Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Psalms 138:2
I will worship toward thy holy temple, and praise thy name for thy lovingkindness and for thy truth: for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name.
I will worship – I will bow down and adore.
Toward thy holy temple – See the notes at Psa 5:7. The word temple here undoubtedly refers to the tabernacle.
And praise thy name for thy loving-kindness – Praise thee for thy benignity; thy mercy; thy benevolence.
And for thy truth – Thy truthfulness; thy faithfulness to thy promises.
For thou hast magnified thy word – Thou hast made it great. Compare Isa 42:21. The reference here is to the promises of God, and especially to the promise which God had made to David that the Messiah would descend from him. Compare 2 Sam. 7.
Above all thy name – Above all else that thou hast done; above all the other manifestations of thyself to me or to the world. The word name here would refer properly to all that God had done to make himself known – since it is by the name that we designate or distinguish anyone; and, thus understood, the meaning would be, that the word of God – the revelation which he has made of himself and of his gracious purposes to mankind – is superior in clearness, and in importance, to all the other manifestations which he has made of himself; all that can be known of him in his works. Beyond all question there are higher and clearer manifestations of himself, of his being, of his perfection, of his purposes, in the volume of revelation, than any which his works have disclosed or can disclose. Compare Psa 19:1-14. There are very many points in relation to God, of the highest interest to mankind, on which the disclosures of science shed no light; there are many things which it is desirable for man to know, which calmer be learned in the schools of philosophy; there are consolations which man needs in a world of trouble which cannot be found in nature; there is especially a knowledge of the method by which sin may be pardoned, and the soul saved, which can never be disclosed by the blow-pipe, the telescope, or the microscope. These things, if learned at all must be learned from revelation, and these are of more importance to man as a traveler to another world than all the learning which can be acquired in the schools of philosophy – valuable as that learning is.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Psa 138:2
Thou hast magnified Thy Word above all Thy Name.
The Word of God the highest manifestation
I. It is the highest manifestation of the Divine character.
1. The Bible is a manifestation through moral mind. This is greater than material nature; for the following reasons:–Moral mind is an uncompounded essence. It is a Divine offspring. It is a self-modifying agent. It is an original fountain of influences. You cannot predicate these things of matter.
2. It is a manifestation through the moral mind of a unique personage. Compare Christ with the greatest men.
II. It is the highest manifestation for the highest end.
1. It is a restoration. Restoration is a greater work either than destruction or sustentation.
2. It is the restoration of immortal souls. The restoration of a wrecked vessel may be a great work, the restoration of a dead flower is a greater, that of a body is still greater, the restoration of a disorganized empire is still greater, but that of an immortal soul is the greatest of all.
3. It is the restoration of a condemned criminal to a high position in the Divine empire. Kings and priests, etc.
4. It is the restoration of a diseased soul to immortal health and ever-increasing energy. (Homilist.)
The honour God puts upon His Word
I. What is meant by magnifying this word above all thy name?
1. It means putting special honour upon it; and this God has done–
(1) In the manner of revealing it.
(2) In the subject-matter of the revelation itself; and–
(3) In the special care He has taken to preserve it in its integrity and entirety.
2. It means giving it the first and chief place in the system of truths and agencies for the enlightenment and salvation of the world. And this is what God in His providence, as well as in His Sovereign purpose, has done.
(1) The Scriptures alone reveal God in Christ.
(2) The Scriptures alone direct the perishing soul to the Lamb of God which taketh away sin.
(3) The Scriptures alone teach the immortality of existence, the resurrection of the dead, and the certainty of future awards and punishments.
II. How God magnifies His Word.
1. By making it the power of God in the conversion of the soul. The only voice that can calm and inspire hope is the voice that sounds from Calvary out of Gods written Word.
2. By making it a sanctifying Word. Nothing but this will make them holy and fit for heaven. The philosophies and teachings of men never did and cannot do it.
