Psalms — Chapter 145

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1A Psalm of praise. Of David. I will exalt You, my God and King; I will bless Your name forever and ever.

2Every day I will bless You, and I will praise Your name forever and ever.

3Great is the LORD and greatly to be praised; His greatness is unsearchable.

4One generation will commend Your works to the next, and will proclaim Your mighty acts—

5the glorious splendor of Your majesty. And I will meditate on Your wondrous works.

6They will proclaim the power of Your awesome deeds, and I will declare Your greatness.

7They will extol the fame of Your abundant goodness and sing joyfully of Your righteousness.

8The LORD is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in loving devotion.

9The LORD is good to all; His compassion rests on all He has made.

10All You have made will give You thanks, O LORD, and Your saints will bless You.

11They will tell of the glory of Your kingdom and speak of Your might,

12to make known to men Your mighty acts and the glorious splendor of Your kingdom.

13Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and Your dominion endures through all generations. The LORD is faithful in all His words and kind in all His actions.

14The LORD upholds all who fall and lifts up all who are bowed down.

15The eyes of all look to You, and You give them their food in season.

16You open Your hand and satisfy the desire of every living thing.

17The LORD is righteous in all His ways and kind in all His deeds.

18The LORD is near to all who call on Him, to all who call out to Him in truth.

19He fulfills the desires of those who fear Him; He hears their cry and saves them.

20The LORD preserves all who love Him, but all the wicked He will destroy.

21My mouth will declare the praise of the LORD; let every creature bless His holy name forever and ever.

1I will extol thee, my God, O king; and I will bless thy name for ever and ever.

2Every day will I bless thee; and I will praise thy name for ever and ever.

3Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised; and his greatness is unsearchable.

4One generation shall praise thy works to another, and shall declare thy mighty acts.

5I will speak of the glorious honour of thy majesty, and of thy wondrous works.

6And men shall speak of the might of thy terrible acts: and I will declare thy greatness.

7They shall abundantly utter the memory of thy great goodness, and shall sing of thy righteousness.

8The LORD is gracious, and full of compassion; slow to anger, and of great mercy.

9The LORD is good to all: and his tender mercies are over all his works.

10All thy works shall praise thee, O LORD; and thy saints shall bless thee.

11They shall speak of the glory of thy kingdom, and talk of thy power;

12To make known to the sons of men his mighty acts, and the glorious majesty of his kingdom.

13Thy kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and thy dominion endureth throughout all generations.

14The LORD upholdeth all that fall, and raiseth up all those that be bowed down.

15The eyes of all wait upon thee; and thou givest them their meat in due season.

16Thou openest thine hand, and satisfiest the desire of every living thing.

17The LORD is righteous in all his ways, and holy in all his works.

18The LORD is nigh unto all them that call upon him, to all that call upon him in truth.

19He will fulfil the desire of them that fear him: he also will hear their cry, and will save them.

20The LORD preserveth all them that love him: but all the wicked will he destroy.

21My mouth shall speak the praise of the LORD: and let all flesh bless his holy name for ever and ever.

1I will extol thee, my God, O King; And I will bless thy name for ever and ever.

2Every day will I bless thee; And I will praise thy name for ever and ever.

3Great is Jehovah, and greatly to be praised; And his greatness is unsearchable.

4One generation shall laud thy works to another, And shall declare thy mighty acts.

5Of the glorious majesty of thine honor, And of thy wondrous works, will I meditate.

6And men shall speak of the might of thy terrible acts; And I will declare thy greatness.

7They shall utter the memory of thy great goodness, And shall sing of thy righteousness.

8Jehovah is gracious, and merciful; Slow to anger, and of great lovingkindness.

9Jehovah is good to all; And his tender mercies are over all his works.

10All thy works shall give thanks unto thee, O Jehovah; And thy saints shall bless thee.

11They shall speak of the glory of thy kingdom, And talk of thy power;

12To make known to the sons of men his mighty acts, And the glory of the majesty of his kingdom.

13Thy kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, And thy dominion [endureth] throughout all generations.

14Jehovah upholdeth all that fall, And raiseth up all those that are bowed down.

15The eyes of all wait for thee; And thou givest them their food in due season.

16Thou openest thy hand, And satisfiest the desire of every living thing.

17Jehovah is righteous in all his ways, And gracious in all his works.

18Jehovah is nigh unto all them that call upon him, To all that call upon him in truth.

19He will fulfil the desire of them that fear him; He also will hear their cry and will save them.

20Jehovah preserveth all them that love him; But all the wicked will he destroy.

21My mouth shall speak the praise of Jehovah; And let all flesh bless his holy name for ever and ever. Psalm 146

1A psalm of praise; by David. I will extol you, my God, O King. I will praise your name continually.

2Every day I will praise you. I will praise your name continually.

3The Lord is great and certainly worthy of praise. No one can fathom his greatness.

4One generation will praise your deeds to another and tell about your mighty acts.

5I will focus on your honor and majestic splendor and your amazing deeds.

