Psalm 150 6

Psalm 150:6 kjv

Let every thing that hath breath praise the LORD. Praise ye the LORD.

Psalm 150:6 nkjv

Let everything that has breath praise the LORD. Praise the LORD!

Psalm 150:6 niv

Let everything that has breath praise the LORD. Praise the LORD.

Psalm 150:6 esv

Let everything that has breath praise the LORD! Praise the LORD!

Psalm 150:6 nlt

Let everything that breathes sing praises to the LORD!
Praise the LORD!

Psalm 150 verses

Psalm 150 6 Meaning

Psalm 150:6 delivers a final, universal summons to praise the Lord. It declares that every living creature, defined by the very breath it draws, is commanded to give glory to God. This verse encapsulates the entire book of Psalms, culminating in a resounding, all-encompassing call for ultimate adoration of the Creator of all life. It affirms that the essence of existence is to offer praise to the Divine.

Psalm 150 6 Context

Psalm 150 serves as the glorious finale and concluding doxology of the entire book of Psalms, culminating five distinct books or divisions within the Psalter, each ending with a doxology. This psalm is unique as it is entirely devoted to praise, acting as a grand crescendo, gathering all themes of the previous psalms – God's creation, redemption, judgment, mercy, and faithfulness – into a single, emphatic call for universal worship. The preceding verses (Ps 150:1-5) enumerate the location (in His sanctuary, in His mighty heavens), reason (His mighty deeds, His excellent greatness), and manner (trumpet, harp, lyre, tambourine, dance, strings, pipe, loud cymbals, clashing cymbals) of praise, leading up to the final, all-inclusive declaration in verse 6, inviting everything that exists to participate in this divine adoration. Historically, the Psalter was a hymnbook for Israel, reflecting corporate worship in the Temple, and Ps 150 may have been used as a processional and culminating song of praise, reminding the worshippers that all of life, not just formal Levitical worship, is to be devoted to praising God. This praise implicitly opposes idolatry by focusing exclusively on Yahweh.

Psalm 150 6 Word analysis

• Let (יְהַלֵּל - yehalel): This is an imperative or jussive form of the verb "to praise" (from the root HLL), carrying the sense of both a command and an earnest plea or permission. It signifies an urgent invitation or a divinely appointed responsibility for all who possess life. This root is famously the source of "Hallelujah" (Praise Yah!).
• everything (כֹּל - kol): Implies total inclusion; no exceptions. It denotes the complete spectrum of existence, leaving no living creature out of this grand summons to praise.
• that has breath (הַנְּשָׁמָה - ha'neshama):
  • הַ (ha-): The definite article, "the," specifying and highlighting.
  • נְּשָׁמָה (neshama): This Hebrew term refers to "breath," "spirit," or the "life principle" itself. It points to the animating force that sustains life, a concept deeply rooted in the creation account of Genesis 2:7, where God breathes the "breath of life" (נִשְׁמַת חַיִּים - nishmat chayyim) into Adam. This highlights that existence itself, being sustained by God's own breath, creates an inherent obligation for all living beings to praise their Creator and Giver of life.
• praise (יְהַלֵּל - yehalel): The same verb as "Let... praise," now standing alone, repeating and emphasizing the action itself. Its re-occurrence underlines the core command.
• the Lord (יָהּ - Yah): A shortened, poetic, and intimate form of the divine name Yahweh (YHWH). Its brevity and repeated use, especially in the context of "Hallelujah" (Praise Yah!), make it a powerful exclamation. It emphasizes God's self-revelation and covenant relationship with His people, reminding the audience who the exclusive and ultimate object of all this praise truly is.

Words-group analysis

• Let everything that has breath: This phrase powerfully establishes the universal and all-encompassing scope of praise. It extends the call not only to humanity but conceptually to all living creatures—every organism sustained by the very breath God provides. The profound connection to God being the direct source of breath and life itself (as seen in passages like Job 12:10 and Acts 17:25) underscores the foundational reason for such pervasive praise: the very gift and continuation of life by God demands worship from all that lives.
• praise the Lord! Praise the Lord!: The repetition of this command (implied "Hallelujah!" as found in other contexts) serves as a potent rhetorical device. It creates a powerful, resounding climax for the entire book of Psalms, emphasizing the urgency, absolute necessity, and ultimate finality of praise. This doubling effect reinforces the call to continuous, unwavering, and ultimate adoration, bringing the Psalter to a glorious and emphatic conclusion.

Psalm 150 6 Bonus section

The imperative mood used in "Let everything that has breath praise" (יְהַלֵּל - yehalel) signifies both an injunction and a blessing. It is a divine call to action, yet simultaneously an affirmation of the inherent purpose and privilege for those who engage in it. The repetition of "Praise the Lord!" (a common understanding of "Hallelujah" as found elsewhere and at the beginning of Ps 150) transforms the concluding verse from a mere statement into a final, triumphant, and joyous shout, an invitation to join an eternal choir. It suggests that all life, by its very nature and divine origin, is inherently designed to manifest the glory of God. While not all will consciously offer praise in a theological sense (e.g., animals), the verse implies that all life, through its mere existence and sustenance by God, ought to contribute to His glory, whether through active worship from intelligent beings or simply reflecting His creative power and wisdom in its design. The ultimate fulfillment of this verse would be realized in the eschatological reality where every created being will acknowledge and honor the Lord (Phil 2:10-11, Rev 5:13), making Ps 150:6 a glimpse into a glorious, praise-filled eternity.

Psalm 150 6 Commentary

Psalm 150:6 serves as a profound and climatic command, a divine capstone for the entire Psalter. It mandates that every entity possessing the animating breath of life – which inherently originates from God Himself – is obligated to give praise to the Lord. This is not presented as an optional religious activity but as an inherent purpose and ultimate expression of existence. The emphatic repetition of "Praise the Lord!" underscores that such adoration should be ceaseless and all-encompassing, transcending boundaries of species or location, envisioning a universal chorus of worship that finds echoes in biblical eschatological visions. The Psalmist calls all of creation to fulfill its fundamental purpose: glorifying the One who sustains it. This verse profoundly encapsulates the essence of biblical worship and highlights that the culmination of all existence is to give glory and honor to the Creator.