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Albert Barnes' Bible Commentary

Psalms 138:4

All the kings of the earth shall praise thee ... - That is, kings, princes, and rulers shall learn the words of promise; shall be made acquainted with the words which thou hast graciously spoken, and with their fulfillment, and shall be led to praise thee. This refers to a time, of which frequent prophetic mention is made in the Scriptures, when kings and rulers shall be converted to the true religion, and when they shall act an important part, by their example and influence, in maintaining and diffusing it. Compare Psalms 68:31; Isaiah 49:23.

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See also Psalms 138:4 in other biblical comments:

  • Adam Clarke Bible Commentary

    Verse Psalms 138:4. _ALL THE KINGS OF THE EARTH_] Of the land: all the neighbouring nations, seeing what is done for us, and looking in vain to find that any human agency was employed in the work, wil...

  • Annotated Bible by A.C. Gaebelein

    Psalms 138 A Psalm of Deliverance This is a Psalm of David giving praise to the Lord for deliverance. The harp is now no more hanging idle on the willows, but is tuned afresh to praise His Name. It...

  • Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible

    CXXXVIII. PSALMS 138:1. The Psalmist praises Yahweh, in spite of the false gods and their worshippers, for His grace and fidelity to himself in trouble. PSALMS 138:2_ c._ Omit thy word (so LXX), and...

  • Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes

    LORD. Hebrew. _Jehovah._ App-4. THEY HEAR. they have heard....

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    _All the kings of the earth_shall give thanks unto thee, Jehovah] When the kings of the nations hear of Jehovah's promises to Israel and His fulfilment of them, they will join in the Psalmist's thanks...

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    Jehovah's faithfulness to His promises will evoke the homage of the world....

  • Charles Simeon's Horae Homileticae

    DISCOURSE: 731 THE GOSPEL A SOURCE OF HAPPINESS Psalms 138:4. _All the kings of the earth shall praise thee, O Lord, when they hear the words of thy mouth. Yea, they shall sing in the ways of the Lor...

  • Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

    WHEN THEY HEAR— Or, _For they shall hear._...

  • College Press Bible Study Textbook Series

    PSALMS 138 DESCRIPTIVE TITLE A King's Public Thanks for Advancement in Royal Dignity. ANALYSIS Stanza I., Psalms 138:1-3, Public Thanks for Unexpected Advancement and for the Lofty Feeling thereby...

  • Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

    All the kings of the earth shall praise thee, O LORD, when they hear the words of thy mouth. ALL THE KINGS OF THE EARTH SHALL PRAISE THEE, O LORD, WHEN THEY HEAR THE WORDS OF THY MOUTH - when they...

  • Darby's translation notes (1890)

    138:4 words (g-16) _ Omer_ . see Psalms 119:11 ....

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    Although the title ascribes this Ps. to David, it is generally considered to belong to the post-exilic period, of whose earnest piety it is one of the best examples. According to some scholars the spe...

  • EasyEnglish Bible Commentaries

    Psalms 107:150 _GORDON CHURCHYARD_ THANKS! PSALMS 138 Jesus said, "Offer (to God) the gift that Moses told you (to offer)" (Matthew 8:4

  • Ellicott's Commentary On The Whole Bible

    The general sense of these verses is plain, though there are slightly different ways of understanding the expressions. The psalmist imagines that the word or _promise,_ which has been so abundantly fu...

  • ETCBC data on Hebrew bible

    יֹוד֣וּךָ יְ֭הוָה כָּל ־מַלְכֵי ־אָ֑רֶץ כִּ֥י...

  • Expositor's Bible Commentary (Nicoll)

    Psalms 138:1 This is the first of a group of eight psalms attributed to David in the superscriptions. It precedes the closing hallelujah psalms, and thus stands where a "find" of Davidic psalms at a l...

  • Frederick Brotherton Meyer's Commentary

    THE MOST HIGH REGARDS THE LOWLY Psalms 138:1 This is the first of a cycle of Davidic psalms, based on 2 Samuel 7:1. God's promised favors are the theme of devout thanksgiving. No idols could have ach...

  • G. Campbell Morgan's Exposition on the Whole Bible

    The final personal note of this song is reached in the words, “Jehovah will perfect that which concerneth me.” It opens with consecration to the sacred duty of praise. This consecration has a threefol...

  • Geneva Study Bible Commentary

    All the (d) kings of the earth shall praise thee, O LORD, when they hear the words of thy mouth. (d) All the world will confess that you have wonderfully preserved me, and performed your promise....

  • George Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary

    _No speech, &c., viz., unknown to thee: or when there is no speech in my tongue, yet my whole interior and my most secret thoughts are known to thee. (Challoner) --- Vatican Septuagint, "no evil speec...

