I Chronicles 16:25 · Bible study
1 Chronicles 16:25 Commentary: Feared Above All Gods
Hebrew · 4 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
What does it mean to fear Yahweh above all gods, when those gods are idols? A study of praise, reverence, and the supremacy of God in 1 Chronicles 16:25.
Research Summary
- Meaning: Yahweh's greatness demands praise and reverent fear; he alone is supreme above every entity that humans call a god.
- Key words: 'Great' (גָּדוֹל, gāḏôl), magnitude and majesty. 'To be praised' (מְהֻלָּל, məhullāl), intensive Niphal participle, 'worthy of ceaseless praise.' 'To be feared' (נוֹרָא, nôrā), Niphal, inspiring awe. 'Above all gods' (עַל־כָּל־אֱלֹהִים), comparative supremacy.
- Main debate: Whether 'gods' here means non‑existent idols (Cambridge, reading v.26 as a direct denial) or refers to spiritual beings over whom Yahweh is supreme (a view held by some interpreters who see the 'divine council' language in the Psalms).
- Theological theme: Monotheistic worship; the unique worth of God; the call to global praise.
- Best use: A foundational text for teaching the biblical contrast between the living God and all false claims to divinity.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
For great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised; He is to be feared above all gods.
WEB World English Bible 2000
For great is Yahweh, and greatly to be praised. He also is to be feared above all gods.
KJV King James Version 1769
For great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised: he also is to be feared above all gods.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
For great is Jehovah, and greatly to be praised: He also is to be feared above all gods.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
For great is Jehovah, and praised greatly, And fearful He is above all gods.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
For Jehovah is great, and exceedingly to be praised; And he is terrible above allgods.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
For the Lord is great and exceedingly to be praised: and he is to be feared above all gods.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Porque grande es Jehová, y digno de ser grandemente loado, y de ser temido sobre todos los dioses.
Porque o SENHOR é grande, e muito digno de ser louvado; ele é mais temível que todos os deuses.
Car l’ Éternel est grand et très digne de louange,
Denn der HERR ist groß und sehr löblich und herrlich über alle Götter.
Want de HEERE is groot, en zeer te prijzen, en Hij is vreselijk boven alle goden.
Perché l’Eterno è grande e degno di sovrana lode; gli è tremendo sopra tutti gli dèi.
Bo wielki jest Pan, i chwalebny bardzo, i straszniejszy nad wszystkich bogów;
ибо велик Господь и достохвален, страшен паче всех богов.
因 耶和華 為大，當受極大 的讚美；他 在 萬 神之上，當受敬畏。
For the Lord is great, and greatly to be praised; and he is more to be feared than all other gods.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · I Chronicles 16:25
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators across traditions agree that 1 Chronicles 16:25 declares Yahweh's absolute supremacy over every being or thing called a god. The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges notes that 'feared above all gods' means feared as being above 'all that are called gods,' with no assumption of their real existence, they are 'things of nought' as verse 26 makes plain. Matthew Henry's Commentary places this verse in David's psalm of praise at the ark's entrance into Jerusalem, a call for all the earth to acknowledge Yahweh's greatness and worthiness of awe. The Geneva Bible Notes similarly affirms that the Lord is to be feared above all gods, reflecting the consistent Old Testament confession that Yahweh alone is God, and other so-called gods are powerless idols. The common thread is that this verse invites both praise and reverent fear directed solely to the God who made the heavens.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Low
What is clear: God alone is great, worthy of praise, and due reverent fear; any other being called a god is no rival to him, as the immediate context identifies them as powerless idols.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Identity of the 'gods' | All commentators affirm that these gods are not rivals to Yahweh; they are subordinate or illusory. | The Cambridge Bible states that the false gods have no real existence at all, they are 'things of nought.' Other Christian interpreters (e.g., those reading Old Testament 'divine council' language) see the 'gods' as real spiritual beings (angels or demons) that are utterly inferior to Yahweh, though the text itself calls them idols. |
| Nature of 'fear' | The fear due to Yahweh is a combination of reverence, awe, and submission, not simple terror. | Some emphasize the terror of God's judgment (drawing on Psalm 76:7 and the wider context of divine wrath), while others stress the intimacy of worshipful awe (matching 'greatly to be praised' in the same breath). Both are present in the semantic range of the verb יָרֵא. |
| Universal scope of the call | The psalm is not merely for Israel; 'all the earth' is summoned to sing (v.23). | Some see this as a direct Great Commission mandate to evangelize the nations; others read it as a prophetic vision of eschatological worship when every knee will bow, rather than a specific missionary strategy. |
Historical & Cultural Context
This verse comes from the psalm David delivered on the day the ark of the covenant was brought into Jerusalem (1 Chronicles 16:7). The ark represented God's throne on earth, and its arrival in the city marked a high point of Israel's worship under David's reign. The surrounding verses, 'Sing to Yahweh, all the earth… Declare his glory among the nations', show that this was not a private celebration but a public declaration meant for all peoples.
