Psalm 138:4
New International Version
May all the kings of the earth praise you, LORD, when they hear what you have decreed.

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

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

Berean Standard Bible
All the kings of the earth will give You thanks, O LORD, when they hear the words of Your mouth.

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

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

New American Standard Bible
All the kings of the earth will give thanks to You, LORD, When they have heard the words of Your mouth.

NASB 1995
All the kings of the earth will give thanks to You, O LORD, When they have heard the words of Your mouth.

NASB 1977
All the kings of the earth will give thanks to Thee, O LORD, When they have heard the words of Thy mouth.

Legacy Standard Bible
All the kings of the earth, O Yahweh, will give You thanks, When they hear the words of Your mouth.

Amplified Bible
All the kings of the land will give thanks and praise You, O LORD, When they have heard of the promises of Your mouth [which were fulfilled].

Christian Standard Bible
All the kings on earth will give you thanks, LORD, when they hear what you have promised.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
All the kings on earth will give You thanks, LORD, when they hear what You have promised.

American Standard Version
All the kings of the earth shall give thee thanks, O Jehovah, For they have heard the words of thy mouth.

Contemporary English Version
All kings on this earth have heard your promises, LORD, and they will praise you.

English Revised Version
All the kings of the earth shall give thee thanks, O LORD, for they have heard the words of thy mouth.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
All the kings of the earth will give thanks to you, O LORD, because they have heard the promises you spoke.

Good News Translation
All the kings in the world will praise you, LORD, because they have heard your promises.

International Standard Version
LORD, all the kings of the earth will give you thanks, for they have heard what you have spoken.

Majority Standard Bible
All the kings of the earth will give You thanks, O LORD, when they hear the words of Your mouth.

NET Bible
Let all the kings of the earth give thanks to you, O LORD, when they hear the words you speak.

New Heart English Bible
All the kings of the earth will give you thanks, LORD, for they have heard the words of your mouth.

Webster's Bible Translation
All the kings of the earth shall praise thee, O LORD, when they hear the words of thy mouth.

World English Bible
All the kings of the earth will give you thanks, Yahweh, for they have heard the words of your mouth.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
O YHWH, all kings of earth confess You, "" When they have heard the sayings of Your mouth.

Young's Literal Translation
O Jehovah, all kings of earth confess Thee, When they have heard the sayings of Thy mouth.

Smith's Literal Translation
All the kings of the earth shall praise thee, O Jehovah, for they heard the sayings of thy mouth.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
May all the kings of the earth give glory to thee: for they have heard all the words of thy mouth.

Catholic Public Domain Version
May all the kings of the earth confess to you, O Lord. For they have heard all the words of your mouth.

New American Bible
All the kings of earth will praise you, LORD, when they hear the words of your mouth.

New Revised Standard Version
All the kings of the earth shall praise you, O LORD, for they have heard the words of your mouth.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
All the kings of the earth shall praise thee, O LORD, for they have heard the words of thy mouth.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
All the Kings of the Earth shall confess to you, LORD JEHOVAH, because they have heard the speech of your mouth!
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
All the kings of the earth shall give Thee thanks, O LORD, For they have heard the words of Thy mouth.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
Let all the kings of the earth, o Lord, give thanks unto thee; for they have heard all the words of thy mouth.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
I Will Give You Thanks with All My Heart
3On the day I called, You answered me; You emboldened me and strengthened my soul. 4All the kings of the earth will give You thanks, O LORD, when they hear the words of Your mouth. 5They will sing of the ways of the LORD, for the glory of the LORD is great.…

Cross References
Philippians 2:10-11
that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, / and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Revelation 15:4
Who will not fear You, O Lord, and glorify Your name? For You alone are holy. All nations will come and worship before You, for Your righteous acts have been revealed.”

Isaiah 45:23
By Myself I have sworn; truth has gone out from My mouth, a word that will not be revoked: Every knee will bow before Me, every tongue will swear allegiance.

Romans 14:11
It is written: “As surely as I live, says the Lord, every knee will bow before Me; every tongue will confess to God.”

Revelation 21:24
By its light the nations will walk, and into it the kings of the earth will bring their glory.

Psalm 72:11
May all kings bow down to him and all nations serve him.

Zechariah 14:9
On that day the LORD will become King over all the earth—the LORD alone, and His name alone.

Revelation 19:16
And He has a name written on His robe and on His thigh: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.

Psalm 22:27-28
All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the LORD. All the families of the nations will bow down before Him. / For dominion belongs to the LORD and He rules over the nations.

Isaiah 2:2-3
In the last days the mountain of the house of the LORD will be established as the chief of the mountains; it will be raised above the hills, and all nations will stream to it. / And many peoples will come and say: “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob. He will teach us His ways so that we may walk in His paths.” For the law will go forth from Zion, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.

Daniel 7:14
And He was given dominion, glory, and kingship, that the people of every nation and language should serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and His kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.

Revelation 11:15
Then the seventh angel sounded his trumpet, and loud voices called out in heaven: “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ, and He will reign forever and ever.”

Psalm 86:9
All the nations You have made will come and bow before You, O Lord, and they will glorify Your name.

