Psalms 71:21
in Psalms 71You will increase my honor and comfort me once again.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Increase thou my greatness, And turn again and comfort me.
KJV
Thou shalt increase my greatness, and comfort me on every side.
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This verse in Psalms 71
Commentary
8 notes on this verseThou shalt increase my greatness. As a king, David grew in influence and power. God did great things for him, and by him, and this is all the greatness believers want. May we have faith in God, such as these words evince. And comfort me on every side. As we were surrounded with afflictions, so shall we be environed with consolations. From above, and from all around, light shall come to dispel our former gloom; the change shall be great, indeed, when the Lord returns to comfort us. Here is the final vow of praise.
This site's exposition
reaches to the heavens
on Psalms 71:19-21
The praise comes before the rescue, with God's righteousness reaching to the heavens and no one like him. Verse 20 names the troubles as shown by God himself and still looks for reviving, even out of the depths of the earth. Delitzsch reads those depths as the grave.
This site's exposition
You will increase my honor and comfort me once again
Barnes read the Hebrew as God turning again to comfort, from a verb that can also mean to surround. Spurgeon drew out the picture: the man once surrounded by troubles is now surrounded by comfort. Honor returns with comfort.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
But this was discipline; admonition, not desertion. Lastly, giving thanks, he saith what? "And being turned Thou hast made me alive, and from the bottomless places of the earth again Thou hast brought me back." But when before? What is this "again"? Thou hast fallen from a high place, O man, disobedient slave, O thou proud against thy Lord, thou hast fallen. There hast come to pass in thee, "every one that exalteth himself shall be humbled:" may there come to pass in thee, "every one that humbleth himself shall be exalted." Return thou from the deep. I return, he saith, I return, I acknowledge; "O God, who is like unto Thee? How great troubles hast Thou shown to me, many and evil! and being turned Thou hast made me alive, and from the bottomless places of the earth again Thou hast brought me back." "We perceive," I hear. Thou hast brought us back from the bottomless places of the earth, hast brought us back from the depth and drowning of sin. But why "again"? When had it already been done? Let us go on, if perchance the latter parts of the Psalm itself do not explain to us the thing which here we do not yet perceive, namely, why he hath said "again." Therefore let us hear: "How great troubles Thou hast shown to me, many and evil! And being turned Thou hast made me alive, and from the bottomless places of the earth again Thou hast brought me back." What then? "Thou hast multiplied Thy righteousness, and being turned Thou hast comforted me, and from the bottomless places of the earth again Thou hast brought me back" (ver. 21). Behold a second "again"! If we labour to unravel this "again" when written once, who will be able to unravel it when doubled? […]
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
When our Lord Jesus was quickened again, and brought back from the depths of the earth, his greatness was increased, and he entered on the joy set before him.
Thou shalt increase my greatness,....
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
Thou shalt increase my greatness - Thou wilt restore me to my throne and kingdom; and it shall be done in such a way that all shall see it was the hand of God; and I shall have the more honor on the account. Comfort me on every side - I shall have friends in all quarters; and the tribes on all sides will support me.
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
Thou shalt increase my greatness - Thou wilt not merely restore me to my former condition, but wilt enlarge my happiness, and wilt do still greater things for me. And comfort me on every side - literally, “Thou wilt turn thyself; thou wilt comfort me.” The word also means to surround; to encompass Gen 2:11, Gen 2:13; 1Ki 7:24; Psa 18:5; and the idea here may be that God would “go around him,” or encircle him, and would thus comfort him. This idea is expressed in our common version. It was the confident assurance of entire, or complete consolation.
The words behind it
4 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| תֶּ֤רֶב׀ | terev | may you increase | H7235 → | 227 times |
| גְּֽדֻלָּתִ֗י | gedulati | greatness my | H1420 → | 12 times |
| וְתִסֹּ֥ב | vetiso | and may you turn | H5437 → | 161 times |
| תְּֽנַחֲמֵֽנִי׃ | tenachameni | may you comfort me | H5162 → | 108 times |
תֶּ֤רֶב׀may you increase
terevH7235 →227 times
גְּֽדֻלָּתִ֗יgreatness my
gedulatiH1420 →12 times
וְתִסֹּ֥בand may you turn
vetisoH5437 →161 times
תְּֽנַחֲמֵֽנִי׃may you comfort me
tenachameniH5162 →108 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 86:17Show me a sign of Your goodness, that my enemies may see and be ashamed; for You, O LORD, have helped me and comforted me.
it leads to
- Psalms 41:10–11
But You, O LORD, be gracious to me and raise me up, that I may repay them.
- Judges 6:17
Gideon answered, “If I have found favor in Your sight, give me a sign that it is You speaking with me.
- Psalms 71:20–21
Though You have shown me many troubles and misfortunes, You will revive me once again. Even from the depths of the earth You will bring me back up.
- Psalms 71:9–13
Do not discard me in my old age; do not forsake me when my strength fails.
- Micah 7:8–10
Do not gloat over me, my enemy! Though I have fallen, I will arise; though I sit in darkness, the LORD will be my light.
- Psalms 41:10–11
Through
Isaiah 12:1In that day you will say: “O LORD, I will praise You. Although You were angry with me, Your anger has turned away, and You have comforted me.
it leads to
- Psalms 30:5
For His anger is fleeting, but His favor lasts a lifetime. Weeping may stay the night, but joy comes in the morning.
- Isaiah 54:8
In a surge of anger I hid My face from you for a moment, but with everlasting kindness I will have compassion on you,” says the LORD your Redeemer.
- Isaiah 25:1
O LORD, You are my God! I will exalt You; I will praise Your name. For You have worked wonders—plans formed long ago—in perfect faithfulness.
- Psalms 30:5
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 71; Charles Spurgeon, The Treasury of David, Vol. 3; Franz Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Psalms; 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.
