Short answer: Psalm 147 is a call to praise the Lord for his care over creation and his people. The psalm declares that the Lord builds up Jerusalem and gathers the outcasts of Israel. He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds. The psalm celebrates God's power over creation — he determines the number of the stars and gives them all their names. It declares that the Lord takes pleasure in those who fear him and hope in his steadfast love.
The setting of the psalm
Psalm 147 is a call to praise the Lord for his care over creation and his people. The psalm begins by declaring that it is good to sing praises to our God, for praise is pleasant and beautiful. The Lord builds up Jerusalem and gathers the outcasts of Israel. He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.
The psalm celebrates God's power and wisdom. He determines the number of the stars and gives to all of them their names. The God who names the stars is the same God who heals the brokenhearted. The combination of cosmic power and personal care is central to the psalm's message. Great is our Lord, and abundant in power; his understanding is beyond measure.
The Lord lifts up the humble and casts the wicked to the ground. The psalm calls the people to sing to the Lord with thanksgiving and to make melody to him on the lyre. He covers the heavens with clouds, prepares rain for the earth, and makes grass grow on the hills. God's provision for creation is a sign of his care.
The psalm declares that the Lord takes pleasure in those who fear him, in those who hope in his steadfast love. He sends out his command to the earth, and his word runs swiftly. He gives snow like wool and scatters frost like ashes. The weather itself is under God's command and serves his purposes.
For Christians, this psalm teaches that the same God who governs the stars also heals the brokenhearted. The word that runs swiftly is the gospel, which goes out to all the world. The pleasure that God takes in those who hope in his steadfast love is the pleasure of a Father in his children through Christ.
Praise Yah, for it is good to sing praises to our God; for it is pleasant and fitting to praise him. Yahweh builds up Jerusalem. He gathers together the outcasts of Israel. He heals the broken in heart, and binds up their wounds. He counts the number of the stars. He calls them all by their names. Great is our Lord, and mighty in power. His understanding is infinite. Yahweh upholds the humble. He brings the wicked down to the ground.
Psalm 147:1-6 (World English Bible)
Key words and their meaning
The Hebrew word for 'brokenhearted' (shavar lev) in verse 3 describes those whose hearts are shattered. The Lord heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds — the image is of a physician tenderly caring for the injured.
The word 'number' (manah) in verse 4 describes counting or assigning. God determines the number of the stars and calls them each by name. The same God who numbers the stars heals the brokenhearted.
The word 'pleasure' (ratson) in verse 11 describes delight or favor. The Lord takes pleasure in those who fear him — not in their performance but in their reverent trust.
Sing to Yahweh with thanksgiving. Sing praises on the harp to our God, who covers the sky with clouds, who prepares rain for the earth, who makes grass grow on the mountains. He provides food for the livestock, and for the young ravens when they call. He doesn’t delight in the strength of the horse. He takes no pleasure in the legs of a man. Yahweh takes pleasure in those who fear him, in those who hope in his loving kindness.
Psalm 147:7-11 (World English Bible)
What the psalm claims
First, the Lord builds up Jerusalem and gathers the outcasts. God is concerned with both the city and the individual.
Second, the Lord heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds. God's care is personal and tender.
Third, the Lord takes pleasure in those who fear him. Our reverent trust brings joy to God.
Praise Yahweh, Jerusalem! Praise your God, Zion! For he has strengthened the bars of your gates. He has blessed your children within you. He makes peace in your borders. He fills you with the finest of the wheat. He sends out his commandment to the earth. His word runs very swiftly. He gives snow like wool, and scatters frost like ashes. He hurls down his hail like pebbles. Who can stand before his cold? He sends out his word, and melts them. He causes his wind to blow, and the waters flow. He shows his word to Jacob, his statutes and his ordinances to Israel. He has not done this for just any nation. They don’t know his ordinances. Praise Yah!
Psalm 147:12-20 (World English Bible)
Where readers disagree
The historical context of 'building up Jerusalem' has been discussed. Some connect this to the post-exilic rebuilding of Jerusalem.
