¶May they fear You while the sun shines, And as long as the moon shines, throughout all generations.
Parallel translations
- WEB They shall fear you while the sun endures; and as long as the moon, throughout all generations.
- KJV They shall fear thee as long as the sun and moon endure, throughout all generations.
- BSB May they fear him as long as the sun shines, as long as the moon remains, through all generations.
- NKJV They shall fear You As long as the sun and moon endure, Throughout all generations.
- NLT May they fear you as long as the sun shines, as long as the moon remains in the sky. Yes, forever!
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 prayer asks that people fear God under this reign as long as the sun and moon endure, throughout all generations.
Overview
The petition reaches beyond any single lifetime to an enduring, even everlasting, reign marked by reverence for God. The imagery of sun and moon signals permanence. This everlasting dominion finds its true fulfillment in Christ, whose kingdom will never end (Luke 1:33).
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 14
- Ps 89:36–37His offspring will endure forever, his throne like the sun before me.
- Ps 72:17His name endures forever. His name continues as long as the sun. Men shall be blessed by him. All nations will call him blessed.
- Dan 7:14There was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all the peoples, nations, and languages should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed.
- Isa 9:7Of the increase of his government and of peace there shall be no end, on David’s throne, and on his kingdom, to establish it, and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from that time on, even forever. The zeal of Yahweh of Armies will perform this.
- 1 Kgs 3:28All Israel heard of the judgment which the king had judged; and they feared the king; for they saw that the wisdom of God was in him, to do justice.
- Dan 2:44In the days of those kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed, nor shall its sovereignty be left to another people; but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever.
- Ps 89:29I will also make his offspring endure forever, and his throne as the days of heaven.
- Rev 11:15The seventh angel sounded, and great voices in heaven followed, saying, “The kingdom of the world has become the Kingdom of our Lord, and of his Christ. He will reign forever and ever!”
- Luke 1:32–33He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father, David,
- Ps 72:7In his days, the righteous shall flourish, and abundance of peace, until the moon is no more.
- 1 Sam 12:18So Samuel called to Yahweh; and Yahweh sent thunder and rain that day. Then all the people greatly feared Yahweh and Samuel.
- Eph 3:21to him be the glory in the assembly and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen.
- 1 Cor 15:24–25Then the end comes, when he will deliver up the Kingdom to God, even the Father; when he will have abolished all rule and all authority and power.
- Dan 7:27The kingdom and the dominion, and the greatness of the kingdoms under the whole sky, shall be given to the people of the saints of the Most High: his kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him.
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 72:5 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.