Psalms 132:9 — Word Study
WLCכֹּהֲנֶ֥יךָ יִלְבְּשׁוּ־ צֶ֑דֶק וַחֲסִידֶ֥יךָ יְרַנֵּֽנוּ׃
BSAMay Your priestskôhên [faithful servants, spiritual leaders] be clothedlâbash▸ [wrapped, adorned] with righteousnesstsedeq [moral integrity, God's standard] and Your saintschâçîyd [pious ones, holy people] shout for joyrânan▸ [sing, overcome, triumphant praise, gladness]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| כֹּהֲנֶ֥יךָ | priests your | Noun common masculine plural construct, suffix |
| יִלְבְּשׁוּ־ | let them be clothed | Verb, Qal, imperfect third person masculine plural |
| צֶ֑דֶק | righteousness | Noun common, masculine singular absolute |
| וַחֲסִידֶ֥יךָ | and faithful [people] your | Conjunction, suffix |
| יְרַנֵּֽנוּ׃ | let them shout for joy | Verb, Piel, imperfect third person masculine plural |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | May Your priests be clothed with righteousness, and Your saints shout for joy. |
| KJV | Let thy priests be clothed with righteousness; and let thy saints shout for joy. |
| ASV | Let thy priests be clothed with righteousness; And let thy saints shout for joy. |
| YLT | Thy priests do put on righteousness, And Thy pious ones cry aloud. |
| WEB | Let your priests be clothed with righteousness. Let your saints shout for joy! |
| BBE | Let your priests be clothed with righteousness; and let your saints give cries of joy. |
All translations agree on the themes of righteousness and joy in this verse.
The sentence contains two main clauses connected by a conjunction, expressing a prayer for both priests and saints.







8 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them ›
clause
verbלָבֵשׁ
The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
Every word here is used elsewhere in the Old Testament.
Bars are logarithmic — אֵת, the commonest word in the Hebrew Bible, stands about 11,000 times, so a linear scale would leave everything else invisible. Click a row to open that word.
Deep Study — Psalms 132:9
Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.
Context — A Prayer for God's Priests and Saintsgenerated
Psalm 132:9 is part of a prayer that emphasizes the importance of righteousness among God's priests and joy among His faithful people. The psalmist appeals to God to ensure that those who serve Him are adorned with moral integrity, reflecting His character, while His saints express their joy in worship. This verse highlights the relationship between leadership in worship and the community's response to God's faithfulness.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Psalm 132:16 | I will clothe her priests with salvation, and her saints will sing out in joy. |
| 2 | Psalm 93:1 | The LORD reigns! He is robed in majesty; the LORD has clothed and armed Himself with strength. The world indeed is firmly established; it cannot be moved. |
| 3 | Psalm 104:1 | Bless the LORD, O my soul! O LORD my God, You are very great; You are clothed with splendor and majesty. |
| 4 | Job 29:14 | I put on righteousness, and it clothed me; justice was my robe and my turban. |
| 5 | Isaiah 61:10 | I will rejoice greatly in the LORD, my soul will exult in my God; for He has clothed me with garments of salvation and wrapped me in a robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom wears a priestly headdress, as a bride adorns herself with her jewels. |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 17 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — כֹּהֲנֶ֥יךָ, ko.ha.Nei.khagenerated
The word כֹּהֵן (kohen) means 'priest' and is derived from a root that suggests serving in a religious capacity. It encompasses various types of priests, including those from the Levitical line, who were responsible for leading worship and making sacrifices.
In this verse, the priests are called to be clothed with righteousness, indicating that their moral integrity is crucial for their role. The concept of being 'clothed' suggests an outward manifestation of their inner character, aligning with God's standards.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
All translations agree that the priests are to be clothed with righteousness and the saints are to shout for joy.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The finite verb יִלְבְּשׁוּ (let them be clothed) governs the main clause, with two noun phrases following: the subject כֹּהֲנֶ֥יךָ (your priests) and the second subject וַחֲסִידֶ֥יךָ (and your saints). This structure emphasizes the actions requested for both groups.
