Psalms 145

Psalm 145

1

Praise. Of David.

1 I will lift you up high, my God, the true king. I will bless your name forever and always.

2 I will bless you every day. I will praise your name forever and always.

3 The LORD is great and so worthy of praise! God's greatness can't be grasped.

4 One generation will praise your works to the next one, proclaiming your mighty acts.

5 They will talk all about the glorious splendor of your majesty; I will contemplate your wondrous works.

6 They will speak of the power of your awesome deeds; I will declare your great accomplishments.

7 They will rave in celebration of your abundant goodness; they will shout joyfully about your righteousness:

8 "The LORD is merciful and compassionate, very patient, and full of faithful love.

9 The LORD is good to everyone and everything; God's compassion extends, to all his handiwork!"

10 All that you have made gives thanks to you, LORD; all your faithful ones bless you!

11 They speak of the glory of your kingdom; they talk all about your power,

12 to inform all human beings about God's power and the majestic glory of God's kingdom.

13 Your kingdom is a kingship that lasts forever; your rule endures for all generations. The LORD is trustworthy in all that he says, faithful in all that he does.

14 The LORD supports all who fall down, straightens up all who are bent low.

15 All eyes look to you, hoping, and you give them their food right on time,

16 opening your hand and satisfying the desire of every living thing.

17 The LORD is righteous in all his ways, faithful in all his deeds.

18 The LORD is close to everyone who calls out to him, to all who call out to him sincerely.

19 God shows favor to those who honor him, listening to their cries for help and saving them.

20 The LORD protects all who love him, but he destroys every wicked person.

21 My mouth will proclaim the LORD's praise, and every living thing will bless God's holy name forever and always.

Psalms 145 Commentary

Chapter 145

David extols the power, goodness, and mercy of the Lord. (1-9) The glory of God's kingdom, and his care of those that love him. (10-21)

Verses 1-9 Those who, under troubles and temptations, abound in fervent prayer, shall in due season abound in grateful praise, which is the true language of holy joy. Especially we should speak of God's wondrous work of redemption, while we declare his greatness. For no deliverance of the Israelites, nor the punishment of sinners, so clearly proclaims the justice of God, as the cross of Christ exhibits it to the enlightened mind. It may be truly said of our Lord Jesus Christ, that his words are words of goodness and grace; his works are works of goodness and grace. He is full of compassion; hence he came into the world to save sinners. When on earth, he showed his compassion both to the bodies and souls of men, by healing the one, and making wise the other. He is of great mercy, a merciful High Priest, through whom God is merciful to sinners.

Verses 10-21 All God's works show forth his praises. He satisfies the desire of every living thing, except the unreasonable children of men, who are satisfied with nothing. He does good to all the children of men; his own people in a special manner. Many children of God, who have been ready to fall into sin, to fall into despair, have tasted his goodness in preventing their falls, or recovering them speedily by his graces and comforts. And with respect to all that are heavy laden under the burden of sin, if they come to Christ by faith, he will ease them, he will raise them. He is very ready to hear and answer the prayers of his people. He is present every where; but in a special way he is nigh to them, as he is not to others. He is in their hearts, and dwells there by faith, and they dwell in him. He is nigh to those that call upon him, to help them in all times of need. He will be nigh to them, that they may have what they ask, and find what they seek, if they call upon him in truth and sincerity. And having taught men to love his name and holy ways, he will save them from the destruction of the wicked. May we then love his name, and walk in his ways, while we desire that all flesh should bless his holy name for ever and ever.

Footnotes

• [a]. Ps 145 is an alphabetic acrostic poem; see the note at Pss 9–10, 111, 119.
• [b]. LXX, Syr, DSS (11QPs a); MT and words of
• [c]. LXX, DSS (11QPs a), Syr; MT lacks these lines, but they correspond to the nun line in the alphabetic acrostic poem.

Chapter Summary

David's [Psalm] of praise. This psalm is rendered by Ainsworth "a hymn of David"; and the whole book of Psalms is from hence called "the Book of Hymns"; see Ephesians 5:19; It seems to have been a psalm David took great delight in, and it may be that he often repeated and sung it, as it was made by him with great care and contrivance, in a very curious manner, as well as he was assisted in it by divine inspiration; for it is wrote in an alphabetical order, each verse: beginning with the letter of the alphabet in course, and goes through the whole, excepting one letter; and very probably it was composed in this form that it might be the more easily committed to memory, and retained in it. The Jews have a very high opinion of it; their Rabbins say, that whoever says this psalm thrice every day may be sure of being a child of the world to come. This is mentioned by Arama and Kimchi; and which the latter explains thus, not he that says it any way, but with his mouth, and with his heart, and with his tongue. It seems to have been written by David after the Lord had granted him all his requests put up in the preceding psalms, and had given him rest from all his enemies; and when he turned his prayers into praises; for this psalm is wholly praise from one end to the other; and so are all the five following ones; they begin and end with "hallelujah": nor is there a single petition in them, as I remember; so that it may in some sense be said, "here the prayers of David the son of Jesse are ended." It no doubt, as Cocceius observes, belongs to the Messiah and his kingdom, which is everlasting, Psalm 145:13.