The worshiper is called on to praise God specifically for his great deeds of salvation. The biblical worshiper offers praise both because of the Lord’s character and because of his saving action in history.
Hand in hand with the praise of the Lord goes testimony to his great deeds. The Psalms, for example, often alternate between expressions of direct praise to the Lord and declarations of his acts of salvation. Frequently, the psalmists speak of proclaiming or showing forth the Lord’s covenant love, faithfulness, and gracious deeds (higgid, “bring out, reveal,” Pss. 19:1; 51:15; 92:2; 145:4). Another often-used expression is sipper, “to tell or recount” the praise, glory, righteousness, and mighty deeds of Yahweh (Pss. 19:1; 26:7; 71:15; 96:3; 102:21). The worshiper may speak of (’amar, Pss. 9:1; 40:10) the Lord’s faithfulness and salvation or utter (hagah, Pss. 35:28; 63:5) his praise. Worshipers are encouraged to make known (hodi‘, Ps. 89:1) his faithfulness, cause his praise to be heard (hishmi‘, Ps. 106:2), or bear good news (bissar, Ps. 96:2) of his salvation.
The worship of Israel was a continual representation and declaration of the covenant granted by the Lord. The biblical history records several special events of covenant renewal under Joshua (Josh. 24:24–25), Asa (2 Chron. 15:14), and Josiah (2 Kings 23:3). In the second example, the people “made an oath” (nishba‘) to the Lord with celebration and music; the same word is used by Isaiah in declaring that every tongue will swear allegiance to the Lord (Isa. 45:23). The worshiper’s attitude of declaring covenant loyalty is expressed in Psalm 31:14: “I trust in you, O Lord; I say ‘You are my God.’ ” Festival worship may have included the ceremonial recitation of the covenant commandments. Psalm 50:16 refers to taking up the covenant (nasa’ brit) on the lips of the worshipers; Psalm 81:10 quotes the beginning of the commandments, “I am the Lord your God, … Open wide [hirḥiv] your mouth and I will fill it,” probably with the remainder of the Decalogue. In worship on Zion, Israel always stood figuratively at Mount Sinai, renewing and confirming the covenant made there; as Moses had told the post-Sinai generation, “It was not with our fathers that the Lord made this covenant, but with us … ” (Deut. 5:3).
Consideration of the Lord’s greatness and faithfulness to the covenant also has its contemplative aspect. In his temple, the worshipers of Yahweh inquire or meditate (biqqer, Ps. 27:4). They converse with themselves, or meditate, concerning the Lord (siḥ, Ps. 77:6; intensive form soḥeḥ, Ps. 143:5; noun siḥ, “meditation,” Ps. 104:34). They think of, or “compare” (dimmah, Ps. 48:9), his covenant love.