The heavens declare his righteousness, and all the people see his glory.
Parallel translations
- WEB The heavens declare his righteousness. All the peoples have seen his glory.
- BSB The heavens proclaim His righteousness; all the peoples see His glory.
- NKJV The heavens declare His righteousness, And all the peoples see His glory.
- NASB The heavens declare His righteousness, And all the peoples have seen His glory.
- NLT The heavens proclaim his righteousness; every nation sees his glory.
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 heavens proclaim God's righteousness, and all peoples see His glory. His just character is publicly displayed across creation.
Overview
As in Psalm 19, the heavens bear witness to God, here specifically to His righteousness in ruling and judging. The universal scope ('all the peoples') signals that God's glory is not hidden but openly revealed to the nations. Ultimately this points to Christ, in whom God's righteousness is fully made known to the world (Romans 3:21-22).
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 18
- Ps 50:6And the heavens shall declare his righteousness: for God is judge himself. Selah.
- Isa 66:18For I know their works and their thoughts: it shall come, that I will gather all nations and tongues; and they shall come, and see my glory.
- Ps 19:1The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork.
- 2 Sam 22:47The LORD liveth; and blessed be my rock; and exalted be the God of the rock of my salvation.
- Ps 67:4O let the nations be glad and sing for joy: for thou shalt judge the people righteously, and govern the nations upon earth. Selah.
- Isa 40:5And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it.
- Isa 6:3And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory.
- Isa 45:6That they may know from the rising of the sun, and from the west, that there is none beside me. I am the LORD, and there is none else.
- Rev 19:2For true and righteous are his judgments: for he hath judged the great whore, which did corrupt the earth with her fornication, and hath avenged the blood of his servants at her hand.
- Matt 6:9After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.
- Hab 2:14For the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea.
- Isa 60:2–3For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the LORD shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee.
- Ps 89:2For I have said, Mercy shall be built up for ever: thy faithfulness shalt thou establish in the very heavens.
- Ps 36:5–6Thy mercy, O LORD, is in the heavens; and thy faithfulness reacheth unto the clouds.
- Num 14:21But as truly as I live, all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the LORD.
- Ps 98:3He hath remembered his mercy and his truth toward the house of Israel: all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.
- Isa 1:2Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth: for the LORD hath spoken, I have nourished and brought up children, and they have rebelled against me.
- Ps 89:5And the heavens shall praise thy wonders, O LORD: thy faithfulness also in the congregation of the saints.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
Resources, by level
Commentaries & study tools
Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.
Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.
Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.
Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.
The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).
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 97:6 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.