PSALMS 145

READING CYCLE THREE(see “Guide
to Good Bible Reading“)

FOLLOWING THE ORIGINAL AUTHOR’S INTENT AT
PARAGRAPH LEVEL

This is a study guide commentary which means that you are
responsible for your own interpretation of the Bible. Each of us must walk in
the light we have. You, the Bible, and the Holy Spirit are priority in
interpretation. You must not relinquish this to a commentator.

Read the chapter in one sitting. Identify the subjects (reading cycle #3). Compare your subject divisions with the five translations
above. Paragraphing is not inspired, but it is the key to following the original
author’s intent, which is the heart of interpretation. Every paragraph has one
and only one subject.

1. First paragraph

2. Second paragraph

3. Etc.

CONTEXTUAL INSIGHTS

A. This is an acrostic Psalm. There are other
examples in the Psalter.

1. Psalm 9 and 10

2. Psalm 25

3. Psalm 34

4. Psalm 37

5. Psalm 111

6. Psalm 112

7. Psalm 119

8. Psalm 145

Acrostics can also be seen in Pro. 31:16-31 and Lamentations 1; 2; 3; and 4.
There are 22 letters in the Hebrew alphabet. There are only 21 verses in this
Psalm, so obviously one letter is omitted. The Hebrew “N” has somehow been
misplaced in the Masoretic text (see SPECIAL TOPIC: TEXTUAL CRITICISM). It is
included in all of the ancient versions—the Septuagint, the Vulgate, and the
Peshitta. We find it in one Hebrew manuscript in the Dead Sea Scrolls, 11QPs^a.

B. This Psalm is about the character of Israel’s
God and His acts which reveal that character. See
Special Topic: Characteristics
of Israel’s God.

C. This Psalm has a unique universal element which
can be seen in Ps. 145:8-21. This is one of the unique glimpses into the heart
of God which shows His love for all peoples of the earth and of His desire for
all people to know Him by faith (cf. Ezek. 18:23,32; John 3:16; 4:42; 1 Tim.
2:4; 4:10; Titus 2:11; 2 Pet. 3:9; 1 John 2:1; 4:14; see
Special Topic: YHWH’s
Eternal Redemptive Plan).

WORD AND PHRASE STUDY

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 145:1-7
 ¹¹I will extol You, my God, O
King,
 And I will bless Your name
forever and ever.
 ²Every day I will
bless You,
 And I will praise Your name
forever and ever.
 ³Great is the Lord, and highly to be praised,
 And His greatness is
unsearchable.
 ⁴One generation
shall praise Your works to another,
 And shall declare Your mighty
acts.
 ⁵On the glorious
splendor of Your majesty
 And on Your wonderful works, I
will meditate.
 ⁶Men shall speak of
the power of Your awesome acts,
 And I will tell of Your
greatness.
 ⁷They shall eagerly
utter the memory of Your abundant goodness
 And will shout joyfully of
Your righteousness.

145:1 “I will extol You” Notice the
personal element expressed so often in Ps. 145:1-7. This is clearly seen by the
phrase, “my God.” It is obvious that personal faith is the beginning point in
understanding the God of creation and in history.

This opening strophe (i.e., Ps. 145:1-7) has several cohortatives.

1. I will extol You, Ps. 145:1 – BDB 926, KB 1202,
Polel imperfect used in a
cohortative
sense

2. I will bless Your name, Ps. 145:1 – BDB 138, KB
159, Piel cohortative

3. I will bless You, Ps. 145:2 – BDB 138, KB 159,
Piel imperfect used in a
cohortative
sense

4. I will praise Your name, Ps. 145:3 – BDB 237,
KB 248, Piel cohortative

5. I will meditate on Your wonderful works, Ps.
145:5 – BDB 967, KB 1319,
Qal cohortative

6. I will tell of Your greatness, Ps. 145:6 – BDB
707, KB 765, Piel
imperfect used in a cohortative sense

True faithful followers must express their faith and praise of YHWH.

▣ “O King” YHWH was the true King of
Israel (cf. 1 Sam. 8:7). The earthly king was only a mere representative of the
heavenly King (cf. Ps. 10:16; 29:10; 98:6).

▣ “I will bless Your name” The concept
of “blessing” (BDB 138-verb, 139-noun) is part of the Hebrew theology related
to the power of the spoken word. See SPECIAL TOPIC: BLESSING.

The term “name” (BDB 1027) is a Hebraic way of referring to the
person. See
Special Topic: “The Name” of YHWH.

Israel’s Deity is called Eloah in Ps. 145:1 but YHWH
nine times in the rest of the Psalm. See SPECIAL TOPIC: NAMES FOR DEITY.

▣ “forever and ever” The phrase is
used in Ps. 145:1b and 2b and seems to be used in the same sense in Ps. 34:1,
which is explicitly expressed in Ps. 145:2a. It is not really an affirmation of
the afterlife but a Hebrew idiom of daily praise. See
Special Topic: Forever (‘olam).

