Psalm 148: Praise Him, Sun and Moon

"Praise ye the LORD. Praise ye the LORD from the heavens: praise him in the heights. Praise ye him, all his angels: praise ye him, all his hosts. Praise ye him, sun and moon: praise him, all ye stars of light. Praise him, ye heavens of heavens, and ye waters that be above the heavens. Let them praise the name of the LORD: for he commanded, and they were created."

"Praise the LORD from the earth, ye dragons, and all deeps: fire, and hail; snow, and vapours; stormy wind fulfilling his word: mountains, and all hills; fruitful trees, and all cedars: beasts, and all cattle; creeping things, and flying fowl: kings of the earth, and all people; princes, and all judges of the earth: both young men, and maidens; old men, and children: let them praise the name of the LORD: for his name alone is excellent."

From the heights to the depths

The call moves from heaven (angels, sun, moon, stars, "waters above the heavens") to earth (sea monsters, deeps, weather, mountains, trees, animals) and finally to people of every rank, sex and age. "The waters above the heavens" is the ancient picture of the cosmos in Genesis 1:7, not modern astronomy; the poem calls every part of the world as it was understood to praise.

A model for later hymns

The Greek additions to Daniel 3 include the Song of the Three Young Men (the Benedicite), a long litany calling all creation to bless the Lord, modelled on the same pattern. Francis of Assisi's Canticle of the Sun (1225) and the hymn "All creatures of our God and King" continue it. Psalms 146–150 have no heading other than "Praise ye the LORD" (hallelu-yah), with which each begins and ends; the Greek and Latin put "Alleluia" at their head. They are the closing doxology of the whole Psalter and are recited every morning in Jewish worship (Pesukei de-Zimra).