  • Hawker's Poor man's commentary

    Scripture best explains scripture. Interpreting what is here said in reference to the days of Christ, the whole is confirmed. Psalms 72:10....

  • John Calvin's Bible Commentary

    4._Let all kings of the earth praise thee _Here he declares that the goodness he had experienced would be extensively known, and the report of it spread over all the world. In saying that even kings h...

  • John Darby's Synopsis

    Psalms 138 gives the ground of faith God's word; and now the godly turns to own it in worship; and when that word reaches the kings of the earth, they shall turn and praise Jehovah and sing in His way...

  • John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

    ALL THE KINGS OF THE EARTH SHALL PRAISE THEE, O LORD,.... Or "let [them] confess", or "praise thee" s; a wish or prayer. Not only the kings known to David, as Kimchi limits it; or that lived in his da...

  • John Trapp Complete Commentary

    All the kings of the earth shall praise thee, O LORD, when they hear the words of thy mouth. Ver. 4. _All the kings of the earth shall praise thee_] Such of them as shall read these psalms of my comp...

  • Joseph Benson’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    _All the kings of the earth shall praise thee_ All the neighbouring kings; or, rather, this is a prophecy of the calling of the Gentiles, and so the generality of the kings of the earth are intended,...

  • Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible

    1-5 When we can praise God with our whole heart, we need not be unwilling for the whole world to witness our gratitude and joy in him. Those who rely on his loving-kindness and truth through Jesus Ch...

  • Matthew Poole's Concise Commentary On The Bible

    Either, 1. All neighbouring kings; or, 2. The generality of kings and princes upon earth. And so this is a prophecy of the calling of the Gentiles, which seems to be confirmed by the next verse, whic...

  • Patchworkid's Personal Study Bible Notes

    Psalms 138:4 kings H4428 earth H776 praise H3034 (H8686) LORD H3068 hear H8085 (H8804) words H561 mouth...

  • Spurgeon's Bible Commentary

    Psalms 138:1. _I will praise thee with my whole heart: before the gods will I sing praise unto thee._ «Gods or no gods, whatever they may be, ‘I will praise thee with my whole heart,' I will not be a...

  • Spurgeon's Bible Commentary

    Psalms 138:1. _I will praise thee with my whole heart; before the gods will I sing praise unto thee._ We cannot be too much occupied in the praises of God. He rightly deserves all the thanksgivings w...

  • Spurgeon's Bible Commentary

    A Psalm of David. Psalms 138:1. _I will praise thee with my whole heart: before the gods will I sing praise unto thee._ Before the heathen gods, however highly exalted I will sing thy praises so in...

  • Summarized Bible Commentary

    CONTENTS: Thankfulness for the experience of God's goodness. CHARACTERS: God, David. CONCLUSION: Praising God is work of which the greatest of men need not be ashamed. A debt of gratitude is due Him...

  • Sutcliffe's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    The LXX have prefixed the name of Haggai and Zechariah to this psalm; but all the Versions follow the Hebrew in ascribing it to David, to whom it undoubtedly belongs. It was probably one of the favour...

  • The Biblical Illustrator

    _I will praise Thee with my whole heart._ MORAL FEATURES OF A GOOD MAN’S LIFE I. The grand resolve of a good man--to serve God (verses 1, 2). 1. Entirely. “I will praise Thee with my whole heart.”...

  • The ESV Global Study Bible's Study Notes

    PSALM PSALM—NOTE ON PSALMS 138:1. This psalm offers thanks to God for signs of his constant care. ⇐...

  • The ESV Global Study Bible's Study Notes

    PSALM—NOTE ON PSALMS 138:4 The God to whom the singer had prayed is the universal Lord, to whom all the Gentiles will one day come in worship (ALL THE KINGS OF THE EARTH SHALL GIVE YOU THANKS). Yet he...

  • The Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary

    INTRODUCTION “This,” says Barnes, “is the first of a series of eight Psalms (Psalms 38-145) placed together in this part of the book, and ascribed to David. They appear to be of the nature of a _suppl...

  • The Pulpit Commentaries

    EXPOSITION A CLUSTER of Davidical psalms here follows. It is not easy to trace any single line of thought connecting them all, or to explain how they come to be so entirely separated from the great bu...

  • Through The Bible C2000 Serie by Chuck Smith

    I will praise thee with my whole heart: before the gods will I sing praise unto thee. I will worship toward thy holy temple, and praise thy name for thy loving-kindness and for thy truth: for thou has...

  • Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

    Isaiah 49:23; Isaiah 60:16; Isaiah 60:3; Psalms 22:22; Psalms 22:27;

  • Wesley's Explanatory Notes

    The kings — A prophecy of the calling of the Gentiles. Hear — The gospel preached among then....

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