Psalms 145:9 Meaning: Is God's Mercy for Everyone?

The Hebrew word behind 'good' is tov, a rich word that means more than moral goodness. It describes something pleasant, beautiful, and beneficial. When the verse says God is tov to all, it pictures a goodness that actively intends well for its objects, not a distant quality but a generous outflow.

The phrase 'tender mercies' translates rachamim, a word related to rechem, meaning womb. This suggests a compassion that is deep and visceral, like a mother's bond with her child. It is not distant pity but a warm, protective, life-giving care.

That this mercy covers 'all His works' means no creature falls outside the reach of God's kind attention. The word 'works' (ma'aseh) here refers to everything God has made, people, animals, the whole creation. The verse declares that God's character is fundamentally generous toward every part of His creation.

Christians have understood this verse in two main ways. Some, like John Gill and others in the Reformed tradition, see 'all' as referring to the elect, the special objects of God's saving grace. They point to the context of covenant love and redemption. Others, including Adam Clarke, Albert Barnes, and many Anglican and Methodist commentators, read 'all' as universal benevolence: God's goodness and compassion extend to every human being and every creature. The Cambridge Bible notes that the parallelism shows 'all' means 'all creation.' Both traditions seek to be faithful to Scripture, and both agree that God's character is fundamentally good and merciful.

Some readers assume that because God is good to all, everyone will be saved regardless of how they live. Others assume the words refer only to believers. In fact, the verse describes God's present goodness and compassionate care toward every person and everything He has made. It does not promise universal salvation, which the Bible elsewhere teaches comes through faith in Christ. But it does mean that no one is outside God's generous attention and love.

This week, consider someone who seems outside your circle of concern: a neighbor you rarely speak to, a coworker you avoid, or even an animal you might overlook. If God's tender mercies are over all His works, then that person or creature matters to Him. Let that truth shape how you see them. You could begin with a simple prayer asking God to show you His goodness toward them, and then reflect that same goodness through a small act of kindness.