Praise the LORD from the earth, you great sea creatures and all deeps, fire and hail, snow and mist, stormy wind fulfilling his word! Mountains and all hills, fruit trees and all cedars!
English Standard Version (ESV)
The verse invites "great sea creatures" and "all deeps" to praise the Lord, pointing out that even the most vast and mysterious parts of creation, often associated with chaos or the unknown, are under God's command and have their role in His design. This call to worship from the ocean depths reminds us that nothing is beyond God's reach or excluded from His praise.
Praise the LORD from the earth, you great sea creatures and all deeps, fire and hail, snow and mist, stormy wind fulfilling his word! Mountains and all hills, fruit trees and all cedars!
English Standard Version (ESV)
The psalmist shifts from celestial beings to the earthly realm, calling on the vastness of the oceans and their most formidable inhabitants to join the chorus of praise. These "great sea creatures" and "deeps" represent the powerful, often chaotic, and mysterious forces of the natural world, now summoned to acknowledge their Creator. This call to praise from the ocean's depths immediately follows the praise from the heavens, emphasizing God's dominion over all creation, from the highest stars to the deepest waters.
When you think of praise, do you picture majestic whales or terrifying sea monsters joining in? This verse calls them to worship!
Psalm 148 is a cosmic invitation to praise, starting from the heavens and descending to the earth. Here, the psalmist calls upon the 'great sea creatures' and 'all deeps' to join the chorus. The word translated 'great sea creatures' (in Hebrew, 'tanninim') can refer to large sea animals like whales, or even legendary sea monsters. Regardless of the exact creature, the point is clear: even the most powerful, perhaps fearsome, inhabitants of the ocean depths are part of God's creation and called to give Him praise.
This reminds us that God's rule extends to the most mysterious and untamed parts of His creation. The 'deeps' represent the vast, unexplored oceans, symbolizing the immensity and depth of God's power.
Beyond the waves and the creatures within them, what else on Earth is called to worship?
The call for the 'great sea creatures' and 'all deeps' to praise God naturally leads to what else is on the earth. The subsequent verses (not included in this specific snippet, but part of the larger psalm) will expand to include mountains, hills, fruit trees, cedars, wild animals, livestock, creeping things, and birds. The earthly realm, in its vastness and diversity, is summoned to join the heavenly host in worship.
This broad scope emphasizes that worship isn't just for humans or angels. It's for the entire created order. From the largest whale in the ocean's abyss to the smallest creature that creeps on the land, all are sustained by God and therefore have a reason to praise Him.
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Understand the original words
YHWH · Hebrew Proper Noun
The personal, covenantal name of God in the Old Testament, representing His self-existence, holiness, and faithfulness to His people.
tehomot · Hebrew Noun
The subterranean or vast waters, often symbolizing the untamed, mysterious, or chaotic aspects of creation that are nonetheless under God's command.
esh u-varad sheleg ve-qitor · Hebrew Noun
Atmospheric phenomena, including fire (lightning), hail, snow, and mist, which are depicted as agents or messengers of God's will in the natural world.
ruach se'arah · Hebrew Noun
A powerful or tempestuous wind, frequently associated in Scripture with the manifestation of God’s power, presence, or judgment.
This passage describes the formidable creature Leviathan, which is likely what the Psalmist refers to as a 'dragon' or 'sea monster,' highlighting its immense power that only its Creator can control.
Isaiah 27:1Here, the 'dragon that is in the sea' is mentioned as being subdued by God, echoing the theme of God's sovereign power over even the most fearsome creatures of the deep.
Psalm 74:13-14This psalm recounts God's mighty acts, including 'breaking the heads of the dragons' in the sea and crushing the heads of Leviathan, demonstrating His dominion over the chaotic waters and their inhabitants.
Genesis 1:21This verse describes God creating 'great sea creatures' on the fifth day of creation, setting the stage for the call in Psalm 148 for these very creatures to praise their Maker.
bensonPsalms 148:7: "Praise the LORD from the earth, ye dragons, and all deeps:"
Psalm 148:7 . Praise the Lord from the earth, ye dragons, and all deeps — “From heaven above the psalmist descends to the deep beneath, which, while it proclaims the power, observes the laws and decrees of him who made it, and poured it abroad. And the same may be said of its enormous inhabitants, which are under the command of Jehovah, and of none but him.” By dragons here, we may either understand serpents, which abide…
jfbPsalms 148:7: "Praise the LORD from the earth, ye dragons, and all deeps:"
7-10. The call on the earth, as opposed to heaven, includes seas or depths, whose inhabitants the dragon, as one of the largest (on leviathan, see on [636]Ps 104:26), is selected to represent. The most destructive and ungovernable agents of inanimate nature are introduced.
The verse invites "great sea creatures" and "all deeps" to praise the Lord, pointing out that even the most vast and mysterious parts of creation, often associated with chaos or the unknown, are under God's command and have their role in His design. This call to worship from the ocean depths reminds us that nothing is beyond God's reach or excluded from His praise.
The psalmist shifts from celestial beings to the earthly realm, calling on the vastness of the oceans and their most formidable inhabitants to join the chorus of praise. These "great sea creatures" and "deeps" represent the powerful, often chaotic, and mysterious forces of the natural world, now summoned to acknowledge their Creator. This call to praise from the ocean's depths immediately follows the praise from the heavens, emphasizing God's dominion over all creation, from the highest stars to the deepest waters.
The psalmist shifts from celestial beings to the earthly realm, calling on the vastness of the oceans and their most formidable inhabitants to join the chorus of praise. These "great sea creatures" and "deeps" represent the powerful, often chaotic, and mysterious forces of the natural world, now summoned to acknowledge their Creator. This call to praise from the ocean's depths immediately follows the praise from the heavens, emphasizing God's dominion over all creation, from the highest stars to the deepest waters.
"Praise the LORD from the earth, you great sea creatures and all deeps, fire and hail, snow and mist, stormy wind fulfilling his word! Mountains and all hills, fruit trees and all cedars!" — The verse invites "great sea creatures" and "all deeps" to praise the Lord, pointing out that even the most vast and mysterious parts of creation, often associated with chaos or the unknown, are unde…
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Last reviewed October 2026