Psalm 115 14

Psalm 115:14 kjv

The LORD shall increase you more and more, you and your children.

Psalm 115:14 nkjv

May the LORD give you increase more and more, You and your children.

Psalm 115:14 niv

May the LORD cause you to flourish, both you and your children.

Psalm 115:14 esv

May the LORD give you increase, you and your children!

Psalm 115:14 nlt

May the LORD richly bless
both you and your children.

Psalm 115 14 Cross References

VerseTextReference
Gen 1:28Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth...Initial divine command for procreation/increase
Gen 12:2-3I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you...God's promise of blessing and multiplication to Abraham
Ex 1:7But the people of Israel were fruitful and increased greatly...Fulfillment of the promise; God's active blessing in history
Lev 26:9For I will have regard for you and make you fruitful and multiply you...Covenant promise of fertility/increase linked to obedience
Deut 7:13-14He will bless the fruit of your womb and the fruit of your ground...Blessings of prosperity, health, and children for obedience
Deut 28:4, 11Blessed shall be the fruit of your womb... The LORD will make you abound...Extensive blessings upon obedience, including children/increase
Deut 30:19-20Choose life, that you and your offspring may live...Life and blessings extending to future generations
1 Chr 29:12Both riches and honor come from you...Acknowledges God as the source of all prosperity
Ps 1:3He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit...Image of flourishing and fruitfulness for the righteous
Ps 127:3Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD, the fruit of the womb a reward.Children are a direct blessing and gift from God
Ps 128:3-4Your wife will be like a fruitful vine... your children like olive shoots...Pictures of generational blessing and increase in family
Prov 10:22The blessing of the LORD makes rich, and he adds no sorrow with it.God's blessing as the source of true wealth
Isa 54:13All your children shall be taught by the LORD, and great shall be the peace...Focus on the spiritual blessing and nurture of children
Isa 60:22A little one shall become a thousand, and a small one a strong nation...Prophecy of exponential growth and multiplication
Jer 30:19I will multiply them, and they shall not be few...Promise of population growth and restoration
Ezek 36:11I will multiply people on you, the whole house of Israel...Promise of an increased population after exile
Ezek 36:37-38I will let the house of Israel ask me to do this... to increase their numbers...God's willingness to increase Israel in response to prayer
Mal 3:10Pour out on you a blessing, until there is no more room to receive it.Unbounded blessing upon faithfulness in tithing
Jn 15:5I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me... bears much fruit.Spiritual fruitfulness in Christ through connection to Him
Acts 2:39For the promise is for you and for your children...The promise of the Holy Spirit extended generationally
2 Cor 9:10He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing...God's provision for giving, leading to increased resources
Phil 4:19And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.God's comprehensive provision for all needs
3 Jn 1:2Beloved, I pray that all may go well with you and that you may be in good health, as it goes well with your soul.Holistic prosperity – physical, material, and spiritual

Psalm 115 verses

Psalm 115 14 Meaning

Psalm 115:14 expresses a fervent prayer or declaration that the LORD, the covenant God of Israel, will progressively and continuously bless His people, providing increase not only for the current generation but also for their descendants. It is a pronouncement of abundant and perpetual prosperity, a direct answer to the trust placed in Him and a powerful contrast to the lifelessness of idols.

Psalm 115 14 Context

Psalm 115 is a communal hymn of praise and trust in the living God, starkly contrasting Him with the impotent idols of the nations. The psalm begins by deflecting glory from Israel to the LORD (v. 1), urging against the nations' question, "Where is their God?" (v. 2). It declares God's sovereignty, stating He does whatever He pleases (v. 3), unlike idols which are the work of human hands, unable to see, hear, smell, touch, or speak (v. 4-7). Those who make or trust in these lifeless idols will become like them (v. 8).

Following this sharp polemic against idolatry, the psalmist calls on Israel—the house of Aaron, and those who fear the LORD—to trust in Him (v. 9-11). The psalm assures them that the LORD "remembers us and will bless us" (v. 12). Verse 13 specifically states, "He will bless those who fear the LORD, both small and great." Psalm 115:14 naturally follows this, expanding upon the nature of the blessing promised to those who trust in and fear the true God. It expresses a prayer for the perpetuation and increase of this divine blessing across generations, serving as a powerful demonstration of the living God's ability to act and bless, in direct opposition to the inertness of pagan deities. The psalm concludes with a commitment to bless the LORD (v. 18), solidifying the relationship.

