Psalm 21:13 kjv
Be thou exalted, LORD, in thine own strength: so will we sing and praise thy power.
Psalm 21:13 nkjv
Be exalted, O LORD, in Your own strength! We will sing and praise Your power.
Psalm 21:13 niv
Be exalted in your strength, LORD; we will sing and praise your might.
Psalm 21:13 esv
Be exalted, O LORD, in your strength! We will sing and praise your power.
Psalm 21:13 nlt
Rise up, O LORD, in all your power.
With music and singing we celebrate your mighty acts.
Psalm 21 13 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Ex 15:2 | The LORD is my strength and song, And He has become my salvation; This is my God, and I will praise Him... | God as ultimate strength, deserving praise |
| 1 Chr 29:11 | Yours, O LORD, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, indeed all that is in the heavens and on the earth... | All power and glory ascribed to God |
| Ps 7:17 | I will give thanks to the LORD according to His righteousness and will sing praise to the name of the LORD Most High. | Vow to sing praise for God's character |
| Ps 29:1-2 | Ascribe to the LORD, O sons of the mighty, Ascribe to the LORD glory and strength. Ascribe to the LORD the glory due to His name... | Call to acknowledge and ascribe God's strength and glory |
| Ps 46:10 | "Cease striving and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth." | God's sovereign self-exaltation |
| Ps 47:5 | God has ascended with a shout, The LORD, with the sound of a trumpet. | Celebrating God's victory and kingship |
| Ps 57:7 | My heart is steadfast, O God, my heart is steadfast; I will sing, yes, I will sing praises! | Resolved will to offer praise and song |
| Ps 68:34 | Ascribe strength to God; His majesty is over Israel And His strength is in the skies. | Acknowledging God's unique and pervasive strength |
| Ps 96:7-8 | Ascribe to the LORD, O families of the peoples, Ascribe to the LORD glory and strength. Ascribe to the LORD the glory due His name... | Universal call to praise God's strength |
| Ps 104:33 | I will sing to the LORD as long as I live; I will sing praise to my God while I have my being. | Lifetime commitment to praise God |
| Ps 106:8 | Yet He saved them for the sake of His name, That He might make His power known. | God reveals His power through salvation |
| Ps 145:3 | Great is the LORD, and highly to be praised, And His greatness is unsearchable. | Magnifying the LORD's immeasurable greatness |
| Ps 145:4 | One generation shall praise Your works to another, And shall declare Your mighty acts. | Perpetual declaration of God's mighty acts |
| Ps 149:1 | Praise the LORD! Sing to the LORD a new song, And His praise in the congregation of the godly ones. | Exhortation to communal praise with song |
| Ps 150:2 | Praise Him for His mighty deeds; Praise Him according to His excellent greatness. | Praise explicitly for God's deeds and greatness |
| Isa 2:11 | The arrogant gaze of man will be humbled And the haughtiness of men will be abased; And the LORD alone will be exalted in that day. | Yahweh alone ultimately exalted, human pride negated |
| Isa 12:4 | And in that day you will say, "Give thanks to the LORD, call on His name... proclaim that His name is exalted." | Proclaiming God's exalted name |
| Jer 32:17 | 'Ah Lord GOD! Behold, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and by Your outstretched arm! Nothing is too difficult for You.' | Acknowledging God's limitless creative and effective power |
| Jonah 2:9 | But I will sacrifice to You with the voice of thanksgiving. What I have vowed I will pay. Salvation is from the LORD. | Vow of thanksgiving for salvation |
| Rom 15:9 | and for the Gentiles to glorify God for His mercy... as it is written: "Therefore I will give praise to You among Gentiles..." | Gentiles glorifying God for His acts |
| Rev 4:11 | "Worthy are You, our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and because of Your will they existed..." | Heavenly worship attributing power to God |
| Rev 11:17 | "...We give You thanks, O Lord God, the Almighty, who are and who were, because You have taken Your great power and have begun to reign." | God's power leads to His rightful reign |
| Rev 19:1 | After these things I heard something like a loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, saying, "Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God..." | Heavenly hosts ascribing power to God in victory |
Psalm 21 verses
Psalm 21 13 Meaning
Psalm 21:13 serves as a resounding doxology and vow of praise following a significant divine victory. It calls for the LORD to be perpetually magnified and elevated in His immense power, while simultaneously declaring the unwavering commitment of the worshipers to eternally sing and make music in adoration of His omnipotent might and heroic acts of deliverance. This verse shifts the focus from God's past actions on behalf of the king to an everlasting, all-encompassing exaltation of His sovereign power.
Psalm 21 13 Context
Psalm 21 is a royal psalm, believed to be a liturgical song of thanksgiving celebrating a victory granted to the king by Yahweh. It follows Psalm 20, a prayer offered before battle, implying Psalm 21 is the joyful outcome of that petition. The psalm recounts God's blessings upon the king, emphasizing the divine origin of the king's authority and triumph over his enemies. Throughout the preceding verses, the psalm has magnified the Lord's deliverance and established the king's secure position through God's strength (e.g., Ps 21:3-7). Verse 13, therefore, serves as a concluding doxology and a public declaration. It shifts the praise from the specific event of the king's victory to the eternal exaltation of God's inherent power, underscoring that all success is ultimately due to Yahweh. This final verse is a commitment by the worshiping community to continue acknowledging and celebrating God as the ultimate source of strength and deliverance, forever.
