Bible/Psalms/138

Psalms 138:7

138:6 Though the Lord be high, yet hath he respect unto the lowly: but the proud he knoweth afar off.
Though I walk in the midst of trouble, thou wilt revive me: thou shalt stretch forth thine hand against the wrath of mine enemies, and thy right hand shall save me.

KJV

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Though I walk in the middle of trouble, you will revive me. You will stretch out your hand against the wrath of my enemies. Your right hand will save me.

Though I walk in the midst of trouble, thou wilt revive me: thou shalt stretch forth thine hand against the wrath of mine enemies, and thy right hand shall save me.

Though I walk in the middle of trouble, you will revive me: you shall stretch forth your hand against the wrath of my enemies, and your right hand shall save me.

Though I walk in the midst of trouble, thou wilt revive me; Thou wilt stretch forth thy hand against the wrath of mine enemies, And thy right hand will save me.

138:8 The Lord will perfect that which concerneth me: thy mercy, O Lord, endureth for ever: forsake not the works of thine own hands.

What does Psalms 138:7 mean?

Psalms 138:7 is a verse in the book of Psalms, in the Old Testament. In the original Hebrew, key words include יָלַךְ (yâlak), קֶרֶב (qereb), צָרָה (tsârâh). It connects to 30 cross-referenced passages elsewhere in Scripture.

Hebrew interlinear

Full chapter interlinear →
Though
I
walkיָלַךְyâlak/yaw-lak'/H3212to walk (literally or figuratively); causatively, to carry (in various senses)
in
the
midstקֶרֶבqereb/keh'-reb/H7130properly, the nearest part, i.e. the center, whether literal, figurative or adverbial (especially with preposition)
of
trouble,צָרָהtsârâh/tsaw-raw'/H6869tightness (i.e. figuratively, trouble); transitively, a female rival:
thou
wilt
reviveחָיָהchâyâh/khaw-yaw'/H2421to live, whether literally or figuratively; causatively, to revive
me:
thou
shalt
stretch
forthשָׁלַחshâlach/shaw-lakh'/H7971to send away, for, or out (in a great variety of applications)
thine
handיָדyâd/yawd/H3027a hand (the open one (indicating power, means, direction, etc.),
against
the
wrathאַףʼaph/af/H639properly, the nose or nostril; hence, the face, and occasionally a person; also (from the rapid breathing in passion) ire
of
mine
enemies,אֹיֵבʼôyêb/o-yabe'/H341hating; an adversary
and
thy
right
handיָמִיןyâmîyn/yaw-meen'/H3225the right hand or side (leg, eye) of a person or other object (as the stronger and more dexterous); locally, the south
shall
saveיָשַׁעyâshaʻ/yaw-shah'/H3467properly, to be open, wide or free, i.e. (by implication) to be safe; causatively, to free or succor
me.

