Psalms 118

General context

The psalm opens with thanks to the Lord for his mercy that endures for ever, and tells Israel, the house of Aaron and those who fear the Lord to say so. The speaker called on the Lord in distress and was answered and set in a large place; the Lord is on his side, so he will not fear what man can do; it is better to trust in the Lord than in man or princes. All nations compassed him about, like bees, quenched as the fire of thorns, and in the name of the Lord he will destroy them. He was thrust at so that he might fall, but the Lord helped him and is his strength, song and salvation; the voice of rejoicing is in the tabernacles of the righteous, and the right hand of the Lord does valiantly. He shall not die but live and declare the Lord's works; the Lord chastened him sore but did not give him over to death. He asks for the gates of righteousness to be opened, this gate of the Lord into which the righteous enter, and praises the Lord for hearing him. The stone the builders refused is become the head stone of the corner; this is the Lord's doing and marvellous. This is the day the Lord has made; we will rejoice in it. Save now, I beseech thee, O Lord, send now prosperity. Blessed be he that cometh in the name of the Lord; we have blessed you out of the house of the Lord. God is the Lord who has shown us light; bind the sacrifice with cords to the horns of the altar. The speaker says, Thou art my God, and I will praise thee, and the psalm closes as it opened, with thanks for mercy that endures for ever.

Cited passages: Psalms 118:1, Psalms 118:2, Psalms 118:3, Psalms 118:4, Psalms 118:5, Psalms 118:6, Psalms 118:8, Psalms 118:9, Psalms 118:10, Psalms 118:12, Psalms 118:13, Psalms 118:14, Psalms 118:15, Psalms 118:16, Psalms 118:17, Psalms 118:18, Psalms 118:19, Psalms 118:20, Psalms 118:21, Psalms 118:22, Psalms 118:23, Psalms 118:24, Psalms 118:25, Psalms 118:26, Psalms 118:27, Psalms 118:28, Psalms 118:29

Psalms 118 (KJV)

This page shows the King James Version. In the app, reading opens in the Berean Standard Bible unless you have chosen another translation. The reader includes five translations: the Berean Standard Bible (BSB), the King James Version (KJV), the World English Bible (WEB), the Bible in Basic English (BBE), and the American Standard Version (ASV). Search covers three of them: Berean Standard, King James, and World English. Basic English and American Standard readers search the King James words.

Historical context

This source prints no superscription; the psalm begins and ends with the same line of thanks. The voices change: verses 1 to 4 are a call to Israel, the house of Aaron and those who fear the Lord; verses 5 to 21 are a single I who was in distress, compassed by all nations, thrust at and chastened; verses 23 to 27 say our eyes, we will rejoice, we have blessed you and hath shewed us light; verse 28 returns to I. The speaker is not named and no battle or occasion is dated; the enemies are all nations and a thou in verse 13, whom the text does not identify. The stone, the builders, the gate of the Lord, the house of the Lord and the horns of the altar are named without explanation of who the builders were or which stone is meant. Verse 26 blesses he that cometh in the name of the Lord without saying who comes. There is no Selah. Matthew 21:42 quotes verses 22 and 23 as The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner: this is the Lord’s doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes, and Matthew 21:9 has the multitudes cry Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.

Cited passages: Psalms 118:2, Psalms 118:5, Psalms 118:10, Psalms 118:13, Psalms 118:18, Psalms 118:23, Psalms 118:26, Psalms 118:27, Psalms 118:22, Psalms 118:28, Matthew 21:42, Matthew 21:9

Literary context

The psalm is framed by one sentence, his mercy endureth for ever, said in each of the first four verses and again in the last. Repetition drives the middle too: they compassed me about is said four times across verses 10 to 12, in the name of the Lord three times in the same verses and once more in verse 26, the right hand of the Lord three times in verses 15 and 16, and better to trust in the Lord twice. The movement is from distress to a large place, then to gates that open and a house from which blessing is spoken, so the poem walks from trouble to the altar. The refused stone that becomes the head of the corner is the psalm's one reversal image, and it is followed at once by two sentences beginning This is, the doing and the day. Prayer and praise sit side by side at the end: save now in verse 25, blessed be in verse 26, bind the sacrifice in verse 27, and then the opening line returns almost unchanged.

Cited passages: Psalms 118:4, Psalms 118:29, Psalms 118:11, Psalms 118:12, Psalms 118:15, Psalms 118:9, Psalms 118:5, Psalms 118:19, Psalms 118:22, Psalms 118:23, Psalms 118:24

Key moments

1. Mercy endures for ever (Psalms 118:1). The psalm opens with thanks and asks Israel to say the refrain.
2. Set in a large place (Psalms 118:5). The speaker called in distress and was answered.
3. Compassed like bees (Psalms 118:12). All nations surround the speaker and are quenched like a fire of thorns.
4. I shall not die, but live (Psalms 118:17). The speaker expects to live and declare the works of the Lord.
5. Open the gates (Psalms 118:19). The speaker asks for the gates of righteousness to be opened for praise.
6. The refused stone (Psalms 118:22). The stone the builders rejected becomes the head of the corner.
7. Blessed be he that cometh (Psalms 118:26). A blessing is spoken from the house of the Lord on the one who comes in his name.

For reflection

The speaker says the Lord chastened him sore and did not give him over to death, then walks through the gate to give thanks. What does it mean to count the chastening itself among the works of the Lord he promises to declare?

People in this chapter

• Aaron
• Jacob