The Lord Is Great, Good, and Worthy of Continual Praise

145:1 I will extol you, my God, O king! I will praise your name continually! 145:2 Every day I will praise you! I will praise your name continually! 145:3 The Lord is great and certainly worthy of praise! No one can fathom his greatness! 145:4 One generation will praise your deeds to another, and tell about your mighty acts! 145:5 I will focus on your honor and majestic splendor, and your amazing deeds! 145:6 They will proclaim the power of your awesome acts! I will declare your great deeds! 145:7 They will talk about the fame of your great kindness, and sing about your justice. 145:8 The Lord is merciful and compassionate; he is patient and demonstrates great loyal love. 145:9 The Lord is good to all, and has compassion on all he has made. 145:10 All he has made will give thanks to the Lord. Your loyal followers will praise you. 145:11 They will proclaim the splendor of your kingdom; they will tell about your power, 145:12 so that mankind might acknowledge your mighty acts, and the majestic splendor of your kingdom. 145:13 Your kingdom is an eternal kingdom, and your dominion endures through all generations. 145:14 The Lord supports all who fall, and lifts up all who are bent over. 145:15 Everything looks to you in anticipation, and you provide them with food on a regular basis. 145:16 You open your hand, and fill every living thing with the food they desire. 145:17 The Lord is just in all his actions, and exhibits love in all he does. 145:18 The Lord is near all who cry out to him, all who cry out to him sincerely. 145:19 He satisfies the desire of his loyal followers; he hears their cry for help and delivers them. 145:20 The Lord protects those who love him, but he destroys all the wicked. 145:21 My mouth will praise the Lord. Let all who live praise his holy name forever! Psalm 146

Scripture quoted by permission. Quotations designated (NET) are from the NET Bible®, copyright ©1996, 2019 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. All rights reserved.

Psalm 145 is a hymn of praise that moves from personal worship to public testimony. David praises the Lord every day because he is great, merciful, compassionate, just, and full of loyal love. God’s kingdom lasts forever, he cares for those who fall, he feeds all living things, he hears the cries of his faithful ones, and he judges the wicked. The psalm ends by calling all people to praise his holy name forever.

This psalm begins with a strong promise: the psalmist will praise the Lord continually. Praise is not treated as a rare moment, but as a daily duty and delight. The Lord is great beyond full understanding, and his works should be passed from one generation to the next.

The psalm then gives a clear picture of God’s character. He is merciful, compassionate, patient, good to all, and rich in loyal love. He is also just in all he does. These things belong together. God’s kindness does not cancel his righteousness.

The psalm also speaks of God’s kingdom. His reign is eternal, and his power should be proclaimed so that people may know his mighty acts and glorious rule. He lifts up those who fall, provides food for living creatures, hears the cry of those who call on him in truth, and delivers those who love him. At the same time, he destroys the wicked. So the psalm does not present God as only gentle; it also presents him as a righteous judge.

The final verse widens the call to worship. The psalmist’s own praise becomes a summons for all living creatures to bless the Lord forever.

• The Lord is greater than we can fully understand.
• Praise should be continual, not occasional.
• One generation should tell another about God’s mighty acts.
• The Lord is merciful, compassionate, patient, and full of loyal love.
• The Lord is good to all and just in all he does.
• God’s kingdom is eternal and his dominion lasts through all generations.
• The Lord lifts up the fallen and provides for his creatures.
• The Lord hears sincere cries for help and delivers his faithful people.
• The Lord protects those who love him, but he destroys the wicked.
• All living creatures are called to praise the Lord’s holy name forever.

• I will praise you continually.
• Every day I will praise you.
• Tell about God’s mighty acts from one generation to the next.
• Proclaim the power of God’s awesome acts and the glory of his kingdom.
• Call on the Lord sincerely, not with empty words.
• Do not treat God’s provision as a promise of easy life or material prosperity.
• Do not forget that the psalm also teaches judgment against the wicked.

Psalm 145 fits Israel’s worship of the Lord as the true King. It praises his eternal kingdom, his covenant love, and his care for his people. The psalm looks ahead to the full and final recognition of God’s rule, while remaining rooted in the Lord’s praise within Israel.

Believers should praise God every day, not only in special moments. They should tell others, especially the next generation, about what God has done. This psalm also teaches trust: God feeds, sustains, hears, and delivers. It calls for sincere prayer, thankful worship, and holy living, while warning that the wicked will face judgment.

• Lite Commentary
• In-depth Commentary