Psalm 148:1 kjv
Praise ye the LORD. Praise ye the LORD from the heavens: praise him in the heights.
Psalm 148:1 nkjv
Praise the LORD! Praise the LORD from the heavens; Praise Him in the heights!
Psalm 148:1 niv
Praise the LORD. Praise the LORD from the heavens; praise him in the heights above.
Psalm 148:1 esv
Praise the LORD! Praise the LORD from the heavens; praise him in the heights!
Psalm 148:1 nlt
Praise the LORD!
Praise the LORD from the heavens!
Praise him from the skies!
Psalm 148 1 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Psa 150:6 | Let everything that has breath praise the LORD! Praise the LORD! | Universal call to praise (concluding doxology). |
| Psa 103:20-22 | Bless the LORD, you his angels... all his hosts... all his works. | Angels and heavenly hosts praising God. |
| Psa 148:2-4 | Praise him, sun and moon... stars of light! Praise him, you heavens | Specific celestial entities joining the praise. |
| Psa 8:1 | O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory above the heavens. | God's glory transcendent above heavens. |
| Psa 19:1 | The heavens declare the glory of God... | Creation implicitly declaring God's glory. |
| Job 38:7 | ...when the morning stars sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy? | Angels/celestial beings praising at creation. |
| Neh 9:6 | You alone are the LORD. You made the heavens, the heaven of heavens with all their host... and the host of heaven worships you. | God as Creator of heavens, celestial worship. |
| Isa 6:3 | ...and one called to another and said: "Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!" | Seraphim in heaven praising God's holiness. |
| Isa 40:26 | Lift up your eyes on high and see: who created these? He who brings out their host by number. | God as Creator and sustainer of celestial bodies. |
| Isa 42:10 | Sing to the LORD a new song, his praise from the end of the earth... the sea and all that fills it... | Call for praise from entire creation. |
| Phil 2:9-11 | Therefore God has highly exalted Him and bestowed on Him the name that is above every name... that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth... | Universal submission and praise to Christ. |
| Col 1:16-17 | For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth... He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. | Christ's role in creating and sustaining all. |
| Heb 1:3 | He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of His nature, and He upholds the universe by the word of His power. | Christ upholding creation by His power. |
| Rev 4:8-11 | "Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come!" ...You are worthy, O Lord, to receive glory... | Heavenly beings worshiping God Almighty. |
| Rev 5:11-14 | And I heard the voice of many angels around the throne... saying with a loud voice, "Worthy is the Lamb who was slain..." | Myriads of angels praising the Lamb. |
| Rev 19:1 | After this I heard what seemed to be the loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, crying out, "Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God..." | Heavenly multitude praising God. |
| Deut 4:19 | ...lest you lift up your eyes to heaven, and when you see the sun, the moon, and the stars... you be drawn away and bow down to them... | Warning against worship of celestial bodies. |
| Jer 8:2 | ...who loved and served and went after them and sought them and worshiped them... the sun, the moon, and all the host of heaven. | Condemnation of astral worship. |
| Psa 29:1-2 | Ascribe to the LORD, O heavenly beings, ascribe to the LORD glory and strength! Ascribe to the LORD the glory due His name; worship the LORD in the splendor of holiness. | Heavenly beings commanded to praise God. |
| Rom 1:20 | For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—His eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made... | Creation revealing God's attributes. |
| Luke 19:40 | He answered, "I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out." | Even inanimate creation can implicitly praise. |
| 1 Chr 16:34 | Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; for His steadfast love endures forever! | General call to perpetual thanks and praise. |
Psalm 148 verses
Psalm 148 1 Meaning
Psalm 148:1 initiates a universal, comprehensive call to praise God, starting with the highest echelons of creation. It declares that all celestial entities—the heavens themselves and all that dwells within the 'heights'—are obligated and commanded to laud Yahweh. This verse sets the overarching theme of the psalm, proclaiming that God's majesty is so immense that even the most exalted and distant parts of the cosmos should offer Him due reverence and adoration.
