What Does Psalm 148:4 Mean in the King James?
Praise him, ye heavens of heavens, and ye waters that be above the heavens.
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 highest heavens and the waters beyond them are not scenery: the verse addresses them as a chorus summoned to praise.
THE MEANING
The highest heavens and the waters above them are spoken to as participants in praise. You are inside a cosmos where the call to praise reaches beyond human speech and includes realms you cannot see.
WHAT THIS UNDOES
This undoes the belief that praise belongs only to human voices; here, the heavens and waters themselves are addressed.
THE ROOT
הַלְלוּהוּ
hallelu-hu
GROWS FROM
הָלַל
H-L-L
To praise, celebrate, or acclaim.
In הַלְלוּהוּ (hallelu-hu), the plural command “praise him” is aimed at the highest heavens and the waters beyond them. The same root forms tehillah, praise or a song of praise, so the verse presents the cosmos not as a backdrop but as a chorus.
ALSO GROWS
tehillah: Praise; a song of praise.
תְּהִלָּה
The act of praise becomes a named song, giving voice to the chorus this verse summons.
hallelu-yah: Praise Yah.
הַלְלוּ־יָהּ
The same root appears in this familiar call to praise, linking the heavens’ command to a wider scriptural refrain.
THE PATTERN
Creation is portrayed as a chorus, with skies, waters, mountains, and living things answering God in praise.
To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David. The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork.For ye shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace: the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.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.THE THREAD
Let every thing that hath breath praise the LORD. Praise ye the LORD.Psalm 150:6 uses the same halal root in “praise the LORD,” and names every breathing thing as part of the chorus. Together, the verses extend praise across both cosmic realms and living breath.
Read the SDV Bible.
Every verse has a Deep Dive in the app.
The iPhone Bible app with the Selah Decoded Version.
Does something in this reading look wrong? Tell us