What does Psalm 118:10 mean?
There are several ways to interpret this section of verses (Psalm 118:11–12) which end in the same phrase. The repeated phrase is probably meant as a call and response, where a leader speaks the first sentence and the congregation answers with the refrain.The action taken here uses the root word muwl, which implies stopping something or forcing it to cease. It carries the idea of cutting, and the same word in different contexts is used for circumcision (Genesis 17:10; Joshua 5:5). Here it implies defeating or killing an enemy.
The Hebrew words are in the "imperfect tense," which describes ongoing actions, actions over time, or actions which occur often. However, some translations phrase this statement in future tense, as if the events have yet to happen. It's possible that the psalmist looks forward to Israel's future and speaks as if the victories were already accomplished.
Another possibility is that the writer is looking back on Israel's earlier days before the exile. Israel was literally surrounded by hostile neighbors during their entire time in the Promised Land. The psalmist may be noting those times when Israel successfully defeated an opponent (Judges 3:30; 4:24; 8:28; 1 Samuel 17:51; 23:5; 30:18; 2 Samuel 5:25). Or, when Israel kept aggressive nations at bay while rebuilding Jerusalem and the temple (Nehemiah 4:14; 6:16).
Psalm 118:10–18 speaks for the nation of Israel and gives reasons for trusting in the Lord. One possible inspiration for these words was Israel's freedom from seventy years of exile (Ezra 2:1) and the rebuilding of Jerusalem's walls and temple. The repeated phrases were probably meant to be expressed by the entire congregation, in response to the cue lines which come before. The use of past tense here may also be poetic, implying that the psalmist is looking ahead to something God will certainly do, as if it had already happened.
Psalm 118 appears to be a "call and response." The repeated phrases may have been spoken by a congregation after the prompts, read by a song leader. The psalmist begins with a declaration of God's loyal love and its expression by all of Israel. Next is a celebration of the Lord's rescue and the value of honoring Him. Despite Israel's many powerful neighbors, God preserved them through discipline and exile, not allowing the nation to die. What the world rejects has now become the key piece of God's plan for mankind.
