Psalm 118:17 - Printer Friendly

ESV: I shall not die, but I shall live, and recount the deeds of the Lord.

NIV: I will not die but live, and will proclaim what the Lord has done.

NASB: I will not die, but live, And tell of the works of the Lord.

CSB: I will not die, but I will live and proclaim what the Lord has done.

NLT: I will not die; instead, I will live to tell what the Lord has done.

KJV: I shall not die, but live, and declare the works of the Lord.

NKJV: I shall not die, but live, And declare the works of the Lord.

In context, this is a celebration that the Lord has brought the psalmist—and Israel—through some dangerous moment. The song implies that this crisis will not end in death. Rather, it will result in opportunities to further spread the glory of God. Telling others about God's influence on us is a key part of introducing them to faith in Him (Exodus 10:1–2; Psalm 78:3–4; Mark 5:20).

No one knows how long he or she will live, but our lifespan is in the Lord's hands. While we live, we should honor the Lord and represent him well as His ambassadors (2 Corinthians 5:20). When Jesus told Peter to feed His sheep, He predicted that Peter would die as an old man (John 21:17–18). He also told Peter that the disciple John would live as long as it was the Lord's will for him to live (John 21:21–22). The apostle Paul had the right attitude about life. He was determined to honor Christ in his body, whether by life or by death (Philippians 1:20). His testimony was: "For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain" (Philippians 1:21).

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 11/23/2024 3:15:05 AM