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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.
Psalms 138:2 · King James Version
Parallel translations
  • WEB I will bow down toward your holy temple, and give thanks to your Name for your loving kindness and for your truth; for you have exalted your Name and your Word above all.
  • BSB I bow down toward Your holy temple and give thanks to Your name for Your loving devotion and Your faithfulness; You have exalted Your name and Your word above all else.
  • NKJV I will worship toward Your holy temple, And praise Your name For Your lovingkindness and Your truth; For You have magnified Your word above all Your name.
  • NASB I will bow down toward Your holy temple And give thanks to Your name for Your mercy and Your truth; For You have made Your word great according to all Your name.
  • NLT I bow before your holy Temple as I worship. I praise your name for your unfailing love and faithfulness; for your promises are backed by all the honor of your name.

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 worships toward God's temple, thanking Him for His love and faithfulness, which He has exalted with His word.

Overview

Bowing toward the holy place, David praises God's steadfast love and truth, the twin pillars of His covenant character. He marvels that God has magnified His word and His name above all. This reverence for God's word, which never fails, finds its fullest expression in Christ, the Word made flesh and the truth of God.

Cross-references & the web

Cross-references · 23

  • Matt 5:18For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.
  • Ps 56:10In God will I praise his word: in the LORD will I praise his word.
  • Isa 42:21The LORD is well pleased for his righteousness’ sake; he will magnify the law, and make it honourable.
  • Matt 24:35Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.
  • Ps 5:7But as for me, I will come into thy house in the multitude of thy mercy: and in thy fear will I worship toward thy holy temple.
  • 1 Kgs 8:29–30That thine eyes may be open toward this house night and day, even toward the place of which thou hast said, My name shall be there: that thou mayest hearken unto the prayer which thy servant shall make toward this place.
  • Ps 56:4In God I will praise his word, in God I have put my trust; I will not fear what flesh can do unto me.
  • Ps 28:2Hear the voice of my supplications, when I cry unto thee, when I lift up my hands toward thy holy oracle.
  • John 1:17For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.
  • Ps 115:1Not unto us, O LORD, not unto us, but unto thy name give glory, for thy mercy, and for thy truth’s sake.
  • Ps 89:1–2I will sing of the mercies of the LORD for ever: with my mouth will I make known thy faithfulness to all generations.
  • Ps 100:4–5Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.
  • Ps 36:5–6Thy mercy, O LORD, is in the heavens; and thy faithfulness reacheth unto the clouds.
  • Ps 86:15But thou, O Lord, art a God full of compassion, and gracious, long suffering, and plenteous in mercy and truth.
  • Ps 99:9Exalt the LORD our God, and worship at his holy hill; for the LORD our God is holy.
  • Ps 99:5Exalt ye the LORD our God, and worship at his footstool; for he is holy.
  • Isa 63:7I will mention the lovingkindnesses of the LORD, and the praises of the LORD, according to all that the LORD hath bestowed on us, and the great goodness toward the house of Israel, which he hath bestowed on them according to his mercies, and according to the multitude of his lovingkindnesses.
  • Rom 15:8–9Now I say that Jesus Christ was a minister of the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made unto the fathers:
  • Dan 6:10Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house; and his windows being open in his chamber toward Jerusalem, he kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime.
  • Ps 85:10Mercy and truth are met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other.
  • John 10:35If he called them gods, unto whom the word of God came, and the scripture cannot be broken;
  • Mic 7:18–20Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage? he retaineth not his anger for ever, because he delighteth in mercy.
  • Luke 1:68–72Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; for he hath visited and redeemed his people,

Themes, concepts, people & topics

Topics (5)

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 138:2YouTube · 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 138:2 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.