The relationship between God's cosmic power and personal care has been discussed. The same God who names the stars heals the brokenhearted.
The meaning of 'he takes pleasure in those who fear him' has been discussed. God's pleasure is not based on our performance but on our trust.
Praise Yah, for it is good to sing praises to our God; for it is pleasant and fitting to praise him. Yahweh builds up Jerusalem. He gathers together the outcasts of Israel. He heals the broken in heart, and binds up their wounds. He counts the number of the stars. He calls them all by their names. Great is our Lord, and mighty in power. His understanding is infinite. Yahweh upholds the humble. He brings the wicked down to the ground.
Psalm 147:1-6 (World English Bible)
How this psalm connects to the gospel
The themes of Psalm 147 find their ultimate fulfillment in the person and work of Jesus Christ. The New Testament frequently draws on the Psalms to explain who Jesus is and what he accomplished. The psalm's language of deliverance, kingship, and steadfast love all point toward the gospel.
In Jesus, believers see the perfect fulfillment of everything this psalm celebrates. The deliverance the psalmist experienced was a foreshadowing of the greater deliverance Christ would accomplish. The kingship celebrated in the psalm points to Christ's eternal reign. The steadfast love described in the psalm is fully revealed in Jesus's sacrificial death and resurrection.
For Christians, reading this psalm is an opportunity to see God's faithfulness across the entire biblical story. The same God who heard the psalmist's cry also hears the prayers of his people today. The same deliverance finds its ultimate expression in the salvation Christ offers. The psalm invites believers to trust in this faithful God and to make his praise known to all generations.
The New Testament writers understood the Psalms as a prophetic witness to Christ. Jesus himself told his disciples that everything written about him in the Psalms must be fulfilled (Luke 24:44). When the apostles preached about Jesus, they regularly quoted the Psalms to demonstrate that his suffering, death, resurrection, and exaltation were all part of God's redemptive plan.
Psalm 147 participates in this prophetic witness. Whether through its language of kingship, its descriptions of suffering and deliverance, or its celebration of God's steadfast love, this psalm contributes to the biblical portrait of the Messiah. Reading it in light of Christ does not diminish its original meaning but reveals its deepest significance.
Sing to Yahweh with thanksgiving. Sing praises on the harp to our God, who covers the sky with clouds, who prepares rain for the earth, who makes grass grow on the mountains. He provides food for the livestock, and for the young ravens when they call. He doesn’t delight in the strength of the horse. He takes no pleasure in the legs of a man. Yahweh takes pleasure in those who fear him, in those who hope in his loving kindness.
Psalm 147:7-11 (World English Bible)
Biblical fidelity check
Psalm 147 is theologically sound and consistent with the broader biblical witness. Its themes of God's steadfast love, faithfulness, and righteousness are central to biblical theology. The psalm contributes to the Psalter's comprehensive portrait of God's relationship with his people. While each psalm reflects its original historical context, its truths are enduring and applicable to believers today. The New Testament affirms and deepens the themes found in this psalm, particularly through the person and work of Jesus Christ.
Frequently asked questions
What is the main message of Psalm 147?
The main message of Psalm 147 is praise the lord! for it is good to sing praises to our god. The psalm teaches that God is worthy of trust and praise. It calls believers to respond to God's character with faith, obedience, and worship.
How does Psalm 147 point to Christ?
Psalm 147, like all Scripture, ultimately points to Jesus Christ. The themes of God's deliverance, steadfast love, and kingship find their fullest expression in Christ. The New Testament frequently quotes the Psalms to explain Christ's person and work. As Jesus himself said, the Scriptures bear witness to him (John 5:39).
How does Psalm 147 apply to Christians today?
Psalm 147 applies to believers today by providing language for prayer, praise, and lament. It teaches about God's character and how believers should respond to him. The psalm's truths are timeless, addressing the universal human experiences of joy, suffering, hope, and trust.
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