Isaiah 60:3
Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn.

Matthew 28:18
Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me.


Treasury of Scripture

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

all the kings

Psalm 72:11
Yea, all kings shall fall down before him: all nations shall serve him.

Psalm 102:15,22
So the heathen shall fear the name of the LORD, and all the kings of the earth thy glory…

Isaiah 49:23
And kings shall be thy nursing fathers, and their queens thy nursing mothers: they shall bow down to thee with their face toward the earth, and lick up the dust of thy feet; and thou shalt know that I am the LORD: for they shall not be ashamed that wait for me.

when they hear

Psalm 22:22,27
I will declare thy name unto my brethren: in the midst of the congregation will I praise thee…

Psalm 51:13
Then will I teach transgressors thy ways; and sinners shall be converted unto thee.

Psalm 69:30-32
I will praise the name of God with a song, and will magnify him with thanksgiving…

Jump to Previous
Celebrate Confess Ears Earth Hear Heard Kings Mouth Praise Sayings Thanks Words
Jump to Next
Celebrate Confess Ears Earth Hear Heard Kings Mouth Praise Sayings Thanks Words
Psalm 138
1. David praises God for the truth of his word
4. He prophesies that the kings of the earth shall praise God
7. He professes his confidence in God














All the kings of the earth
This phrase emphasizes the universal scope of God's influence and authority. In the Hebrew text, the word for "kings" is "מַלְכֵי" (malkhei), which denotes rulers or sovereigns. Historically, kings were seen as the ultimate authority in their realms, yet this verse prophetically envisions a time when all earthly rulers will recognize a higher divine authority. This reflects the biblical theme of God's sovereignty over all nations, as seen in passages like Psalm 2, where the kings of the earth are called to serve the Lord with reverence.

will give You thanks, O LORD
The act of giving thanks, or "יֹודוּךָ" (yodukha) in Hebrew, is a profound acknowledgment of God's goodness and deeds. The use of "O LORD" (Yahweh) signifies a personal and covenantal relationship between God and His people. This thanksgiving is not just a ritualistic act but a heartfelt response to God's revealed character and works. In a conservative Christian perspective, this anticipates the eschatological fulfillment when every knee will bow and every tongue confess the Lordship of Christ, as echoed in Philippians 2:10-11.

when they hear the words of Your mouth
The phrase "the words of Your mouth" underscores the power and authority of God's spoken word. In Hebrew, "דִּבְרֵי פִיךָ" (divrei fikha) conveys the idea of divine revelation. Throughout Scripture, God's word is depicted as living and active, capable of transforming hearts and nations. Historically, the words of God were delivered through prophets, and ultimately through Jesus Christ, the Word made flesh (John 1:14). This verse suggests that the revelation of God's truth will lead to a global acknowledgment of His sovereignty, inspiring worship and gratitude among all peoples.

(4, 5) The general sense of these verses is plain, though there are slightly different ways of understanding the expressions. The psalmist imagines that the word or promise, which has been so abundantly fulfilled, will, by its performance, convince all the kings of the earth, and bring them in confession and praise to Jehovah. For a Hebrew the expression "hear the words of Thy mouth," referring in this instance immediately back to Psalm 138:2, was synonymous with "see Thy wonders," since for them "God spoke and it was done."

Verse 4. - All the kings of the earth shall praise thee, O Lord. The world shall be converted to thy worship when it is seen how promptly and fully thou answerest prayer (comp. Psalm 68:31, 32; Psalm 102:15). When they hear the words of thy mouth. The promises that thou makest, and thy performance of them.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
All
כָּל־ (kāl-)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 3605: The whole, all, any, every

the kings
מַלְכֵי־ (mal·ḵê-)
Noun - masculine plural construct
Strong's 4428: A king

of the earth
אָ֑רֶץ (’ā·reṣ)
Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 776: Earth, land

will give You thanks,
יוֹד֣וּךָ (yō·w·ḏū·ḵā)
Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - third person masculine plural | second person masculine singular
Strong's 3034: To throw, at, away, to revere, worship, to bemoan

O LORD,
יְ֭הוָה (Yah·weh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3068: LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israel

when
כִּ֥י (kî)
Conjunction
Strong's 3588: A relative conjunction

they hear
שָׁ֝מְע֗וּ (mə·‘ū)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural
Strong's 8085: To hear intelligently

the words
אִמְרֵי־ (’im·rê-)
Noun - masculine plural construct
Strong's 561: Something said

of Your mouth.
פִֽיךָ׃ (p̄î·ḵā)
Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine singular
Strong's 6310: The mouth, edge, portion, side, according to


Links
Psalm 138:4 NIV
Psalm 138:4 NLT
Psalm 138:4 ESV
Psalm 138:4 NASB
Psalm 138:4 KJV

Psalm 138:4 BibleApps.com
Psalm 138:4 Biblia Paralela
Psalm 138:4 Chinese Bible
Psalm 138:4 French Bible
Psalm 138:4 Catholic Bible

OT Poetry: Psalm 138:4 All the kings of the earth will (Psalm Ps Psa.)
Psalm 138:3
Top of Page
Top of Page