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138. Psalm 138

¹ I will praise you, LORD, with all my heart;
   before the “gods” I will sing your praise.
² I will bow down toward your holy temple
   and will praise your name
   for your unfailing love and your faithfulness,
for you have so exalted your solemn decree
   that it surpasses your fame.
³ When I called, you answered me;
   you greatly emboldened me.

    ⁴ May all the kings of the earth praise you, LORD,
   when they hear what you have decreed.
⁵ May they sing of the ways of the LORD,
   for the glory of the LORD is great.

    ⁶ Though the LORD is exalted, he looks kindly on the lowly;
   though lofty, he sees them from afar.
⁷ Though I walk in the midst of trouble,
   you preserve my life.
You stretch out your hand against the anger of my foes;
   with your right hand you save me.
⁸ The LORD will vindicate me;
   your love, LORD, endures forever—
   do not abandon the works of your hands.

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 had heard the words of God’s mouth, he does not mean to aver that they had been taught in the true religion so as to be prepared for becoming members of the Church, but only that it would be well known everywhere that the reason of his having been preserved in such a wonderful manner was God’s having anointed him king by his commandment. ¹⁹⁴¹⁹⁴ “Sed hoc ubique fore notum, non alia de causa mirabiliter servatum fuisse a Deo, nisi quod ejus mandate unctus fuerat in Regem.” — Lat. Thus although the neighboring kings reaped no advantage by that divine oracle, the goodness of God was illustrated by its being universally known, by his being called to the throne in an extraordinary manner. Having uniformly during the whole period of Saul’s severe and bloody persecution declared that he raised his standard in God’s name, there could be no doubt that he came to the crown by divine will and commandment. And this was a proof of divine goodness which might draw forth an acknowledgment even from heathen kings.