Psalms 145:5 Meaning and Explanation
“I will speak of the glorious honour of thy majesty, and of thy wondrous works.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →Some praise remains inward because we have not found words for what we have seen of God. This line gives language for that need. David does not begin with his own achievements, fears, or requests. He turns his speech toward the splendor of God's rule and the astonishing works by which that rule becomes known among his creatures.
David commits himself to speak openly about God's radiant kingly majesty and the works that display it. Praise grows here through attentive remembrance, spoken testimony, and wonder before the Lord's deeds.
The Context of Psalms 145:5
Psalm 145 is David's alphabetic hymn of praise to God as King. Verses 1 through 3 establish the psalm's personal and daily resolve to bless the Lord, whose greatness cannot be fully searched out. Verse 4 then widens the setting: one generation declares God's works to another. Verse 5 gives David's own contribution to that continuing witness. Verse 6 joins the speech of many people to David's declaration, and verse 7 turns toward God's goodness and righteousness. The following verses describe the Lord's compassion, care for all he has made, and everlasting kingdom.
What Does Psalms 145:5 Mean?
"I will speak" is a deliberate promise of speech. David chooses to give voice to what belongs to God, carrying forward the generational declaration of verse 4. The phrase "glorious honour" gathers the weight, beauty, and public dignity of God's "majesty." David addresses God directly as "thy," so his praise is personal worship rather than a detached description. God's majesty names his royal greatness, already announced in verse 1 where David calls him "my God, O king." The verse also includes "thy wondrous works." God's exalted glory is made known through deeds that awaken awe. David's words hold God's kingly character and God's active works together.
Within the psalm, this verse helps explain how praise passes from generation to generation. People recount what God has done because his works bear witness to his greatness, goodness, righteousness, mercy, and kingdom. David does not claim that he can exhaust the Lord's greatness. Verse 3 has already called that greatness unsearchable. He can nevertheless speak truly of it. Faithful praise often begins with a particular work of God remembered carefully: deliverance, provision, justice, patience, healing, creation, or mercy. Such remembrance keeps worship rooted in the Lord's acts rather than in vague admiration. The chapter later invites all God's works and all flesh into this blessing of his holy name.
The biblical story repeatedly joins God's glory with works that reveal his saving kingship. At the sea, Israel saw the Lord's greatness in deliverance; in the wilderness, they learned his care through daily provision; in the kingdom, David marvels that every true greatness belongs to God. The Gospels likewise present Jesus' works as deeds that lead people to glorify God. This connection is earned by the shared biblical pattern: God's majesty becomes publicly known through wondrous acts of mercy and power. Psalm 145 does not identify a single event in this line. It trains us to receive the whole history of God's works as material for reverent, truthful praise.
Bible Verses Related to Psalms 145:5
“Because I will publish the name of the LORD: ascribe ye greatness unto our God.”
- Deuteronomy 32:3
“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.”
- 1 Chronicles 29:11
“The works of the LORD are great, sought out of all them that have pleasure therein.”
- Psalm 111:2
“Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.”
- Revelation 4:11
Where Psalms 145:5 Echoes in Scripture
Revelation 4:11 strongly echoes Psalm 145's concern with God's glory and his works. The heavenly worship there ascribes worth to the Lord because all things exist by his will. David's praise moves in the same direction: God's majesty is worthy of speech, and his works supply reasons for worship. The echo enlarges the psalm's earthly testimony into the worship of heaven.
How to Apply Psalms 145:5 Today
We can make room for this kind of speech in ordinary conversation and prayer. A household may remember a specific mercy at a meal. Friends may name ways God has sustained them through grief, work, illness, repentance, or unexpected help. Congregational praise gains depth when it remembers the deeds of God in Scripture and receives present blessings with gratitude. Careful speech also guards us from treating God's gifts as private possessions. David's example invites us to become reliable witnesses who tell the truth about God's goodness without exaggeration, pressure, or display.
Reflection & Prayer
What wondrous work of God in Scripture, creation, or our own remembered life deserves thankful speech today? We may pray: "Great King, teach our mouths to honor thy majesty. Help us remember thy works faithfully, receive them with humility, and speak of thy goodness in ways that strengthen those who hear."