Psalm 138
8 verses · BSBPsalms book hub →
Speaks with:Matthew 5×1Psalms 56×1Isaiah 42×11 Peter 5×1Psalms 34×1Psalms 18×1
Summary
Chapter summary
'I will give thee thanks with my whole heart: before the gods will I sing praises unto thee.' Toward thy holy temple: 'for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name.' In the day that I called thou answeredst me; thou didst encourage me with strength in my soul. All the kings of the earth shall give thee thanks when they hear the words of thy mouth. 'Though Jehovah is high, yet hath he respect unto the lowly.' Though I walk in the midst of trouble, thou wilt revive me. 'Jehovah will perfect that which concerneth me… forsake not the works of thine own hands.'
Context
Poetry · David, Asaph, Sons of Korah, others — Psalms overview
The world behind this chapter
Psalms 138The history
Singing praise before the gods is a courtroom picture. In the ancient world a king's gods were witnesses to his treaties and were invoked at every state occasion. The psalmist steps into that assembly of so-called gods and thanks the LORD in front of them.
Bowing toward the holy temple describes a fixed direction of prayer. Long before Solomon's building went up, Israel's tent sanctuary was the place God had put his name, and a worshiper turned toward it. Exiles later did the same thing from other countries, opening a window toward the city.
The kings of the earth hearing the words of God's mouth belongs to the world of diplomacy. Reports moved with envoys and caravans, and news of what happened to a small nation reached the courts of larger ones. The psalm expects those courts to end up singing.
The line about God being high yet regarding the lowly, and knowing the proud from far off, uses the manners of a royal audience. A great king noticed the important and ignored the rest. This one does the reverse.
What it meant to them
For a nation of no great size, the claim that God magnified his word above all his name was startling: what he had promised carried the weight of who he was.
That gave the first hearers a place to stand. If he keeps talking, he keeps his word; and he will not abandon the work of his own hands.
Sources cited
- Walton, Matthews and Chavalas, The IVP Bible Background Commentary: Old Testament
- Charles H. Spurgeon, The Treasury of David on Psalm 138
The text of this chapter
This page carries no textual note on Psalms 138. Where this site has examined a place the manuscripts differ, the examination is in the manuscripts room. Every place this site examines →
This page draws on Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory; John Calvin, Commentaries; John Wesley, Notes on the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Complete Commentary.