1 Chronicles 16:28 kjv
Give unto the LORD, ye kindred of the people, give unto the LORD glory and strength.
1 Chronicles 16:28 nkjv
Give to the LORD, O families of the peoples, Give to the LORD glory and strength.
1 Chronicles 16:28 niv
Ascribe to the LORD, all you families of nations, ascribe to the LORD glory and strength.
1 Chronicles 16:28 esv
Ascribe to the LORD, O families of the peoples, ascribe to the LORD glory and strength!
1 Chronicles 16:28 nlt
O nations of the world, recognize the LORD,
recognize that the LORD is glorious and strong.
1 Chronicles 16 28 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Pss 96:7-8 | Ascribe to the LORD, O families of peoples, ascribe to the LORD glory and strength! Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name... | Identical command from the psalm's original source, emphasizing universal praise. |
| Pss 29:1-2 | Ascribe to the LORD, O heavenly beings, ascribe to the LORD glory and strength! Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name... | Similar call, highlighting heavenly and earthly realms uniting in declaring God's attributes. |
| Pss 66:1-4 | Make a joyful noise to God, all the earth... All the earth worships you... | Universal call to worship and acknowledge God's deeds. |
| Pss 145:11-12 | They shall speak of the glory of your kingdom... to make known to the children of man your mighty deeds and the glorious splendor of your kingdom. | Declaration of God's glory and strength by His people to all humanity. |
| Rom 15:9-11 | ...that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy... Rejoice, O Gentiles, with his people! ...Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles, and let all the peoples extol him. | New Testament fulfillment of the prophetic call for Gentile nations to glorify God. |
| Php 2:9-11 | Therefore God has highly exalted him... so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow... and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. | Ultimate eschatological worship where all will acknowledge Christ's sovereignty, bringing glory to God. |
| Rev 4:11 | Worthy are you, O Lord our God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created. | Heavenly declaration of God's worthiness to receive glory and power as Creator. |
| Rev 5:12 | Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing! | Heavenly praise recognizing Christ's ultimate worthiness for power and glory through His sacrifice. |
| Rev 7:9-10 | ...a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne... crying out with a loud voice, "Salvation belongs to our God...!" | Vision of global, multicultural worship around God's throne, acknowledging His salvation and power. |
| Rev 15:4 | Who will not fear, O Lord, and glorify your name? For you alone are holy. All nations will come and worship you, for your righteous acts have been revealed. | Future global worship due to God's holiness and just judgments. |
| Isa 42:8 | I am the LORD; that is my name; my glory I give to no other, nor my praise to carved idols. | God declares His exclusive claim to glory, contrasting with idolatry. |
| Isa 45:23 | By myself I have sworn... to me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear allegiance. | Prophecy of universal homage and declaration of God's supremacy. |
| 1 Pet 4:11 | ...whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ... | Calls believers to glorify God in all things, recognizing His supplied strength. |
| Pss 115:1 | Not to us, O LORD, not to us, but to your name give glory, for the sake of your steadfast love and your faithfulness! | Focus on attributing glory solely to God's name, His character, and actions. |
| Deut 3:24 | O Lord GOD, you have only begun to show your servant your greatness and your mighty hand. For what god is there in heaven or on earth who can do such works and mighty acts as yours? | Moses acknowledges God's unique and incomparable greatness and might. |
| 1 Sam 2:2 | There is none holy like the LORD: for there is none besides you; neither is there any rock like our God. | Highlights God's unique holiness and might, making Him worthy of all glory. |
| 1 Chron 29:11 | Yours, O LORD, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, for all that is in the heavens and in the earth is yours. | David's prayer recognizing God's inherent possession of all glory and power. |
| Pss 72:11 | May all kings fall down before him, all nations serve him! | Prophetic call for all earthly rulers and nations to serve and honor God. |
| Pss 96:3 | Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous works among all the peoples! | Expands the call to include proclaiming God's glory and works globally. |
| Col 1:11 | May you be strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy. | God's glorious might is the source of strength for believers. |
| Eph 3:16 | ...that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being. | God's glory is intertwined with the power He provides to His people. |
1 Chronicles 16 verses
1 Chronicles 16 28 Meaning
1 Chronicles 16:28 is a direct command from David's psalm, calling upon all humanity, symbolized by "families of nations," to recognize, declare, and attribute to the LORD Yahweh His inherent majesty (glory) and infinite capability (strength). It is an exhortation for universal worship, acknowledging God's rightful preeminence and power.
