서론
無題
简体中文
英語原文
This is the last of the fifteen songs of degrees; and, if they were at any time sung all together in the temple-service, it is fitly made the conclusion of them, for the design of it is to stir up the ministers to go on with their work in the night, when the solemnities of the day were over. Some make this psalm to be a dialogue. I. In the Ps 134:1,2, the priests or Levites who sat up all night to keep the watch of the house of the Lord are called upon to spend their time while they were upon the guard, not in idle talk, but in the acts of devotion. II. In the Ps 134:3 those who were thus called upon to praise God pray for him that gave them the exhortation, either the high priest or the captain of the guard. Or thus: those who did that service did mutually exhort one another and pray for one another. In singing this psalm we must both stir up ourselves to give glory to God and encourage ourselves to hope for mercy and grace from him.
1-3
A Call to Bless God
简体中文
呼召称颂神
上行之诗。
¹ 耶和华的仆人，夜间站在耶和华殿中的，你们当称颂耶和华。
² 你们当向圣所举起手，称颂耶和华。
³ 愿造天地的耶和华，从锡安赐福给你。
本诗教导我们关于双重的祝福：
一、我们称颂神——即说他的好话，此处我们受教如此行（诗134:1、2）。1. 这是呼召「利未人」如此行。他们按职任是「耶和华的仆人」，受派办理圣物的事奉；他们伺候圣所，守卫耶和华殿的职守（民3:6-10等）。其中有人「夜间站在耶和华殿中」，守护殿中圣物免被亵渎，守护殿中宝物免被抢掠。约柜尚在幔子之内时，更需有守卫。他们也当留心，使坛上的火和灯台的灯都不熄灭。或许有些敬虔的以色列人通常与他们一同彻夜儆醒；我们读到有一个「不离开圣殿，禁食祈求，昼夜事奉神」（路2:37）。如今这些人受呼召「称颂耶和华」。如此他们可借有事可作而保持自己清醒。如此他们可为圣洁的操练赎回光阴；除了赞美神，我们还能将时间花得更好吗？以敬虔的默想和心愿填补时间的空隙，实在是极好的经营；当我们别无所作之时与神相交，实在是极合宜且合理的。那「站在耶和华殿中」的人当记念自己所在何地，并知道圣洁和圣工与那殿相称。因此愿他们「称颂耶和华」——愿他们同声而行，或各自而行；愿他们在如此行时「举起」手——作为举心的标记。「愿他们『在圣洁中』举手」（哈蒙德博士如此读），或在成圣中举手——既在圣所举手，如此便为合宜；又当记念他们被命在入内事奉之前先行洁净，借此受教在祷告赞美中「举起圣洁的手」。2. 这也是呼召我们如此行——我们作基督徒的，已被作成「归给神的祭司和利未人」（赛66:21）。我们是「耶和华的仆人」；我们在他的殿中、在他的圣所里有名分有地位；我们站在他面前事奉他。即使夜间，我们也仍在他眼下，并可靠近他。所以愿我们「称颂耶和华」，又再称颂他；愿我们思想并述说他的荣耀和良善。愿我们在祷告中、在赞美中、在许愿中「举起」手；愿我们勤奋、愉快地作工，并以心思的提升。这劝勉以「看哪！」这命令注意的字眼引进。先生们，当你在神面前时，请环顾四周，并照此自处。
二、神赐福我们——就是善待我们，此处我们受教如此渴望（诗134:3）。无论是守望者祝福他们的长官，或是利未人祝福大祭司，或他们的首领（许多人如此看，因为是单数「赐福给你」），还是一个为众人祝福（「愿造天地的耶和华赐福给你」——你们每一个人，你和你；你们称颂神的，愿耶和华赐福给你们），都无关紧要。我们可以学到：1. 我们不必再求别的使我们快乐，只求蒙耶和华赐福——因他所赐福的，是真正蒙福的。2. 从锡安所赐的福——属灵的福，盟约的福，与神相交的福——是最好的福气，我们当最恳切地求。3. 当我们到神面前求福时，一个极大的鼓励是：他就是「造天地的」那一位，因此天上地下一切的福都在他手中——上面的泉源和下面的泉源。4. 我们当求这些福，不仅为自己，也为别人；不仅「愿主赐福给我」，更是「愿主赐福给你」——如此见证我们对神丰盛之福的信心——足为别人也为我们；并见证我们对别人的善意。我们当为劝勉我们的人祷告。虽然「位分大的给位分小的祝福」（来7:7），但位分大的也当受位分小的代求。
英語原文
A Call to Bless God
A song of degrees.
