Psalms 147:1
in Psalms 147Hallelujah! How good it is to sing praises to our God, how pleasant and lovely to praise Him!
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Praise ye Jehovah; For it is good to sing praises unto our God; For it is pleasant, and praise is comely.
KJV
Praise ye the Lord: for it is good to sing praises unto our God; for it is pleasant; and praise is comely.
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This verse in Psalms 147
Commentary
10 notes on this versePraise the Lord, for a psalm is good. The one hundred and forty-sixth psalm is headed with the title "Alleluia." Those who do not know the Hebrew language, when they see "alleluia" set at the head of a psalm, are wont to ask what it means. This psalm, then, has "alleluia" not only in its title, but also at the very opening of the psalm. For where it says "Praise the Lord," in the Hebrew it says "alleluia."
This site's exposition
How good it is to sing praises
on Psalms 147:1-2
Praise is called good, pleasant and lovely in one breath. The work named next is building and gathering: the LORD builds up Jerusalem and brings home the exiles of Israel. Matthew Henry takes that building as the church, framed in God's counsels and founded by the preaching of the gospel.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
It is said to us, "Praise the Lord." This is said to all nations, not to us alone. And these words, sounded forth through separate places by the Readers, each Church heareth separately; but the one same Voice of God proclaimeth unto all, that we praise Him. And as though we asked wherefore we ought to praise the Lord, behold what reason he hath brought forward: "Praise the Lord," he saith, "for a Psalm is good." Is this all the reward of them that praise? ...The "Psalm" is praise of God. This then he saith, "Praise the Lord, for it is good to praise the Lord." Let us not thus pass over the praise of the Lord. It is spoken, and hath passed: it is done, and we are silent: we have praised, and then rested; we have sung, and then rested. We go forth to some business which awaits us, and when other employments have found us, shall the praise of God cease in us? Not so: thy tongue praiseth but for a while, let thy life ever praise. Thus then "a Psalm is good." For a "Psalm" is a song, not any kind of song, but a song to a psaltery. A psaltery is a kind of instrument of music, like the lyre and the harp, and such kinds of instruments, which were invented for music. He therefore who singeth Psalms, not only singeth with his voice, but with a certain instrument besides, which is called a psaltery, he accompanieth his voice with his hands. Wilt thou then sing a Psalm? Let not thy voice alone sound the praises of God; but let thy works also be in harmony with thy voice. ...To please then the ear, sing with thy voice; but with thy heart be not silent, with thy life be not still.
The Reformation1 voice
Praise ye God; for it is good to sing praises unto our God, for it is pleasant, and praise is comely. Jehovah building up Jerusalem, will gather the dispersed of Israel: 3.
quarantine:scripture (2026-07-29) — scripture-overlap:81%@v1-2
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
Praise ye the Lord,.... When he shall reign, as Kimchi connects this psalm with the preceding; the arguments used to engage men to this work are taken partly from the nature of it, as in the next clauses; and partly from what the Lord is and does, as in the following verses; for it is good to sing praises unto our God; it being agreeably to his revealed will, what he enjoins, approves of, and accepts, and is profitable to his people, as well as makes his glory; see Psa 92:
We are furnished with matter for praise, for God is to be glorified, 1. As the God of nature, and so he is very great,
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
Praise ye the Lord, or Hallelujah: The flow of the broad river of the Book of Psalms ends in a cataract of praise. The present Psalm begins and ends with Hallelujah. Jehovah and happy praise should ever be associated in the mind of a believer. Jove was dreaded, but Jehovah is beloved. To one and all of the true seed of Israel the Psalmist acts as choir master, and cries, "Praise ye the Lord." Such an exhortation may fitly be addressed to all those who owe anything to the favour of God; and which of us does not?
