Psalms 92:1
in Psalms 92It is good to praise the LORD, and to sing praises to Your name, O Most High,
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
It is a good thing to give thanks unto Jehovah, And to sing praises unto thy name, O Most High;
KJV
It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord, and to sing praises unto thy name, O most High:
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This verse in Psalms 92
Commentary
11 notes on this verseIt is good to give praise to the Lord, and to sing to your name, O Most High. He did not say, it is good to sing, and afterwards to give praise; but see the order: It is good to give praise, and it is good to sing. First do penance and wipe away your sins with tears, and afterwards sing to the Lord. It is good to give praise to the Lord: not to men, but to God: confess your sins to him who is able to heal. And to sing to your name, O Most High.
This site's exposition
It is good to praise the LORD
on Psalms 92:1-3
The call runs across the whole day, loving devotion in the morning and faithfulness at night. Verse 3 names the instruments, a ten-stringed harp and a lyre. The good thing is the praise itself, offered to the Most High by name.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers3 voices
It is good to give praise to the Lord, and to sing psalms to your name, O Most High. Why did he not say first, "It is good to sing psalms," and afterward "to give praise"? But because this was the order of true confession, therefore he spoke thus: it is good first to do penance, and for a person to confess his sins to the Lord; and when he has confessed his sins, then to sing psalms to him, when by doing penance he has earned the free voice with which he can burst forth in the praise of God without the confession of sin.
The ninety-first psalm is prefaced with this title: A psalm of a song for the sabbath day. No one can keep the sabbath day unless he has first passed through six days. For six days we labor; on the seventh day we rest. Therefore we cannot sing to the Lord except on the sabbath day. As long as we do the works of this world, that is, during the six days, we cannot sing to the Lord. And so it is said in Leviticus: "You shall do no servile work on the sabbath day." Whoever, then, is in the sabbath and in the Lord's rest ought not to do servile work, that is, work that pertains to this world; but he ought to do that work which pertains to the sabbath. Do you want to know that on the sabbath the priests work in the temple of the Lord? On the sabbath no one is permitted to cut wood. Indeed, one man who was found doing so in the wilderness was stoned and killed. Likewise it is not permitted to kindle a fire, nor even to do any work at all. But you see that all these things, which no one in the world is permitted to do on the sabbath, are permitted to the priests alone: for they both cut wood, and lay on the fire, and perform other ministries, and offer up sacrifices. Why have I said all this? To show that it is written in the law that we too must cease even on the sabbath day from the works of the world, and do those things that pertain to God. So then, it is a psalm of a song for the sabbath day, when we do not work for the world, but work for God. Let us see, therefore, what we ought to sing on the sabbath, when we cease from the works of the world.
...We are not Christians, except on account of a future life: let no one hope for present blessings, let no one promise himself the happiness of the world, because he is a Christian: but let him use the happiness he hath, as he may, in what manner he may, when he may, as far as he may. When it is present, let him give thanks for the consolation of God: when it is wanting, let him give thanks to the Divine justice. Let him always be grateful, never ungrateful: let him be grateful to his Father, who soothes and caresses him: and grateful to his Father when He chasteneth him with the scourge, and teacheth him: for He ever loveth, whether He caress or threaten: and let him say what ye have heard in the Psalm: "It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord; and to sing praises unto Thy Name, Thou Most Highest."
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
18, 19 ), and by these he proclaims his name. His mercy and truth are the great supports of our faith and hope, and the great encouragements of our love and obedience; these therefore we must show forth as our pleas in prayer and the matter of our joy. This was then done, not only by singing, but by music joined with it, upon an instrument of ten strings (
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-citation-number
It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord,.... For all mercies, temporal and spiritual; for Christ, and salvation by him; for the Gospel, and for Gospel opportunities and ordinances; for, such days and seasons this psalm was composed for.
4 more voices on this verse
The Nineteenth Century4 voices
It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord, or Jehovah. It is good ethically, for it is the Lord's right; it is good emotionally, for it is pleasant to the heart; it is good practically, for it leads others to render the same homage. When duty and pleasure combine, who will be backward? To give thanks to God is but a small return for the great benefits wherewith he daily loadeth us; yet as he by his Spirit calls it a good thing we must not despise it, or neglect it.
