The big picture
Psalm 138 begins with praise rooted in an answered cry, but the answer is first described as strength given within the soul rather than the disappearance of every threat. The singer's gratitude then widens toward the kings of the earth, who are imagined hearing God's words and singing of his ways. Height and rank are rearranged by the claim that the Lord, though high, regards the lowly while knowing the proud from afar. The final verses return to danger still in progress. Trouble remains around the singer even as he expects reviving and rescue. The chapter ends with confidence that God will complete what concerns him, yet that confidence immediately becomes another petition that the work of God's own hands not be forsaken.
Central truth
Psalm 138 moves from whole-hearted praise and answered prayer to a vision of kings hearing God’s words, then anchors confidence in the high Lord who regards the lowly and completes his work amid trouble.
The study notes have a page of their own
The movement by movement analysis, the words to trace, the verse by verse notes and where readers differ are written for someone studying alone. They are on the Deep Personal Reflections page for this chapter. This page is the lesson.
A chapter-specific teaching brief
These anchors come from this chapter itself. They help a teacher use the Level 1 overview, the Level 2 study, and the Scripture text as one lesson.
Open with the chapter’s first image
Psalms 138:1: “I will praise thee with my whole heart: before the gods will I sing praise unto thee.”
Slow down at the turning point
Psalms 138:4: “All the kings of the earth shall praise thee, O LORD, when they hear the words of thy mouth.”
Keep this word trail visible
LORD, praise, hand, name, sing, afar
What to explain, in order
Teach the passage in this order. Each step names the verses it rests on, so every point can be shown in the text before it is applied.
Psalms 138:1-2
Whole hearted praise
Begin with the resolve: “I will praise thee with my whole heart”. Then the puzzling phrase before the gods. Explain that readers differ: it may mean in the presence of heavenly beings, of earthly rulers, or in defiance of the gods of the nations. Do not build on it. Then verse 2: worship toward the temple, praise for lovingkindness and truth, and the line about God's word magnified above his name, which can be explained simply as God honouring his promise in the highest way. Teach this first: praise rests on God's character and word.
Psalms 138:3
Answered and strengthened
Now the testimony: in the day I cried, you answered me and strengthened me with strength in my soul. Explain that the answer is described from the inside; the psalmist was made strong. Teach this as encouragement for those whose circumstances have not yet changed. Sometimes God's first answer is courage. Ask the class whether they have known this kind of answer, and allow private reflection rather than public sharing.
Psalms 138:4-6
Kings, and the lowly
The psalm widens: all the kings of the earth will praise the Lord when they hear his words, and they will sing of his ways and his glory. Then verse 6, the heart of the psalm: the Lord is high, yet he has respect unto the lowly, while the proud he knows from afar. Explain the contrast. Teach that the God whom kings will praise bends toward the humble, and that pride keeps a person at a distance from him. Link it to Psalm 113:5-7 and James 4:6.
Psalms 138:7-8
In the midst of trouble
End in the present: “Though I walk in the midst of trouble, thou wilt revive me”. Explain revive as give life or keep alive. God will stretch out his hand against the wrath of enemies, and his right hand will save. Then verse 8 sets confidence and prayer side by side: the Lord will perfect what concerns me, his mercy endures for ever, forsake not the works of thine own hands. Close by reading Philippians 1:6 and inviting the group to pray verse 8 for themselves.
Where learners get stuck
The misreadings this passage tends to produce, and how to answer each from the text.
“Before the gods means other gods are real.”
Interpreters read 138:1 in different ways: before heavenly beings, before earthly rulers, or in open defiance of the gods of the nations. None of these grants other gods real power; the whole confidence of the psalm is in the Lord. Mention the options briefly and move on, keeping the focus on whole hearted praise.
“Thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name means the Bible matters more than God.”
138:2 is hard to translate, and versions render it in several ways. Its plain point is that God has shown his promise to be utterly reliable, honouring his word in the highest way. It does not set Scripture against God himself. Do not build a large doctrine on the phrase; let it lift the class's confidence in what God has said.
“If I am still in trouble, God has not answered me.”
138:3 describes an answer that was strength in the soul, and 138:7 shows the psalmist still walking “in the midst of trouble”. God's help often comes as courage before it comes as change. Teach this for anyone in the middle of hardship: their prayer may already be answered in ways they can feel inwardly.
“Forsake not the works of thine own hands shows the psalmist doubts God.”