Israel lived surrounded by nations with many gods: Baal, Ashtoreth, Chemosh, Milcom. Each people group believed its god controlled its territory and fortunes. David's psalm directly challenges that worldview. When he says Yahweh is 'to be feared above all gods', he is not conceding that the other gods exist as rivals. The next verse clarifies: 'For all the gods of the peoples are idols, but Yahweh made the heavens' (v.26). The word 'idols' (אֱלִילִים) carries the sense of 'things of nought', empty, worthless, powerless.
David's psalm borrows heavily from Psalm 96, which may have been composed for this same occasion. The liturgical setting, with Asaph and the Levites leading music, trumpets and cymbals sounding, emphasizes covenant renewal and the public acknowledgment that Israel's God alone is worthy of worship. Fear in this context is not cowering terror but the awe that comes from recognizing the living God who made heaven and earth, who rescued Israel from Egypt, and who now dwells among his people.
Textual Notes
The consulted sources note no significant textual variants for 1 Chronicles 16:25. The verse is stable across the Hebrew manuscripts and ancient versions. The surrounding psalm (vv.8, 36) appears in a slightly different form in Psalm 96, but the wording of this particular verse is identical in content across both contexts.
Reception History
This verse has been a staple of worship and confession throughout the history of Israel and the church. In the Second Temple period, the psalm was sung at the dedication of the Second Temple and later incorporated into synagogue liturgy. Early Christian writers, such as the author of Hebrews (drawing on Psalm 96 themes), saw the call to praise Yahweh as now fulfilled in the worship of Christ, the one seated above all rule and authority. During the Reformation, both Protestant and Catholic commentators (including the Geneva Bible and Matthew Henry) used the verse to assert the sole glory of God over against the veneration of saints or the claims of other religions. The line 'great is the Lord and greatly to be praised' has been set to music in countless hymns, echoing through centuries of corporate worship as a simple, profound declaration of God’s unrivaled greatness.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- The greatness of Yahweh. The verse opens with 'For great is Yahweh.' This is not a relative greatness but an absolute one: he made the heavens, he rules over all, his deeds are awesome. Preachers can develop the theme from the surrounding context: he reproved kings, protected his anointed, and performed marvelous works (vv.21, 24).
- The call to praise. 'Greatly to be praised', the Hebrew uses an infinitive absolute structure (מְהֻלָּל) that intensifies the action. Praise is not optional; it is the fitting response to who God is. The psalm invites all the earth to join (v.23), which widens the circle beyond Israel.
- The fear due to him alone. 'He also is to be feared above all gods.' The fear is reverent submission, not panic. The Niphal form (נוֹרָא) of the verb יָרֵא suggests dread mixed with awe, the kind of fear that leads to worship.
Five-point outline
- Why Yahweh is great. His deeds, his power over nations, his deliverance of Israel.
- How we praise him. Declare his glory among the nations, talk of his wondrous works (v.9).
