Chapter One Hundred Thirty-Five

The mentioned psalms are of identical content, although Psalm 134 concludes the Little Hallel among the Hebrews (Ps 112-117), while Psalm 135 begins the Great Hallel. Both psalms present a solemn hymn to God with an enumeration of His numerous benefactions granted to the Hebrews during their entire historical life and up to the last moment when these psalms were composed. The Lord is sung in them as the Creator of the world, the Protector of the Hebrew people, performing various miracles, miraculously delivering them from the yoke of Egypt and giving them Palestine as an inheritance. He is the living and all-powerful God; the idols of the nations are nothing before Him, and therefore all Israelites are invited to sing His praise.

The solemn tone of the content of the psalms, the elevated and praiseworthy-grateful feeling with which they are imbued, presume also an event of high importance that served as the occasion for their composition. This event could be considered the construction and consecration of the Second Jerusalem Temple.

Both psalms are called Polyeleos psalms because they are used in the celebration of the polyeleos at great feasts. The importance of the feast fully corresponds to the solemn tone of the content of the psalms.