The Lord is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me? Psalm 118:6
A Praise Psalm for Festival Time
Psalm 118 is the climax of the group of psalms called the Passover psalms or Hallel psalms, after the Hebrew word for praise, hallel. Hallelujah comes from this word. These psalms were probably sung by the Savior on the night before His death. This psalm is sung as a joyful people join the profession at festival time. God is praised for His enduring love, and His help in triumphing over Israel’s enemies is recounted. These victories foreshadow the messianic triumph to come at history’s end (vv. 22-29).
118:10, 11 The poet feels that he is alone and the whole world is arrayed against him. The words I will destroy them are used three times; the repetition is for emphasis and finality. Even though the psalmist is completely encircled by his enemies, he knows that God will help him triumph over them.
10 All nations surrounded me, But in the name of the Lord I will destroy them. 11 They surrounded me, Yes, they surrounded me; But in the name of the Lord I will destroy them. 12 They surrounded me like bees; They were quenched like a fire of thorns; For in the name of the Lord I will destroy them.
118:13, 14 You pushed me: Translated literally, the Hebrew phrase means “pushing, you pushed me to make me fall.” But the Lord helped me: Compare Paul’s words in 2 Tim. 4:17, 18. Deliverance always comes from God. The Lord is not only our Helper, but also our strength and song. These words are a quotation form the “Song of Meses” (Ex. 15:2); they are also quoted in Is. 12:2. The God who delivered the Israelites by dividing the waters of the Red Sea was ready to deliver the psalmist from trouble.
13 You pushed me violently, that I might fall, But the Lord helped me. 14 The Lord is my strength and song, And He has become my salvation.
But the Lord stood with me and strengthened me, so that the message might be preached fully through me, and that all the Gentiles might hear. And I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion. 18 And the Lord will deliver me from every evil work and preserve me for His heavenly kingdom. To Him be glory forever and ever. Amen! 2 Tim. 4:17, 18
118:15-17 The voice of rejoicing: The psalmist summons the people of God to join him in praise, just as in the days of Exodus from Egypt. The slogan of redemption, the right hand of the Lord, is again a quotation from the Song of Moses (Ex. 15:6). It depicts God using His limitless strength to save the psalmist. I shall not die: The poet describes a near-death experience, as in 16:9-11.
15 The voice of rejoicing and salvation Is in the tents of the righteous; The right hand of the Lord does valiantly. 16 The right hand of the Lord is exalted; The right hand of the Lord does valiantly. 17 I shall not die, but live, And declare the works of the Lord. 18 The Lord has chastened me severely, But He has not given me over to death.
118:19-21 Open to me the gates: The poet draws on the wording and imagery of Ps. 24. There is only One who can enter the gates of the Lord of His own accord – the perfect King of glory. Gate of the Lord: It is possible that the literal reference is to the gate of Jerusalem, the city of God – or even to a gate of the temple. Jesus declared that He was the gate or door leading to salvation (See John 10:9).
19 Open to me the gates of righteousness; I will go through them, And I will praise the Lord. 20 This is the gate of the Lord, Through which the righteous shall enter. 21 I will praise You, For You have answered me, And have become my salvation.
I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. John 10:9
118:22 The Savior is pictured as a discarded stone that is then reused as the most significant stone of all, the chief cornerstone. This potent imagery depicts Jesus’ rejection by many (Is. 53:3; Mark 8:31; Luke 9:22; 17:25). Jesus elaborated on this prophetic verse with the parable of the vineyard owner. In this parable, the rejection included the murder of the owner’s son – a reference to God’s only Son (Mark 12:1-12). But even though the Savior was rejected, He was elevated to the right hand of God (Acts 7:56). Only God could do this marvelous and unexpected work. The cross, the symbol of Jesus’ rejection, has become the symbol of our salvation (1 Cor. 1:18; Heb. 12:2).
“The capstone” (118:22). The imagery of the Messiah as the capstone or chief cornerstone is reflected in Isa. 8:14 and 28:16. It is the critical stone in a building, either the stone placed at the corner of a structure on which its weight rested, or the keystone of an arch.
22 The stone which the builders rejected Has become the chief cornerstone. 23 This was the Lord’s doing; It is marvelous in our eyes. 24 This is the day the Lord has made; We will rejoice and be glad in it.
118:25, 26 The words save now in Hebrew are more familiar in the transliteration “hosanna.” These words are so significant that if the children had not shouted them aloud (see Matt. 21:16) when Jesus entered Jerusalem, the stones would have had to shout them (Luke 19:40). The words blessed is he who comes are the words the people used to bless Jesus on his triumphal entry into Jerusalem (Matt. 21:9; Mark 11:9; Luke 19:38). As God’s only Son, Jesus is the One who comes in the name of the Lord; He is the One who reveals God the Father (John 14:8-11).
25 Save now, I pray, O Lord; O Lord, I pray, send now prosperity. 26 Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! We have blessed you from the house of the Lord.
Note: Transliteration is the process of transferring a word from the alphabet of one language to another. Transliteration helps people pronounce words and names in foreign languages. Unlike a translation, which tells you the meaning of a word that’s written in another language, a transliteration only gives you an idea of how the word is pronounced, by putting it in a familiar alphabet. Source: Vocabulary.com
** When we realize that even our thoughts are exposed and manipulated, as manifested by tailormade ads we receive right after we “think” about something, it does feel like we are completely encircled by the enemies. This is even scarier time than George Orwell’s 1984 that we are living in. But, defeat of the enemies is predicted in this psalm as well as in many other places in the Bible. “They surrounded me like bees; They were quenched like a fire of thorns.” “You pushed me violently, that I might fall, But the Lord helped me.”
I shall not die, but live, And declare the works of the Lord. Psalm 118:17
118 1 Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever. 2 Let Israel now say, “His mercy endures forever.” 3 Let the house of Aaron now say, “His mercy endures forever.” 4 Let those who fear the Lord now say, “His mercy endures forever.” 5 I called on the Lord in distress; The Lord answered me and set me in a broad place. 6 The Lord is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me? 7 The Lord is for me among those who help me; Therefore I shall see my desire on those who hate me. 8 It is better to trust in the Lord Than to put confidence in man. 9 It is better to trust in the Lord Than to put confidence in princes. 10 All nations surrounded me, But in the name of the Lord I will destroy them. 11 They surrounded me, Yes, they surrounded me; But in the name of the Lord I will destroy them. 12 They surrounded me like bees; They were quenched like a fire of thorns; For in the name of the Lord I will destroy them. 13 You pushed me violently, that I might fall, But the Lord helped me. 14 The Lord is my strength and song, And He has become my salvation. 15 The voice of rejoicing and salvation Is in the tents of the righteous; The right hand of the Lord does valiantly. 16 The right hand of the Lord is exalted; The right hand of the Lord does valiantly. 17 I shall not die, but live, And declare the works of the Lord. 18 The Lord has chastened me severely, But He has not given me over to death. 19 Open to me the gates of righteousness; I will go through them, And I will praise the Lord. 20 This is the gate of the Lord, Through which the righteous shall enter. 21 I will praise You, For You have answered me, And have become my salvation. 22 The stone which the builders rejected Has become the chief cornerstone. 23 This was the Lord’s doing; It is marvelous in our eyes. 24 This is the day the Lord has made; We will rejoice and be glad in it. 25 Save now, I pray, O Lord; O Lord, I pray, send now prosperity. 26 Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! We have blessed you from the house of the Lord. 27 God is the Lord, And He has given us light; Bind the sacrifice with cords to the horns of the altar. 28 You are my God, and I will praise You; You are my God, I will exalt You. 29 Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever.
