These verses declare the LORD’s greatness and his rule over heaven, earth, and sea. Reading them together lets the group feel the breadth of God’s sovereignty, from the clouds to the deepest waters.
Psalm 135:13-14
13 Your name, the LORD, endures forever; your renown, the LORD, throughout all generations. 14 For the LORD will judge his people, and have compassion on his servants.
(WEB)
These verses speak of God’s enduring name and his judgment and compassion toward his people. They are a good anchor for discussing how justice and mercy belong together in the LORD’s character.
Psalm 135:15-18
15 The idols of the nations are silver and gold, the work of men’s hands. 16 They have mouths, but they can’t speak. They have eyes, but they can’t see. 17 They have ears, but they can’t hear; neither is there any breath in their mouths. 18 Those who make them will be like them; yes, everyone who trusts in them.
(WEB)
Reading the description of idols aloud sharpens the contrast between the living God and lifeless objects. Let the group hear the picture of mouths and eyes that cannot act, which often prompts useful reflection on what the group trusts in.
Memory Verse for Psalm 135
Psalm 135:3
Praise Yah, for the LORD is good. Sing praises to his name, for that is pleasant.
(WEB)
This verse gives a simple, portable summary of the psalm: the LORD is good, and praising his name is pleasant. Memorizing it gives the group a short phrase to carry into the week whenever praise feels distant.
A Closing Prayer for the Group
Father, we come to you as your servants, gathered in the courts of your house and scattered through our ordinary days. Thank you that you are good, and that praising your name is a pleasure as well as a duty. Thank you for choosing us as your own possession and for the great acts you have done in creation and in history. Forgive us for the idols we trust, the things that cannot speak, see, or save us. Help us become like the one we worship, people who love truth, mercy, and worship. Let our praise rise from every part of our lives this week, and let it be shaped by your faithfulness to every generation. Amen.
