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Psalm 103:21
Praise the LORD, all you armies of his, you servants of his, who do his pleasure.
19The LORD has established his throne in the heavens. His kingdom rules over all.
20Praise the LORD, you angels of his, who are mighty in strength, who fulfill his word, obeying the voice of his word.
21Praise the LORD, all you armies of his, you servants of his, who do his pleasure.
22Praise the LORD, all you works of his, in all places of his dominion. Praise the LORD, my soul!
Notice
The armies addressed here belong to God and serve his pleasure, making their strength part of a larger picture of obedience and praise.
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How does the picture of God’s armies praising him shape your sense of his greatness?
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Where else Scripture says this
12 passages readers most often link with this verse, and the thread each one shares with it.
This verse's connections, by chapterThe Bible's strongest chapter linksHover or tap a book to trace it
1 Kings 22:19Micaiah said, “Therefore hear the LORD’s word. I saw the LORD sitting on his throne, and all the army of heaven standing by him on his right hand and on his …Micaiah sees heaven’s army standing beside the LORD’s throne; the psalm addresses God’s armies as servants who do his pleasure.
Nehemiah 9:6You are the LORD, even you alone. You have made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their army, the earth and all things that are on it, the seas and all …Both passages connect heaven’s army with worship of the LORD, whose servants belong to him.
Luke 2:13Suddenly, there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly army praising God and saying,Luke describes a heavenly army praising God, the same act the psalm commands God’s armies to offer.
Psalm 104:4He makes his messengers winds, and his servants flames of fire.Both psalms speak of God’s servants, describing beings whose identity and work are under his authority.
Revelation 22:8–9Now I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things. When I heard and saw, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel who had shown me these things.Both passages involve heavenly beings and worship, though John’s act in the supplied verse is directed toward an angel.
Hebrews 1:14Aren’t they all serving spirits, sent out to do service for the sake of those who will inherit salvation?Both passages describe heavenly service: the psalm names servants doing God’s pleasure, and Hebrews describes spirits sent to serve.
Joshua 5:14He said, “No; but I have come now as commander of the LORD’s army.” Joshua fell on his face to the earth, and worshiped, and asked him, “What does my lord say …Both passages speak of an army belonging to the LORD and include the language of service.
Genesis 32:2When he saw them, Jacob said, “This is God’s army.” He called the name of that place Mahanaim.Jacob identifies those he sees as God’s army, while the psalm addresses God’s armies with a command to praise.
1 Kings 18:15Elijah said, “As the LORD of Armies lives, before whom I stand, I will surely show myself to him today.”Elijah names the LORD of Armies, and the psalm addresses the armies belonging to that same LORD.
2 Chronicles 18:18Micaiah said, “Therefore hear the LORD’s word: I saw the LORD sitting on his throne, and all the army of heaven standing on his right hand and on his left.Micaiah’s vision shows heaven’s army attending the enthroned LORD, while the psalm describes his armies as obedient servants.
Psalm 68:17The chariots of God are tens of thousands and thousands of thousands. The Lord is among them, from Sinai, into the sanctuary.Both passages use military imagery associated with God: his armies in Psalm 103 and his countless chariots in Psalm 68.
Psalm 33:6By the LORD’s word, the heavens were made: all their army by the breath of his mouth.Psalm 33 attributes heaven’s army to the LORD’s creative word; Psalm 103 addresses his armies as servants who praise him.
Where this verse fits
Praise and worship. sermon or Bible study notes.
One step
Something small to carry out of this verse
Encouragement
Your praise joins a chorus beyond what you can see. The heavenly armies belong to YHWH, and their service answers to his pleasure.
Now put it in your words.
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Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY). Scripture from the World English Bible (public domain). Arc diagram after Chris Harrison and Christoph Römhild (2007).