Psalms 145

A praise psalm by David.

I will exalt you, my God, the King. I will praise your name forever and ever.

Every day I will praise you. I will extol your name forever and ever.

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

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

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

Men will speak of the might of your awesome acts. I will declare your greatness.

They will utter the memory of your great goodness, and will sing of your righteousness.

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

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

All your works will give thanks to you, LORD. Your saints will extol you.

They will speak of the glory of your kingdom, and talk about your power,

to make known to the sons of men his mighty acts, the glory of the majesty of his kingdom.

Your 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.

The LORD upholds all who fall, and raises up all those who are bowed down.

The eyes of all wait for you. You give them their food in due season.

You open your hand, and satisfy the desire of every living thing.

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

The LORD is near to all those who call on him, to all who call on him in truth.

He will fulfill the desire of those who fear him. He also will hear their cry, and will save them.

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

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

Chapter overviewAI-generated

Overview.
This psalm is a resplendent hymn of praise to God’s eternal kingship, moral excellency, and fatherly providence. Centered on the theme of God’s goodness and sovereign rule, it extols His character as gracious and merciful, His works as mighty and faithful, and His kingdom as everlasting. Structured as an acrostic in Hebrew, the psalm moves from personal devotion to cosmic acknowledgment of God’s glory, culminating in a universal call to bless His holy name.

Flow.

Begins with the psalmist’s personal commitment to praise God continually, rooted in reverence for His majesty.
Expands to a meditation on God’s incomparable greatness, His mighty acts, and the transmission of His works across generations.
Highlights God’s moral attributes—grace, mercy, righteousness—and His active care for creation through providential provision and compassion.
Concludes with affirmations of God’s nearness to the faithful, His responsiveness to prayer, and the ultimate distinction between preservation of the godly and destruction of the wicked, issuing in a final call for all flesh to praise Him.

Connections.
Following Psalm 144, which blends lament and hope amid human frailty and divine deliverance, this psalm rises as pure doxology, answering its predecessor’s tension with unbroken praise. Where Psalm 144 ends with a prayer for rescue and blessing, Psalm 145 responds by declaring that such rescue is consistent with God’s character and eternal rule. It sets the tone for the concluding doxological movement of the Psalter—preparing for the crescendo of praise in Psalms 146–150—by grounding worship in the unchanging nature of God’s kingdom and His faithful, tender governance over all.

What it teaches.
The psalm affirms that God’s essence is worthy of endless praise because of His unsearchable greatness and steadfast goodness (WCF 7.1). His attributes—graciousness, mercy, slowness to anger, and lovingkindness (Ex. 34:6; cited in HC LD 10)—reveal a God who is not only sovereign over all but personally attentive to the needs of His creation. His kingdom is everlasting (Dan. 7:14, 27; cf. WCF 25.5), and His works reflect perfect righteousness and faithfulness. The universal scope of His mercy (Ps. 145:9) aligns with the testimony that God upholds all things and hears the cries of those who fear Him (WCF 3.1, 18.5), while His justice ensures the destruction of the wicked (WCF 5.6; cf. Ps. 145:20). The covenantal reliability of God’s words and deeds (Ps. 145:13) reflects His divine constancy.

Apply.
Praise flows from recognizing God’s nearness in care, His faithfulness in provision, and His justice in judgment.

AI-generated. Not a substitute for Scripture, your pastor, or the confessions.