Psalm 138 is a wholehearted thanksgiving: “I will praise thee, O Lord, with my whole heart: for thou hast heard the words of my mouth. I will sing praise to thee in the sight of the angels.” Because of that verse the Church sings it on the feast of the Archangels. In the Douay-Rheims it is numbered Psalm 137. Below is the full Catholic text, what the psalm means, how the Church uses it, and a prayer.
Psalm 138 in the Douay-Rheims Bible
I will praise thee, O Lord, with my whole heart: for thou hast heard the words of my mouth. I will sing praise to thee in the sight of the angels:
I will worship towards thy holy temple, and I will give glory to thy name. For thy mercy, and for thy truth: for thou hast magnified thy holy name above all.
In what day soever I shall call upon thee, hear me: thou shall multiply strength in my soul.
May all the kings of the earth give glory to thee: for they have heard all the words of thy mouth.
And let them sing in the ways of the Lord: for great is the glory of the Lord.
For the Lord is high, and looketh on the low: and the high he knoweth afar off.
If I shall walk in the midst of tribulation, thou wilt quicken me: and thou hast stretched forth thy hand against the wrath of my enemies: and thy right hand hath saved me.
The Lord will repay for me: thy mercy, O Lord, endureth for ever: O despise not the work of thy hands.
Psalm 138 or Psalm 137?
The Douay-Rheims Bible follows the numbering of the Latin Vulgate and the Greek Septuagint, while most modern Bibles follow the Hebrew. So the Douay’s Psalm 137 is Psalm 138 in the New American Bible and other modern translations. In Latin the psalm begins Confitebor tibi, Domine, in toto corde meo. See how many psalms are there?
What the psalm means
- Wholehearted praise: thanksgiving for a prayer that was heard.
- In the sight of the angels: when we pray, we join the worship of heaven, especially at Mass. See the Guardian Angel prayer.
- Strength in the soul: “In what day soever I shall call upon thee, hear me: thou shall multiply strength in my soul.”
- God sees the lowly: “the Lord is high, and looketh on the low.”
- God finishes his work: “O despise not the work of thy hands.”
How the Church uses Psalm 138
- On the Feast of Sts. Michael, Gabriel and Raphael (September 29): “In the sight of the angels I will sing your praises, Lord.” See the Feast of the Archangels.
- At Mass on several Sundays, including the Fifth and Seventeenth Sundays in Ordinary Time (Year C) and the Twenty-First Sunday (Year A).
A prayer with Psalm 138
Written for this page:
I thank you, Lord, with all my heart, for you have heard my prayer.
In the presence of the angels I sing your praise.
When I called, you answered me and gave strength to my soul.
Your mercy endures for ever; do not abandon the work of your hands. Amen.
Frequently asked questions
Why is Psalm 138 used on the feast of the Archangels?
Because of the verse “I will sing praise to thee in the sight of the angels.”
What is Psalm 138 about?
Wholehearted thanksgiving to God for answered prayer, and trust that he will complete what he has begun.
More psalms and prayers
Texts and sources
- Scripture: Psalm 137 (138), Douay-Rheims Bible (Challoner), public domain.
- The prayer was written for this page.