Psalm 118

¹ Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, for his loving kindness endures forever.

² Let Israel now say that his loving kindness endures forever.

³ Let the house of Aaron now say that his loving kindness endures forever.

⁴ Now let those who fear the LORD say that his loving kindness endures forever.

⁵ Out of my distress, I called on the LORD. The LORD answered me with freedom.

⁶ The LORD is on my side. I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?

⁷ The LORD is on my side among those who help me. Therefore I will look in triumph at those who hate me.

⁸ It is better to take refuge in the LORD, than to put confidence in man.

⁹ It is better to take refuge in the LORD, than to put confidence in princes.

¹⁰ All the nations surrounded me, but in the LORD’s name I cut them off.

¹¹ They surrounded me, yes, they surrounded me. In the LORD’s name I indeed cut them off.

¹² They surrounded me like bees. They are quenched like the burning thorns. In the LORD’s name I cut them off.

¹³ You pushed me back hard, to make me fall, but the LORD helped me.

¹⁴ The LORD is my strength and song. 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 will not die, but live, and declare the LORD’s works.

¹⁸ The LORD has punished me severely, but he has not given me over to death.

¹⁹ Open to me the gates of righteousness. I will enter into them. I will give thanks to the LORD.

²⁰ This is the gate of the LORD; the righteous will enter into it.

²¹ I will give thanks to you, for you have answered me, and have become my salvation.

²² The stone which the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.

²³ This is the LORD’s doing. It is marvelous in our eyes.

²⁴ This is the day that the LORD has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it!

²⁵ Save us now, we beg you, LORD! LORD, we beg you, send prosperity now.

²⁶ Blessed is he who comes in the LORD’s name! We have blessed you out of the LORD’s house.

²⁷ The LORD is God, and he has given us light. Bind the sacrifice with cords, even to the horns of the altar.

²⁸ You are my God, and I will give thanks to you. You are my God, I will exalt you.

²⁹ Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, for his loving kindness endures forever.

Around Psalm 118

Book context

PsalmsEditorial draft

Psalms is a collection of 150 songs and prayers used in Israel’s worship, written by several people over a long period. Headings name David most often, along with Asaph, the sons of Korah and others. The collection falls into five books, each ending with a short blessing of the LORD (41:13, 72:19, 89:52, 106:48), and it closes with a call for everything that has breath to praise the LORD (150:6). The psalms hold praise, lament, thanksgiving, confession and trust, so readers find words for nearly every season of life.

Why we say this

HisFullGlory editorial · broad consensus · not yet reviewed by a theological reader

From the text itself

Sources

Notes summarise their sources in our own words. Where Christians or scholars disagree, the note says so. Notes are not original-language evidence and do not replace the text.

AI explanation

About Psalms as a whole · Written by an AI model · Not reviewed by a theological reader

This explanation was written by an AI model to help you get started. It names no sources and can contain mistakes. Scripture comes first, and context with sources is shown separately on this page.

What this book is about

“How long, LORD? Will you forget me forever?” A prayer can begin like that, and in the Psalms it does. Four times the poet asks how long, and then, in the same short song, comes the turn: “But I trust in your loving kindness.”

That honesty runs through the whole book. Psalms is a collection of 150 songs and prayers, and it holds praise, thanksgiving, lament, confession, songs for the king, and reflections on wisdom and on God's law. It is arranged in five books and moves, on the whole, from many laments at the start to pure praise at the end.

Joy, fear, anger, guilt and doubt are all spoken to God directly.

Background

The psalms were written and gathered over several centuries. Their headings link about half of them with David and others with Asaph, the sons of Korah, Solomon and Moses. They were sung in the worship of the temple and later in synagogues and churches.

How Christians read it

Jews and Christians have prayed the Psalms daily for well over two thousand years. The New Testament quotes them more than any other book and reads many as speaking of Christ, among them Psalms 2, 22 and 110. The psalms that call for judgment on enemies are hard to read. Many understand them as handing vengeance over to God instead of taking it oneself.

About this explanation

Written by Claude Sonnet 5.5, an AI model, on 19 October 2026. It draws on the WEB text and general knowledge and was not checked against sources by a person. Every quotation from Scripture is checked automatically against the WEB text.

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