6They will proclaim the power of your awesome acts. I will declare your great deeds.

7They will talk about the fame of your great kindness and sing about your justice.

8The Lord is merciful and compassionate; he is patient and demonstrates great loyal love.

9The Lord is good to all and has compassion on all he has made.

10All your works will give thanks to you, Lord. Your loyal followers will praise you.

11They will proclaim the splendor of your kingdom; they will tell about your power,

12so that mankind might acknowledge your mighty acts and the majestic splendor of your kingdom.

13Your kingdom is an eternal kingdom, and your dominion endures through all generations.

14The Lord supports all who fall and lifts up all who are bent over.

15Everything looks to you in anticipation, and you provide them with food on a regular basis.

16You open your hand and fill every living thing with the food it desires.

17The Lord is just in all his actions and exhibits love in all he does.

18The Lord is near all who cry out to him, all who cry out to him sincerely.

19He satisfies the desire of his loyal followers; he hears their cry for help and delivers them.

20The Lord protects all those who love him, but he destroys all the wicked.

21My mouth will praise the Lord. Let all who live praise his holy name forever.

1I will exalt you, my God, the King. I will praise your name forever and ever.

2Every day I will praise you. I will extol your name forever and ever.

3Great is Yahweh, and greatly to be praised! His greatness is unsearchable.

4One generation will commend your works to another, and will declare your mighty acts.

5Of the glorious majesty of your honor, of your wondrous works, I will meditate.

6Men will speak of the might of your awesome acts. I will declare your greatness.

7They will utter the memory of your great goodness, and will sing of your righteousness.

8Yahweh is gracious, merciful, slow to anger, and of great loving kindness.

9Yahweh is good to all. His tender mercies are over all his works.

10All your works will give thanks to you, Yahweh. Your saints will extol you.

11They will speak of the glory of your kingdom, and talk about your power;

12to make known to the sons of men his mighty acts, the glory of the majesty of his kingdom.

13Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom. Your dominion endures throughout all generations. Yahweh is faithful in all his words, and loving in all his deeds.

14Yahweh upholds all who fall, and raises up all those who are bowed down.

15The eyes of all wait for you. You give them their food in due season.

16You open your hand, and satisfy the desire of every living thing.

17Yahweh is righteous in all his ways, and gracious in all his works.

18Yahweh is near to all those who call on him, to all who call on him in truth.

19He will fulfill the desire of those who fear him. He also will hear their cry, and will save them.

20Yahweh preserves all those who love him, but all the wicked he will destroy.

21My mouth will speak the praise of Yahweh. Let all flesh bless his holy name forever and ever.

Summary
Authorship & Background
Commentary
Videos
Articles
Reflection

Summary

In this acrostic psalm of praise, David vows to extol God as his King every day, declaring that his greatness is unsearchable (vv. 1-3). He anticipates one generation telling the next about God's mighty and glorious works (vv. 4-7), and describes the LORD as gracious, compassionate, slow to anger, and good to all he has made (vv. 8-9). David praises God's everlasting kingdom and his care for those who are falling or bowed down, providing food to every living thing in its season (vv. 10-16). He closes by praising the LORD's righteousness and nearness to all who call on him in truth, promising to fulfill the desires of those who fear him while preserving those who love him (vv. 17-21).

