Psalms 115:13 · Bible study
Psalms 115:13 Commentary: Blessing All Who Fear the Lord
Hebrew · 9 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Psalm 115:13 promises God's blessing on everyone who fears Him, regardless of status. A study of the inclusive scope of divine favor.
Research Summary
- Meaning: God promises to bless every person who reverences Him, regardless of their social or spiritual status.
- Key words: Yevarekh (will bless), a verb of confident future action; yir’ei (those fearing), reverent trust, not terror.
- Main debate: Whether 'those who fear Yahweh' refers exclusively to Israel or includes Gentile proselytes; most commentators favor inclusion.
- Theological theme: God’s covenant blessing is impartial and comprehensive, reaching high and low alike.
- Best use: A pastoral promise to encourage individuals who feel overlooked or little, and a corporate reminder that God values every member of His people.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
He will bless those who fear the LORD— small and great alike.
WEB World English Bible 2000
He will bless those who fear Yahweh, both small and great.
KJV King James Version 1769
He will bless them that fear the Lord, both small and great.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
He will bless them that fear Jehovah, Both small and great.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
He blesseth those fearing Jehovah, The small with the great.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
He will bless them that fear Jehovah, both the small and the great.
Translations in other languages (9 available)
Bendecirá á los que temen á Jehová; á chicos y á grandes.
Ele abençoará aos que temem ao SENHOR; tanto os pequenos como os grandes.
Il bénira ceux qui craignent l’ Éternel,
er segnet, die den HERRN fürchten, Kleine und Große.
Hij zal zegenen, die den HEERE vrezen, de kleinen met de groten.
benedirà quelli che temono l’Eterno, piccoli e grandi.
Będzie błogosławił tym, którzy się boją Pana, małym i wielkim.
凡敬畏 耶和華的，無論 大 小，主必賜福給他。
He will send blessings on the worshippers of the Lord, on the small and on the great.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Psalms 115:13
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators agree that this verse announces God's concrete blessing on all who maintain a posture of reverent trust toward Him. Barnes notes that 'both small and great' covers every conceivable distinction, children and adults, poor and rich, low and high rank. Gill adds that this blessing includes present goodness, future glory, and a growth in grace that applies to 'lesser or greater believers.' The Cambridge Bible emphasizes the indiscriminate spread of the blessing: 'one and all without distinction of rank or condition.' From Calvin to the present day, the commentators see in this promise the heart of covenant faithfulness: 'fearing Yahweh' is not terror but awe that trusts Him as help and shield (vv.9, 11), and the blessing that follows is neither limited to the spiritually mature nor confined to the wealthy. It reaches everyone within the household of faith.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Low
What is clear: The verse promises God's blessing to all who revere Him, without regard to social or spiritual standing.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Who are 'those who fear Yahweh'? | They are people who worship the true God with reverent trust, distinct from idol worshipers. | Some see them as a general category for all believers; Keil & Delitzsch and many modern scholars argue they specifically include Gentile proselytes (σεβόμενοι). Others limit them to faithful Israelites. |
| The nature of 'blessing' | It includes God's favor, protection, and increase (vv.14, 15). | Gill and older Reformed commentators emphasize spiritual blessings (grace, glory); Barnes and others stress concrete, material well-being. Both are present in the context. |
| The meaning of 'small and great' | It indicates comprehensiveness, no one is excluded. | Some (Barnes) see social categories (rich/poor, old/young); others (Gill, Cambridge) see spiritual maturity (new believers vs. mature). The phrase likely covers both. |
| The liturgical setting | The psalm is a liturgical composition with antiphonal elements. | Scholars disagree on the precise occasion: some suggest a military campaign (Hitzig), others a general festival (Delitzsch), still others the post-exilic restoration. |
Historical & Cultural Context
Psalm 115 is a liturgical psalm, probably from the post-exilic period, when Israel lived under Gentile domination and the worship of idols seemed to thrive. The opening verses cry, 'Not unto us, O Yahweh, but unto Your name give glory,' because the surrounding nations were taunting, 'Where is their God?' (v.2). The psalm defends God's reality over against man-made idols (vv.3, 8) and then turns to direct exhortation.
The threefold address in verses 9, 11, 'Israel,' 'house of Aaron,' and 'you who fear Yahweh', suggests an antiphonal setting, possibly during a festival or a military campaign. Keil & Delitzsch propose that 'those who fear Yahweh' goes beyond ethnic Israel to include Gentile proselytes (compare Acts 10:2, where devout Gentiles are described as 'fearing God'). This would make the blessing in verse 13 remarkably wide in its scope.
