Whatever the Lord pleases, He does, In heaven and on earth, in the seas and in all the ocean depths.
Parallel translations
- WEB Whatever Yahweh pleased, that he has done, in heaven and in earth, in the seas and in all deeps;
- KJV Whatsoever the LORD pleased, that did he in heaven, and in earth, in the seas, and all deep places.
- 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.
- 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 does whatever he pleases.
- Dan 4:35All the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing; and he does according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth; and no one can stop his hand, or ask him, What are you doing?
- Matt 28:18Jesus came to them and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth.
- Isa 46:10I declare the end from the beginning, and from ancient times things that are not yet done. I say: My counsel will stand, and I will do all that I please.
- Ps 33:9For he spoke, and it was done. He commanded, and it stood firm.
- Matt 8:26–27He said to them, “Why are you fearful, O you of little faith?” Then he got up, rebuked the wind and the sea, and there was a great calm.
- Ps 33:11The counsel of Yahweh stands fast forever, the thoughts of his heart to all generations.
- Amos 4:13For, behold, he who forms the mountains, and creates the wind, and declares to man what is his thought; who makes the morning darkness, and treads on the high places of the earth: Yahweh, the God of Armies, is his name.”
- Amos 9:6It is he who builds his rooms in the heavens, and has founded his vault on the earth; he who calls for the waters of the sea, and pours them out on the surface of the earth; Yahweh is his name.
- Ps 136:13–15To him who divided the Red Sea apart; for his loving kindness endures forever;
- Matt 14:25In the fourth watch of the night, Jesus came to them, walking on the sea.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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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.