| Psalm 118 | |
| Subtitle: | "O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good" |
| Image Upright: | 1.2 |
| Other Name: |
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| Language: | Hebrew (original) |
Psalm 118 is the 118th psalm of the Book of Psalms, beginning in the English of the King James Version: "O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: because his mercy endureth for ever." The Book of Psalms is part of the third section of the Hebrew Bible, and a book of the Christian Old Testament. In the slightly different numbering system used in the Greek Septuagint and Latin Vulgate translations of the Bible, this psalm is Psalm 117. In Latin, it is known as "Confitemini Domino".[1] Its themes are thanksgiving to God and reliance on God rather than on human strength.
The psalm forms a regular part of Jewish, Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Lutheran, Anglican and other Protestant liturgies.
The following table shows the Hebrew text[2] [3] of the Psalm with vowels alongside an English translation based upon the JPS 1917 translation (now in the public domain).
| Verse | Hebrew | English translation (JPS 1917) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 'O give thanks unto the LORD, for He is good, For His mercy endureth for ever. | ||
| 2 | So let Israel now say, For His mercy endureth for ever, | ||
| 3 | So let the house of Aaron now say, For His mercy endureth for ever. | ||
| 4 | So let them now that fear the LORD say, For His mercy endureth for ever. | ||
| 5 | Out of my straits I called upon the LORD; He answered me with great enlargement. | ||
| 6 | The LORD is for me; I will not fear; What can man do unto me? | ||
| 7 | The LORD is for me as my helper; And I shall gaze upon them that hate me. | ||
| 8 | It is better to take refuge in the LORD Than to trust in man. | ||
| 9 | It is better to take refuge in the LORD Than to trust in princes. | ||
| 10 | All nations compass me about; Verily, in the name of the LORD I will cut them off. | ||
| 11 | They compass me about, yea, they compass me about; Verily, in the name of the LORD I will cut them off. | ||
| 12 | They compass me about like bees; They are quenched as the fire of thorns; Verily, in the name of the LORD I will cut them off. | ||
| 13 | Thou didst thrust sore at me that I might fall; But the LORD helped me. | ||
| 14 | The LORD is my strength and song; And He is become my salvation. | ||
| 15 | The voice of rejoicing and salvation is in the tents of the righteous; The right hand of the LORD doeth valiantly. | ||
| 16 | The right hand of the LORD is exalted; The right hand of the LORD doeth valiantly. | ||
| 17 | I shall not die, but live, And declare the works of the LORD. | ||
| 18 | The LORD hath chastened me sore; But He hath not given me over unto death. | ||
| 19 | Open to me the gates of righteousness; I will enter into them, I will give thanks unto the LORD. | ||
| 20 | This is the gate of the LORD; The righteous shall enter into it. | ||
| 21 | I will give thanks unto Thee, for Thou hast answered me, And art become my salvation. | ||
| 22 | The stone which the builders rejected Is become the chief corner-stone. | ||
| 23 | This is the LORD’S doing; It is marvellous in our eyes. | ||
| 24 | This is the day which the LORD hath made; We will rejoice and be glad in it. | ||
| 25 | We beseech Thee, O LORD, save now! We beseech Thee, O LORD, make us now to prosper | ||
| 26 | Blessed be he that cometh in the name of the LORD; We bless you out of the house of the LORD. | ||
| 27 | The LORD is God, and hath given us light; Order the festival procession with boughs, even unto the horns of the altar. | ||
| 28 | Thou art my God, and I will give thanks unto Thee; Thou art my God, I will exalt Thee. | ||
| 29 |
This psalm is centered on God, in a movement that expresses gratitude, admiration, joy and praise. In the King James Version, the Lord is mentioned in almost every verse.
I called on the Lord in distress;
The Lord answered me and set me in a large place.[4] Instead of "a large place" or "a broad place", many translations state the "set me free".[5]
The Lord is my strength and song,
And He has become my salvation.[6] These words are paralleled in the Song of Moses and are used by the prophet Isaiah.[7]
Most translations have translated zimrah as "song", its usual meaning. However, the Greek Septuagint translation of the parallel passage of Exodus 15:2 merely translated it as The Lord being "my protector", making no reference to song. Further, inscriptions in Ancient South Arabian, a dialect cognate of Biblical Hebrew, seem to sometimes use zimrah to mean "might" or "power", suggesting an alternative translation as "The Lord is my strength and might".[8]
The stone which the builders rejected
Has become the chief cornerstone.[9]
This was the Lord’s doing;
It is marvelous in our eyes.[10]
Psalm 118 is the last of the so-called Egyptian Hallel. It is read on the days of recitation of the hallel.
Parts of this Psalm were quoted by Jesus and writers of the New Testament.
"Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!"[18] [19]
This text was chosen by Saint Benedict of Nursia towards 530, as the third psalm for the solemn office of Sunday Lauds (Rule of Saint Benedict, chapter XI10).[20]
Psalm 118 (117) is now read in the Liturgy of the Hours every Sunday of the first and third weeks, at the office of Sext.
Psalm 118 is also closely associated with Eastertide, and is typically sung at the Easter Vigil and morning Mass on Easter Sunday. The gradual for Easter is based on verse 24, Latin: Haec dies quam fecit Dominus. As a result, many compositions are based on this textual fragment.
An extract from verse 23 is inscribed on several English coins, with the text of the Vulgate: a Domino factum est istud hoc est mirabile in oculis nostris. Upon her accession to the throne, Elizabeth I of England is said to have pronounced this same verse, also in Latin, as quoted in the New Testament: A Domino factum est illud et est mirabile in oculis nostris.[21]
In the Church of England's Book of Common Prayer, this psalm is appointed to be read on the morning of the twenty-fourth day of the month,[22] as well as at Evensong on Easter Day.[23]
The hymn in German "Nun saget Dank und lobt den Herren" is a paraphrase of Psalm 118. It has been set to music by various composers.
Heinrich Schütz composed a metred paraphrase of the psalm in German, "Laßt uns Gott, unserm Herren", SWV 216, for the Becker Psalter, published first in 1628.
The beginning of the psalm was set by Goran Trajkoski for a production, Eternal House, at the Macedonian National Theatre.[24]
The 22nd line of the Psalm is referenced in the opening theme to The Boondocks by the artist Asheru where the singer proclaims "I am the stone that the builder refused" in the very first line.[25]