What Does 1 Chronicles 16:28 Mean in the King James?

Give unto the LORD, ye kindreds of the people, give unto the LORD glory and strength.

1 Chronicles 16:28 · KJV

The analysis reads the King James wording.

King James Version The King James Version, first published in 1611. Selah Verse shows the standard text.

THE KEY

What you give God is not something he lacks, but the weight and strength your voice recognizes as his.

THE MEANING

You stand among the families of peoples invited to name God’s weight and strength. To give him glory is to treat his nature as weighty in what you say; your words recognize what is already his.

WHAT THIS UNDOES

The verse undoes the belief that praise supplies God with a quality he is missing; the giving is recognition, not repair.

THE ROOT

כָּבוֹד

kavod

GROWS FROM

כבד

k-b-d

The root ⁨כבד⁩ (k-b-d; kabad) means “to be heavy” or “to be weighty.”

The word rendered “glory” carries the sense of weight: what is substantial and worthy of honor. Here, giving God glory means recognizing his weight, while strength names the power that belongs with it.

ALSO GROWS

kaved: heavy, weighty

כָּבֵד

This branch makes the concrete sense of “glory” visible: what has weight is substantial.

kibbed: honored, treated as weighty

כִּבֵּד

This verb shows how the root’s sense of weight extends into honor: to honor is to accord someone weight.

THE PATTERN

Across scripture, praise gives God glory and strength by naming what is already his.

A Psalm of David. Give unto the LORD, O ye mighty, give unto the LORD glory and strength.

Psalm 29:1 · KJVThe verse repeats the call to give God glory and strength, showing praise as recognition of his weight and power.

Give unto the LORD, O ye kindreds of the people, give unto the LORD glory and strength.

Psalm 96:7 · KJVThe same call reaches the families of the peoples, making their recognition of God’s glory and strength a shared expression.

Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing.

Revelation 5:12 · KJVThe song names strength and glory among the qualities openly attributed to the Lamb.

THE THREAD

Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.

Exodus 20:12 · KJV

The Hebrew verb translated “honour” comes from the same ⁨כבד⁩ (k-b-d; kabad), “to be heavy, weighty,” root as kavod, “glory.” That shared root makes the call to give God glory concrete: it means according him weight in speech.

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