Psalms 145

The Greatness and the Goodness of God

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 the LORD, and greatly to be praised! His greatness is unsearchable.

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

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

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.

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

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

¹⁰All your works will give thanks to you, LORD. 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. The LORD is faithful in all his words, and loving in all his deeds.

¹⁴The LORD 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.

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

¹⁸The LORD 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.

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

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

Previous Psalms 144

Next Psalms 146

Psalm 145 is an acrostic hymn of praise celebrating God's greatness, goodness, and eternal kingdom. David systematically extols God's character—His grace, mercy, faithfulness, and righteousness—while emphasizing how His glory should be proclaimed from generation to generation. The psalm presents God as both the sovereign King whose kingdom endures forever and the compassionate provider who cares for all creation, culminating in a call for universal praise.

Context

As the final psalm attributed to David in the Psalter, this acrostic hymn serves as a capstone to his collected works, leading toward the concluding doxology of Psalms 146-150.

Key Themes

Outline

1-3
Personal Commitment to Praise David declares his intention to exalt God as King and praise His unsearchable greatness daily and eternally.
4-7
Generational Proclamation The psalmist describes how God's mighty works and goodness should be declared and remembered across generations.
8-9
God's Character Revealed God's essential attributes are proclaimed—gracious, merciful, slow to anger, loving, and good to all creation.
10-13
Universal Praise and Eternal Kingdom All creation gives thanks while saints declare the glory and power of God's everlasting kingdom.
14-20
God's Faithful Care God's practical care is detailed—upholding the fallen, providing food, answering prayers, and preserving the faithful.
21
Call to Universal Praise The psalm concludes with David's personal commitment and invitation for all flesh to bless God's holy name.

The Greatness and the Goodness of God

145:1–145:21

poetry celebratory

An acrostic psalm of pure praise celebrating God's greatness, goodness, and eternal kingdom. The psalmist extols God's gracious character, universal care for creation, and faithful provision for all who call upon Him in truth.

theme_rarity

David's acrostic masterpiece uniquely interweaves divine "glory" with God's "provision" for creation, a thematic pairing found in only three biblical passages.

Insight Rare Theme

David's acrostic masterpiece uniquely interweaves divine "glory" with God's "provision" for creation, a thematic pairing found in only three biblical passages.