Psalm 145
1 I will extol thee, my God, O king; and I will bless thy name for ever and ever.
2 Every day will I bless thee; and I will praise thy name for ever and ever.
3 Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; and his greatness is unsearchable.
4 One generation shall praise thy works to another, and shall declare thy mighty acts.
5 I will speak of the glorious honour of thy majesty, and of thy wondrous works.
6 And men shall speak of the might of thy terrible acts: and I will declare thy greatness.
7 They shall abundantly utter the memory of thy great goodness, and shall sing of thy righteousness.
8 The Lord is gracious, and full of compassion; slow to anger, and of great mercy.
9 The Lord is good to all: and his tender mercies are over all his works.
10 All thy works shall praise thee, O Lord; and thy saints shall bless thee.
11 They shall speak of the glory of thy kingdom, and talk of thy power;
12 To make known to the sons of men his mighty acts, and the glorious majesty of his kingdom.
13 Thy kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and thy dominion endureth throughout all generations.
14 The Lord upholdeth all that fall, and raiseth up all those that be bowed down.
15 The eyes of all wait upon thee; and thou givest them their meat in due season.
16 Thou openest thine hand, and satisfiest the desire of every living thing.
17 The Lord is righteous in all his ways, and holy in all his works.
18 The Lord is nigh unto all them that call upon him, to all that call upon him in truth.
19 He will fulfil the desire of them that fear him: he also will hear their cry, and will save them.
20 The Lord preserveth all them that love him: but all the wicked will he destroy.
21 My mouth shall speak the praise of the Lord: and let all flesh bless his holy name for ever and ever.
Psalm 145 Commentary
Chapter Overview
Psalm 144 ended by declaring that the truly happy people are those whose God is the Lord. Psalm 145 answers with sustained praise. David begins personally—“I will extol thee”—but widens his worship to every generation, all God’s works, every living thing, and finally “all flesh.”
The psalm celebrates God’s incomparable greatness and tender care. He rules an everlasting kingdom, yet upholds the falling, feeds dependent creatures, hears cries for help, and draws near to truthful prayer. Praise is not admiration of distant power, but gratitude for power expressed through compassion, provision, justice, and faithful presence.
Key Themes
The title calls this “David’s Psalm of praise,” the only heading using this exact expression. David’s life included lament, confession, danger, and conflict, but his enduring testimony is praise of the King above every earthly king.
“Every day will I bless thee” presents worship as a lifelong rhythm, not an occasional reaction to favorable circumstances. David does not claim every day is easy. Regular praise trains memory and resists the illusion that present trouble defines the whole story.
Psalm 145 is alphabetic in Hebrew, with successive verses generally beginning with successive letters. The traditional text lacks a nun line, although some ancient witnesses preserve an added sentence about God’s faithfulness and grace. The King James Version follows the traditional form. The variation deserves notice, but the psalm’s message does not depend on explaining the absence.
God’s greatness is “unsearchable.” The psalm still describes his works and character, so the word does not make knowledge impossible. It means his greatness cannot be fully measured or mastered. Theology should join confident truth with humility rather than claiming our explanations contain God completely.
One generation commends God’s works to another. Faith is not inherited automatically, but testimony can be handed on. Older believers should tell the truth about God’s patience, correction, and mercy. Younger believers should meditate, ask questions, and make that praise their own.
Verses 5–7 include wonder, testimony, teaching, moral reflection, and joy. Worship should not reduce God to private feeling or detach his power from his righteousness.
“The Lord is gracious, and full of compassion; slow to anger, and of great mercy” echoes God’s self-revelation celebrated in Psalm 103. Grace does not make evil unimportant. God’s patience will not become permanent indifference to harm.
“The Lord is good to all” expands the vision beyond Israel. Sunlight, rain, food, breath, beauty, skill, and relationship display generosity even toward those who do not acknowledge its source. Such goodness should produce gratitude and move believers to seek their neighbors’ good.
God’s “tender mercies are over all his works.” Creation is not disposable material existing only for human consumption. The Lord’s care for creatures is also praised in Psalm 104. Human dominion should therefore reflect stewardship, restraint, and concern for the conditions in which people, animals, and the wider creation can flourish.
All God’s works praise him by displaying wisdom and power, while his saints bless him knowingly. Creation bears witness by being what God made it to be; worshipers add conscious thanksgiving.
The saints speak of God’s kingdom so others may know his mighty acts and majestic rule. Testimony should be truthful and humble, avoiding exaggeration, manipulation, and the pretense that believers have no unresolved grief.
God’s kingdom is everlasting, unlike every dynasty, government, company, movement, and human reputation. Earthly institutions may do genuine good, but none deserves ultimate trust. The permanence of God’s reign comforts the oppressed and humbles leaders, because no ruler can outlast or overrule the King whose dominion endures through all generations.
Verse 14 brings the everlasting kingdom close to people who are physically, emotionally, morally, or socially collapsing: “The Lord upholdeth all that fall, and raiseth up all those that be bowed down.” The wording does not shame weakness. God’s greatness is displayed not only in overthrowing enemies but in stooping to sustain those who cannot keep themselves upright.
