Psalm 118

Psalm 118 belongs to Book Five (Psalms 107–150) of the Psalms. In Jewish tradition it is the last song of the Hallel (the psalms of praise, Psalms 113–118), which has traditionally been sung at the festivals. It comes immediately after Psalm 117, the shortest psalm, and is followed by Psalm 119, the longest. Because it has no superscription (a title placed before the psalm), its author is unknown.

Structure

• Verses 1–4 A call to give thanks to the LORD is answered in turn by Israel, the house of Aaron, and those who fear the LORD: "his mercy endureth for ever."
• Verses 5–9 The speaker cried out in distress, and the LORD answered. The psalmist confesses that taking refuge in the LORD is better than trusting in man or in princes (leaders).
• Verses 10–14 The nations surrounded the speaker like bees, but in the name of the LORD the speaker drives them off. The LORD has become the speaker's strength, song, and salvation.
• Verses 15–18 The voice of salvation is in the tabernacles of the righteous, and the right hand of the LORD does valiantly. Though the LORD chastened the speaker sorely, he did not give him over to death.
• Verses 19–21 The speaker asks that the gates of righteousness be opened and resolves to enter and give thanks.
• Verses 22–24 The stone the builders rejected has become the head of the corner, and the speaker rejoices in this day.
• Verses 25–27 The speaker pleads, "Save now," blesses the one who comes in the name of the LORD, and calls for the sacrifice to be bound to the horns of the altar.
• Verses 28–29 The psalm closes with the confession "Thou art my God" and a repetition of the call to thanksgiving from verse 1.

Key Verses

• Psalm 118:1 "O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: because his mercy endureth for ever." — This refrain frames the psalm at its beginning and end. "Mercy" translates the Hebrew hesed (steadfast covenant love).
• Psalm 118:22 "The stone which the builders refused is become the head stone of the corner." — This verse is quoted several times in the New Testament and applied to Jesus.
• Psalm 118:26 "Blessed be he that cometh in the name of the LORD." — These words were shouted by the crowd at Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem.

People and Places

• "I" The speaker, who has been delivered from distress and gives thanks. No name is given.
• The house of Aaron The body of priests descended from Aaron.
• The gates of righteousness / the house of the LORD The sanctuary the speaker enters to give thanks, generally understood to be the Temple in Jerusalem.
• The horns of the altar The projections rising from the four corners of the altar (see altar of burnt offering).

Points for Reflection

Interpretations differ regarding the identity of the speaker. Some see him as a king returning victorious from battle and going up to the temple; others see the speaker as the community after the return from exile. Verses 19–27 are also sometimes read as an antiphonal processional liturgy at the temple gate.

The New Testament quotes verse 22 at the conclusion of the Parable of the Wicked Tenants (Matthew 21:42), in Peter's defense before the council (Acts 4:11), and in 1 Peter 2:7. The plea "Save now" in verse 25 is the origin of the word hosanna. Many interpreters hold that the hymn mentioned in Mark 14:26, when Jesus and his disciples "had sung an hymn" after the Last Supper and went out to the Mount of Olives, was drawn from the Hallel psalms. Martin Luther is known to have held this psalm especially dear and to have written a commentary on it.

A widely circulated claim holds that verse 8 is "the middle verse of the Bible." However, chapter and verse divisions were added later, and such counts vary by translation and method of calculation (see chapters and verses of the Bible).

In the Korean Church

Verse 24, "This is the day which the LORD hath made," is frequently used as a call to worship in Lord's Day and Easter services. Praise songs that take this verse as their lyrics are also widely sung. Verse 22 often serves as the text for sermons on the suffering and exaltation of Jesus.