1 Chronicles 29:13

KJV

Now therefore, our God, we thank thee, and praise thy glorious name.

KJV (with Strong's)

Now therefore, our God {H430}, we thank {H3034} thee, and praise {H1984} thy glorious {H8597} name {H8034}.

Complete Jewish Bible

Therefore, our God, we thank you and praise your glorious name.

Berean Standard Bible

Now therefore, our God, we give You thanks, and we praise Your glorious name.

American Standard Version

Now therefore, our God, we thank thee, and praise thy glorious name.

Commentary

### SUMMARY
This verse encapsulates the profound essence of King David's climactic prayer, offered in the presence of the entire assembly of Israel. Following the people's unprecedented freewill offerings for the future Temple, David leads a heartfelt declaration of thanksgiving and adoration, acknowledging God's supreme sovereignty, the divine source of all blessings, and the inherent majesty of His revealed character. It marks a pivotal moment of corporate worship, humility, and recognition of God's ultimate ownership over all things, setting a precedent for future generations.

### CONTEXT
* **Literary Context:** [1 Chronicles 29:13](/1_chronicles/29-13 "1 Chronicles 29:13 - David's Prayer of Thanksgiving") serves as the powerful culmination of King David's prayer, which commences in [1 Chronicles 29:10](/1_chronicles/29-10 "1 Chronicles 29:10 - David Blesses the Lord"). This prayer immediately follows the extraordinary generosity of the Israelite people, who, inspired by David's example, contributed vast amounts of materials for the construction of the Temple (cf. [1 Chronicles 29:6-9](/1_chronicles/29-6 "1 Chronicles 29:6-9 - The People's Freewill Offerings")). David's prayer, therefore, is not a petition but a profound response—a deep expression of gratitude and praise for God's enabling power and for the people's willing hearts. The preceding verses ([1 Chronicles 29:11-12](/1_chronicles/29-11 "1 Chronicles 29:11-12 - David's Acknowledgment of God's Sovereignty")) meticulously lay the theological foundation, declaring God's absolute ownership of all power, wealth, and glory, thereby establishing that the people's giving is merely a returning of what was already His. This crucial theological framework sets the stage for Solomon's reign and the eventual building of the Temple, emphasizing continuity, divine provision, and the proper posture of worship.
* **Historical & Cultural Context:** The setting for this profound prayer is the twilight of King David's illustrious reign, a period characterized by the consolidation of the kingdom and meticulous preparations for the Temple, which his son Solomon would ultimately construct. In ancient Israelite culture, public prayer, communal offerings, and expressions of thanksgiving were central to both worship and national identity. The concept of "freewill offerings" (נדבות, _nedavot'_) was particularly significant, denoting a voluntary, joyful, and often extravagant contribution, distinct from mandatory tithes or sacrifices. The Temple was envisioned as the central place of worship, signifying God's dwelling among His people and the focal point of their covenant relationship. The emphasis on God's "name" (שֵׁם, _shem'_) was paramount, as it represented His revealed character, reputation, and active presence, making praise of His name an act of acknowledging His very being, His attributes, and His unwavering covenant faithfulness.
* **Key Themes:** [1 Chronicles 29:13](/1_chronicles/29-13 "1 Chronicles 29:13 - David's Prayer of Thanksgiving") powerfully encapsulates several core themes prevalent throughout the book of Chronicles and the broader biblical narrative. Central among these is **Divine Sovereignty and Ownership**, as articulated in David's preceding declaration that "all things come from You, and from Your own hand we have given You" ([1 Chronicles 29:14](/1_chronicles/29-14 "1 Chronicles 29:14 - All Things Come From You")). This theme profoundly underscores that God is the ultimate source of all wealth, power, and blessing, rendering human contributions as mere stewardship. Consequently, the verse also highlights **Stewardship**, portraying the people's generous giving not as an act of personal merit or sacrifice, but as a humble and grateful return of God's provision. **Profound Gratitude and Adoration** are explicitly expressed, as David leads the nation in thanking God for His blessings and praising His "glorious name," an act of worship directed at God's inherent majesty and revealed character. Finally, the context emphasizes **Corporate Worship**, showcasing the vital importance of communal praise and thanksgiving as a unified act of faith within the community, fostering solidarity and shared devotion.

### EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
#### Key Word Analysis
* **God (Hebrew, _ʼĕlôhîym'_):** This term, though plural in form, is specifically used here (with the article implied by context) to refer to the supreme God, Yahweh. It emphasizes His divine nature, His ultimate authority, and His position as the sovereign ruler over all creation. In this context, it signifies the personal, covenantal God of Israel to whom David and the assembly direct their worship.
* **thank (Hebrew, _yâdâh'_):** This primitive root literally means "to use (i.e. hold out) the hand," often in the context of reverence or worship with extended hands. It signifies an active, public, and vocal expression of gratitude, acknowledgment, and confession. Here, it denotes a heartfelt recognition of God's provision and His enabling of the people's generous response, a profound expression of gratefulness.
* **praise (Hebrew, _hâlal'_):** This primitive root carries the sense of being "clear" or "to shine," and by extension, "to make a show," "to boast," or "to celebrate." When applied to God, it speaks of a joyful, exuberant, and often public declaration of His greatness, worth, and glory. It implies an enthusiastic adoration that magnifies His attributes and deeds, celebrating His inherent splendor.