It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord, or Jehovah. It is good ethically, for it is the Lord's right; it is good emotionally, for it is pleasant to the heart; it is good practically, for it leads others to render the same homage. When duty and pleasure combine, who will be backward? To give thanks to God is but a small return for the great benefits wherewith he daily loadeth us; yet as he by his Spirit calls it a good thing we must not despise it, or neglect it. We thank men when they oblige us, how much more ought we to bless the Lord when he benefits us. Devout praise is always good, it is never out of season, never superfluous, but it is especially suitable to the Sabbath; a Sabbath without thanksgiving is a Sabbath profaned. And to sing praises unto thy name, O most High. It is good to give thanks in the form of vocal song. Nature itself teaches us thus to express our gratitude to God; do not the birds sing, and the brooks warble as they flow? To give his gratitude a tongue is wise in man. Silent worship is sweet, but vocal worship is sweeter. To deny the tongue the privilege of uttering the praises of God involves an unnatural strain upon the most commendable prompting of our renewed manhood, and it is a problem to us how the members of the Society of Friends can deprive themselves of so noble, so natural, so inspiring a part of sacred worship. Good as they are, they miss one good thing when they decline to sing praises unto the name of the Lord. Our personal experience has confirmed us in the belief that it is good to sing unto the Lord; we have often felt like Luther when he said, "Come, let us sing a psalm, and drive away the devil."
It is a good thing to give thanks - This Psalm begins very abruptly. Good to confess unto the Lord. He had been acknowledging God’s goodness, and praising him for his mercy; and now he breaks out and tells how good he felt this employment to be.
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord - literally, “Good is it to give thanks unto Jehovah.” That is, the act is appropriate; the effect is good. (1) The thing itself is appropriate, for there is much, under all circumstances, to be thankful for: life, health, food, raiment, air, water, friends, recollections, hopes - and, above all, the blessings of redemption, and the assurance that we may be happy forever. Many of these things may be found in the condition of all; but if all else fail, the hope of heaven - the assurance that the Redeemer died - the offer of salvation - cannot fail. That is ours, and cannot be taken away. (2) The effect is good. It is a desirable state of mind. It tends to happiness, contentment, peace. A gloomy mind makes all things around more gloomy; an unthankful mind is an unhappy mind; a murmuring, complaining, dissatisfied mind makes its possessor wretched, and all around him miserable. (3) It is good as it is due to God. For all his favor we should be thankful - and all that we enjoy is his gift. (4) It tends much to lessen the real troubles and afflictions of life to dwell on those things for which we should be thankful. And to sing praises unto thy name - Unto thee. As this psalm was designed for the “Sabbath day,” this proves that one of the appropriate services of the Sabbath is “praise.” It is a day when it is fit to recall the mercies of God to our recollection; and the remembrance of those mercies, and their celebration by appropriate songs, tend to diffuse joy over all the coming days of the week. O Most High - God exalted over all. The fact that “he” is exalted over all - over us - over our friends - over all worlds - is an appropriate thought when we come before him to praise him; appropriate at all times, and in all circumstances of life.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ט֗וֹב | tov | [is] good | H2895 → | 45 times |
| לְהֹד֥וֹת | lehodot | to give thanks | H3034 → | 114 times |
| לַיהוָ֑ה | layahweh | to Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| וּלְזַמֵּ֖ר | ulezamer | and to sing praises | H2167 → | 45 times |
| לְשִׁמְךָ֣ | leshimkha | to name your | H8034 → | 864 times |
| עֶלְיֽוֹן׃ | elyon | O Most High | H5945 → | 53 times |
ט֗וֹב[is] good
tovH2895 →45 times
לְהֹד֥וֹתto give thanks
lehodotH3034 →114 times
לַיהוָ֑הto Yahweh
layahwehH3068 →6520 times
וּלְזַמֵּ֖רand to sing praises
ulezamerH2167 →45 times
לְשִׁמְךָ֣to name your
leshimkhaH8034 →864 times
עֶלְיֽוֹן׃O Most High
elyonH5945 →53 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
Psalms 107:1Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; His loving devotion endures forever.
it leads to
- Psalms 106:1
Hallelujah! Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; His loving devotion endures forever.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- 1 Chronicles 16:34
Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; His loving devotion endures forever.
- 2 Chronicles 7:3
When all the Israelites saw the fire coming down and the glory of the LORD above the temple, they bowed down on the pavement with their faces to the ground, and they worshiped and…
- Psalms 105:1
Give thanks to the LORD, call upon His name; make known His deeds among the nations.
- Psalms 106:1
Through
Ephesians 5:19Speak to one another with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your hearts to the Lord,
it leads to
- Colossians 3:16
Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to…
- Psalms 95:2
Let us enter His presence with thanksgiving; let us make a joyful noise to Him in song.
- 1 Corinthians 14:26
What then shall we say, brothers? When you come together, everyone has a psalm or a teaching, a revelation, a tongue, or an interpretation. All of these must be done to build up the…
- Acts 16:25
About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them.
- Colossians 3:16
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Psalms
This page draws on 10 works. Open the list of works
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 92; Charles Spurgeon, The Treasury of David; Charles Spurgeon, The Treasury of David, Vol. 4; Franz Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Psalms; Jerome, Homily 21, on Psalm 91; Jerome, Homily 69, on Psalm 91 (Alternate Series); John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.