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Sing for joy in the Lord, you righteous ones; Praise is becoming to the upright.
Psalms 33:1 · New American Standard Bible
Parallel translations
  • WEB Rejoice in Yahweh, you righteous! Praise is fitting for the upright.
  • KJV Rejoice in the LORD, O ye righteous: for praise is comely for the upright.
  • BSB Rejoice in the LORD, O righteous ones; it is fitting for the upright to praise Him.
  • NKJV Rejoice in the Lord, O you righteous! For praise from the upright is beautiful.
  • NLT Let the godly sing for joy to the Lord; it is fitting for the pure to praise him.

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

The righteous are summoned to rejoice in the Lord, for praise is the fitting response of the upright.

Overview

This hymn of praise opens by calling the righteous to joyful worship, treating praise as the natural and appropriate activity of those made upright before God. Joy and worship belong together, flowing from a right relationship with the Lord. Believers redeemed in Christ are likewise called to a praise that suits their new standing as God's people.

Cross-references & the web

Cross-references · 12

  • Ps 32:11Be glad in Yahweh, and rejoice, you righteous! Shout for joy, all you who are upright in heart!
  • Phil 4:4Rejoice in the Lord always! Again I will say, “Rejoice!”
  • Ps 147:1Praise Yah, for it is good to sing praises to our God; for it is pleasant and fitting to praise him.
  • Ps 97:12Be glad in Yahweh, you righteous people! Give thanks to his holy Name.
  • Ps 118:15The voice of rejoicing and salvation is in the tents of the righteous. “The right hand of Yahweh does valiantly.
  • Prov 15:8The sacrifice made by the wicked is an abomination to Yahweh, but the prayer of the upright is his delight.
  • 1 Cor 1:30–31Because of him, you are in Christ Jesus, who was made to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption:
  • Ps 50:14–16Offer to God the sacrifice of thanksgiving. Pay your vows to the Most High.
  • Ps 78:36–37But they flattered him with their mouth, and lied to him with their tongue.
  • Ps 135:3Praise Yah, for Yahweh is good. Sing praises to his name, for that is pleasant.
  • Rom 3:10As it is written, “There is no one righteous; no, not one.
  • Rom 5:19For as through the one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the one, many will be made righteous.

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 33:1YouTube · 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 33:1 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.