Charles Ellicott Commentary Psalms 138

Before the gods.— Undoubtedly, as in Psalms 82:1: “before the great” or “mighty.” (Compare to Psalms 119:46, before kings.)

Sing praise.— Rather, play.

Notice that “loving-kindness” and “truth” are joined as inseparable attributes of Jehovah in His relationship to the chosen race.

For you have magnified— that is, the promise made for help and deliverance has been fulfilled, and more than fulfilled. The psalmist often speaks of Jehovah’s name, or reputation, or honor being at stake. Here the poet can say that the praise won is even beyond what might have been expected. It is true this would have been expressed more in accordance with our expectation by “You have magnified Your Name above Your promise;” but compare Psalms 48:10 for a similar thought, and for the language compare Tennyson’s:

“I am become a name.”

The Septuagint and Vulgate felt the difficulty too great, and render “Your holy one,” instead of “Your word.”

Strengthenedst me with strength. —Or, you encourage me strongly. (See Note to Song of Solomon 6:5, where the same Hebrew form occurs.)

In my soul. —Or, at my desire.

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 fulfilled, will, by its performance, convince all the kings of the earth, and bring them in confession and praise to Jehovah. For a Hebrew the expression hear the words of Thy mouth, referring in this instance immediately back to Psalm 138:2, was synonymous with “see Thy wonders,” since for them “God spoke and it was done.”

In the ways.—Rather, of the ways, as this preposition is frequently used in this manner after verbs of speaking or praising (Psalms 44:8; Psalms 87:3; Psalms 105:2), though there is no parallel instance of such use with this particular verb, sing.

For ways, when used of God’s mighty works in creation, see Job 26:14 and Job 40:19; and concerning His action in history, see Psalms 18:30 and Deuteronomy 32:4. It seems contrary to the parallelism to understand literally that the gentile kings would come to walk in God’s ways—i.e., in righteousness, and so praise Him, as in Micah 4:2. The meaning is that gentile monarchs will be compelled to acknowledge the glory of Jehovah.