Psalm 149,5: “they shout with joy on their couches” The Book of Psalms ends in a collection of five hymns, each of them opening with ‘hallelujah’ (1). These are clearly late texts. Psalm 146 shows its late origin in the use of northern or Aramaic words (2) and its dependence on earlier texts (3). Psalm 147, too, has references to older texts (4); in vv. 2.13 this psalm speaks of the return from exile and the rebuilding of Jerusalem. Psalm 148 refers to Israel’s restoration in v. 14, and has an expression apparently current since the Persian period in v. 6b (cf. Esth 1,19; Dan 6,9.13) (5). Psalm 149 repeats, in its opening verse, essential notions from Ps 148,14 (hlht, ‘praise’; µydysj, ‘faithful’) (6), while, similar to Psalm 148 once more, it has wydysjAlkl, ‘for all his faithful’, at the end of the text. In its use of words this psalm also reminds one of Isaiah 60-61 (7). Psalm 150 must have been intended to conclude the hallelujah-psalms, and probably the whole psalter as well. In view of all this, it can be assumed that the collection dates from the later post-exilic period, partly perhaps from the Hellenistic time. I Psalms 146-148 praise YHWH’s greatness and goodness. Remarkably, each of these texts ends in a statement indicating, in one way or another, the special status of Israel: Ps 146,10: “YHWH is King forever, your God, O Zion, for all generations”. Ps 147,19-20: “He declared his word to Jacob (...); he has not dealt thus with any other nation (...)”. Ps 148,14: “He has exalted the horn of his people: matter of praise for all his faithful, for Israel’s children, those close to him”. The sentiment expressed in these statements culminates in Psalm 149, which in its second part describes the punishment inflicted by YHWH’s worshippers on the nations and their rulers. The manner in which the faithful are to carry out the judgement (8) is indicated in v. 6: “High praises of God are in their throats and a two-edged sword is in their hands”. Some read w in brjw (1) The Septuagint has ‘hallelujah’ only in Ps 150 at the end of the text. Presumably it is a later addition at the end of Pss 146-149. (2) See Av in vv. 3.5; ˆtv[ in v. 4; rbc in v. 5; πqz in v. 8. (3) See especially vv. 2 (cf. Ps 104,33), 6a (cf. Exod 20,11; 6aa = Ps 115,15b etc.), 7b.8a (cf. Isa 42,7), 10b (cf. Isa 52,7b). (4) See vv. 1 (cf. Ps 135,3), 8b.9a (cf. Ps 104,14), 11 (cf. Ps 33,18). (5) D.R. HILLERS, “A Study of Psalm 148”, CBQ 40 (1978) 326. (6) Cf. E. ZENGER, “Durch den Mund eines Weisen werde das Loblied gesprochen” (Sir 15,10). Weisheitstheologie im Finale des Psalters Ps 146-150, Auf den Spuren der schriftgelehrten Weisen; Festschrift für Johannes Marböck (Hrsg. I. FISCHER u.a.) (BZAW 331; Berlin 2003) 147-148. (7) See L.C. ALLEN, Psalms 101-50, revised (WBC 21; Nashville, TN 2002) 397. (8) fpvm hc[: cf. Ezek 39,21; Ps 119,84.