Psalm 92:1
It is good to praise the LORD, and to sing praises to Your name, O Most High,
It is good
The phrase "It is good" in Hebrew is "טוֹב" (tov), which conveys a sense of moral goodness, pleasantness, and appropriateness. In the biblical context, "good" often refers to what is in alignment with God's will and character. The declaration that praising God is "good" suggests that it is not only beneficial for the worshiper but also inherently right and fitting. This aligns with the conservative Christian view that worship is a fundamental duty and privilege of believers, reflecting the created order where humanity is designed to glorify God.

to praise
The Hebrew word for "to praise" is "לְהוֹדוֹת" (lehodot), which is derived from the root "יָדָה" (yadah), meaning to give thanks or confess. This word implies an active expression of gratitude and acknowledgment of God's attributes and deeds. In the historical context of Israel, praise was often expressed through music, song, and communal worship, emphasizing the importance of corporate acknowledgment of God's sovereignty and goodness. For conservative Christians, this act of praise is a vital expression of faith and a response to God's grace and mercy.

the LORD
The term "the LORD" is a translation of the Hebrew "יְהוָה" (YHWH), the sacred and personal name of God revealed to Moses in Exodus 3:14. This name signifies God's eternal, self-existent nature and His covenant relationship with His people. In the conservative Christian tradition, the use of "the LORD" underscores the personal and relational aspect of God, who is both transcendent and immanent. It is a reminder of God's faithfulness and the intimate relationship He desires with His followers.

and to sing praises
The phrase "and to sing praises" comes from the Hebrew "וּלְזַמֵּר" (ulezammer), which is related to the root "זָמַר" (zamar), meaning to make music or sing. This expression highlights the joy and celebration inherent in worship. Singing praises is a form of worship that engages the heart, mind, and spirit, allowing believers to express their love and devotion to God. Historically, music has been a central element of worship in both Jewish and Christian traditions, serving as a powerful means of teaching, remembering, and proclaiming God's truth.

to Your name
The phrase "to Your name" refers to the Hebrew "לְשִׁמְךָ" (leshimcha), where "שֵׁם" (shem) means name. In biblical thought, a name represents the essence and character of a person. Thus, praising God's name is an acknowledgment of His nature, attributes, and deeds. For conservative Christians, this emphasizes the importance of knowing and proclaiming the character of God as revealed in Scripture, recognizing His holiness, love, justice, and mercy.

O Most High
The title "O Most High" is translated from the Hebrew "עֶלְיוֹן" (Elyon), which denotes God's supreme authority and exalted position above all creation. This title is often used in the Psalms to emphasize God's sovereignty and majesty. In the conservative Christian perspective, acknowledging God as the "Most High" is a declaration of His ultimate power and control over the universe, inspiring trust and reverence among believers. It serves as a reminder of God's unparalleled greatness and the assurance that He is worthy of all praise and worship.

Persons / Places / Events
1. The LORD (Yahweh)
The covenant name of God, emphasizing His eternal and unchanging nature. In this Psalm, He is the recipient of praise.

2. The Psalmist
Traditionally attributed to David, the psalmist expresses a heart of worship and gratitude towards God.

3. The Most High (El Elyon)
A title for God that emphasizes His supreme authority and sovereignty over all creation.
Teaching Points
The Goodness of Praise
Praising God is inherently good and beneficial for the believer. It aligns our hearts with God's will and character.

The Power of Singing
Singing praises is a powerful expression of worship that engages both the heart and mind, fostering a deeper connection with God.

Recognizing God's Sovereignty
Acknowledging God as the "Most High" reminds us of His ultimate authority and our dependence on Him.

Daily Practice of Gratitude
Incorporating praise into daily life cultivates a spirit of gratitude and shifts focus from earthly concerns to divine providence.

Community Worship
Gathering with others to praise God strengthens the body of Christ and encourages mutual edification.
Bible Study Questions
1. How does recognizing God as the "Most High" influence your daily decisions and priorities?

