What is the meaning of Psalm 138:5?

They will sing

• Verse 4 sets the stage: “All the kings of the earth will give You thanks, O LORD, when they hear what You have promised”. The “they” who break into song are earthly rulers—people of influence who have come face-to-face with God’s faithfulness.

• God does not coerce their praise; His deeds compel it. Compare Psalm 66:4—“All the earth will worship You and sing praises to You.” Revelation 19:6 pictures a similar thunderous chorus around the throne.

• Because Scripture is literally true, this promise points forward to a real, future moment when world leaders will acknowledge the Lord openly (see Philippians 2:10-11).

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of the ways of the LORD

• “Ways” speaks of God’s path—His consistent character and actions. Psalm 25:10 declares, “All the LORD’s ways are loving and faithful.”

• These ways are observable:

– Deliverance (Exodus 14:29-31)

– Provision (Psalm 23:1-3)

– Righteous judgments (Psalm 19:9)

• When rulers grasp these patterns, praise naturally follows. Isaiah 55:8-9 reminds us His ways soar above ours, magnifying awe.

• For believers today, rehearsing God’s ways fuels steady worship; 1 Peter 2:21 urges us to walk in those same footsteps.

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for the glory of the LORD is great

• “Glory” describes God’s manifest worth—His visible, weighty splendor. Moses begged, “Please show me Your glory” (Exodus 33:18), and the Lord revealed compassionate holiness.

• Here the psalmist ties singing directly to glory: praise erupts because glory is undeniable. Isaiah 6:3 records seraphim crying, “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of Hosts; all the earth is full of His glory.”

• The greatness of that glory is:

– Infinite—Heaven and earth cannot contain it (1 Kings 8:27).

– Universal—Habakkuk 2:14 promises the earth “will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD.”

– Redemptive—Christ is “the radiance of God’s glory” (Hebrews 1:3), and Revelation 5:13 shows every creature extolling the Lamb.

• Because God’s glory is objectively vast, the proper human response is wholehearted, vocal worship.

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summary

Psalm 138:5 pictures earthly leaders bursting into song when they perceive the Lord’s faithful ways and overwhelming glory. Their praise is spontaneous yet inevitable, anchored in literal truths about who God is and what He does. The verse calls every reader to echo that same melody—declaring the Lord’s paths and greatness until the whole earth joins the chorus.