Psalms 66:17
in Psalms 66I cried out to Him with my mouth and praised Him with my tongue.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
I cried unto him with my mouth, And he was extolled with my tongue.
KJV
I cried unto him with my mouth, and he was extolled with my tongue.
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This verse in Psalms 66
Commentary
12 notes on this verseI cried unto him with my mouth, and he was extolled with my tongue. It is well when prayer and praise go together, like the horses in Pharaoh's chariot. Some cry who do not sing, and some sing who do not cry: both together are best. Since the Lord's answers so frequently follow close at the heels of our petitions, and even overtake them, it becomes us to let our grateful praises keep pace with our humble prayers.
This site's exposition
Come and listen, all you who fear God
on Psalms 66:16-20
Come and listen answers the come and see of verse 5. Sight was offered to the whole earth; the testimony is offered to those who fear God. Verse 18 names the condition the answer rests on, a heart that does not keep hold of iniquity.
This site's exposition
praised Him with my tongue
The Hebrew reads exaltation was under his tongue, which Jamieson, Fausset and Brown take as praise stored and ready, so that honoring God was habitual. Charles Spurgeon yokes prayer and praise like the horses of Pharaoh's chariot. Both were in his mouth at once.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
"How great things He has done to my soul." "To Him with my mouth I have cried" [Psalm 66:17]. And this very thing, he says, has been done to his soul; that to Him with his mouth he should cry, has been done, he says, to his soul. Behold, brethren, Gentiles we were, even if not in ourselves, in our parents. And what says the Apostle? "You know, when Gentiles you were, to idols without speech how ye went up, being led." [1 Corinthians 12:2] Let the Church now say, "how great things He has done to my soul." "To Him with my mouth I have cried." I a man to a stone was crying, to a deaf stock I was crying, to idols deaf and dumb I was speaking: now the image of God has been turned to the Creator thereof. I that was "saying to a stock, My father you are; and to a stone, You have begotten me:" [Jeremiah 2:27] now say, "Our Father, which art in Heaven." [Matthew 6:9] ..."To Him with my mouth I have cried, and I have exalted Him under my tongue." See how in secret He would be uncorrupt that offers marrowed holocausts. This do ye, brethren, this imitate, so that you may say, "Come ye, see how great things He has done to my soul." For all those things of which he tells, by His Grace are done in our soul. See the other things of which he speaks.
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
His exaltation was under my tongue (so it may be read); that is, I was considering in my mind how I might exalt and magnify his name. When prayers are in our mouths praises must be in our hearts. (2.) He had wrought in him a dread of sin as an enemy to prayer (
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
I cried unto him with my mouth,....
If we have learned in every thing to give thanks for ancient and modern mercies, public and personal mercies, we shall know how to sing this psalm with grace and understanding. All Mankind Exhorted to Praise God. 1 Make a joyful noise unto God, all ye lands: 2 Sing forth the honour of his name: make his praise glorious.
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
With these he unites his public thanks, inviting those who fear God (Ps 60:4; 61:5, His true worshippers) to hear. He vindicates his sincerity, inasmuch as God would not hear hypocrites, but had heard him.
4 more voices on this verse
The Nineteenth Century4 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
he was extolled with my tongue--literally, "exaltation (was) under my tongue," as a place of deposit, whence it proceeded; that is, honoring God was habitual.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase
I cried unto him with my mouth, and he was extolled with my tongue. It is well when prayer and praise go together, like the horses in Pharaoh's chariot. Some cry who do not sing, and some sing who do not cry: both together are best. Since the Lord's answers so frequently follow close at the heels of our petitions, and even overtake them, it becomes us to let our grateful praises keep pace with our humble prayers. Observe that the psalmist did both cry and speak; the Lord has cast the dumb devil out of his children, and those of them who are least fluent with their tongues are often the most eloquent with their hearts.
I cried unto him with my mouth - My prayer was fervent; he heard and answered; and my tongue celebrated his mercies; and he as graciously received my thanksgiving, as he compassionately heard my prayer.
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
I cried unto him with my mouth - That is, in my trouble; when distress came upon me. This, according to the explanation of the design of the psalm given above, is one individual speaking on behalf of the nation, or uttering the sentiment of the people. At the same time, however, all this is language appropriate to an individual when recording his own experience. And he was extolled with my tongue - I praised him; I acknowledged his supremacy. I recognized my dependence on him, and looked to him as that God who had all things under his control, and who could grant me the deliverance which I desired.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| אֵלָ֥יו | ʾelav | to him | H413 → | 5510 times |
| פִּֽי־ | pi- | mouth my | H6310 → | 498 times |
| קָרָ֑אתִי | karati | I called out | H7121 → | 733 times |
| וְ֝רוֹמַ֗ם | veromam | and exaltation | H7318 → | |
| תַּ֣חַת | tachat | [was] under | H8478 → | 505 times |
| לְשׁוֹנִֽי׃ | leshoni | tongue my | H3956 → | 117 times |
אֵלָ֥יוto him
ʾelavH413 →5510 times
פִּֽי־mouth my
pi-H6310 →498 times
קָרָ֑אתִיI called out
karatiH7121 →733 times
וְ֝רוֹמַ֗םand exaltation
veromamH7318 →
תַּ֣חַת[was] under
tachatH8478 →505 times
לְשׁוֹנִֽי׃tongue my
leshoniH3956 →117 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 34:6This poor man called out, and the LORD heard him; He saved him from all his troubles.
it leads to
- Psalms 34:17–19
The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears; He delivers them from all their troubles.
- Psalms 3:4
To the LORD I cry aloud, and He answers me from His holy mountain. Selah
- Psalms 10:17
You have heard, O LORD, the desire of the humble; You will strengthen their hearts. You will incline Your ear,
- Psalms 66:16–20
Come and listen, all you who fear God, and I will declare what He has done for me.
- Psalms 34:17–19
Through
Psalms 116:12How can I repay the LORD for all His goodness to me?
it leads to
- 1 Corinthians 6:20
you were bought at a price. Therefore glorify God with your body.
- Psalms 103:2
Bless the LORD, O my soul, and do not forget all His kind deeds—
- 2 Corinthians 5:14–15
For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that One died for all, therefore all died.
- Romans 12:1
Therefore I urge you, brothers, on account of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.
- 1 Corinthians 6:20
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 (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.