2. In what ways can you incorporate more praise into your daily routine, both individually and within your community?

3. Reflect on a time when singing praises to God changed your perspective or situation. What was the outcome?

4. How does the practice of praising God align with the New Testament call to offer a "sacrifice of praise"?

5. What are some practical steps you can take to ensure that gratitude and praise are central in your relationship with God?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Psalm 95
This psalm also emphasizes the importance of worship and praise, encouraging believers to come before God with thanksgiving.

1 Chronicles 16
David's song of thanks when the Ark of the Covenant was brought to Jerusalem highlights the joy and reverence in worship.

Hebrews 13
The New Testament encourages believers to continually offer a sacrifice of praise, connecting the Old Testament practice to the life of a Christian.
A Daily Good WorkR. Tuck Psalm 92:1
It is Good to Give ThanksS. Conway Psalm 92:1
Singing PraiseS. Conway Psalm 92:1
Good to be ThankfulW. H. Lewis, D.D.Psalm 92:1-3
PraiseC. A. Heurtley, D.D.Psalm 92:1-3
ThankfulnessF. Wells.Psalm 92:1-3
Thanksgiving -- a Good ThingT. W. Aveling.Psalm 92:1-3
Joyful WorshipC. Short Psalm 92:1-8
The Eye Salve of PraiseS. Conway Psalm 92:1-15
People
Psalmist
Places
Jerusalem
Topics
Gt, Lt, Melody, Music, O, Praise, Praises, Psalm, Psalms, Sabbath, Sabbath-day, Sing, Song, Thanks
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Psalm 92:

     7429   Sabbath, in OT
     7963   song

Psalm 92:1-3

     4954   morning
     5273   creativity
     8352   thankfulness
     8666   praise, manner and methods

Psalm 92:1-4

     5332   harp
     5400   lyre

Psalm 92:1-8

     1090   God, majesty of

Library
December 3. Thy Thoughts are Very Deep (Ps. Xcii. 5).
Thy thoughts are very deep (Ps. xcii. 5). When a Roman soldier was told by his guide that if he insisted on taking a certain journey it would probably be fatal he answered, "It is necessary for me to go, it is not necessary for me to live." That was depth. When we are convicted like that we shall come to something. The shallow nature lives in its impulses, its impressions, its intuitions, its instincts, and very largely in its surroundings. The profound character looks beyond all these and moves
Rev. A. B. Simpson—Days of Heaven Upon Earth

God Alone the Salvation of his People
Look on yon rocks and wonder at their antiquity, for from their summits a thousand ages look down upon us. When this gigantic city was as yet unfounded they were grey with age; when our humanity had not yet breathed the air, tis said that these were ancient things; they are the children of departed ages. With awe we look upon these aged rocks, for they are among nature's first-born. You discover, embedded in their bowels, the remnants of unknown worlds, of which, the wise may guess, but which, nevertheless,
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 2: 1856

The Majesty of God. --Ps. Xcii.
The Majesty of God.--Ps. xcii. The Lord is King:--upon His throne, He sits in garments glorious: Or girds for war His armour on, In every field victorious: The world came forth at his command; Built on His word its pillars stand; They never can be shaken. The Lord was King ere time began, His reign is everlasting: When high the floods in tumult ran, Their foam to heaven up-casting, He made the raging waves His path; The sea is mighty in its wrath, But God on high is mightier. Thy testimonies,
James Montgomery—Sacred Poems and Hymns

Dialogue i. --The Immutable.
Orthodoxos and Eranistes. Orth.--Better were it for us to agree and abide by the apostolic doctrine in its purity. But since, I know not how, you have broken the harmony, and are now offering us new doctrines, let us, if you please, with no kind of quarrel, investigate the truth. Eran.--We need no investigation, for we exactly hold the truth. Orth.--This is what every heretic supposes. Aye, even Jews and Pagans reckon that they are defending the doctrines of the truth; and so also do not only the
Theodoret—The Ecclesiastical History of Theodoret