Authorship & Background

Author: Multiple authors — primarily David (73 psalms attributed), plus Asaph (12), Sons of Korah (11), Solomon (2), Moses (1), Heman (1), Ethan (1), and anonymous. The Psalter was compiled over approximately 1000 years and served as Israel's hymnal and prayer book. The book is divided into five 'books' (1-41, 42-72, 73-89, 90-106, 107-150), paralleling the five books of Moses.
Classification: Acrostic Hymn of Praise (The last Davidic Psalm) — begins the Final Hallelujah sequence (145-150)
Attributed Author: David (superscription: "David's Psalm of praise")
Key Themes: God's greatness beyond comprehension, His kingdom that endures, God's compassion to all creation, His faithfulness and nearness to all who call on Him, declaring God's praise to all generations
Historical Context: Psalm 145 is the last psalm attributed to David and the only one called "tehillah" (praise) in its superscription — giving its name to the entire book (Tehillim in Hebrew). It is an acrostic (each verse begins with successive Hebrew letters) and was considered so important that the Talmud states: "Everyone who recites Psalm 145 three times daily is assured a place in the world to come." It is David's final, comprehensive declaration of who God is — His greatness (v.3), His compassion (v.8-9), His kingdom (vv.11-13), His providence (vv.15-16), His nearness (v.18), and His preservation (v.20). This psalm launches the final Hallelujah sequence (145-150) that concludes the entire Psalter.
His Greatness Is Unsearchable (vv.1-3): I will extol thee, my God, O king; and I will bless thy name for ever and ever. The last psalm in the psalter attributed to David, and an acrostic running the Hebrew alphabet a line at a time. It is the core of the Ashrei, said three times daily in Jewish prayer. Every day will I bless thee. Then a claim that limits everything the psalm goes on to say, and his greatness is unsearchable, so the twenty verses following are offered as a report from a subject that cannot be finished.
One Generation Shall Praise Thy Works to Another (vv.4-7): One generation shall praise thy works to another, and shall declare thy mighty acts. Praise is described as a chain of transmission rather than an emotion, and the psalm keeps alternating between what I will say and what they shall say. And men shall speak of the might of thy terrible acts, where terrible keeps its older sense of awe-inspiring. They shall abundantly utter the memory of thy great goodness.
His Tender Mercies Are over All His Works (vv.8-9): The LORD is gracious, and full of compassion; slow to anger, and of great mercy. Exodus 34:6 again, the sentence the Old Testament quotes about God more than any other. Then the psalm pushes it further than most of its uses go, the LORD is good to all: and his tender mercies are over all his works, which extends the kindness past Israel to everything made.
Thy Kingdom Is an Everlasting Kingdom (vv.10-13): All thy works shall praise thee, O LORD; and thy saints shall bless thee. The subject for four verses is the kingdom, and what is said of it is duration, thy kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and thy dominion endureth throughout all generations. Something is missing here. The acrostic goes from mem at verse 13 to samekh at verse 14 and skips nun, and a line beginning with that letter, faithful is the LORD in all his words, appears in the Septuagint and in the Dead Sea scroll of the psalms. English Bibles differ over whether to print it, some giving it in the text and some in a note, so two readers comparing versions at this verse will not find the same number of lines. The Hebrew tradition preserved the gap and did not fill it.
Thou Openest Thine Hand (vv.14-16): The LORD upholdeth all that fall, and raiseth up all those that be bowed down. After four verses on an everlasting kingdom the psalm turns to people who cannot stand up, which is the sequence it wants. The eyes of all wait upon thee; and thou givest them their meat in due season. Then a line Psalm 104 also uses of the animals, thou openest thine hand, and satisfiest the desire of every living thing, so the feeding is not confined to the congregation.
The LORD Is Nigh unto All Them That Call upon Him (vv.17-20): The LORD is righteous in all his ways, and holy in all his works. What follows is the psalm's warmest claim and it comes with a qualification attached, the LORD is nigh unto all them that call upon him, to all that call upon him in truth. In truth rules out the calling that is only noise, and it is the one condition the psalm sets. He will fulfil the desire of them that fear him. The last line is the psalm's only hard sentence and it is not softened, the LORD preserveth all them that love him: but all the wicked will he destroy.
Let All Flesh Bless His Holy Name (v.21): My mouth shall speak the praise of the LORD: and let all flesh bless his holy name for ever and ever. The acrostic ends where it began, with one man's mouth, and then hands the sentence to everything alive. All flesh is the widest term available, and this last verse of the last Davidic psalm sets up the five hallelujah psalms that close the book by making the congregation the whole of creation.

Commentary

  • Enduring Word (David Guzik): enduringword.com Verse-by-verse commentary on this chapter, written for the everyday reader and freely available online.
  • Jamieson-Fausset-Brown (1871): blueletterbible.org A critical and explanatory commentary on the whole Bible, more concise than Matthew Henry and closer to the Hebrew and Greek, with attention to historical and geographical detail. Public domain.
  • Matthew Henry's Exposition (1710): blueletterbible.org A devotional verse-by-verse commentary in the Puritan tradition, still among the most widely read three centuries on. Public domain.

Videos

Psalm 145 - Praising God for Who He Is and What He Does
David Guzik

Psalm 145 | The King Worthy of Praise | Bible Study
Spoken Gospel

Articles

  • GotQuestions.org: gotquestions.org On the whole book: an overview of Psalms -- who wrote it, when, why, and how it fits the rest of Scripture.

Links open on the publisher's own site. Nothing here is reproduced on this page.

Reflection

  • Praise Without End (vv.1-3) — David commits to extolling God every single day, declaring His greatness as ultimately unsearchable. Is your praise a daily discipline, or something you only reach for in extraordinary moments?
  • Passing Praise to the Next Generation (vv.4-7) — David expects one generation to commend God's works to the next, carrying the testimony forward in time. Who in the next generation is hearing about God's works from you specifically?
  • Compassion Extended to All (vv.8-9) — God's tender mercies are said to reach over all He has made, not just a select few. Do you extend that same generous view of God's compassion to people outside your own circle?
  • A Kingdom That Will Never Fall (vv.10-13) — David describes God's kingdom as everlasting, standing through every generation regardless of what earthly kingdoms rise and fall. When the news feels unstable, does the permanence of God's kingdom actually steady you?
  • An Open Hand for Every Living Thing (vv.14-16) — God upholds those who fall and opens His hand to satisfy the desire of every living thing. Where do you need to trust that open hand instead of trying to provide for yourself entirely on your own?
  • Near to Everyone Who Calls (vv.17-20) — The psalm promises that the Lord is near to all who call on Him in truth, without needing a priest or special system to gain access. Do you actually call on Him with that kind of confidence, or do you feel like you need to earn the right to approach?