The big picture
Psalms 146 opens in verse 1 with “Praise ye the LORD . Praise the LORD , O my soul.”, reaches its middle movement near verse 5 with “Happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the LORD his God:”, and closes in verse 10 with “The LORD shall reign for ever, even thy God, O Zion, unto all generations. Praise ye the…” Repeated or prominent terms include LORD, Praise, earth, help, blind. Together, those details trace this chapter’s own movement from its opening to its conclusion.
Scripture beside the summary
Psalms · King James Version · 10Psalms 146:1-5
1–5: Praise ye the LORD . Praise the LORD , O my soul.
Psalms 146:1–5 opens with “Praise ye the LORD . Praise the LORD , O my soul.” and reaches “Happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the LORD his God:” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on Psalms 146 develops its own movement around LORD, Praise, earth, help, blind, with particular weight carried by LORD, Praise, help.
Context that brings the passage to life
“Praise ye the LORD . Praise the LORD , O my soul.” Naming Praise keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.
Psalms 146:1-5
King James Version1Praise ye the LORD . Praise the LORD , O my soul.
2While I live will I praise the LORD : I will sing praises unto my God while I have any being.
3Put not your trust in princes, nor in the son of man, in whom there is no help.
4His breath goeth forth, he returneth to his earth; in that very day his thoughts perish.
5Happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the LORD his God:
Psalms 146:6-10
6–10: Which made heaven, and earth, the sea, and all that therein is: which…
Psalms 146:6–10 opens with “Which made heaven, and earth, the sea, and all that therein is: which keepeth truth for ever:” and reaches “The LORD shall reign for ever, even thy God, O Zion, unto all generations. Praise ye the LORD .” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on Psalms 146 develops its own movement around LORD, Praise, earth, help, blind, with particular weight carried by LORD, blind, bowed.
Context that brings the passage to life
“Which made heaven, and earth, the sea, and all that therein is: which keepeth truth for ever:” The line’s distinctive content terms include earth, heaven, keepeth. Its relationship to verses 7 shows what work it does in this passage.
Psalms 146:6-10
King James Version6Which made heaven, and earth, the sea, and all that therein is: which keepeth truth for ever:
7Which executeth judgment for the oppressed: which giveth food to the hungry. The LORD looseth the prisoners:
8The LORD openeth the eyes of the blind: the LORD raiseth them that are bowed down: the LORD loveth the righteous:
9The LORD preserveth the strangers; he relieveth the fatherless and widow: but the way of the wicked he turneth upside down.
10The LORD shall reign for ever, even thy God, O Zion, unto all generations. Praise ye the LORD .
Details worth noticing
The opening image
Psalms 146:1 begins with “Praise ye the LORD . Praise the LORD , O my soul.”
Where the chapter turns
Psalms 146:5 forms a natural hinge: “Happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the LORD his God:”
The final note
Psalms 146:10 leaves the reader with “The LORD shall reign for ever, even thy God, O Zion, unto all generations. Praise ye the LORD .”
A word trail through the chapter
The words LORD, Praise, earth, help, blind, bowed help reveal the chapter’s repeated concerns.
KJV words made clear
- unto
- to
- thy
- your
- hath
- has
Text first
Where readers differ
The chapter summary begins with what the passage says and how its parts fit together. It does not assume one denomination has already settled every question. Where a conclusion depends on a tradition, literary theory, or historical reconstruction, that dependence is named openly.
The KJV text is presented first. Interpretive conclusions are labeled, and differences are introduced only when they help a reader understand why serious communities do not always reach the same answer.
Comparative interpretive notes for this chapter are in preparation. Until reviewed notes are ready, this page separates the KJV text from summary and application without claiming that serious readers agree on every question.