Psalm 118:20 - Printer Friendly

ESV: This is the gate of the Lord; the righteous shall enter through it.

NIV: This is the gate of the Lord through which the righteous may enter.

NASB: This is the gate of the Lord; The righteous will enter through it.

CSB: This is the Lord’s gate; the righteous will enter through it.

NLT: These gates lead to the presence of the Lord, and the godly enter there.

KJV: This gate of the Lord, into which the righteous shall enter.

NKJV: This is the gate of the Lord, Through which the righteous shall enter.

The "gates of righteousness" (Psalm 118:19) belong to the Lord, and to Him alone. The temple was also referred to as "the house of the Lord" (1 Kings 6:1; 2 Kings 25:9; Jeremiah 7:2). This psalm may have celebrated the successful rebuilding of Jerusalem and its wall. Ezra describes the dedication of the temple (Ezra 6:16). Then, the people offered significant sacrifices to the Lord (Ezra 6:17).

In a literal sense, there were gates at the entrance to the temple. There, people could enter to formally offer sacrifices thanking God for His intervention. This passage also hints at the relationship between God and man, through Jesus Christ the Messiah. Jesus claimed to be the door to salvation (John 10:9) and that this was a single option compared to a broad path to death (Matthew 7:13–14).

Under the new covenant, there is no longer a single physical site for worship. Church buildings are not "the house of the Lord" in the way of the Old Testament temple (Acts 7:48). Rather, it is the believers in Christ—the people—who make up "the Church" (1 Corinthians 3:16; Ephesians 2:19; 1 Peter 2:4). This is why it is important for believers to gather together (Hebrews 10:25) and give the Lord thankful, joyful praise, in spirit and in truth (John 4:24).

Psalm 118:19–29 includes phrases used during Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem (Matthew 21:8–9). References to gates, cornerstones, and salvation are themes repeated frequently in the Bible (John 10:9; Matthew 7:13–14; Titus 2:11; 1 Peter 2:6). Similar ideas about entering through gates to praise God are found in Psalm 24:7–10 and Psalm 26:6–8.

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.