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Psalm 97 (I Exalt Thee)

Steve and Vikki Cook

Verse 1

For Thou, Oh, Lord, art high above all the earth:

Thou art exalted far above all gods.

For Thou, Oh, Lord, art high above all the earth:

Thou art exalted far above all gods.

Chorus:

I Exalt Thee!

I Exalt Thee, Oh Lord!

I Exalt Thee!

I Exalt Thee, Oh Lord!

Verse 2

For Thou, Oh, Lord, art high above all the earth:

Thou art exalted far above all gods.

For Thou, Oh, Lord, art high above all the earth:

Thou art exalted far above all gods.

Chorus:

I Exalt Thee!

I Exalt Thee, Oh Lord!

I Exalt Thee!

I Exalt Thee, Oh Lord!

For musicians

Open the Chords view to see the chords over the words, move the song into any key, and download the chart. Written in G.

Download chord chart

Behind the hymn

"Psalm 97 (I Exalt Thee)" is a worship song based on Psalm 97 that celebrates the absolute sovereignty and majesty of God over all the earth. Written by Steve and Vikki Cook, it captures the psalm's vivid imagery of God enthroned above the clouds, with righteousness and justice as the foundation of His throne. Psalm 97 is one of the "enthronement psalms" (Psalms 93-99) that celebrate the Lord's kingship over all creation and all nations. The Cooks' adaptation distills the psalm's themes into a singable, congregational form while preserving the sense of awe and reverence that the original Hebrew poetry conveys. The declaration "I exalt Thee" invites the worshipper into the posture of the psalmist — bowing before the King whose glory is above the heavens. This approach of setting the Psalms to modern melodies for congregational singing reflects a growing movement in Reformed churches to reclaim the Psalter as the heart of Christian worship, as it was for centuries in the Reformed tradition.

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Lyrics