“I will praise thee, O Lord my God, with all my heart: and I will glorify thy name for evermore.”
My Notes
What Does Psalms 86:12 Mean?
"I will praise thee, O Lord my God, with all my heart: and I will glorify thy name for evermore." David commits to whole-hearted, eternal praise: ALL my heart and FOREVERMORE. The praise isn't partial (some of my heart) or temporary (for a season). It's total and permanent. The commitment leaves no reservation and sets no expiration date.
The phrase "with all my heart" (bekol levavi — with the entirety of my heart) eliminates divided worship: the heart that praises God must be undivided. Not part of the heart for God and part for worry. Not half the heart in praise and half in doubt. All of it. The totality of the inner person directed toward praise.
The "glorify thy name for evermore" (akabbedah shimka le'olam — I will honor/give weight to Your name forever) makes the commitment temporal as well as qualitative: not just all my heart (complete intensity) but forevermore (complete duration). The praise has maximum depth AND maximum length. The name of God receives all the weight David's heart can give, for all the time David's life extends.
Reflection Questions
- 1.Is your praise total and permanent — or partial and seasonal?
- 2.What part of your heart is withheld from praise — and what currently occupies that space?
- 3.How does 'forevermore' change praise from an event to a lifestyle?
- 4.What mercy have you received that deserves all-heart, forever praise — and are you giving it?
Devotional
All my heart. Forevermore. David makes two commitments that leave nothing uncovered: the praise uses the ENTIRE heart (no reservations, no holdbacks, no divided attention), and the praise lasts FOREVER (no expiration, no season, no stopping point). Total depth. Total duration.
The 'all my heart' is harder than it sounds: the heart that praises with ALL of itself has no corner reserved for self-pity, no room left for grudges, no portion withheld for doubt. All means all. The heart that worships God completely has reorganized every interior space around the single purpose of praise. The anxiety that normally takes up real estate? Given to praise. The bitterness? Repurposed for glorifying.
The 'glorify thy name for evermore' turns praise into a lifestyle, not an event: forevermore means this isn't a Sunday-morning commitment. It's a Tuesday-afternoon commitment. A 3-AM-when-you-can't-sleep commitment. A loss-and-grief commitment. A joy-and-celebration commitment. The 'forevermore' covers every circumstance because it covers every moment.
David says this after acknowledging God's great mercy (verse 13 — 'great is thy mercy toward me'). The all-heart, forevermore praise is a RESPONSE to experienced mercy. The depth and duration of the praise match the depth and duration of the mercy. Great mercy deserves great praise — total and eternal.
Is your praise total (all your heart) and permanent (forevermore) — or partial and seasonal?
Commentary
Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.
I will praise thee, O Lord my God, with all my heart,.... And under that consideration, that he was his God, and which…
I will praise thee, O Lord my God, with all my heart - This is but carrying out the idea in the previous verse. He would…
David is here going on in his prayer.
I. He gives glory to God; for we ought in our prayers to praise him, ascribing…
Cp. Psa 57:9-10; Psa 9:1; Psa 50:15; Psa 50:23.
with all my heart R.V. with my whole heart; when the prayer of Psa 86:86…
Cross References
Related passages throughout Scripture