Psalms 66:2
in Psalms 66Sing the glory of His name; make His praise glorious.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Sing forth the glory of his name: Make his praise glorious.
KJV
Sing forth the honour of his name: make his praise glorious.
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This verse in Psalms 66
Commentary
9 notes on this verseThis site's exposition
Make a joyful noise to God
on Psalms 66:1-4
The summons goes to all the earth before the psalm names one deliverance. Gill reads the verb behind cower, kachash, as a feigned submission, enemies who cringe without yielding the heart. Every command here asks for a sound that is heard.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
"But play ye to His name" (ver. 2). What hath he said? By you "playing" let His name be blessed. But what it is to "play"? To play is also to take up an instrument which is called a psaltery, and by the striking and action of the hands to accompany voices. If therefore ye jubilate so that God may hear; play also something that men may both see and hear: but not to your own name. ...For if for the sake of yourselves being glorified ye do good works, we make the same reply as He made to certain of such men, "Verily I say unto you, they have received their reward:" and again, "Otherwise no reward ye will have with your Father that is in Heaven." Thou wilt say, ought I, then, to hide my works, that I do them not before men? No. But what saith He? "Let your works shine before men." In doubt then I shall remain. On one side Thou sayest to me, "Take heed that ye do not your righteousness before men:" on the other side Thou sayest to me, "Let your good works shine before men;" what shall I keep what do what leave undone? A man can as well serve two masters commanding different things as one commanding different things. I command not, saith the Lord, different things. The end observe, for the end sing: with what end thou doest it, see thou. If for this reason thou doest it, that thou mayest be glorified, I have forbidden it: but if for this reason, that God may be glorified, I have commanded it. Play therefore, not to your own name, but to the name of the Lord your God. Play ye, let Him be lauded: live ye well, let Him be glorified. For whence have ye that same living well? If for everlasting ye had had it, ye would never have lived ill; if from yourselves ye had had it, ye never would have done otherwise than have lived well. "Give glory to His praise." Our whole attention upon the praise of God he directeth, nothing for us he leaveth whence we should be praised. […]
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
Sing forth the honour of his name,.... Meaning not any particular names of the Messiah, such as in Isa 9:6; or his name "Jesus", a Saviour; though they are all honourable and glorious, and furnish out sufficient matter for a song: but rather that by which he was made known to the sons of men, his Gospel; see Act 9:15. Which is a glorious Gospel; the truths of which may be expressed in a song of praise, to the honour and glory of Christ, and to the instruction and profit of men, Col 3:
In praising God we must do it so as to glorify him, and that must be the scope and drift of all our praises. Reckon it your greatest glory to praise God, so some. It is the highest honour the creature is capable of to be to the Creator for a name and a praise.
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
his name--as in Ps 29:2. make his praise glorious--literally, "place honor, His praise," or, "as to His praise"; that is, let His praise be such as will glorify Him, or, be honorable to Him.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase
Sing forth the honour of his name. The noise is to be modulated with tune and time, and fashioned into singing, for we adore the God of order and harmony. The honour of God should be our subject, and to honour him our object when we sing. To give glory to God is but to restore to him his own. It is our glory to be able to give God glory; and all our true glory should be ascribed unto God, for it is his glory. "All worship be to God only, "should be the motto of all true believers.
3 more voices on this verse
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
Sing forth the honour of his name. The noise is to be modulated with tune and time, and fashioned into singing, for we adore the God of order and harmony. The honour of God should be our subject, and to honour him our object when we sing. To give glory to God is but to restore to him his own. It is our glory to be able to give God glory; and all our true glory should be ascribed unto God, for it is his glory. "All worship be to God only, "should be the motto of all true believers. The name, nature, and person of God are worthy of the highest honour. Make his praise glorious. Let not his praise be mean and grovelling: let it arise with grandeur and solemnity before him. The pomp of the ancient festivals is not to be imitated by us, under this dispensation of the Spirit, but we are to throw so much of heart and holy reverence into all our worship that it shall be the best we can render. Heart worship and spiritual joy render praise more glorious than vestments, incense, and music could do.
The honor of his name - Let his glorious and merciful acts be the subject of your songs.
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
Sing forth the honor of his name - That is, Celebrate in appropriate praise the honor due to his name. Make that honor known in connection with songs. Make his praise glorious - literally, “place honor, his praise;” that is, Give him honor; give him praise. The meaning is, Set forth his praise with songs - with music - with shouts; - that will be the appropriate expression of the praise which is due to him.
The words behind it
6 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| זַמְּר֥וּ | zameru | sing praises | H2167 → | 45 times |
| כְבֽוֹד־ | khevod- | [the] glory of | H3519 → | 200 times |
| שְׁמ֑וֹ | shemo | name his | H8034 → | 864 times |
| שִׂ֥ימוּ | simu | make | H7760 → | 584 times |
| כָ֝ב֗וֹד | khavod | glory | H3519 → | 200 times |
| תְּהִלָּתֽוֹ׃ | tehilato | praise his | H8416 → | 56 times |
זַמְּר֥וּsing praises
zameruH2167 →45 times
כְבֽוֹד־[the] glory of
khevod-H3519 →200 times
שְׁמ֑וֹname his
shemoH8034 →864 times
שִׂ֥ימוּmake
simuH7760 →584 times
כָ֝ב֗וֹדglory
khavodH3519 →200 times
תְּהִלָּתֽוֹ׃praise his
tehilatoH8416 →56 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Revelation 5:13And I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, saying: “To Him who sits on the throne and to…
it leads to
- Philippians 2:10
that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
- 1 Chronicles 29:11
Yours, O LORD, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the splendor and the majesty, for everything in heaven and on earth belongs to You. Yours, O LORD, is the kingdom,…
- Psalms 148:2–13
Praise Him, all His angels; praise Him, all His heavenly hosts.
- Revelation 5:12
In a loud voice they were saying: “Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and blessing!”
- Romans 11:36
For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever! Amen.
- Philippians 2:10
Through
Isaiah 49:13Shout for joy, O heavens; rejoice, O earth; break forth in song, O mountains! For the LORD has comforted His people, and He will have compassion on His afflicted ones.
it leads to
- Isaiah 44:23
Sing for joy, O heavens, for the LORD has done this; shout aloud, O depths of the earth. Break forth in song, O mountains, you forests and all your trees. For the LORD has…
- Isaiah 51:3
For the LORD will comfort Zion and will look with compassion on all her ruins; He will make her wilderness like Eden and her desert like the garden of the LORD. Joy and gladness…
- Isaiah 44:23
Through
Psalms 107:22Let them offer sacrifices of thanksgiving and declare His works with rejoicing.
it leads to
- Psalms 50:14
Sacrifice a thank offering to God, and fulfill your vows to the Most High.
- Psalms 50:14
About Psalms

This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Augustine of Hippo, Exposition on Psalm 66; Charles Spurgeon, The Treasury of David, Vol. 3; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.
