Psalm 118:14 - Printer Friendly

ESV: The Lord is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation.

NIV: The Lord is my strength and my defense ; he has become my salvation.

NASB: The Lord is my strength and song, And He has become my salvation.

CSB: The Lord is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation.

NLT: The Lord is my strength and my song; he has given me victory.

KJV: The Lord is my strength and song, and is become my salvation.

NKJV: The Lord is my strength and song, And He has become my salvation.

Prior verses may have looked forward to Israel's success against enemies during the end times. Prophecies (Joel 3:2; Isaiah 29:5–8) speak of Israel turning back a massive number of enemies through the power of God. It may also look back to victories of the past.

Here, the psalmist celebrates God's provision. These words are nearly identical to the beginning of Moses' song (Exodus 15:2). After Israel was freed from Egypt, God miraculously parted the Red Sea so they could escape a pursuing Egyptian army (Exodus 14:21–22). Moses and the people praised God for that rescue (Exodus 15:1–18). The prophet Isaiah also repeats this phrase (Isaiah 12:2). God is the source of all legitimate power. He is also the proper place for each person's "song:" the worshipful focus of their life and attention (Psalm 40:3).

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.

This is the last of a block of songs used during Israel's festivals (Psalm 113—118). Because of a mention of rescue from Egypt (Psalm 114:1), this block is sometimes called the "Egyptian Hallel." The Hebrew expression halelu-yāh is a call to "praise the Lord!" The New Testament quotes from this song often (Hebrews 13:6), especially Psalm 118:22 (Matthew 21:42; Mark 12:10, 11; Luke 20:17; Acts 4:11; Ephesians 2:20; 1 Peter 2:7) and Psalm 118:26 (Matthew 23:39; Mark 11:9; Luke 19:38; John 12:13;). Some scholars suggest this was written after the exile as the temple was being restored (Ezra 2:1; 3:1–2, 8).

The book of Psalms is composed of individual songs, hymns, or poems, each of which is a ''Psalm'' in and of itself. These works contain a wide variety of themes. Some Psalms focus on praising and worshipping God. Others cry out in anguish over the pain of life. Still other Psalms look forward to the coming of the Messiah. While some Psalms are related, each has its own historical and biblical context.

Accessed 11/21/2024 7:27:48 AM