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May all who seek You rejoice and be glad in You; may those who love Your salvation always say, “The LORD be magnified!”
Psalms 40:16 · Berean Standard Bible
Parallel translations
  • WEB Let all those who seek you rejoice and be glad in you. Let such as love your salvation say continually, “Let Yahweh be exalted!”
  • KJV Let all those that seek thee rejoice and be glad in thee: let such as love thy salvation say continually, The LORD be magnified.
  • NKJV Let all those who seek You rejoice and be glad in You; Let such as love Your salvation say continually, “The Lord be magnified!”
  • NASB May all who seek You rejoice and be glad in You; May those who love Your salvation continually say, “The Lord be exalted!”
  • NLT But may all who search for you be filled with joy and gladness in you. May those who love your salvation repeatedly shout, “The Lord is great!”

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

David prays that all who seek God rejoice and continually exalt the Lord. He desires the joy and worship of God's people, not just his own relief.

Overview

In contrast to the enemies, the godly are to be glad and to magnify God. David's concern widens beyond himself to all who love God's salvation. This God-centered joy is the proper response of the redeemed community.

Cross-references & the web

Cross-references · 13

  • Ps 35:27May those who favor my vindication shout for joy and gladness; may they always say, “Exalted be the LORD who delights in His servant’s well-being.”
  • Ps 68:3But the righteous will be glad and rejoice before God; they will celebrate with joy.
  • Ps 119:123My eyes fail, looking for Your salvation, and for Your righteous promise.
  • Acts 19:17This became known to all the Jews and Greeks living in Ephesus, and fear came over all of them. So the name of the Lord Jesus was held in high honor.
  • Luke 1:46–47Then Mary said: “My soul magnifies the Lord,
  • Ps 105:3Glory in His holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice.
  • Ps 22:26The poor will eat and be satisfied; those who seek the LORD will praise Him. May your hearts live forever!
  • Isa 65:13–14Therefore this is what the Lord GOD says: “My servants will eat, but you will go hungry; My servants will drink, but you will go thirsty; My servants will rejoice, but you will be put to shame.
  • Phil 3:7–9But whatever was gain to me I count as loss for the sake of Christ.
  • Ps 119:111Your testimonies are my heritage forever, for they are the joy of my heart.
  • Ps 119:166–167I wait for Your salvation, O LORD, and I carry out Your commandments.
  • Matt 13:45–46Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls.
  • Ps 119:81My soul faints for Your salvation; I wait for Your word.

Themes, concepts, people & topics

Topics (1)

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 40:16YouTube · 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 40:16 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.