John Calvin Commentary Psalms 138:2

"I will worship toward thy holy temple, And give thanks unto thy name for thy lovingkindness and for thy truth: For thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name." — Psalms 138:2 (ASV)

I will worship towards the temple of your holiness. He intimates that he would show more than private gratitude and, in order to set an example before others, come in compliance with the precept of the law into the sanctuary. He worshipped God spiritually, and yet would lift his eyes to those outward symbols which were the means then appointed for drawing the minds of God’s people upwards.

He singles out the divine mercy and truth as the subject of his praise. For while the power and greatness of God are equally worthy of commendation, nothing has a more perceptible influence in stimulating us to thanksgiving than his free mercy. And when he communicates his goodness to us, he opens our mouths to sing his praises.

As we cannot taste, or at least have any vivid understanding in our souls of the divine mercy except through the word, mention is made of his faithfulness or truth. This coupling of mercy with truth should be particularly noted, as I have frequently observed.

For however much the goodness of God may appear to us in its effects, our insensibility is such that it will never penetrate our minds unless the word has come to us first.

Goodness is first mentioned, because the only ground upon which God shows himself to us as true is that he has bound himself by his free promise. And it is in this that his unspeakable mercy shows itself—that he, with this mercy, graciously comes before those who were at a distance from him, and invites them to draw near to him by condescending to address them in a familiar manner.

In the end of the verse, some supply the conjunction and read—You have magnified your name and your word above all things. Learned interpreters have rejected this as a meagre rendering, and yet have themselves resorted to what I consider a forced interpretation, You have magnified your name above all your word.

I am satisfied David means to declare that God’s name is exalted above all things, specifying the particular manner in which he has exalted his name—namely, by faithfully performing his free promises.

Nor can anyone doubt that, owing to our blind insensibility to the benefits which God bestows upon us, the best way he can awaken us to take proper notice of them is by first addressing his word to us and then certifying and sealing his goodness by accomplishing what he has promised.