Psalms 138:5

Hebrew (Westminster Leningrad Codex)

English Translation

Yes, they will sing of the ways of Yahweh; For great is Yahweh's glory.

World English Bible · Public Domain

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וְ֭יָשִׁירוּ

shîyr

H7891

“and · to sing”

Conjunction + Verb, Qal, Imperfect, 3rd Person, Masculine, Plural

Appears 88× in the Hebrew Bible
First appears at Exodus 15:1

Full BDB Definition

Origin: a primitive root [identical with H7788 through the idea of strolling minstrelsy]

TWOT: 2378

to sing - (Qal) - to sing - singer, songstresses (participle) - (Polel) - to sing - singer, songstress (participle) - (Hophal) to be sung

About this verse

These counts appear in no published source. They are computed here, from the morphology-tagged text and Lemma’s own curated glosses. What Lemma adds →

7: words
6: distinct lemmas
Wisdom: section

Grammatical profile

1 verb
4 nouns
1 adjective
1 conjunction

Verb forms

וְ֭יָשִׁירוּ Qal · Imperfect

Repetition

A word recurs within this verse — often emphatic in Hebrew:

יְהוָ֑ה LORD H3068 ×2

Hebrew & Septuagint length

In English translation the verse runs 14 words from the Hebrew and 18 from the Septuagint (LXX English) — closely comparable.

A rough comparison of the two English renderings, which tokenize alike — not a word-level alignment.

Word counts can differ between the Hebrew and the Greek without any difference in meaning — e.g. the Hebrew direct-object marker אֵת has no separate Greek word, and Greek often adds the article ὁ.

In the original languages it is 7 Hebrew tokens and 11 Greek tokens — but the two are counted differently (Hebrew bundles its prefixes and suffixes into one token; the Greek is in lemma form), so that isn’t a like-for-like length.

Cross-references

Topical passages linked to Psalms 138:5 in the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — connected by theme and wording, ordered by reader-vote popularity; previews shown in the World English Bible.

Psalms 21:5 His glory is great in your salvation. You lay honor and majesty on him.
Revelation 4:11 "Worthy are you, our Lord and God, the Holy One, to receive the glory, the honor, and the power, for you created all things, and because of your desire they existed, and were created!"
Revelation 7:12 saying, "Amen! Blessing, glory, wisdom, thanksgiving, honor, power, and might, be to our God forever and ever! Amen."
Isaiah 6:1–3 In the year that king Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up; and his train filled the temple.
Malachi 1:11 For from the rising of the sun even to the going down of the same, my name is great among the nations, and in every place incense will be offered to my name, and a pure offering: for my name is great among the nations," says Yahweh of Hosts.
Revelation 5:12–14 saying with a loud voice, "Worthy is the Lamb who has been killed to receive the power, wealth, wisdom, strength, honor, glory, and blessing!"
Exodus 15:11 Who is like you, Yahweh, among the gods? Who is like you, glorious in holiness, Fearful in praises, doing wonders?
Exodus 33:18–19 He said, "Please show me your glory."

Revelation 19:1 After these things I heard something like a loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, saying, "Hallelujah! Salvation, power, and glory belong to our God:
Isaiah 52:7–10 How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who publishes peace, who brings good news of good, who publishes salvation, who says to Zion, Your God reigns!
Isaiah 66:10–14 Rejoice you with Jerusalem, and be glad for her, all you who love her: rejoice for joy with her, all you who mourn over her;
Jeremiah 31:11–12 For Yahweh has ransomed Jacob, and redeemed him from the hand of him who was stronger than he.
Zephaniah 3:14–15 Sing, daughter of Zion! Shout, Israel! Be glad and rejoice with all your heart, daughter of Jerusalem.
Matthew 21:5–9 "Tell the daughter of Zion, Behold, your King comes to you, Humble, and riding on a donkey, On a colt, the foal of a donkey."
John 13:31–32 When he had gone out, Jesus said, "Now the Son of Man has been glorified, and God has been glorified in him.
John 17:1 Jesus said these things, and lifting up his eyes to heaven, he said, "Father, the time has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may also glorify you;

