The Meaning of Psalms 148:9 Explained

Psalms 148:9

KJV: Mountains, and all hills; fruitful trees, and all cedars:

YLT: The mountains and all heights, Fruit tree, and all cedars,

Darby: Mountains and all hills, fruit-trees and all cedars;

ASV: Mountains and all hills; Fruitful trees and all cedars;

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Mountains,  and all hills;  fruitful  trees,  and all cedars: 

What does Psalms 148:9 Mean?

Context Summary

Psalms 148:1-14 - Creation's Song Of Praise
The "Benedicite" in the Book of Common Prayer is based on this psalm. The sacred minstrel is not content that he or his people should have a monopoly of praise. He calls to nature, with her myriad voices, to take up the strain. It is interesting to turn these words from the imperative to the indicative mood, for already the heights and depths around us are vocal. The sun leads the chorus, and the moon plays upon her silver harp. The stars "quire to the young-eyed cherubim." The deeps praise for depths of love, the mountains for its height, the fruit trees for its sweetness, while the great forest monarchs, their branches swaying in the wind, "clap their hands." Surely the children of God should awake from their lethargy! Can we be redeemed and dumb? Saved and silent? Delivered and made "near," and no word of gratitude? Let us, as we read this psalm, remember also that there is a praise note for the fire of tribulation and the hail of abusive scorn. The saints have long ago praised God in the fires. The stormy wind or adversity, no less than the zephyrs of prosperity, fulfills His purpose and deserves our trust. [source]

Chapter Summary: Psalms 148

1  The psalmist exhorts the celestial
7  The terrestrial
11  And the rational creatures to praise God

What do the individual words in Psalms 148:9 mean?

Mountains and all hills trees Fruitful cedars
הֶהָרִ֥ים וְכָל־ גְּבָע֑וֹת עֵ֥ץ פְּ֝רִ֗י אֲרָזִֽים

הֶהָרִ֥ים  Mountains 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: הַר  
Sense: hill, mountain, hill country, mount.
וְכָל־  and  all 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
גְּבָע֑וֹת  hills 
Parse: Noun, feminine plural
Root: גִּבְעָה  
Sense: hill.
עֵ֥ץ  trees 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: עֵץ  
Sense: tree, wood, timber, stock, plank, stalk, stick, gallows.
פְּ֝רִ֗י  Fruitful 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: פְּרִי  
Sense: fruit.
אֲרָזִֽים  cedars 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: אֶרֶז  
Sense: cedar.