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Psalm 118

Psalm 118 celebrates YHWH’s rescue from death and rejection, bringing the rescued speaker into the worship of his people.

A speaker rescued from enemies calls Israel, the house of Aaron, and all who fear YHWH to give thanks. The speaker recalls being surrounded and pushed toward death, then credits YHWH with deliverance. The psalm moves toward YHWH’s house, with calls to open the gates, blessings, and sacrifice at the altar. Its author and precise occasion are unnamed. Personal testimony and shared praise join around YHWH’s enduring loving kindness.

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1Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, for his loving kindness endures forever.
2Let Israel now say that his loving kindness endures forever.
3Let the house of Aaron now say that his loving kindness endures forever.
4Now let those who fear the LORD say that his loving kindness endures forever.
5Out of my distress, I called on the LORD. The LORD answered me with freedom.
6The LORD is on my side. I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?
7The LORD is on my side among those who help me. Therefore I will look in triumph at those who hate me.
8It is better to take refuge in the LORD, than to put confidence in man.
9It is better to take refuge in the LORD, than to put confidence in princes.
10All the nations surrounded me, but in the LORD’s name I cut them off.
11They surrounded me, yes, they surrounded me. In the LORD’s name I indeed cut them off.
12They surrounded me like bees. They are quenched like the burning thorns. In the LORD’s name I cut them off.
13You pushed me back hard, to make me fall, but the LORD helped me.
14The LORD is my strength and song. He has become my salvation.
15The voice of rejoicing and salvation is in the tents of the righteous. “The right hand of the LORD does valiantly.
16The right hand of the LORD is exalted! The right hand of the LORD does valiantly!”
17I will not die, but live, and declare the LORD’s works.
18The LORD has punished me severely, but he has not given me over to death.
19Open to me the gates of righteousness. I will enter into them. I will give thanks to the LORD.
20This is the gate of the LORD; the righteous will enter into it.
21I will give thanks to you, for you have answered me, and have become my salvation.
22The stone which the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.
23This is the LORD’s doing. It is marvelous in our eyes.
24This is the day that the LORD has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it!
25Save us now, we beg you, LORD! LORD, we beg you, send prosperity now.
26Blessed is he who comes in the LORD’s name! We have blessed you out of the LORD’s house.
27The LORD is God, and he has given us light. Bind the sacrifice with cords, even to the horns of the altar.
28You are my God, and I will give thanks to you. You are my God, I will exalt you.
29Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, for his loving kindness endures forever.
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Key verses
Psalm 118:6The speaker’s courage rests on YHWH’s presence amid the human threats described throughout the rescue account.
Psalm 118:8This declaration draws the lesson from deliverance: YHWH is a surer refuge than people or rulers.
Psalm 118:22The rejected stone becoming the cornerstone pictures a reversal that the worshipers credit to YHWH.
Where this chapter reaches

Matthew, Luke, and Acts apply the rejected stone becoming the cornerstone to Jesus, linking this psalm’s reversal with his rejection and exaltation. Hebrews quotes the speaker’s confidence in YHWH’s help as grounds for courage in the face of human threats.

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Notice

After reading the whole chapter

How does the speaker’s account of being surrounded shape your reading of the call to give thanks?

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Where do you feel the contrast between taking refuge in YHWH and placing confidence in people?

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Questions people ask about Psalm 118

Who wrote Psalm 118?

Psalm 118 does not name its author or identify a specific historical event. Its speaker describes rescue from surrounding nations and approaches YHWH’s house for thanksgiving. The communal responses suggest public worship, and the speaker may represent the people or their king, though the text leaves that uncertain.

What does the rejected cornerstone mean in Psalm 118?

The image describes a stone dismissed by builders that receives a place of great importance. Within the psalm, it expresses a reversal accomplished by YHWH and celebrated by the worshipers. The original referent is unnamed. Matthew, Luke, and Acts apply this verse to Jesus and his rejection and exaltation.

What does “This is the day that the LORD has made” mean?

Verse 24 follows the rejected stone becoming the cornerstone and the declaration that this reversal is YHWH’s doing. The day is therefore associated with his saving action and the people’s celebration. The psalm names no calendar date; its rejoicing is grounded in the deliverance just described.

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What the Bible says about gratitude →What the Bible says about worship →

Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY). Scripture from the World English Bible (public domain). Arc diagram after Chris Harrison and Christoph Römhild (2007).