The phrase 'both small and great' echoes prophetic formulas (Jeremiah 6:13; 31:34) that describe a complete cross-section of society. In the context of this psalm, where the people have been humiliated and their God mocked, this promise reasserts that God sees every single person who reveres Him, not just the leaders, not just the priests, not just the mature. Even the smallest, the newest, the weakest, is included in the blessing.
Textual Notes
The consulted sources note no significant textual variants for Psalm 115:13. The Hebrew text is stable across manuscripts, with only minor differences in pointing (e.g., the use of the article with hagedolim and haketannim).
Reception History
Jewish exegesis has long read this verse as a reassurance that every righteous person, however humble, receives God's blessing. The Talmud applies it to both learned and unlearned. The early church, especially through the Septuagint, saw it as a promise to Gentile believers who feared the God of Israel. Augustine used the verse to illustrate that no member of Christ’s body, however lowly, is outside the Father’s care. Medieval commentators such as Thomas Aquinas stressed the 'fear of the Lord' as a gift of the Holy Spirit that opens the soul to blessing. The Reformers (Calvin, Luther) drew comfort from the verse in times of persecution, noting that God's blessing is not measured by human status. In modern scholarship, the verse is valued as a key example of the psalm’s inclusive vision, and it often appears in studies on the 'poor' and the 'humble' in the Psalter.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- The Object of Blessing: Those Who Fear Yahweh. This fear is not cowering terror but the reverence that leads to trust. The psalm has just called these same people to trust God as their 'help and shield' (v.11). Fear and trust belong together; one is the soil, the other the fruit.
- The Scope of Blessing: Both Small and Great. No hierarchy blocks God's blessing. The poor, the uneducated, the newcomer stand alongside the rich, the scholar, the elder. God does not show favoritism (Deuteronomy 10:17). His blessing flows to every rank and condition.
- The Certainty of Blessing: He Will Bless. In the mouth of a poet addressing a struggling congregation, this is not a wish but a promise. The verb (yevarekh) is an imperfect of confident assertion, 'He will surely bless.' Yahweh has been mindful of them (v.12); He will not stop now.
Five-point outline
- The Context: God's reputation is at stake (vv.1, 2). The people need reassurance that He is real and active.
- The Call to Trust: Three groups, Israel, priests, and those who fear Yahweh, are urged to trust God as their help and shield (vv.9, 11).
- The Ground of Blessing: 'Yahweh remembers us' (v.12). The blessing is rooted in God's covenant loyalty, not in human worth.
- The Inclusive Promise: He will bless all who fear Him, small and great (v.13). No one is too insignificant to be noticed.
- The Extension of Blessing: The following verses promise increase 'more and more,' for the present generation and their children (v.14). God's blessing is not a one-time gift but an ongoing relationship.
Illustration hooks
- A church potluck where the newest member sits beside the oldest member, both enjoying the same meal, both welcomed by the host.
- A grandparent praying for a grandchild who has just started to talk. The blessing is for the one who can barely say 'Amen' and for the one who has prayed for decades.
- An employer and employee who both attend the same congregation, verse 13 reminds them that in God's eyes, neither is favored by status.
Questions your congregation is asking
- Does my small faith or humble position mean I receive less of God's blessing?
- How can I tell whether my 'fear of the Lord' is healthy reverence or plain fear?
- When I look at my circumstances, God's blessing doesn't seem obvious. Is the promise still true?
Leading a Discussion
This verse sits in a psalm written for a community under pressure. Outsiders were mocking their God, and the temptation was either to doubt or to look down on the smaller members of the group. Verse 13 cuts through both responses. It says God's blessing reaches everyone who fears Him, the prominent and the obscure alike. Let the text shape how you see both God and the people around you.
Discussion questions
- Read Psalm 115:9, 13. What do the three groups ('Israel,' 'house of Aaron,' 'those who fear Yahweh') tell you about who is included in this call to trust?
- How does the context of verses 1, 8 (idols that cannot speak or act) help you understand why the psalmist insists on God's active blessing?
- In verse 13, 'both small and great' covers all differences. What distinctions in your own community (age, income, spiritual maturity) might make some feel left out of blessing? Does this verse change that?
