What does Psalms Chapter 138 say, and which statements belong to its speaker?

Atlas of Saints · Chapter summary

Known paths and difficult speech wording have separate commentary. Conditional presence images and future book statements retain their wording. Friends, city plots and hatred notes precede requested examination.

Chapter breakdown

Domine, probasti is the incipit with a heading on special providence and an unto-the-end psalm of David inscription. The Lord proved and knew the speaker, sitting and rising, thoughts afar, searched path and line and foreseen ways. There is no speech in his tongue; the separate note offers unknown-to-God wording or no utterance while hidden thoughts remain known. The Lord knows last and old things, formed him and laid a hand upon him; wonderful high knowledge cannot be reached.

He asks where to go from spirit or flee face. If ascending heaven or descending hell God is present; if taking wings early to utmost sea, hand shall lead and hold. He said perhaps darkness shall cover and night be light in pleasures, but darkness and light alike to God. Perhaps and pleasures retain difficult wording without a replacement narrative.

God possessed his reins and protected from mother’s womb. He will praise God fearfully magnified, works wonderful and soul knowing. Bone made in secret is not hidden and substance is in earth’s lower parts. Eyes saw imperfect being, all shall be written in book, days shall be formed and no one in them. Future writing is not changed to a completed inscription of every lifespan; weaving, flesh formation and a biological model are not supplied.

God’s friends are exceedingly honorable, their principality strengthened; he will number them, they shall multiply above sand and he rose still with God. Friends’ number is not converted into their strength. If God will kill wicked, blood-men are told depart; they think cities received vainly. The separate note interprets plots to expel God’s servants from habitation cities.

He asks whether he hated God-haters and pined for enemies, then declares perfect hatred and their enmity to him. The note interprets hatred as zeal for commands, not malice. He asks proving and heart knowledge, examination of paths, seeing whether iniquity is in him and leading eternal way. Eradication already achieved or universal absence of harm is not added.

The story inside

Opening: Known paths and difficult speech wording have separate commentary. Development: Conditional presence images and future book statements retain their wording. Conclusion: Friends, city plots and hatred notes precede requested examination.

Lessons worth keeping

1
Known paths and difficult speech wording have separate commentary.
2
Conditional presence images and future book statements retain their wording.
3
Friends, city plots and hatred notes precede requested examination.

Test your recall

Which images and requests does the speaker use, and what does the chapter leave unresolved?

Source edition and notes

Douay–Rheims, revised by Richard Challoner (1749–1752). Project Gutenberg no. 1581. Locators refer to lines in the admitted pg1581.txt edition. Source notes may include Challoner commentary.

Lines 66594–66595
Lord, thou hast proved me, and known me:
Lines 66597–66597
Thou hast known my sitting down, and my rising up.
Lines 66605–66607
There is no speech, etc.... Viz., unknown to thee: or when there is no speech in my tongue; yet my whole interior and my most secret thoughts are known to thee.
Lines 66615–66616
Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy face?
Lines 66618–66619
If I ascend into heaven, thou art there: if I descend into hell, thou art present.
Lines 66624–66625
Even there also shall thy hand lead me: and thy right hand shall hold me.
Lines 66637–66638
I will praise thee, for thou art fearfully magnified: wonderful are thy works, and my soul knoweth right well.
Lines 66669–66671
I have hated them.... Not with an hatred of malice, but a zeal for the observance of God’s commandments; which he saw were despised by the wicked, who are to be considered enemies to God.
Lines 66673–66674
Prove me, O God, and know my heart: examine me, and know my paths.