Psalms 115:13 — Word Study
WLCיְ֭בָרֵךְ יִרְאֵ֣י יְהוָ֑ה הַ֝קְּטַנִּ֗ים עִם־ הַגְּדֹלִֽים׃
BSAHe will blessbârak▸ [praise, honor] those who fearyârêʼ [reverence, are afraid of] the LORDYᵉhôvâh [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] smallqâṭân [little, insignificant] andʻim great alikegâdôwl [important, mighty, together, as one]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| יְ֭בָרֵךְ | he will bless | Verb, Piel, imperfect third person masculine singular |
| יִרְאֵ֣י | [those] fearing | Adj |
| יְהוָ֑ה | Yahweh | Noun proper |
| הַ֝קְּטַנִּ֗ים | small | Particle |
| עִם־ | with | Preposition |
| הַגְּדֹלִֽים׃ | great | Particle |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | He will bless those who fear the LORD— small and great alike. |
| KJV | He will bless them that fear the LORD, both small and great. |
| ASV | He will bless them that fear Jehovah, Both small and great. |
| YLT | He blesseth those fearing Jehovah, The small with the great. |
| WEB | He will bless those who fear Yahweh, both small and great. |
| BBE | He will send blessings on the worshippers of the Lord, on the small and on the great. |
The translations agree on the essential meaning of God's promise to bless those who fear Him.
The structure consists of a main clause followed by a description of the subjects being blessed, emphasizing inclusivity.
7 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them ›
clause
verbבָּרַךְ
The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
Every word here is used elsewhere in the Old Testament.
Bars are logarithmic — אֵת, the commonest word in the Hebrew Bible, stands about 11,000 times, so a linear scale would leave everything else invisible. Click a row to open that word.
Deep Study — Psalms 115:13
Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.
Context — God's Assurance of Blessinggenerated
Psalm 115:13 emphasizes that God will bless those who fear Him, regardless of their social standing. This verse is part of a larger passage that reassures the faithful of God's attentiveness and care, as seen in the preceding verses where the psalmist declares that the LORD is mindful of His people. The blessings promised are inclusive, extending to both the small and the great, affirming God's impartiality and generosity.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Psalm 29:11 | The LORD gives His people strength; the LORD blesses His people with peace. |
| 2 | Psalm 112:1 | Hallelujah! Blessed is the man who fears the LORD, who greatly delights in His commandments. |
| 3 | Psalm 128:1–4 | Blessed are all who fear the LORD, who walk in His ways! |
| 4 | Malachi 3:16–17 | At that time those who feared the LORD spoke with one another, and the LORD listened and heard them. So a scroll of remembrance was written before Him regarding those who feared the LORD and honored His name. |
| 5 | Malachi 4:2 | “But for you who fear My name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings, and you will go out and leap like calves from the stall. |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 12 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — יְ֭בָרֵךְ, Ye.va.rekhgenerated
The verb בָּרַךְ (*barak*) is a Piel imperfect form meaning 'he will bless.' It is derived from a root that suggests kneeling, indicating an act of worship or reverence. In this context, it conveys God's intention to show favor and honor to those who revere Him, highlighting the reciprocal nature of blessings between God and His people.
This form is used to express a future action, emphasizing that God's blessings are assured for those who fear Him. The Piel stem often intensifies the action, suggesting a personal and profound blessing bestowed upon the faithful.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
The translations agree on the essential meaning of God's promise to bless those who fear Him.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The main verb of the verse is יְ֭בָרֵךְ, he will bless, which governs the entire clause. The structure includes a noun phrase for the subject, an adjective describing the object, and a prepositional phrase that connects the two groups being blessed.
The phrase structure emphasizes that both the small and the great are included in God's blessings, highlighting His inclusive nature.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates יְ֭בָרֵךְ as εὐλόγησεν (eulogēsen), which also means 'he blessed.' This choice reflects a direct correspondence to the Hebrew meaning, maintaining the sense of divine favor.
