Rejoice in the LORD, O ye righteous: for praise is comely for the upright.

PSALMS 33:1KJV
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Psalms 33:1 (KJV)

What does Psalms 33:1 mean?

Psalms 33:1 calls on people who are righteous to celebrate and express joy in the LORD, saying that it is fitting and beautiful for those who live upright lives to offer praise. The verse highlights that praising God is especially appropriate for those who strive to live rightly.

The writer of this psalm is addressing the community of faithful people, encouraging them to respond to God with joyful praise. The focus is on the idea that living rightly and praising God go hand in hand; it is natural and proper for those who seek to do what is right to rejoice in God’s presence.

The Hebrew behind Psalms 33:1

  • "Rejoice" (רָנַן, ranan): This word often means to shout for joy or sing out loudly. The verse is not just about quiet happiness but calls for an open, expressive celebration.
  • "Righteous" (צַדִּיק, tsaddiq): Refers to those who are just or live according to what is right. The invitation is specifically for people who aim to live in a way that pleases God.
  • "Praise" (תְּהִלָּה, tehillah): This word means praise or song of praise, emphasizing the idea of vocal, public acknowledgment of God’s goodness.
  • "Comely" (נָאוֶה, naveh): Means fitting, suitable, or beautiful. The verse is saying that praise looks good on the upright; it is exactly what suits them.

Why Psalms 33:1 matters

  • Psalms 33:1 clarifies that praise is not just a duty but something that naturally belongs to those who live upright lives, making it a joyful and appropriate response.
  • The verse connects the ideas of righteousness and worship, showing that a life aimed at doing right is closely linked to heartfelt celebration of God.
  • In the context of the whole psalm, this opening sets the tone for a call to communal worship, inviting all who seek to live rightly to join in joyful praise.

Where else these words appear

“comely” Hebrew H5000 · used in 9 verses

  • Psalms 147:1 Praise ye the LORD: for it is good to sing praises unto our God; for it is pleasant; and praise is comely.
  • Proverbs 19:10 Delight is not seemly for a fool; much less for a servant to have rule over princes.
  • Song of Solomon 2:14 O my dove, that art in the clefts of the rock, in the secret places of the stairs, let me see thy countenance, let me hear thy voice; for sweet is thy voice, and thy countenance is comely.

“Rejoice” Hebrew H7442 · used in 52 verses

  • Leviticus 9:24 And there came a fire out from before the LORD, and consumed upon the altar the burnt offering and the fat: which when all the people saw, they shouted, and fell on their faces.
  • Psalms 84:2 My soul longeth, yea, even fainteth for the courts of the LORD: my heart and my flesh crieth out for the living God.
  • Isaiah 24:14 They shall lift up their voice, they shall sing for the majesty of the LORD, they shall cry aloud from the sea.

“praise” Hebrew H8416 · used in 57 verses

  • Exodus 15:11 Who is like unto thee, O LORD, among the gods? who is like thee, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders?
  • Psalms 71:6 By thee have I been holden up from the womb: thou art he that took me out of my mother's bowels: my praise shall be continually of thee.
  • Isaiah 42:10 Sing unto the LORD a new song, and his praise from the end of the earth, ye that go down to the sea, and all that is therein; the isles, and the inhabitants thereof.

“upright” Hebrew H3477 · used in 119 verses

  • Exodus 15:26 And said, If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the LORD thy God, and wilt do that which is right in his sight, and wilt give ear to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am the LORD that healeth thee.
  • 2 Chronicles 28:1 Ahaz was twenty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem: but he did not that which was right in the sight of the LORD, like David his father:
  • Proverbs 2:7 He layeth up sound wisdom for the righteous: he is a buckler to them that walk uprightly.