What is the meaning of Psalm 135:11? Sihon king of the Amorites - “Sihon king of the Amorites” recalls the first major victory Israel experienced after their wilderness wanderings (Numbers 21:21–24). - This triumph was unexpected from a human standpoint; Israel had no land, no fortified cities, and no standing army. Yet the Lord granted them victory, underscoring His promise first made in Genesis 15:18–21 that He would dispossess the Amorites and give the land to Abraham’s descendants. - The psalmist highlights this name to remind worshipers that God’s faithfulness is not abstract. It is anchored in specific events that can be pinpointed on a map and a timeline. - By rehearsing Sihon’s defeat, Psalm 135:11 ties present praise to past deliverance, echoing Moses’ call to remember: “For the LORD your God is He who goes with you, to fight for you… to give you the victory” (Deuteronomy 20:4). Og king of Bashan - Og was a giant of extraordinary size whose iron bed measured “thirteen and a half feet long and six feet wide” (Deuteronomy 3:11). His defeat (Numbers 21:33–35) dramatized that no enemy—however intimidating—can stand against the Lord. - Bashan’s rich pasturelands later became territory for the half-tribe of Manasseh (Joshua 13:29–31). The psalm therefore celebrates not only a conquest but a tangible inheritance for God’s people. - The singular mention of Og reinforces that God’s power delivers in seemingly impossible situations, paralleling later victories over Goliath (1 Samuel 17) and the Assyrian army (2 Kings 19:32–36). and all the kings of Canaan - After Sihon and Og fell east of the Jordan, the Lord continued His campaign westward, defeating “thirty-one kings” (Joshua 12:7–24). - Jericho’s walls collapsed (Joshua 6:20), Ai was taken (Joshua 8:18–26), and the sun stood still as Israel routed the Amorite coalition (Joshua 10:12–14). Each episode confirmed that “not one of the good promises the LORD had made to the house of Israel failed; everything was fulfilled” (Joshua 21:45). - By grouping all these rulers together, the psalmist compresses years of conquest into a single statement, emphasizing the comprehensive nature of God’s sovereignty. summary Psalm 135:11 points to concrete historical victories—Sihon, Og, and the Canaanite kings—to assure every generation that the Lord keeps His word, conquers every foe, and secures His people’s inheritance. Remembering those names fuels present worship and confidence, because the God who overcame then is the same God who reigns today. |
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