Psalms
Psalm 146
KJV
Praise ye the Lord. Praise the Lord, O my soul.
While I live will I praise the Lord: I will sing praises unto my God while I have any being.
Put not your trust in princes, nor in the son of man, in whom there is no help.
His breath goeth forth, he returneth to his earth; in that very day his thoughts perish.
Happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the Lord his God:
Which made heaven, and earth, the sea, and all that therein is: which keepeth truth for ever:
Which executeth judgment for the oppressed: which giveth food to the hungry. The Lord looseth the prisoners:
The Lord openeth the eyes of the blind: the Lord raiseth them that are bowed down: the Lord loveth the righteous:
The Lord preserveth the strangers; he relieveth the fatherless and widow: but the way of the wicked he turneth upside down.
The Lord shall reign for ever, even thy God, O Zion, unto all generations. Praise ye the Lord.
Overview
Psalm 146 moves from lifelong praise to a warning against ultimate trust in mortal rulers, then celebrates the faithful Creator who acts for the oppressed, hungry, imprisoned, disabled, bowed down, migrant, orphan, and widow, before closing with God's enduring reign.
Setting and context
Psalm 146 opens the final five-psalm Hallelujah collection. Its critique of princes relativizes human political power without requiring withdrawal from civic responsibility, while its justice language must not be used to promise instant rescue, shame disability, or dehumanize opponents.
Themes
Lifelong praise · Limits of human rulers · Hope in God · Creator and faithfulness · Justice for the oppressed · Food and freedom · Care for vulnerable people · Enduring divine reign
Reflection
Praise God, resist political idolatry, practice realistic civic responsibility, feed hungry people, protect vulnerable people, support people with disabilities and heavy burdens, and keep human rulers accountable rather than treating them as saviors.
Reading notes
The psalm rejects ultimate trust in mortal rulers and praises God's justice and care; it does not abolish civic responsibility or establish automatic timetables for prosperity, healing, or rescue.
Key passages
Psalm 146:3: Do not place ultimate trust in mortal rulers or human power. Psalm 146:7: God's reign is praised through justice for the oppressed, food for the hungry, and liberation. Psalm 146:9: God's care includes the sojourner, fatherless, and widow.
Questions readers ask
Does Psalm 146 mean Christians should reject government or civic institutions? No. It warns against treating rulers as ultimate saviors. Responsible civic participation can remain appropriate while ultimate hope rests in God.