What Does Psalm 148:3 Mean in the King James?

Praise ye him, sun and moon: praise him, all ye stars of light.

Psalm 148:3 · 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

The sun, moon, and stars are not scenery around praise; their place in the heavens is itself summoned into it.

THE MEANING

The sun, moon, and stars are called as participants in praise, not just as scenery above you. Their light makes the heavens a living witness to God, and the verse places your own voice within that wider response.

WHAT THIS UNDOES

The lie that praise belongs only to human voices dissolves here: the sun, moon, and stars are also summoned into it.

THE ROOT

הַלְלוּהוּ

halleluhu

GROWS FROM

הלל

halal

Praise, celebrate, acclaim.

The verse repeats the call to praise, drawing the sun, moon, and stars into one shared response. The same root appears in ⁨תְּהִלָּה⁩ (tehillah, praise or a song of praise) and ⁨הַלְלוּיָהּ⁩ (hallelu-yah, praise Yah), linking this summons to both sung praise and a familiar call of praise.

ALSO GROWS

tehillah: Praise; a song of praise.

תְּהִלָּה

The call belongs to the same word family as sung praise, even when the singers are sun, moon, and stars.

hallelu-yah: Praise Yah.

הַלְלוּיָהּ

This familiar praise-call shares the root ⁨הלל⁩ (halal, praise) with the repeated command in this verse.

אוֹר

GROWS FROM

אור

Light; luminosity.

The Hebrew calls them “stars of light,” making light part of how the verse identifies them, not just background decoration. The same word family names a ⁨מָאוֹר⁩ (ma’or, luminary), connecting the stars with the light-bearing sun and moon.

ALSO GROWS

or: Light.

אוֹר

This is the word used in the phrase “stars of light,” placing their luminous nature inside the verse’s description.

ma'or: Luminary; light-bearer.

מָאוֹר

This related word names a heavenly light-bearer, linking the stars with the sun and moon.

THE PATTERN

Creation’s many forms become a chorus of praise to its maker.

To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David. The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork.

Psalm 19:1 · KJVThe heavens themselves declare God’s work, echoing the call for celestial bodies to praise.

When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy?

Job 38:7 · KJVThe stars are pictured singing together, making the heavens a chorus.

And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever.

Revelation 5:13 · KJVThe praise of the heavens opens into a vision where every creature joins the response.

THE THREAD

Let every thing that hath breath praise the LORD. Praise ye the LORD.

Psalm 150:6 · KJV

Both verses use ⁨הָלַל⁩ (halal, praise): Psalm 148 calls the lights above to praise, while Psalm 150 extends the call to every breathing creature. The shared root gathers these different forms of creation into one response.

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