1. Give thanks to Yahweh, because he is good,
Because to forever is his lovingkindness.
2. Let Israel now say
That to forever is his lovingkindness.
3. Let the house of Aaron now say
That to forever is his lovingkindness.
4. Let those who fear Yahweh now say
That to forever is his lovingkindness.
5. From distress I call Yah.
Yah answers me in a roomy place.
6. Yahweh is for me.
I will not fear what man will do to me.
7. Yahweh is for me among those who help me,
And I will look on those who hate me.
8. It is better to take refuge in Yahweh
Than to trust in man.
9. It is better to take refuge in Yahweh
Than to trust in nobles.
10. All nations surround me.
In the name of Yahweh surely I will cut them off.
11. They surround me, indeed they surround me.
In the name of Yahweh surely I will cut them off.
12. They surround me like bees.
They are quenched like a fire of thorns.
In the name of Yahweh surely I will cut them off.
13. Pushing you push me to fall,
And Yahweh helps me.
14. My strength and hymn is Yahweh,
And he is for me for salvation.
15. The sound of a shout and salvation is in the tents of the righteous ones.
The right hand of Yahweh does valor.
16. The right hand of Yahweh is exalted.
The right hand of Yahweh does valor.
17. I will not die but live
And recount the works of Yah.
18. Chastening Yah chastens me,
And to death he does not give me.
19. Open for me the gates of righteousness.
I will enter them.
I will give thanks to Yah.
20. This is the gate to Yahweh.
The righteous ones will enter it.
21. I will give thanks to you,
For you answer me
And are for me for salvation.
22. The stone the builders reject
Is for the head of the corner.
23. From the presence of Yahweh is this.
It is wonderful in our eyes.
24. This is the day that Yahweh has made.
We will rejoice and be glad in it.
25. Ah Yahweh, save now!
Ah Yahweh, send prosperity now!
26. Blest is he who enters in the name of Yahweh.
We bless you all from the house of Yahweh.
27. Yahweh is God,
And he will give light to us.
Bind the festal sacrifice with cords to the horns of the altar.
28. You are my God, and I will give thanks to you.
My God, I will exalt you.
29. Give thanks to Yahweh, because he is good,
Because to forever is his lovingkindness.
The most prominent characteristic of Psalm 118 is repetition.
Many of these repetitions stand right next to each other. Thus, in the first four verses, the psalmist says four times that Yahweh’s lovingkindness is to forever. This is a formulaic and oft-repeated phrase in the psalms and other songs of Scripture. Psalm 136 is the best example, but it was also the main theme of the temple music (1 Chron. 16:41).
Verses 8 and 9 give us another such repetition. It is better to take refuge in Yahweh than to trust in man or nobles. This is a truth that has become a truism and therefore needs emphasis so that we do not pass over it without thought.
In verses 10–12 the psalmist says four times that the nations surround him, though each time with slight variation. The threat to his life is real and pressing, but three times he answers the threat with confidence: In the name of Yahweh surely I will cut them off.
Name of Yahweh appears three times in those verses and again in verse 26. That name is the strength of the psalmist’s confidence and his defense against his enemies.
But Yahweh (or Yah) by itself occurs almost 30 times. It is the name which our God uses when he wants to reassure us that he is unchanging in his covenant faithfulness.
At the center of the psalm (vv. 15b–16) is another repeated reason for praise: The right hand of Yahweh does valor. The right hand of Yahweh is exalted. The right hand of Yahweh does valor. Those three lines form a little chiasm. The Lord will put his valor to work for the psalmist.
The word gate appears twice, once in verse 19 and once in verse 20. The psalmist anticipates his entry (a word that is repeated in these two verses and in verse 26) into the glorious presence of Yahweh and rejoices. These two verses also form a little chiasm with its central line being I will give thanks to Yah.
Some of the repetitions are scattered throughout the psalm. The most prominent of these is give thanks. It appears first in verse 1, then verses 19 and 21, and finally in verses 28 and 29. This is the dominant idea of the psalm. It is a psalm of thanksgiving to the Lord for his protection and salvation. Verses 1 and 29 are exactly the same and form an envelope for the rest of the psalm.
Another repetition that is much less obvious from a casual reading is the phrase for me. Yahweh is for me (v. 6), Yahweh is for me among those helping me (v. 7), but also He is for me for salvation (v. 14), Open for me the gates of righteousness (v. 19), and again, You are for me for salvation (v. 21). Yahweh is on our side.
Closely tied to this phrase are the words help and salvation, which occur in verses 7, 13, 14, 15, 21 and 25. The psalm is very personal, using I throughout except for verses 23–27. The psalmist is in trouble caused by enemies, but he sees it as chastening of the Lord (v. 18), and also confidently looks for help and salvation from him. More than that, he will again enter the house of Yahweh to offer festal sacrifice and bless him because he is good, because to forever is his lovingkindness.
The church has usually understood the psalm as a psalm about our Lord’s resurrection (I will not die but live, and to death he does not give me), but it is also about his ascension to the right hand of the majesty on high. He sings confidently of his entry through the gates of righteousness into the glorious presence of Yahweh, there to worship him and give thanks to his name.
The lesson for us is that it is better to take refuge in Yahweh than to trust in man.