Commentary on Psalms 138:7

CLARKE · whole chapter
Psa 139:17, Psa 139:18 ) he acknowledges God's providential care of him in every moment of his life; and in the remainder of the Psalm implores God's aid against impious and cruel enemies, professing his own attachment to God's service, that is, to the true religion, and appealing to the Searcher of hearts himself for the truth of his professions." The composition, for the purity and justness of religious sentiment, and for the force and beauty of the images, is certainly in the very first and best style. And yet the frequent Chaldaisms of the diction argue no very high antiquity. Verse 1 O Lord, thou hast searched me - חקרתני chakartani; thou hast investigated me; thou hast thoroughly acquainted thyself with my whole soul and conduct. Verse 2 My downsitting and mine uprising - Even these inconsiderable and casual things are under thy continual notice. I cannot so much as take a seat, or leave it, without being marked by thee. Thou understandest my thought - לרעי lerei, "my cogitation." This word is Chaldee, see Dan 2:29, Dan 2:30. Afar off - While the figment is forming that shall produce them. Verse 3 Thou compassest my path - זרית zeritha thou dost winnow, ventilate, or sift my path; and my lying down, רבעי ribi, my lair, my bed. And art acquainted - Thou treasurest up. This is the import of סכן sachan. Thou hast the whole number of my ways, and the steps I took in them. Verse 4 There is not a word in my tongue - Although (כי ki) there be not a word in my tongue, behold O Jehovah, thou knowest the whole of it, that is, thou knowest all my words before they are uttered as thou knowest all my thoughts while as yet they are unformed. Verse 5 Thou hast beset me behind and before - אחור וקדם צרתני achor vekodam tsartani, "The hereafter and the past, thou hast formed me." I think Bishop Horsley's emendation here is just, uniting the two verses together. "Behold thou, O Jehovah, knowest the whole, the hereafter and the past. Thou hast formed me, and laid thy hand upon me." Verse 6 Such knowledge is too wonderful - I think, with Kennicott, that פלאיה דעת pelaiah daath should be read פלאי הדעת peli haddaath, "This knowledge," ממני mimmenni, "is beyond or above me." This change is made by taking the ה he from the end of פלאיה pelaiah, which is really no word, and joining it with דעת daath; which, by giving it an article, makes it demonstrative, הדעת haddaath, "This knowledge." This kind of knowledye, God's knowledge, that takes in all things, and their reasons, essences, tendencies, and issues, is far beyond me. Verse 7 Whither shall I go from thy Spirit? - Surely רוח ruach in this sense must be taken personally, it certainly cannot mean either breath or wind; to render it so would make the passage ridiculous. From thy presence? - מפניך mippaneycha, "from thy faces." Why do we meet with this word so frequently in the plural number, when applied to God? And why have we his Spirit, and his appearances or faces, both here? A Trinitarian would at once say, "The plurality of persons in the Godhead is intended;" and who can prove that he is mistaken? Verse 8 If I ascend - Thou art in heaven, in thy glory; in hell, in thy vindictive justice; and in all parts or earth, water, space, place, or vacuity, by thy omnipresence. Wherever I am, there art thou; and where I cannot be, thou art there. Thou fillest the heavens and the earth. Verse 11 Surely the darkness shall cover me - Should I suppose that this would serve to screen me, immediately this darkness is turned into light. Verse 12 Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee - Darkness and light, ignorance and knowledge, are things that stand in relation to us; God sees equally in darkness as in light; and knows as perfectly, however man is enveloped in ignorance, as if all were intellectual brightness. What is to us hidden by darkness, or unknown through ignorance, is perfectly seen and known by God; because he is all sight, all hearing, all feeling, all soul, all spirit - all in All, and infinite in himself. He lends to every thing; receives nothing from any thing. Though his essence be unimpartible, yet his influence is diffusible through time and through eternity. Thus God makes himself known, seen, heard, felt; yet, in the infinity of his essence, neither angel, nor spirit, nor man can see him; nor can any creature comprehend him, or form any idea of the mode of his existence. And yet vain man would be wise, and ascertain his foreknowledge, eternal purposes, infinite decrees, with all operations of infinite love and infinite hatred, and their objects specifically and nominally, from all eternity, as if himself had possessed a being and powers co-extensive with the Deity! O ye wise fools! Jehovah, the fountain of eternal perfection and love, is as unlike your creeds as he is unlike yourselves, forgers of doctrines to prove that
