Psalm 118:5 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Out of my distress I called on the Lord; the Lord answered me and set me free.

NIV: When hard pressed, I cried to the Lord; he brought me into a spacious place.

NASB: From my distress I called upon the Lord; The Lord answered me and put me in an open space.

CSB: I called to the Lord in distress; the Lord answered me and put me in a spacious place.

NLT: In my distress I prayed to the Lord, and the Lord answered me and set me free.

KJV: I called upon the Lord in distress: the Lord answered me, and set me in a large place.

NKJV: I called on the Lord in distress; The Lord answered me and set me in a broad place.

Some scholars think this psalm was written to celebrate Israel's return from exile (Ezra 2:1). If so, the psalmist is using a single-person voice to symbolize the entire nation. The Hebrew term for "distress" is mē'sar', which refers to anguish and hardship. This word derives from the same root as one used by the prophet Jonah while inside a sea creature (Jonah 1:17; 2:1). From this, the people were rescued when God brought them back from captivity by a foreign nation.

Even after being released, the people were under various forms of distress. The worst of these were hostile neighboring nations (Nehemiah 4:7–9). This psalm not only celebrates what God has done in the past, but it also claims assurance about the future (Psalm 118:6–7).

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.

Accessed 11/21/2024 7:40:39 AM