Psalm 107:32 calls God’s people to publicly honor the LORD, both in the gathering of the whole community and in the company of its respected leaders. The verse is a summons to make praise visible, not kept private. It is spoken by the psalmist, who speaks for the redeemed to everyone who has witnessed God’s rescue and urges them to say so out loud.
Let them exalt him also in the assembly of the people, and praise him in the seat of the elders.
Psalm 107:32 (WEB)
What Psalm 107:32 Means
The verse begins with “let them exalt him,” which means lift God up, make his greatness known. The word “also” links this to the previous verse, where the people praised the LORD for his loving kindness. Having been rescued, they are now asked to take their thanks further than their own household or private prayer.
Next comes “in the assembly of the people,” the gathering where the whole community meets. Then the verse says “in the seat of the elders,” the place where the respected older men of the community sat to judge, advise and lead. Praise is thus to be heard both among ordinary people and among those with authority. The verse does not promise that every such occasion will feel comfortable, but it does assume that God’s goodness is worth saying where others can hear it.
The Context of Psalm 107:32
Psalm 107 is one of the psalms that opens the fifth book of the Psalter, and it is usually read as a collection of thanksgiving songs for people who were delivered from wandering, prison, sickness and storms. Its author is not named in the text, and it is traditionally attributed to David, though many scholars date it later and treat it as a communal hymn for worshipers returning from danger. The original audience would have been Israelites who knew these deliverances firsthand.
The verses just before Psalm 107:32 describe God calming a storm and guiding sailors safely to harbor (verses 29 and 30). The verses just after describe God turning rivers to desert and deserts to pools, a reminder that he governs both blessing and judgment. Read in that setting, the call to public praise is a response to a God who actually acts in the world, both rescuing and reversing.
Key Phrases in Psalm 107:32
Psalm 34:1
I will bless the LORD at all times. His praise will always be in my mouth.
(WEB)
This verse expresses the same resolve to keep praising God continually and to let the praise be spoken openly. Read alongside Psalm 107:32, it shows that public thanksgiving is a steady habit of the heart, not an occasional event.
Hebrews 13:15
Through him, then, let us offer up a sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of lips which proclaim allegiance to his name.
(WEB)
The New Testament writer calls believers to offer a sacrifice of praise to God continually, connecting thanksgiving to confession of his name. It echoes the call in Psalm 107 by treating public praise as an offering the community brings together.
A Short Prayer From Psalm 107:32
Lord, you have rescued me in ways I have not always thanked you for, and some of those deliverances I have kept quiet about. Give me the courage to speak of your faithfulness where others can hear it, among the people who gather with me and among those whose wisdom I respect. Let my words lift you up and encourage someone who is still waiting for their own calm water. Keep my praise honest and steady, so that every place I stand becomes a place where your goodness is named. Amen.
