Psalms 89
Study sheet, King James Version, with the original-language words this chapter turns on.
The text
1Maschil of Ethan the Ezrahite. I will sing of the mercies of the LORD for ever: with my mouth will I make known thy faithfulness to all generations.
2For I have said, Mercy shall be built up for ever: thy faithfulness shalt thou establish in the very heavens.
3I have made a covenant with my chosen, I have sworn unto David my servant,
4Thy seed will I establish for ever, and build up thy throne to all generations. Selah.
5And the heavens shall praise thy wonders, O LORD: thy faithfulness also in the congregation of the saints.
6For who in the heaven can be compared unto the LORD? who among the sons of the mighty can be likened unto the LORD?
7God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of the saints, and to be had in reverence of all them that are about him.
8O LORD God of hosts, who is a strong LORD like unto thee? or to thy faithfulness round about thee?
9Thou rulest the raging of the sea: when the waves thereof arise, thou stillest them.
10Thou hast broken Rahab in pieces, as one that is slain; thou hast scattered thine enemies with thy strong arm.
11The heavens are thine, the earth also is thine: as for the world and the fulness thereof, thou hast founded them.
12The north and the south thou hast created them: Tabor and Hermon shall rejoice in thy name.
13Thou hast a mighty arm: strong is thy hand, and high is thy right hand.
14Justice and judgment are the habitation of thy throne: mercy and truth shall go before thy face.
15Blessed is the people that know the joyful sound: they shall walk, O LORD, in the light of thy countenance.
16In thy name shall they rejoice all the day: and in thy righteousness shall they be exalted.
17For thou art the glory of their strength: and in thy favour our horn shall be exalted.
18For the LORD is our defence; and the Holy One of Israel is our king.
19Then thou spakest in vision to thy holy one, and saidst, I have laid help upon one that is mighty; I have exalted one chosen out of the people.
20I have found David my servant; with my holy oil have I anointed him:
21With whom my hand shall be established: mine arm also shall strengthen him.
22The enemy shall not exact upon him; nor the son of wickedness afflict him.
23And I will beat down his foes before his face, and plague them that hate him.
24But my faithfulness and my mercy shall be with him: and in my name shall his horn be exalted.
25I will set his hand also in the sea, and his right hand in the rivers.
26He shall cry unto me, Thou art my father, my God, and the rock of my salvation.
27Also I will make him my firstborn, higher than the kings of the earth.
28My mercy will I keep for him for evermore, and my covenant shall stand fast with him.
29His seed also will I make to endure for ever, and his throne as the days of heaven.
30If his children forsake my law, and walk not in my judgments;
31If they break my statutes, and keep not my commandments;
32Then will I visit their transgression with the rod, and their iniquity with stripes.
33Nevertheless my lovingkindness will I not utterly take from him, nor suffer my faithfulness to fail.
34My covenant will I not break, nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips.
35Once have I sworn by my holiness that I will not lie unto David.
36His seed shall endure for ever, and his throne as the sun before me.
37It shall be established for ever as the moon, and as a faithful witness in heaven. Selah.
38But thou hast cast off and abhorred, thou hast been wroth with thine anointed.
39Thou hast made void the covenant of thy servant: thou hast profaned his crown by casting it to the ground.
40Thou hast broken down all his hedges; thou hast brought his strong holds to ruin.
41All that pass by the way spoil him: he is a reproach to his neighbours.
42Thou hast set up the right hand of his adversaries; thou hast made all his enemies to rejoice.
43Thou hast also turned the edge of his sword, and hast not made him to stand in the battle.
44Thou hast made his glory to cease, and cast his throne down to the ground.
45The days of his youth hast thou shortened: thou hast covered him with shame. Selah.
46How long, LORD? wilt thou hide thyself for ever? shall thy wrath burn like fire?
47Remember how short my time is: wherefore hast thou made all men in vain?
48What man is he that liveth, and shall not see death? shall he deliver his soul from the hand of the grave? Selah.
49Lord, where are thy former lovingkindnesses, which thou swarest unto David in thy truth?
50Remember, Lord, the reproach of thy servants; how I do bear in my bosom the reproach of all the mighty people;
51Wherewith thine enemies have reproached, O LORD; wherewith they have reproached the footsteps of thine anointed.
52Blessed be the LORD for evermore. Amen, and Amen.
Words in this chapter
Definitions are Strong's own wording from his Exhaustive Concordance (1890). Counts are how often each word appears in this chapter, from the tagged text.