3. By making it a comforting and a saving Word. It is the Christians solace. It helps him over lifes rough way. It is food, and drink, and shelter to him in his pilgrimage. It sweetens every cup. It kindles hope and assurance as the end draws nigh. It lights up the death chamber and puts the words of victory on the lips of the departing saint. (Homiletic Review.)
Gods Word magnified
I. Explain.
1. Gods Word is revelation in general, especially the doctrines of salvation–those which we justly call the fundamental principles of the Gospel.
2. Gods Name is His renown. Whether in His works or in His providence, He has fastened it upon His Word above all others (Psa 111:1-10.).
II. Apply. God has magnified His Word above all other displays of Himself, of His eternal power and Godhead, and of the glory of His dominion–
1. As a revelation of His nature.
2. As an instructor in His works.
3. As an interpreter of His providence.
4. As a declaration of His will.
5. As a manifestation of His grace.
6. As an exhibition of His perfections.
7. As the instrument of His power. By this He subdues and renovates the obstinate and rebellious hearts of men. (W. Collyer.)
Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell
Verse 2. For thy loving-kindness] Thy tender mercy shown to me; and for the fulfilment of thy truth – the promises thou hast made.
Thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name.] All the Versions read this sentence thus: “For thou hast magnified above all the name of thy holiness,” or, “thy holy name.” Thou hast proved that thou hast all power in heaven and in earth, and that thou art true in all thy words. And by giving the word of prophecy, and fulfilling those words, thou hast magnified thy holy name above all things – thou hast proved thyself to be ineffably great. The original is the following: ki higdalta al col shimcha, imrathecha, which I think might be thus translated: “For thou hast magnified thy name and thy word over all,” or, “on every occasion.” Kennicott reads, “He preferred faithfulness to his promise to the attribute of his power.” I believe my own translation to be nearest the truth. There may be some corruption in this clause.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Toward thy holy temple, where the ark was. He saith
toward it, because he was not permitted to enter into it.
For thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name; for thou hast glorified thy word or promise, or thy faithfulness in fulfilling thy promises unto me, more than any other of thy glorious perfections by which thou art known. Not that one of Gods attributes is really and in itself more great or glorious than another, or can be made so, but because one may be more celebrated and admired by men than another, as here Gods gracious promise made to David, and the wonderful accomplishment thereof in spite of all those difficulties which stood in the way, and which seemed to men to be insuperable, was at this time more observed and admired than any other of his attributes or actions. But here we must remember, that amongst the rest of the promises made to David, one was that the Messias should come out of his loins, and that those parts of the promised mercies which David had actually received were pledges to assure him that he should receive the rest in due time, and especially that great and eminent word of promise concerning the Messias, which might well be said to be magnified above all Gods name.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
2. (Compare Ps5:7).
thy word above all thynamethat is, God’s promise (2Sa7:12-16), sustained by His mercy and truth, exceeded all othermanifestations of Himself as subject of praise.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
I will worship towards thy holy temple,…. Not the temple at Jerusalem, which was not yet built, though, when it was, the Jews in their devotions at a distance looked towards it, 1Ki 8:38; but rather the tabernacle of Moses, in which was the ark, as Aben Ezra and Kimchi observe; and over that the mercy seat and cherubim, between which Jehovah dwelt; and this being a type of Christ’s human nature, which was perfectly holy, and is called by himself a temple, and is the true tabernacle God pitched, and not man, Joh 2:19; he may be designed, and to him, as Mediator, should we look, and with him deal in all our devotions for acceptance with God; see Jon 2:4; unless heaven itself is meant, which is the palace of Jehovah, the habitation of his holiness, his temple where he dwells, Ps 11:4;
