Psalms 138:8 Meaning: Trusting God to Finish What He Started
Yahweh will fulfill that which concerns me. Your loving kindness, Yahweh, endures forever. Don’t forsake the works of your own hands.
The Lord will perfect that which concerneth me: thy mercy, O Lord, endureth for ever: forsake not the works of thine own hands.
Jehovah will perfect that which concerneth me: Thy lovingkindness, O Jehovah, endureth for ever; Forsake not the works of thine own hands.
Jehovah doth perfect for me, O Jehovah, Thy kindness is to the age, The works of Thy hands let not fall!
Jehovah will perfect what concerneth me: thy loving-kindness, O Jehovah, [endureth] for ever; forsake not the works of thine own hands.
Meaning in one sentence
David trusts God to complete His purpose. Psalm 138:8 combines bold confidence with a humble plea, a model for trusting the God who never abandons His work.
Context
Psalm 138 is a song of David, written from a place of gratitude. David has called out to God and been answered, and he knows that God’s name and promise are great.
The psalm moves from personal praise to a vision of all kings on earth joining in. Then it turns back to David’s own life. He acknowledges that trouble is real, but God will revive him.
Verse 8 closes the psalm with a final statement of trust. It is not a new idea but a conclusion drawn from everything David has just said. The God who hears, who is high yet looks after the lowly, who stretches out His hand against enemies, this God will also finish what He has begun. David speaks both a declaration and a prayer in the same breath.
Key Words
Three Hebrew words carry the verse’s weight. The first is yigmor, from the root gamar (to end, complete). David is not saying God might finish something. The verb is confident: God will bring to completion everything that concerns him. It is the same kind of certainty Paul later expresses when he writes that He who began a good work will carry it on.
The second word is chesed, often translated “loving kindness.” It is not a passing feeling but covenant loyalty, God’s stubborn, faithful love that does not quit. David leans on this as the guarantee that God will perfect His work. Because God’s love lasts forever, His work will too.
The third word is the plea: te ref (from raphah), meaning “do not slacken” or “do not let drop.” It pictures a hand relaxing its grip. David asks God to hold on tightly to the works of His own hands, his life, his calling, his salvation. The same hands that shaped him are the hands that will not let go.
How Christians Read This Verse
Commentators have long noticed the beautiful tension in this verse. Adam Clarke, a Methodist scholar, said David means “whatever is further necessary to be done, God will do it.” Albert Barnes, representing a Reformed perspective, saw the doctrine of perseverance here: “Grace will complete what grace begins.” But he also stressed that prayer is essential, and that confidence in God’s faithfulness should drive us to pray, not to sit still.
John Calvin thought David was stirring himself up to gratitude, using past help as a promise of future mercy. The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges notes that “the works of your hands” refers not to Israel itself but to the mighty deeds God has undertaken. Across traditions, readers agree on one thing: David is not passive. He trusts God, and he also asks. The two go together.
A common misunderstanding
Some read the first line, Yahweh will fulfill that which concerns me, as a promise that God will automatically give us whatever we want for ourselves. But “that which concerns me” in the context of the psalm is not a blank check for personal plans. David is speaking about God’s purpose: the work God has already begun in his life, the promise He has made. The correction is simple: the verse is about God completing His own work, not endorsing our wish list.
Living This Out
This week, you might bring one area of your life to God where you feel stuck. Maybe it is a relationship, a habit you are fighting, or a calling you have lost sight of.
Pray the second half of this verse over that area. Say: “Lord, do not abandon the work of Your hands in this.” Then let the first part of the verse speak back to you. He will perfect what concerns you. Not because you have done everything right, but because His love endures forever and He does not quit on what He started.
Trusting God does not mean you stop asking. It means you ask with confidence.
Main takeaway: God will not abandon the work He started in you, and He invites you to pray with that same confidence.
For Families
For ages 5, 8
God is making something good in your life, like a picture He is painting. He will finish it. You can ask Him to keep working every day.
For ages 9, 12
God has a purpose for your life, and He promises to complete it. But He also wants you to talk to Him about it. That is why the psalmist both trusts God and asks God not to give up. Prayer is part of how God keeps working in you. You can bring your worries to Him and know that He will finish what He started.
Questions People Ask
What does “perfect that which concerns me” mean in Psalm 138:8?
The Hebrew verb here means to bring to completion, to finish entirely. David is saying that God will carry through to the very end everything He has set in motion for David’s life, his calling, his protection, his salvation. It is not about David’s personal wishes but about God’s faithful purpose.
Does Psalm 138:8 guarantee that God will fulfill all my personal plans?
No. “That which concerns me” is understood from the whole psalm as God’s purpose, not every desire we have. David has described God’s past help and God’s character. He is confident that God will complete the work He started. Our own plans need to be aligned with God’s will; this verse assures us that God finishes what He begins.
Why does David ask God not to forsake the works of His hands if he already trusts that God will perfect things?
This is a beautiful tension in Scripture. Confidence in God’s faithfulness does not make prayer unnecessary. In fact, it fuels prayer. David speaks his trust aloud, and then he asks. The asking itself is an act of trust, because he believes God hears and will respond. Prayer is one of the means God uses to continue His work in us.
What are “the works of your hands” in verse 8?
The phrase includes everything God has created and everything He has begun to do. Commentators note it refers to the work of grace in David’s heart, the work of deliverance in Israel, and the work of salvation for the whole world. It is God’s own project, what He values and what He will not abandon.
How can I apply Psalm 138:8 to my daily life?
Begin your day by naming one area where you need God to finish His work. It could be patience, forgiveness, or a difficult situation. Say the verse as both a declaration and a request: “Lord, You will perfect this. Do not let go of what Your hands have made.” Then trust Him to work through the day.
For pastors & researchers
Hebrew interlinear, 8 commentaries & word study