Psalms 138:1-7

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

2 I will worship the temple of thy holiness and praise thy name above thy mercy and thy truth; for thou hast made thy name to be magnificent and raised up thy spoken word above all things.

3 In the day when I called, thou didst answer me and strengthen me with strength in my soul.

4 All the kings of the earth shall praise thee, O LORD, when they hearken unto the spoken words from thy mouth.

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

6 For the LORD, who is high and lifted up, looks upon the humble, but the proud he does not know.

7 Though I walk in the midst of trouble, thou wilt revive me; thou shalt stretch forth thy hand against the wrath of my enemies, and thy right hand shall save me.

Psalms 138:1-7 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO PSALM 138

\\<>\\. This psalm is generally thought to have been written by David upon his being advanced to the throne; on account of which he praises the Lord, who had supported him under many exercises, and had made good his promise to him, at least in part; and he firmly believed the accomplishment of the rest, that he would perfect what concerned him, Ps 138:8. It seems as if this psalm was composed between his being king over Judah and over all Israel. Though Theodoret understands the psalm as a thanksgiving of the Jews upon their return from Babylon, which David prophesied of. The Syriac version calls it a thanksgiving with a prophecy; as indeed it is a prophecy of the Messiah's kingdom, and of the calling of the Gentiles in the latter day, as appears from Ps 138:4.