The use of this Greek term aligns with the Hebrew understanding of blessings, reinforcing the continuity of meaning across the translations.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Psalm 115:13 tells us that God will bless everyone who fears Him, whether they are small or great. This verse reassures us of God's care for all people, showing that His blessings are not limited by status or size.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
To fear the LORD means to have a deep respect and reverence for God, acknowledging His power and authority.
No, God's blessings are promised to all who fear Him, regardless of their social status.
We show our fear of the LORD through our worship, obedience, and reverence for His commandments.
We can expect spiritual, emotional, and sometimes physical blessings as a result of our relationship with God.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- In what ways have I experienced God's blessings in my life?
- How can I cultivate a deeper fear and reverence for the LORD?
- What does it mean to me that God's blessings are for both the small and the great?
- How can I share the assurance of God's blessings with others?
The early church on this verse — how the Fathers read it
Augustine of Hippo references this verse in his sermon, discussing the importance of celebrating God's blessings with devotion.
So then, let us celebrate their feasts, as indeed we are doing, with the utmost devotion, soberly cheerful, gathered in a holy assembly, thinking faithful thoughts, confidently proclaiming their sanctity.Early Church Fathers on Psalms 115 →
Commentators on this verse — 7 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Psalms 115:13 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleHe will bless them that fear the Lord,.... They shall want no good thing now, and have much goodness laid up for them to be enjoyed hereafter; the sun of righteousness rises upon them, and a book of
Read John Gill on Psalms 115 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryHe will bless them that fear the LORD, both small and great. He will bless them that fear the Lord, (both) small and great - (Jeremiah 31:34.)
Read Robert Jamieson on Psalms 115 →Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy BibleEither in age or condition, of whatsoever quality, high and low, rich and poor; for he is no respecter of persons.
Read Matthew Poole on Psalms 115 →John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New TestamentsPsalms 115:13 He will bless them that fear the LORD, [both] small and great.Ver. 13. He will bless] Such shall abound with blessings, Proverbs 28:20. Both small and great] Whether in age or degree, Acts 10:34-35.
Read John Trapp on Psalms 115 →Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(13) Them that fear the Lord—i.e., all Israel.
Read Charles John Ellicott on Psalms 115 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges13. both small and great] One and all without distinction of rank or condition. Cp. Jeremiah 6:13; Jeremiah 16:6; Jeremiah 31:34.
Read Cambridge on Psalms 115 →Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the BibleHe will bless them that fear the Lord - Compare Psalms 115:11. Both small and great - Margin, as in Hebrew, with.
Read Albert Barnes on Psalms 115 →The verse in English, compared — 16 translations, and where they part company
Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.
Modern formal
He will bless those who fear the LORD— small and great alike.
He will bless those who fear Yahweh, both small and great.
He will bless those who fear the LORD—small and great alike.
He will bless his loyal followers, both young and old.
Tyndale line
He will bless them that fear the LORD, both small and great.
He will bless them that fear Jehovah, Both small and great.
He will bless them that fear the LORD, both small and great.
He will bless them that fear the LORD, both small and great.
He will blesse them that feare the Lord, both small and great.
Strictly literal
He will bless them that fear Jehovah, both the small and the great.
He blesseth those fearing Jehovah, The small with the great.
He blesses those fearing YHWH, || The small with the great.
He will bless those that fear the Lord, the small together with the great.
He will bless those who honor him, both young and old.
Simplified
The Lord will bless all those who worship him, whoever they are.
He will send blessings on the worshippers of the Lord, on the small and on the great.
Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.
The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the MACULA Hebrew treebank
This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.
Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.
The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran
The Masoretic Text and the Septuagint largely agree in their wording, with four out of six words matched. The Septuagint's rendering confirms the essential message of the Hebrew text, though its word order differs.
יְ֭בָרֵךְ יִרְאֵ֣י יְהוָ֑ה הַ֝קְּטַנִּ֗ים עִם־ הַגְּדֹלִֽים׃
4 of the 6 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.
Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.
The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with
This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.
