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I will praise thee with my whole heart: before the gods will I sing praise unto thee.
Psalms 138:1 · King James Version
Parallel translations
  • WEB By David. I will give you thanks with my whole heart. Before the gods, I will sing praises to you.
  • BSB Of David. I give You thanks with all my heart; before the gods I sing Your praises.
  • 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 111:1Praise ye the LORD. I will praise the LORD with my whole heart, in the assembly of the upright, and in the congregation.
  • Ps 95:3For the LORD is a great God, and a great King above all gods.
  • 1 Cor 14:15What is it then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will pray with the understanding also: I will sing with the spirit, and I will sing with the understanding also.
  • John 10:34–36Jesus answered them, Is it not written in your law, I said, Ye are gods?
  • Ps 96:4For the LORD is great, and greatly to be praised: he is to be feared above all gods.
  • Ps 82:6I have said, Ye are gods; and all of you are children of the most High.
  • Ps 119:46I will speak of thy testimonies also before kings, and will not be ashamed.
  • Ps 86:12–13I will praise thee, O Lord my God, with all my heart: and I will glorify thy name for evermore.
  • Ps 82:1God standeth in the congregation of the mighty; he judgeth among the gods.
  • Ps 9:1I will praise thee, O LORD, with my whole heart; I will shew forth all thy marvellous works.
  • Ps 103:1–2Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name.
  • Acts 23:5Then said Paul, I wist not, brethren, that he was the high priest: for it is written, Thou shalt not speak evil of the ruler of thy people.
  • Exod 22:28Thou shalt not revile the gods, nor curse the ruler of thy people.
  • Eph 5:19Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord;
  • Heb 1:14Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?

Themes, concepts, people & topics

Topics (1)

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.