The big picture
Psalms 138 opens in verse 1 with “I will praise thee with my whole heart: before the gods will I sing praise unto thee.”, reaches its middle movement near verse 4 with “All the kings of the earth shall praise thee, O LORD , when they hear the words of thy…”, and closes in verse 8 with “The LORD will perfect that which concerneth me: thy mercy, O LORD , endureth for ever…” Repeated or prominent terms include LORD, praise, hand, name, sing. Together, those details trace this chapter’s own movement from its opening to its conclusion.
Scripture beside the summary
Psalms · King James Version · 8Psalms 138:1-8
1–8: I will praise thee with my whole heart: before the gods will I sing…
Psalms 138:1–8 opens with “I will praise thee with my whole heart: before the gods will I sing praise unto thee.” and reaches “The LORD will perfect that which concerneth me: thy mercy, O LORD , endureth for ever: forsake…” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on the wording and movement of this passage, with particular weight carried by LORD, praise, hand.
Context that brings the passage to life
“I will praise thee with my whole heart: before the gods will I sing praise unto thee.” The line’s distinctive content terms include praise, gods, heart. Its relationship to verses 2 shows what work it does in this passage.
“In the day when I cried thou answeredst me, and strengthenedst me with strength in my soul.” The line’s distinctive content terms include answeredst, cried, soul. Its relationship to verses 2 and 4 shows what work it does in this passage.
Psalms 138:1-8
King James Version1I 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.
Details worth noticing
The opening image
Psalms 138:1 begins with “I will praise thee with my whole heart: before the gods will I sing praise unto thee.”
Where the chapter turns
Psalms 138:4 forms a natural hinge: “All the kings of the earth shall praise thee, O LORD , when they hear the words of thy mouth.”
The final note
Psalms 138:8 leaves the reader with “The LORD will perfect that which concerneth me: thy mercy, O LORD , endureth for ever: forsake not the works of thine own hands.”
A word trail through the chapter
The words LORD, praise, hand, name, sing, afar help reveal the chapter’s repeated concerns.
KJV words made clear
- unto
- to
- thee
- you
- thou
- you
- thy
- your
- hath
- has
Text first
Where readers differ
The chapter summary begins with what the passage says and how its parts fit together. It does not assume one denomination has already settled every question. Where a conclusion depends on a tradition, literary theory, or historical reconstruction, that dependence is named openly.
The KJV text is presented first. Interpretive conclusions are labeled, and differences are introduced only when they help a reader understand why serious communities do not always reach the same answer.
Comparative interpretive notes for this chapter are in preparation. Until reviewed notes are ready, this page separates the KJV text from summary and application without claiming that serious readers agree on every question.