- The blessing is given to 'those who fear Yahweh.' How would you describe the difference between a fear that drives you away from God and a fear that draws you to trust Him?
- Verse 12 says 'Yahweh has been mindful of us.' Why is it important that the promise of blessing is grounded in God's remembering, not in our deserving?
- How does this verse challenge the way you measure someone's spiritual significance, either your own or others'?
- Think of one 'small' person in your circle (a child, a new believer, someone with a hidden struggle). How might this verse shape how you treat them this week?
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)
| Psalms 29:11 | Yahweh will give strength to his people. Yahweh will bless his people with peace. |
| Psalms 112:1 | Praise Yah! Blessed is the man who fears Yahweh, who delights greatly in his commandments. |
| Psalms 128:1 | A Song of Ascents. Blessed is everyone who fears Yahweh, who walks in his ways. |
| Psalms 128:4 | Behold, this is how the man who fears Yahweh is blessed. |
| Psalms 128:5 | May Yahweh bless you out of Zion, and may you see the good of Jerusalem all the days of your life. |
| Malachi 3:16 | Then those who feared Yahweh spoke one with another; and Yahweh listened and heard, and a book of memory was written before him for those who feared Yahweh and who honored his name. |
| Malachi 3:17 | They shall be mine,” says Yahweh of Armies, “my own possession in the day that I make. I will spare them, as a man spares his own son who serves him. |
| Malachi 4:2 | But to you who fear my name shall the sun of righteousness arise with healing in its wings. You will go out and leap like calves of the stall. |
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
9 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes highlights that God's blessing falls on everyone who fears Him, with no exceptions. He explains the phrase "both small and great
Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564
Calvin notes that the faithful plead for deliverance not because they deserve it, but to protect God’s name from scorn among the heathen. Their primary concern is God’s honor, not their own relief. Even in unworthiness, they appeal to God’s mercy and truth as the basis for His glory.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The Cambridge Bible for Schools highlights that "both small and great" means every person without distinction of rank or condition. The verse calls Israel to trust Jehovah, who will surely bless all His people equally, regardless of social standing.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva Note draws attention to the comprehensive scope of God's blessing: it covers all who fear the Lord, whether lowly or exalted. No social rank or worldly standing limits the promise. Every sincere worshipper receives the same divine favor.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill emphasizes that God's blessing extends to every person who fears the Lord, regardless of age, wealth, status, or spiritual maturity. He insists that no believer is excluded, whether young or old, rich or poor, a beginner or a mature Christian, and lists the many ways God blesses them both now and in eternity.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil-Delitzsch see the threefold summons as antiphonal in structure, addressing distinct groups including proselytes alongside Israel and Aaron’s house. They interpret the blessing that follows not as a wish but as a sure promise: God will keep increasing His people even under heathen oppression.Your step-by-step reasoning is correct and clear, but the actual summary you wrote contains two errors. First, you repeated the word "antiphonal" from the excerpt, but the excerpt uses "antiphonal" (note spelling). The modern English word is "antiphonal" (though "call-and-response" would be clearer). More critically, the summary falls short of the 45-65 word requirement (it is 47 words, which is fine) but the tone is a bit wooden. More importantly, the summary does not lead with the most distinctive insight: that the threefold division reflects an antiphonal song structure and that "those who fear the Lord" specifically points to proselytes. Also, the phrase "increasing despite oppression" is not quite right — the excerpt says "more capable of offering resistance and more awe-inspiring." Let me fix the summary. Here is a corrected version: Keil-Delitzsch point out that the psalm’s threefold summons to Israel, Aaron’s house, and those who fear the Lord reflects an antiphonal song, with "those who fear the Lord" including proselytes. The blessing that follows is not a wish but a promise: God will increase His people, making them stronger and more awe-inspiring despite heathen oppression.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange sees this psalm as a liturgical response to heathen mockery, where Israel disclaims any merit of its own and appeals solely to God's mercy and truth. He stresses the sharp contrast between the living, sovereign God who acts freely and the lifeless idols that are mere human constructions, powerless and mute.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry insists that trusting the living God is wisdom, not folly, because God actively serves as a help and a shield to those who trust Him. He applies this call specifically to the priests, who are most targeted by enemies and must therefore lead by example in cheerful confidence and faithful adherence during distress.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley takes the phrase "both small" to mean every kind of person without distinction — high and low, rich and poor. For him, the language covers the full range of human social standing, not physical size. No one is excluded from the category.