Psalms 113:5

My Notes

What Does Psalms 113:5 Mean?

Psalm 113:5 asks a rhetorical question that contains one of the most important theological tensions in Scripture: "Who is like unto the LORD our God, who dwelleth on high." The marginal note reveals the Hebrew is even more dramatic: "who exalteth himself to dwell." God's height isn't just where He is. It's who He is. He actively, continuously raises Himself above everything else.

The question "who is like" — mi kaYHWH — is the foundational claim of biblical monotheism. No one. Nothing. No deity, no power, no concept comes close. God is incomparable not because He's slightly better than the alternatives but because He exists in a category entirely His own. The comparison itself is insulting. Asking "who is like God" is like asking "what other ocean compares to this puddle." The categories don't overlap.

But the genius of this psalm is what comes next. Verse 6 says God "humbleth himself to behold the things that are in heaven and in the earth." The God who exalts Himself to dwell has to humble Himself just to look at heaven. Heaven itself is beneath Him. And then verses 7-9 describe what this infinitely exalted God does: He raises the poor from the dust, lifts the needy from the ash heap, and gives the barren woman a home with children. The highest Being in existence stoops to the lowest people in existence. That's the tension — and it's not a contradiction. It's the definition of God's character: infinitely high and infinitely inclined to reach down.

Reflection Questions

• 1.Have you been calculating God's willingness to help based on your size rather than His character — and does this psalm correct that?
• 2.How do you hold together a God who 'exalts himself to dwell' and a God who 'raiseth up the poor out of the dust'?
• 3.Where are you in the dust or ash heap right now — and can you believe the highest God is stooping toward you?
• 4.What does it mean that God has to 'humble himself' just to look at heaven — and what does that imply about how far He's willing to reach for you?

Devotional

God exalts Himself to dwell on high. He has to humble Himself just to see heaven. Heaven is beneath His notice. That's how high He is. And from that incomprehensible height, He bends down — past the angels, past the stars, past everything that exists — to lift a poor person from the dust.

That's the God you're dealing with. Not one who's high and stays high. Not one who's so exalted He can't be bothered with your small life. A God who is higher than you can imagine and who stoops lower than you'd expect. The same psalm that declares His incomparable majesty describes Him rummaging through dust heaps and ash piles looking for the needy. The same God the seraphim can't bear to look at is the God who gives a barren woman children and makes her joyful.

If you've felt too small for God's attention — too ordinary, too broken, too far beneath His radar — this psalm says you've miscalculated. Not His height. His stoop. Yes, He dwells on high. Yes, He's beyond comparison. Yes, He exalts Himself above everything that exists. And from that exact height, He looks for you. In the dust. In the ash heap. In the barren place where hope died. That's not despite His majesty. It's because of it. A God who only reached down to impressive people would be a small god. The fact that He bends from infinite height to absolute dust is what makes the question unanswerable: who is like the LORD our God? No one. Because no one else is that high and that low at the same time.

Commentary

Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.

Cross References

Related passages throughout Scripture