The parallel structure of the two main subjects highlights the connection between the righteousness of the priests and the joy of the saints, suggesting that the spiritual state of the leaders affects the community.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates כֹּהֲנֶ֥יךָ as σου (your), indicating a direct correspondence to the Hebrew term for 'your priests'. This choice maintains the focus on God's chosen leaders.
The Greek word for 'clothed' is ἐνδύσονται, which carries a similar meaning to the Hebrew, emphasizing the act of putting on righteousness as a garment.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Psalm 132:9 asks God to ensure that His priests are righteous and that His faithful people shout for joy. This verse connects the moral integrity of leaders with the joyful response of the community.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
It means that priests should embody moral integrity and reflect God's character in their lives, as they lead others in worship.
Shouting for joy is a way for the faithful to express their gratitude and praise to God, celebrating His goodness and faithfulness.
The moral integrity of priests sets an example for the community, influencing their worship and relationship with God.
This prayer emphasizes the importance of both righteous leadership and joyful worship in the life of God's people.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- In what ways can I cultivate righteousness in my own life, like the priests are called to do?
- How can I express my joy in God through worship and praise?
- What role do spiritual leaders play in shaping the faith of a community?
- How can I support and encourage those who lead in worship?
The early church on this verse — how the Fathers read it
Early church fathers reference this verse to discuss the qualities of church leaders and the joy of the faithful, highlighting the importance of righteousness and praise.
But lest we linger too long on the forms of individual virtues, we can briefly say that they indicate those things by which the church is adorned.Early Church Fathers on Psalms 132 →
"Let Your priests be clothed with righteousness, and let Your saints sing with joyfulness" [Psalms 132:9].Early Church Fathers on Psalms 132 →
Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Psalms 132:9 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleLet thy priests be clothed with righteousness,.... In 2 Chronicles 6:41; it is, "with salvation", as in Psalms 132:16.
Read John Gill on Psalms 132 →
Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryArise, O LORD, into thy rest; thou, and the ark of thy strength. Arise, O Lord, into thy rest; thou, and the ark of thy strength.
Read Robert Jamieson on Psalms 132 →
Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy BibleWith righteousness; not only with those outward sacerdotal garments of glory and beauty which thou hast appointed for them, but especially with those inward ornaments of righteousness and true holiness, that so their persons and services may be accepted by thee, both for themselves and for all thy people, and they may be clothed with salvation, as it is expressed here below, , which is the effect or consequent of the former clothing. Let thy saints shout for joy; let all thy people have cause of rejoicing in the tokens of thy goodness; which they eminently had at the dedication of the temple, as is noted, .
Read Matthew Poole on Psalms 132 →
John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New TestamentsPsalms 132:9 Let thy priests be clothed with righteousness; and let thy saints shout for joy.Ver. 9. Let thy priests be clothed with righteousness] i.e. With salvation, as Psalms 132:16. No surer sign of God’ s gracious presence with a people, than a powerful ministry, clothed with inward purity and holiness, represented by the holy garments. And let thy saints shout for joy] i.e. Those that are converted by such a ministry, let those that are justified by faith have peace with God, and joy unspeakable, full of glory.
Read John Trapp on Psalms 132 →
Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(9) Clothed with righteousness.—The original is “salvation,” as below in Psalms 132:16, though the Hebrew word is slightly varied. This variation, however, is an almost positive proof that the psalmist, not the chronicler, is adopting words for his own purpose. Possibly the priestly garments are mentioned, not only as symbolic of righteousness, but also as investing whoever possessed them, with supremacy political as well as religious. This is rendered more probable by the express mention of the diadem below (Psalms 132:18, see Note). “Whoever had these, the priestly paraphernalia, in his possession, had virtually the appointment to the office (high priest)” (Stanley, J. C. iii. 353). But…
Read Charles John Ellicott on Psalms 132 →
AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the BibleVerse 9. Let thy priests be clothed with righteousness] Let them be as remarkable for inward holiness as they are for the splendour of their holy vestments.
Read AdamClarke on Psalms 132 →
CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges9. Let thy priests be clothed with righteousness] May those who minister in the sanctuary be worthy servants of a righteous God, fit representatives of a righteous nation (Isaiah 26:2)! The white priestly garments were intended to be symbolical of purity of character (Revelation 19:8). For the metaphor cp. Job 29:14. let thy saints &c.] May thy chosen people worship there with jubilant rejoicing! For the meaning of thy saints, i.e. thy beloved, or thy godly ones, see Appendix, Note I.
