Psalms 138

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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.

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Notes for this chapter

Historical Background

Psalm 138 opens the final collection of Davidic psalms in the Psalter, a group stretching from chapter 138 through to 145. Written most likely in a season of answered prayer, this psalm carries the warmth of someone who has recently passed through distress and emerged with a deeper sense of who God is. David writes not from a comfortable distance but from the fresh memory of a cry that was heard. The setting reflects the broader ancient Near Eastern world in which Israel's king operated, surrounded by powerful nations and their patron deities.

To sing praise to Yahweh “before the gods” was a bold theological declaration, asserting that whatever spiritual powers or earthly rulers might be observing, Israel's God alone deserved unrestrained worship. Matthew Henry understood this phrase as David placing himself before kings and false gods alike and refusing to be ashamed of his devotion. The Hebrew word used for “gods” here, elohim, is the same word used for God Himself elsewhere in Scripture, which has led commentators to suggest David may be addressing either angelic beings, foreign deities regarded as real but lesser powers, or the assembled courts of earthly rulers. In any reading, the point is the same: no audience intimidates David's praise.

The second verse carries what is perhaps the most theologically striking line in the entire psalm. David says that God has magnified His word above all His name. Barnes' Notes and Clarke both wrestled thoughtfully with this phrase, recognising how extraordinary it is. God's name encompasses His entire revealed character, His holiness, His majesty, His eternal nature.

Yet David seems to be saying that in the specific act of keeping His promises, of bringing His word to pass with faithfulness and lovingkindness, God has demonstrated something about Himself that exceeds even the grandeur of His name in the abstract. From an Adventist perspective, this resonates deeply with the understanding that God's law and His word are not arbitrary commands but expressions of His very character. Ellen White wrote in Patriarchs and Prophets that the law of God is a transcript of His character, and here David seems to be touching the same truth from the direction of praise rather than doctrine. God's word is trustworthy because God Himself is trustworthy, and when He honours what He has spoken, the full weight of His character is on display.

Core Teaching

Verses 3 through 5 move from theology to testimony, and then from personal experience outward to a universal horizon. David recalls the day he cried out and was answered. The strengthening he received was not merely circumstantial relief but an inward fortifying of the soul, the Hebrew suggesting courage and boldness poured into him at the moment of need. Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown noted that this strengthening was moral and spiritual as much as it was physical or situational.

Then David makes a remarkable leap in verses 4 and 5, envisioning a day when all the kings of the earth will hear the words of God and join in praise. This is no small hope. It is thoroughly messianic in character, looking forward to the time when the reign of Christ will draw every nation into acknowledgment of His glory. The great controversy between Christ and Satan involves precisely this question of who the universe will ultimately recognise and honour, and David's vision here anticipates the resolution of that controversy when every knee will bow and every tongue confess.

Commentary Insights

Verse 6 stands as one of the most pastorally comforting statements in all of Scripture, and at the same time one of the most sobering. “Though the Lord be high, yet hath he respect unto the lowly: but the proud he knoweth afar off.” The contrast is sharp and deliberate. God's transcendence does not produce indifference.

He is high and He bends low. The lowly, the humble, the crushed in spirit are known intimately to Him. But the proud, for all their self-assertion, are seen only from a distance. This is not a statement of God's limited knowledge but of relational distance. Pride pushes a person away from God, not because God is repelled, but because pride by its very nature refuses the posture that draws close to Him.

Christ echoed this truth throughout His ministry, blessing the poor in spirit and warning the self-sufficient. Ellen White returned to this theme often, describing humility as the soil in which every other grace grows and pride as the first and deadliest principle of sin originating in Lucifer himself.

Reflection & Application

The psalm closes with extraordinary confidence in verses 7 and 8. Even as David acknowledges walking in the midst of trouble, there is no despair in his voice. He speaks of future trial as an expected companion on the road, not as a sign of abandonment. God will revive him, stretch out His hand against his enemies, and His right hand will save.

The right hand in Hebrew thought was the hand of power and action, and to speak of God's right hand was to speak of His direct, personal intervention. Then comes the closing plea and confession: "The Lord will perfect that which concerneth me: thy mercy, O Lord, endureth for ever: forsake not the works of thine own hands." This is a prayer built entirely on God's own character and commitment. David is not appealing to his own worthiness but to the fact that God has begun a work in him and God does not abandon what He starts. This anticipates Paul's confidence in , that He who has begun a good work will complete it.

Go deeper — references Classic commentaries on this chapter

Matthew Henry's Commentary Matthew Henry (1662–1714) Adam Clarke's Commentary Adam Clarke (1760–1832) Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Jamieson, Fausset & Brown (1871) Barnes' Notes on the Bible Albert Barnes (1798–1870) EGW Writings Ellen G. White Blue Letter Bible Study tools and lexicon

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