Those who fall still need truthful help. Divine support may come through repentance, medical care, counseling, rest, financial assistance, protection, friendship, or patient rehabilitation. The verse should never be used to tell an endangered or severely distressed person to avoid appropriate human help because prayer alone must be sufficient.
“The eyes of all wait upon thee” pictures creation as dependent. Food arrives “in due season,” not because creatures control God but because life is continually received. Human labor remains important—farmers plant, workers prepare, families share—but labor operates within gifts no one creates: soil, rain, strength, time, community, and life itself.
God opens his hand and satisfies the desire of every living thing. This poetic picture celebrates generosity, not a claim that every appetite is automatically good or immediately fulfilled. Scripture recognizes famine, predation, injustice, and death in the present world. The verse calls worshipers to trust the generous Creator and to become open-handed participants in feeding and caring for others.
Verse 17 holds together righteousness and holiness in all God’s ways and works. His compassion is never corrupt favoritism, and his justice is never cruelty. Human beings may not understand every providence, so this confession can sometimes be spoken through tears. It anchors faith in God’s character while leaving room for lament and honest questions.
“The Lord is nigh unto all them that call upon him” gives remarkable access to the transcendent King. Nearness is promised to those who call “in truth”—sincerely, faithfully, and without using prayer as a performance or a tool for manipulation. Truthful prayer admits need, confesses sin, rejects pretense, and seeks God himself rather than merely religious appearance.
God fulfills the desire of those who fear him, hears their cry, and saves them. The fear of the Lord is reverent allegiance, not terror that drives a person away. The promise is not a blank check for every preference. As people learn to honor God, their desires are corrected and centered on his will, and his saving answer may differ from the form they first imagined.
The Lord preserves those who love him, but he will destroy the wicked. Psalm 145 does not end with sentimental approval of everything. The God who supports the vulnerable also opposes persistent evil. This warning should lead to repentance and confidence in divine justice, not to personal vengeance or careless declarations about who deserves destruction.
David closes where he began—with his own mouth speaking praise—but now invites “all flesh” to bless God’s holy name. The movement from “I” to “all” shows mature worship. Personal devotion becomes public witness, intergenerational teaching, compassionate action, and hope for a world in which every creature recognizes the rightful King.
Important Verses and Questions
Why does Psalm 145 repeat so many reasons to praise? The psalm gathers distinct aspects of God’s character and activity: greatness, mighty works, goodness, compassion, kingship, support, provision, nearness, salvation, preservation, and justice. Repetition here deepens attention rather than merely adding length.
What happened to the missing letter in the Hebrew alphabet? The traditional Hebrew text moves from the letter mem to samekh without a nun line. Some ancient copies and translations include an additional line similar to verse 17. The exact history is uncertain, and responsible readers should acknowledge that uncertainty without treating it as a threat to the psalm’s teaching.
Does “the Lord is good to all” mean everyone receives the same outcome? No. The verse celebrates God’s wide generosity and mercy, not identical circumstances or final approval of evil. The same psalm says God hears those who fear him and judges the wicked.
Does verse 16 promise that every desire will be satisfied? It poetically praises God as the giver who sustains living creatures. It does not bless sinful cravings or guarantee immediate fulfillment of every individual wish. It should move believers toward gratitude, trust, and generosity.
What does it mean to call upon God “in truth”? It means approaching him sincerely and consistently with who he is. Truthful prayer does not depend on impressive language, but it refuses deliberate hypocrisy, manipulation, and the attempt to use God while rejecting his ways.
How can God be compassionate and still destroy the wicked? Compassion and justice are not opposites. Love for those harmed by evil includes opposition to evil itself. God is slow to anger and invites repentance, yet his patience does not erase moral accountability.
Practical Applications
Build a daily vocabulary of praise. Name particular attributes and works of God rather than relying only on general phrases. On difficult days, praise can include lament: acknowledge the pain, remember what remains true, and refuse to let hardship become the only fact you rehearse.
Pass on testimony with integrity. Tell younger people what God has done, but do not hide failures, unanswered questions, or the process of growth. Invite their questions and help them distinguish the enduring character of God from imperfect religious traditions or leaders.
Reflect the open hand of God. Share food, time, knowledge, money, access, and practical care where you are able. Support trustworthy efforts that address hunger and instability. Gratitude for provision is incomplete when it remains disconnected from concern for people whose needs are visible.
Call upon God in truth. Bring real motives, fears, sins, hopes, and confusion into prayer. Seek wise assistance when you are falling or bowed down, and become a safe person through whom God’s sustaining care can reach someone else.
Live as a citizen of the everlasting kingdom. Respect legitimate earthly responsibilities without giving any nation, party, church leader, or institution the loyalty that belongs to God alone. Speak of his reign through truthful praise, just conduct, patient compassion, and hope that reaches beyond your own generation into the worldwide invitation of Psalm 146.