3 more voices on this verse
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
Praise ye the Lord, or Hallelujah: The flow of the broad river of the Book of Psalms ends in a cataract of praise. The present Psalm begins and ends with Hallelujah. Jehovah and happy praise should ever be associated in the mind of a believer. Jove was dreaded, but Jehovah is beloved. To one and all of the true seed of Israel the Psalmist acts as choir master, and cries, "Praise ye the Lord." Such an exhortation may fitly be addressed to all those who owe anything to the favour of God; and which of us does not? Pay him we cannot, but praise him we will, not only now, but for ever. "For it is good to sing praises unto our God." It is good because it is right; good because it is acceptable with God, beneficial to ourselves, and stimulating to our fellows. The goodness of an exercise is good argument with good men for its continual practice. Singing the divine praises is the best possible use of speech: it speaks of God, for God, and to God, and it does this in a joyful and reverent manner. Singing in the heart is good, but singing with heart and voice is better, for it allows others to join with us. Jehovah is our God, our covenant God, therefore let him have the homage of our praise; and he is so gracious and happy a God that our praise may best be expressed in joyful song. For it is pleasant; and praise is comely. It is pleasant and proper, sweet and suitable to laud the Lord Most High. It is refreshing to the taste of the truly refined mind, and it is agreeable to the eye of the pure in heart: it is delightful both to hear and to see a whole assembly praising the Lord. These are arguments for song service which men who love true piety, real pleasure, and strict propriety will not despise. Please to praise, for praise is pleasant: praise the Lord in the beauty of holiness, for praise is comely.
Praise is comely - It is decent, befitting, and proper that every intelligent creature should acknowledge the Supreme Being: and as he does nothing but good to the children of men, so they should speak good of his name.
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
Praise ye the Lord - Hallelu-jah. See Psa 146:1. For it is good to sing praises unto our God - See the notes at Psa 92:1: “It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord.” For it is pleasant - See the notes at Psa 135:3: “Sing praises unto his name, for it is pleasant.” The Hebrew word is the same. And praise is comely - Becoming; proper. See the notes at Psa 33:1: “praise is comely for the upright.” The Hebrew word is the same. If these psalms were composed for the rededication of the temple, it would not be unnatural that much of the language employed should be borrowed from earlier psalms with which the people were familiar.
The words behind it
10 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| הַ֥לְלוּ | halu | praise | H1984 → | 165 times |
| יָ֨הּ׀ | yah | Yahweh | H3050 → | 50 times |
| כִּי־ | ki- | for | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| ט֭וֹב | tov | [is] good | H2896 → | 538 times |
| זַמְּרָ֣ה | zamerah | to sing praises to | H2167 → | 45 times |
| אֱלֹהֵ֑ינוּ | ʾeloheinu | God our | H430 → | 2601 times |
| כִּֽי־ | ki- | for | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| נָ֝עִים | naim | [is] pleasant | H5273 → | 13 times |
| נָאוָ֥ה | navah | [is] fitting | H5000 → | |
| תְהִלָּֽה׃ | tehilah | praise | H8416 → | 56 times |
הַ֥לְלוּpraise
haluH1984 →165 times
יָ֨הּ׀Yahweh
yahH3050 →50 times
כִּי־for
ki-H3588 →4482 times
ט֭וֹב[is] good
tovH2896 →538 times
זַמְּרָ֣הto sing praises to
zamerahH2167 →45 times
אֱלֹהֵ֑ינוּGod our
ʾeloheinuH430 →2601 times
כִּֽי־for
ki-H3588 →4482 times
נָ֝עִים[is] pleasant
naimH5273 →13 times
נָאוָ֥ה[is] fitting
navahH5000 →
תְהִלָּֽה׃praise
tehilahH8416 →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
Psalms 92:1It is good to praise the LORD, and to sing praises to Your name, O Most High,
it leads to
- Psalms 33:1
Rejoice in the LORD, O righteous ones; it is fitting for the upright to praise Him.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Psalms 107:1
Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; His loving devotion endures forever.
- Ephesians 5:19
Speak to one another with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your hearts to the Lord,
- Psalms 107:21–22
Let them give thanks to the LORD for His loving devotion and His wonders to the sons of men.
- Psalms 135:3
Hallelujah, for the LORD is good; sing praises to His name, for it is lovely.
- Psalms 33:1
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.
- Philippians 4:4
Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!
- Psalms 32:11
Through
Psalms 135:3Hallelujah, for the LORD is good; sing praises to His name, for it is lovely.
it leads to
- Psalms 119:68
You are good, and You do what is good; teach me Your statutes.
- Psalms 119:68
Where this verse is studied
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 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 147; Charles Spurgeon, The Treasury of David, Vol. 7; Jerome, Homily 56, on Psalm 146; John Calvin, Commentaries; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.