David’s psalm of praise
145:Title There is praise to God in nearly every Psalm, but this is the only one that is named a psalm of praise. Here David does not mention his enemies or troubles of any kind. He is completely taken up with the greatness, goodness, and righteousness of God. In Hebrew the verses begin with the successive letters of the alphabet with one letter (nun) omitted.⚜
145
📚I will exalt you, my God, O king, and I will extol your name
forever and ever.
2 📚Every day I will praise you,
and I will praise your name
forever and ever.
145:2 He is resolved to praise God and repeats his resolution four times in these two verses. Not only so, he resolves to praise God every day, regardless of circumstances, whether well or sick, in comfort or in trouble, in sadness or in joy (see 1 Thess 5:18). And, he is confident that he will praise God forever (see Ps 23:6; 37:18; 41:12).⚜
3 📚Great is the LORD, and greatly
to be praised,
and his greatness is unsearchable.
145:3 The one true God is worthy of the greatest praise possible for men to give, the most sincere and wholehearted, the most intelligent and spiritual praise. It will take all eternity to understand all His greatness and to praise Him as He ought to be praised.⚜
4 📚One generation will praise
your works to another,
and will proclaim your mighty
acts.
5 📚I will speak of the glorious honour of
your majesty,
and of your wonderful works.
6 📚And men will speak of
the power of your
awesome acts;
and I will declare your greatness.
7 📚They will pour forth the memory
of your great goodness 📖 and
sing of your righteousness 📖.
8 📚The LORD is gracious,
and full of compassion,
slow to get angry, and great
in mercy.
9 📚The LORD is good to all,
and his tender mercies are over all
his works.
145:9 See Ps 103:13-14; 136:1; Matt 5:45; Rom 2:4. All things God has made display God’s wisdom and skill. His dealings with men reveal His justice, love, grace, patience, and other attributes. God will be honored by everything, even the wrath of men (Ps 76:10). But of all creation His believing people will be the means of the greatest glory to Him (Eph 1:6, 12, 14).⚜
10 📚All your works will praise you,
O LORD,
and your saints will speak
your praise.
11 📚They will speak of the glory of your
kingdom,
and talk of your power,
12 📚To make known to the sons of men his
mighty acts,
and the glorious majesty of
his kingdom.
13 📚Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,
and your dominion continues on
throughout all generations.
145:11-13 Here are glorious themes about which believers should speak. So many people have never yet heard of God’s kingdom, glory, and mighty acts recorded in the Bible. Telling others gets the truth to them, glorifies God, and encourages ourselves. God’s kingdom is so rich a subject that if we speak of it our whole life long we will not tell a small part of what can be told (Ps 22:28; 66:7; 103:19; Dan 4:34-35; Matt 6:33; 13:11; 25:31-34; Mark 1:14-15; 9:47; John 3:3; Acts 1:3; 8:12; 19:8; 14:22; Rom 14:17; 1 Cor 6:9-10; 15:50; Rev 12:10).⚜
14 📚The LORD upholds all who fall,
and lifts up all those who are
bowed down.
15 📚The eyes of all look to you,
and you give them their food
in due season.
16 📚You open your hand and
satisfy the desire of every living
thing.
17 📚The LORD is righteous
in all his ways,
and holy in all his works.
145:17 Perfect justice combined with perfect grace are revealed in the King of the universe.⚜
18 📚The LORD is near 📖 all
those who call to him,
to all who call to him in truth.
145:18 This great King hears prayer – Ps 65:2; 102:17; Prov 15:8, 29; Matt 7:7-8, 11; 1 John 5:14. But our prayers must be sincere and according to His will – Ps 17:1; Isa 29:13; Matt 6:5-8; Jam 1:5-7.⚜
19 📚He will fulfil 📖 the desire of
those who fear him;
he will also hear their cry and
save 📖 them.
20 📚The LORD preserves 📖 all those
who love him,
but he will destroy 📖 all the wicked.
21 📚My mouth will speak
the praise of the LORD;
and may all flesh extol
his holy name forever and ever.
145:21 Those who heartily praise God want everyone else to do the same. They delight to hear God magnified, exalted, and praised (Ps 103:20-22; 150:6).⚜