2 Corinthians 4:6 seeing it is God who said, "Light will shine out of darkness," who has shone in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
Ephesians 1:12 to the end that we should be to the praise of his glory, we who had before hoped in Christ:
Luke 19:37–38 As he was now getting near, at the descent of the Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works which they had seen,
Isaiah 65:14 behold, my servants shall sing for joy of heart, but you shall cry for sorrow of heart, and shall wail for vexation of spirit.
Ephesians 1:6 to the praise of the glory of his grace, by which he freely bestowed favor on us in the Beloved,

Cross-references courtesy of OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0).

Hebrew and Greek witnesses Masoretic Hebrew ↔ Greek Septuagint

The same verse in the two great witnesses to the Old Testament, shown verse-for-verse.

You’re reading Greek Psalm 137 (Hebrew Psalm 138). The Septuagint counts the superscription, so verse numbers can differ from the Hebrew — chapter-level alignment, not verse-by-verse. Numbering follows Rahlfs.

These are two independent witnesses, not word-aligned to each other, and the Septuagint is shown in lemma (dictionary) form.

Hebrew Psalms 138:5 Masoretic · Westminster Leningrad Codex

וְ֭יָשִׁירוּ בְּדַרְכֵ֣י יְהוָ֑ה כִּ֥י גָ֝ד֗וֹל כְּב֣וֹד יְהוָֽה

Yes, they will sing of the ways of Yahweh; For great is Yahweh's glory.

World English Bible · Public Domain

Greek LXX Greek Psalm 137:5 Septuagint · lemma form

καί ᾄδω ἐν ὁ ὁδός κύριος ὅτι μέγας ὁ δόξα κύριος

And let them sing in the ways of the Lord; for great is the glory of the Lord.

LXX2012 (modern English Septuagint) · Public Domain

Hebrew: Westminster Leningrad Codex (CC BY 4.0). Greek: Septuagint (public domain); English from LXX2012 (modern English Septuagint) (Public Domain). How the Septuagint differs from the Hebrew →

Commentary

Notes on Psalms 138:5 from classic Christian and Jewish commentators (each source and its license shown beneath its notes). The classic Christian expositions comment on the surrounding passage and are grouped to its opening verse, so a note may address several verses; the Jewish commentaries on the Tanakh (Rashi and others) are per-verse, so they appear only where the commentator wrote on this verse.

Lemma curates 59 commentaries, every one of them public domain or Creative Commons licensed, each selected and text-cleaned for this edition rather than reprinted as found. About our sources →

Commentary source

Trapp's Complete Commentary

John Trapp

Psa 138:5 Yea, they shall sing in the ways of the LORD: for great [is] the glory of the LORD.

Ver. 5. .Yea, they shall sing in the ways of the Lord] As having tasted the excellence of the comforts of godliness (far surpassing those of the crown and sceptre), and felt the power of God’s word subduing them to the obedience of faith, whereby they come to rule with God, to be faithful with his saints, and to sing their songs.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

The Biblical Illustrator

Joseph S. Exell

Psa_138:5

Yea, they shall sing in the ways of the Lord.

Singing in the ways of the Lord

According to the connection, this is spoken of kings (verse 4). That time has not come yet, so let us sing all the more. We may (verse 6). If we do not, surely the stones of the street will cry out against us.

I. they shall sing in the ways of the Lord.

1. Gracious persons take pleasure in the things of religion.

2. They do not go out of Gods ways to get their songs. They shall sing in the ways. Alas! I have heard of some who go here and there, as they say, to get a little pleasure. What? You find no pleasure in the ways of God? Then you are a hypocrite.

3. They sing as they are actively engaged in the ways of the Lord. Soldiers march to battle ,with sound of trumpet and beat of drum, listening to music while they march; so Christian men go on their pilgrimage, and keep step to the sound of joyous psalms and hymns.

