Psalms 138 KJV
Thanksgiving for God's Faithfulness
About This Psalm
I will praise you with my whole heart. Though I walk through trouble, you preserve me. Wholehearted gratitude.
1 will praise thee with my whole heart: before the gods will I sing praise unto thee.
2 I will worship toward thy holy temple, and praise thy name for thy lovingkindness and for thy truth: for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name.
3 In the day when I cried thou answeredst me, and strengthenedst me with strength in my soul.
4 All the kings of the earth shall praise thee, O LORD, when they hear the words of thy mouth.
5 Yea, they shall sing in the ways of the LORD: for great is the glory of the LORD.
6 Though the LORD be high, yet hath he respect unto the lowly: but the proud he knoweth afar off.
7 Though I walk in the midst of trouble, thou wilt revive me: thou shalt stretch forth thine hand against the wrath of mine enemies, and thy right hand shall save me.
8 The LORD will perfect that which concerneth me: thy mercy, O LORD, endureth for ever: forsake not the works of thine own hands.
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Did You Know?
The phrase 'before the gods' in verse 1 evokes the ancient Near Eastern divine council motif, positioning Yahweh's supremacy over other heavenly beings rather than merely dismissing idols.
The directive to worship 'toward thy holy temple' implies a pre-exilic orientation to Jerusalem as the directional focus of prayer, even for a psalm attributed to David before Solomon's temple existed.
Verse 6's spatial imagery of God knowing 'the proud afar off' contrasts divine transcendence with intimate regard for the lowly, using distance as a metaphor for judgment.
The promise that the Lord will 'perfect that which concerneth me' draws on the Hebrew root gamar to convey not mere protection but the active completion of God's purposes amid ongoing threats.
Its juxtaposition with Psalm 139 forms a deliberate sequence from public thanksgiving for answered prayer to private reflection on God's exhaustive knowledge of the individual.
Commentary & Study Notes Jamieson-Fausset-Brown (1871) ยท Public Domain I will praise thee with my whole heart โ (Compare Ps 9:1). before the gods โ whether angels (Ps 8:5); or princes (Ex 21:6; Ps 82:6); or idols (Ps 97:7); denotes a readiness to worsโฆ
Classic verse-by-verse commentary on Psalms 138 from Jamieson, Fausset & Brown (1871). Covers: David thanks God for his benefits, and anticipating a wider extension of God's glory by his means, assures himself of his continued presence and faithfulness.
- 1
- I will praise thee with my whole heart โ (Compare Ps 9:1). before the gods โ whether angels (Ps 8:5); or princes (Ex 21:6; Ps 82:6); or idols (Ps 97:7); denotes a readiness to worship the true God alone, and a contempt of all other objects of worship.
- 2
- (Compare Ps 5:7). thy word above all thy name โ that is, God's promise (2Sa 7:12-16), sustained by His mercy and truth, exceeded all other manifestations of Himself as subject of praise.
Read all 6 notes on Psalms 138 โ