#### Verse Breakdown
* **"Now therefore,"**: This transitional phrase serves as a logical connector, drawing a conclusion from the preceding narrative. It links the people's abundant freewill offerings and David's theological declarations about God's ultimate ownership and sovereignty (cf. [1 Chronicles 29:11-12](/1_chronicles/29-11 "1 Chronicles 29:11-12 - David's Acknowledgment of God's Sovereignty")) to the ensuing act of worship. Because God is the ultimate source of all and enables all good, the natural and necessary response is one of profound gratitude and praise.
* **"our God,"**: This is a direct, intimate, and communal address to Yahweh, acknowledging Him as the covenant God of Israel. The possessive "our" highlights the deeply personal and collective relationship between God and His people, underscoring the unified nature of this act of worship. It affirms their identity as the chosen nation under His divine care and provision.
* **"we thank thee,"**: This clause expresses profound gratitude, not merely from David personally, but from the entire assembly ("we"). The thanksgiving is directed to God for His unfailing provision, His manifold blessings, and specifically, for enabling the people's willing and generous contributions towards the monumental Temple project. It is a humble acknowledgment that even their capacity and willingness to give originate from Him.
* **"and praise thy glorious name."**: This final clause elevates the worship beyond gratitude for God's actions to adoration of His very being. To "praise thy glorious name" is to celebrate God's inherent majesty, His revealed character, and all that He is—His holiness, power, faithfulness, love, and wisdom—in all their splendor and weighty significance. It is an act of worship that recognizes and exalts God's unparalleled worth and unique identity as revealed to His people.

#### Literary Devices
[1 Chronicles 29:13](/1_chronicles/29-13 "1 Chronicles 29:13 - David's Prayer of Thanksgiving") employs several significant **Literary Devices** that enhance its impact and meaning. **Direct Address** is prominently featured in the phrase "our God," creating an intimate and personal tone for this corporate prayer, establishing a direct line of communication between the assembly and their Creator. The structure of the verse exhibits a form of **Parallelism**, where "we thank thee" and "praise thy glorious name" function as complementary expressions of worship. While not strict synonymous or antithetical parallelism, they represent two integral facets of a single act of devotion: gratitude for God's benevolent actions and adoration for His inherent being. The phrase "glorious name" itself is a powerful example of **Theological Language**, condensing profound theological concepts of God's character, presence, and majesty into a concise, evocative phrase that encapsulates His revealed identity. Furthermore, the entire prayer, culminating in this verse, functions as a **Liturgical Formula**, providing a timeless model for corporate worship, thanksgiving, and the proper posture of humility before God for generations to come.

### THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
This verse stands as a profound theological statement on the nature of true worship, emphasizing that genuine gratitude and praise flow directly from a deep understanding of God's absolute sovereignty and ownership. It teaches that all blessings, resources, and even the capacity to give generously, originate solely from God. Therefore, our thanksgiving is not merely for what God *does* for us, but fundamentally for *who He is*—His inherent glory and character, which His "name" profoundly represents. This divine perspective transforms giving from a burdensome obligation into a joyful act of returning what is already His, fostering profound humility and absolute dependence on the divine Giver. It underscores that worship is a holistic response, encompassing both our heartfelt gratitude for His provision and our passionate adoration for His majestic being, ideally expressed communally as a unified body of believers.

* [Psalm 100:4](/psalms/100-4 "Enter His Gates with Thanksgiving")
* [Psalm 145:3](/psalms/145-3 "Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised")
* [Romans 11:36](/romans/11-36 "All from Him, through Him, to Him")

### REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
[1 Chronicles 29:13](/1_chronicles/29-13 "1 Chronicles 29:13 - David's Prayer of Thanksgiving") offers a timeless and profound blueprint for our own spiritual lives, urging us to cultivate a posture of profound gratitude and unreserved adoration. In a world that often emphasizes personal achievement, self-reliance, and individual ownership, David's prayer serves as a powerful reminder that everything we possess—our talents, material resources, opportunities, and even our very breath—is a precious gift from God. Recognizing this foundational truth shifts our perspective from self-sufficiency to humble dependence, transforming our giving from a burdensome obligation into a joyful act of faithful stewardship. Our praise should extend beyond mere thanks for blessings received to a deep and abiding adoration of God's "glorious name"—His unchanging character, His perfect holiness, His boundless love, and His omnipotent power. This verse challenges us to intentionally integrate thanksgiving and praise into the very fabric of our daily lives, both individually in our private devotion and corporately within our faith communities, fostering a spirit that consistently acknowledges God as the ultimate source of all good and the supremely worthy recipient of all honor and glory.

