Psalm 118:4 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Let those who fear the Lord say, "His steadfast love endures forever."

NIV: Let those who fear the Lord say: "His love endures forever."

NASB: Let those who fear the Lord say, 'His mercy is everlasting.'

CSB: Let those who fear the Lord say, "His faithful love endures forever."

NLT: Let all who fear the Lord repeat: 'His faithful love endures forever.'

KJV: Let them now that fear the Lord say, that his mercy endureth for ever.

NKJV: Let those who fear the Lord now say, “His mercy endures forever.”

Prior verses (Psalm 118:1–2) involved the nation of Israel and the priests. Here, the call to proclaim the Lord's faithful, loyal love is directed to all who believe. Those who "fear" God are those who follow Him in sincere, submissive, humble faith (Proverbs 1:7; Psalm 34:9). This extends beyond the borders of the nation of Israel to the entire world. Those who "fear the Lord" in this context are all who obey God's Word and worship Him in spirit and in truth (John 4:24).

Though God used Israel as His primary tool in the Old Testament era (Psalm 33:12; John 4:22), His plan was always to bring salvation to anyone who would believe (Jeremiah 31:31–34). In eternity, there will be people of all races, cultures, and languages (Revelation 7:9).

The Hebrew word hesed describes God's unfailing and consistent love (Exodus 34:6). The Lord demonstrated this to Israel despite their sin (Jeremiah 29:10–14). He promised it to result in a new covenant (Jeremiah 31). This blessing extended to the entire world, as Jesus demonstrated love to His disciples to the very end of His earthly life (John 13:1), while serving as the ultimate expression of God's love (John 3:16). The apostle John repeated his appreciation for this (1 John 3:1), and God's love was a key concept for Paul (Romans 8:37–39).

Psalm 118:1–9 calls upon all Israel to thank the Lord for his goodness and unfailing love. These phrases stand in the tradition of the "Hallel" Psalms (Psalms 113—118). This brief introduction to Psalm 118 is appropriate as the beginning of a song to be sung at the Feast of Booths. The song seems to be written as call and response. In that style, a song leader speaks prompt phrases and the assembled people reply with a repeated refrain.

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.