Psalm 135:3 kjv
Praise the LORD; for the LORD is good: sing praises unto his name; for it is pleasant.
Psalm 135:3 nkjv
Praise the LORD, for the LORD is good; Sing praises to His name, for it is pleasant.
Psalm 135:3 niv
Praise the LORD, for the LORD is good; sing praise to his name, for that is pleasant.
Psalm 135:3 esv
Praise the LORD, for the LORD is good; sing to his name, for it is pleasant!
Psalm 135:3 nlt
Praise the LORD, for the LORD is good;
celebrate his lovely name with music.
Psalm 135 3 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Psa 100:5 | For the LORD is good; his steadfast love endures forever... | God's goodness and everlasting mercy. |
| Psa 106:1 | Praise the LORD! Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good... | Emphasizes God's inherent goodness as cause for praise. |
| Psa 107:1 | Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever! | Repeats the call to praise based on God's goodness. |
| Psa 118:1 | Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good... | Liturgical declaration of God's goodness. |
| 1 Chr 16:34 | Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good... | Davidic psalm of thanksgiving; good, enduring love. |
| Psa 33:1 | Shout for joy in the LORD, O you righteous! Praise befits the upright. | Praise is fitting and proper for believers. |
| Psa 147:1 | Praise the LORD! For it is good to sing praises to our God... | Directly connects "good" with the act of praising God. |
| Psa 9:11 | Sing praises to the LORD, who dwells in Zion! Declare among the peoples his deeds! | Call to sing and proclaim God's mighty acts. |
| Psa 29:2 | Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name... | Honour and praise are due to God's character. |
| Psa 66:2 | Sing the glory of his name... | Praise should glorify God's very being. |
| Psa 69:30 | I will praise the name of God with a song... | Personal commitment to praising God's name. |
| Psa 92:1 | It is good to give thanks to the LORD, to sing praises to your name... | Pleasure in thanking God and praising His name. |
| Psa 149:1 | Praise the LORD! Sing to the LORD a new song, his praise in the assembly of the godly! | Corporate and joyful singing to the LORD. |
| Prov 3:17 | Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace. | Wisdom's ways are pleasant, echoing the delight in God. |
| Psa 16:11 | You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy... | Joy found in God's presence, like the pleasantness of praise. |
| Lam 3:25 | The LORD is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him. | God's goodness experienced by those who seek Him. |
| Nah 1:7 | The LORD is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble... | God's goodness as a source of refuge and strength. |
| Jas 1:17 | Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above... | Every good thing flows from God's character. |
| Rom 15:9 | ...that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy, as it is written: “Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles...” | New Testament echoing praises for God's goodness. |
| Rev 5:9-10 | And they sang a new song, saying, “Worthy are you...for you were slain...” | Heavenly multitude praising Christ for redemption. |
| Heb 13:15 | Through him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God... | Christian encouragement for continuous praise. |
| Psa 23:6 | Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life... | Assurance of experiencing God's goodness. |
Psalm 135 verses
Psalm 135 3 Meaning
This verse issues a twofold call to praise the LORD: first, on account of His inherent goodness, which is an unchanging aspect of His divine nature, and second, to sing praises to His revealed character, known by His name, because such worship is inherently delightful, fitting, and brings joy. It establishes that genuine worship is rooted in the character of God Himself and results in a pleasant and beautiful experience for the worshiper.
Psalm 135 3 Context
Psalm 135 is a Hallel Psalm, a hymn of praise designed for corporate worship, possibly during major festivals. The chapter as a whole is a fervent call for God's servants, particularly the priests and Levites ministering in the temple, to praise the LORD. This specific verse, Psalm 135:3, serves as a foundational reason for the preceding general command to praise and the subsequent elaborate rehearsal of God's mighty acts in creation and redemption, especially His historical deliverance of Israel from Egypt and their adversaries. It grounds all future praise in two fundamental attributes: God’s inherent nature of goodness and the inherent delight found in His very presence, as represented by His Name. This sets the stage for a strong polemic against the impotence of idols (verses 15-18), by demonstrating the living God's power and character, which stands in stark contrast to the lifeless gods of surrounding nations.
Psalm 135 3 Word analysis
- Praise: (הַלְלוּ, Hallělū) - An imperative verb, meaning "Praise!" or "Hallelujah!" It is a call to acclamation, glorification, and exultation. The plural form indicates a corporate command, urging the assembled worshipers, or all who belong to the LORD, to offer jubilant homage.