and praise thy name, for thy lovingkindness and for thy truth; which may primarily regard the goodness and grace of God in promising David the kingdom, and his faithfulness in making good the promise, and for both which he was under obligation to praise the name of the Lord; and holds good with respect to all other promises: and it may also signify the free favour and love of God to his people, which is from everlasting, is the source of all blessings, and is better than life; and the faithfulness of God to himself, his perfections, purposes and promises, council and covenant: it may be rendered, “for thy grace, and for thy truth” m, which both come by Christ, Joh 1:17; grace may intend both the doctrine of grace, the Gospel of the grace of God preached by Christ, and the blessings of grace which come through him; as justification, pardon, adoption, sanctification, and eternal life, which are all of grace, and by Christ: and truth also may signify the word of truth, or solid substantial blessings, in distinction from typical ones; or the good things that come by Christ our High Priest, of which the law was only a shadow; and these are all of them things the name of the Lord is to be praised for;
for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name; or “above every name of thine” n; which Aben Ezra interprets of the glorious name Jehovah; the word God spake to Moses, the name in which he made himself known to him, and to the Israelites, he had not to their fathers, Ex 3:14; but rather it is to be understood of God’s word of promise, and his faithfulness in fulfilling it; which, though not a greater attribute than any other, yet is made more known and more illustrious than the rest; and particularly may regard the promise of the coming of the Messiah, and of the blessings of grace by him; Jarchi interprets it particularly of the pardon of sin. It may with propriety be applied to Christ, the essential Word, that was made flesh, and dwelt among men; whom God has highly exalted, and not only given him a name above every name of men on earth, but also above any particular name or attribute of his: or however he has magnified him “according” o to every name of his, it being his will that men should honour the Son as they honour the Father; or “with” p every name along with each of them; or “besides” q every name; for all these senses the word will bear. Some render them, as Ben Melech, “thou hast magnified above all things thy name” and “thy word”; or, as others, “thy name [by] thy word” r; see Ps 8:1; The Targum is,
“the words of thy praise above all thy name;”
or “over all thy name”: everything by which he has made himself known in creation and providence; “thou hast magnified thy word”, all being done according to the word said in himself, his decrees and purposes; or declared in his word and promises, whereby he has glorified it.
m So Cocceius, Gejerus, Michaelis. n “super omne nomen tuum”, Cocceius, Michaelis. o “Secundum omne nomen tuum”, Gejerus. p “Cum toto nomine tuo”, Junius Tremellius. q “Vel praeter omne nomen tuum”, Piscator. r “Nomen tuum sermone tuo” so some in Piscator.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
2. I will worship towards the temple (192) of thy holiness. H e intimates that he would show more than private gratitude, and, in order to set an example before others, come in compliance with the precept of the law into the sanctuary. He worshipped God spiritually, and yet would lift his eyes to those outward symbols which were the means then appointed for drawing the minds of God’s people upwards. He singles out the divine mercy and truth as the subject of his praise, for while the power and greatness of God are equally worthy of commendation, nothing has a more sensible influence in stimulating us to thanksgiving than his free mercy; and in communicating to us of his goodness he opens our mouth to sing his praises. As we cannot taste, or at least have any lively apprehensions in our souls of the divine mercy otherwise than through the word, mention is made of his faithfulness or truth. This coupling of mercy with truth is to be particularly taken notice of, as I have frequently observed, for however much the goodness of God may appear to us in its effects, such is our insensibility that it will never penetrate our minds, unless the word have come to us in the first place. Goodness is first mentioned, because the only ground upon which God shows himself to us as true is his having bound himself by his free promise. And it is in this that his unspeakable mercy shows itself — that he prevents those with it who were at a distance from him, and invites them to draw near to him by condescending to address them in a familiar manner. In the end of the verse some supply the copulative, and read — Thou hast magnified thy name and thy word above all things (193) This learned interpreters have rejected as a meagre rendering, and yet have themselves had recourse to what I consider a forced interpretation, Thou hast magnified thy name above all thy word I am satisfied David means to declare that God’s name is exalted above all things, specifying the particular manner in which he has exalted his name, by faithfully performing his free promises. Nor can any doubt that owing to our blind insensibility to the benefits which God bestows upon us, the best way in which he can awaken us to the right notice of them is by first addressing his word to us and then certifying and sealing his goodness by accomplishing what he has promised.
