What is the meaning of Psalm 118?
Introduction to Psalm 118
Psalm 118 stands as a magnificent crescendo in the collection of Hallel psalms (Psalms 113-118), traditionally sung during major Jewish festivals. This royal psalm of thanksgiving pulses with messianic overtones and carries profound theological weight as both a historical and prophetic text. Its verses have echoed through centuries of worship, from ancient temple ceremonies to the triumphal entry of Yeshua into Jerusalem, making it one of the most quoted psalms in the New Testament.
The psalm’s structure follows a masterful pattern, opening and closing with the same declaration of Yahweh’s eternal chesed (loving-kindness), while its core presents a dramatic personal testimony of divine deliverance. This artful composition invites both individual worshippers and the entire community of faith into a deeper experience of God’s faithfulness and salvation.
Context of Psalm 118
Within the immediate context, Psalm 118 serves as the magnificent conclusion to the Egyptian Hallel, a series of psalms historically sung during Passover and other major festivals. Its position is strategic, following five psalms of praise and leading into the great acrostic celebration of Torah in Psalm 119. This positioning highlights its role as a bridge between communal worship and personal devotion to God’s Word.
In the broader biblical narrative, this psalm carries profound historical and prophetic significance. It likely originated as a liturgical celebration of God’s deliverance, possibly during the post-exilic period when Israel was rebuilding the temple. The psalm’s themes of rejection, vindication, and triumph perfectly parallel Israel’s national experience while simultaneously pointing forward to the Messiah’s ministry and ultimate victory.
The psalm’s influence extends throughout Scripture, finding particular resonance in the Gospel accounts of Yeshua’s final week. The crowds’ proclamations during His triumphal entry drew directly from this psalm, and Yeshua Himself quoted it to explain His rejection by the religious leaders. This multi-layered relevance – historical, messianic, and personal – makes Psalm 118 a pivotal text in understanding God’s redemptive plan.
Ancient Key Word Study
- חֶסֶד (chesed) – This foundational Hebrew word, appearing in verses 1-4, encompasses God’s covenant loyalty, steadfast love, and merciful kindness. Unlike mere emotional affection, chesed represents active, committed love that remains faithful even when the recipient is unfaithful. Its repetition four times in the opening verses creates a powerful declaration of God’s character.
- הוֹדוּ (hodu) – The imperative “give thanks” that opens and closes the psalm carries the idea of public acknowledgment and confession of God’s goodness. Its root connects to the word for “hand,” suggesting active demonstration of gratitude through worship and lifestyle.
- יָהּ (Yah) – This shortened form of יהוה (Yahweh) appears in the powerful phrase “The right hand of Yah” (verse 16). Its use here emphasizes divine power and personal relationship, combining God’s transcendence with His immanence.
- אֶבֶן (even) – The “stone” rejected by the builders (verse 22) uses the common Hebrew word for building material, but here it becomes a profound messianic metaphor. Its root suggests permanence and reliability, making its rejection even more striking.
- מָ֭וֶת (mavet) – “Death” in verse 18 carries connotations beyond physical expiration, suggesting complete separation and devastation. Its use here in contrast with life emphasizes the totality of God’s deliverance.
- אוֹר (or) – “Light” in verse 27 represents both physical illumination and spiritual revelation. Its usage here connects to festival imagery while pointing to deeper theological truths about God’s guidance and blessing.
- שַׁעַר (sha’ar) – The “gates” of righteousness (verse 19) symbolize more than physical entrances. This term often represents authority, transition points, and places of judgment in Hebrew thought, making its usage here rich with theological significance.
- אֵלִי (Eli) – “My God” in verse 28 expresses intimate, personal relationship. This possessive form emphasizes individual faith within the context of communal worship.
- צָרַר (tsarar) – The word for “distress” or “confined space” (verse 5) literally means to be bound or restricted. Its contrast with God’s answer of “broad space” creates a powerful spatial metaphor for divine deliverance.
Compare & Contrast
- Verse 5: “From distress I called upon Yah; Yah answered me in a broad place.” The contrast between צַר (distress/narrow) and מֶרְחָב (broad place) was intentionally chosen over other Hebrew words for trouble and relief. This spatial metaphor powerfully conveys both the psychological and physical aspects of divine deliverance, while connecting to Israel’s exodus experience.
- Verse 8-9: “It is better to take refuge in Yahweh than to trust in man. It is better to take refuge in Yahweh than to trust in princes.” The repetition with only slight variation (man/princes) emphasizes the futility of human help at any social level. The word חָסָה (refuge) suggests finding shelter under wings, a metaphor that would resonate deeply with the agricultural society.
- Verse 14: “Yah is my strength and song, and He has become my salvation.” This verse deliberately echoes the Song of Moses from Exodus 15:2, using identical Hebrew phrasing to connect this personal deliverance with Israel’s national salvation history.
- Verse 22: “The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief corner stone.” The term רֹאשׁ פִּנָּה (chief cornerstone) was chosen over other architectural terms because it represents both foundation and capstone, creating a beautiful ambiguity that enriches its messianic implications.
- Verse 24: “This is the day which Yahweh has made; Let us rejoice and be glad in it.” The Hebrew יוֹם (day) here carries definite article, suggesting not just any day but THE day – a specific time of divine intervention and celebration.
- Verse 26: “Blessed is he who comes in the name of Yahweh.” The participle הַבָּא (who comes) was chosen over other forms to suggest continuous action, making this both an immediate welcome and a prophetic declaration.
