Psalm 118:28 - Printer Friendly

ESV: You are my God, and I will give thanks to you; you are my God; I will extol you.

NIV: You are my God, and I will praise you; you are my God, and I will exalt you.

NASB: You are my God, and I give thanks to You; You are my God, I exalt You.

CSB: You are my God, and I will give you thanks. You are my God; I will exalt you.

NLT: You are my God, and I will praise you! You are my God, and I will exalt you!

KJV: Thou art my God, and I will praise thee: thou art my God, I will exalt thee.

NKJV: You are my God, and I will praise You; You are my God, I will exalt You.

Here, the psalm turns to direct expressions of praise to the Lord. He is referred to as "my God," using two different Hebrew words. The first is ēl', which literally refers to power and is often used regarding deities. The second is elōhim, a plural term referring to "gods" but often used to refer to the One True God (Genesis 1:1; Exodus 7:16; Leviticus 11:44; Deuteronomy 6:4). Both appear in English as "God," but carry a subtly different emphasis.

The statements here are personal. The psalmist sees the Lord as his Lord, not merely "a" Lord or power. This relationship only comes through truly saving faith. It is not passed down through heritage (John 8:33, 39, 41). Those who find this salvation have the ultimate reason to be grateful and to give thanks (Ephesians 5:20; Colossians 3:17)

To "extol" or "exalt" means to speak of in a positive way: improving the subject's reputation and standing in the eyes of other people.

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.

Accessed 11/21/2024 8:11:50 AM