Psalms 135:3
in Psalms 135Hallelujah, for the LORD is good; sing praises to His name, for it is lovely.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Praise ye Jehovah; for Jehovah is good: Sing praises unto his name; for it is pleasant.
KJV
Praise the Lord; for the Lord is good: sing praises unto his name; for it is pleasant.
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This verse in Psalms 135
Commentary
9 notes on this verseThis site's exposition
Praise the name of the LORD
on Psalms 135:1-4
Barnes reads Hallelujah as Praise Jah, the shortened name of Yahweh. The call goes to the servants of the LORD who stand in His house and courts, and the ground given is that He chose Jacob. Matthew Henry names them God's segullah, the word Exodus 19:5 uses of Israel.
This site's exposition
sing praises to His name
Lovely translates naim, the word Psalm 133:1 sets beside good for brothers in harmony. Verse 3 puts the same two words side by side, good of the LORD and lovely in the praise of His name. Sing praises translates zamar, to make music.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
What reason shall I give why you should praise Him? "Because the Lord is good" (ver. 3). Briefly in one word is here explained the praise of the Lord our God. "The Lord is good;" good, not in the same manner as the things which He here made are good. For God made all things very good; not only good, but also very good. He made the sky and earth, and all things which are in them good, and He made them very good. If He made all these things good, of what sort is He who made them? ...How far can we speak of His goodness? Who can conceive in his heart, or apprehend how good the Lord is? Let us however return to ourselves, and in us recognise Him, and praise the Maker in His works, because we are not fit to contemplate Him Himself. And in hope that we may be able to contemplate Him, when our heart hath been purified by faith, that hereafter it may rejoice in the Truth; now as He cannot be seen by us, let us look at His works, that we may not live without praising Him.
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
Praise ye the Lord, for the Lord is good,....
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
Praise the Lord. Do it again; continue to do it; do it better and more heartily; do it in growing numbers; do it at once. There are good reasons for praising the Lord, and among the first is this— for the Lord is good. He is so good that there is none good in the same sense or degree. He is so good that all good is found in him, flows from him, and is rewarded by him. The word God is brief for good; and truly God is the essence of goodness.
Praise the Lord. Do it again; continue to do it; do it better and more heartily; do it in growing numbers; do it at once. There are good reasons for praising the Lord, and among the first is this— for the Lord is good. He is so good that there is none good in the same sense or degree. He is so good that all good is found in him, flows from him, and is rewarded by him. The word God is brief for good; and truly God is the essence of goodness. Should not his goodness be well spoken of? Yea, with our best thoughts, and words, and hymns let us glorify his name. Sing praises unto his name, for it is pleasant. The adjective may apply to the singing and to the name—they are both pleasant. The vocal expression of praise by sacred song is one of our greatest delights. We were created for this purpose, and hence it is a joy to us. It is a charming duty to praise the lovely name of our God. All pleasure is to be found in the joyful worship of Jehovah; all joys are in his sacred name as perfumes lie slumbering in a garden of flowers. The mind expands, the soul is lifted up, the heart warms, the whole being is filled with delight when we are engaged in singing the high praises of our Father, Redeemer, Comforter. When in any occupation goodness and pleasure unite, we do well to follow it up without stint: yet it is to be feared that few of us sing to the Lord at all in proportion as we talk to men.
The Lord is good - Here is the first reason why he should be praised; and a second is subjoined: For it is pleasant - It is becoming to acknowledge this infinite Being, and our dependence on him; and it is truly comfortable to an upright mind to be thus employed.
2 more voices on this verse
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
Praise the Lord, for the Lord is good - See Psa 107:1. Sing praises unto his name, for it is pleasant - See Psa 33:1; Psa 92:1. The idea here is, that it is a source of happiness, and that it is proper in itself.
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
Praise the Lord, for the Lord is good - See Psa 107:1. Sing praises unto his name, for it is pleasant - See Psa 33:1; Psa 92:1. The idea here is, that it is a source of happiness, and that it is proper in itself.
The words behind it
9 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| הַֽ֭לְלוּ־ | halu- | praise | H1984 → | 165 times |
| יָהּ | yah | Yahweh | H3050 → | 50 times |
| כִּי־ | ki- | for | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| ט֣וֹב | tov | [is] good | H2896 → | 538 times |
| יְהוָ֑ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| זַמְּר֥וּ | zameru | sing praises | H2167 → | 45 times |
| לִ֝שְׁמ֗וֹ | lishmo | to name his | H8034 → | 864 times |
| כִּ֣י | ki | for | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| נָעִֽים׃ | naim | [it is] pleasant | H5273 → | 13 times |
הַֽ֭לְלוּ־praise
halu-H1984 →165 times
יָהּYahweh
yahH3050 →50 times
כִּי־for
ki-H3588 →4482 times
ט֣וֹב[is] good
tovH2896 →538 times
יְהוָ֑הYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
זַמְּר֥וּsing praises
zameruH2167 →45 times
לִ֝שְׁמ֗וֹto name his
lishmoH8034 →864 times
כִּ֣יfor
kiH3588 →4482 times
נָעִֽים׃[it is] pleasant
naimH5273 →13 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 118:1Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; His loving devotion endures forever.
it leads to
- 1 Chronicles 16:34
Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; His loving devotion endures forever.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- 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.
- Jeremiah 33:11
the sounds of joy and gladness, the voices of the bride and bridegroom, and the voices of those bringing thank offerings into the house of the LORD, saying: ‘Give thanks to the LORD of…
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Psalms 107:1
Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; His loving devotion endures forever.
- 1 Chronicles 16:34
Through
Psalms 106:1Hallelujah! Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; His loving devotion endures forever.
it leads to
- 1 Thessalonians 5:18
Give thanks in every circumstance, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
- Psalms 105:1
Give thanks to the LORD, call upon His name; make known His deeds among the nations.
- 1 Thessalonians 5:18
Through
Psalms 33:1Rejoice in the LORD, O righteous ones; it is fitting for the upright to praise Him.
it leads to
- Psalms 32:11
Be glad in the LORD and rejoice, O righteous ones; shout for joy, all you upright in heart.
- Psalms 32:11
Through
Psalms 119:68You are good, and You do what is good; teach me Your statutes.
it leads to
- Psalms 119:12
Blessed are You, O LORD; teach me Your statutes.
- Psalms 119:12
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Psalms

This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes on the Book of Psalms; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Augustine of Hippo, Exposition on Psalm 135; Charles Spurgeon, The Treasury of David, Vol. 7; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Keil and Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.