4. The children of God sing in the ways of God because they are in a case for singing: in a right state of mind for singing.

(1) When we are in the ways of the Lord we are strong; they go from strength to strength. When we walk as God would have us walk we are made strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Well may that pilgrim sing who is made strong by the mighty God of Jacob.

(2) You have safety also; for in the ways of the Lord all His servants are protected from danger. In the kings highway no lion shall be there, neither shall any ravenous beast go up thereon. You shall be kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation, in the ways of the Lord. Well may that traveller sing who is perfectly safe!

(3) You have also guidance.

(4) And provision.

II. they shall sing of the ways of the Lord. Not only are Gods ways the place of their song, but its subject.

1. Gods ways to us. Predestination, redemption, etc. Gods ways are such gracious ways, such wise ways, such holy ways, such ways of wisdom and of lovingkindness, that in any company we may talk about them, and in every place we may sing of them. We will sing of the ways of the Lord with us.

2. Our ways to God.

(1) A good road.

(2) Good company.

(3) Good accommodation.

(4) Fine prospects.

(5) We have daylight to travel by, for we are not the children of darkness.

III. Those who sing in the ways of God also sing of the Lord of the way. They shall sing in the ways of the Lord, and then some read it, That great is the glory of the Lord. That is the subject of their song. When they sing about the Lord of the way this psalm supplies us with the points of their song.

1. Gods lovingkindness (verse 2).

2. Gods truth (verse 2).

3. Answered prayers (verse 3).

4. Gods condescension (verse 6).

5. Gods delivering mercy (verse 7).

6. Final preservation (verse 8).

IV. They shall sing to the Lord of the way, as well as of the Lord of the way. They shall sing in the ways, for great is the glory of the Lord.

1. Let us take care that all our songs are to the honour and praise of God, for if we ever sing to our own praise it will be idolatry. I fear much public worship, is thus marred. Our singing should be such that God hears it with pleasure--singing in which there is not so much art as heart--not so much of musical sound as of spiritual emotion. They shall sing to the glory of God.

2. If you and I sing with the Spirit and the understanding, we shall increase the manifested glory of God by bringing others to sing in His ways. (C. H. Spurgeon.)

The joy of believers in the way of obedience

I. The ways of the Lord.

1. The way in which God walks in regard to us.

(1) Nature.

(2) Dispensations of providence.

(3) Dispensations of grace.

2. The way in which we walk in regard to Him.

(1) Obedience.

(2) Inclination.

II. How the people of God are to be affected in them. They not only walk in the ways of the Lord, but sing in them. This implies acquiescence, approbation, satisfaction, pleasure, delight. Whence springs this singing in the ways of the Lord? We may look after some of the near sources of it.

1. Conviction. The believer is able to give a reason of the hope that is in him, and he is able to give a reason of the joy that is in him.

2. Renovation. Now he is born of God, therefore he savours the things which are freely given him of God.

3. Experience. Oh, what delightful hours were those in which I have taken sweet counsel, and gone to the house of God in company;--in which I have seen His power and His glory there!

4. Fellowship. I am a companion of all those that fear Thee, and of those that keep Thy precepts.

5. His prospects and anticipations. Eye hath not seen, etc.

6. The accommodation. Everything is provided for these travellers that shall make them rejoice and sing in the ways of the Lord. Guidance, defence, strength, etc. (W. Jay.)

The Biblical Illustrator, edited by Joseph S. Exell (c. 1880s–1900s) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

J. A. Alexander on Psalms

Joseph Addison Alexander

5. (Psa 138:5) And they shall sing in the ways of Jehovah, for great (shall be) the glory of Jehovah. The kings of the earth, representing its nations, shall join in the praise of the true God, walking in his ways, i.e. as converts to the true religion. Compare Mic 4:2, Isa 4:3. Instead of for we may read when, as in Psa 138:4; when the glory of Jehovah has been duly exalted and diffused by the extension of the true religion. Some make this clause the theme or subject of the praise—they shall sing that the glory of Jehovah is great—a less natural construction, but one which yields an equally good sense.