Read Cambridge on Psalms 132 →
Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the BibleLet thy priests be clothed with righteousness - This is also substantially the same language that was used by Solomon at the dedication of the temple. See again 2 Chronicles 6:41.
Read Albert Barnes on Psalms 132 →The verse in English, compared — 16 translations, and where they part company
Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.
Modern formal
May Your priests be clothed with righteousness, and Your saints shout for joy.
Let your priests be clothed with righteousness. Let your saints shout for joy!
May Your priests be clothed with righteousness, and Your saints shout for joy.
May your priests be clothed with integrity! May your loyal followers shout for joy!
Tyndale line
Let thy priests be clothed with righteousness; and let thy saints shout for joy.
Let thy priests be clothed with righteousness; And let thy saints shout for joy.
Let thy priests be clothed with righteousness; and let thy saints shout for joy.
Let thy priests be clothed with righteousness; and let thy saints shout for joy.
Let thy Priests be clothed with righteousnesse, and let thy Saints reioyce.
Strictly literal
Let thy priests be clothed with righteousness, and let thy saints shout for joy.
Thy priests do put on righteousness, And Thy pious ones cry aloud.
Your priests put on righteousness, || And Your pious ones cry aloud.
Let thy priests be clothed with righteousness; and let thy pious servants shout for joy.
May your priests be clothed with integrity; may your faithful ones shout for joy.
Simplified
May your priests wear goodness like clothing; may your faithful people shout for joy.
Let your priests be clothed with righteousness; and let your saints give cries of joy.
Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.
The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the MACULA Hebrew treebank
This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.
Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.
The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran
The Masoretic Text and the Septuagint agree on the wording of this verse, with all five words matching in both texts. The Dead Sea Scrolls also align closely, showing consistency across these ancient witnesses.
כֹּהֲנֶ֥יךָ יִלְבְּשׁוּ־ צֶ֑דֶק וַחֲסִידֶ֥יךָ יְרַנֵּֽנוּ׃
5 of the 5 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.
כוהני׳כה ילבשו צדק וחסידי׳כה ירננו
5 words on the leather.
Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.
The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with
This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.
Lexicons — every word in Psalms 132:9
One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Hebrew lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.
Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. On the Hebrew: Brown-Driver-Briggs entire and its gloss set, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and Tyndale House's Translators Brief lexicon. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.
כֹּהֵן (kohen) means 'priest' and is derived from the active participle of a related root. It encompasses various types of priests, including Levitical, Aaronic, and even pagan priests, as well as chief rulers or principal officers. The term is used in contexts referring to both Jewish and non-Jewish priestly roles.
כֹּהֵן 750 n.m. priest
base
H3548 כֹּהֵן priest
3548 kohen ko-hane'
active participle of 3547; literally, one officiating, a
priest; also (by courtesy) an acting priest (although a
layman):--chief ruler, X own, priest, prince, principal
officer.
see HEBREW for 03547
כֹּהֵן (ko.hen) — priest.
1) priest, principal officer or chief ruler
1a) priest-king (Melchizedek, Messiah)
1b) pagan priests
1c) priests of Jehovah
1d) Levitical priests
1e) Zadokite priests
1f) Aaronic priests
1g) the high priest
Aramaic equivalent: ka.hen (כָּהֵן "priest" H3549)
N-mp | Suff — Noun common masculine plural construct · suffixHNcmpc/Sp2ms
The Hebrew word לָבֵשׁ (*labash*) means to put on or wear clothing, and it can refer to both literal and figurative clothing. It is built from a primitive root meaning to wrap around. The entries cover various forms, including Qal, Pual, and Hiphil, indicating different nuances of dressing or being clothed. The word is also noted for its use in a figurative sense, such as being clothed with a spirit.
לָבֵשׁ, לָבַשׁ vb. put on (a garment), wear, clothe, be clothed
Qal
lit. put on (one’s own) garment; = wear (more or less habitually)
very oft. fig., put on, be clothed with
lit. put on
once
clothed with
and the spirit of י׳ clothed itself with Gideon
Pu. arrayed
Hiph. clothe, array with
base
H3847 לָבֵשׁ, לָבַשׁ put on (a garment), wear, clothe, be clothed
3847 labash law-bash'
or labesh {law-bashe'}; a primitive root; properly, wrap
around, i.e. (by implication) to put on a garment or clothe
(oneself, or another), literally or figuratively:--(in)
apparel, arm, array (self), clothe (self), come upon, put (on,
upon), wear.
