Psalms 118 - Printer Friendly

This is last in the block of "Hallel" psalms (Psalms 113—118). Because of its connection to festivals such as Passover (Deuteronomy 16:16), the psalm is cited often in the New Testament. During Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem, people shouted or sang some of these words to celebrate the arrival of the Savior (Matthew 21:9; Mark 11:9; Luke 19:38; John 12:13). Portions of the song seem to be written for call and response: for the repeated phrases to come after prompts from a worship leader.

Praise for God is always appropriate. In the early verses of this psalm, the psalmist focuses on God's love being "steadfast." This is from the Hebrew term hesed. Hesed suggests ongoing, steady, merciful, and forgiving love (Exodus 34:6). The call to praise begins with Israel, then extends to the priestly line of Aaron (Exodus 7:2; 30:30). Next, the idea is applied to all who reverently honor and worship the Lord God (Proverbs 1:7; Psalm 34:9). The psalmist also mentions that God's will can't be undone by attacks from mortal men (Psalm 118:1–9).

No specific event is associated with this Psalm. It's possible the words were written to commemorate Israel's return from exile (Ezra 2:1) and the rebuilding of Jerusalem's walls and temple (Ezra 2:1; 3:1–2, 8). It may also refer to the exodus from Egypt (Exodus 12:41) or the early days of conquest in the Promised Land (Judges 2:16–19). In all such cases, enemy nations threatened to erase Israel from existence. But Israel was victorious. The nation suffered harsh discipline for her sins (Jeremiah 25:8–9) but was never destroyed (Psalm 118:10–18).

The last portion of this psalm contains statements often cited elsewhere in the Bible. Previous verses spoke about God's work on Israel's behalf. Here, the psalmist continues to explain how and why God's people should worship Him. The people celebrating Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem used phrases from this passage (Matthew 21:8–9). The New Testament also repeats ideas regarding gates, cornerstones, and salvation (John 10:9; Matthew 7:13–14; Titus 2:11; 1 Peter 2:6). The psalm ends with exactly the same statement as it began (Psalm 118:19–29).

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 118:10–18 speaks for the nation of Israel and gives reasons for trusting in the Lord. One possible inspiration for these words was Israel's freedom from seventy years of exile (Ezra 2:1) and the rebuilding of Jerusalem's walls and temple. The repeated phrases were probably meant to be expressed by the entire congregation, in response to the cue lines which come before. The use of past tense here may also be poetic, implying that the psalmist is looking ahead to something God will certainly do, as if it had already happened.

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).