Lexicons — every word in Psalms 115:13
One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Hebrew lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.
Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. On the Hebrew: Brown-Driver-Briggs entire and its gloss set, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and Tyndale House's Translators Brief lexicon. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.
The Hebrew word בָּרַךְ (*barak*) is built from a primitive root meaning 'to kneel' and encompasses a range of meanings including 'to bless' and 'to curse.' It can refer to blessing God or men, as well as the act of kneeling in adoration. The entries note that it can also imply a curse in certain contexts, reflecting a nuanced use in greetings and farewells.
[בָּרַךְ] 329 vb. kneel, bless
Qal
kneel down
bless
Niph. bless oneself
Pi.
bless God, adore with bended knees
God blesses
men bless men
salute, greet, with an invocation of blessing
bless, with the antithetical meaning curse from the greeting in departing, saying adieu to, taking leave of; but rather a blessing overdone and so really a curse as in vulgar English as well as in the Shemitic cognates
Pu.
pass. to be blessed, adored
prospered by God
have prosperity invoked, by Balaam
in gratitude
Hiph. and he made his camel kneel
Hithp. bless oneself, congratulate oneself in his heart
base
H1288 בָּרַךְ kneel, bless .. kneel down
. bless
. bless oneself
. . bless God, adore with bended knees
. God blesses
. men bless men
. salute, greet, with an invocation of blessing
. bless, with the antithetical meaning curse from the greeting in departing, saying adieu to, taking leave of; but rather a blessing overdone and so really a curse as in vulgar English as well as in the Shemitic cognates
. . pass. to be blessed, adored
. prospered by God
. have prosperity invoked, by Balaam
. in gratitude
. and he made his camel kneel
. bless oneself, congratulate oneself in his heart
1288 barak baw-rak'
a primitive root; to kneel; by implication to bless God (as
an act of adoration), and (vice-versa) man (as a benefit);
also (by euphemism) to curse (God or the king, as treason):--X
abundantly, X altogether, X at all, blaspheme, bless,
congratulate, curse, X greatly, X indeed, kneel (down),
praise, salute, X still, thank.
בָּרַךְ (ba.rakh) — to bless.
1) to bless, kneel
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to kneel
1a2) to bless
1b) (Niphal) to be blessed, bless oneself
1c) (Piel) to bless
1d) (Pual) to be blessed, be adored
1e) (Hiphil) to cause to kneel
1f) (Hithpael) to bless oneself
2) (TWOT) to praise, salute, curse
Aramaic equivalent: be.rakh (בְּרַךְ "to bless" H1289)
V-Piel-Imperf-3ms — Verb · Piel · imperfect third person masculine singularHVpi3ms
(barakh): This word is found more frequently in the Old Testament than in the New Testament, and is used in different relations.
(1) It is first met in Ge 1:22 at the introduction of animal life upon the earth, where it is written, "And God blessed them, saying, Be fruitful, and multiply," etc. The context furnishes the key to its meaning, which is the bestowal of good, and in this particular place the pleasure and power of increase in kind. Thus it is generally employed in both Testaments, the context always determining the character of the bestowal; for instance (where man is the recipient), whether the good is temporal or spiritual, or both.
Occasionally, however, a different turn is given to it as in Ge 2:3 the King James Version, where it is written, "And God blessed the seventh…
Bless
(1.) God blesses his people when he bestows on them some gift temporal or spiritual (Gen. 1:22; 24:35; Job 42:12; Ps. 45:2; 104:24, 35).
(2.) We bless God when we thank him for his mercies (Ps. 103:1, 2; 145:1, 2).
(3.) A man blesses himself when he invokes God’s blessing (Isa. 65:16), or rejoices in God’s goodness to him (Deut. 29:19; Ps. 49:18).
(4.) One blesses another when he expresses good wishes or offers prayer to God for his welfare (Gen.…
יָרֵא (yare') is an adjective and verb derived from the root יָרֵא (H3372), meaning 'to fear.' It encompasses meanings such as 'afraid' and 'reverent.' The entries indicate a moral aspect to fear, suggesting a sense of reverence alongside being fearful.
