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PSALM 138

A Psalm of David.

1. I will praise you with my whole heart; before the gods will I sing praise to you.
2. I will bow myself down towards your holy temple, and praise your name, for your mercy and your truth; for you have magnified your word above all your name.
3. In the day when I call you answer me; you do strengthen me with strength in my soul.
4. All the kings of the earth shall praise you, O jehovah, for they have heard the words of your mouth.
5. And they shall sing in the ways of jehovah; for great is the glory of jehovah.
6. Though jehovah is high, yet he has respect to the lowly; but the proud he knows afar off.
7. Though I walk in the midst of distress, you will revive me; against the wrath of mine enemies you will stretch forth your hand, and your right hand will save me.
8. jehovah performs for me; O jehovah, your mercy is everlasting; forsake not the work of your hands.

Verse 2. I will bow myself down towards your holy temple. By temple, in a supreme sense, the lord is signified as to his Divine Humanity, in particular as to Divine truth; but in a representative sense, by temple is signified the lord's church in heaven; as also the lord's church in the world. That temple in a supreme sense signifies the lord as to his Divine Humanity, and in particular as to Divine truth, is evident from these passages: "Behold the lord whom you seek shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant," Malachi 3:1; "I will bow myself down towards your holy temple" Psalm 138:2; the temple of the holiness of jehovah, or the lord, is his Divine Humanity, for that is bowed down to, looked to, and prayed to, and not the temple only, for the temple in itself is not holy, it is called the temple of holiness, because holiness is predicated of Divine truth. AR 191.

Verse 8. Forsake not the work of your hands. All things which are done by the lord, are called the works of his hands, which are proper to him, and in themselves are goods and truths; as in these passages: "The works of jehovah's hands are truth and judgements," Psalm 111:7; "O jehovah, your mercy is everlasting; forsake not the work of your hands" Psalm 138:8. AR 457.