The same verse says “The LORD will perfect that which concerneth me” and “thy mercy, O LORD, endureth for ever” (138:8). The plea is not doubt but trust turning into prayer. Believers pray for what God has promised. Paul does the same in Philippians 1, confident in verse 6 and still praying in verse 9.
Learning objectives
- Identify the reasons for praise named in verses 1–3.
- Discuss the possible referents of 'gods' in verse 1 without forcing certainty.
- Trace how the psalm moves from one worshiper to all kings of the earth.
- Explain the contrast between the Lord’s height and his regard for the lowly.
- Describe the confidence expressed while walking in the midst of trouble.
- Interpret the closing appeal not to forsake the work of God’s hands.
Teacher preparation
- Prepare the ambiguity of 'before the gods' in verse 1; proposals include heavenly beings, rulers, or pagan gods understood polemically.
- Read verse 2 carefully in the KJV and avoid building a large doctrine on translation questions around magnifying the word above the name.
- Mark the repeated movement from 'I' in verses 1–3 to kings in 4–5 and back to personal trouble in 6–8.
- Prepare 'perfect that which concerneth me' in verse 8 as completing or bringing to fulfillment what pertains to the psalmist.
- Keep verse 7’s confidence inside 'the midst of trouble.' The psalm does not require trouble to disappear before praise becomes possible.
Evidence and interpretation checks
Explicit
Verses 2–3 explicitly give reasons for praise: lovingkindness, truth, God’s word, answered prayer, and inward strengthening.
Scripture-supported
Verses 4–5 say kings of the earth will praise the Lord when they hear the words of his mouth and will sing of his ways.
Strong inference
Verse 6 strongly overturns ordinary status expectations: though the Lord is high, he regards the lowly while knowing the proud from afar.
Possible or traditional reading
'Before the gods' in verse 1 has several established interpretations. The text does not define the term here, so present the main options briefly and keep the focus on public praise of the Lord.
Limit
Psalm 138 does not identify the trouble or enemies in verse 7, nor does verse 8 give a timetable for how the Lord will complete what concerns the speaker.
Discussion with answer guidance
1. What reasons for praise appear in verse 2 before answered prayer is mentioned?
What a good answer contains
“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” (138:2). Lovingkindness, truth, God's name and his word. A good answer sees that the praise is about who God is and what he has promised, before it is about any one answered prayer. A weak answer reduces the opening to thanks for one good outcome.
Show teacher guidance
The psalmist names lovingkindness, truth, God’s name, and word. Do not reduce the opening to gratitude for one favorable outcome.
2. What happened 'in the day' the psalmist cried in verse 3?
What a good answer contains
“In the day when I cried thou answeredst me, and strengthenedst me with strength in my soul” (138:3). God answered, and the answer included inner strength. A good answer notices that the help is described as strength in the soul, not only as a change of circumstances. A weak answer assumes the answer was simply that the problem went away.
Show teacher guidance
God answered and strengthened him with strength in his soul. The verse describes inward strengthening as part of the answer.
3. What causes kings to praise in verse 4?
What a good answer contains
“All the kings of the earth shall praise thee, O LORD, when they hear the words of thy mouth” (138:4). Hearing God's word moves kings to praise. A good answer keeps that cause and sees that the personal thanks of verses 1-3 opens into a vision of the world's rulers singing “in the ways of the LORD” (138:5). A weak answer misses the link between hearing and praising.
Show teacher guidance
They hear the words of the Lord’s mouth. Keep the causal connection between hearing and praise.
4. What surprising contrast appears in verse 6?
What a good answer contains
“Though the LORD be high, yet hath he respect unto the lowly: but the proud he knoweth afar off” (138:6). God is high, yet he looks closely at the lowly, while the proud he knows only from a distance. A good answer sees that his height does not make him remote from the humble, and may link it to Psalm 113:5-7. A weak answer thinks God's greatness makes him indifferent.
Show teacher guidance
The Lord is high yet regards the lowly; the proud are known afar off. Height does not produce divine indifference to low status.
5. Is the psalmist outside trouble in verse 7?
What a good answer contains
No. “Though I walk in the midst of trouble, thou wilt revive me” (138:7). He is in the middle of it, expecting God to keep him alive, to stretch out his hand against the wrath of his enemies, and to save him with his right hand. A good answer sees confidence inside trouble, not after it. A weak answer assumes that praise is only possible once the trouble is over.
Show teacher guidance
No. He walks in its midst while asking and expecting revival, protection, and saving action.