(192) This Psalm is entitled “a Psalm of David,” and Calvin considers him to be its author agreeably to the title; lint the mention of “the temple” in the second verse seems to render such an opinion doubtful. If, however, we translate this word by “mansion,” which is the proper rendering of the original — “the mansion of thy sanctity:” this objection to its composition by David falls to the ground. In the Septuagint version the title of this Psalm is, “A Psalm of David; of Haggai and Zechariah, when they were dispersed,” (comp. Ezr 5:1); meaning a Psalm of David, used by Haggai and Zechariah.
(193) According to this mode of rendering the passage כל, cal, the word for all, is independent of שמך, shimcha, the word for thy name. But “it has been properly observed by Aben Ezra, that כל in this case should have a Cholem, and not a Kametz Chateph, with which it is found in all copies. Besides, this translation is not supported by any of the ancient versions.” — Phillips.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(2) Notice that loving-kindness and truth are joined as inseparable attributes of Jehovah in His relation to the chosen race.
For thou hast magnifiedi.e., the promise made for help and deliverance has been fulfilled, and more than fulfilled. The psalmist often speaks of Jehovahs name, or reputation, or honour being at stake. Here the poet can say that the praise won is even beyond what might have been expected. It is true this would have been expressed more in accordance with our expectation by Thou hast magnified Thy Name above Thy promise; but comp. Psa. 48:10 for a similar thought, and for the language comp. Tennysons:
I am become a name.
The LXX. and Vulg. felt the difficulty too great, and render Thy holy one, instead of Thy word.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
2. Thy holy temple Here denoting the place of thy holiness.
Worship Bow down, prostrate myself.
Loving kindness and truth Mercy and truth, as Psa 25:10 the ground and theme of his thanksgiving, which is expressed with “all his heart,” joyfully and publicly before kings, and prostrate before God in the place of his worship. The style is strongly Davidic.
Magnified thy word That is, given it strength and honour by fulfilling it.
Above all thy name Taking “name” in its true philosophical and lexical idea, as the sign or memorial of a thing or person, and the understanding of a name to be the true conception of the thing it represents, the under thought, the phrase “above all thy name,” would mean, above all other manifestations of thyself. The divine word, which had been now so wonderfully verified in David’s history, and which still, in promise, ran forward “for a great while to come,” (2Sa 7:19,) “magnifying” itself into visions of Messiah and his future Church, had transcended all other memorials of himself. The phrase should be taken in connexion with 2Sa 7:18-29. See introductory note.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
DISCOURSE: 729
GODS WORD MAGNIFIED
Psa 138:2. Thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name.
A DEVOUT mind will never want occasions for praising God: but there are some occasions whereon it will find peculiar liberty and enlargement. If, for instance, we have been in deep affliction; if we have had recourse to God in prayer; if we have laid hold on his promises, and pleaded them before him; and, in particular, if we have had them accomplished to our souls; this process prepares the mind, quickens it, elevates it, and so fills it, that it cannot but express its feelings in gratitude and praise.
David had, under some deep affliction, used these means for relief, and found their efficacy: In the day when I cried, thou answeredst me, and strengthenedst me with strength in my soul [Note: ver. 3.]. Constrained by a sense of this great mercy, he breaks forth into this devout acknowledgment: I will praise thee with my whole heart: before the gods (that is, in the presence of all the great ones of the earth) will I sing praise unto thee. I will worship towards thy holy temple, and praise thy name for thy loving-kindness and for thy truth (which, in this particular instance, thou hast so signally displayed:) for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name; and hast shewn that it shall infallibly be fulfilled to all who trust in it.
From these words I will take occasion to shew,
I.
What honour God puts upon his word
He magnifies it above all his name, that is, above every thing whereby he has made himself known to mortal man. He has revealed himself in part, by his works of Creation and Providence; but far more abundantly by his word. He has sent it to us,
1.
