Psalm 26:7 - Printer Friendly

ESV: proclaiming thanksgiving aloud, and telling all your wondrous deeds.

NIV: proclaiming aloud your praise and telling of all your wonderful deeds.

NASB: That I may proclaim with the voice of thanksgiving And declare all Your wonders.

CSB: raising my voice in thanksgiving and telling about your wondrous works.

NLT: singing a song of thanksgiving and telling of all your wonders.

KJV: That I may publish with the voice of thanksgiving, and tell of all thy wondrous works.

NKJV: That I may proclaim with the voice of thanksgiving, And tell of all Your wondrous works.

This is part of David's declaration of innocence and sincere devotion to God (Psalm 26:4–6). The prior verse emphasized proper, ceremonially clean acts of worship. Here, David cites two things he does at God's altar. He overtly thanks God, and he makes a point to tell others what great things God has done. Neither of these activities demands a theological degree. Expertise and intellect might help a person explain God, but neither is required to be an effective witness. Every believer has received good gifts from God (James 1:17), and therefore has much for which to be thankful.

First Thessalonians 5:18 exhorts believers to "give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." A believer may wonder what God's will is, but 1 Thessalonians makes it clear that thanksgiving is God's will. Proclaiming God's wondrous works is also God's will for believers. When Jesus healed a demon-possessed man, He told him to go home "and declare how much God has done for you" (Luke. 8:39). At Pentecost, the followers of Jesus proclaimed in many languages "the mighty works of God" (Acts 2:11). Psalm 66:16 provides a good invitation every believer can extend: "Come and hear, all you who fear God, and I will tell what he has done for my soul."

Psalm 26:4–12 is practical evidence of the commitment David expressed in this psalm's introduction. While imperfect, David's life demonstrated consistent emphasis on godliness and obedience to the Lord. David draws a contrast between him and the evildoers that corrupted the worship of God (Psalm 26:5). David loves God's house and thanks the Lord for His miracles. David notes that because he does not associate with those who are evil, he does not expect to be caught up in their judgment.

Some of David's psalms connect directly to events recorded in Scripture. Psalm 26, however, does not seem to match any biblical events in David's life. This might have been David's response to a specific challenge, or a general plea for God to preserve him from deceptive attacks. In this psalm, David reaffirms his lifestyle of godliness and integrity. He is confident that he will not be judged with the wicked; the psalm offers evidence that he honors the Lord.

This Davidic psalm affirms David's integrity and his deliberate separation from evildoers. It also reveals his love for the tabernacle on Mount Zion. In several ways Psalms 26 resembles Psalm 25, though this song does not include a request for forgiveness (Psalm 25:18). David declares his sincere pursuit of the Lord, including attention to genuine worship. He does not participate with evildoers—likely meaningfalse worship —and he recognizes that the Lord will sweep away the souls of sinners.

The book of Psalms is composed of individual songs, hymns, or poems, each of which is a ''Psalm'' in and of itself. These works contain a wide variety of themes. Some Psalms focus on praising and worshipping God. Others cry out in anguish over the pain of life. Still other Psalms look forward to the coming of the Messiah. While some Psalms are related, each has its own historical and biblical context.