Psalm 145:21 NKJV
My mouth shall speak the praise of the Lord,
And all flesh shall bless His holy name
Forever and ever.
The Last Word Is Praise
MY NOTES
“My mouth shall speak the praise of the Lord, And all flesh shall bless His holy name Forever and ever.” Psalm 145:21 (NKJV)
To fully grasp the weight of this verse, it helps to look at where it stands in the Bible. Psalm 145 is the final psalm in the Psalter explicitly attributed to King David. In a very real sense, this is his spiritual last will and testament.
Think about everything David lived through:
- Obscurity & Anointing: A young shepherd boy overlooked by his family, anointed in secret.
- Triumph & Trial: Defeating Goliath, then spending years running for his life in caves from King Saul.
- Power & Deep Failure: Reaching the heights of royalty, falling into tragic sin with Bathsheba, and experiencing devastating family heartbreak.
- Deliverance & Restoration: Knowing firsthand the mercy of a God who forgives, restores, and keeps His promises.
After a long, complex life, David doesn’t leave behind a speech about his military victories or political accomplishments. Instead, his final recorded words in the Psalms focus entirely on the character of God. His ultimate legacy is a fixed resolve: “My mouth shall speak the praise of the Lord.”
1. “My mouth shall speak the praise of the Lord”
David isn’t making a casual statement. He’s making a resolution.
He’s saying:
- Whatever others choose to talk about, I choose praise.
- Whatever others may forget, I will remember the Lord.
- Whatever others may neglect, I will not neglect thanksgiving.
This is the same resolve he began the psalm with:
Psalm 145:1–2 (NKJV)
“I will extol You, my God, O King;
And I will bless Your name forever and ever.
Every day I will bless You,
And I will praise Your name forever and ever.”
David starts with praise.
He ends with praise.
And everything in between is praise.
It’s a beautiful model for us:
When one thanksgiving ends, another begins. When one mercy concludes, another arrives. When one breath finishes, another is given—and each breath is an invitation to worship.
2. “And all flesh shall bless His holy name forever and ever”
David knew that his personal song, as sweet as it was, wasn’t enough. Praise is not a monopoly reserved for a king or a select group of spiritual elites. David opens the doors wide and invites all flesh—people of every race, generation, and background—to join the choir.
The phrase “all flesh” points specifically to those who have been touched by God’s grace—hearts of stone replaced with hearts of flesh. It looks forward to the day when people from every nation, tribe, and tongue will gather around the throne.
This isn’t just poetic language. It’s prophetic.
One day, every knee will bow. Every tongue will confess. Every voice will acknowledge the holiness of God.
Philippians 2:10–11 (NKJV)
“That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow…
and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord…”
David sees a future where worship is universal, unending, and joy-filled.
And notice what he emphasizes:
His holy name.
Holiness is the crown of all God’s attributes.
Holiness is the beauty of His character.
Holiness is what makes His love pure, His justice right, His mercy meaningful.
“Forever and ever” means this worship isn’t temporary. It doesn’t expire when our earthly lives end. The song we start here on earth is just the warm-up act for the eternal worship of heaven. If there were twenty forevers, they would all be worth spending in adoration of our ever-living, ever-blessing Father.
Prayer
Abba, let my mouth be filled with Your praise. Teach me to speak of Your goodness more freely, more naturally, more joyfully. Let my life be a testimony of Your holiness and love. And Father, stir my heart with the hope of the day when all flesh will bless Your name—when every voice will join the eternal song. Keep me faithful in praise until that day comes. I ask for this, Abba, in Jesus’ name, Amen.
Key Takeaways
- Praise is a choice, a resolution, and a lifelong commitment.
- David ends his recorded psalms the same way he began—worshiping.
- Our praise should be continual because God’s goodness is continual.
- All flesh is invited into worship—no one is excluded from the invitation.
- God’s holiness is the centerpiece of His character and the focus of our praise.
- The future of God’s people is eternal worship—forever and ever.
Cross References (NKJV)
- Psalm 34:1 — “I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth.”
- Psalm 150:6 — “Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord!”
- Revelation 5:13 — “And every creature which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, I heard saying: ‘Blessing and honor and glory and power be to Him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb, forever and ever!’”
Things to Think About
- What does it look like for my mouth to “speak the praise of the Lord” in everyday life?
- Where has God been especially worthy of praise this week? Write out specific moments.
- What keeps me from praising God consistently? Bring those obstacles into the light.
- How does the idea of “all flesh blessing His holy name” shape my hope for the future?
- If I wrote my own “last verse,” what praise would I want to leave behind?
Proverb for Today
My son, give me your heart, And let your eyes observe my ways. Proverbs 23:26 NKJV
Daily Scripture
Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30 NKJV
Closing
“The Lord bless you and keep you; The Lord make His face shine upon you, And be gracious to you; The Lord lift up His countenance upon you, And give you peace.” Numbers 6:24-26 NKJV
Grace be with you. Amen.
