Psalms 146
Big idea: The first of the five closing Hallelujah psalms, and it starts by ruling out the obvious alternative: don't put your trust in princes, in a son of man in whom there is no help. His spirit departs, and in that very day his thoughts perish — every policy dies with the person who had it. Against that, a list of things God does that no administration can promise: justice for the oppressed, food for the hungry, prisoners freed, blind eyes opened, the bowed-down raised, the foreigner preserved, the fatherless and the widow upheld.
Psalm 146 says who to trust. Psalm 147 says what that God actually spends his time doing.
146:1–10 — Don't put your trust in princes
The first of the five Hallelujah psalms that close the Psalter, and it makes its case by comparison. A prince's spirit departs and 'in that very day HIS THOUGHTS PERISH' — his plans die with him, which is the practical reason not to build on one. Against that, seven things Yahweh does, and every one of them is for someone with no standing: oppressed, hungry, prisoners, blind, bowed down, foreigners, orphans and widows.
1 Praise Yah! Praise Yahweh, my soul. 2 While I live, I will praise Yahweh. I will sing praises to my God as long as I exist. 3 Don’t put your trust in princes, in a son of man in whom there is no help. 4 His spirit departs, and he returns to the earth. In that very day, his thoughts perish. 5 Happy is he who has the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in Yahweh, his God, 6 who made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them; who keeps truth forever; 7 who executes justice for the oppressed; who gives food to the hungry. Yahweh frees the prisoners. 8 Yahweh opens the eyes of the blind. Yahweh raises up those who are bowed down. Yahweh loves the righteous. 9 Yahweh preserves the foreigners. He upholds the fatherless and widow, but he turns the way of the wicked upside down. 10 Yahweh will reign forever; your God, O Zion, to all generations. Praise Yah!
Scripture text: World English Bible (public domain).