- Verse 27: “Yahweh is God, and He has given us light.” The word אוֹר (light) here connects to both creation imagery and temple illumination, creating multiple layers of meaning that would resonate with Jewish worship practices.
Psalm 118 Unique Insights
The psalm’s structure reveals a fascinating mathematical precision that points to divine inspiration. It contains exactly 29 verses, with the central verse (14) serving as a pivot point that echoes the Song of Moses. This architectural precision in Hebrew poetry suggests careful composition to enhance its theological message.
Jewish tradition associates this psalm with several key historical moments. The Midrash Tehillim suggests it was composed by David after his rejection by his brothers and subsequent elevation to kingship. This interpretation adds depth to the “rejected stone” metaphor, seeing it as both autobiographical and prophetic. The tradition of reciting this psalm during the waving of the lulav (palm branches) at Sukkot provides important context for understanding its use during Yeshua’s triumphal entry.
The psalm contains a unique phenomenon in verses 8-9, which rabbinic tradition identifies as the central verses of the entire Torah. These verses, emphasizing trust in Yahweh over human help, stand at the mathematical center of the Torah when counting letters, highlighting their significance. This positioning suggests that the core message of Scripture is about transferring trust from human to divine resources.
Early Christian writings, particularly those of Augustine and Chrysostom, noted how the psalm’s progression from individual to communal praise mirrors the believer’s journey from personal salvation to corporate worship. This pattern is seen as prefiguring the church’s role in continuing Israel’s praise of God’s redemptive work.
The repeated phrase “I shall not die, but live” in verse 17 carries particular weight in light of ancient Near Eastern royal ideology. While other nations’ kings claimed divine status, Israel’s king acknowledged complete dependence on Yahweh for life and victory. This theological distinction points forward to the Messiah who would demonstrate this truth through His death and resurrection.
Psalm 118 Connections to Yeshua
The messianic implications of Psalm 118 are profound and multifaceted. The “stone which the builders rejected” (Psalm 118:22) finds its ultimate fulfillment in Yeshua’s rejection by the religious leadership and His subsequent exaltation. This imagery is quoted directly by Yeshua Himself in Matthew 21:42 and becomes a cornerstone of early Christian preaching (Acts 4:11).
The triumphant cry “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord” (Psalm 118:26) was proclaimed by the crowds during Yeshua’s entry into Jerusalem (Matthew 21:9). This connection is particularly significant given that this psalm was traditionally sung during the Feast of Tabernacles, suggesting that the crowds were deliberately identifying Yeshua as the promised Messianic king. The palm branches mentioned in the psalm’s festival context (Psalm 118:27) further connect to this momentous event.
Psalm 118 Scriptural Echoes
This psalm resonates throughout Scripture in remarkable ways. Its opening declaration of God’s eternal chesed echoes through the entire Bible, from Moses’ encounter at Sinai (Exodus 34:6-7) to John’s vision of the New Jerusalem (Revelation 21:3). The phrase “The right hand of Yahweh is exalted” recalls the Song of Moses (Exodus 15:6) and anticipates the exaltation of Yeshua (Acts 2:33).
The imagery of entering through gates of righteousness (Psalm 118:19-20) finds parallel in Isaiah’s prophecy of salvation (Isaiah 26:2) and culminates in Revelation’s description of the New Jerusalem (Revelation 21:25). The metaphor of the rejected stone appears again in Isaiah’s prophecy (Isaiah 28:16) and becomes a central theme in New Testament teaching (1 Peter 2:7).
Psalm 118 Devotional
This psalm invites us into a profound experience of thanksgiving and trust. Its movement from personal testimony to corporate worship teaches us that individual encounters with God’s faithfulness should lead to public praise. When we face our own moments of distress, we can draw strength from the psalmist’s confidence that “Yahweh is for me” (Psalm 118:6).
The psalm challenges us to examine where we place our trust. Do we, like the psalmist, recognize the futility of human help compared to divine assistance? The central verses remind us that true security comes only from taking refuge in Yahweh. This truth calls us to regularly evaluate our dependencies and redirect our trust to God alone.
Did You Know
- The phrase “This is the day that Yahweh has made” traditionally opened the morning prayers in the Temple service, connecting individual worship with the cosmic order of creation.
- This psalm was part of the “Egyptian Hallel” sung during Passover, making its messianic themes particularly poignant during Yeshua’s last supper with His disciples.
- The Hebrew word order in verse 27 suggests a connection between “binding the festival sacrifice” and the cornerstone imagery, possibly prefiguring the Messiah’s sacrificial death.
- Ancient Jewish tradition held that this psalm would be sung by all nations in the messianic age, seeing it as a prophecy of universal worship.
- The psalm’s structure includes exactly 97 lines in Hebrew, which some rabbis saw as significant since 97 is the numerical value of צָר (distress) plus one, suggesting victory over affliction.
- The repetition of “Let Israel say” and similar phrases in verses 2-4 follows the pattern of antiphonal Temple worship, where different groups would respond to each other.
- Archaeological discoveries have shown that cornerstone ceremonies were significant events in ancient Near Eastern culture, adding depth to the metaphor of the rejected stone.
- The psalm’s references to “the right hand of Yahweh” appear exactly three times, which some early Christian commentators saw as a trinitarian allusion.
- The phrase “I shall not die but live” became a rallying cry during times of persecution in both Jewish and Christian history.
