CORPUS-PSALTERIUMVol. VI
Corpus Psalterium Vol. VI cover

Corpus Psalterium · Vol. VI

Psalm CXXXVIII (138)

Cantillated — Individual Thanksgiving

Paul Whitehorn

0:004:27
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Psalm 138 in Hebrew and English, and the words as they are sung.

By David.

1

I will give you thanks with my whole heart. Before the gods, I will sing praises to you.

לְדָוִ֨ד ׀ אוֹדְךָ֥ בְכָל־לִבִּ֑י נֶ֖גֶד אֱלֹהִ֣ים אֲזַמְּרֶֽךָּ׃

2

I will bow down toward your holy temple, and give thanks to your Name for your loving kindness and for your truth; for you have exalted your Name and your Word above all.

אֶשְׁתַּחֲוֶ֨ה אֶל־הֵיכַ֪ל קָדְשְׁךָ֡ וְא֘וֹדֶ֤ה אֶת־שְׁמֶ֗ךָ עַל־חַסְדְּךָ֥ וְעַל־אֲמִתֶּ֑ךָ כִּֽי־הִגְדַּ֥לְתָּ עַל־כָּל־שִׁ֝מְךָ֗ אִמְרָתֶֽךָ׃

3

In the day that I called, you answered me. You encouraged me with strength in my soul.

בְּי֣וֹם קָ֭רָֽאתִי וַֽתַּעֲנֵ֑נִי תַּרְהִבֵ֖נִי בְנַפְשִׁ֣י עֹֽז׃

4

All the kings of the earth will give you thanks, Yahweh, for they have heard the words of your mouth.

יוֹד֣וּךָ יְ֭הוָה כָּל־מַלְכֵי־אָ֑רֶץ כִּ֥י שָׁ֝מְע֗וּ אִמְרֵי־פִֽיךָ׃

5

Yes, they will sing of the ways of Yahweh, for Yahweh’s glory is great!

וְ֭יָשִׁירוּ בְּדַרְכֵ֣י יְהוָ֑ה כִּ֥י גָ֝ד֗וֹל כְּב֣וֹד יְהוָֽה׃

6

For though Yahweh is high, yet he looks after the lowly; but he knows the proud from afar.

כִּי־רָ֣ם יְ֭הוָה וְשָׁפָ֣ל יִרְאֶ֑ה וְ֝גָבֹ֗הַּ מִמֶּרְחָ֥ק יְיֵדָֽע׃

7

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.

אִם־אֵלֵ֤ךְ ׀ בְּקֶ֥רֶב צָרָ֗ה תְּחַ֫יֵּ֥נִי עַ֤ל אַ֣ף אֹ֭יְבַי תִּשְׁלַ֣ח יָדֶ֑ךָ וְת֖וֹשִׁיעֵ֣נִי יְמִינֶֽךָ׃

8

Yahweh will fulfill that which concerns me. Your loving kindness, Yahweh, endures forever. Don’t forsake the works of your own hands.

יְהוָה֮ יִגְמֹ֪ר בַּ֫עֲדִ֥י יְ֭הוָה חַסְדְּךָ֣ לְעוֹלָ֑ם מַעֲשֵׂ֖י יָדֶ֣יךָ אַל־תֶּֽרֶף׃

Hebrew: Westminster Leningrad Codex (public domain), from the Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible. English: World English Bible (public domain). Verse numbers follow the English Bible; the Hebrew numbering is shown beneath where it differs.

With everything in me

I thank You

in front of the gods

I play for You

I bow down

toward Your holy house

I thank Your name

for Your kindness

and Your truth

You made Your word

bigger than all Your fame

The day I called

You answered

You answered

You put fight in me

strength down in my soul

Every king on earth

will thank You LORD

when they hear

what Your mouth has said

they will sing about

the roads the LORD walks

how heavy

the LORD's glory is

The LORD is up high

still He sees the low

He sees the low

and the proud

He knows from far away

If I walk

right through the middle of trouble

You keep me breathing

against my enemies' anger

You reach out Your hand

Your right hand

pulls me through

The day I called

You answered

You answered

The LORD will finish

what He started in me

what He started in me

LORD

Your kindness goes on and on

don't drop

what Your hands have made

what Your hands have made

Lyrics by Paul Whitehorn: a singable English rendering of the Hebrew, as sung on this recording.

Corpus Psalterium sets each psalm to music by its Hebrew grammar. Didactic psalms teach; Cantillated psalms are spoken, sung or performed before God. Hear all 150 psalms free.

About these songs. They are a summary and a commentary on the Psalms, not a word-for-word translation. Read what these songs are →

What These Songs Are, and What They Are Not

These songs are not a word-for-word translation of the Psalms. They were never meant to be. Nor do they try to capture every idea in every psalm. In a song, that would be impossible.

What we have done is capture the essence of each psalm: what matters most in it. Think of each song as a summary. Think of it as a cheat sheet. The purpose of the psalm is still being met. God's word to mankind is still being heard.

Behind many of these lines is word research: deep study of the meaning of the Hebrew. So where a line sounds different from your translation, and you think it is wrong, study it. We believe you will find that the essence of what we sing is true.

The truth is that no one can set the Psalms to music without also becoming a commentator. That is what this is. It is a modern commentary on the Psalms: not only the Psalms themselves, and not only the Psalms being sung. So do not think that every word of the psalm is here. It is not. Read the psalm itself, in full.

Why do this at all? Because we believe God intended humanity to be surrounded by His word. This was always the entertainment He wanted us to have: not hours of television, not a day lost in a phone looking at nonsense. The blessed man of Psalm 1 meditates on God's word day and night. How can we meditate on His word if we do not surround ourselves with it?

As ministers, our first responsibility is to share God's word with people. That is what these songs are for.

Paul Whitehorn