Let the praises of God be in their mouths, and a sharp sword in their hands—
Parallel translations
- WEB May the high praises of God be in their mouths, and a two-edged sword in their hand;
- KJV Let the high praises of God be in their mouth, and a two-edged sword in their hand;
- BSB May the high praises of God be in their mouths, and a double-edged sword in their hands,
- NKJV Let the high praises of God be in their mouth, And a two-edged sword in their hand,
- NASB The high praises of God shall be in their mouths, And a two-edged sword in their hands,
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
God's people are pictured holding praise in their mouths and a two-edged sword in their hands, joining worship with active commitment to God's cause.
Overview
This verse pairs exuberant worship (the previous verses call for singing and rejoicing) with readiness to serve God's righteous purposes. In Israel's setting the sword was literal, but the New Testament reframes the believer's weapon as the word of God, called the sword of the Spirit (Ephesians 6:17; Hebrews 4:12). The combination teaches that genuine praise and wholehearted devotion to God's kingdom belong together.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 10
- Heb 4:12For the word of God is living and active, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and is able to discern the thoughts and intentions of the heart.
- Ps 66:17I cried to him with my mouth. He was extolled with my tongue.
- Rev 1:16He had seven stars in his right hand. Out of his mouth proceeded a sharp two-edged sword. His face was like the sun shining at its brightest.
- Rev 19:6I heard something like the voice of a great multitude, and like the voice of many waters, and like the voice of mighty thunders, saying, “Hallelujah! For the Lord our God, the Almighty, reigns!
- Neh 9:5Then the Levites, Jeshua, and Kadmiel, Bani, Hashabneiah, Sherebiah, Hodiah, Shebaniah, and Pethahiah, said, “Stand up and bless Yahweh your God from everlasting to everlasting! Blessed be your glorious name, which is exalted above all blessing and praise!
- Ps 96:4For great is Yahweh, and greatly to be praised! He is to be feared above all gods.
- Luke 2:14“Glory to God in the highest, on earth peace, good will toward men.”
- Ps 145:3–5Great is Yahweh, and greatly to be praised! His greatness is unsearchable.
- Dan 4:37Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and extol and honor the King of heaven; for all his works are truth, and his ways justice; and those who walk in pride he is able to abase.
- Ps 115:7They have hands, but they don’t feel. They have feet, but they don’t walk, neither do they speak through their throat.
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 149:6 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.