145:3 “His greatness is unsearchable”
The noun “greatness” (BDB 153) is used of both

1. God Himself – 1 Chr. 29:11; Ps. 48:1; 86:10;
147:5

2. His acts – 2 Sam. 7:21; 1 Chr. 17:19-21

“Unsearchable” (lit. “there is no searching,” i.e., noun construct) is used in Job 5:9; 9:10;
11:7. The same concept of God’s ways being far above our understanding is
expressed in Ps. 40:5,28; 139:6; Isa. 40:28; 55:8,9; Rom. 11:33.

145:4 “One generation shall praise Your works
to another” This is an emphasis of passing on their faith to their
children (cf. Deut. 4:9,10; 6:7,20-25; 11:19; 32:7,46; Ps. 22:30,31).

The verbs of Ps.
145:4 are imperfects but they may be
jussive in meaning, describing the psalmist’s wishes/prayers. The same is
true of Ps. 145:6 and 7 (NET Bible, p. 1009).

▣ “Your mighty acts” This emphasis is
on the God who acts in fidelity to His covenant promises, cf. Ps.
145:4,5,6,7,12. Usually this term refers to God’s past redemptive acts, such as
the Exodus.

145:5 “On the glorious splendor of Your
majesty” Human vocabulary is quite inadequate to express the glory of God
(see SPECIAL TOPIC: GLORY
[OT]). Here is a series of words which are linked
together in order to catch the glorious nature of God.

1. splendor – BDB 214, cf. 1 Chr. 16:27; Ps. 29:4;
90:16; 96:6; 104:1; 111:3; Isa. 2:10,19,21

2. majesty – BDB 217, cf. 1 Chr. 16:27; 29:11; Ps.
96:6; 111:3; 148:13

3. wondrous – BDB 810, see
Special Topic:
Wonderful Things

▣ “I will meditate” Faithful followers
will remember YHWH’s great acts, cf. Ps. 145:7. It is amazing how many times in
the Bible faithful followers are admonished to remember what God has done!

145:6 “Men shall speak of the power of Your
awesome acts” This is the first allusion to “all men,” which is the
common refrain of Ps. 145:8-21. This has contextual potential of including all
Gentiles, as well as Jews. However, it may be a literary necessity which is
produced by the acrostic form of writing.

Notice the number of ways the psalmist refers to YHWH’s works.

1. Your works, Ps. 145:4a, 9b, 10a

2. Your mighty acts, Ps. 145:4b, 12

3. Your wonderful works, Ps. 145:5b

4. Your awesome acts, Ps. 145:6a

This refers to

1. the creation and/or the flood

2. acts of forgiveness and restoration

3. call of Abraham and the Patriarchs

4. the Exodus

5. the Conquest

6. victories in battle

7. etc.

145:7 “eagerly utter” The verb (BDB 615, KB 665, Hiphil imperfect) means “to bubble up.” It is used
often in a metaphorical sense (cf. Psalm 19:2; 78:2; 119:171, 145:7). It denotes
a constant, excited proclamation.

▣ “Your righteousness” The term
“righteousness” (BDB 842) comes from the Hebrew root, “a measuring reed.” It can
be used in two ways in the OT:

1. God’s transcendent holiness and eternality

2. His acts of redeeming Israel

See SPECIAL TOPIC: RIGHTEOUSNESS.

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 145:8-13
 ⁸The
Lord is gracious and merciful;
 Slow to anger and great in
lovingkindness.
 ⁹The
Lord is good to all,
 And His mercies are over all
His works.
 ¹⁰All Your works
shall give thanks to You, O Lord,
 And Your godly ones shall
bless You.
 ¹¹They shall speak
of the glory of Your kingdom
 And talk of Your power;
 ¹²To make known to
the sons of men Your mighty acts
 And the glory of the majesty
of Your kingdom.
 ¹³Your kingdom is an
everlasting kingdom,
 And Your dominion endures
throughout all generations.

145:8 “The
Lord is gracious and merciful;
 Slow to anger and great in
lovingkindness” This is a direct quote from Exod. 34:6,7 and is repeated
in Ps. 103:8. It not only gives us the characteristics of God’s nature, but
again shows one of His mighty acts in history initiated by grace, not by human
merit (i.e., the Exodus). See SPECIAL TOPIC: CHARACTERISTICS OF ISRAEL’S GOD.

145:9 “The
Lord is good to all,
 And His mercies are over all
His works” God has an everlasting love for humans created in His image
(cf. Gen. 1:26,27; 3:8). See
Special Topic: YHWH’s Eternal Redemptive Plan.

145:10 “All Your works shall give thanks to
You, O Lord“ Compare this with Ps. 103:19-22.