Psalm 21 13 Word analysis
- Be exalted (רוּמָה - Rūmāh): This is a Qal imperative from the root rûm, meaning "to be high, to rise up, to be magnified." It is not a request for God to become something He is not, but rather a fervent prayer and declarative statement that God's already supreme and exalted nature would be made manifest, recognized, and honored by all. It conveys the worshiper's ardent desire for God's glory and supreme authority to be demonstrably proclaimed and adored.
- O LORD (יְהוָה - Yahweh): This is the Tetragrammaton, the personal, covenant name of God revealed to Israel. Its use signifies that the ultimate and inherent power being celebrated belongs to the one true God who consistently acts in history on behalf of His people, honoring His promises and covenant. It distinguishes Him from any limited, false deities or human powers.
- in Your strength (בְּעֻזֶּךָ - bᵉʿuzzekā): "Strength" (עֹז - ʿoz) refers to inherent, vital force, might, and vigorous power. The preposition "in" implies that God's exaltation is intrinsically linked to or accomplished by His power, or that His strength is the very domain or means through which He is made preeminent. It highlights that God's elevation is not merely conceptual but actualized through His powerful deeds of deliverance and might. This phrase emphasizes the effective and active nature of God's might.
- We will sing (נָשִׁירָה - nāšîrāh): This is a Qal imperfect/cohortative verb, expressing a firm resolve and collective intention. It signifies a joyful, melodic utterance, often expressing deep delight and adoration. It denotes not just an emotional response, but a purposeful, verbal act of glorifying God. The cohortative nature indicates a strong and communal commitment.
- and praise (וּנְזַמְּרָה - ūnăzamrâ): Also a cohortative, from the Piel stem of zāmar, meaning "to sing praise," "make music," or "play an instrument (for praise)." This term often suggests a more structured and formal act of worship, frequently accompanied by musical instruments. Paired with "sing," it underscores a robust, full-hearted, and enduring commitment to worship, both vocally and musically, as a sustained offering.
- Your power (גְּבוּרָתֶךָ - gᵉbūrātekā): "Power" (גְּבוּרָה - gᵉbūrâ) primarily refers to strength demonstrated through deeds, valor, and acts of might, especially in battle or triumph. While similar to ʿoz, gᵉbūrâ highlights the manifestation and practical application of power. The parallelism with ʿoz reinforces the verse's central theme: God is worthy of endless praise because His mighty, effective power is continually displayed in redemptive and victorious acts.
- "Be exalted, O LORD, in Your strength": This segment functions as a prayer and a doxology, a statement of faith that the Most High God, by virtue of His invincible might, truly reigns supreme and deserves all honor. It represents the profound desire of the worshiper(s) for God's manifest greatness to be widely acknowledged and glorified by His continuous display of divine power, particularly in times of deliverance and salvation.
- "We will sing and praise Your power": This phrase serves as the resolved, collective, and joyous response to God’s magnificent strength. It is a vow by the community to engage in ongoing, heartfelt worship, expressing their deep admiration and gratitude for God's effective, triumphing power as it is displayed in their lives and history. This commitment signifies a dedication to a continuous, worship-filled existence, rather than a transient expression of gratitude.
Psalm 21 13 Bonus section
The deliberate placement of Psalm 21:13 at the psalm's conclusion is significant. It functions as a culminating point that shifts the focus from human instrumentality (even that of a God-appointed king) back to the divine origin of all victory and strength. This acts as a theological guardrail, preventing any idolatry of human power or leadership. Furthermore, the use of two distinct, but complementary, Hebrew words for "strength" (עֹז - ʿoz and גְּבוּרָה - gᵉbūrâ) serves to emphasize the multifaceted nature of God's might—His inherent, powerful being (ʿoz) and the active demonstration of that power in historical acts of valor and conquest (gᵉbūrâ). The collective "We will sing and praise" emphasizes corporate worship as a necessary and spontaneous response to divine intervention. This makes the verse a perpetual invitation for all generations of believers to ascribe all glory to God, acknowledging His active role in their lives and in history. It implicitly challenges the prevalent ancient Near Eastern view of victory attributed to limited tribal gods or human rulers, boldly asserting the unique omnipotence of Yahweh.
Psalm 21 13 Commentary
Psalm 21:13 powerfully concludes a psalm of royal thanksgiving, transitioning from gratitude for specific victories to an eternal vow of praise for God's inherent might. The opening imperative, "Be exalted, O LORD, in Your strength," is more than a wish; it's a profound declaration that Yahweh's unparalleled strength is the very ground for His perpetual glory and exaltation. It acknowledges that His demonstrable power, revealed in acts of deliverance like the king's recent victory, inherently causes Him to rise above all other perceived powers. The subsequent phrase, "We will sing and praise Your power," expresses the determined, joyful response of the believing community. This is a communal, deliberate commitment to worship, recognizing that the manifest reality of God's active, conquering power compels an ongoing, musical adoration. It teaches that experiencing God's delivering power leads not just to momentary thanks, but to a sustained lifestyle of praise, ensuring that God, not the human king or military might, receives ultimate glory. It acts as a theological anchor, re-directing focus from earthly triumph to the divine source of all triumph, securing future worship on the solid foundation of God's unfailing might. For example, Christians today echo this verse when celebrating answered prayers, understanding that their personal deliverance, much like the king's victory, ultimately points to God’s supreme power and calls for unending praise.