Psalm 145:7

Psalm 145:7, in plain English

People will celebrate God's generosity and speak about how fair and right He is—they'll sing because they can't help themselves.

Why it's here

The word 'extol' means to praise highly, to lift up. And notice 'sing joyfully'—this isn't somber or obligatory. When people really get what God is like—generous, righteous, good—it comes out as joy. They can't contain it.

Who's speaking

David, painting a picture of what joyful praise looks like.

Where it sits in the story

Joy in God's character is woven through Scripture. The Psalms repeatedly call people to sing and celebrate. In the New Testament, rejoicing becomes a mark of the Christian life. This isn't forced emotion; it's the natural response when you truly understand God's goodness.

The scholarly reading

The proclamation of God's goodness and righteousness becomes a joyful vocalization—praise as exuberant celebration rather than solemn duty.

Language and setting

The verb רַנַּן (rannan—sing aloud, shout for joy) carries the semantic field of jubilation: it appears in celebratory contexts from the Song of Miriam (Exodus 15) through the eschatological visions of Isaiah 54:1. The pairing of 'abundant goodness' (רַב־טוּב, rab-tuv—literally much/great goodness) with 'righteousness' (צְדָקָה, tzedaqah) reflects the Deuteronomic synthesis: divine benevolence is not sentimental but rooted in covenantal justice. Matthew Henry's Puritan commentary emphasizes how righteousness—God's faithfulness to His word—grounds the psalmist's confidence in praising goodness.

Voice

The psalmist articulating the emotional and theological content of community worship.

Significance

This joy in righteousness echoes the Wisdom literature's celebration of Torah (Psalm 119) and prefigures Paul's paradox of 'rejoicing in tribulation' (Romans 5:3)—righteousness as liberation rather than oppression.

5the glorious splendor of Your majesty. And I will meditate on Your wondrous works.

6They will proclaim the power of Your awesome deeds, and I will declare Your greatness.

7They will extol the fame of Your abundant goodness and sing joyfully of Your righteousness.

8The LORD is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in loving devotion.

9The LORD is good to all; His compassion rests on all He has made.

Read all of Psalm 145 — David's last psalm of praise. Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised. His greatness is unsearchable — but David searches anyway.