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Summary of Commentaries:
Psalm 145:21 serves as King David’s spiritual last will and testament, capping a life of trials, victories, and divine restoration. Rather than highlighting his personal achievements, David resolves to praise God continually and invites “all flesh” across every generation to join. This passage presents praise as a deliberate, daily decision, reminding believers that worship honors God’s holy character and extends an everlasting invitation to experience His unending mercy and grace.
Commentaries:
Charles Spurgeon
“My mouth shall speak the praise of the LORD.” Whatever others may do, I will not be silent in the praise of the Lord: whatever others may speak upon, my topic is fixed once for all: I will speak the praise of Jehovah. I am doing it, and I will do it as long as I breathe.
“And let all flesh bless his holy name for ever and ever.” Praise is no monopoly for one, even though he be a David; others are debtors, let them also be songsters. All men of every race, condition, or generation should unite to glorify God. No man need think that he will be rejected when he comes with his personal note of praise; all are permitted, invited, and exhorted to magnify the Lord. Especially should his holiness be adored: this is the crown, and in a certain sense the sum, of all his attributes. Only holy hearts will praise the holy name, or character of the Lord; oh, that all flesh were sanctified, then would the sanctity of God be the delight of all. Once let the song begin, and there will be no end to it. It shall go on for ever and a day, as the old folks used to say. If there were two forevers, or twenty forevers, they ought all to be spent in the praises of the ever living, ever blessing, ever blessed JEHOVAH. Blessed be the Lord for ever for having revealed to us his name, and blessed be that name as he has revealed it; yea, blessed be he above all that we can know, or think, or say. Our hearts revel in the delight of praising him. Our mouth, our mind, our lip, our life shall be our Lord’s throughout this mortal existence, and when time shall be no more.
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Enduring Word
My mouth shall…bless His holy name forever and ever: We sense that David meant this as a declaration. Having written so eloquently about who God is and what He has done for His people, David’s firm decision was to use his mouth to praise and bless God again and again. (Guzik)
i. “Whatever others may do, I will not be silent in the praise of the Lord; whatever others may speak upon, my topic is fixed once for all: I will speak the praise of Jehovah. I am doing it, and I will do it as long as I breathe.” (Spurgeon)
ii. “So ends David’s contribution to the Psalter, on a note of praise which is wholly his own (Psalm 145:21a), yet as wide as mankind and as unfading as eternity.” (Kidner)
iii. “The last verse of Psalm 145 is the last word we have from David in the Bible. It is his last will and testament. If he had said nothing else in his long life, these words would be a fine legacy for future generations. In it he praises God and invites others to praise God also.” (Boice)
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Albert Barnes
My mouth shall speak the praise of the Lord – That is, I will utter his praise. In view of all these things, in view of his character and doings, I will praise him. I will be found among those who honor him; who acknowledge him as the true God; who render homage for what he is, and thanks for what he has done.
And let all flesh bless his holy name forever and ever – All people; all that dwell upon the earth. Let his praise be universal and eternal. This is the language of true piety; all in whose bosom there is any true religion will heartily say Amen. No desire of a pious heart is more constant and strong than that God should be praised, adored, honored by all intelligent creatures; that he should be known and acknowledged in all the earth as the true God; that his praise should ascend from all parts of the universe forever. See the notes at Psalms 100:1-5.
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John Gill
My mouth shall speak the praise of the Lord,…. Always, at all times, as long as he lived; and particularly when all the Lord’s people shall be brought safe to glory, and the wicked destroyed; when, as Kimchi observes, he should live again with the dead that shall be raised.
and let all flesh bless his holy name for ever and ever; not every animal, or irrational creature; not carnal men, but spiritual men; such as are praying ones, that come to a God hearing prayer: these should be praising ones; such who have hearts of flesh given them, and are sensible of divine favors, as well as of their sinfulness and unworthiness; Jews and Gentiles, all sorts of men called by grace, all flesh on whom the Spirit of God is poured; these are all excited to praise and bless the holy name of the Redeemer, with the words and by the example of the psalmist. And thus the psalm ends as it begun, with praise and blessing.
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Matthew Henry
Lastly, the psalmist concludes,
1. With a resolution to give glory to God himself (v. 21): My mouth shall speak the praise of the Lord. When we have said what we can, in praising God, still there is more to be said, and therefore we must not only begin our thanksgivings with this purpose, as he did (v. 1), but conclude them with it, as he does here, because we shall presently have occasion to begin again. As the end of one mercy is the beginning of another, so should the end of one thanksgiving be. While I have breath to draw, my mouth shall still speak God’s praises.
2. With a call to others to do so too: Let all flesh, all mankind, bless his holy name for ever and ever. Some of mankind shall be blessing God for ever; it is a pity but that they should be all so engaged.
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