Psalms · psalm 92 of 150
Updated on
Psalm 92 is a song for the Sabbath day that begins by saying it is good to give thanks to the Lord morning and night. The psalmist praises God's works, contrasts the fall of the wicked, who spring up like grass and wither, with the life of the righteous, who flourish like the palm tree and grow like the cedar, and declares that God is upright and is his rock.
The title says this is a song for the Sabbath day, the only psalm with that note. It stands in Book IV of the Psalms (Psalms 90-106) and follows Psalm 91. It is a psalm of gratitude with a wise contrast between the fate of the wicked and the righteous, showing that the day of rest was also a day of praise.
The psalm opens with an invitation to give thanks to the Lord and sing praises to the Most High. It is good to declare his steadfast love in the morning and his faithfulness by night, with stringed instruments and the lyre. The psalmist is glad because of God's work and the deeds of his hands.
He then reflects on how deep God's thoughts are. The senseless man and the fool do not understand: the wicked sprout like grass and evildoers flourish, but only to be destroyed forever. Meanwhile the Lord is on high forever, and his enemies will perish and be scattered.
The psalmist has seen God act for him: he has exalted his strength like that of a wild ox and anointed him with fresh oil, and he has seen with his own eyes the downfall of his foes. The psalm ends with a picture of the righteous: they flourish like the palm tree, grow like a cedar of Lebanon, are planted in the house of the Lord and still bear fruit in old age, declaring that the Lord is upright, that he is their rock and that there is no unrighteousness in him.
References follow ESV book names and verse numbers. Read each verse in your Bible before the explanation.
It is good to give thanks to the Lord and sing to his name, declaring his steadfast love in the morning and his faithfulness by night. Praise opens and closes each day, and the Sabbath is a special occasion for it.
The wicked sprout like grass and evildoers flourish, but their prosperity is brief and ends in destruction. The psalm teaches us not to be dazzled by the passing success of those who live without God.
The righteous flourish like the palm tree and grow like a cedar of Lebanon, planted in the house of the Lord. The image joins two strong, long-lived trees and says the believer's life is rooted in fellowship with God.
Even in old age the righteous bear fruit, staying fresh and green, to declare that the Lord is upright, that he is their rock and that there is no unrighteousness in him. Age does not silence the witness of one who trusts God.
6 questions with answers and references, ready for Sunday school, small group or a Bible quiz night.
Answer: For the Sabbath day. — Psalm 92:1
Answer: His steadfast love in the morning and his faithfulness by night. — Psalm 92:2
Answer: To grass that sprouts, but only to be destroyed forever. — Psalm 92:7
Answer: That he is on high forever. — Psalm 92:8
Answer: To the palm tree and the cedar of Lebanon. — Psalm 92:12
Answer: They bear fruit and stay fresh and green, to declare that the Lord is upright. — Psalm 92:14-15
Psalm 92 joins rest with gratitude. In church it can help us remember that the Lord's day is not only a break from work but a time to tell what God has done, in the morning and at night, in successes and in hard days. A small group can set aside a moment to give thanks aloud for specific works of God.
The psalm is also an encouragement to older believers and to those who walk with them. God does not retire his servants: those planted in his house keep bearing fruit through counsel, prayer and witness. For the young it is a reminder that the success of the wicked is passing and that it is worth putting down roots in the house of the Lord early.
Psalm 92 ends with the righteous proclaiming that the Lord is upright. Psalm 93 continues with a note of kingship: the Lord reigns, robed in majesty, and his throne stands firm from of old above the roaring waters.
It is the only psalm with that note. The text does not explain it, but the Sabbath was a day of rest and worship, and this psalm of gratitude and confidence in God's uprightness fits that atmosphere well. Jewish tradition sings it on that day.
The date palm is an upright, long-lived tree that bears fruit and withstands the desert heat. The psalm says the righteous person, planted in the house of the Lord, has a stable and fruitful life, even in old age.