לָבֵשׁ (la.vash) — to clothe.
1) to dress, wear, clothe, put on clothing, be clothed
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to put on clothes, be clothed, wear
1a2) to put on, be clothed with (fig.)
1b) (Pual) to be fully clothed
1c) (Hiphil) to clothe, array with, dress
Aramaic equivalent: le.vash (לְבֵשׁ "to clothe" H3848)
V-Qal-Imperf-3mp — Verb · Qal · imperfect third person masculine pluralHVqi3mp
צֶ֫דֶק (tsedeq) refers to concepts of rightness and righteousness, encompassing moral, legal, and natural dimensions. It includes justice in governance, ethical correctness, and vindication in disputes. The term also suggests prosperity and deliverance, particularly in relation to God's covenant and the Messianic king. The entries consistently emphasize its broad application in both personal and societal contexts.
צֶ֫דֶק n.m. rightness, righteousness
what is right, just, normal; rightness, justness, of weights and measures
righteousness, in government
righteousness, justice, in a case or cause
rightness, in speech
righteousness, as ethically right
righteousness, as vindicated, justification in controversy with enemies and troubles, deliverance, victory, prosperity
base
H6664 צֶ֫דֶק rightness, righteousness . what is right, just, normal; rightness, justness, of weights and measures
. righteousness, in government
. righteousness, justice, in a case or cause
. rightness, in speech
. righteousness, as ethically right
. righteousness, as vindicated, justification in controversy with enemies and troubles, deliverance, victory, prosperity
6664 tsedeq tseh'-dek
from 6663; the right (natural, moral or legal); also
(abstractly) equity or (figuratively) prosperity:--X even, (X
that which is altogether) just(-ice), ((un-))right(-eous)
(cause, -ly, - ness).
see HEBREW for 06663
צֶ֫דֶק (tse.deq) — righteousness.
1) justice, rightness, righteousness
1a) what is right or just or normal, rightness, justness (of weights and measures)
1b) righteousness (in government)
1b1) of judges, rulers, kings
1b2) of law
1b3) of Davidic king, Messiah
1b4) of Jerusalem as seat of just government
1b5) of God's attribute
1c) righteousness, justice (in case or cause)
1d) rightness (in speech)
1e) righteousness (as ethically right)
1f) righteousness (as vindicated), justification (in controversy), deliverance, victory, prosperity
1f1) of God as covenant-keeping in redemption
1f2) in name of Messianic king
1f3) of people enjoying salvation
1f4) of Cyrus
צֶ֫דֶק (tse.deq) — Righteousness.
This name means justice, righteousness
Another name of ye.ho.vah (יהוה "LORD" H3068G)
N-ms — Noun common · masculine singular absoluteHNcmsa
ri'-chus-nes (tsaddiq, adjective, "righteous," or occasionally "just" tsedheq, noun, occasionally = "riahteousness," occasionally = "justice"; dikaios, adjective, dikaiosune, noun, from dike, whose first meaning seems to have been "custom"; the general use suggested conformity to a standard: righteousness, "the state of him who is such as he ought to be" (Thayer)):
1. Double Aspect of Righteousness: Changing and Permanent
2. Social Customs and Righteousness
3. Changing Conception of Character of God: Obligations of Power
4. Righteousness as Inner
5. Righteousness as Social
6. Righteousness as Expanding in Content with Growth in Ideals of Human Worth
LITERATURE
1. Double Aspect of Righteousness: Changing and Permanent:
In Christian thought the idea of righteousness contains both a permanent and a changing element. The fixed element is the will to do right; the changing factor is the conception of…
Righteousness
See JUSTIFICATION.
