Psalm 138 4

Psalm 138:4 kjv

All the kings of the earth shall praise thee, O LORD, when they hear the words of thy mouth.

Psalm 138:4 nkjv

All the kings of the earth shall praise You, O LORD, When they hear the words of Your mouth.

Psalm 138:4 niv

May all the kings of the earth praise you, LORD, when they hear what you have decreed.

Psalm 138:4 esv

All the kings of the earth shall give you thanks, O LORD, for they have heard the words of your mouth,

Psalm 138:4 nlt

Every king in all the earth will thank you, LORD,
for all of them will hear your words.

Psalm 138 verses

Psalm 138 4 Meaning

Psalm 138:4 declares a prophetic vision of future universal acknowledgment of the Most High. It expresses that kings and rulers from all over the earth will one day give thanks to the Lord God, a direct consequence of hearing and recognizing the divine authority and truth inherent in God's revealed word. This thankfulness is not mere politeness, but a deep praise and confession of His sovereign power and glorious nature.

Psalm 138 4 Context

Psalm 138 is a personal psalm of thanksgiving by David, who expresses gratitude to the Lord for His faithfulness and answers to prayer. It opens with David’s resolve to praise God with all his heart, even before other deities (v. 1), and attributes this thanksgiving to God's steadfast love and faithfulness, specifically noting how God has magnified His word above all His name (v. 2). David recalls God’s immediate response when he called (v. 3). Following this personal testimony of God's might and word, verse 4 shifts to a sweeping prophetic declaration of future universal homage, anticipating that God's renown will spread far beyond Israel, reaching and influencing even the rulers of the world. This serves as a testament to God's ultimate sovereignty and the eventual global recognition of His unique power and authority.

Psalm 138 4 Word analysis

• All (כָּל־ kol-): A comprehensive, absolute term, emphasizing totality. It signifies no king will be excluded from this future acknowledgment.
• the kings (מַלְכֵי־ malke-; plural of מֶלֶךְ melech): Refers to sovereign rulers and leaders of nations, denoting political authority and power. The focus here is on those holding worldly power bowing to divine authority.
• of the earth (אָרֶץ 'arets): Indicates universality; not just local or regional rulers, but kings from all nations and territories across the globe.
• shall give You thanks (יוֹדוּךָ yodukha): From the Hebrew root יָדָה (yadah), meaning "to praise," "to confess," "to acknowledge," or "to give thanks." It implies more than mere politeness; it signifies a deep, heartfelt, and public declaration of God’s glory, sovereignty, and saving acts. It suggests submission and worship.
• O Lord (יְהוָה YHWH): The covenant name of God, indicating His eternal, self-existent, and relational nature. It underscores that it is the one true God of Israel whom all kings will acknowledge.
• when they hear (כִּי יִשְׁמְעוּ ki yishm'u): "When" can also imply "because" or "as soon as." The verb יִשְׁמְעוּ (yishm'u) means to "hear" or "listen," but in biblical context, it often implies understanding, heeding, obeying, and receiving the message with open hearts. It's not passive hearing, but active recognition.
• the words (אִמְרֵי־ imrei-): From the word אֵמֶר ('emer), referring to spoken utterances, pronouncements, decrees, or sayings. It speaks to specific revelations.
• of Your mouth (פִיךָ fika): Directly linking the words to God's divine source. This emphasizes the direct divine origin, authority, and infallible nature of the revelation. These are not human ideas, but God's own declarations.

Words-group by words-group analysis

• All the kings of the earth: This phrase vividly portrays a global, political acknowledgment of God’s sovereignty. It defies typical earthly power structures where rulers seldom bow to an external authority, much less to another nation's God. It suggests a future time when divine rule supersedes all human authority.
• shall give You thanks, O Lord: This highlights the outcome of divine revelation—a heartfelt, voluntary worship and recognition of the Lord God. It emphasizes a positive response, stemming from an awareness of God’s majestic attributes and saving works, which contrasts sharply with historical gentile kings often hostile to YHWH.
• when they hear the words of Your mouth: This defines the catalyst for the kings’ praise: divine revelation. It is the direct, unmediated communication from God—His decrees, promises, judgments, and truths—that elicits this universal response. The "hearing" is active and transformative, leading to their bowing down. This underscores the power and efficacy of God's own declaration to impact and change even the most powerful individuals on earth.

Psalm 138 4 Bonus section

This verse contains an implicit polemic against the idols and false gods worshipped by kings and nations in the ancient world. The declaration that "all the kings of the earth shall give You thanks, O Lord" directly challenges the supremacy claimed by or attributed to the numerous patron deities of other empires and kingdoms. It asserts that YHWH, the God of Israel, is the sole true and sovereign God who will eventually receive universal homage, exposing the emptiness of all rival claims to divinity or ultimate power. The "words of Your mouth" here can encompass God's law, prophetic pronouncements, and the entire redemptive narrative, culminating in the saving acts revealed through Christ. This suggests that the conversion or submission of these kings would occur not by military conquest but through the compelling truth and demonstrable power of God's revealed Word.

Psalm 138 4 Commentary

Psalm 138:4 unfolds a magnificent prophetic scene where all earthly rulers recognize and give thanks to the Lord. This vision flows naturally from David's personal experience of God's powerful word and steadfast love, projecting God's localized faithfulness to Israel onto a global stage. The acknowledgment by kings is rooted in their encounter with the "words of God's mouth," indicating that divine revelation—the display of His wisdom, power, and righteous rule—is the catalyst for this universal praise. This points towards an eschatological reality, fully realized in the reign of Christ, the King of kings, when His absolute authority and divine truth will compel every knee to bow and every tongue to confess, demonstrating the ultimate triumph of God's will and the expansive nature of His kingdom beyond all earthly boundaries.