Psalm 113 4

Psalm 113:4 kjv

The LORD is high above all nations, and his glory above the heavens.

Psalm 113:4 nkjv

The LORD is high above all nations, His glory above the heavens.

Psalm 113:4 niv

The LORD is exalted over all the nations, his glory above the heavens.

Psalm 113:4 esv

The LORD is high above all nations, and his glory above the heavens!

Psalm 113:4 nlt

For the LORD is high above the nations;
his glory is higher than the heavens.

Psalm 113 verses

Psalm 113 4 Meaning

Psalm 113:4 declares the immeasurable transcendence and supreme authority of Yahweh. It asserts that the Lord is not only exalted far above all earthly nations, demonstrating His universal dominion, but also that His very glory—His visible essence and majestic reputation—surpasses the highest reaches of the heavens. This signifies His incomparable supremacy over all creation, both visible and invisible, material and celestial.

Psalm 113 4 Context

Psalm 113 is the first of the Egyptian Hallel (Psalms 113-118), traditionally sung by Jewish people during major festivals, particularly Passover. The Psalm begins with a universal call to praise Yahweh's name, specifically mentioning His fame "from the rising of the sun to its setting" (v. 3), indicating His renown across the entire earth. Verse 4 follows this global scope of praise by establishing the very nature of the God being praised: One who is utterly superior to all earthly powers and all created realms. This declaration of His transcendence serves as the grand premise before the psalm describes His astonishing condescension—that this exalted God is willing to "humble Himself to behold the things that are in heaven and on the earth" (v. 5) and to raise the needy (v. 6-9). Historically and culturally, such a declaration challenged pagan beliefs that often confined deities to specific geographical regions or equated them with natural phenomena or celestial bodies. Psalm 113:4 clearly establishes Yahweh's unparalleled and uncontainable nature above all these.

Psalm 113 4 Word analysis

• The LORD (יְהֹוָה - Yahweh): This is the sacred, personal name of God, revealed to Moses, signifying His eternal, self-existent nature and His covenant faithfulness. Its usage emphasizes the unique identity of Israel's God above all others.
• is high (רָם - ram from root רוּם - rum): This verb signifies elevation, exaltation, and loftiness. It conveys not merely physical height but supreme status, power, and authority. It speaks to God's utter supremacy over everything else.
• above (עַל - al): A preposition meaning "upon," "over," or "above." It indicates a position of superiority, dominance, and transcendence.
• all nations (כָּל־גּוֹיִם - kol-goyim): Kol means "all" or "every," and goyim refers to non-Israelite peoples or ethnic groups. This phrase underscores God's universal sovereignty, explicitly placing Him above all human empires, earthly rulers, and national deities worshipped by other cultures.
• his glory (כְבוֹדוֹ - k'vodo from כָּבוֹד - kavod): Kavod implies weight, honor, splendor, reputation, and the tangible manifestation of God's presence and majestic essence. It's the inherent worth and manifest brilliance of God's character. O is a possessive suffix, "His."
• above (עַל - al): Repeated from the first phrase, reinforcing the sense of supreme elevation.
• the heavens (שָׁמָיִם - shamayim): This refers to the sky, the firmament, the visible cosmos, and by extension, the dwelling place of celestial beings. In ancient thought, the heavens represented the highest physical realm. The verse states that even this highest perceived boundary cannot contain God's glory, illustrating His infinite transcendence beyond all creation.

Words-group analysis:

• "The LORD is high above all nations": This declaration asserts Yahweh's absolute and uncontested supremacy over every earthly dominion, every human kingdom, and all cultural or national powers. It stands as a polemic against polytheism and any lesser deity, stating that Yahweh is the only truly sovereign ruler, transcending all man-made structures of power.
• "his glory above the heavens": This phrase extends God's supremacy beyond the terrestrial to the celestial. The "heavens" represent the pinnacle of created order. By placing God's glory "above" them, the Psalmist emphasizes that God's intrinsic nature, majesty, and revealed splendor are not just distinct from creation but utterly transcendent to it. He is not merely part of the cosmos or limited by it, but stands sovereignly outside and over all existence.

Psalm 113 4 Bonus section

The profound contrast presented in Psalm 113, between God's unparalleled exaltation (vv. 4-5) and His benevolent condescension to the humble (vv. 6-9), is central to understanding the verse's significance. Verse 4 specifically establishes the "unbridgeable" distance between the Creator and creation in terms of power and glory, making His subsequent act of looking down upon the lowly even more remarkable. This vertical dimension of God's supremacy is vital, as it frames His involvement in human affairs not as a limitation of His being but as an astonishing act of divine grace and choice. This concept is mirrored in the New Testament with Jesus Christ, who, though "in very nature God," "made himself nothing... humbling himself" (Php 2:6-8) to save humanity, demonstrating the ultimate divine condescension.

Psalm 113 4 Commentary

Psalm 113:4 is a powerful and concise theological statement about God's nature, emphasizing two core aspects of His greatness: His sovereignty over humanity and His transcendence over creation. First, "The LORD is high above all nations" dismantles any notion of national deities or limited sovereignty, firmly establishing Yahweh as the one supreme Ruler over all peoples on earth. This implies His authority over all historical events and political powers. Second, "his glory above the heavens" lifts the concept of His majesty beyond the terrestrial, asserting that even the highest, most magnificent parts of creation cannot contain or define Him. His glory, which is His manifest essence and weighty splendor, far surpasses anything created, including the very cosmos. This double affirmation of His transcendence — both horizontally (over nations) and vertically (over heavens) — sets the stage for the following verses where such a vastly exalted God is shown humbling Himself to regard and lift the lowliest of humanity, highlighting the profound paradox of His majesty and His condescension. It invites boundless praise from all who grasp this infinite greatness.