The Bible — World English Bible

Psalm 92

In brief

Psalm 92 is the only psalm whose title says it is sung for the Sabbath day. It begins with the beauty of giving thanks to the Lord morning and night. It then turns to an age-old question: why do the wicked seem to prosper? The psalmist answers that their success is short-lived and that God remains the Most High. It ends with a famous image: the righteous flourish like a palm tree, planted in the house of God, still bearing fruit in old age.

The chapter in 4 parts

  1. v. 1-4It is good to give thanks to the Lord, morning and night
  2. v. 5-9The works of God and the fate of the wicked
  3. v. 10-11Strength received and fresh oil
  4. v. 12-15The righteous planted like a palm tree, fruitful even in old age

1It is a good thing to give thanks to Yahweh, to sing praises to your name, Most High,

2to proclaim your loving kindness in the morning, and your faithfulness every night,

3with the ten-stringed lute, with the harp, and with the melody of the lyre.

4For you, Yahweh, have made me glad through your work. I will triumph in the works of your hands.

5How great are your works, Yahweh! Your thoughts are very deep.

6A senseless man doesn’t know, neither does a fool understand this:

7though the wicked spring up as the grass, and all the evildoers flourish, they will be destroyed forever.

8But you, Yahweh, are on high forever more.

9For, behold, your enemies, Yahweh, for, behold, your enemies shall perish. All the evildoers will be scattered.

10But you have exalted my horn like that of the wild ox. I am anointed with fresh oil.

11My eye has also seen my enemies. My ears have heard of the wicked enemies who rise up against me.

12The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree. He will grow like a cedar in Lebanon.

13They are planted in Yahweh’s house. They will flourish in our God’s courts.

14They will still produce fruit in old age. They will be full of sap and green,

15to show that Yahweh is upright. He is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in him.

Key verses

Verse 2
to proclaim your loving kindness in the morning, and your faithfulness every night,

Proclaiming God's loving kindness in the morning and his faithfulness at night: praise sets the rhythm of the whole day and feeds the memory of what God has done.

Verse 7
though the wicked spring up as the grass, and all the evildoers flourish, they will be destroyed forever.

The psalmist looks at the apparent success of the wicked without naivety and sets it within God's long view: it does not last.

Verse 13-14
They are planted in Yahweh’s house. They will flourish in our God’s courts. They will still produce fruit in old age. They will be full of sap and green,

Being planted in the house of the Lord is the secret of the psalm's fruitfulness. Fruit comes from being rooted, not from isolated effort, and it continues with age.

Verse 15
to show that Yahweh is upright. He is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in him.

The psalm ends with a testimony: the life of the righteous shows that the Lord is a reliable rock.

Test your knowledge

All Bible quizzes →

What the sermons say

That Your Soul May Prosper: Staying Planted in God (Psalm 92)Josias Laporte starts from verses 13 and 14: the prosperity of the soul comes from being planted in the house of the Lord. He distinguishes this from the prosperity gospel, which he rejects.Read the summary →The Church Is Your Family: Be Planted, Be Present, Be ConnectedGaetana Le Veo stresses that the church is a family: the person who is planted, present and connected in God's house is the one who grows.Read the summary →Jehovah-Jireh (3): When Adversity Becomes Your Launching PadJunias Anane invites us to confess the psalm: the righteous flourish like a palm tree. For him, adversity is not proof that God has let you go, but a springboard.Read the summary →

Frequently asked questions about Psalm 92

What does Psalm 92 mean?

It is a song of praise for the Sabbath day. It invites us to thank God for his works, answers the apparent prosperity of the wicked by recalling that God still reigns, and compares the righteous to a palm tree or a cedar planted in the house of the Lord, bearing fruit even in old age.

Who wrote Psalm 92?

The title names no author. It only says that it is a psalm, a song for the Sabbath day. Jewish tradition has kept it in the Sabbath liturgy. So we cannot say who wrote it or on what occasion, but its use in worship is clearly indicated.

How can you meditate on Psalm 92?

Take it in two parts. In the morning, reread verses 1 to 4 and thank God for one specific kindness. In the evening, tell him of his faithfulness as you think back over your day. Then meditate on verses 12 to 15 and ask yourself where you are planted: which habits, which community, which listening to the Word nourish you?

Articles quoting Psalm 92

← All chapters

World English Bible translation — public domain.