- the LORD: (יְהוָה, Yahweh) - The covenant name of God, revealed to Moses, signifying God's self-existence ("I AM WHO I AM") and His eternal faithfulness to His covenant promises. Praising Yahweh means recognizing and glorifying the one true, living God who acts powerfully in history and sustains His people.
- for the LORD is good: (כִּי־טוֹב יְהוָה, kī-ṭōv Yahweh) - "For" introduces the reason. ṭōv (good) signifies not just ethical goodness, but also what is intrinsically right, pleasant, beautiful, benevolent, and beneficial. God is the very essence of goodness; it's not something He merely does, but something He is. This foundational truth fuels all legitimate praise.
- sing praises: (זַמְּרוּ, Zammərū) - Another imperative, indicating a command to make music, specifically to sing praises, often with instrumental accompaniment. While hallělu is a general call to praise, zammərū points to the more expressive and melodic act of worship, elevating the heart through song.
- to his name: (לִשְׁמוֹ, lishmōw) - "Name" (שֵׁם, shēm) in ancient Near Eastern thought, and especially in the Bible, encapsulates the essence, character, reputation, authority, and presence of a person. To praise His name is to praise His revealed attributes, His redemptive acts, His very being as He has disclosed Himself to humanity. It acknowledges His distinct and mighty identity.
- for it is pleasant: (כִּי נָעִים הוּא, kī nā‘īm hū’) - "For" again gives the reason. nā‘īm (pleasant) means delightful, agreeable, beautiful, charming, lovely. The act of praising the LORD's name is not a burdensome duty, but a truly enjoyable and delightful experience that aligns with the deepest desires of the soul. It is intrinsically beautiful and rewarding.
Words-group analysis:
- "Praise the LORD, for the LORD is good": This phrase succinctly captures the foundational motivation for worship: God's intrinsic and eternal goodness. It positions God's character as the ultimate spring from which all praise flows. It’s not about what He does first, but who He is.
- "sing praises to his name, for it is pleasant": This second part complements the first by indicating a specific, joyful mode of worship—singing—and reiterating the pleasant nature of such devotion. "His name" broadens the focus from mere abstract goodness to His revealed, knowable character and acts, emphasizing that acknowledging and celebrating His identity through praise is inherently delightful and harmonious.
Psalm 135 3 Bonus section
This verse offers a significant theological challenge to idolatry. While idols described later in Psalm 135 are lifeless, mute, and ineffective, having no inherent goodness or active "name," the LORD is good by nature and powerfully active. Praising Him is pleasant because He is real and responsive, bringing true delight, unlike the futile, empty rituals performed before inanimate objects. The communal nature implied by the plural imperatives ("Praise!" "sing praises!") emphasizes that this delight is not solely individual, but experienced in the gathered community of faith. This psalm, and particularly this verse, would have fostered solidarity and joy among the Israelites, reinforcing their identity as the people of the true and living God in a world full of false deities.
Psalm 135 3 Commentary
Psalm 135:3 encapsulates the essence of biblical worship: it is fundamentally motivated by God's intrinsic character and is experienced as a profound delight. The initial command, "Praise the LORD," is not an arbitrary religious duty, but a joyful, compelled response to the nature of Yahweh. His "goodness" (ṭōv) means He is benevolent, righteous, and perfectly agreeable; He is the source of all that is beautiful and beneficial. This absolute goodness makes Him supremely worthy of all laudation. Furthermore, the invitation to "sing praises to his name" calls for a rich, expressive form of worship. God’s "name" represents His complete, revealed essence – His power, love, holiness, justice, and faithfulness – which He has disclosed through His mighty acts in history and His covenant with His people. To sing to His name is to celebrate all that He is and all He has done. The subsequent declaration, "for it is pleasant" (nā‘īm), reveals the blessed reciprocal nature of this praise: it is not a grudging obligation but an activity that inherently brings joy, beauty, and satisfaction to the worshiper. When the heart truly grasps God’s goodness and responds by extolling His name, the act itself becomes a delightful experience, a sweet and beautiful melody both to the worshiper and to the One being praised. This underscores that true worship transcends ritual; it is a heart-level communion that is both just and profoundly joyful.