Rectitude, justice, holiness; an essential perfection of God’s character, Job 36:3; Isa 51:5-8; Joh 17:25; and of his administration, Ge 18:25; Ro 3:21,22; 10:3. It is the wonder of grace that as the righteous guardian of the law, he can acquit the unrighteous. "The righteousness of Christ" includes his spotless holiness, his perfect obedience the law demands; and "the righteousness of faith" is that imputed to the sinner who believes in Christ. With reference to personal character, righteousness is used both for uprightness between man and man, and for true religion,
חָסִיד (chaciyd) means kind or pious, referring to someone who is religiously devoted or merciful. It encompasses terms like saint, godly, and faithful. The word is rooted in the concept of kindness, often associated with God's attributes in contexts like Jeremiah 3:12 and Psalm 145:17.
חָסִיד adj.m. kind, pious (so, as denoting active practice of חֶסֶד, kindness, Thes MV De and most, cf. קָצִיר, פָּקִיד etc.; > Hup on ψ 4:4 RVm who expl. as passive reception of י׳’s חֶסֶד, cf. שָׂכִיר, אָסִיר etc.; its used as attribute of God Je 3:12 ψ 145:17, and the context ψ 12:1 Mi 7:2 etc., favour active sense)—
kind
pious, godly
base
H2623 חָסִיד kind, pious
2623 chaciyd khaw-seed'
from 2616; properly, kind, i.e. (religiously) pious (a
saint):--godly (man), good, holy (one), merciful, saint, (un-
)godly.
see HEBREW for 02616
חָסִיד (cha.sid) — pious.
1) faithful, kind, godly, holy one, saint, pious
1a) kind
1b) pious, godly
1c) faithful ones (subst)
Conj | Adj | Suff — Conjunction · suffixHC/Aampc/Sp2ms
רוּן (run) primarily means to overcome, while רָנַן (ranan) refers to giving a ringing cry, often in joy or distress. The entries indicate a range of uses, including shouting for joy, singing, and calling out in exhortation. Notably, the word can also imply causing others to rejoice or sing.
[רוּן] vb. overcome;—Hithpō‛. ψ 78:65
ref
[רָנַן] vb. give a ringing cry
Qal
in joy, exultation
in distress
cry aloud, in summons, exhortation (of wisdom)
Pi. give a ringing cry, in joy, exultation
Pu. no ringing cry shall be given
Hiph. cause to ring out for joy
base
H7442a רוּן overcome H7442b רָנַן give a ringing cry .. in joy, exultation
. in distress
. cry aloud, in summons, exhortation (of wisdom)
. give a ringing cry, in joy, exultation
. no ringing cry shall be given
. cause to ring out for joy
7442 ranan raw-nan'
a primitive root; properly, to creak (or emit a stridulous
sound), i.e. to shout (usually for joy):--aloud for joy, cry
out, be joyful (greatly, make to) rejoice, (cause to) shout
(for joy), (cause to) sing (aloud, for joy, out), triumph.
רוּן (run) — to overcome.
1) to overcome
1a) (Hithpolel) to be overcome
רָנַן (ra.nan) — to sing.
1) to cry out, shout for joy, give a ringing cry
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to give a ringing cry (in joy, exaltation, distress)
1a2) to cry aloud (in summons, exhortation of wisdom)
1b) (Piel) to give a ringing cry (in joy, exultation, praise
1c) (Pual) ringing cry, singing out (passive)
1d) (Hiphil) to cause to ring or sing out (for joy)
1e) (Hithpolel) rejoicing (participle)
Also means: ran.nen (רַנֵּן "to sing" H7444)
V-Piel-Imperf-3mp — Verb · Piel · imperfect third person masculine pluralHVpi3mp
joi (simchah; chara):
1. Terms:
The idea of joy is expressed in the Old Testament by a wealth of synonymous terms that cannot easily be differentiated. The commonest is simchah (1Sa 18:6, etc.), variously translated in English Versions of the Bible "joy," "gladness," "mirth"; from sameah, properly "to be bright," "to shine" (Pr 13:9, "The light of the righteous rejoiceth," literally, "is bright"), but generally used figuratively "to rejoice," "be glad" (Le 23:40 and very frequent).
Other nouns are masos and sason, both from sus, properly "to spring," "leap," hence, "exult," "rejoice"; rinnah, "shouting." "joy"; gil, from verb gil or gul, "to go in a circle," hence, "be excited" (dancing round for joy), "rejoice." In the New…
