Limitless Word

Psalms 138:1

WEBKJVBSBESVNKJVNASBNLT
Of David. I give You thanks with all my heart; before the gods I sing Your praises.
Psalms 138:1 · Berean Standard Bible
Parallel translations
  • WEB By David. I will give you thanks with my whole heart. Before the gods, I will sing praises to you.
  • KJV I will praise thee with my whole heart: before the gods will I sing praise unto thee.
  • NKJV I will praise You with my whole heart; Before the gods I will sing praises to You.
  • NASB I will give You thanks with all my heart; I will sing Your praises before the gods.
  • NLT I give you thanks, O Lord, with all my heart; I will sing your praises before the gods.

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Quick answer

David resolves to thank God wholeheartedly and praise Him before the gods.

Overview

This psalm of David opens with undivided, sincere praise offered openly even before false gods or earthly powers. His thanksgiving acknowledges Yahweh alone as worthy, in defiance of all rivals. Such wholehearted worship anticipates the praise of those redeemed in Christ, who confess Him Lord before all the world.

Cross-references & the web

Cross-references · 15

  • Ps 111:1Hallelujah! I will give thanks to the LORD with all my heart in the council of the upright and in the assembly.
  • Ps 95:3For the LORD is a great God, a great King above all gods.
  • 1 Cor 14:15What then shall I do? I will pray with my spirit, but I will also pray with my mind. I will sing with my spirit, but I will also sing with my mind.
  • John 10:34–36Jesus replied, “Is it not written in your Law: ‘I have said you are gods’?
  • Ps 96:4For great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised; He is to be feared above all gods.
  • Ps 82:6I have said, ‘You are gods; you are all sons of the Most High.’
  • Ps 119:46I will speak of Your testimonies before kings, and I will not be ashamed.
  • Ps 86:12–13I will praise You, O Lord my God, with all my heart; I will glorify Your name forever.
  • Ps 82:1A Psalm of Asaph. God presides in the divine assembly; He renders judgment among the gods:
  • Ps 9:1For the choirmaster. To the tune of “The Death of the Son.” A Psalm of David. I will give thanks to the LORD with all my heart; I will recount all Your wonders.
  • Ps 103:1–2Of David. Bless the LORD, O my soul; all that is within me, bless His holy name.
  • Acts 23:5“Brothers,” Paul replied, “I was not aware that he was the high priest, for it is written: ‘Do not speak evil about the ruler of your people.’”
  • Exod 22:28You must not blaspheme God or curse the ruler of your people.
  • Eph 5:19Speak to one another with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your hearts to the Lord,
  • Heb 1:14Are not the angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation?

Themes, concepts, people & topics

Topics (1)
PRAISE

Resources, by level

Commentaries & study tools

  • VideoBibleProject — Psalms videosBibleProject · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.

  • VideoWatch teaching on Psalms 138:1YouTube · Lay · Free

    Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.

  • CommentaryEnduring Word — verse-by-verseDavid Guzik · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.

  • CommentaryClassic commentaries for this verseBibleHub (20+ works) · Pastoral · Free

    Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.

  • CommentaryMatthew Henry on PsalmsMatthew Henry · Pastoral · Free · evangelical

    The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).

  • ReferenceInterlinear, lexicon & Strong'sBlue Letter Bible · Seminary · Free

    Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.

Christ at the center

The Psalms are Christ's own prayer book and a gallery of his portraits — the suffering one of Psalm 22, the risen Lord of Psalm 16, the priest-king of Psalm 110, the Son to whom the nations are given.

How Psalms 138:1 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.

Original language

Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.

A Psalm of DavidדָּוִדI will praiseיָדָהthee with my whole heartלֵבbefore the godsאֱלֹהִיםwill I sing praiseזָמַר
Whole chapterPsalms 138:2 →