#### Questions for Reflection
* **How does acknowledging God's ownership of all things, as David does in [1 Chronicles 29:11](/1_chronicles/29-11 "1 Chronicles 29:11 - David's Prayer of Sovereignty"), profoundly transform our perspective on our personal possessions, our time, and our God-given abilities?**
* **In what specific and practical ways can we cultivate a more consistent and authentic spirit of thanksgiving in our daily lives, even amidst life's inevitable challenges and uncertainties?**
* **Beyond simply thanking God for what He *does* for us, how can we deepen our praise for *who He is*—for His "glorious name" and unchanging, magnificent character?**
* **How might the principles embedded in this verse encourage greater generosity, foster deeper humility, and inspire a more unified, corporate expression of worship within our local churches and communities today?**

### FAQ

**Why is "name" so important in biblical praise, as in "praise thy glorious name"?**

Answer: In biblical thought, particularly in the Old Testament, a "name" (Hebrew: _shem'_) is far more than a mere label or identifier; it represents the very essence, character, and revealed identity of a person. When applied to God, His "name" embodies His unique attributes, His power, His holiness, His faithfulness, His covenant promises, and His active presence among His people. To "praise His glorious name" therefore means to praise the sum total of who God is—His inherent majesty and all that He has revealed about Himself through His mighty acts and His covenant relationship with humanity. It is an act of acknowledging His unique identity, His supreme worth, and His unparalleled splendor, rather than just thanking Him for specific deeds. It is worship directed at His very being.

**How does this verse relate to the concept of giving or generosity?**

Answer: [1 Chronicles 29:13](/1_chronicles/29-13 "1 Chronicles 29:13 - David's Prayer of Thanksgiving") is inextricably linked to the theme of giving because it immediately follows the Israelite people's extraordinary freewill offerings for the Temple. David's prayer, including this verse, provides the profound theological framework for their generosity. He explicitly states in the following verse, "[All things come from You, and from Your own hand we have given You](/1_chronicles/29-14 "1 Chronicles 29:14 - All Things Come From You")". This teaches a fundamental biblical principle: true generosity is not about giving from our own abundance or earning merit with God, but about gratefully returning to God a portion of what He has already abundantly provided. It transforms giving from a burdensome obligation into a joyful act of worship and faithful stewardship, recognizing God as the ultimate owner and benevolent source of all blessings.

### CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
[1 Chronicles 29:13](/1_chronicles/29-13 "1 Chronicles 29:13 - David's Prayer of Thanksgiving"), with its profound emphasis on thanksgiving and praise for God's "glorious name," finds its ultimate fulfillment and deepest meaning in the person and work of Jesus Christ. The earthly Temple, for which David and the people so generously gave, was a mere shadow and prefigurement of the ultimate dwelling place of God among humanity, which is Christ Himself, as He declared, "[Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up](/john/2-19 "John 2:19 - Jesus Predicts His Resurrection as the Temple")" (referring to His body, [John 2:21](/john/2-21 "John 2:21 - Jesus' Body as the Temple")). All the glory, character, and attributes represented by God's "glorious name" are perfectly embodied, revealed, and made accessible in the person of Jesus, who is "the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of His being" ([Hebrews 1:3](/hebrews/1-3 "Hebrews 1:3 - The Supremacy of Christ")). Our thanksgiving is now eternally directed through Christ, for it is through Him that "every good and perfect gift comes down from the Father of lights" ([James 1:17](/james/1-17 "James 1:17 - God, the Giver of All Good Gifts")), and it is by His singular sacrifice that we are enabled to approach God with grateful hearts and offer a "sacrifice of praise" ([Hebrews 13:15](/hebrews/13-15 "Hebrews 13:15 - A Sacrifice of Praise")). The corporate worship and generous giving seen in [1 Chronicles 29](/1_chronicles/29 "1 Chronicles 29 - David's Prayer and the People's Offerings") powerfully foreshadow the New Covenant community, the Church, which is called to be a spiritual temple built of "living stones" ([1 Peter 2:5](/1_peter/2-5 "1 Peter 2:5 - Living Stones of a Spiritual House")), offering spiritual sacrifices of praise and thanksgiving through Jesus Christ, to whom "every knee should bow... and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father" ([Philippians 2:10-11](/philippians/2-10 "Philippians 2:10-11 - Jesus' Exaltation")).

Note: Commentary is generated by AI with a directive for Biblical fidelity. Always rely on the Holy Spirit for discernment. The Scripture text and cross-references are from verified, non-AI sources.

Cross-References

2 Corinthians 9:15

Thanks [be] unto God for his unspeakable gift.

Psalms 106:1

¶ Praise ye the LORD. O give thanks unto the LORD; for [he is] good: for his mercy [endureth] for ever.

2 Corinthians 8:16

¶ But thanks [be] to God, which put the same earnest care into the heart of Titus for you.

2 Corinthians 2:14

Now thanks [be] unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of his knowledge by us in every place.

1 Thessalonians 2:13

¶ For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received [it] not [as] the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe.

Daniel 2:23

I thank thee, and praise thee, O thou God of my fathers, who hast given me wisdom and might, and hast made known unto me now what we desired of thee: for thou hast [now] made known unto us the king's matter.

Psalms 105:1

¶ O give thanks unto the LORD; call upon his name: make known his deeds among the people.