O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: because his mercy endureth for ever.
Parallel translations
- WEB Give thanks to Yahweh, for he is good, for his loving kindness endures forever.
- BSB Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; His loving devotion endures forever.
- NKJV Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever.
- NASB Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; For His mercy is everlasting.
- NLT Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever.
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
Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good and his loving kindness endures forever. It matters because God's enduring goodness is the foundation for all thanksgiving.
Overview
This thanksgiving psalm opens with a refrain celebrating God's goodness and everlasting covenant love. It frames the whole psalm as praise grounded in God's unchanging character. Traditionally sung at Passover, it points to the greater deliverance accomplished in Christ, the goodness of God made flesh.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 9
- 1 Chr 16:34O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever.
- Ps 107:1O give thanks unto the LORD, for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.
- Ps 106:1Praise ye the LORD. O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.
- Jer 33:11The voice of joy, and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom, and the voice of the bride, the voice of them that shall say, Praise the LORD of hosts: for the LORD is good; for his mercy endureth for ever: and of them that shall bring the sacrifice of praise into the house of the LORD. For I will cause to return the captivity of the land, as at the first, saith the LORD.
- Ps 118:29O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.
- 1 Chr 16:8Give thanks unto the LORD, call upon his name, make known his deeds among the people.
- Ps 136:1O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.
- Ps 103:17But the mercy of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him, and his righteousness unto children’s children;
- Ps 100:5For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Commentaries & study tools
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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 118:1 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.