Psalms 138

Thanksgiving for the LORD'S Favor.

1

A Psalm of David.

1 ¹I will give You thanks with all my heart; I will sing praises to You before the ²gods.

2 I will bow down ³toward Your holy temple And ⁴give thanks to Your name for Your lovingkindness and Your truth; For You have ⁵magnified Your word according to all Your name.

3 On the day I ⁶called, You answered me; You made me bold with ⁷strength in my soul.

4 ⁸All the kings of the earth will give thanks to You, O LORD, When they have heard the words of Your mouth.

5 And they will ⁹sing of the ways of the LORD, For ¹⁰great is the glory of the LORD.

6 For ¹¹though the LORD is exalted, Yet He ¹²regards the lowly, But the ¹³haughty He knows from afar.

7 Though I ¹⁴walk in the midst of trouble, You will ¹⁵revive me; You will ¹⁶stretch forth Your hand against the wrath of my enemies, And Your right hand will ¹⁷save me.

8 The LORD will ¹⁸accomplish what concerns me; Your ¹⁹lovingkindness, O LORD, is everlasting; ²⁰Do not forsake the ²¹works of Your hands.

Psalms 138 Commentary

Chapter 138

The psalmist praises God for answering prayer. (1-5) The Lord's dealing with the humble and the proud. (6-8)

Verses 1-5 When we can praise God with our whole heart, we need not be unwilling for the whole world to witness our gratitude and joy in him. Those who rely on his loving-kindness and truth through Jesus Christ, will ever find him faithful to his word. If he spared not his own Son, how shall he not with him freely give us all things? If God gives us strength in our souls, to bear the burdens, resist the temptations, and to do the duties of an afflicted state, if he strengthens us to keep hold of himself by faith, and to wait with patience for the event, we are bound to be thankful.

Verses 6-8 Though the Lord is high, yet he has respect to every lowly, humbled sinner; but the proud and unbelieving will be banished far from his blissful presence. Divine consolations have enough in them to revive us, even when we walk in the midst of troubles. And God will save his own people that they may be revived by the Holy Spirit, the Giver of life and holiness. If we give to God the glory of his mercy, we may take to ourselves the comfort. This confidence will not do away, but quicken prayer. Whatever good there is in us, it is God works in us both to will and to do. The Lord will perfect the salvation of every true believer, and he will never forsake those whom he has created anew in Christ Jesus unto good works.

Cross References

• 1. Psalms 111:1
• 2. Psalms 95:3; Psalms 96:4; Psalms 97:7
• 3. 1 Kings 8:29; Psalms 5:7; Psalms 28:2
• 4. Psalms 140:13
• 5. Isaiah 42:21
• 6. Psalms 118:5
• 7. Psalms 28:7; Psalms 46:1
• 8. Psalms 72:11; Psalms 102:15
• 9. Psalms 145:7
• 10. Psalms 21:5
• 11. Psalms 113:4-7
• 12. Proverbs 3:34; Isaiah 57:15; Luke 1:48; James 4:6; 1 Peter 5:5
• 13. Psalms 40:4; Psalms 101:5
• 14. Psalms 23:4; Psalms 143:11
• 15. Ezra 9:8, 9; Psalms 71:20; Isaiah 57:15
• 16. Exodus 7:5; Exodus 15:12; Isaiah 5:25; Jeremiah 51:25; Ezekiel 6:14; Ezekiel 25:13
• 17. Psalms 20:6; Psalms 60:5
• 18. Psalms 57:2; Philippians 1:6
• 19. Psalms 136:1
• 20. Job 10:8; Psalms 27:9; Psalms 71:9; Psalms 119:8
• 21. Job 10:3; Job 14:15; Psalms 100:3

Footnotes

• [a]. Or "faithfulness"
• [b]. Or "promise"
• [c]. Or "together with"
• [d]. Or "keep me alive"

Chapter Summary

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.