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In the day when I cried out, You answered me, And made me bold with strength in my soul.
Psalms 138:3 · New King James Version
Parallel translations
  • WEB In the day that I called, you answered me. You encouraged me with strength in my soul.
  • KJV In the day when I cried thou answeredst me, and strengthenedst me with strength in my soul.
  • BSB On the day I called, You answered me; You emboldened me and strengthened my soul.
  • NASB On the day I called, You answered me; You made me bold with strength in my soul.
  • NLT As soon as I pray, you answer me; you encourage me by giving me strength.

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

When David called, God answered him and strengthened his soul.

Overview

David testifies that God responds to prayer, not only granting requests but renewing inner strength. His answered prayer became a source of courage and confidence. This assurance that God hears and strengthens His people is confirmed for believers who pray in the name of Christ, through whom we have access to the Father.

Cross-references & the web

Cross-references · 18

  • 1 Pet 5:10But may the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a little while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you.
  • Ps 18:6In my distress I called on Yahweh, and cried to my God. He heard my voice out of his temple. My cry before him came into his ears.
  • Ps 34:4–6I sought Yahweh, and he answered me, and delivered me from all my fears.
  • Phil 4:13I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me.
  • Zech 10:12I will strengthen them in Yahweh; and they will walk up and down in his name,” says Yahweh.
  • Isa 40:29–31He gives power to the weak. He increases the strength of him who has no might.
  • Isa 12:2Behold, God is my salvation. I will trust, and will not be afraid; for Yah, Yahweh, is my strength and song; and he has become my salvation.”
  • Ps 27:14Wait for Yahweh. Be strong, and let your heart take courage. Yes, wait for Yahweh.
  • Isa 41:10Don’t you be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you. Yes, I will help you. Yes, I will uphold you with the right hand of my righteousness.
  • Eph 6:10Finally, be strong in the Lord, and in the strength of his might.
  • Col 1:11strengthened with all power, according to the might of his glory, for all endurance and perseverance with joy;
  • Ps 29:11Yahweh will give strength to his people. Yahweh will bless his people with peace.
  • 2 Cor 12:8–10Concerning this thing, I begged the Lord three times that it might depart from me.
  • Eph 3:16that he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, that you may be strengthened with power through his Spirit in the inward man;
  • Ps 63:8My soul stays close to you. Your right hand holds me up.
  • Ps 28:7Yahweh is my strength and my shield. My heart has trusted in him, and I am helped. Therefore my heart greatly rejoices. With my song I will thank him.
  • Ps 77:1–2For the Chief Musician. To Jeduthun. A Psalm by Asaph. My cry goes to God! Indeed, I cry to God for help, and for him to listen to me.
  • Isa 65:24It will happen that, before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear.

Themes, concepts, people & topics

Topics (2)

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 138:3YouTube · 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 138:3 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.