Psalm 145:8-9 describes the character of God: he is gracious, merciful, patient, and full of steadfast love, and his goodness reaches every person and everything he has made. The verses are a short statement of who God is, offered as the heart of a song of praise that David (traditionally credited as the author) wrote near the end of the Psalter. They sit inside a longer hymn that celebrates God’s greatness and invites the whole creation to thank him.
8 The LORD is gracious, merciful, slow to anger, and of great loving kindness. 9 The LORD is good to all. His tender mercies are over all his works.
Psalm 145:8-9 (WEB)
Psalm 145:8-9 Summary
The passage makes two linked claims. First, it describes God’s inner disposition: he is gracious toward those who need help, merciful toward those who have failed, slow to become angry, and rich in faithful love. These are words that describe how God deals with people, not merely how powerful he is. Second, it states the scope of that disposition: his goodness is not reserved for a favored few but extends to all people, and his tender care rests over everything he has made.
The argument moves from character to extent. The psalmist first tells us what God is like and then tells us how far that goodness reaches. The result is a picture of a God who is both personally kind and universally generous, which gives the psalmist reason to keep praising him in the lines that follow.
Context of Psalm 145:8-9
Psalm 145 is the last of the acrostic psalms of praise in the book of Psalms, arranged in Hebrew alphabetical order, and it is headed as a psalm of David. It is a hymn of thanksgiving and public praise, meant to be sung and recounted to others. The verses around our passage, from verse 5 to verse 12, speak of God’s majesty, his mighty acts, and the testimony that generations will pass on to one another.
Verses 8 and 9 are the hinge of that section. Just before them, the psalmist speaks of remembering and declaring God’s goodness; just after, he says that all of God’s works will give thanks to him. The statement that God is good to all therefore prepares the way for a call to universal praise, showing that the whole created order has reason to join in the song.
Psalm 145:8-9 Verse by Verse
Exodus 34:6
The LORD passed by before him, and proclaimed, “The LORD! The LORD, a merciful and gracious God, slow to anger, and abundant in loving kindness and truth…
(WEB)
This verse is the closest parallel, a description of God revealed to Moses that uses many of the same words for grace, mercy, patience, and steadfast love. Reading it alongside Psalm 145 shows that the psalmist is drawing on a long tradition of how Israel understood God’s character.
Lamentations 3:22-23
22 It is because of the LORD’s loving kindnesses that we are not consumed, because his compassion doesn’t fail. 23 They are new every morning. Great is your faithfulness.
(WEB)
Written in the midst of ruin, these verses affirm that God’s mercies are new every morning and his faithfulness is great. They show how the claim that God is good can hold steady even in grief, and they connect the same theme of mercy to the experience of ordinary daily life.
A Prayer Based on Psalm 145:8-9
Lord, you are gracious and merciful, slow to anger and rich in steadfast love. When I think of my failures, I am grateful that you do not treat me as my mistakes deserve. When I feel forgotten, I remember that your goodness reaches to all and that your tender mercies rest over everything you have made. Help me to rest in who you are today, and to trust your care for the people I love and for the world I live in. Let my life reflect something of your patience and kindness toward others. Amen.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Psalm 145:8 mean?
Psalm 145:8 describes God’s character, calling him gracious, merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love. The verse tells the reader what God is like in his dealings with people. It is a description meant to shape trust and worship.
Does “the LORD is good to all” mean everyone is saved?
Psalm 145:9 speaks of God’s general goodness and care toward all people and all his works, which is different from the question of salvation. The verse emphasizes that God’s kindness is wide and not limited to a select group. Christians have understood the wider scope of this verse in different ways, and it is best read in the context of the whole psalm.
Who wrote Psalm 145?
Psalm 145 is headed as a psalm of David, and tradition attributes it to him. It is an acrostic hymn of praise that was meant to be sung in worship. Scholars continue to discuss its precise date, but its message of praise to God is clear.
