Standing on the platform, the Levites initiate a historic prayer that sweeps through the nation's history, from the dawn of creation to the renewal of their covenant. They begin with an urgent call to the people, urging them to stand up quickly and bless God [מצודת דוד]. This call to bless God spans from world to world. The primary approach among commentators is that this represents eternal time, encompassing everything from the very beginning of the world until its end. Alternatively, this spans physical space, declaring that God rules from one end of the earth to the other [מצודת דוד].
At this moment, the Levites shift their focus. Having addressed the crowd, they turn their faces upward, transitioning into a direct prayer to God [רש"י, רלב"ג, מלבי"ם]. They declare that humanity will bless His glorious name, yet they acknowledge a profound truth: God is exalted far beyond the capacity of speech. Commentators agree that no creature, not even the ministering angels, can adequately bless or praise God in a way that matches His true greatness [רש"י, רלב"ג, מצודת דוד]. Because of this limitation, human beings are only capable of blessing His glorious name—the specific ways God chooses to reveal Himself through creation. His true essence, however, remains entirely hidden and elevated beyond any possible praise [מלבי"ם]. Other perspectives suggest that all blessings and praises inherently belong to Him [רש"י], or that God is actually uplifted through the very blessings that humans offer Him [אבן עזרא].
This moment of profound recognition deeply influenced ancient prayer practices. It served as the foundation for a custom in the Temple where the people did not simply answer "Amen" after hearing a blessing. Instead, they responded with a full declaration, blessing God from eternity to eternity and praising His glorious name that is exalted above all praise [רלב"ג]. Furthermore, it established a lasting principle that one should add words of praise to God for every single blessing they hear [רב סעדיה גאון].