Be thou exalted, LORD, in thine own strength: so will we sing and praise thy power.
Psalm 21:13 closes the psalm with worship. The king has rejoiced in the LORD’s strength, received his heart’s desire, been met with the blessings of goodness, crowned with pure gold, preserved in life, and strengthened against his enemies (vv.1-12). The final verse gathers all of it into one response: exalt Jehovah, and sing and praise His power. The king may wear the crown, but God receives the glory. The enemies may fall before the king, but the strength that overthrew them belongs to the LORD. True victory ends in worship.
“Be thou exalted.” David begins with God’s honour rather than his own. This is striking, because Psalm 21 has said much about royal glory: “His glory is great in thy salvation: honour and majesty hast thou laid upon him” (v.5). Yet the last request is not, Let the king be exalted. To exalt God is not to make Him higher than He is, for no creature can add to the greatness of Jehovah. It is to acknowledge, confess, and praise His greatness before men. “Be thou exalted, O God, above the heavens; let thy glory be above all the earth” (Psalm 57:5).
This protects victory from pride. Success tempts men to look at themselves. They remember their strategy, courage, skill, or leadership and forget the hand that gave success. David refuses that error. The crown points upward to the God who set it there. “Not unto us, O LORD, not unto us, but unto thy name give glory, for thy mercy, and for thy truth’s sake” (Psalm 115:1).
“LORD.” David names Jehovah. LORD in all capital letters is the King James Bible’s usual way of representing the ancient Hebrew tetragrammaton, JHVH. The God praised is not a vague force behind success, but the living God who revealed Himself and acted for His king. Men often speak of fortune, timing, momentum, or circumstances while avoiding the God who rules them all. David gives the glory a name. Jehovah strengthened, answered, preserved, crowned, and judged; therefore, Jehovah must be exalted.
“In thine own strength.” The source of victory stays entirely with God. His strength is His own. He does not borrow power, depend upon alliances, or wait for favourable conditions. The psalm began, “The king shall joy in thy strength, O LORD; and in thy salvation how greatly shall he rejoice!” (v.1). The king rejoices in God’s strength at the start and exalts God’s strength at the end. What God supplies must return to Him in praise.
This corrects the pride of earthly rulers. Kings may possess armies, wealth, counsellors, and fortresses, but none of these is independent strength. “There is no king saved by the multitude of an host: a mighty man is not delivered by much strength” (Psalm 33:16). David knew this from his youth. He met Goliath with little outward advantage and declared that the battle is the LORD’s (I Samuel 17:47). He escaped Saul, subdued enemies, and was established on the throne, but Psalm 21 will not let those victories become a monument to David. “For the king trusteth in the LORD, and through the mercy of the most High he shall not be moved” (v.7).
“Will we sing.” Because Jehovah has shown His strength, the people will sing. Divine action produces praise; the song is the response, not the cause. The pronoun “we” widens the praise beyond the king. The congregation joins him, and victory given to the king becomes matter for common worship. “O come, let us sing unto the LORD: let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation” (Psalm 95:1). The mouth that has seen deliverance should not stay silent. “I will sing unto the LORD, because he hath dealt bountifully with me” (Psalm 13:6).
“And praise.” Singing must carry praise. Praise declares what is excellent in God: His strength, righteousness, mercy, faithfulness, and mighty works. A tune without truth is not enough; the saints should know why they sing and whom they praise. Worship is not a performance to be admired for skill, volume, or feeling. “Whoso offereth praise glorifieth me” (Psalm 50:23). For the saints today, the melody is made in the heart: “Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord” (Ephesians 5:19).
“Thy power.” The final object of praise is God’s power. The psalm has displayed it again and again: His hand finds out His enemies, the wicked are swallowed up, and their devices fail. “For they intended evil against thee: they imagined a mischievous device, which they are not able to perform.” (v.11). The conclusion names the attribute behind the acts. God’s power is not raw force without righteousness. It blesses His king and judges those who intend evil. The same power that destroys rebels preserves the upright, so the righteous may rest in it rather than dread it. “Great is our Lord, and of great power: his understanding is infinite” (Psalm 147:5). Nothing required for His purpose exceeds His ability.
God has shown this power most of all in Jesus Christ. Paul prayed that the saints might know its greatness: “And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places,” (Ephesians 1:19-20). Christ suffered, died, and was buried, yet God raised Him and set Him far above all principality and power. The strength David praised for his victories is the same strength that raised the Lord Jesus.
Do not stop at the answered prayer, the preserved life, or the defeated enemy. Trace every blessing back to the strength that supplied it, and give God the glory. Sing, praise, and exalt the LORD for His power.