As a mirror, to reflect his glory
[The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handy-work [Note: Psa 19:1.]. From them may his eternal power and Godhead be clearly seen [Note: Rom 1:20.]. In his providential dealings, also, is much of his wisdom and goodness exhibited. But of his perfections, generally, we can form no idea from these things: of his purposes we can know nothing. The state of the heathen world clearly attests this: for they behold the wonders of creation and providence, as well as we: There is no speech nor language where their voice is not heard: their line is gone out into all the earth, and their words unto the end of the world [Note: Psa 19:3-4.]. But in the sacred volume all the glory of the Godhead shines: there we are admitted, so to speak, even to the council-chamber of the Most High; to hear the covenant entered into between the Father and the Son; the Father engaging to give to him a seed, whom he should have for his inheritance, if he, on his part, would make his soul an offering for their sins, and, in their nature, expiate the guilt of their iniquities [Note: Isa 53:10. with Psa 40:6-8.]. This mysterious transaction having taken place in the incarnation and death of the Lord Jesus Christ, we behold all the perfections of God united and harmonizing in a way that they never did, nor could, by any other means: we see justice more inexorable, than if it had executed vengeance on the whole human race; and mercy more abundant, than if it had spared the whole human race without any such atonement. There, as it is well expressed, Mercy and truth are met together, and righteousness and peace kiss each other [Note: Psa 85:10.]. Of this great mystery we find not a trace in the whole creation besides: but in the word it is reflected, as in a mirror [Note: 2Co 3:18.]; and shines so bright, that the very angels around the throne are made wiser by the revelation of it to the Church [Note: Eph 3:10.].]
2.
As a standard, to which every thing may be referred
[Of Gods will we know nothing, but from the word: we know neither good nor evil from all that is before us. What God requires of us, nothing in creation or providence can inform us: what he will do for us, we cannot ascertain: how he will deal with us in the eternal world, we cannot learn. But, in the sacred volume, all is written as with a sun-beam. There is nothing which God expects us to do for him, which is not there most explicitly declared: nothing which he engages to do for us, that does not form the subject of a distinct promise. The whole of his procedure in the day of judgment is there laid open: the laws by which we shall be judged; the manner in which the testimony, whether against us or in our favour, shall be produced; the grounds on which the sentence of condemnation or acquittal shall be passed; yea, the very state to which every person, either as acquitted or condemned, shall be consigned; all is so clearly made known, that every person, who will judge himself with candour now, may assuredly anticipate his fate. There is nothing left to conjecture. Every man has a standard to which he may refer, for the rectifying of his judgment in every particular: so that nothing can be added, for the instruction of our minds, or the regulation of our future expectations.]
3.
As a fountain, from whence all his blessings emanate
[Great blessings, beyond all doubt, flow down to us through the works of creation and providence: in fact, they are incessantly administering to our welfare; for God opens his hands, and fills all things living with plenteousness. Still, however, the benefits derived from them are only temporal; whereas those which the inspired volume imparts are spiritual and eternal: from thence we derive all our knowledge of divine truth, and all our hopes of everlasting salvation. Nor is it the knowledge only of truth that we obtain, but the operation and efficacy of it on our souls. There is in divine truth, when applied by the Holy Spirit, a power to wound, to heal, to sanctify, to save [Note: Psa 19:7-11.]. When it comes to the soul with power, the stoutest heart in the universe is made to tremble: when it is poured out as balm, the most afflicted creature under heaven is made to leap for joy. Look over the face of the globe, and see how many, who were once under the unrestrained dominion of sin, are now transformed into the image of their God. And then ascend to heaven, and behold the myriads of the redeemed around the throne of God, uniting their hallelujahs to God and to the Lamb: to this state were they all brought by that blessed word, which alone could ever prevail for so great a work. Thus it is that God has magnified his word; and thus it is that he will magnify it to the end of time; yea, through eternity will it be acknowledged as the one source of all the blessings that shall ever be enjoyed.]
Does God so honour his word? Surely, then, we may see,
II.
