Why Is Psalm 135 a 'Greatest Hits' Hymn?

Even in exile, God is listening. Today we wrap the Songs of Ascent and enter deep emotional territory—from joyful worship in the temple to gut-wrenching lament in Babylon. Psalms 134–137 show us the full spectrum of human experience: praise, remembrance, loyalty, and raw grief. From reverse antiphonal liturgy to covenantal love to one of the Bible’s most disturbing prayers, this episode dives into what it means to worship a God who welcomes our honesty—even our rage.

✈️ Overview:

• Psalm 134 ends the Songs of Ascent with a reverse antiphonal exchange between the people and the Levites

• Psalm 135 is a remix of greatest hits across the Torah and Psalms, extolling Yahweh’s supremacy

• Psalm 136 celebrates God’s covenant love (hesed) in a powerful call-and-response format

• Psalm 137 breaks with joy and mourns the destruction of Jerusalem, crying out from Babylonian exile

🔎 Context Clues:

• The Songs of Ascent (Psalms 120–134) were pilgrimage psalms sung by Israelites traveling to Jerusalem

• Psalm 134’s reverse antiphony highlights Levite night worship in the temple (1 Chronicles 9:33)

• Psalm 136 is the most famous example of antiphonal structure in Scripture—echoing God’s loyal love

• Psalm 137 is likely written during the Babylonian exile and contrasts dramatically with the joy of the Ascent Psalms

🤓 Nerdy Nuggets:

• Psalm 135 quotes or paraphrases over a dozen passages from Exodus, Deuteronomy, and earlier Psalms

• “His steadfast love endures forever” in Psalm 136 is the Hebrew word hesed—a term for covenant loyalty

• In Hebrew, the call-and-response refrain of Psalm 136 is only 6 syllables, making it easy to sing

• Psalm 137’s final verse is one of the most controversial in Scripture, reflecting brutal honesty in exile

• The Psalms don’t censor emotion—they model it, allowing room for grief, vengeance, and healing

✅ Timeless Truths:

• God welcomes your honesty—even if it’s raw, messy, or angry

• True worship includes the full emotional spectrum: joy, sorrow, hope, and lament

• Covenant love (hesed) means God is incapable of disloyalty—He is always faithful

• Worship doesn’t end in exile; it deepens there

• What you reveal, God can heal—but what you hide only festers in the dark

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