Be thou exalted, LORD, in thine own strength: so will we sing and praise thy power.
Psalm 21:13 closes the psalm with worship. The king has rejoiced in the LORD’s strength, received his heart’s desire, been met with the blessings of goodness, crowned with pure gold, preserved in life, and strengthened against his enemies (vv.1-12). The final verse gathers all of it into one response: exalt Jehovah, and sing and praise His power. The king may wear the crown, but God receives the glory. The enemies may fall before the king, but the strength that overthrew them belongs to the LORD. True victory ends in worship.
“Be thou exalted.” David begins with God’s honour rather than his own. This is striking, because Psalm 21 has said much about royal glory: “His glory is great in thy salvation: honour and majesty hast thou laid upon him” (v.5). Yet the last request is not, Let the king be exalted. To exalt God is not to make Him higher than He is, for no creature can add to the greatness of Jehovah. It is to acknowledge, confess, and praise His greatness before men. “Be thou exalted, O God, above the heavens; let thy glory be above all the earth” (Psalm 57:5).
This protects victory from pride. Success tempts men to look at themselves. They remember their strategy, courage, skill, or leadership and forget the hand that gave success. David refuses that error. The crown points upward to the God who set it there. “Not unto us, O LORD, not unto us, but unto thy name give glory, for thy mercy, and for thy truth’s sake” (Psalm 115:1).
“LORD.” David names Jehovah. LORD in all capital letters is the King James Bible’s usual way of representing the ancient Hebrew tetragrammaton, JHVH. The God praised is not a vague force behind success, but the living God who revealed Himself and acted for His king. Men often speak of fortune, timing, momentum, or circumstances while avoiding the God who rules them all. David gives the glory a name. Jehovah strengthened, answered, preserved, crowned, and judged; therefore, Jehovah must be exalted.
“In thine own strength.” The source of victory stays entirely with God. His strength is His own. He does not borrow power, depend upon alliances, or wait for favourable conditions. The psalm began, “The king shall joy in thy strength, O LORD; and in thy salvation how greatly shall he rejoice!” (v.1). The king rejoices in God’s strength at the start and exalts God’s strength at the end. What God supplies must return to Him in praise.
This corrects the pride of earthly rulers. Kings may possess armies, wealth, counsellors, and fortresses, but none of these is independent strength. “There is no king saved by the multitude of an host: a mighty man is not delivered by much strength” (Psalm 33:16). David knew this from his youth. He met Goliath with little outward advantage and declared that the battle is the LORD’s (I Samuel 17:47). He escaped Saul, subdued enemies, and was established on the throne, but Psalm 21 will not let those victories become a monument to David. “For the king trusteth in the LORD, and through the mercy of the most High he shall not be moved” (v.7).
“Will we sing.” Because Jehovah has shown His strength, the people will sing. Divine action produces praise; the song is the response, not the cause. The pronoun “we” widens the praise beyond the king. The congregation joins him, and victory given to the king becomes matter for common worship. “O come, let us sing unto the LORD: let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation” (Psalm 95:1). The mouth that has seen deliverance should not stay silent. “I will sing unto the LORD, because he hath dealt bountifully with me” (Psalm 13:6).
“And praise.” Singing must carry praise. Praise declares what is excellent in God: His strength, righteousness, mercy, faithfulness, and mighty works. A tune without truth is not enough; the saints should know why they sing and whom they praise. Worship is not a performance to be admired for skill, volume, or feeling. “Whoso offereth praise glorifieth me” (Psalm 50:23). For the saints today, the melody is made in the heart: “Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord” (Ephesians 5:19).
“Thy power.” The final object of praise is God’s power. The psalm has displayed it again and again: His hand finds out His enemies, the wicked are swallowed up, and their devices fail. “For they intended evil against thee: they imagined a mischievous device, which they are not able to perform.” (v.11). The conclusion names the attribute behind the acts. God’s power is not raw force without righteousness. It blesses His king and judges those who intend evil. The same power that destroys rebels preserves the upright, so the righteous may rest in it rather than dread it. “Great is our Lord, and of great power: his understanding is infinite” (Psalm 147:5). Nothing required for His purpose exceeds His ability.
God has shown this power most of all in Jesus Christ. Paul prayed that the saints might know its greatness: “And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places,” (Ephesians 1:19-20). Christ suffered, died, and was buried, yet God raised Him and set Him far above all principality and power. The strength David praised for his victories is the same strength that raised the Lord Jesus.
Do not stop at the answered prayer, the preserved life, or the defeated enemy. Trace every blessing back to the strength that supplied it, and give God the glory. Sing, praise, and exalt the LORD for His power.