What honour we should put upon it
I will here content myself with specifying only two particulars:
1.
We should regulate ourselves altogether by it
[We should know no other rule, either for our faith or practice. Whatever that speaks, we should receive with the most implicit confidence. Reason must judge whether there be sufficient evidence of its divine origin: but, that once admitted, the whole must be received by faith. We are not to be sitting in judgment on Gods word, and saying, I cannot understand how there should be three persons in the Godhead; or how the Son should become incarnate; or how the Holy Spirit should dwell in the heart of a believer; or how we should be ultimately saved by a righteousness not our own. I say, we are not called to sit in judgment upon these things, but to receive them on the authority of God himself, who alone knows the manner of his own subsistence, or what is that mode of imparting salvation which is most suited to his own divine character.
If it be thought, that to expect a rational being so to submit his reason to the authority of revelation, is to require a sacrifice that is unworthy of him; I answer, that this is the very way in which all human knowledge is acquired. What knows a child, for instance, respecting the elements of language? You tell him, but in terms which he cannot comprehend, what grammar is, and what its rules are for the construction of language. What your instructions mean, he has no conception: but he takes for granted, that what you tell him is true: and from first receiving it simply on your authority, he comes, in time, to see that things are so, and must be so; that there is, in fact, no other way of communicating any abstract idea; and that, by that contrivance, we may open to the mind of another person the very inmost recesses of our own. Thus, in receiving the mysterious truths of God, we first take them on the authority of our Divine Teacher; then, gradually finding that they correspond with our own experience, we see that they are precisely as they have been represented to us: then we come to find that they could not be otherwise: and, in the issue, we obtain such views of their individual importance, their general harmony, and their mutual subserviency to the glory of God in the salvation of man, that we have no more doubt of them than of our own existence.
But it is not in speculative views that we must rest: we must, if we would indeed magnify the word, take it also as the rule of our conduct. We must not take offence at any thing because it requires more than we are disposed to yield: but, instead of lowering the command to our attainments, we must endeavour to elevate our attainments to it. The very thoughts and imaginations of our hearts must be brought into obedience to Gods blessed word; and our whole souls be cast into it, as into a mould [Note: Rom 6:17. The Greek.], not leaving a lineament in that unimpressed upon our souls, or retaining a feature upon our souls unconformed to that.
This is the way in which we are to honour the word; and to fail in any part of this, is to refuse it that entire submission which it requires at our hands.]
2.
We should endeavour to circulate it to the very ends of the earth
[This must follow as a matter of course. For, do we possess a mirror that reflects all the glory of our God; and shall we not desire that every human being may behold its light? Have we a standard to which every thing that is interesting to man may be referred; and shall we not give to the whole world the advantage of it? Have we a fountain from whence all imaginable blessings flow; and shall we keep it to ourselves, and not endeavour to impart its blessings to every child of man? Surely we must rather pant for an opportunity to make it known to the whole world. We must strive to circulate it through every country under heaven, whether civilized or savage: we must be ready to engage in translating it into every language in the world, in order that all men may be able to read in their own tongue the wonderful works of God. To preach it, too, we should account our highest honour, though it be amongst the most uncivilized nations of the earth: nor let it be thought that the most transcendent talents can be applied to any better purpose than this. On the contrary, the more eminent any persons talents are, the more would we urge him to consecrate them to the blessed work of translating this sacred volume into languages in which it has never yet appeared, and of instructing his fellow-creatures who are yet sitting in darkness and the shadow of death. Even an angel from heaven accounts it an honour to carry this book through the vast expanse of heaven, to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people [Note: Rev 14:6]. Let it not then be thought an occupation unworthy of us; and, whilst we are earnestly praying to God that he would send forth his light and his truth to every quarter of the globe, let us, by every possible means, endeavour to promote this glorious and blessed object. Let us first seek to have the word of Christ dwelling richly in all wisdom in our own souls, and then labour that it may have free course, and be glorified throughout the earth.]
