Psalm 118:6 - Printer Friendly

ESV: The Lord is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me?

NIV: The Lord is with me; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?

NASB: The Lord is for me; I will not fear; What can man do to me?

CSB: The Lord is for me; I will not be afraid. What can a mere mortal do to me?

NLT: The Lord is for me, so I will have no fear. What can mere people do to me?

KJV: The Lord is on my side; I will not fear: what can man do unto me?

NKJV: The Lord is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me?

Faith in God does not mean a life perfectly free of all fear. However, trusting God makes that anxiety much less powerful. If the Creator of the universe, who came to earth to secure our salvation, has promised us a good outcome, there is no force in existence that can stop it (Romans 8:31–32). A person can say that God is "on my side" when they come to Him in submissive, repentant faith (Proverbs 1:7; 2 Corinthians 7:10; John 3:16).

The claim made here is not that faith in the Lord makes a person physically invincible. David knew that danger was real, yet He expressed confidence in God (Psalm 27:1). Jesus noted that it was the eternal soul, not the body, which deserved primary care (Matthew 10:28). Difficult situations in life will still occur (John 16:33), but God's plans are good (Romans 8:28) and He knows what is needed for us to achieve His will (Matthew 6:31–33).

The book of Hebrews cites this verse (Hebrews 13:6). In that letter, the writer encourages believers to hold fast to faith despite persecution (Hebrews 10:23).

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 12/3/2024 1:01:11 PM