Be thou exalted, O God, above the heavens: and thy glory above all the earth;
Parallel translations
- WEB Be exalted, God, above the heavens! Let your glory be over all the earth.
- BSB Be exalted, O God, above the heavens; may Your glory cover all the earth.
- NKJV Be exalted, O God, above the heavens, And Your glory above all the earth;
- NASB Be exalted above the heavens, God, And may Your glory be above all the earth.
- NLT Be exalted, O God, above the highest heavens. May your glory shine over all the earth.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
David prays that God would be exalted above the heavens and his glory cover all the earth.
Overview
The psalmist's chief desire is for God's exaltation and the spread of his glory over the whole earth. Personal praise gives way to a longing for God's universal honor. This prayer aligns with the ultimate purpose of redemption, that the earth be filled with the glory of God as the waters cover the sea, accomplished through Christ's kingdom.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 10
- Ps 57:5Be thou exalted, O God, above the heavens; let thy glory be above all the earth.
- Matt 6:9–10After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.
- Ps 148:13Let them praise the name of the LORD: for his name alone is excellent; his glory is above the earth and heaven.
- Ps 72:19And blessed be his glorious name for ever: and let the whole earth be filled with his glory; Amen, and Amen.
- Ps 57:11Be thou exalted, O God, above the heavens: let thy glory be above all the earth.
- 1 Chr 29:10–13Wherefore David blessed the LORD before all the congregation: and David said, Blessed be thou, LORD God of Israel our father, for ever and ever.
- Ps 8:1O LORD, our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth! who hast set thy glory above the heavens.
- Ps 21:13Be thou exalted, LORD, in thine own strength: so will we sing and praise thy power.
- Isa 6:3And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory.
- Matt 6:13And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.
Resources, by level
Commentaries & study tools
Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.
Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.
Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.
Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.
The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).
Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
Christ at the center
The Psalms are Christ's own prayer book and a gallery of his portraits — the suffering one of Psalm 22, the risen Lord of Psalm 16, the priest-king of Psalm 110, the Son to whom the nations are given.
How Psalms 108:5 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.