I cried out to Him in need, and proclaimed Him in gratitude.
I cried to Him with my mouth, And He was extolled with my tongue. (v.17) This verse captures a moment where the psalmist openly voices his plea to God, then immediately follows his cry with praise. In many places throughout Scripture, believers call upon the Lord with hearts laid bare, trusting that He hears the cries of His people. Such trust is reflected in other psalms as well, where calling upon God is both an admission of dependence and a proclamation that He alone is worthy to be exalted. The very act of crying out with one’s mouth, then lifting the same lips in praise, is a deep expression of faith and certainty that the Lord is present (as seen in various passages where God reassures His covenant people through their distress).
Proclaiming God’s goodness aloud—“He was extolled with my tongue”—underscores the importance of giving thanks to Him with our words. Even King David, in a number of psalms, openly vocalizes his adoration, forming a pattern in which vocal praise follows a plea for deliverance. In this verse, the psalmist not only acknowledges that he depends on God, but also testifies that God deserves public devotion. This unites with other scriptural themes tying heartfelt worship to a broader witness: speaking praise uplifts one’s own soul while also reminding others of God’s greatness.
In the New Testament, the idea of confidently calling out to God and extolling Him with one’s mouth finds resonance in passages emphasizing open confession of faith (Romans 10:9-10). Jesus taught that if we ask our Heavenly Father for help, we can trust He hears us; offering Him praise with our tongues honors His magnificent power and loving kindness. Through this, our mouths become instruments of both petition and worship, illustrating that the God who hears our pleas is the same God who is supremely worthy of our praise.
Hearts that cry out to God can find immediate comfort in adoration, and this verse shows that our vocal prayers and praises are intertwined in a sacred response to the One who is ever-listening.
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Psalms 66:17 meaning
I cried to Him with my mouth, And He was extolled with my tongue. (v.17) This verse captures a moment where the psalmist openly voices his plea to God, then immediately follows his cry with praise. In many places throughout Scripture, believers call upon the Lord with hearts laid bare, trusting that He hears the cries of His people. Such trust is reflected in other psalms as well, where calling upon God is both an admission of dependence and a proclamation that He alone is worthy to be exalted. The very act of crying out with one’s mouth, then lifting the same lips in praise, is a deep expression of faith and certainty that the Lord is present (as seen in various passages where God reassures His covenant people through their distress).
Proclaiming God’s goodness aloud—“He was extolled with my tongue”—underscores the importance of giving thanks to Him with our words. Even King David, in a number of psalms, openly vocalizes his adoration, forming a pattern in which vocal praise follows a plea for deliverance. In this verse, the psalmist not only acknowledges that he depends on God, but also testifies that God deserves public devotion. This unites with other scriptural themes tying heartfelt worship to a broader witness: speaking praise uplifts one’s own soul while also reminding others of God’s greatness.
In the New Testament, the idea of confidently calling out to God and extolling Him with one’s mouth finds resonance in passages emphasizing open confession of faith (Romans 10:9-10). Jesus taught that if we ask our Heavenly Father for help, we can trust He hears us; offering Him praise with our tongues honors His magnificent power and loving kindness. Through this, our mouths become instruments of both petition and worship, illustrating that the God who hears our pleas is the same God who is supremely worthy of our praise.
Hearts that cry out to God can find immediate comfort in adoration, and this verse shows that our vocal prayers and praises are intertwined in a sacred response to the One who is ever-listening.