Commentary on Psalms Volume 3 John Calvin (continued)
Psalm 138
PSALM 138
In this Psalm David, in remembrance of the singular help which had always been vouchsafed him by God — the experience he had enjoyed of his faithfulness and goodness, takes occasion to stir himself up to gratitude; and from what he had known of the divine faithfulness, he anticipates a continuance of the same mercy. If dangers must be met, he confidently looks for a happy issue.
A Psalm of David.
Psalm 138:1-5
1. I will praise thee 630 with my whole heart, before the gods 631 will I sing psalms to thee. 2. I will worship thee towards the temple of Here "O Jehovah" is to be understood. Though it is not in the received Hebrew text, it was found in six copies examined by Dr. Kennicott, and in eight examined by De Rossi. The Septuagint, Arabic, Vulgate, and AEthiopic versions add" Jehovah" after the verb for "praise." "The omission of the Divine name," says Jebb, in his Translation of the Psalms, "in a passage like this, at the beginning of the Psalm, is altogether unexampled."
By the Hebrew word,אלהיםElohim, translated gods, Calvin understands "angels" or "kings," but particularly the former. It is however proper to observe that,אלהיםElohim, is one of the names applied to the Supreme Being in the sacred volume, and therefore some critics translate "before God," which they explain as meaning "before the ark," where were the sacred symbols of his presence. If after the Hebrew word for "before," we should suppose "thee" to be understood, the reading would be "before thee, or in thy presence, O God! will I sing praise unto thee."