Psalm 148 1 Context
Psalm 148 opens the final section of the Psalter (Psalms 146-150), often called the "Great Hallel" or "Hallelujah Psalms." This verse initiates a crescendo of praise that is unique in its cosmic scope, explicitly inviting all creation—starting from the loftiest heavens down to the earth and everything in it—to offer adoration to Yahweh. The historical context reflects Israel's understanding of God as the sole sovereign Creator of the universe, standing in stark contrast to surrounding pagan cultures that deified elements like the sun, moon, and stars. The psalm's imperative to these celestial bodies to praise God inherently dismisses their independent divinity, asserting their created status and God's absolute supremacy over all things.
Psalm 148 1 Word analysis
- Praise (הַלְלוּ - Hallelu): This is an imperative, plural verb, meaning "you (all) praise." It derives from the Hebrew root halal (הלל), which means to boast, commend, glorify, shine forth. The command is active and corporate, calling for a collective outpouring of honor.
- the LORD! (יָהּ - Yah and יְהוָה - Yahweh): The verse begins with the abbreviated form Yah, which is a poetic and emphatic shortened form of God's covenant name, Yahweh. Yahweh is the personal, proper name of God, revealing His self-existence ("I AM WHO I AM" - Exo 3:14) and His faithful relationship with His creation and His people. The inclusion of both forms ("Praise Yah! Praise Yahweh!") intensifies the call to praise, invoking both the intimate and the majestic aspects of God's character.
- from (מִן־ - min-) and in (בַּ - ba-): These prepositions define the location or source of the praise. "From the heavens" indicates the point of origin, while "in the heights" specifies the realm where the praise takes place. They distinguish distinct, though parallel, celestial locations.
- the heavens (הַשָּׁמַיִם - ha-shamayim): Refers to the visible sky as well as the celestial dwelling places, the firmament above the earth where stars, moon, and sun reside, and often understood as the abode of God and angelic beings. It signifies the loftiest and most majestic part of creation known to ancient thought.
- the heights! (בַּמְּרוֹמִים - ba-m'romim): Parallel to "heavens," this term refers to elevated, exalted, or lofty places. It encompasses both the highest reaches of the atmosphere and metaphorically, the realm where celestial beings dwell. It reiterates the command for the loftiest aspects of creation to praise God.
- Praise the LORD! Praise the Lord from the heavens; praise him in the heights! This opening declaration is a double imperative. The repetition underscores the urgency and importance of the call. By commanding praise first from the heavens and then from "the heights," the verse initiates a top-down progression of universal adoration that Psalm 148 elaborates on, ultimately reaching everything on earth. This demonstrates God's sovereignty over every dimension of existence and the profound recognition due to Him by all creation, starting from its most sublime and distant elements.
Psalm 148 1 Bonus section
The structure of Psalm 148:1, beginning with a brief, intense exclamation ("Hallelujah!") followed by a more specific, amplified command to the same entities ("Praise the Lord from the heavens; praise him in the heights!"), showcases a deliberate poetic technique known as stair-step parallelism or amplification. This not only enhances the rhetorical power of the opening but also broadens the scope of the initial concise declaration, creating a sense of increasing momentum for the universal praise that is to follow throughout the psalm. The Hebrew root for "Praise" (halal) has the nuance of shining or celebrating, implying that creation's praise isn't merely passive acknowledgement, but an active declaration that reflects God's glory like a beacon from the cosmos.
Psalm 148 1 Commentary
Psalm 148:1 serves as a profound summons to cosmic worship, positioning God's glory above all created realms. The dual command to "Praise the Lord" – using both the abbreviated "Yah" and the full "Yahweh" – underscores His eternal nature and personal involvement. By starting the call for praise with the "heavens" and "heights," the Psalmist establishes that all of creation, particularly its loftiest and most majestic components, exists for the ultimate purpose of glorifying its Creator. This declaration is inherently polemical against any idolatrous worship of celestial bodies common in ancient cultures, firmly asserting that sun, moon, and stars are not deities to be worshipped, but creations called to worship their Maker. The verse thus sets the tone for a universal chorus, beginning with the transcendent, echoing that everything that exists owes its being and its praise to the sovereign Yahweh.