- What it means to fear him. Respect that leads to obedience and trust, not slavish terror.
- Why other gods fall short. They are idols, man-made, impotent, lifeless. The only fear they deserve is the fear of disappointment.
- How this shapes worship. In every generation, believers are to sing, proclaim, and live as those who serve the God above all gods.
Illustration hooks
- A child who stands before a powerful, loving father: the child runs to him with joy but also respects his authority. The combination of trust and awe is the picture of biblical fear.
- Standing at the edge of a great canyon or in a storm at sea. You feel small and overwhelmed, yet also exhilarated. That mix of being overwhelmed and drawn closer mirrors reverent fear of God.
- The difference between a counterfeit bill and genuine currency. Counterfeit money may look real, but it has no value. The 'gods' of the nations are counterfeits; only Yahweh is true treasure.
Questions your congregation is asking
- Does 'fearing God' mean I should be afraid of him in a negative sense?
- If other gods are just idols, why does the Bible sometimes speak as if they exist?
- How do I balance praising God for his goodness with fearing his holiness in my everyday life?
Leading a Discussion
This verse sits at the center of a victory psalm that welcomes God's presence into Jerusalem. It sets up a clear contrast: Yahweh is great and to be praised; the other gods are not. As you discuss, pay attention to what the whole psalm assumes about God, about other nations, and about the proper response of worship.
Discussion questions
- Read verses 23, 27 aloud. What do you notice about the movement from verse 25 to verse 26? How does verse 26 shape your understanding of 'above all gods'?
- The word 'fear' in Hebrew (יָרֵא) can mean everything from terror to reverence. Based on this context, which shade do you think David is emphasizing? Why?
- Why does the psalm call on 'all the earth' to sing when the ark is being brought to Jerusalem? What does that tell us about God's intention for all nations?
- In what ways do people today set up 'gods' as rivals to Yahweh, not literal statues, but things that demand our trust and devotion? What would it look like to fear God above those?
- David wrote this psalm at a moment of national triumph. Are you more likely to praise God in good times or in hard times? How does this verse speak to both?
- What role does awe play in your personal prayer life? Can you think of a time when you were acutely aware of God's greatness and your smallness? How did that shape you?
- How can our group encourage one another to grow in reverent fear without sliding into fearfulness?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Exodus 15:11 | Who is like you, Yahweh, among the gods? Who is like you, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders? |
| Psalms 66:3 | Tell God, “How awesome are your deeds! Through the greatness of your power, your enemies submit themselves to you. |
| Psalms 66:5 | Come, and see God’s deeds— awesome work on behalf of the children of men. |
| Psalms 76:7 | You, even you, are to be feared. Who can stand in your sight when you are angry? |
| Psalms 89:7 | a very awesome God in the council of the holy ones, to be feared above all those who are around him? |
| Psalms 144:3 | Yahweh, what is man, that you care for him? Or the son of man, that you think of him? |
| Psalms 144:6 | Throw out lightning, and scatter them. Send out your arrows, and rout them. |
| Isaiah 40:12 | Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, and marked off the sky with his span, and calculated the dust of the earth in a measuring basket, and weighed the mountains in scales, and the hills in a balance? |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
4 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The commentator clarifies that "above all gods" means God is to be feared as far greater than anything people name as a god. This wording does not imply that false gods actually exist; they are nothing.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva note stresses that God’s greatness is the reason He alone deserves reverent fear, far above any other being called a god. True praise and holy fear belong together, and both are due only to the Lord because no rival can match His majesty.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange argues that the psalm of thanksgiving in this passage is not a verbatim transcript from David's day but an ideal composition assembled from Psalms 105, 96, and 106. He compares this to the songs in Luke's nativity narratives, viewing it as a historically fitting expression rather than a falsification.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry emphasizes that this psalm was composed for public worship, not private devotion, and that its core charge is to broadcast God's deeds among all nations, not just Israel. He highlights the progression from Israel's covenant memory to a universal call, urging every people to give God the glory due His name.