Psalm 118:7 - Printer Friendly

ESV: The Lord is on my side as my helper; I shall look in triumph on those who hate me.

NIV: The Lord is with me; he is my helper. I look in triumph on my enemies.

NASB: The Lord is for me among those who help me; Therefore I will look with satisfaction on those who hate me.

CSB: The Lord is my helper, Therefore, I will look in triumph on those who hate me.

NLT: Yes, the Lord is for me; he will help me. I will look in triumph at those who hate me.

KJV: The Lord taketh my part with them that help me: therefore shall I see my desire upon them that hate me.

NKJV: The Lord is for me among those who help me; Therefore I shall see my desire on those who hate me.

It's possible this psalm was written after Israel returned from exile (Ezra 2:1) and had to contend with enemy nations while rebuilding Jerusalem (Nehemiah 4:7–9). Confidence in the Lord requires an understanding that nothing can stop His will—so nothing can happen to us which is not part of His good plan (Romans 8:28). The prior verse (Psalm 118:6) was cited in the book of Hebrews to make this very point (Hebrews 13:6).

A person can only say, "God is on my side" when they have a saving relationship with Him (Proverbs 1:7; 2 Corinthians 7:10; John 3:16). For those with saving faith, the Holy Spirit acts as a helper. This is something Jesus promised shortly before His crucifixion (John 14:16–18). There, Jesus uses the Greek word paraklētos, which suggests the defense lawyer who stands up for someone in a court of law. Here, the psalmist uses a phrase which most literally means "Yahweh is for me of the ones who support me." This seems to mean that God, out of all the psalmist's sources of aid, is the most powerful and important.

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 8:34:31 AM