יָרֵא adj. verb. v. supr. [j.df.aa] Pt.
base
H3373 יָרֵא adj. verb. v. supr. [3372] Pt.
3373 yare' yaw-ray'
from 3372; fearing; morally, reverent:--afraid, fear (-ful).
see HEBREW for 03372
יָרֵא (ya.re) — afraid.
fearing, reverent, afraid
Adj — AdjHAampc
יְהֹוָה (ye.ho.vah) is the proper name of the God of Israel, often rendered as Jehovah or the Lord. It signifies the self-existent or eternal nature of God. The name is closely associated with the revelation to Moses in Exodus 3:12-15 and is used in conjunction with other terms to denote sacred places. Some scholars suggest it derives from a root meaning 'to bring into being.'
יהוה c. 6823 i.e. יַהְוֶה n.pr.dei Yahweh, the proper name of the God of Israel—(1. MT יְהֹוָה 6518 (Qr אֲדֹנָי), or יֱהֹוִה 305 (Qr אֱלֹהִים) 2. Many recent scholars explain יַהְוֶה as Hiph. of הוה (= היה) the one bringing into being, life-giver)
יהוה is not used by E in Gn, but is given Ex 3:12-15 as the name of the God who revealed Himself to Moses at Horeb
יהוה is used with אלהים and suffixes, especially in D
the phrase † אֲנִי יהוה is noteworthy
יהוה is also used with several predicates, to form sacred names of holy places of Yahweh
base
H3068 יהוה i.e. יַהְוֶה n. pr. dei Yahweh, the proper name of the God of Israel
3068 Yhovah yeh-ho-vaw'
from 1961; (the) self-Existent or Eternal; Jehovah, Jewish
national name of God:--Jehovah, the Lord. Compare 3050, 3069.
see HEBREW for 01961
see HEBREW for 03050
see HEBREW for 03069
יְהֹוָה (ye.ho.vah) — LORD.
Jehovah = "the existing One"
1) the proper name of the one true God
1a) unpronounced except with the vowel pointings of a.do.na (אֲדֹנָי "Lord" H0136)
יְהֹוָה (ye.ho.vah) — The Lord.
Another name of ye.ru.sha.laim (יְרוּשָׁלִַ֫ם, יְרוּשְׁלֵם "Jerusalem" H3389)
יְהֹוָה (ye.ho.vah) — (Jerusalem of) the Lord.
Combined with ye.ru.sha.laim (יְרוּשָׁלִַ֫ם, יְרוּשְׁלֵם "Jerusalem" H3389)
N-proper — Noun properHNpt
קָטָן (qatan) means small, young, or unimportant. It can refer to size, quantity, or age, and is often used to describe something insignificant. The entries indicate that it is a diminutive form, with variations in spelling. The lexicons highlight its meanings consistently, without significant disagreement.
קָטָן adj. small, young, unimportant
base
קָטֹן 64 adj. small, insignificant
base
H6996a קָטָן small, young, unimportant H6996b קָטֹן small, insignificant
6996 qatan kaw-tawn'
or qaton {kaw-tone'}; from 6962; abbreviated, i.e.
diminutive, literally (in quantity, size or number) or
figuratively (in age or importance):--least, less(-er),
little (one), small(-est, one, quantity, thing),
young(-er, -est).
see HEBREW for 06962
קָטָן (qa.tan) — small.
young, small, unimportant
Another spelling of qa.ton (קָטֹן ": small" H6996B)
קָטֹן (qa.ton) — small.
: small
small, insignificant
קָטֹן (qa.ton) — small: young.
: young
small, insignificant
A sub-meaning of qa.ton (קָטֹן ": small" H6996B)
Art | Adj — ParticleHTd/Aampa
עִם (im) is a preposition meaning 'with' and covers a range of relationships, including companionship, locality, and possession. It can imply actions done jointly, equality, or even opposition in contexts like combat. The related form מֵעִם (me.im) means 'from with' or 'beside.' The entries reflect various nuances but do not present significant disagreement.
