Praise him, you highest heavens, and you waters above the heavens!
English Standard Version (ESV)
The phrase "heavens of heavens" isn't just talking about the sky, but points to the vastness and layered complexity of God's creation, emphasizing that even the highest, most incomprehensible realms are subject to His command. It also suggests that the waters above the sky aren't just passive rain, but a powerful, suspended force actively part of God's grand design, ready to be deployed.
Praise him, you highest heavens, and you waters above the heavens!
English Standard Version (ESV)
This psalm is a grand cosmic invitation to worship, calling on everything in creation to praise God. Following the initial calls to angels and celestial bodies like the sun and moon, this verse escalates the praise to the highest heavens themselves and the waters suspended above the sky. The psalm then moves to address the earth and its inhabitants, culminating in a unified chorus of creation glorifying its Maker.
When the Bible talks about 'heavens of heavens,' what does it actually mean? It's more than just the sky we see!
The phrase 'heavens of heavens' isn't just poetic; it points to the incredible, layered structure of the cosmos as understood in ancient times.
Layers of Heaven
Think of it like this: there's the sky above our heads, then the space where the sun, moon, and stars are, and then the 'highest heaven' – the dwelling place of God, a realm beyond our full comprehension. This phrase suggests a vast, intricate system, an 'endless systematic concatenation of worlds' as one commentator put it.
Celestial Waters
And what about the 'waters above the heavens'? This likely refers to the clouds, the moisture held in the atmosphere. The ancient mind saw these as a distinct realm, held in place by God's power, ready to bring life-giving rain to the earth.
This imagery emphasizes that the entire created order, from the grandest celestial bodies to the atmospheric waters, is part of God's design and called to praise Him.
The Bible says creation itself is commanded to praise God. What does that look like for things that don't have a voice?
This verse is part of a grand call for all of creation to praise God. But how can inanimate objects or natural phenomena like clouds praise Him?
Praise Through Existence
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The praise of the heavens and waters isn't vocal, but rather through their very existence and operation according to God's design.
God's Command and Establishment
Psalms 148:5-6 clarifies this: 'for he commanded and they were created. And he established them forever; he gave them a decree, and it shall not be passed.' Creation doesn't praise God by its own free will, but because it was created with a purpose and established by His unchangeable decree to reflect His glory.
Understand the original words
shamayim · Hebrew Noun
Used to describe the expanse or firmament above the earth. In Hebrew cosmology, it is the highest part of the created heavens.
This passage describes the creation of the 'waters above the heavens' as part of God's initial ordering of the cosmos, directly linking to the waters mentioned in Psalm 148:4 as part of creation's praise.
Deuteronomy 10:14This verse echoes the idea of the highest heavens belonging to the Lord, reinforcing the concept of 'heavens of heavens' as the ultimate dwelling place of God, which should offer praise.
Isaiah 6:3This vision of the seraphim crying 'Holy, holy, holy' shows the direct, continuous praise offered by heavenly beings in the highest heavens, illustrating the kind of worship Psalm 148:4 calls for.
Colossians 1:16This passage states that all things in heaven and on earth were created through Christ and for him, connecting the cosmic praise of Psalm 148:4 to the ultimate purpose of creation in Christ.
clarkePsalms 148:4: "Praise him, ye heavens of heavens, and ye waters that be above the heavens."
Heavens of heavens - Heavens exceeding heavens. Systems of systems extending as far beyond the solar system, as it does beyond the lowest deeps. The endless systematic concatenation of worlds. Ye waters that be above the heavens - This refers to Genesis 1:7 (note), where see the notes. Clouds, vapours, air, exhalations, rain, Snow, and meteors of every kind.
jfbPsalms 148:4: "Praise him, ye heavens of heavens, and ye waters that be above the heavens."
- heavens of heavens—the very highest.waters—clouds, resting above the visible heavens (compare Ge 1:7).
The phrase "heavens of heavens" isn't just talking about the sky, but points to the vastness and layered complexity of God's creation, emphasizing that even the highest, most incomprehensible realms are subject to His command. It also suggests that the waters above the sky aren't just passive rain, but a powerful, suspended force actively part of God's grand design, ready to be deployed.
This psalm is a grand cosmic invitation to worship, calling on everything in creation to praise God. Following the initial calls to angels and celestial bodies like the sun and moon, this verse escalates the praise to the highest heavens themselves and the waters suspended above the sky. The psalm then moves to address the earth and its inhabitants, culminating in a unified chorus of creation glorifying its Maker.
This psalm is a grand cosmic invitation to worship, calling on everything in creation to praise God. Following the initial calls to angels and celestial bodies like the sun and moon, this verse escalates the praise to the highest heavens themselves and the waters suspended above the sky. The psalm then moves to address the earth and its inhabitants, culminating in a unified chorus of creation glorifying its Maker.
"Praise him, you highest heavens, and you waters above the heavens!" — The phrase "heavens of heavens" isn't just talking about the sky, but points to the vastness and layered complexity of God's creation, emphasizing that even the highest, most incomprehensible realms…
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Last reviewed October 2026