above whom he has been lifted up by the promise of an eternal kingship. Before these earthly “gods” will David praise the God of the promise; they shall hear for their salutary confusion, for their willing rendering of homage, that God hath made him “the highest with respect to the kings of the earth” (Psa 89:28).
Verses 3-6
There are two things for which the poet gives thanks to God: He has answered him in the days of trouble connected with his persecution by Saul and in all distresses; and by raising him to the throne, and granting him victory upon victory, and promising him the everlasting possession of the throne, He has filled him with a proud courage, so that lofty feeling has taken up its abode in his soul, which was formerly fearful about help. Just as רהב signifies impetuosity, vehemence, and then also a monster, so הרהיב signifies both to break in upon one violently and overpowerlingly (Sol 6:5; cf. Syriac arheb, Arabic arhaba, to terrify), and to make any one courageous, bold, and confident of victory. בּנפשׁי עז forms a corollary to the verb that is marked by Mugrash or Dechî: so that in my soul there was עז, i.e., power, viz., a consciousness of power (cf. Jdg 5:21). The thanksgiving, which he, the king of the promise, offers to God on account of this, will be transmitted to all the kings of the earth when they shall hear (שׁמעוּ in the sense of a fut. exactum) the words of His mouth, i.e., the divine אמרה, and they shall sing of (שׁיר with בּ, like דּבּר בּ in Psa 87:3, שׂיח בּ in Psa 105:2 and frequently, הלּל בּ in Psa 44:9, הזכּיר בּ in Psa 20:8, and the like) the ways of the God of the history of salvation, they shall sing that great is the glory of Jahve. Psa 138:6 tells us by what means He has so super-gloriously manifested Himself in His leadings of David. He has shown Himself to be the Exalted One who is His all-embracing rule does not leave the lowly (cf. David's confessions in Psa 131:1; 2Sa 6:22) unnoticed (Psa 113:6), but on the contrary makes him the especial object of His regard; and on the other hand even from afar (cf. Psa 139:2) He sees through (ידע as in Psa 94:11; Jer 29:23) the lofty one who thinks himself unobserved and conducts himself as if he were answerable to no higher being (Psa 10:4). In correct texts וגבה has Mugrash, and ממרחק Mercha. The form of the fut. Kal יידע is formed after the analogy of the Hiphil forms ייליל in Isa 16:7, and frequently, and ייטיב in