Joseph Addison Alexander, The Psalms Translated and Explained (1850) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Adam Clarke's Commentary

Verse 5. They shall sing in the ways of the Lord] They shall admire thy conduct, and the wondrous workings of thy providence, if they should not even unite with thy people.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(5) In the ways.—Rather, of the ways, this preposition being so used frequently after verbs of speaking praising (comp. Psa_20:7; Psa_44:8; Psa_87:3; Psa_105:2), though there is no parallel instance of such a use with this particular verb sing.

For ways used of God’s mighty works in creation see Job_26:14; Job_40:19; of His action in history, Psa_18:30; Deu_32:4. It seems against the parallelism to understand literally that the heathen kings would come to walk in God’s ways—i.e., in righteousness, and so praise Him, as in Mic_4:2. The meaning is that heathen monarchs will be compelled to acknowledge the glory of Jehovah.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne

5. they shall sing of the ways of Jehovah] They will celebrate His providential methods of dealing with His people. For ways cp. Psa_103:7.

the glory of Jehovah] The revelation of His power and majesty in the deliverance of Israel. Cp. Isa_40:5; Isa_60:1.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

John Gill's Exposition

Yea, they shall sing in the ways of the Lord,.... Which are all mercy and truth; ways of pleasantness, and paths of peace: so the eunuch went on his way, and in the ways of the Lord rejoicing, Act 8:39; Or, "they shall sing of the ways of the Lord" (t); of the excellency, pleasure, and usefulness of them;

for great is the glory of the Lord; shown in the works of creation; more especially in the person of Christ, and in the glorious work of redemption and salvation by him; and of which there will be a great display throughout the earth in the latter day, by means of the Gospel, the great spread of it, and the multitude of persons converted by it; which will make the ways of the Lord still more pleasant; see Isa 6:3.

(t) "de viis Jehovae", Piscator, Schmidt; so some in Vatablus.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Yea, they shall sing in the ways of the Lord - In the ways which God has appointed. They shall join with all that love him - with the humblest of the people - in acknowledging God. Kings and people shall thus bow before God in common acts of praise, and as being on the same level before him. As people, as sinners, as redeemed, as traveling to the grave, they are all alike before God.

For great is the glory of the Lord - Great is his character; great his dignity; great his honor; and all this will be seen to be so when those of most exalted rank thus worship and adore him. The most lofty on earth shall acknowledge that there is one who is more exalted than they are, and their own dignity and splendor shall thus contribute to deepen the impression of the honor and glory of God.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations

In the ways of the Lord; or, of, or for, or because of the ways of the Lord, i.e. his wonderful counsel and gracious providences towards themselves and others.

Great is the glory; or, great shall be the glory. At that time the worship and glory of God shall not be confined to one small land, as now it is, but shall be extended to all the parts of the world.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

The Treasury of David

Charles H. Spurgeon

Ver. 5. Yea, they shall sing in the ways of the LORD. Here is a double wonderkings in God's ways, and kings singing there. Let a man once know the ways of Jehovah, and he will find therein abundant reason for song; but the difficulty is to bring the great ones of the earth into ways so little attractive to the carnal mind. Perhaps when the Lord sends us a King David to preach, we shall yet see monarchs converted and hear their voices raised in devout adoration.

For great is the glory of the LORD. This glory shall overshadow all the greatness and glory of all kings: they shall be stirred by a sight of it to obey and adore. O that Jehovah's glory were revealed even now! O that the blind eyes of men could once behold it, then their hearts would be subdued to joyful reverence. David, under a sense of Jehovah's glory, exclaimed, "I will sing" (Ps 138:1), and here he represents the kings as doing the same thing.

Ver. 5. Yea, they shall sing in the ways of the LORD. There will come a time when the praise of Jahve, which according to Ps 137:4 was obliged to be dumb in the presence of the heathen, will be sung by the kings of the heathen themselves. Franz Delitzsch.

