Psalms 72:18
Blessed be the Lord God, the God of Israel, who only doeth wondrous things.
Study Note
Study Note
The doxology 'Blessed be the Lord God, the God of Israel, who only doeth wondrous things' concludes not only Psalm 72 but the entire second book of the Psalter (Psalms 42–72), functioning as a liturgical seal on the collection. The exclusive attribution of wondrous works (niflaot) to YHWH alone is a monotheistic assertion embedded within a royal psalm that has just depicted the ideal king's universal reign — the king's justice and peace are framed as derived from divine initiative rather than royal virtue alone. The formula 'blessed be... forever and ever; and let the whole earth be filled with his glory, Amen and Amen' (v. 19) is one of the most expansive doxological closures in the Psalter, anticipating the hallelujah doxologies of Books IV and V. Handel's Messiah borrows its structure from this Psalm-book doxological pattern.
Other Translations
Blessed be Jehovah God, the God of Israel, Who only doeth wondrous things:
Blessed is Jehovah God, God of Israel, He alone is doing wonders,
Praise be to the Lord God, the God of Israel, the only doer of wonders.
Cross References
Who is like unto thee, O Lord, among the gods? who is like thee, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, …
Which doeth great things past finding out; yea, and wonders without number.
Which doeth great things and unsearchable; marvellous things without number:
How great are his signs! and how mighty are his wonders! his kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and his dominion …
I thought it good to shew the signs and wonders that the high God hath wrought toward me.
And David said to all the congregation, Now bless the Lord your God. And all the congregation blessed the Lord …
Wherefore David blessed the Lord before all the congregation: and David said, Blessed be thou, Lord God of Israel our …
To him who alone doeth great wonders: for his mercy endureth for ever.
Blessed be the Lord God of Israel from everlasting to everlasting: and let all the people say, Amen. Praise ye …
For thou art great, and doest wondrous things: thou art God alone.