Praise, examples of

Scripture provides many examples of individuals who praised God. These examples illustrate the variety of ways and methods in which God can be praised, as well as the motivation for that praise.

OT examples of those who praised God

Melchizedek

Genesis 14:18–20

Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine — since he was priest of God Most High — and he blessed Abram and said: “Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth, and blessed be God Most High, who has delivered your enemies into your hand.” Then Abram gave Melchizedek a tenth of everything.

Moses

Exodus 15:1–2

Then Moses and the Israelites sang this song to the LORD: “I will sing to the LORD, for He is highly exalted. The horse and rider He has thrown into the sea. The LORD is my strength and my song, and He has become my salvation. He is my God, and I will praise Him, my father’s God, and I will exalt Him.

Jethro

Exodus 18:9–10

And Jethro rejoiced over all the good things the LORD had done for Israel, whom He had rescued from the hand of the Egyptians. Jethro declared, “Blessed be the LORD, who has delivered you from the hand of the Egyptians and of Pharaoh, and who has delivered the people from the hand of the Egyptians.

David

1 Chronicles 29:10–13

Then David blessed the LORD in the sight of all the assembly and said: “May You be blessed, O LORD, God of our father Israel, from everlasting to everlasting. Yours, O LORD, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the splendor and the majesty, for everything in heaven and on earth belongs to You. Yours, O LORD, is the kingdom, and You are exalted as head over all. Both riches and honor come from You, and You are the ruler over all. In Your hands are power and might to exalt and give strength to all. Now therefore, our God, we give You thanks, and we praise Your glorious name.

Ezra

Nehemiah 8:6

Then Ezra blessed the LORD, the great God, and with their hands uplifted, all the people said, “Amen, Amen!” Then they bowed down and worshiped the LORD with their faces to the ground.

NT examples of those who praised God

Jesus Christ

Luke 10:21

At that time Jesus rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and declared, “I praise You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because You have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for this was well-pleasing in Your sight.

Zechariah

Luke 1:67–68

Then his father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied: “Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, because He has visited and redeemed His people.

The shepherds

Luke 2:20

The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, which was just as the angel had told them.

Simeon

Luke 2:28

Simeon took Him in his arms and blessed God, saying:

The disciples

Luke 19:37; Acts 2:46–47 See also Luke 24:50–53; Acts 16:25

And as He approached the descent from the Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of disciples began to praise God joyfully in a loud voice for all the miracles they had seen:

With one accord they continued to meet daily in the temple courts and to break bread from house to house, sharing their meals with gladness and sincerity of heart, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.

Those who were healed by Jesus Christ

Luke 18:35–43; Acts 3:1–10

The citizens of heaven

Revelation 15:2–3

And I saw something like a sea of glass mixed with fire, beside which stood those who had conquered the beast and its image and the number of its name. They were holding harps from God, and they sang the song of God’s servant Moses and of the Lamb: “Great and wonderful are Your works, O Lord God Almighty! Just and true are Your ways, O King of the nations!