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Psalm 40:16

Let all those who seek you rejoice and be glad in you. Let such as love your salvation say continually, “Let the LORD be exalted!”

15Let them be desolate by reason of their shame that tell me, “Aha! Aha!”
16Let all those who seek you rejoice and be glad in you. Let such as love your salvation say continually, “Let the LORD be exalted!”
17But I am poor and needy. May the Lord think about me. You are my help and my deliverer. Don’t delay, my God.
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← Psalm 40:15Psalm 40:17 →
Notice

The prayer for all who seek God widens a plea for rescue into a hope that others will find joy in God and exalt him.

Questions to write on. Each one opens a new entry with this verse already attached.

Whom would you include by name in this prayer for all who seek God?

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What might loving God’s salvation look like in your words this week?

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How does the plea for help in verse 17 shape your reading of this prayer for joy?

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Connect

Where else Scripture says this

9 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
Psalm 5:11But let all those who take refuge in you rejoice. Let them always shout for joy, because you defend them. Let them also who love your name be joyful in you.Both prayers ask that people who turn to God rejoice in him, linking their joy with his saving care.
Psalm 34:3Oh magnify the LORD with me. Let’s exalt his name together.Both passages seek shared praise, asking people to exalt the LORD together.
Psalm 35:27Let those who favor my righteous cause shout for joy and be glad. Yes, let them say continually, “May the LORD be magnified, who has pleasure in the prosperity …Both prayers ask for joy and gladness, followed by repeated words that magnify or exalt the LORD.
Psalm 70:4Let all those who seek you rejoice and be glad in you. Let those who love your salvation continually say, “Let God be exalted!”Both prayers ask that all who seek God rejoice in him and that those who love his salvation keep exalting him.
Acts 19:17This became known to all, both Jews and Greeks, who lived at Ephesus. Fear fell on them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was magnified.The psalm asks for the LORD to be exalted; Acts reports that the name of the Lord Jesus was magnified at Ephesus.
Isaiah 65:13–14Therefore the Lord GOD says, “Behold, my servants will eat, but you will be hungry; behold, my servants will drink, but you will be thirsty. Behold, my …The psalm prays for those seeking God to rejoice; Isaiah declares that God’s servants will rejoice.
Luke 1:46–47Mary said, “My soul magnifies the Lord.Mary magnifies the Lord, sharing the psalm’s expressed desire that the LORD be exalted.
Philippians 3:7–9However, I consider those things that were gain to me as a loss for Christ.The limited connection concerns what is valued: the psalm names love for God’s salvation, while Paul counts former gains as loss for Christ.
Matthew 13:45–46“Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a man who is a merchant seeking fine pearls,Both mention seeking, though the objects differ: people seek God in the psalm, while the merchant seeks fine pearls in the parable.
Where this verse fits

Praise and worship. wanting a steady prayer habit. waiting.

What the Bible says about worship →What the Bible says about patience →
One step

Something small to carry out of this verse

Pray Psalm 40:16 for one friend at breakfast

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Encouragement

The next verse still asks God to hurry and help. Your need need not silence praise: this prayer seeks joy in God while the plea for rescue remains.

Now put it in your words.

Start an entry on Psalm 40:16. Write what it stirs. Psalmlog sets your words beside Scripture and gives you one next step. Your first entry is free, no account needed.

Keep goingPsalm 40 · the whole chapter with its connection mapPsalms · every chapterBuild a reading plan through Psalms

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).