Then my tongue shall tell of your righteousness and of your praise all the day long.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This isn't just a promise to thank God; it's a vow to muse on His righteousness and praise—a constant, internal meditation that fuels outward expression. It highlights that genuine praise isn't just about moments of worship, but about letting God's character and actions shape our inner thoughts all day long.
Then my tongue shall tell of your righteousness and of your praise all the day long.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The psalmist, having cried out for God's intervention against malicious enemies who have slandered and plotted against him, now anticipates deliverance. He trusts that God, acting righteously, will judge his case, shame his foes, and vindicate him, leading to the rejoicing of his supporters. This concluding verse expresses the psalmist's resolution to publicly and constantly praise God for this anticipated deliverance and His righteous character.
When you hear 'God's righteousness,' what comes to mind? Is it about His perfect law, or something more active?
This psalm is a powerful prayer of David, who is in a dire situation, facing enemies who wish him harm. He appeals to God's 'righteousness' not just as a moral attribute, but as God's active defense of him. Notice how David connects God's righteousness directly to His intervention:
Is praise something you do only on Sundays, or is it meant to fill your whole life?
The end of the psalm isn't just about David's relief; it's about a transformed life. His declaration, 'my tongue shall tell of your righteousness and of your praise all the day long,' isn't a fleeting thought but a lifelong commitment.
Ask a follow-up
Understand the original words
tehillah · Hebrew Noun
Praise is the act of expressing adoration, gratitude, and honor to God for who He is and what He has done. It is the appropriate response of a creature to the Creator's holiness, grace, and mighty acts of salvation.
This psalm reflects the deep personal anguish of David during his time as a fugitive from King Saul. The promise to speak of God's righteousness and praise is a vow made from a place of intense suffering, anticipating the deliverance that God's justice would eventually bring.
c. 1000 BC— this verse
David faces persecution
King Saul, consumed by jealousy, relentlessly pursues David, forcing him into hiding and a life on the run. David's life is threatened by false accusations and the king's relentless animosity.
c. 1000 BC
David's pleas for divine justice
During this period of intense personal danger, David composes Psalms like this one, appealing to God for vindication against his enemies and oppressors.
c. 1000 BC
Saul's eventual downfall
Saul and his sons are eventually killed in battle against the Philistines, bringing an end to David's immediate persecution and allowing him to be recognized as king.
c. 970 BC
David becomes King of Israel
Following Saul's death, David is finally established as the king of Israel, fulfilling many of the promises and hopes expressed in his Psalms.
Just as the Psalmist appeals to God's righteousness to judge his cause, Isaiah speaks of God blotting out transgressions and not remembering sins for His own name's sake, highlighting God's righteous character as the basis for His actions.
Luke 1:72-75This passage echoes the Psalmist's praise by recounting God's mercy and His promise to His people, showing how deliverance leads to a life of righteous service and praise.
Romans 1:17The verse speaks of God's righteousness being revealed in salvation, which is the very thing the Psalmist intends to declare 'all the day long' as a result of his deliverance.
1 Corinthians 1:30Paul explains that Jesus has become for us 'righteousness,' 'sanctification,' and 'redemption,' which directly relates to the Psalmist's intent to praise God's righteousness and all that it accomplishes.
1 Peter 2:9This verse calls believers a 'royal priesthood' to 'declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light,' directly aligning with the Psalmist's vow to continually speak of God's praise.
calvinPsalms 35:24-28: "Judge me, O LORD my God, according to thy righteousness; and let them not rejoice over me."
- Judge me, O Jehovah my God! According to thy righteousness; and let them not rejoice over me. 25. Let them not say in their heart, Aha! our soul! [721] let them not say, We have swallowed him up. 26. Let those who rejoice at my hurt be ashamed and confounded together; let those who magnify themselves against me be clothed with shame and dishonor. 27. But let those who favor my right…
cambridgePsalms 35:28: "And my tongue shall speak of thy righteousness and of thy praise all the day long."
28 . shall speak ] ‘ Shall speak musingly , in the low murmur of one entranced by a sweet thought.’ Cheyne . of thy righteousness ] For Jehovah’s righteousness ( Psalm 35:24 ) will have been manifested in delivering His servant. all the day long ] ‘Tota die Deum laudare quis durat? Suggero remedium, unde tota die laudes Deum, si vis. Quidquid egeris bene age, et laudasti Deum.… In innocentia operu…
This isn't just a promise to thank God; it's a vow to muse on His righteousness and praise—a constant, internal meditation that fuels outward expression. It highlights that genuine praise isn't just about moments of worship, but about letting God's character and actions shape our inner thoughts all day long.
The psalmist, having cried out for God's intervention against malicious enemies who have slandered and plotted against him, now anticipates deliverance. He trusts that God, acting righteously, will judge his case, shame his foes, and vindicate him, leading to the rejoicing of his supporters. This concluding verse expresses the psalmist's resolution to publicly and constantly praise God for this anticipated deliverance and His righteous character.
The psalmist, having cried out for God's intervention against malicious enemies who have slandered and plotted against him, now anticipates deliverance. He trusts that God, acting righteously, will judge his case, shame his foes, and vindicate him, leading to the rejoicing of his supporters. This concluding verse expresses the psalmist's resolution to publicly and constantly praise God for this anticipated deliverance and His righteous character.
"Then my tongue shall tell of your righteousness and of your praise all the day long." — This isn't just a promise to thank God; it's a vow to muse on His righteousness and praise—a constant, internal meditation that fuels outward expression. It highlights that genuine praise isn't jus…
Get the original Greek and Hebrew, verse-by-verse context, and related passages inside the app.
Last reviewed October 2026