1 Chronicles 29:11
“Thine, O LORD, is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty: for all that is in the heaven and in the earth is thine; thine is the kingdom, O LORD, and thou art exalted as head above all.”
King James Version (KJV)
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First Chronicles 29 records the climax of David's reign as the people freely offer their wealth for the temple Solomon will build. Overwhelmed by their generosity, David leads the whole assembly in a prayer of blessing before the Lord. Verse 11 stands at the center of that prayer, ascribing to God every form of greatness before David acknowledges that all they have given came first from God's own hand.
What Does 1 Chronicles 29:11 Mean?
This is one of the most majestic prayers of praise in all of Scripture, and it teaches us that everything ultimately belongs to God. David prays it publicly after the people have given generously toward the temple. Rather than taking credit, David lifts his eyes upward and pours out a stream of titles: the greatness, the power, the glory, the victory, the majesty -- all of it is the Lord's. The repeated word "thine" hammers the point home. Nothing on the list originates with us.
David then widens the scope as far as it can go: "all that is in the heaven and in the earth is thine." The whole creation belongs to God, so every gift we offer Him is really only giving back what was already His. He continues, "thine is the kingdom, O LORD, and thou art exalted as head above all." God rules over everything, and He stands at the highest place over every power, every nation, and every human ambition. This prayer became so cherished that its language echoes in the way Jesus taught His followers to pray. It reorders the heart, reminding us that true worship begins by recognizing that God is supreme and that we are stewards of what He has given. To pray these words is to step into our right place before the One who is exalted above all.
In the Original Language
The Hebrew "gedullah" (greatness) conveys magnitude and majesty. "Tiphereth" (glory) means beauty and splendor, and "mamlakah" (kingdom) denotes sovereign dominion and royal rule belonging to God alone.
Cross References
“For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.”
- Matthew 6:13
“The earth is the LORD's, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein.”
- Psalm 24:1
“Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things.”
- Revelation 4:11
Application
Begin your prayers by recognizing who God is before bringing your requests. When you give or accomplish something, remember it all came from Him first. Let this prayer reorder your heart, replacing self-importance with humble worship of the One exalted above all.