Psalms 113:4
in Psalms 113The LORD is exalted over all the nations, His glory above the heavens.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Jehovah is high above all nations, And his glory above the heavens.
KJV
The Lord is high above all nations, and his glory above the heavens.
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This verse in Psalms 113
Commentary
10 notes on this verseThe Lord is high above all nations,.... He is the most High in all the earth; he is higher than the highest; he is King of kings and Lord of lords: all nations are made by him, and are under his government and dominion; he is the Governor among the nations; they are in comparison of him as the drop of a bucket, as the small dust of the balance; as nothing, yea, less than nothing, and vanity.
This site's exposition
exalted over all the nations
on Psalms 113:4-6
Exalted over all the nations, the LORD has His glory above the heavens. Verse 5 asks who is like Him, and verse 6 answers: the One enthroned on high humbles Himself to look at the heavens and earth. Verse 7 turns that stooping into lifting.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
"The Lord is high above all heathen" [Psalm 113:4]. The heathen are men: what wonder if the Lord be above all men? They see with their eyes those whom they worship high above themselves to shine in heaven, the sun and moon and stars, creatures which they serve while they neglect the Creator. But not only "is the Lord high above all heathen;" but "His glory" also "is above the heavens." The heavens look up unto Him above themselves; and the humble have Him together with them, who do not worship the heavens instead of Him, though placed in the flesh beneath the heavens.
The Medieval Church1 voice
There [on Sinai], after all the legal decrees had been heard, the entire people answered with one voice, "We will hear and do all the words that the Lord has spoken." Here [in the upper room], after the assembly of the church, which was being …
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
We are, in our praises, to exalt his name, for he is high, his glory is high. (1.) High above all nations, their kings though ever so pompous, their people though ever so numerous.
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
The Lord is high above all nations. Though the Gentiles knew him not, yet was Jehovah their ruler: their false gods were no gods, and their kings were puppets in his hands. The Lord is high above all the learning, judgment, and imagination of heathen sages, and far beyond the pomp and might of the monarchs of the nations. Like the great arch of the firmament, the presence of the Lord spans all the lands where dwell the varied tribes of men, for his providence is universal: this may well excite our confidence and praise.
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
God's exaltation enhances His condescension; 7, 8. which condescension is illustrated as often in raising the worthy poor and needy to honor (compare 1Sa 2:8;
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
3 more voices on this verse
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
The Lord is high above all nations. Though the Gentiles knew him not, yet was Jehovah their ruler: their false gods were no gods, and their kings were puppets in his hands. The Lord is high above all the learning, judgment, and imagination of heathen sages, and far beyond the pomp and might of the monarchs of the nations. Like the great arch of the firmament, the presence of the Lord spans all the lands where dwell the varied tribes of men, for his providence is universal: this may well excite our confidence and praise. And his glory above the heavens: higher than the loftiest part of creation; the clouds are the dust of his feet, and sun, moon, and stars twinkle far below his throne. Even the heaven of heavens cannot contain him. His glory cannot be set forth by the whole visible universe, nor even by the solemn pomp of angelic armies; it is above all conception and imagination, for he is God—infinite. Let us above all adore him who is above all.
The Lord is high above all nations - He governs all, he provides for all; therefore let all give him praise.
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
The Lord is high above all nations - Hebrew, Exalted above all nations is Yahweh. That is, he rules over all nations; he directs their affairs; he is their sovereign king. As a matter of fact, and from the necessity of the case, he is on a throne which is elevated above all the kings and kingdoms of the world. He is the Sovereign not only of one nation, but of all; and it is meet that this should be acknowledged by them all. And his glory above the heavens - That which renders him glorious. The manifestations of his glorious character are not confined to the earth; they extend to the heavens; they are not confined to the visible heavens; they extend far beyond, in the regions of illimitable space. The universe - the earth and the starry worlds - all are full of the manifestations of his glory; and far beyond the bounds of created things (if they have a boundary), God is there - without limit - the same God - worthy there of universal praise! Who can comprehend such a God? Compare the notes at Psa 8:1.
The words behind it
8 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| רָ֖ם | ram | [is] exalted | H7311 → | 190 times |
| עַל־ | ʾal- | over | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| כָּל־ | kol- | all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| גּוֹיִ֥ם׀ | goyim | nations | H1471 → | 561 times |
| יְהוָ֑ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| עַ֖ל | ʾal | [is] above | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| הַשָּׁמַ֣יִם | hashamayim | the heavens | H8064 → | 421 times |
| כְּבוֹדֽוֹ׃ | kevodo | glory his | H3519 → | 200 times |
רָ֖ם[is] exalted
ramH7311 →190 times
עַל־over
ʾal-H5921 →5755 times
כָּל־all
kol-H3605 →5413 times
גּוֹיִ֥ם׀nations
goyimH1471 →561 times
יְהוָ֑הYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
עַ֖ל[is] above
ʾalH5921 →5755 times
הַשָּׁמַ֣יִםthe heavens
hashamayimH8064 →421 times
כְּבוֹדֽוֹ׃glory his
kevodoH3519 →200 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 8:1O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is Your name in all the earth! You have set Your glory above the heavens.
it leads to
- Psalms 8:9
O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is Your name in all the earth!
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Psalms 113:2–4
Blessed be the name of the LORD both now and forevermore.
- Psalms 57:5
Be exalted, O God, above the heavens; may Your glory cover all the earth.
- Psalms 148:13
Let them praise the name of the LORD, for His name alone is exalted; His splendor is above the earth and the heavens.
- Psalms 57:10–11
For Your loving devotion reaches to the heavens, and Your faithfulness to the clouds.
- Psalms 8:9
Through
Isaiah 40:17All the nations are as nothing before Him; He regards them as nothingness and emptiness.
it leads to
- Psalms 62:9
Lowborn men are but a vapor, the exalted but a lie. Weighed on the scale, they go up; together they are but a vapor.
- Daniel 4:34–35
But at the end of those days I, Nebuchadnezzar, looked up to heaven, and my sanity was restored to me. Then I praised the Most High, and I honored and glorified Him who lives…
- Psalms 62:9
Through
Psalms 99:2Great is the LORD in Zion; He is exalted above all the peoples.
it leads to
- Psalms 97:9
For You, O LORD, are Most High over all the earth; You are exalted far above all gods.
- Psalms 97:9
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies1
About Psalms
This page draws on 9 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 113; Bede, Homilies on the Gospels 2:17; Charles Spurgeon, The Treasury of David, Vol. 5; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Calvin, Commentary on the Book of Psalms; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.