¹ Behold, bless ye the LORD, all ye servants of the LORD, which by night stand in the house of the LORD.
² Lift up your hands in the sanctuary, and bless the LORD.
³ The LORD that made heaven and earth bless thee out of Zion.
This psalm instructs us concerning a two-fold blessing:—
I. Our blessing God, that is, speaking well of him, which here we are taught to do, Ps 134:1,2. 1. It is a call to the Levites to do it. They were the servants of the Lord by office, appointed to minister in holy things; they attended the sanctuary, and kept the charge of the house of the Lord, Nu 3:6-10, etc. Some of them did by night stand in the house of the Lord, to guard the holy things of the temple, that they might not be profaned, and the rich things of the temple, that they might not be plundered. While the ark was in curtains there was the more need of guards upon it. They attended likewise to see that neither the fire on the altar nor the lamps in the candlestick went out. Probably it was usual for some devout and pious Israelites to sit up with them; we read of one that departed not from the temple night or day, Lu 2:37. Now these are here called upon to bless the Lord. Thus they must keep themselves awake by keeping themselves employed. Thus they must redeem time for holy exercises; and how can we spend our time better than in praising God? It would be an excellent piece of husbandry to fill up the vacancies of time with pious meditations and ejaculations; and surely it is a very modest and reasonable to converse with God when we have nothing else to do. Those who stood in the house of the Lord must remember where they were, and that holiness and holy work became that house. Let them therefore bless the Lord; let them all do it in concert, or each by himself; let them lift up their hands in the doing of it, in token of the lifting up of their hearts. Let them lift up their hands in holiness (so Dr. Hammond reads it) or in sanctification, as it is fit when they lift them up in the sanctuary; and let them remember that when they were appointed to wash before they went in to minister they were thereby taught to lift up holy hands in prayer and praise. 2. It is a call to us to do it, who, as Christians, are made priests to our God, and Levites, Isa 66:21. We are the servants of the Lord; we have a place and a name in his house, in his sanctuary; we stand before him to minister to him. Even by night we are under his eye and have access to him. Let us therefore bless the Lord, and again bless him; think and speak of his glory and goodness. Let us lift up our hands in prayer, in praise, in vows; let us do our work with diligence and cheerfulness, and an elevation of mind. This exhortation is ushered in with Behold! a note commanding attention. Look about you, Sirs, when you are in God's presence, and conduct yourselves accordingly.
II. God's blessing us, and that is doing well for us, which we are here taught to desire, Ps 134:3. Whether it is the watchmen's blessing their captain, or the Levites' blessing the high priest, or whoever was their chief (as many take it, because it is in the singular number, The Lord bless thee), or whether the blessing is pronounced by one upon many ("The Lord bless thee, each of you in particular, thee and thee; you that are blessing God, the Lord bless you"), is not material. We may learn, 1. That we need desire no more to make us happy than to be blessed of the Lord, for those whom he blesses are blessed indeed. 2. That blessings out of Zion, spiritual blessings, the blessings of the covenant, and of communion with God, are the best blessings, which we should be most earnest for. 3. It is a great encouragement to us, when we come to God for a blessing, that it is he who made heaven and earth, and therefore has all the blessings of both at his disposal, the upper and nether springs. 4. We ought to beg these blessings, not only for ourselves, but for others also; not only, The Lord bless me, but, The Lord bless thee, thus testifying our belief of the fulness of divine blessings, that there is enough for others as well as for us, and our good-will also to others. We must pray for those that exhort us. Though the less is blessed of the greater (Heb 7:7), yet the greater must be prayed for by the less.
本篇是十五篇上行之歌的末一篇;若它们有时在圣殿事奉中一并歌唱,本篇适合作其结语,因它的用意是激发执事在白日礼仪完毕后、夜中仍继续其工。有人将本篇视作对话:一、在(诗134:1,2)中,那些彻夜守卫主殿的祭司或利未人被呼召,要在守卫之时,不在闲谈中,而在敬虔的功课中度过;二、在(诗134:3)中,那些被如此呼召来赞美神的人,为那给他们劝勉的——无论是大祭司还是守卫长——祷告;或可如此:尽那事奉的人彼此互相劝勉、彼此代祷。我们唱这首诗时,既要激发自己将荣耀归给神,又要勉励自己盼望从神得怜悯与恩典。