Psalms 113
Big idea: The first psalm of the Hallel, sung at Passover, and its logic is a single motion. God is high above all nations, his glory above the heavens, seated on high — and then the verb that changes everything: who stoops down to see. What he stoops for is the poor in the dust and the needy on the ash heap, and where he puts them is beside princes. Mary's song in Luke 1 is built out of this psalm.
Psalm 113 has God stoop to the ash heap. Psalm 114 remembers the time he did it to a whole nation.
113:1–9 — He raises up the poor out of the dust
The first of the Hallel psalms sung at Passover, and it is built on one movement: down. God is above the nations and above the heavens, and then verse 6 says he STOOPS to see even in heaven — the height is so great that heaven itself is beneath him. And what he looks at when he stoops is an ash heap. The psalm's whole argument is that the highest position exists to reach the lowest.
1 Praise Yah! Praise, you servants of Yahweh, praise Yahweh’s name. 2 Blessed be Yahweh’s name, from this time forward and forever more. 3 From the rising of the sun to its going down, Yahweh’s name is to be praised. 4 Yahweh is high above all nations, his glory above the heavens. 5 Who is like Yahweh, our God, who has his seat on high, 6 who stoops down to see in heaven and on the earth? 7 He raises up the poor out of the dust, and lifts up the needy from the ash heap, 8 that he may set him with princes, even with the princes of his people. 9 He settles the barren woman in her home as a joyful mother of children. Praise Yah!
Scripture text: World English Bible (public domain).