What does "from the rising of the sun to its setting" signify in Psalm 113:3? Text and Immediate Context “From the rising of the sun to its setting, let the name of the LORD be praised.” (Psalm 113:3) Psalm 113 opens the Hallel section (Psalm 113–118) sung at Passover. Verses 1–2 summon “servants of the LORD” to praise; verse 3 grounds that summons in a sweeping declaration of where and when that praise is due. Geographical Scope: East to West Ancient Israelites oriented eastward; the rising sun marked origin, the setting sun boundary. By naming both horizons, the psalmist asserts Yahweh’s worthiness of praise across the entire inhabited earth. Psalm 50:1 echoes this: “The Mighty One… summons the earth from the rising of the sun to its setting” . Malachi 1:11 forecasts global worship in identical terms, fulfilled as the gospel spreads “to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8). Temporal Scope: Dawn to Dusk Because the prepositional phrase can denote not only spatial but temporal span, many rabbis and early church fathers (e.g., Athanasius, Festal Letter 4) read it as “from dawn till dusk.” Daily, continuous praise is envisioned, paralleling Psalm 92:2, which extols proclaiming God’s loving kindness “in the morning” and faithfulness “at night.” Universal Call to Worship Psalm 113:3 democratizes praise. Not limited to Jerusalem or Levites, the invitation extends to every locale and people. This universalism anticipates Isaiah 49:6: “I will make You a light for the nations.” Linguistically, the imperfect “let be praised” (yəhûlál) invites ongoing, open-ended participation. Biblical Cross-References • Psalm 113:4–6 immediately grounds universal praise in God’s transcendence and condescension. • Psalm 97:1 proclaims, “The LORD reigns, let the earth rejoice; let the distant shores be glad.” • Revelation 7:9 pictures eschatological fulfillment—“a great multitude… from every nation.” Theological Implications 1. Sovereignty—If God is to be praised everywhere, He rules everywhere (Psalm 103:19). 2. Mission—Global praise presumes global proclamation (Romans 10:14–15). 3. Worship Continuity—Praise unites heaven and earth; angelic worship (Isaiah 6:3) becomes the pattern for human worship. Christological Fulfillment The resurrection validated Jesus as “Lord of both the dead and the living” (Romans 14:9). Because of that victory, Philippians 2:10 predicts every knee—across all realms—will bow. Psalm 113:3 foreshadows this universal confession. Missional Application Historically the verse has propelled evangelistic movements. David Livingstone cited it in 1857 before the University of Cambridge to justify missions to Africa. Today, linguistic mapping by the Wycliffe Global Alliance shows Scripture portions in over 3,600 languages, evidence that praise is indeed spanning horizons. Liturgical Usage in Israel and the Church Jewish tradition recites Psalm 113 at Passover, Pentecost, and Tabernacles—pilgrim festivals drawing worshippers “from the rising of the sun.” Early Christians adopted the verse for morning and evening prayer (Didache 8), framing the day with praise. Observational Cosmology and Scientific Consistency “Rising” and “setting” are phenomenological—describing appearance, not asserting geocentrism. Modern meteorology still employs the terms without contradiction. Scripture routinely speaks in everyday observational language (Job 38:12; Jonah 1:13), compatible with heliocentric reality. Summary “From the rising of the sun to its setting” in Psalm 113:3 is a poetic merism proclaiming that Yahweh deserves continuous, universal praise—geographically east to west and temporally dawn to dusk. It affirms His sovereign rule, anticipates worldwide mission, and finds ultimate realization in the exalted Christ, whose resurrection guarantees that worship will one day rise to God from every corner of the earth. |
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