Psalm 135 13

Psalm 135:13 kjv

Thy name, O LORD, endureth for ever; and thy memorial, O LORD, throughout all generations.

Psalm 135:13 nkjv

Your name, O LORD, endures forever, Your fame, O LORD, throughout all generations.

Psalm 135:13 niv

Your name, LORD, endures forever, your renown, LORD, through all generations.

Psalm 135:13 esv

Your name, O LORD, endures forever, your renown, O LORD, throughout all ages.

Psalm 135:13 nlt

Your name, O LORD, endures forever;
your fame, O LORD, is known to every generation.

Psalm 135 verses

Psalm 135 13 Meaning

Psalm 135:13 declares the eternal nature of God's revealed character and His reputation derived from His mighty acts in history. It proclaims that the Lord's very essence, as He has made Himself known, endures forever without change, and His fame, resulting from His power and faithfulness, will be remembered and celebrated by every successive generation. This verse is a profound statement of God's unchanging sovereignty and the perpetual impact of His deeds.

Psalm 135 13 Context

Psalm 135 is a hymn of praise, calling the servants of the LORD to laud Him for His incomparable nature and mighty deeds. It is often considered a liturgical psalm, possibly used in temple worship, reminiscent of Hallel psalms. The psalm begins by praising the goodness of the LORD (v. 3), then lists His attributes (great, above all gods, doing whatever He pleases, v. 4-6). Crucially, the psalm pivots to recount God's historical acts of power, specifically His signs and wonders in Egypt, His defeat of nations and kings, and His giving of Canaan as an inheritance to Israel (v. 8-12). This historical recount serves as the foundation for the declaration in verse 13.

The immediate historical and cultural context for the original audience was one surrounded by polytheistic nations. These cultures worshipped numerous gods, whose renown was often fleeting or localized, tied to specific natural phenomena or human-made structures. The psalm thus acts as a polemic, asserting the unique and eternal nature of Israel's God, YHWH, in direct contrast to the idols of the gentiles, which are explicitly called "silver and gold, the work of men's hands... They have mouths, but they do not speak; eyes they have, but they do not see..." (v. 15-18). Verse 13, therefore, not only praises God but also serves as a strong refutation of contemporary idolatry, emphasizing that only the true God possesses enduring character and lasting fame.

Word Analysis

• Your name (שִׁמְךָ, shimkha):

  • Significance: In Hebrew thought, a "name" represents the entire character, reputation, authority, and essence of a person. It is not merely a label but a revelation of who someone is.
  • God's name is particularly significant (YHWH), revealed as "I AM" (Ex 3:14), signifying His self-existence, eternal presence, and covenant faithfulness.
  • The psalmist speaks of God's manifested being, how He has revealed Himself through His actions and attributes.

• O LORD (יְהוָה, YHWH):

  • Significance: This is the Tetragrammaton, God's personal covenant name. It points to the active, personal God who intervenes in history and establishes a relationship with His people.
  • Its use here emphasizes that it is this specific God, the God of Israel, who possesses eternal attributes, differentiating Him from any other purported deity.

• endures forever (לְעוֹלָם, l'olam):

  • Significance: "Forever" denotes an eternal duration, without end, beyond temporal limitations. It conveys constancy, immutability, and perpetuation.
  • This directly counters the fleeting nature of human glory and the perishable existence of idols, which are temporal and ultimately forgotten.

• Your renown (זִכְרְךָ, zikhrekhā):

  • Significance: Translates as "memorial," "remembrance," or "fame." It refers to how God is remembered and celebrated based on His works.
  • It speaks of His reputation, earned through His consistent nature, His mighty acts of deliverance, creation, and judgment that fill human history.
  • Unlike human renown which fades, God's fame is upheld and magnified by His continuous acts and His everlasting truth.

• throughout all generations (לְדוֹר וָדוֹר, l'dor vador):

  • Significance: Emphasizes a continuity from one generation to the next, eternally.
  • This phrase indicates that God's truth, character, and works are not just eternal in abstract, but are known, experienced, and transmitted from ancestors to descendants.
  • It implies a historical, enduring impact and a constant testimony of His faithfulness that transcends time and societal changes.

• Your name, O LORD, endures forever:

  • This phrase highlights God's intrinsic and essential eternality. His very identity and nature are unchangeable and everlasting. It means that what God is will always be true, active, and present. This forms the bedrock of trust and faith.

• Your renown, O LORD, throughout all generations:

  • This parallel phrase extends the concept of God's eternality to His actions and their recognition. His works will never be forgotten; they will continuously proclaim His greatness to humanity. This speaks to the permanence of God's saving acts and their continued relevance.

Psalm 135 13 Commentary

Psalm 135:13 succinctly captures the essence of God's being and His relationship with humanity across time. The first part, "Your name, O LORD, endures forever," focuses on God's immutability and eternal nature. His name, YHWH, represents His divine character – His holiness, power, wisdom, love, and faithfulness. This declaration reassures believers that God is not subject to change, decay, or forgetting. What He promises, He will fulfill; who He reveals Himself to be, He eternally is. This truth provides unwavering security and hope in a changing world.

The second part, "Your renown, O LORD, throughout all generations," builds upon the first by asserting the lasting impact of God's acts. His "renown" or "memorial" speaks to the collective memory and ongoing experience of His might and grace. This renown is not dependent on human effort or fickle memory but is preserved and proclaimed because God's work in history, from creation to salvation, is continuous and self-attesting. For instance, the Exodus event, detailed earlier in the psalm, serves as an eternal memorial to God's redemptive power, never fading in its significance or lesson. This verse encourages active remembrance and proclamation of God's works to succeeding generations, ensuring that His fame, truly, endures forever. It grounds our praise and worship in the unchanging reality of God's character and the perpetual display of His sovereign power.

Bonus SectionThis verse subtly encapsulates the entire narrative of biblical theology, which centers on the revelation of God's character (His name) through His acts in history (His renown). It posits a fundamental difference between the one true God and all false deities: idols and their worship are fleeting, but the worship of YHWH is anchored in eternal reality. The enduring nature of God's "name" and "renown" forms the basis for hope and prophecy, as it implies that God's past faithfulness is a guarantee of His future action, culminating in the final establishment of His kingdom. The collective memory of God's acts, as celebrated in this verse, fosters a continuity of faith from generation to generation within the covenant community.