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 every part of creation. The passage is a short burst of praise inside a longer psalm of David, where the writer stops to name the reasons God deserves to be praised.
It belongs to a psalm written as an acrostic, with each verse beginning with the next letter of the Hebrew alphabet. That pattern suggests the psalm was meant to be memorized and recited, a complete alphabet of praise. Psalm 145 is the last of the great Davidic psalms of praise in the Psalter and closes the collection with a call to bless God forever.
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 nature in a set of qualities drawn from the story of Israel’s covenant history: he is gracious, merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in loving kindness. These words echo the way God revealed himself to Moses, and the psalmist places them at the center of his praise.
Second, it draws a conclusion from that nature. Because God is like this, his goodness is not reserved for a favored few. He is good to all, and his tender mercy rests on everything he has made. The first verse tells you who God is, and the second tells you how far his care reaches.
Context of Psalm 145:8-9
The psalm is traditionally attributed to David, and it is a hymn of praise sung by and for the people of Israel. The surrounding verses, from verse 5 to verse 12, show the psalmist speaking of God’s majesty, his mighty acts, and his kingdom. Verses 8 and 9 sit in the middle of this flow, turning from the bare declaration of God’s greatness to the particular character that makes his greatness good news.
Verse 10 follows directly and widens the frame: all of God’s works give thanks to him, and his saints bless him. So the psalm moves from God’s character, to the way he treats all he has made, to the response of creation and the faithful. Read in that order, verses 8 and 9 are the hinge that explains why the whole world has reason to give thanks.
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 source of much of the language in Psalm 145:8. When God revealed his name to Moses, he described himself in nearly the same terms, which shows that the psalmist is drawing on the deepest memory of Israel’s relationship with God.
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.
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Written out of grief over the fall of Jerusalem, these verses speak of God’s steadfast love and mercies that are new every morning. They show the same tender mercy of Psalm 145:9 meeting the reader in a season of loss and hardship.
A Prayer Based on Psalm 145:8-9
Lord, you are gracious and merciful, slow to anger and rich in loving kindness. Thank you for the patience you have shown me when I have been slow to trust you and quick to turn away. Help me to receive your mercy and to extend the same mercy to the people I meet today.
Thank you that your goodness reaches all people and all of your works. Open my eyes to see your tender care in the world around me, in the people I might overlook and in the creation I often take for granted. Let my heart answer your goodness with gratitude and praise. Amen.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who wrote Psalm 145?
The psalm is traditionally attributed to David, and its title identifies it as a psalm of praise by him. Scholars generally accept the Davidic attribution as the tradition the psalm has come to carry, though its precise date is debated.
Does God’s goodness to all mean everyone is saved?
Psalm 145:9 speaks of God’s goodness and care reaching all people and all creation, which is a claim about the breadth of his kindness. Christian teaching has long held that this kindness is real and wide, while the question of how it relates to salvation is treated more fully in other parts of Scripture.
What does “slow to anger” mean in Psalm 145:8?
It means that God is patient and does not respond to wrongdoing with immediate wrath. The phrase reflects his willingness to give time for repentance and change, which is why it appears alongside words for mercy and steadfast love.