6. What two truths stand side by side in verse 8?
What a good answer contains
“The LORD will perfect that which concerneth me: thy mercy, O LORD, endureth for ever: forsake not the works of thine own hands” (138:8). God will complete what he has begun, and his mercy lasts for ever; yet the psalmist still prays not to be forsaken. A good answer holds confidence and prayer together and may mention Philippians 1:6. A weak answer thinks the final plea shows doubt.
Show teacher guidance
The Lord will complete what concerns the speaker, and his mercy endures for ever; the verse still closes with a plea not to forsake the work of his hands.
Responsible application
Praise before the audience shifts
Use verses 1–5 to ask whether worship language changes when influential people enter the room. Keep the content anchored in God’s words and works.
Regard the lowly on purpose
Use verse 6 to review who receives attention in community decisions and whether status quietly determines whose needs are noticed.
Work with unfinished confidence
Use verse 8 to name a task as genuinely unfinished while still acting in trust that completion ultimately depends on the Lord’s enduring mercy.
Session plans
Two timings of the same lesson. The shorter keeps the reading, the central discussion and one response; the longer gives the confusions and the application their own time.
45 minutes
Whole heart
Read 138:1-2 and take question one and confusions one and two.
Strength in the soul
Read 138:3 and take question two and confusion three.
Kings and the lowly
Read 138:4-6 and take questions three and four.
In the midst of trouble
Read 138:7-8 and take questions five and six and confusion four.
Handout
Give out the handout, read the key verse together, and pray verse 8 for one another.
90 minutes
Answers
Ask what an answered prayer looks like. Read the whole psalm.
Whole hearted praise
Read 138:1-2 and take question one and confusions one and two.
Strength in the soul
Read 138:3 and Isaiah 40:29-31. Take question two and confusion three.
Kings hear
Read 138:4-5 and Isaiah 60:3, and take question three.
High yet near
Read 138:6, Psalm 113:5-7 and James 4:6, and take question four.
Perfect that which concerneth me
Read 138:7-8 and Philippians 1:6. Take questions five and six and confusion four. Give quiet time for each person to pray verse 8.
Handout
Give out the handout and read the key verse together.
Adapting the lesson
Children
Ask the children to praise God out loud with their whole heart, then to whisper a prayer. Read 138:3 and say that God answers and makes us brave inside. Read 138:6 with a tall chair and a small stool: God is high, but he bends down to the small. Teach verse 8 as a promise that God finishes what he starts.
Youth
Ask whether they have ever prayed and found that nothing changed outside but something changed inside. Read 138:3 and discuss it. Then read 138:6 and talk about pride and humility in their world. End with 138:8 and Philippians 1:6, and ask what God might be finishing in them.
Adults
Adults can discuss the difficult phrases of 138:1-2 briefly and spend longer on 138:6-8. Ask how the congregation shows God's regard for the lowly. Many will be in the midst of trouble; let verse 7 be heard in the present tense. Invite people to pray verse 8 over one another.
One to one
Ask the person what they are walking through right now. Read 138:7 and ask what being revived would look like for them. If they feel weak, read 138:3 and pray for strength in their soul. End by praying verse 8 over them, naming what concerns them.
Song and video learning lab
A song or video may interpret, compress, or dramatize the text. Its value becomes clearer when its choices are compared with Scripture.
- Before the media: the exact passage and its central movement.
- During the media: the words, people, events, and emotions the artist emphasizes.
- After the media: what it clarifies, what it leaves out, and what belongs back in the biblical text.
Handout
One page for learners to take home. The print button prints this section alone.
Psalms 138:1–8
The passage in brief
Psalm 138 is David's whole hearted thanks to God for his loving kindness and his faithful word. When David cried out, God answered and made him strong inside. One day all the kings of the earth will hear God's words and praise him. The Lord is high, yet he looks after the lowly. Even in the middle of trouble David is sure that God will keep him alive and finish what he has begun in him.
A verse to keep
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. The LORD will perfect that which concerneth me: thy mercy, O LORD, endureth for ever: forsake not the works of thine own hands.
Psalms 138:7-8 · King James Version
Questions to take home
What happened when David cried out, according to 138:3?
How does God treat the lowly and the proud in 138:6?
What do you need God to perfect in your life, as 138:8 says?
This week
Pray 138:8 each morning this week, naming one thing that concerns you.
Music and video connected to the passage
Related media appears when its Scripture reference overlaps this study. Music and video can illuminate a theme while the biblical text remains the foundation.