Sweet is the Work, My God, My King
[167]Canonbury: Robert Schumann, 1839 Arr. Psalm 92 Isaac Watts, 1719 Sweet is the work, my God, my King, To praise thy Name, give thanks and sing; To show thy love by morning light, And talk of all thy truth at night. Sweet is the day of sacred rest; No mortal cares shall seize my breast; O may my heart in tune be found, Like David's harp of solemn sound. My heart shall triumph in my Lord, And bless his works, and bless his word; Thy works of grace, how bright they shine! How deep thy counsels,
Various—The Hymnal of the Protestant Episcopal Church in the USA

Reprobation.
In discussing this subject I shall endeavor to show, I. What the true doctrine of reprobation is not. 1. It is not that the ultimate end of God in the creation of any was their damnation. Neither reason nor revelation confirms, but both contradict the assumption, that God has created or can create any being for the purpose of rendering him miserable as an ultimate end. God is love, or he is benevolent, and cannot therefore will the misery of any being as an ultimate end, or for its own sake. It is
Charles Grandison Finney—Systematic Theology

Period ii. The Church from the Permanent Division of the Empire Until the Collapse of the Western Empire and the First Schism Between the East and the West, or Until About A. D. 500
In the second period of the history of the Church under the Christian Empire, the Church, although existing in two divisions of the Empire and experiencing very different political fortunes, may still be regarded as forming a whole. The theological controversies distracting the Church, although different in the two halves of the Graeco-Roman world, were felt to some extent in both divisions of the Empire and not merely in the one in which they were principally fought out; and in the condemnation
Joseph Cullen Ayer Jr., Ph.D.—A Source Book for Ancient Church History

Man's Chief End
Q-I: WHAT IS THE CHIEF END OF MAN? A: Man's chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy him for ever. Here are two ends of life specified. 1: The glorifying of God. 2: The enjoying of God. I. The glorifying of God, I Pet 4:4: That God in all things may be glorified.' The glory of God is a silver thread which must run through all our actions. I Cor 10:01. Whether therefore ye eat or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.' Everything works to some end in things natural and artificial;
Thomas Watson—A Body of Divinity

The Knowledge of God Conspicuous in the Creation, and Continual Government of the World.
1. The invisible and incomprehensible essence of God, to a certain extent, made visible in his works. 2. This declared by the first class of works--viz. the admirable motions of the heavens and the earth, the symmetry of the human body, and the connection of its parts; in short, the various objects which are presented to every eye. 3. This more especially manifested in the structure of the human body. 4. The shameful ingratitude of disregarding God, who, in such a variety of ways, is manifested within
John Calvin—The Institutes of the Christian Religion

The Resemblance Between the Old Testament and the New.
1. Introduction, showing the necessity of proving the similarity of both dispensations in opposition to Servetus and the Anabaptists. 2. This similarity in general. Both covenants truly one, though differently administered. Three things in which they entirely agree. 3. First general similarity, or agreement--viz. that the Old Testament, equally with the New, extended its promises beyond the present life, and held out a sure hope of immortality. Reason for this resemblance. Objection answered. 4.
John Calvin—The Institutes of the Christian Religion

Psalms
The piety of the Old Testament Church is reflected with more clearness and variety in the Psalter than in any other book of the Old Testament. It constitutes the response of the Church to the divine demands of prophecy, and, in a less degree, of law; or, rather, it expresses those emotions and aspirations of the universal heart which lie deeper than any formal demand. It is the speech of the soul face to face with God. Its words are as simple and unaffected as human words can be, for it is the genius
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament

Links
Psalm 92:1 NIV
Psalm 92:1 NLT
Psalm 92:1 ESV
Psalm 92:1 NASB
Psalm 92:1 KJV

Psalm 92:1 Commentaries

Bible Hub
Psalm 91:16
Top of Page
Top of Page