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Whatsoever the LORD pleased, that did he in heaven, and in earth, in the seas, and all deep places.
Psalms 135:6 · King James Version
Parallel translations
  • WEB Whatever Yahweh pleased, that he has done, in heaven and in earth, in the seas and in all deeps;
  • BSB The LORD does all that pleases Him in the heavens and on the earth, in the seas and in all their depths.
  • NKJV Whatever the Lord pleases He does, In heaven and in earth, In the seas and in all deep places.
  • NASB Whatever the Lord pleases, He does, In heaven and on earth, in the seas and in all the ocean depths.
  • NLT The Lord does whatever pleases him throughout all heaven and earth, and on the seas and in their depths.

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

Yahweh does whatever He pleases throughout all creation, showing His sovereign rule over every realm.

Overview

This verse grounds Israel's praise in God's absolute sovereignty: He acts freely in the heavens, the earth, the seas, and the depths, with nothing outside His authority. Unlike the powerless idols described later in the psalm, the living God accomplishes all His good pleasure. His unrestricted will is a comfort to His people, for the One who rules all things rules for their good in Christ.

Cross-references & the web

Cross-references · 11

  • Ps 115:3But our God is in the heavens: he hath done whatsoever he hath pleased.
  • Dan 4:35And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing: and he doeth according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay his hand, or say unto him, What doest thou?
  • Matt 28:18And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.
  • Isa 46:10Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure:
  • Ps 33:9For he spake, and it was done; he commanded, and it stood fast.
  • Matt 8:26–27And he saith unto them, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? Then he arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm.
  • Ps 33:11The counsel of the LORD standeth for ever, the thoughts of his heart to all generations.
  • Amos 4:13For, lo, he that formeth the mountains, and createth the wind, and declareth unto man what is his thought, that maketh the morning darkness, and treadeth upon the high places of the earth, The LORD, The God of hosts, is his name.
  • Amos 9:6It is he that buildeth his stories in the heaven, and hath founded his troop in the earth; he that calleth for the waters of the sea, and poureth them out upon the face of the earth: The LORD is his name.
  • Ps 136:13–15To him which divided the Red sea into parts: for his mercy endureth for ever:
  • Matt 14:25And in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went unto them, walking on the sea.

Themes, concepts, people & topics

Topics (2)

Resources, by level

Commentaries & study tools

  • VideoBibleProject — Psalms videosBibleProject · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.

  • VideoWatch teaching on Psalms 135:6YouTube · Lay · Free

    Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.

  • CommentaryEnduring Word — verse-by-verseDavid Guzik · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.

  • CommentaryClassic commentaries for this verseBibleHub (20+ works) · Pastoral · Free

    Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.

  • CommentaryMatthew Henry on PsalmsMatthew Henry · Pastoral · Free · evangelical

    The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).

  • ReferenceInterlinear, lexicon & Strong'sBlue Letter Bible · Seminary · Free

    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 135:6 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.