Ver. 5. Yea, they shall sing in the ways of the LORD. Walking with God is a pleasant walk: the ways of wisdom are called "ways of pleasantness": Pr 3:17. Is not the light pleasant Ps 89:15: "They shall walk, O LORD, in the light of thy countenance." Walking with God is like walking among beds of spices, which send forth a fragrant perfume. This is it which brings peace, Ac 9:31: "Walking in the fear of the Lord, and in the comfort of the Holy Ghost." While we walk with God, what sweet music doth the bird of conscience make in our breast! "They shall sing in the ways of the Lord." Thomas Watson.

Ver. 5. See "Spurgeon's Sermons", No. 1615: "Singing in the Ways of the Lord."

Ver. 5. This is spoken of kings, but it is true of the humblest pilgrims. The Lord hath respect unto the lowly, and will make them sing.

1. They shall sing in the ways.

a) They take pleasure in them.

b) They do not go out of them to find pleasure.

c) They sing as they proceed in service, in worship, in holiness, in suffering.

d) They are in a case for singing. They have strength, safety, guidance, provision, comfort.

2. They sing of the ways of the Lord.

a) Of God's ways to them.

b) Of their way to God. They know whence they came out. They know where they are going. It is a good road; prophets went by it, and the Lord of the prophets. Therein we have good company, good accommodation, good prospects, good daylight.

3. They sing of the Lord of the way. His loving kindness. His truth. Answers to prayer. His condescension. His reviving us in trouble. His delivering us. His perfecting us. His everlasting mercy.

4. They shall sing to the Lord of the way.

a) To his honour.

b) To the extending of that honour.

c) As a preparation to eternally honouring him.

Psalms 138:6*

Charles H. Spurgeon's The Treasury of David (1869–1885) — public domain. Psalms only. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

The Pulpit Commentary

Yea, they shall sing in the ways of the Lord. They, i.e. the kings, shall sing, no longer in their own misguided heathen ways, but in the ways of the Lord, in the mode prescribed by his Law and practiced in his temple. (comp. Isa_49:22, 23 60:8-5, etc.) For great is the glory of the Lord. (cf. Isa_60:1-3 Isa_66:18) It is this "glory" which attracts "all nations and tongues."

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

John Wesley's Explanatory Notes

The ways - His wonderful counsel and gracious providences.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

unfoldingWord translationNotes

Door43 World Missions Community

Yahweh is high, yet he cares for the lowly

Yahweh is above all creation in power, position, and authority. Yet his interest is in those who are humble in spirit, servants to all. This is a simple contrast.

the proud he knows from far off

This expression probably means that God is not faithful to those who are proud. (See: Metaphor)

translationWords

works

glory

proud

know

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.

Lesson kit

Teaching starters — assembled from the data on this page, not authored interpretation. Every prompt links to the verse data it draws on. Edit before teaching.

Psalms, in the Wisdom, opens this verse with 7 words (6 distinct Hebrew lemmas). Its most distinctive word is shîyr (“to sing”). A historical commentator’s framing appears above. Read the whole chapter for the surrounding context.

Discussion questions

What does “to sing” (shîyr) contribute to the verse as a whole?
How does Psalms 21:5, which shares this passage’s theme, read alongside this verse?
What does the repetition of “LORD” (2× in this one verse) do in this verse?
These translations render this verse differently; the difference is in the English rendering, not the original. What questions does that raise?
«וְ֭יָשִׁירוּ» is a Qal Imperfect verb. How does that grammatical form shape the action described?
Compare how Trapp's Complete Commentary and The Biblical Illustrator read this verse. Where do they agree or differ?

Things to notice

This verse counts 7 Hebrew ↔ 11 Greek words.
These translations choose different wording for 8 words in this verse.
“LORD” occurs 2× in this single verse.
6 distinct Hebrew lemmas span 7 words in this verse.