Psalm 115 14 Word analysis

  • May the LORD (יְהוָה / Yahweh):

    • This is God's personal, covenant name, denoting His self-existent nature (from the root "to be") and His faithfulness to His promises.
    • The use of Yahweh here emphasizes that this abundant blessing comes from the one true, active God, unlike the false gods who are powerless. It speaks to a personal relationship between God and His people.
  • give you increase / יֹסֵף (yosef):

    • The verb yosef is derived from the root יסף (yasaph), meaning "to add," "to continue," or "to increase."
    • In this context, it is a jussive form, functioning as a prayer or wish: "May He add" or "May He increase."
    • This term conveys a sense of multiplication and expansion, going beyond mere sustenance to active growth and flourishing.
    • The same root is used for the patriarch Joseph, whose name means "may He add," reflecting the expectation of more children and God's blessings.
  • more and more / עֲלֵיכֶם עֲלֵיכֶם (aleikhem aleikhem):

    • Literally "upon you, upon you" (plural form).
    • The repetition of "upon you" is an intensifying device in Hebrew, conveying emphasis, duration, or a progressive increase.
    • It implies not just a singular blessing but a continuous, growing, and abundant outpouring. It conveys the idea of an ever-increasing measure of blessing.
  • you and your children / וְעַל־בְּנֵיכֶם (ve'al-bneikhem):

    • This phrase, "and upon your children," extends the scope of the blessing beyond the immediate recipients.
    • It signifies the generational nature of God's covenant blessings, promising enduring prosperity, fertility, and well-being for future generations.
    • The phrase bneikhem refers to male and female offspring, encompassing all descendants.
  • Words-group Analysis:

    • "May the LORD give you increase more and more": This initial clause emphasizes divine initiative and the progressive, unbounded nature of God's blessing. It speaks to a super-abundance and a continuous flow of favor. The increase is from God Himself, a qualitative and quantitative growth in well-being.
    • "you and your children": This specifies the recipients of this abundant, ongoing blessing: the current generation and their lineal descendants. It underlines the enduring legacy of God's faithfulness and promises for generations who fear Him, ensuring continuity and perpetuation of God's people. This stands in sharp contrast to the temporary, fleeting influence of idols and their worshipers who become lifeless.

Psalm 115 14 Bonus section

This verse embodies the essence of God's covenant promises to Israel, especially those related to fruitfulness and multiplication found extensively in the Pentateuch. It speaks not only to numerical increase (e.g., population growth) but also encompasses an overall flourishing – spiritually, materially, and in terms of influence. The prayer for increase in Psalm 115:14 finds echoes in the New Testament concept of bearing "much fruit" (Jn 15:5) as a result of abiding in Christ, illustrating that the principle of divine increase continues in the spiritual realm for believers. The psalmist's trust in God for such comprehensive increase provides a model of faith that looks beyond present circumstances to God's enduring capacity to bless.

Psalm 115 14 Commentary

Psalm 115:14 serves as a powerful declaration of God's active, bountiful, and continuous blessing, particularly focused on multiplication and prosperity. This verse encapsulates the psalmist's prayer that the LORD would perpetually increase His faithful people, both numerically and in their overall well-being. The emphasis on "more and more" (achieved through the repeated "upon you") highlights the progressive and abounding nature of this divine favor, signifying a constant and growing abundance rather than a static provision. Furthermore, extending this blessing to "your children" underscores the generational aspect of God's covenant faithfulness. This promise is not just for the present generation but ensures a legacy of prosperity and blessing for descendants. It reinforces the contrast drawn throughout Psalm 115: while idols are deaf, dumb, and inert, incapable of blessing or adding to life, the living God, Yahweh, is the dynamic source of all increase and fruitfulness, confirming His sovereign power to provide abundantly for those who fear Him.