Psalms 138 (KJV)

Chapter Text

138:1 I will praise thee with my whole heart: before the gods will I sing praise unto thee.

138:2 I 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.

138:3 In the day when I cried thou answeredst me, and strengthenedst me with strength in my soul.

138:4 All the kings of the earth shall praise thee, O LORD, when they hear the words of thy mouth.

138:5 Yea, they shall sing in the ways of the LORD: for great is the glory of the LORD.

138:6 Though the LORD be high, yet hath he respect unto the lowly: but the proud he knoweth afar off.

138:7 Though 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.

138:8 The LORD will perfect that which concerneth me: thy mercy, O LORD, endureth for ever: forsake not the works of thine own hands.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "mercy", "praise", "thee", "whole", "heart", "before", "gods", and "sing". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "mercy" and "praise", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The local KJV text gives this verse as the immediate unit, so "mercy" and "praise" carries the first interpretive weight. In Psalms context, the local focus is worship, trust, the LORD's kingship, and covenant mercy.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "mercy" and "praise" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.