עִם prep. with
of fellowship and companionship
of aid
Of actions done jointly with another
If the common action be of the nature of a contest or combat, with in the sense of against
Of dealing with a person, or of the relation in which one stands with, or towards, another
Of a common lot together with the wicked
Of equality or resemblance generally aid
Of time, as long as
Of a locality, close to, beside
Of persons, עִם is spec.
in the house or family or service of
In possession of
In the custody or care of
Beside = except
With = friendly with
Idiom. of a thought or purpose present with one
Metaph. together with = in spite of, notwithstanding
base
מֵעִם 72 from with or beside
base
H5973a עִם with . of fellowship and companionship
. Of a locality, close to, beside
. Of persons, עִם is spec. . in the house or family or service of
. In possession of
. In the custody or care of
. Beside = except
. With = friendly with
. Idiom. of a thought or purpose present with one
. Metaph. together with = in spite of, notwithstanding
H5973b מֵעִם from with, beside
5973 `im eem
from 6004; adverb or preposition, with (i.e. in conjunction
with), in varied applications; specifically, equally with;
often with prepositional prefix (and then usually
unrepresented in English):--accompanying, against, and, as (X
long as), before, beside, by (reason of), for all, from
(among, between), in, like, more than, of, (un-)to,
with(-al).
see HEBREW for 06004
עִם (im) — with.
1) with
1a) with
1b) against
1c) toward
1d) as long as
מֵעִם (me.im) — from with.
1a) beside, except
1b) in spite of
Prep — PrepositionHR
גָּדוֹל (gadol) means 'great' and covers a wide range of meanings, including large in size, number, intensity, sound, age, and importance. It can also refer to notable individuals or even God. Additionally, it appears as a proper noun in reference to a person named in Nehemiah 11:14. The lexicons note its use in various contexts, but do not present significant disagreement.
גָּדוֹל 622 adj. great
in magnitude and extent
in number
in intensity
in sound, loud
in age
in importance
in phrases
cstr.
as subst. concr. do great things
† as subst. neut. greatness of arm
H1419a גָּדוֹל great . in magnitude and extent
. in number
. in intensity
. in sound, loud
. in age
. in importance
. in phrases
. cstr.
. as subst. concr. do great things
. † as subst. neut. greatness of arm
H1419b הַגְּדוֹלִים father of Zabdiel
1419 gadowl gaw-dole'
or (shortened) gadol {gaw-dole'}; from 1431; great (in any
sense); hence, older; also insolent:--+ aloud, elder(-est), +
exceeding(-ly), + far, (man of) great (man, matter,
thing,-er,-ness), high, long, loud, mighty, more, much, noble,
proud thing, X sore, (X ) very.
see HEBREW for 01431
גָּדוֹל (ga.dol) — great: large.
adj
1) great
1a) large (in magnitude and extent)
1b) in number
1c) in intensity
1d) loud (in sound)
1e) older (in age)
1f) in importance
1f1) important things
1f2) great, distinguished (of men)
1f3) God Himself (of God)
subst
1g) great things
1h) haughty things
1i) greatness
Also means: ga.dol (גָּדוֹל ": old" H1419K)
§ Haggedolim = "the great one"
(CLBL) Haggedolim, the great man?, father of Zabdiel
גָּדוֹל (ga.dol) — Haggedolim.
A man living at the time of Exile and Return, only mentioned at Neh.11.14
§ Haggedolim = "the great one"
(CLBL) Haggedolim, the great man?, father of Zabdiel
גָּדוֹל (ga.dol) — Great (Sea).
adj
great
Also named: pe.lish.ti (פְּלִשְׁתִּי "(Sea of the )Philistines" H6430I)
גָּדוֹל (ga.dol) — great: old.
adj
1) great
1a) large (in magnitude and extent)
1b) in number
1c) in intensity
1d) loud (in sound)
Art | Adj — ParticleHTd/Aampa