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Wisdom & Poetry · WORLD ENGLISH BIBLE

Psalm 146

Psalm 146 is read especially through the theme of praise, within Book V (Psalms 107–150). Its language invites attentive prayer before quick application.

PraiseCreationWisdom
Psalms overview
Old Testament

Psalm 146

1Praise the LORD! Praise the LORD, my soul.

2While I live, I will praise the LORD. I will sing praises to my God as long as I exist.

3Don’t put your trust in princes, in a son of man in whom there is no help.

4His spirit departs, and he returns to the earth. In that very day, his thoughts perish.

5Happy is he who has the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the LORD, his God,

6who made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them; who keeps truth forever;

7who executes justice for the oppressed; who gives food to the hungry. The LORD frees the prisoners.

8The LORD opens the eyes of the blind. The LORD raises up those who are bowed down. The LORD loves the righteous.

9The LORD preserves the foreigners. He upholds the fatherless and widow, but he turns the way of the wicked upside down.

10The LORD will reign forever; your God, O Zion, to all generations. Praise the LORD!

READ IN CONTEXT

Understanding Psalm 146

Psalm 146 is read especially through the theme of praise, within Book V (Psalms 107–150). Its language invites attentive prayer before quick application. Read it within the complete five-book Psalms collection, then compare its prayer language with the types of prayer found across Scripture. Classification is a reading aid rather than a replacement for the Psalm's own movement and tension.

Collection

Book V (Psalms 107–150). The five-book shape of the Psalter helps readers hear individual prayers within a deliberately arranged collection.

Themes detected

Praise, Creation, Wisdom. Read for these themes while remaining open to tension and secondary movements.

TEXT-DERIVED READING NOTES

What to notice in Psalm 146

Psalm 146 contains 10 verses and about 167 words in this translation. These observations come from the chapter itself; they are prompts for close reading, not claims about its only possible meaning.

The opening movement

Verse 1 begins: “Praise the LORD! Praise the LORD, my soul.” Ask what situation, voice, image, or argument this opening establishes for everything that follows.

The closing movement

Verse 10 closes: “The LORD will reign forever; your God, O Zion, to all generations. Praise the LORD!” Compare the ending with the opening and note what changed, resolved, intensified, or remained open.

Vocabulary worth tracing

Recurring or prominent content words include praise, will, help, earth, forever, down. Follow where each word appears and whether its meaning shifts with the speaker or setting.

COMMON QUESTIONS

About Psalm 146

Which Bible translation is shown here?+

This page reproduces the World English Bible Protestant edition (WEBP), a modern-English translation dedicated to the public domain.

How should I cite a specific verse?+

Use the book, chapter, and verse—for example, Psalms 146:1—and name the World English Bible if the wording matters. Each verse number above is a direct anchor link.

Does the chapter number define the complete literary unit?+

Not always. Chapter and verse numbers were added for navigation. Check the paragraphs, scenes, poetic stanzas, or argument before and after this chapter.

What kind of Psalm is this?+

Our reading profile emphasizes praise, with related themes of Praise, Creation, Wisdom. Many Psalms blend genres or move between moods, so this label is a guide rather than a rigid classification.

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