Psalms 145:1-21·~1 min

I Will Exalt You, My God and King

David opens by exalting God as King and pledging to bless his name every day forever. The reason is simple and inexhaustible at once: the LORD is great and greatly to be praised, and his greatness cannot be searched out.

A¹ Psalm of praise. Of David. ²Every day I will bless You, ³Great is the LORD and greatly to be praised;

Praise does not stay with one voice, because one generation commends God's works to the next and declares his mighty acts. The glorious splendor of his majesty, his awesome deeds, his greatness, and the fame of his abundant goodness become a shared inheritance of praise across time.

⁴One generation will commend Your works to the next, ⁵the glorious splendor of Your majesty. ⁶They will proclaim the power of Your awesome deeds, ⁷They will extol the fame of Your abundant goodness

The psalm then names the LORD's character and reign: he is gracious, compassionate, slow to anger, rich in steadfast love, and good to all. Because his kingdom is glorious and everlasting, all he has made gives thanks and his saints speak of that kingdom so that his mighty acts become known among humankind.

⁸The LORD is gracious and compassionate, ⁹The LORD is good to all; ¹⁰All You have made will give You thanks, O LORD, ¹¹They will tell of the glory of Your kingdom ¹²to make known to men Your mighty acts ¹³Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,

The LORD's kingdom is not only majestic but sustaining: he upholds all who fall and raises up those bowed down. The eyes of all look to him for food, and with an open hand he satisfies the desire of every living thing.

¹⁴The LORD upholds all who fall ¹⁵The eyes of all look to You, ¹⁶You open Your hand

The psalm closes by affirming that the LORD is righteous and kind in all his ways, near to all who call on him in truth, attentive to those who fear him, and preserving toward those who love him, while the wicked are destroyed. David ends where he began, with his own mouth praising the LORD and all flesh summoned to bless his holy name forever.

¹⁷The LORD is righteous in all His ways ¹⁸The LORD is near to all who call on Him, ¹⁹He fulfills the desires of those who fear Him; ²⁰The LORD preserves all who love Him, ²¹My mouth will declare the praise of the LORD;

Section summaryDavid begins by exalting God his King every day and blessing his name forever, then calls attention to the LORD's unsearchable greatness and to the way one generation tells the next of his mighty acts. The psalm goes on to praise God's gracious character, everlasting kingdom, care for the falling and hungry, nearness to those who call on him, and preserving love, before ending with a resolve that every creature should bless his holy name forever and ever.

Role in the chapterThis section functions as a comprehensive psalm of praise. Its work is to gather the LORD's greatness, goodness, kingship, provision, righteousness, and nearness into one sustained act of proclamation, so that praise becomes both personal devotion and the fitting voice of all creation.