- יְהֹוָהYᵉhôvâhH306810× in this chapter
Jehovah, Jewish national name of God
- לֹאlôʼH380810× in this chapter
not (the simple or abs. negation); by implication, no; often used with other particles
- אַתָּהʼattâhH8598× in this chapter
thou and thee, or (plural) ye and you
- חֵסֵדchêçêdH26177× in this chapter
kindness; by implication (towards God) piety; rarely (by opposition) reproof, or (subject.) beauty
- כֹּלkôlH36057× in this chapter
properly, the whole; hence, all, any or every (in the singular only, but often in a plural sense)
- אֱמוּנָהʼĕmûwnâhH5307× in this chapter
literally firmness; figuratively security; morally fidelity
- עוֹלָםʻôwlâmH57697× in this chapter
properly, concealed, i.e. the vanishing point; generally, time out of mind (past or future), i.e. (practically) eternity; frequentatively, adverbial (especially with prepositional prefix) always
- רוּםrûwmH73116× in this chapter
to be high actively, to rise or raise (in various applications, literally or figuratively)
- כִּסֵּאkiççêʼH36785× in this chapter
properly, covered, i.e. a throne (as canopied)
- עִםʻimH59735× in this chapter
adverb or preposition, with (i.e. in conjunction with), in varied applications; specifically, equally with; often with prepositional prefix (and then usually unrepresented in English)
- אַףʼaphH6375× in this chapter
meaning accession (used as an adverb or conjunction); also or yea; adversatively though
- בֵּןbênH11214× in this chapter
a son (as a builder of the family name), in the widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship, including grandson, subject, nation, quality or condition, etc., (like father or brother), etc.)
- בְּרִיתbᵉrîythH12854× in this chapter
a compact (because made by passing between pieces of flesh)
- דָּוִדDâvidH17324× in this chapter
David, the youngest son of Jesse
- דּוֹרdôwrH17554× in this chapter
properly, a revolution of time, i.e. an age or generation; also a dwelling
- יָדyâdH30274× in this chapter
a hand (the open one (indicating power, means, direction, etc.),
- יָמִיןyâmîynH32254× in this chapter
the right hand or side (leg, eye) of a person or other object (as the stronger and more dexterous); locally, the south
- אֹיֵבʼôyêbH3414× in this chapter
hating; an adversary
- כּוּןkûwnH35594× in this chapter
properly, to be erect (i.e. stand perpendicular); hence (causatively) to set up, in a great variety of applications, whether literal (establish, fix, prepare, apply), or figurative (appoint, render sure, proper or prosperous)
- כִּיkîyH35884× in this chapter
(by implication) very widely used as a relative conjunction or adverb (as below); often largely modified by other particles annexed
- סֶלָהçelâhH55424× in this chapter
suspension (of music), i.e. pause
- עֶבֶדʻebedH56504× in this chapter
a servant
- עַלʻalH59214× in this chapter
above, over, upon, or against (yet always in this last relation with a downward aspect) in a great variety of applications
- אֶרֶץʼeretsH7764× in this chapter
the earth (at large, or partitively a land)
- שָׁמַיִםshâmayimH80644× in this chapter
the sky (as aloft; the dual perhaps alluding to the visible arch in which the clouds move, as well as to the higher ether where the celestial bodies revolve)
- זְרוֹעַzᵉrôwaʻH22203× in this chapter
the arm (as stretched out), or (of animals) the foreleg; figuratively, force
- זֶרַעzeraʻH22333× in this chapter
seed; figuratively, fruit, plant, sowing-time, posterity
- חָלַלchâlalH24903× in this chapter
properly, to bore, i.e. (by implication) to wound, to dissolve; figuratively, to profane (a person, place or thing), to break (one's word), to begin (as if by an 'opening wedge'); to play (the flute)
- יוֹםyôwmH31173× in this chapter
a day (as the warm hours), whether literal (from sunrise to sunset, or from one sunset to the next), or figurative (a space of time defined by an associated term), (often used adverb)
- אֵלʼêlH4103× in this chapter
strength; as adjective, mighty; especially the Almighty (but used also of any deity)
- מָהmâhH41003× in this chapter
properly, interrogative what? (including how? why? when?); but also exclamation, what! (including how!), or indefinitely what (including whatever, and even relatively, that which); often used with prefixes in various adverbial or conjunctive senses
- מִיmîyH43103× in this chapter
who? (occasionally, by a peculiar idiom, of things); also (indefinitely) whoever; often used in oblique construction with prefix or suffix
- אִםʼimH5183× in this chapter
used very widely as demonstrative, lo!; interrogative, whether?; or conditional, if, although; also Oh that!, when; hence, as a negative, not
- עַםʻamH59713× in this chapter
a people (as a congregated unit); specifically, a tribe (as those of Israel); hence (collectively) troops or attendants; figuratively, a flock
- פָּנִיםpânîymH64403× in this chapter
the face (as the part that turns); used in a great variety of applications (literally and figuratively); also (with prepositional prefix) as a preposition (before, etc.)
- קָדוֹשׁqâdôwshH69183× in this chapter
sacred (ceremonially or morally); (as noun) God (by eminence), an angel, a saint, a sanctuary
- שָׁבַעshâbaʻH76503× in this chapter
to seven oneself, i.e. swear (as if by repeating a declaration seven times)
- שׂוּםsûwmH77603× in this chapter
to put (used in a great variety of applications, literal, figurative, inferentially, and elliptically)
- שֵׁםshêmH80343× in this chapter
an appellation, as amark or memorial of individuality; by implication honor, authority, character
- שָׁמַרshâmarH81043× in this chapter
properly, to hedge about (as with thorns), i.e. guard; generally, to protect, attend to, etc.