NASB“godly ones”
NKJV, Peshitta“saints”
NRSV, NJB“faithful”
TEV“people”
JPSOA“faithful ones”
REB“loyal servants”
LXX“devout”

This Hebrew adjective
(BDB 339) is based on the root חסד (“hesed,” BDB 338, see
Special Topic:
Lovingkindness [hesed]). It is predominately used for faithful covenant
followers (cf. 1 Sam. 2:9; Ps. 4:3; 12:1; 30:4; 31:24; 37:28; 50:5; 79:2; 85:8;
86:2; 89:19; 97:10; 116:15; 145:10; 148:14; 149:9), but could also refer to

1. priests – Deut. 33:8; 2 Chr. 6:4; Ps. 132:16

2. the Messiah – Ps. 16:10

3. angels of the heavenly council – Ps. 29:1;
103:19-22; 148:2; and this strophe

145:11-12 These verses can refer to

1. angelic praise – see #3 in Ps. 145:10

2. faithful followers’ task of making YHWH known
to all humans (i.e., “sons of men”)

It is hard to decide which is to be preferred. Number 1 represents all
creation glorifying its Creator (cf. Ps. 103:19-22; 148:2) and number 2 is the
purpose of the call of Abraham (see
Special Topic: YHWH’s Eternal Redemptive
Plan).

145:13 “Your kingdom is an everlasting
kingdom” This concept of an eternal kingdom is found in Ps. 10:16; 29:10;
Isa. 9:6-7; Dan. 2:44; 4:3,34; 6:26; 7:14,26; 2 Pet. 1:11. See
Special Topic:
The Kingdom of God.

▣ “deed” This is where most modern
translations insert the missing nun phrase from the LXX, Peshitta and
Vulgate, and one Hebrew manuscript of the Dead Sea Scrolls (i.e., 11QPs^a),
“God is faithful in all His words and gracious in all His deeds.” This is very
similar to Ps. 145:17.

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 145:14-16
 ¹⁴The
Lord
sustains all who fall
 And raises up all who are
bowed down.
 ¹⁵The eyes of all
look to You,
 And You give them their food
in due time.
 ¹⁶You open Your hand
 And satisfy the desire of
every living thing.

145:14 “The
Lord sustains all who fall” Psalm 145:14-16 speaks of God
providing faithful followers’ physical needs, while Ps. 145:17-21 speaks of God
providing for their spiritual needs. Notice the repetitive use of the term
“all.”

145:15 “The eyes of all look to You”
These verses state that God provides food for all of His creatures, cf. Ps.
104:27,28; 136:25.

145:16 This is the concept of
“Providence.” God creates and sustains this planet and all its life forms. This
action in the OT is attributed to Elohim (see
Special Topic: Names for
Deity). 

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 145:17-21
 ¹⁷The
Lord is righteous in all His ways
 And kind in all His deeds.
 ¹⁸The
Lord is near to all who call upon Him,
 To all who call upon Him in
truth.
 ¹⁹He will fulfill
the desire of those who fear Him;
 He will also hear their cry
and will save them.
 ²⁰The
Lord
keeps all who love Him,
 But all the wicked He will
destroy.
 ²¹My mouth will
speak the praise of the Lord,
 And all flesh will bless His
holy name forever and ever.

145:17 “And kind in all His deeds”
This is the Hebrew word
hesed, which speaks of God’s covenant loyalty. It was used earlier in Ps.
145:8 to describe God’s character and here to describe God’s acts.

145:18 “The
Lord is near” This is an emphasis on the eminence of God, while
Ps. 145:5 is denoting His transcendence, cf. Ps. 34:18; 119:151; and especially
Deut. 4:7.

▣ “To all who call upon Him” There is
a series of conditions (i.e., Ps. 145:18-20). It must be remembered that all of
God’s covenants are unconditional on His part but conditional on human response.
These four conditions speak of repentance and faith, both initial and ongoing,
on the part of the people of God. See notes at Rom. 10:9-13 online.

145:19 “those who fear Him” See
Special Topic: Fear (OT).

145:20 “But all the wicked He will destroy”
This does not speak of annihilation in death but of physical judgment, cf. Ezek.
14:9; Amos 9:8; Hab. 2:2 (see Robert Girdlestone,
Synonyms of the Old Testament, p. 178).

145:21 “And all flesh will bless His holy
name forever and ever”
Again, this is like Ps. 145:1 and 3. It is not an affirmation of an afterlife,
but that certainly is implied, as in Phil. 2:6-11.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

This is a study guide
commentary which means that you are responsible for your own interpretation of
the Bible. Each of us must walk n the light we have. You, the Bible, and the
Holy Spirit are priority in interpretation. You must not relinquish this to a
commentator.

These discussion questions are provided to help you think
through the major issues of this section of the book. They are meant to be
thought provoking, not definitive.

1. List the praise-worthy attributes of God.

2. This Psalm refers to YHWH’s acts in several
verses and in several ways. What acts is it referring to?

3. How does Ps. 145:8-16 (and 145:21) communicate
YHWH’s universal love?

4. Who are “the godly ones” of Ps. 145:10?

5. Who are “the sons of men” of Ps. 145:12?

6. Does the OT focus on an eternal kingdom or a
millennium?

7. How does the “transcendence” of Ps. 145:5
relate to the “eminence” of Ps. 145:18?

8. List the four conditions of Ps. 145:18-20 which
relate to faithful followers.

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