1 Chronicles 16 28 Context
1 Chronicles 16 describes a pivotal moment in David's reign: the bringing of the ark of the covenant to Jerusalem, establishing it as a spiritual and political center. After offering sacrifices, David appoints specific Levites to minister before the ark with music and praise. The core of this chapter is David's great psalm of thanksgiving (1 Chron 16:8-36), a composite drawn primarily from portions of Psalms 105, 96, and 106. Verse 28 is an integral part of this celebratory psalm. Historically, this event solidified David's kingdom and marked Jerusalem as the place where God's presence, represented by the ark, resided. The psalm is both a liturgical guide for present worship and a prophetic declaration of God's universal sovereignty, intended to expand the horizons of Israel's worship to include all peoples. The context is one of joyous celebration and a profound reaffirmation of Yahweh's unique identity as the only true God, contrasting implicitly with the idolatrous practices of surrounding nations.
1 Chronicles 16 28 Word analysis
- Ascribe (הָבוּ - habu): This is an imperative verb meaning "Give!" "Bring!" or "Render!" It's a command for active engagement, not passive recognition. It implies acknowledging and outwardly declaring something as due or belonging to someone. It’s about attributing praise and honor that rightfully belongs to God. This isn't people creating glory for God, but rather recognizing and proclaiming His inherent glory.
- to the LORD (לַיהוָה - la-YHWH): The Hebrew word is Yahweh (the LORD), God's covenant name. This specifies the unique God of Israel as the exclusive recipient of this worship and recognition. It emphasizes that this glory and strength are not to be ascribed to any other god or entity. This particular naming stands in direct polemic against polytheistic worship where glory was ascribed to various deities.
- O families of nations (מִשְׁפְּחוֹת עַמִּים - mishpachot ammim): This phrase means "clans of peoples" or "families of nations." It encompasses all human groupings and ethnicities, transcending Israel's boundaries. It highlights a universal call to worship, far beyond the initial scope of a covenant with a single nation. This was a progressive theological statement, echoing earlier Abrahamic promises that "all the families of the earth shall be blessed" (Gen 12:3). It foreshadows the New Testament's fulfillment in a global church.
- Ascribe to the LORD (repeated for emphasis): The repetition intensifies the command and reinforces the singular object of worship. It's an insistent, emphatic call to give honor to Yahweh alone.
- glory (כָּבוֹד - kavod): Literally "weight" or "heaviness," but conveying honor, splendor, reputation, majesty, and inherent worth. It signifies God's self-revealing presence, His manifest splendor, character, and power that command respect and awe. It refers to God's magnificent being, radiating light, power, and holiness.
- and strength (עֹז - oz): This denotes power, might, vigor, force, and security. It speaks of God's omnipotence, His absolute ability to accomplish His will, to create, sustain, deliver, and overcome all opposition. It represents His unchallengeable dominion and invincible power.
- Word-Group Analysis:
- "Ascribe to the LORD": This repeated phrase acts as a liturgical refrain, emphasizing the absolute and exclusive devotion required. It is an active posture of worship, not merely acknowledging but directly giving to God what is due to Him. This establishes God as the sovereign recipient.
- "O families of nations": This groundbreaking phrase expands the scope of God's worship far beyond Israel. It reflects a theological understanding that the Creator of all nations is the rightful recipient of all nations' praise, implicitly challenging the national gods of the surrounding pagan cultures. It holds missionary implications, calling Israel to be a light to the nations.
- "glory and strength": These are two inseparable attributes of God that are the specific focus of this acclamation. God's glory (His inherent majesty and revelation) is always linked to His strength (His omnipotence and active power). These are not humanly manufactured concepts, but the very essence of God's being and action. When nations ascribe these, they are acknowledging His divine attributes and recognizing their utter dependence on Him.
1 Chronicles 16 28 Bonus section
The inclusion of "families of nations" in David's psalm underscores an early and profound theological truth within Israel: God's ultimate plan of salvation and worship extended beyond Israel's borders to encompass all of humanity. This universal scope of God's kingdom and the global nature of worship were not mere afterthoughts but were foundational, tracing back to Abrahamic promises. This perspective served as an inherent polemic against contemporary polytheistic systems where nations worshipped their own specific gods; here, the one true God demands allegiance from all. The echoes of this verse resonate deeply in Christian missions, inspiring the global proclamation of the Gospel to call every "family of nations" to ascribe glory and strength to the Lord, culminating in the eschatological vision of Revelation where universal worship finally takes place.
1 Chronicles 16 28 Commentary
1 Chronicles 16:28, as part of David's psalm, serves as a universal invitation and command for all peoples to acknowledge God's absolute worthiness. It emphasizes that Yahweh, the covenant God of Israel, is not merely a tribal deity but the sovereign Creator and Sustainer of all nations. The call to "ascribe" implies actively giving what is rightfully His, rather than just passively observing. By linking "glory" (His inherent majestic nature) and "strength" (His mighty power), the verse encapsulates the full spectrum of divine attributes worthy of ultimate praise and submission. It prefigures the New Testament reality where people from every tribe, tongue, people, and nation will indeed worship the Lamb and Him who sits on the throne.