Praise the LORD! For it is good to sing praises to our God; for it is pleasant, and a song of praise is fitting.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The verse emphasizes that praise isn't just good, but "pleasant" and "fitting." This highlights that worship is intrinsically joyful and appropriate, a natural, beautiful response to who God is and what He does. It’s not just a duty, but a delightful expression that suits both the worshipper and the One being praised.
Praise the LORD! For it is good to sing praises to our God; for it is pleasant, and a song of praise is fitting.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This psalm begins with a resounding call to praise God, framing it as not only good and pleasant but also fitting and proper for all creation. The verses immediately following elaborate on why this praise is due, highlighting God's work in restoring Jerusalem and gathering His dispersed people, healing the brokenhearted, and His vast, incomprehensible knowledge and power evident even in the stars. This sets the stage for the rest of the psalm, which will explore God's care for all creatures and His mighty acts of salvation.
Ever wondered why we're called to praise God? This verse gives us three powerful reasons that go beyond just a happy feeling.
Psalms 147:1 lays out a compelling case for praise, calling it:
Beyond the why of praise, this psalm immediately dives into what God does that deserves our praise. It's a picture of His active involvement in our lives.
The verses following the call to praise (though not explicitly in verse 1, they provide the context) highlight specific actions of God that fuel our worship:
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Understand the original words
halelujah · Hebrew Verb
A Hebrew imperative meaning to commend, laud, or celebrate the greatness and character of God. It is an expression of worship acknowledging His worthiness.
Yahweh · Hebrew Noun (Proper)
The personal, covenantal name of the self-existent God of Israel, revealed to Moses, emphasizing His faithfulness and eternal nature.
Psalms 147 is often thought to have been composed or significantly revised after the return from Babylonian exile. The call to praise in this opening verse would resonate deeply with a community that had experienced profound loss and devastation, celebrating God's faithfulness in restoring Jerusalem and gathering His people back home.
c. 586 BC
Fall of Jerusalem
The Babylonians conquer Jerusalem, destroy the Temple, and deport many Judeans, marking a devastating loss of homeland and religious center.
c. 539 BC
Cyrus the Great's Edict
The Persian king Cyrus the Great conquers Babylon and issues a decree allowing exiled peoples, including the Judeans, to return to their homelands and rebuild their temples.
c. 516 BC
Second Temple Rededication
After years of rebuilding, the Second Temple in Jerusalem is completed and rededicated, signifying a partial restoration of Israel's religious life and national identity.
c. 445 BC— this verse
Nehemiah Rebuilds Jerusalem's Walls
Nehemiah leads the effort to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem, a crucial step in restoring the city's security and its standing as a viable community after the exile.
This passage shares a very similar opening and theme, focusing on the 'comeliness' or fittingness of praise, suggesting a direct literary connection.
Psalms 92:1This verse also begins with a call to praise and highlights that it is 'good' and 'pleasant' to sing praises, reinforcing the core sentiment of Psalms 147:1.
Psalms 135:3Echoing the sentiment, this psalm also calls praise 'good' and 'pleasant,' emphasizing the joy and inherent value in offering worship to God.
Nehemiah 12:43This passage describes the joyous sound of praise and thanksgiving after rebuilding Jerusalem, linking the act of praise to God's work of restoration and faithfulness, a theme that deeply resonates with Psalms 147.
1 Corinthians 1:27-29While a New Testament passage, it speaks to God choosing the 'weak' and 'foolish' to shame the wise, paralleling the idea in Psalms 147 that God's actions are often unexpected and beyond human comprehension, yet worthy of praise.
ellicottPsalms 147:1: "Praise ye the LORD: for it is good to sing praises unto our God; for it is pleasant; and praise is comely."
-1 Psalm 135:3 is plainly before the poet in this verse; and yet, since Psalms 33 is in other respects his model, it is extremely doubtful whether we ought to change the reading, so as to make a complete correspondence between the verses, or suppose that the alteration was intentional, in accordance with “praise is comely for the upright ” in Psalm 33:1 . (See Notes on both…
bensonPsalms 147:1: "Praise ye the LORD: for it is good to sing praises unto our God; for it is pleasant; and praise is comely."
Psalm 147:1-3 . Praise the Lord, for it is good — It is acceptable to God, and greatly beneficial and productive of comfort to ourselves. It is pleasant, and praise is comely — “Being the only return man can make for his creation and redemption, and all other mercies; the offspring of gratitude, and the expression of love; the elevation of the soul, and the ante-past of hea…
The verse emphasizes that praise isn't just good, but "pleasant" and "fitting." This highlights that worship is intrinsically joyful and appropriate, a natural, beautiful response to who God is and what He does. It’s not just a duty, but a delightful expression that suits both the worshipper and the One being praised.
This psalm begins with a resounding call to praise God, framing it as not only good and pleasant but also fitting and proper for all creation. The verses immediately following elaborate on why this praise is due, highlighting God's work in restoring Jerusalem and gathering His dispersed people, healing the brokenhearted, and His vast, incomprehensible knowledge and power evident even in the stars. This sets the stage for the rest of the psalm, which will explore God's care for all creatures and His mighty acts of salvation.
This psalm begins with a resounding call to praise God, framing it as not only good and pleasant but also fitting and proper for all creation. The verses immediately following elaborate on why this praise is due, highlighting God's work in restoring Jerusalem and gathering His dispersed people, healing the brokenhearted, and His vast, incomprehensible knowledge and power evident even in the stars. This sets the stage for the rest of the psalm, which will explore God's care for all creatures and His mighty acts of salvation.
"Praise the LORD! For it is good to sing praises to our God; for it is pleasant, and a song of praise is fitting." — The verse emphasizes that praise isn't just good, but "pleasant" and "fitting." This highlights that worship is intrinsically joyful and appropriate, a natural, beautiful response to who God is and w…
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Last reviewed October 2026