HENRY_FULL · Psalms 138:6–8
God's Care of His People. 6 Though the Lord be high, yet hath he respect unto the lowly: but the proud he knoweth afar off. 7 Though I walk in the midst of trouble, thou wilt revive me: thou shalt stretch forth thine hand against the wrath of mine enemies, and thy right hand shall save me. 8 The Lord will perfect that which concerneth me: thy mercy, O Lord , endureth for ever: forsake not the works of thine own hands. David here comforts himself with three things:— I. The favour God bears to his humble people ( v. 6 ): Though the Lord be high, and neither needs any of his creatures nor can be benefited by them, yet has he respect unto the lowly, smiles upon them as well pleased with them, overlooks heaven and earth to cast a gracious look upon them ( Isa. lvii. 15 ; lxvi. 1 ), and, sooner or later, he will put honour upon them, while he knows the proud afar off, knows them, but disowns them and rejects them, how proudly soever they pretend to his favour. Dr. Hammond makes this to be the sum of that gospel which the kings of the earth shall hear and welcome—that penitent sinners shall be accepted of God, but the impenitent cast out; witness the instance of the Pharisee and the publican, Luke xviii. II. The care God takes of his afflicted oppressed people, v. 7 . David, though a great and good man, expects to walk in the midst of trouble, but encourages himself with hope, 1. That God would comfort him: "When my spirit is ready to sink and fail, thou shalt revive me, and make me easy and cheerful under my troubles." Divine consolations have enough in them to revive us even when we walk in the midst of troubles and are ready to die away for fear. 2. That he would protect him, and plead his cause: " Thou shalt stretch forth thy hand, though not against my enemies to destroy them, yet against the wrath of my enemies, to restrain that and set bounds to it." 3. That he would in due time work deliverance for him: Thy right hand shall save me. As he has one hand to stretch out against his enemies, so he has another to save his own people. Christ is the right hand of the Lord, that shall save all those who serve him. III. The assurance we have that whatever good work God has begun in and for his people he will perform it ( v. 8 ): The Lord will perfect that which concerns me, 1. That which is most needful for me; and he knows best what is so. We are careful and cumbered about many things that do not concern us, but he knows what are the things that really are of consequence to us ( Matt. vi. 32 ) and he will order them for the best. 2. That which we are most concerned about. Every good man is most concerned about his duty to God and his happiness in God, that the former may be faithfully done and the latter effectually secured; and if indeed these are the things that our hearts are most upon, and concerning which we are most solicitous, there is a good work begun in us, and he that has begun it will perfect it, we may be confident he will, Phil. i. 6 . Observe, (1.) What ground the psalmist builds this confidence upon: Thy mercy, O Lord! endures for ever. This he had made very much the matter of his praise ( Ps. xiii. 6 ), and therefore he could here with the more assurance make it the matter of his hope. For, if we give God the glory of his mercy, we may take to ourselves the comfort of it. Our hopes that we shall persevere must be founded, not upon our own strength, for that will fail us, but upon the mercy of God, for that will not fail. It is well pleaded, " Lord, thy mercy endures for ever; let me be for ever a monument of it." (2.) What use he makes of this confidence; it does not supersede, but quicken prayer; he turns his expectation into a petition: " Forsake not, do not let go, the work of thy own hands. Lord, I am the work of thy own hands, my soul is so, do not forsake me; my concerns are so, do not lay by thy care of them." Whatever good there is in us it is the work of God's own hands; he works in us both to will and to do; it will fail if he forsake it; but his glory, as Jehovah, a perfecting God, is so much concerned in the progress of it to the end that we may in faith pray, "Lord, do not forsake it." Whom he loves he loves to the end; and, as for God, his work is perfect.

