PsalmsChapter 118

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Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his steadfast love endures forever.

Let Israel say it: his steadfast love endures forever.

Let the house of Aaron say it: his steadfast love endures forever.

Let those who fear the LORD say it: his steadfast love endures forever.

Out of my distress I called on the LORD; the LORD answered me and set me in a wide-open place.

The LORD is on my side; I will not be afraid. What can anyone do to me?

The LORD is on my side, he is my helper; I will look in triumph on those who hate me.

It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in any human being.

It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in princes.

All the nations surrounded me; in the name of the LORD I cut them down.

They surrounded me, yes, they closed in on me; in the name of the LORD I cut them down.

They swarmed around me like bees, but they were snuffed out like a fire of thorns; in the name of the LORD I cut them down.

You pushed me hard, so that I was falling, but the LORD helped me.

The LORD is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation.

Shouts of joy and victory ring out in the tents of the righteous: "The right hand of the LORD does mighty things!

The right hand of the LORD is lifted high; the right hand of the LORD does mighty things!"

I shall not die, but live, and tell of what the LORD has done.

The LORD has disciplined me severely, but he has not handed me over to death.

Open to me the gates of righteousness; I will enter through them and give thanks to the LORD.

This is the gate of the LORD; the righteous shall enter through it.

I thank you, for you answered me; you have become my salvation.

The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.

This is the LORD's doing; it is marvelous in our eyes.

This is the day the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.

O LORD, save us, we pray! O LORD, grant us success, we pray!

Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD. From the house of the LORD we bless you.

The LORD is God, and he has given us light. Bind the festal sacrifice with cords, up to the horns of the altar.

You are my God, and I will give you thanks; you are my God, and I will exalt you.

Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his steadfast love endures forever.

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Summary2

Chapter 118

Main Theme: A festival psalm that praises God’s eternal faithfulness and celebrates his deliverance from the threat of death.

Content: The psalm opens and closes with the exhortation, "Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever" (vv. 1, 29). The believer testifies to how God answered in distress and rescued from death (vv. 5–18). The psalm culminates in a processional liturgy at the temple with a prayer for deliverance ("Hosanna") and a blessing on the one who comes in the Lord’s name (vv. 25–26).

Key Words/Images:

The Lord’s Faithfulness (חֶסֶד): God’s enduring, covenantal love, repeated as a refrain throughout the psalm.
The Cornerstone (v. 22): The stone that the builders rejected became the chief cornerstone—a picture of God’s vindication of the despised, applied to Christ in the NT.
"This is the day the Lord has made" (v. 24): A celebration of God’s saving act, used liturgically concerning the resurrection.
Hosanna (v. 25): A Hebrew cry for help meaning "Save now!"—became the acclamation to Jesus on Palm Sunday.

Historical context

Historical and Cultural Context for Psalm 118

Events and Customs

Psalm 118 is a processional liturgy associated with thanksgiving festivals at the temple, likely the Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot). The structure reveals a liturgical movement: a procession approaches the temple (vv. 1–18), requests entry through the gates (vv. 19–20), and performs rituals within the temple courts (vv. 21–29). Verse 27 describes a specific festival custom: "Bind the festal offering with cords to the horns of the altar." The Hebrew text (אִסְרוּ־חַג בַּעֲבֹתִים עַד־קַרְנוֹת הַמִּזְבֵּחַ) uses עַד (until/to), indicating a procession toward the altar. This refers to the practice of leading sacrificial animals in procession, possibly bound with branches or cords, up to the burnt offering altar. The horns of the altar were the four raised projections at the corners of the altar, which held special sanctity.

The cry in verse 25 (Hebrew hoshi'a na – "save now!") became a central part of the Feast of Tabernacles liturgy and later developed into the Greek "hosanna." During this festival, the people carried lulav (bundles of palm, myrtle, and willow branches) and marched around the altar while shouting this verse.

Key Terms

The word chesed (חֶסֶד, "steadfast love" or "faithful love") is repeated as a refrain throughout the psalm and denotes God's covenantal faithfulness—a love that remains true to its commitments. The expression sha'arei-tsedeq (שַׁעֲרֵי־צֶדֶק, "gates of righteousness") in verse 19 may refer to a specific temple gate, possibly the eastern gate used on solemn occasions.

The image of "the stone that the builders rejected" (v. 22) uses architectural terminology. Rosh pinnah ("cornerstone" or "capstone") was either the foundation stone that determined the angle of the entire building or the capstone that crowned and completed the structure. The metaphor describes a dramatic reversal in which what was rejected becomes the most important.

Chapter-Specific Findings

The liturgical structure of Psalm 118 is reflected in findings from the temple and contemporary sources. The Mishnah tractate Sukkah describes in detail how this psalm was used during the Feast of Tabernacles in the Second Temple period. The people responded with "Hallelujah" or repeated half-verses while the Levites sang, and all waved their lulav bundles at verses 1, 25, and 29. This confirms the antiphonal character of the psalm, where different groups (Israel, the house of Aaron, those who fear the LORD) respond to one another.

People2

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Key words11

Lord — A title for God meaning the sovereign and highest authority.
Grace — God's unmerited goodness and love toward people, especially in the form of forgiveness and salvation.
Deliverance — The act of setting someone free from oppression, suffering, or captivity.
Refuge — A place of safety and protection, especially in a time of distress or danger.
Trust — To have confidence in or rely on something or someone, often used regarding faith in God.
Eternal — That which lasts forever, without end. In this context, it refers to God's love and grace.
Stone — Symbolizes something solid, strong, and stable, often used as an image of God or his promises.
Cornerstone — An important and foundational part of something, such as a building or a community. In Psalm 118, it refers to Jesus as the foundation of faith and salvation.
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