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Wisdom & Poetry · Old Testament

Psalms 138

Psalm 138: praise with the whole heart before the gods, and kings who shall praise

General context

The speaker says he will praise the Lord with his whole heart and sing praise before the gods. He will worship toward the holy temple and praise the Lord's name for his lovingkindness and truth, because the Lord has magnified his word above all his name. He says that in the day he cried the Lord answered and strengthened him with strength in his soul. He says all the kings of the earth shall praise the Lord when they hear the words of his mouth, and shall sing in the ways of the Lord, for great is his glory. Though the Lord is high, he has respect to the lowly, but knows the proud afar off. Though the speaker walks in the midst of trouble, the Lord will revive him, stretch out his hand against the wrath of his enemies, and save him with his right hand. The psalm ends by saying the Lord will perfect what concerns the speaker, that his mercy endures for ever, and by asking him not to forsake the works of his own hands.

Cited passages: Psalms 138:1, Psalms 138:2, Psalms 138:3, Psalms 138:4, Psalms 138:5, Psalms 138:6, Psalms 138:7, Psalms 138:8

Psalms 138 (KJV)

1I will praise thee with my whole heart: before the gods will I sing praise unto thee.

2I 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.

3In the day when I cried thou answeredst me, and strengthenedst me with strength in my soul.

4All the kings of the earth shall praise thee, O Lord, when they hear the words of thy mouth.

5Yea, they shall sing in the ways of the Lord: for great is the glory of the Lord.

6Though the Lord be high, yet hath he respect unto the lowly: but the proud he knoweth afar off.

7Though 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.

8The Lord will perfect that which concerneth me: thy mercy, O Lord, endureth for ever: forsake not the works of thine own hands.

This page shows the King James Version. In the app, reading opens in the Berean Standard Bible unless you have chosen another translation. The reader includes five translations: the Berean Standard Bible (BSB), the King James Version (KJV), the World English Bible (WEB), the Bible in Basic English (BBE), and the American Standard Version (ASV). Search covers three of them: Berean Standard, King James, and World English. Basic English and American Standard readers search the King James words.

Historical context

The source prints no heading for this psalm; verse 1 begins with "I will praise thee with my whole heart", so no title, author or occasion is given and none is asserted. The speaker is a single "I" who is not named. "Before the gods" is stated without explanation, and the text does not say what or who the gods are. The holy temple is the one place mentioned, as the direction of worship rather than a location the speaker is in. The speaker reports a past cry that was answered and a present walk "in the midst of trouble" with enemies who have wrath, but names no enemy and no event. The kings of the earth are spoken of in the future tense as those who shall praise; nothing says they do so now. Verses 5-6 speak of the Lord in the third person while the rest of the psalm addresses him directly. The closing line "thy mercy, O Lord, endureth for ever" uses the words of the refrain of Psalm 136. No Selah occurs.

Cited passages: Psalms 138:1, Psalms 138:2, Psalms 138:3, Psalms 138:7, Psalms 138:4, Psalms 138:6, Psalms 138:8, Psalms 136:26

Literary context

The psalm opens with three "I will" resolves, to praise, to sing, to worship, and closes with a single request, "forsake not". Between them the scope widens and narrows: from the speaker's own answered cry, out to all the kings of the earth, then to the contrast of lowly and proud, then back to the speaker walking in trouble. Two sentences beginning "Though" stand side by side: though the Lord is high, he regards the lowly; though the speaker walks in trouble, the Lord will revive him. Hands frame the ending: the Lord's hand stretched against the enemies' wrath, his right hand saving, and "the works of thine own hands" as the last words, so the speaker asks to be kept as something the Lord made. "Thy name" is said twice in verse 2 and "thy word" is set above it. The psalm states the answer to the cry as already given in verse 3 and the rescue as still future in verse 7.

Cited passages: Psalms 138:1, Psalms 138:2, Psalms 138:8, Psalms 138:3, Psalms 138:4, Psalms 138:6, Psalms 138:7

Key moments

  1. Praise before the gods (Psalms 138:1). The speaker resolves to praise the Lord with his whole heart before the gods.
  2. Word above the name (Psalms 138:2). The speaker worships toward the temple and says the Lord has magnified his word above all his name.
  3. Answered in the day of crying (Psalms 138:3). The speaker says the Lord answered him and strengthened his soul when he cried.
  4. Kings shall praise (Psalms 138:4). All the kings of the earth are said to praise the Lord when they hear his words.
  5. Respect for the lowly (Psalms 138:6). The high Lord regards the lowly and knows the proud afar off.
  6. Revived in trouble (Psalms 138:7). The speaker expects to be revived and saved by the Lord's right hand in trouble.
  7. Works of thine own hands (Psalms 138:8). The psalm ends by asking the Lord not to forsake the works of his own hands.

For reflection

The speaker says the Lord answered him in the day he cried, and also that he still walks in the midst of trouble and needs reviving. How does the psalm hold an answered prayer and an unfinished rescue in the same breath?

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