Psalm 118:18 - Printer Friendly

ESV: The Lord has disciplined me severely, but he has not given me over to death.

NIV: The Lord has chastened me severely, but he has not given me over to death.

NASB: The Lord has disciplined me severely, But He has not turned me over to death.

CSB: The Lord disciplined me severely but did not give me over to death.

NLT: The Lord has punished me severely, but he did not let me die.

KJV: The Lord hath chastened me sore: but he hath not given me over unto death.

NKJV: The Lord has chastened me severely, But He has not given me over to death.

Much of this psalm seems to be a poetic expression of the nation of Israel. Passages referring to the psalmist's victories (Psalm 118:10–17) fit the patterns of Israel's history. God's discipline was also part of that record. When the nation failed to honor their God, they suffered consequences to correct their errors (Judges 2:16–19). Eventually, the people drifted so far from the Lord that He sent them into captivity and exile (Jeremiah 25:8–11; 2 Chronicles 36:17–21).

Yet, in those times, God had not abandoned His chosen people. The nation was not erased, nor all of its people killed. Instead, God preserved the people and eventually brought them back to their land (Ezra 1:1–3; 2:1–2; 3:1–2, 8). This was certainly severe discipline. But a caring Father corrects and redirects His children for their own benefit (Psalm 94:12; Hebrews 12:5–9).

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 8:02:45 AM