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Psalm 145

The Greatness and the Goodness of God

Praise. Of David.

I will extol you, my God and King,

and bless your name forever and ever.

Every day I will bless you,

and praise your name forever and ever.

Great is the L ord, and greatly to be praised;

his greatness is unsearchable.

One generation shall laud your works to another,

and shall declare your mighty acts.

On the glorious splendor of your majesty,

and on your wondrous works, I will meditate.

The might of your awesome deeds shall be proclaimed,

and I will declare your greatness.

They shall celebrate the fame of your abundant goodness,

and shall sing aloud of your righteousness.

The L ord is gracious and merciful,

slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.

The L ord is good to all,

and his compassion is over all that he has made.

All your works shall give thanks to you, O L ord,

and all your faithful shall bless you.

They shall speak of the glory of your kingdom,

and tell of your power,

to make known to all people your mighty deeds,

and the glorious splendor of your kingdom.

Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,

and your dominion endures throughout all generations.

The L ord is faithful in all his words,

and gracious in all his deeds.

The L ord upholds all who are falling,

and raises up all who are bowed down.

The eyes of all look to you,

and you give them their food in due season.

You open your hand,

satisfying the desire of every living thing.

The L ord is just in all his ways,

and kind in all his doings.

The L ord is near to all who call on him,

to all who call on him in truth.

He fulfills the desire of all who fear him;

he also hears their cry, and saves them.

The L ord watches over all who love him,

but all the wicked he will destroy.

My mouth will speak the praise of the L ord,

and all flesh will bless his holy name forever and ever.

New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

16. Thou openest thine hand, etc. The figure is a beautiful one. Most men pass over without observation the singular goodness of God apparent in this admirable ordering of things in nature, and David therefore represents him as stretching out his hand to distribute to the animals their food. We sinfully confine our attention to the earth which yields us our food, or to natural causes. To correct this error David describes God as opening his hands to put the food into our mouths. The word רצון, ratson, some render desire, as though he meant that God supplied each kind of animal with food according to its wish. And a little afterwards we do indeed find it used in that sense. Others, however, refer it rather to God’s feeding them of his mere good pleasure and kindness; it not being enough to say that our food is given us by God, unless we add, as in the second clause of the verse, that his kindness is gratuitous, and that there is no extrinsic cause whatever moving him to provide so liberally for every living creature. In that case the cause is put for the effect; the various kinds of provision being effects of his good pleasure — χαρισματα της χάριτος. If it be found that men and others of his creatures often suffer and die from want, this is to be traced to the change which has come upon nature by sin. The fair order which subsisted in it by God’s original appointment often fails since the fall through our sins, and yet in what remains of it, though marred, we may see the kindness of God referred to by David, for in the severest failures of crop, there is no year so barren and unproductive, that God may not be said to open his hand in it.