1 Chronicles 16 36

1 Chronicles 16:36 kjv

Blessed be the LORD God of Israel for ever and ever. And all the people said, Amen, and praised the LORD.

1 Chronicles 16:36 nkjv

Blessed be the LORD God of Israel From everlasting to everlasting! And all the people said, "Amen!" and praised the LORD.

1 Chronicles 16:36 niv

Praise be to the LORD, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting. Then all the people said "Amen" and "Praise the LORD."

1 Chronicles 16:36 esv

Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting!" Then all the people said, "Amen!" and praised the LORD.

1 Chronicles 16:36 nlt

Praise the LORD, the God of Israel,
who lives from everlasting to everlasting!
And all the people shouted "Amen!" and praised the LORD.

1 Chronicles 16 verses

1 Chronicles 16 36 Meaning

This verse functions as a powerful doxology, an ancient form of blessing and praise directed towards the Lord, the covenant God of Israel. It emphasizes His eternal nature, proclaiming Him to be worthy of praise from time immemorial to everlasting. Crucially, it includes an explicit command for congregational affirmation, uniting the community in saying "Amen" (so be it), thereby confirming their agreement, belief, and commitment to the declared truth about God. The concluding call to "Praise the LORD" acts as a collective exultation and acknowledgment of His supreme glory and majesty.

1 Chronicles 16 36 Context

First Chronicles chapter 16 describes King David’s glorious occasion of bringing the Ark of the Covenant into Jerusalem. This pivotal event transformed Jerusalem into the religious and political center of Israel. Following the placement of the Ark, David offers sacrifices and blesses the people, and then appoints Levites to minister before the Ark. The chapter then records a great psalm of thanksgiving and praise (which shares elements with Psa 105, 96, and 106) delivered by David through Asaph and his brethren. Verse 36 marks the doxological conclusion of this lengthy psalm, serving as a solemn corporate affirmation of God's enduring character and worthiness of praise. The broader historical context is David establishing unified worship for Israel under God's covenant, a direct challenge to the fragmented worship practices of the surrounding pagan nations and the false gods they revered. This verse, with its emphatic declaration of the "LORD God of Israel," implicitly rejects polytheism and asserts the uniqueness and supremacy of Israel's God.

1 Chronicles 16 36 Word analysis

• Blessed be: The Hebrew word is baruch (בָּרוּךְ), meaning "praised," "adored," or "highly honored." It is a passive participle, indicating that God is the one who should be praised or declared blessed, reflecting His intrinsic glory and worth. It's not a bestowal of blessing on God, but an acknowledgment of His blessed nature.
• the LORD God: The combination of YHWH (the covenant name, Yahweh, often translated as LORD in all caps) and Elohim (אֱלֹהִים), the general Hebrew word for God. This emphasizes both God's personal covenant relationship with Israel and His supreme, sovereign power as the one true God over all creation.
• of Israel: Identifies God as the specific, faithful God of the Abrahamic, Mosaic, and Davidic covenants, unique to the people of Israel. It sets Him apart from the gods of other nations.
• from everlasting to everlasting!: In Hebrew, min ha'olam v'ad ha'olam (מִן־הָעוֹלָם וְעַד הָעוֹלָם). Olam can refer to a very long time, or eternity. The repetition with "from... to..." emphasizes the complete span of eternity, without beginning or end, stressing God's immutable, infinite, and eternal nature. This concept highlights God's transcendence over all created time and His unchangeable faithfulness.
• And let all the people say,: This is a direct command or exhortation for corporate participation in worship and affirmation. It moves from individual proclamation of praise to a unified, public response.
• “Amen!”: From the Hebrew root ʾāmēn (אָמֵן), meaning "firm," "true," "certain." When spoken by the congregation, it signifies "so be it," "it is true," "truly," "I agree," or "may it be established." It indicates complete affirmation, solemn assent, and a desire for the declaration to come to pass or to be ratified. It binds the community to the preceding declaration.
• Praise the LORD!: This is Hallelu Yah (הַלְלוּ יָהּ) or Hallelujah – a command to "praise" (halal, to commend, laud, glorify) "the LORD" (Yah, a shortened form of YHWH). It serves as a concluding, triumphant exclamation, encapsulating the entire verse's sentiment.

Words-group analysis:

• "Blessed be the LORD God of Israel": This opening phrase is a foundational declaration of worship. It roots God's identity within His covenant with Israel and asserts His supreme worthiness to receive honor and praise, distinct from any false deities.
• "from everlasting to everlasting!": This timeless phrase speaks to God's eternality (olam), His unchanging nature, and His ultimate authority. It sets a boundary on existence itself, affirming God's being before time began and continuing infinitely, without end. This attribute provides a firm foundation for trust and hope.
• "And let all the people say, “Amen!” Praise the LORD!": This constitutes a dual call for corporate worship. The "Amen" demands a deliberate, verbal, unified affirmation of the truth and content of the doxology. "Praise the LORD!" then serves as the final, exhilarating collective acclamation, underscoring that the purpose of all this revelation and affirmation is to give God glory. It fosters unity and active participation in divine worship.

1 Chronicles 16 36 Bonus section

The structure of this verse, moving from declaration to command and then to climactic exclamation, reflects the dynamism of authentic worship. It moves from passive acknowledgement of God's nature to active, vocal participation. The inclusion of "Amen" as a corporate response carries significant weight, echoing its use in legal or covenant ceremonies (Deu 27:15) where the people confirm their assent and binding agreement to God's commands or truths. In the New Testament, "Amen" often marks the certainty of Jesus’s own pronouncements (Jn 1:51) or confirms the truthfulness of apostolic doxologies, further demonstrating the continuity of this foundational expression of faith. David's worship, epitomized in this verse, sets a pattern for future Temple worship and prophetically points towards Christ as the one through whom all God's promises find their "Amen" (2 Cor 1:20), and to whom eternal praise is due.

1 Chronicles 16 36 Commentary

First Chronicles 16:36 captures a moment of profound liturgical worship, serving as a powerful theological statement about God's eternal nature and His unique covenant relationship with Israel. It’s a standard form of doxology, signaling the culmination of praise or prayer, common in various psalms (Psa 41:13, 106:48). The repetition of "everlasting to everlasting" emphasizes God's absolute timelessness, distinct from all created beings, thereby offering stability and constancy amidst the fleeting nature of human existence. The direct call for "all the people" to respond with "Amen" highlights the essential corporate nature of Israelite worship, where communal agreement and shared conviction solidify the truth declared. This collective affirmation transforms individual worship into a unified testament, underscoring belief not just in the truth of God's Word, but also commitment to its implications. The final "Praise the LORD!" is a joyful and inclusive command, sealing the worshipful declaration. This verse therefore presents God as eternally praiseworthy, deserving of universal and hearty affirmation from His people, establishing a pattern for responsive and participatory worship.