Psalm 22:31 means that the good news of what God has done will be carried from one generation to the next, and that people who have not yet been born will hear it and understand it. The verse points to a future where God’s righteousness, his faithful and saving character, becomes known far beyond the people who first witnessed his deeds. The words come near the end of a psalm that moves from deep anguish to confident praise, and they are spoken by the psalmist, a worshiper who looks ahead to a time when the story of God’s faithfulness will reach people who never saw it firsthand.
They shall come and shall declare his righteousness to a people that shall be born, for he has done it.
Psalm 22:31 (WEB)
What Psalm 22:31 Means
The verse begins with “They shall come,” which describes people actively arriving to take part in worship. This is not a passive scene. The psalmist pictures a crowd of worshipers who choose to come forward and join in praising the Lord. The next phrase, “and shall declare his righteousness,” tells us what they will do once they gather. To declare is to announce clearly and publicly. Righteousness here refers to God’s justice, his reliability, and his commitment to keep his promises, so the worshipers will proclaim who God is and how he has acted.
The verse then speaks of “a people that shall be born,” which means a generation that does not yet exist. The psalmist is confident that his witness will not end with his own lifetime. Finally, “for he has done it” gives the reason for the praise. The worshipers do not declare God’s righteousness because they hope for good results, but because God has already acted. The verse does not promise a specific event or outcome in any individual life. It affirms that God’s faithful work is worth telling, and that the telling will continue.
The Context of Psalm 22:31
Psalm 22 is traditionally attributed to David, and it belongs to the book of Psalms, a collection of songs and prayers used by Israel in worship. The psalm opens with a cry of abandonment and then shifts toward trust and thanksgiving. Verses 28 through 31 widen the view from the psalmist’s own suffering to the wider world, describing a kingdom that belongs to the Lord and nations that will come to honor him. The audience is the worshiping community of Israel, and by extension anyone who joins that praise.
Just before verse 31, the psalm says that all the rich of the earth will eat and worship, and that even those who go down to the dust will bow before the Lord. Verse 30 adds that future generations will serve him and be told about him. Read in this setting, verse 31 is the climax of a movement from the individual to the global and then to the generational. The verse explains how the message of God’s rule travels across time, which is why it reads as a hopeful conclusion rather than a random note of praise.
Key Phrases in Psalm 22:31
Psalm 145:4
One generation will commend your works to another, and will declare your mighty acts.
(WEB)
This verse expresses the same commitment to passing on God’s works from one generation to the next. Where Psalm 22:31 speaks of a people yet to be born, Psalm 145:4 describes parents telling their children about God’s mighty deeds, showing how the witness of faith is meant to be shared within families and communities.
Deuteronomy 6:6-7
6 These words, which I command you today, shall be on your heart; 7 and you shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise up.
(WEB)
These verses instruct Israel to keep God’s words in their hearts and to teach them diligently to their children. They offer practical direction for the kind of handing down of faith that Psalm 22:31 anticipates, showing that the declaration of God’s righteousness is carried out through everyday conversation and daily life.
A Short Prayer From Psalm 22:31
Lord, you have done what only you could do, and your faithfulness is worth telling. Help me to come before you with a grateful heart and to speak of your goodness in the places where I live and work. Let my words and my actions point clearly to who you are, so that those who follow me may come to know you as well. Keep my faith steady through the seasons when I cannot see the outcome, and remind me that your righteousness is still at work. I trust that your story will continue, and I ask that you would use even my small witness to carry it forward. Amen.
