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Psalms 118

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Call to Universal Thanksgiving 1–4

1
Oh give thanks unto Jehovah; for he is good; For his lovingkindness endureth for ever. ​
2
Let Israel now say, That his lovingkindness endureth for ever. ​
3
Let the house of Aaron now say, That his lovingkindness endureth for ever.
4
Let them now that fear Jehovah say, That his lovingkindness endureth for ever.

Testimony of Deliverance and Trust 5–14

5
Out of my distress I called upon Jehovah: Jehovah answered me and set me in a large place. ​
6
Jehovah is on my side; I will not fear: What can man do unto me? ​
7
Jehovah is on my side among them that help me: Therefore shall I seemy desireupon them that hate me.
8
It is better to take refuge in Jehovah Than to put confidence in man. ​
9
It is better to take refuge in Jehovah Than to put confidence in princes.
10
All nations compassed me about: In the name of Jehovah I will cut them off.
11
They compassed me about; yea, they compassed me about: In the name of Jehovah I will cut them off.
12
They compassed me about like bees; they are quenched as the fire of thorns: In the name of Jehovah I will cut them off. ​
13
Thou didst thrust sore at me that I might fall; But Jehovah helped me.
14
Jehovah is my strength and song; And he is become my salvation. ​

The Triumph of the Lord’s Power 15–18

15
The voice of rejoicing and salvation is in the tents of the righteous: The right hand of Jehovah doeth valiantly. ​
16
The right hand of Jehovah is exalted: The right hand of Jehovah doeth valiantly.
17
I shall not die, but live, And declare the works of Jehovah. ​
18
Jehovah hath chastened me sore; But he hath not given me over unto death. ​

Entering the Gates of Salvation 19–27

19
Open to me the gates of righteousness: I will enter into them, I will give thanks unto Jehovah. ​
20
This is the gate of Jehovah; The righteous shall enter into it.
21
I will give thanks unto thee; for thou hast answered me, And art become my salvation.
22
The stone which the builders rejected Is become the head of the corner. ​
23
This is Jehovah’s doing; It is marvellous in our eyes.
24
This is the day which Jehovah hath made; We will rejoice and be glad in it. ​
25
Save now, we beseech thee, O Jehovah: O Jehovah, we beseech thee, send now prosperity. ​
26
Blessed be he that cometh in the name of Jehovah: We have blessed you out of the house of Jehovah. ​
27
Jehovah is God, and he hath given us light: Bind the sacrifice with cords, even unto the horns of the altar. ​

Final Vow and Doxology 28–29

28
Thou art my God, and I will give thanks unto thee: Thou art my God, I will exalt thee. ​
29
Oh give thanks unto Jehovah; for he is good; For his lovingkindness endureth for ever. ​

Bible text: American Standard Version (1901) · Public domain

Study Notes for Psalms 118

Verse 1

O give thanks unto the LORD — Yadah, to give thanks, is the verb of this psalm's frame: it opens and closes it (vv.1, 29). The same line is sung when the ark is brought up (1 Chr 16:34), when the temple foundation is laid (Ezra 3:11) and, nearly, by Jehoshaphat's singers (2 Chr 20:21). 'Mercy' is chesed, covenant love; 'for ever' is olam.

Verse 2

Let Israel now say — The call goes to three groups in turn: Israel here, 'the house of Aaron' in v.3 and 'them that fear the LORD' in v.4. Ps 115:9–11 names the same three, 'O Israel, trust thou in the LORD… O house of Aaron… Ye that fear the LORD'. Each is to say the one line, 'that his mercy endureth for ever'.

Verse 5

in distress… a large place — 'Distress' is metsar, a strait or tight place, found in the Psalms only here and at Ps 116:3. Its answer is merchab, a broad place: 'He brought me forth also into a large place' (Ps 18:19), and 'thou hast set my feet in a large room' (Ps 31:8). He 'called' (qara) and the LORD 'answered' (anah).

Verse 6

The LORD is on my side — 'Fear' is yare and 'man' is adam. The line is quoted in Heb 13:6, 'The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me', and its question is the pattern for Paul's 'If God be for us, who can be against us?' (Rom 8:31). Ps 56:4 asks the same of 'flesh'.

Verse 8

better to trust in the LORD — Two verbs stand for trust. Chasah, to flee to for refuge, is used of the LORD, and batach, to put confidence, of man. V.9 repeats the line with 'princes' for 'man', as Ps 146:3 says, 'Put not your trust in princes'; Jer 17:5 and 17:7 set the cursed man who trusts in man against the blessed one who trusts in the LORD.