Fuente: Charles Simeon’s Horae Homileticae (Old and New Testaments)
Psa 138:2 I will worship toward thy holy temple, and praise thy name for thy lovingkindness and for thy truth: for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name.
Ver. 2. I will worship toward thy holy temple ] Wheresoever I am the face of my soul shall turn, like the needle of a dial, by sacred instinct, towards thee, in the ark of thy presence, in the Son of thy love (Abbot).
For thy lovingkindness and for thy truth
For thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
holy. See note on Exo 3:5.
temple = house or palace. Hebrew. heykal.
name. See note on Psa 20:1.
magnified: i.e. by fulfilling it beyond all expectation.
word = sayings. Hebrew. ‘imrah. See App-73.
name. See note on Psa 20:1.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
toward: Psa 5:7, Psa 28:2, Psa 99:5, Psa 99:9, 1Ki 8:29, 1Ki 8:30, Dan 6:10
and praise: Psa 36:5, Psa 36:6, Psa 85:10, Psa 86:15, Psa 89:1, Psa 89:2, Psa 100:4, Psa 100:5, Psa 115:1, Isa 63:7, Mic 7:18-20, Luk 1:68-72, Joh 1:17, Rom 15:8, Rom 15:9
for thou hast: Psa 56:4, Psa 56:10, Isa 42:21, Mat 5:18, Mat 24:35, Joh 10:35
Reciprocal: Exo 34:6 – truth 2Sa 7:21 – thy word’s 1Ki 8:15 – hath 2Ch 6:4 – who hath with Psa 48:10 – According Psa 71:22 – even Psa 75:1 – for that Psa 91:4 – his truth Psa 119:58 – be merciful Act 13:48 – glorified Rom 3:4 – let God Col 2:18 – intruding 1Th 5:24 – Faithful 2Th 3:1 – be 1Ti 1:11 – glorious
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
GODS WONDERFUL WORD
Thou hast magnified Thy word above all Thy Name.
Psa 138:2
I. There are myriads who profess to believe in the Son of God, who never study His word.It is in their possession; it is perhaps perused;but it is not pondered; it is not prayed over. The pearl-like truths which lie on the very surface of it are never discovered. It is with the priceless stores which are deposited there as it was with the ample wealth concealed between the pages of a Bible presented to a thoughtless youth when he left his parents home, but which he never discovered, because he never opened the book.
II. But let us now consider some of the riches imparted to man through that word of God which He has magnified above all His name.
It has shed light into many a dark soul, led millions to the knowledge of God, and prepared them for a blessed eternity. It has turned them from the path of the destroyer into the path of peace, and never forsaken them till it saw them safe in glory.
The Bible has made many a dying mans chamber an anteroom to heaven, and many a dying mans soul a dwelling of the King of kings. It has projected its light into the very grave, and enabled multitudes to say, Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil.
The Bible has made many a widows heart leap for joy, when it told her in words which the Holy Ghost teaches, Thy Maker is thy husband.
The Bible has done more for man than all that we can ever learn from ocean, earth, or sky can accomplish. It has made God known as the God of saved sinners; the God who loved us, and sent His son to die for us, even when we lay polluted in our blood.
Illustration
The Bible has elevated woman to her Divinely appointed rank as the companion, not the slave, of man. The Bible has tamed fierce nations; it has subdued the cannibal and made him gentle. It has elevated the Samoyede, and made even him a man. True, not by itself, but by the Spirit of God have these things been achieved, through means of the Bible. But that Spirit waits to be gracious; and may He breathe on us, to quicken us from spiritual death, and teach us to walk with Christ in newness of life, that we may be fellow-workers with God in magnifying His word above all His Name!
Fuente: Church Pulpit Commentary
138:2 I will worship toward thy holy {b} temple, and praise thy name for thy lovingkindness and for thy truth: for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name.
(b) Both the temple and ceremonial service at Christ’s coming were abolished: so that now God will be worshipped only in spirit and truth, Joh 4:23.