Read & explore together
How Great Are Your Works!
Psalm 92 is a song that says praising Yahweh is good. It celebrates his loving kindness, faithfulness, great works, and lasting rule, while showing a sharp contrast between the wicked and the righteous.
Understanding the passage
Read these words in context
This poetic passage speaks to Yahweh with thanksgiving, music, and reflection. It moves from daily praise to wonder at Yahweh’s works and thoughts, then contrasts the short flourishing of evildoers with Yahweh’s permanence and the lasting fruitfulness of the righteous.
Psalms 92:1–15Main takeaway
Psalm 92 teaches that Yahweh is to be praised continually because his works are great, he stands forever, and the righteous flourish to show his uprightness.
Explore the poem and its images
Open a card to explore the full explanation and its Bible references.
01A good song of thanksThe psalm begins by saying it is good to thank Yahweh and sing praise to his name, calling him the Most High.
Explanation
The psalm begins by saying it is good to thank Yahweh and sing praise to his name, calling him the Most High. His loving kindness is proclaimed in the morning and his faithfulness every night. The song includes stringed instruments, showing praise expressed regularly and musically.
02Gladness at Yahweh’s worksThe singer says Yahweh’s work has made him glad, and he rejoices in the works of Yahweh’s hands.
Explanation
The singer says Yahweh’s work has made him glad, and he rejoices in the works of Yahweh’s hands. Then he speaks directly of their greatness and of Yahweh’s very deep thoughts. The psalm adds that a senseless person or fool does not know or understand this.
03A brief flourishing and an enduring LordThe fool misses the real outcome. The wicked may spring up like grass and evildoers may flourish, yet they will be destroyed forever.
Explanation
The fool misses the real outcome. The wicked may spring up like grass and evildoers may flourish, yet they will be destroyed forever. In contrast, Yahweh is on high forevermore. His enemies will perish, and the evildoers will be scattered, so their flourishing is not lasting.
04The righteous flourish to show Yahweh is uprightThe singer speaks of Yahweh exalting his horn like that of the wild ox and anointing him with fresh oil, using poetic images from the psalm itself.
Explanation
The singer speaks of Yahweh exalting his horn like that of the wild ox and anointing him with fresh oil, using poetic images from the psalm itself. Then the focus widens to the righteous, who flourish like a palm tree and grow like a cedar, planted in Yahweh’s house, fruitful even in old age, showing that Yahweh is upright, a rock, and without unrighteousness.
Questions to explore
Pause, look back at the verses and talk together.
01What daily pattern of praise does the psalm describe?
Look for the two times of day and what is proclaimed about Yahweh at each time.
02What does the psalm say the fool does not understand?
Connect the statement about senselessness with the greatness of Yahweh’s works and the outcome of the wicked.
03How do the final verses describe the righteous, and what do they show about Yahweh?
Notice the tree images, their fruitfulness, and the closing statement about Yahweh’s character.
Read the Bible passage
World English Bible ClassicScripture quotation · Public domain
Psalms 92:1–15
1It is a good thing to give thanks to Yahweh, to sing praises to your name, Most High,
2to proclaim your loving kindness in the morning, and your faithfulness every night,
3with the ten-stringed lute, with the harp, and with the melody of the lyre.
4For you, Yahweh, have made me glad through your work. I will triumph in the works of your hands.
5How great are your works, Yahweh! Your thoughts are very deep.
6A senseless man doesn’t know, neither does a fool understand this:
7though the wicked spring up as the grass, and all the evildoers flourish, they will be destroyed forever.
8But you, Yahweh, are on high forever more.
9For behold, your enemies, Yahweh, for behold, your enemies shall perish. All the evildoers will be scattered.
10But you have exalted my horn like that of the wild ox. I am anointed with fresh oil.
11My eye has also seen my enemies. My ears have heard of the wicked enemies who rise up against me.
12The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree. He will grow like a cedar in Lebanon.
13They are planted in Yahweh’s house. They will flourish in our God’s courts.
14They will still produce fruit in old age. They will be full of sap and green,
15to show that Yahweh is upright. He is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in him.