Verse 12

like bees — Deborah, a bee; Moses says the Amorites 'chased you, as bees do' (Deut 1:44). The 'fire of thorns' is qots; Eccl 7:6 has 'the crackling of thorns under a pot'. 'Destroy' is mul, to cut short, the verb of circumcision (Gen 17:10); with 'compassed me about' (sabab) it runs through vv.10–12, each 'in the name of the LORD'.

Verse 14

my strength and song — The line is Ex 15:2 from the Song at the sea, 'The LORD is my strength and song, and he is become my salvation', which Isa 12:2 also takes up: 'the LORD JEHOVAH is my strength and my song; he also is become my salvation'. 'Song' is zimrah, music; 'salvation' is yeshuah, the word of vv.15 and 21.

Verse 15

The right hand of the LORD doeth valiantly — Chayil, force or an army, as in Num 24:18 and Ps 108:13, and repeated in v.16. 'Thy right hand, O LORD, is become glorious in power' is the Song at the sea (Ex 15:6). The 'voice of rejoicing and salvation' (rinnah, a ringing cry, with yeshuah) is heard in 'the tabernacles' (ohel, tents) of the righteous.

Verse 17

I shall not die, but live — He lives to 'declare' (saphar, to count and tell) 'the works of the LORD', as in Ps 73:28, 'that I may declare all thy works'; maaseh, 'works', is the word of Ps 111:2. Ps 6:5 gives the reason: 'in death there is no remembrance of thee', and Isa 38:19 says 'The living, the living, he shall praise thee'.

Verse 18

chastened me sore — Yasar, to correct by blows or words, appears twice in the verse, as an emphasis. It is the verb of Ps 94:12, 'Blessed is the man whom thou chastenest, O LORD'. 'Death' is mavet, the word of Ps 116:3. Paul writes 'as chastened, and not killed' (2 Cor 6:9).

Verse 19

gates of righteousness — Tsedeq is what is right. V.20 names the gate, 'This gate of the LORD, into which the righteous shall enter', and Isa 26:2 has the same call, 'Open ye the gates, that the righteous nation which keepeth the truth may enter in'. He will 'praise' (yadah, the verb of vv.1, 21, 28 and 29), as Ps 100:4 says, 'Enter into his gates with thanksgiving'.

Verse 22

The stone which the builders refused — Eben, stone, is from the same root as banah, to build, the word behind 'builders'; maas, 'refused', is to spurn. Peter says 'This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner' (Acts 4:11), and 1 Pet 2:7 has 'the stone which the builders disallowed'; Christ quotes it in Matt 21:42 and Mark 12:10–11.

Verse 24

This is the day — 'Rejoice' is gil, literally to spin round for joy, and 'be glad' is samach; the two are paired in Ps 14:7, 'Jacob shall rejoice, and Israel shall be glad', and Ps 32:11. The day follows the stone made the head of the corner (v.22) and the LORD's doing (v.23); 'hath made' is asah, the common word for the LORD's making.

Verse 25

Save now — 'Save now' is hoshia na, whose Greek form is the cry 'Hosanna' (Matt 21:9, 15; Mark 11:9; John 12:13). Anna, 'I beseech thee', is the entreaty of Ps 116:4 and 116:16. 'Prosperity' is tsalach, to push forward and succeed, the verb of Nehemiah's prayer, 'O Lord, I beseech thee… prosper, I pray thee, thy servant this day' (Neh 1:11).

Verse 26

Blessed be he that cometh — The crowd at Jerusalem cried it of Christ: 'Hosanna to the Son of David: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord' (Matt 21:9), and Luke adds 'the King' (Luke 19:38). Christ says Jerusalem shall not see him 'till ye shall say' it (Matt 23:39). 'Bless' is barak, to kneel; the blessing 'out of the house of the LORD' is spoken by those within.

Verse 27

hath shewed us light — The verb is ur, to make shine, the one in the priestly blessing, 'The LORD make his face shine upon thee' (Num 6:25). 'Sacrifice' is chag, usually a feast (the root of 'keep a feast' in Ex 23:14), and here the festal victim. It is bound with 'cords' (aboth) to 'the horns of the altar', which Adonijah clutched in 1 Kings 1:50.

Verse 28

Thou art my God — The first 'God' is El and the second Elohim. 'My God… I will exalt thee' is the line of the Song at the sea, 'my father's God, and I will exalt him' (Ex 15:2), and of Isa 25:1, 'O LORD, thou art my God; I will exalt thee, I will praise thy name'. 'Praise' is yadah, as in vv.19 and 21.

Verse 29

O give thanks unto the LORD — The closing line is the opening line of v.1; in the KJV only 'because' (v.1) and 'for' (v.29) differ. It is the refrain of Ps 106:1 and 107:1 and what the singers raised at Ezra 3:11. 'Good' is tov, and 'mercy' chesed, covenant love. The psalm ends where it began.