Limitless Word
I have proclaimed the good news of righteousness In the great assembly; Indeed, I do not restrain my lips, O Lord, You Yourself know.
Psalms 40:9 · New King James Version
Parallel translations
  • WEB I have proclaimed glad news of righteousness in the great assembly. Behold, I will not seal my lips, Yahweh, you know.
  • KJV I have preached righteousness in the great congregation: lo, I have not refrained my lips, O LORD, thou knowest.
  • BSB I proclaim righteousness in the great assembly; behold, I do not seal my lips, as You, O LORD, do know.
  • NASB ¶I have proclaimed good news of righteousness in the great congregation; Behold, I will not restrain my lips, Lord, You know.
  • NLT I have told all your people about your justice. I have not been afraid to speak out, as you, O Lord, well know.

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 proclaims God's righteousness openly in the great assembly, refusing to keep silent. Saving experience compels public testimony.

Overview

He cannot restrain his lips from declaring what God has done. The 'great assembly' is the gathered worshiping community. The redeemed are called to confess God's righteousness before others, as the gospel itself is news to be proclaimed.

Cross-references & the web

Cross-references · 12

  • Ps 22:25Of you comes my praise in the great assembly. I will pay my vows before those who fear him.
  • Mark 16:15–16He said to them, “Go into all the world, and preach the Good News to the whole creation.
  • Ps 71:15–18My mouth will tell about your righteousness, and of your salvation all day, though I don’t know its full measure.
  • Ps 22:22I will declare your name to my brothers. Among the assembly, I will praise you.
  • Ps 119:13With my lips, I have declared all the ordinances of your mouth.
  • Heb 2:12saying, “I will declare your name to my brothers. Among of the congregation I will sing your praise.”
  • Ps 35:18I will give you thanks in the great assembly. I will praise you among many people.
  • Luke 4:16–22He came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up. He entered, as was his custom, into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up to read.
  • Ps 119:171–172Let my lips utter praise, for you teach me your statutes.
  • Josh 22:22“The Mighty One, God, Yahweh, the Mighty One, God, Yahweh, he knows; and Israel shall know: if it was in rebellion, or if in trespass against Yahweh (don’t save us today),
  • John 21:17He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you have affection for me?” Peter was grieved because he asked him the third time, “Do you have affection for me?” He said to him, “Lord, you know everything. You know that I have affection for you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep.
  • Ps 139:2You know my sitting down and my rising up. You perceive my thoughts from afar.

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 40:9YouTube · 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 40:9 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.