Psalms 145:4
One generation shall praise thy works to another, and shall declare thy mighty acts.
Original Language Analysis
לְ֭דוֹר
One
H1755
לְ֭דוֹר
One
Strong's:
H1755
Word #:
1 of 6
properly, a revolution of time, i.e., an age or generation; also a dwelling
לְ֭דוֹר
One
H1755
לְ֭דוֹר
One
Strong's:
H1755
Word #:
2 of 6
properly, a revolution of time, i.e., an age or generation; also a dwelling
יְשַׁבַּ֣ח
shall praise
H7623
יְשַׁבַּ֣ח
shall praise
Strong's:
H7623
Word #:
3 of 6
properly, to address in a loud tone, i.e., (specifically) loud
מַעֲשֶׂ֑יךָ
thy works
H4639
מַעֲשֶׂ֑יךָ
thy works
Strong's:
H4639
Word #:
4 of 6
an action (good or bad); generally, a transaction; abstractly, activity; by implication, a product (specifically, a poem) or (generally) property
Cross References
Psalms 71:18Now also when I am old and grayheaded, O God, forsake me not; until I have shewed thy strength unto this generation, and thy power to every one that is to come.Isaiah 38:19The living, the living, he shall praise thee, as I do this day: the father to the children shall make known thy truth.Deuteronomy 6:7And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.
Historical Context
The intergenerational transmission of faith was foundational to Israelite identity (Exodus 12:26-27, Psalm 78:4-6). Fathers were commanded to teach children God's mighty acts in Egypt, the wilderness wanderings, and entrance into Canaan. This educational mandate preserved covenant knowledge through centuries of upheaval.
Questions for Reflection
- What specific 'mighty acts' of God in your own life should you be declaring to the next generation?
- How can the church recover robust intergenerational faith transmission in an age-segregated culture?
- What prevents believers from naturally and joyfully recounting God's works to children and younger Christians?
Analysis & Commentary
One generation shall praise thy works to another, and shall declare thy mighty acts. The transmission of faith across generations—dor lĕdor (דּוֹר לְדוֹר) "generation to generation"—is central to covenant faithfulness. The verb yeshabĕchu (יְשַׁבְּחוּ) "shall praise" indicates ongoing testimony, not passive tradition. God's ma'aseka (מַעֲשֶׂיךָ) "works" and gĕburoteka (גְּבוּרֹתֶיךָ) "mighty acts" encompass both creation and redemptive history.
Shall declare (yaggidu, יַגִּידוּ) means to tell, recount, make known—active proclamation, not mere preservation. Each generation has responsibility to tell the next of God's faithfulness, paralleling Deuteronomy 6:6-7 and anticipating the Great Commission's call to make disciples of all nations.