Cross-references

Related passages from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge.

Job 13:15

Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him: but I will maintain mine own ways before him.

Job 19:25

For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth:

Psalms 17:7

Shew thy marvellous lovingkindness, O thou that savest by thy right hand them which put their trust in thee from those that rise up against them.

Psalms 18:35

Thou hast also given me the shield of thy salvation: and thy right hand hath holden me up, and thy gentleness hath made me great.

Psalms 20:6

Now know I that the Lord saveth his anointed; he will hear him from his holy heaven with the saving strength of his right hand.

Psalms 23:3

He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.

Psalms 35:1

Plead my cause, O Lord, with them that strive with me: fight against them that fight against me.

Psalms 41:7

All that hate me whisper together against me: against me do they devise my hurt.

Psalms 44:3

For they got not the land in possession by their own sword, neither did their own arm save them: but thy right hand, and thine arm, and the light of thy countenance, because thou hadst a favour unto them.

Psalms 44:5

Through thee will we push down our enemies: through thy name will we tread them under that rise up against us.

Psalms 56:1

Be merciful unto me, O God: for man would swallow me up; he fighting daily oppresseth me.

Psalms 56:9

When I cry unto thee, then shall mine enemies turn back: this I know; for God is for me.

Psalms 60:5

That thy beloved may be delivered; save with thy right hand, and hear me.

Psalms 64:7

But God shall shoot at them with an arrow; suddenly shall they be wounded.

Psalms 66:10

For thou, O God, hast proved us: thou hast tried us, as silver is tried.

Psalms 71:20

Thou, which hast shewed me great and sore troubles, shalt quicken me again, and shalt bring me up again from the depths of the earth.

Psalms 77:10

And I said, This is my infirmity: but I will remember the years of the right hand of the most High.

Psalms 85:6

Wilt thou not revive us again: that thy people may rejoice in thee?

Psalms 119:49

Remember the word unto thy servant, upon which thou hast caused me to hope.

Psalms 144:1

Blessed be the Lord my strength, which teacheth my hands to war, and my fingers to fight:

Isaiah 5:25

Therefore is the anger of the Lord kindled against his people, and he hath stretched forth his hand against them, and hath smitten them: and the hills did tremble, and their carcases were torn in the midst of the streets. For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still.

Isaiah 9:12

The Syrians before, and the Philistines behind; and they shall devour Israel with open mouth. For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still.

Isaiah 9:17

Therefore the Lord shall have no joy in their young men, neither shall have mercy on their fatherless and widows: for every one is an hypocrite and an evildoer, and every mouth speaketh folly. For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still.

Isaiah 9:21

Manasseh, Ephraim; and Ephraim, Manasseh: and they together shall be against Judah. For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still.

Isaiah 10:4

Without me they shall bow down under the prisoners, and they shall fall under the slain. For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still.

Isaiah 41:10

Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.

Isaiah 57:16

For I will not contend for ever, neither will I be always wroth: for the spirit should fail before me, and the souls which I have made.

Jeremiah 51:25

Behold, I am against thee, O destroying mountain, saith the Lord, which destroyest all the earth: and I will stretch out mine hand upon thee, and roll thee down from the rocks, and will make thee a burnt mountain.

Micah 7:8

Rejoice not against me, O mine enemy: when I fall, I shall arise; when I sit in darkness, the Lord shall be a light unto me.

Acts 2:33

Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear.

Topics

Afflictions and AdversitiesFaithPsalms

Verses like this

Other verses that share key original-language words with Psalms 138:7.

Genesis 19:10

But the men put forth their hand, and pulled Lot into the house to them, and shut to the door.

Genesis 19:32

Come, let us make our father drink wine, and we will lie with him, that we may preserve seed of our father.

Genesis 21:14

And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and took bread, and a bottle of water, and gave it unto Hagar, putting it on her shoulder, and the child, and sent her away: and she departed, and wandered in the wilderness of Beer–sheba.

Genesis 22:10

And Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son.

Genesis 22:12

And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me.

Genesis 22:6

And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering, and laid it upon Isaac his son; and he took the fire in his hand, and a knife; and they went both of them together.

Genesis 24:10

And the servant took ten camels of the camels of his master, and departed; for all the goods of his master were in his hand: and he arose, and went to Mesopotamia, unto the city of Nahor.

Genesis 24:47

And I asked her, and said, Whose daughter art thou? And she said, The daughter of Bethuel, Nahor’s son, whom Milcah bare unto him: and I put the earring upon her face, and the bracelets upon her hands.

Frequently asked questions

What does Psalms 138:7 say?

Psalms 138:7 (King James Version) reads: "Though I walk in the midst of trouble, thou wilt revive me: thou shalt stretch forth thine hand against the wrath of mine enemies, and thy right hand shall save me."

Is Psalms 138:7 in the Old or New Testament?

Psalms 138:7 is in the Old Testament of the Bible, in the book of Psalms.

Reflect

As you read Psalms 138:7, what is one truth here you can carry into today?

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