Psalms 118

Berean Standard Bible · Compare translations · Tap a verse to copy, share or highlight ·

29 verses · 453 words · ~2 min read · ~3 min listen

The LORD Is on My Side

¹Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good;

His loving devotion endures forever.

²Let Israel say,

“His loving devotion endures forever.”

³Let the house of Aaron say,

“His loving devotion endures forever.”

⁴Let those who fear the Lord say,

“His loving devotion endures forever.”

⁵In my distress I called to the Lord,

and He answered and set me free.

⁶The Lord is on my side; I will not be afraid.

What can man do to me?

⁷The Lord is on my side; He is my helper.

Therefore I will look in triumph on those who hate me.

⁸It is better to take refuge in the Lord

than to trust in man.

⁹It is better to take refuge in the Lord

than to trust in princes.

¹⁰All the nations surrounded me,

but in the name of the Lord I cut them off.

¹¹They surrounded me on every side,

but in the name of the Lord I cut them off.

¹²They swarmed around me like bees,

but they were extinguished like burning thorns;

in the name of the Lord I cut them off.

¹³I was pushed so hard I was falling,

but the Lord helped me.

¹⁴The Lord is my strength and my song,

and He has become my salvation.

¹⁵Shouts of joy and salvation resound in the tents of the righteous:

“The right hand of the Lord performs with valor!

¹⁶The right hand of the Lord is exalted!

The right hand of the Lord performs with valor!”

¹⁷I will not die, but I will live

and proclaim what the Lord has done.

¹⁸The Lord disciplined me severely,

but He has not given me over to death.

¹⁹Open to me the gates of righteousness,

that I may enter and give thanks to the Lord.

²⁰This is the gate of the Lord;

the righteous shall enter through it.

²¹I will give You thanks, for You have answered me,

and You have become my salvation.

²²The stone the builders rejected

has become the cornerstone.

²³This is from the Lord,

and it is marvelous in our eyes.

²⁴This is the day that the Lord has made;

we will rejoice and be glad in it.

²⁵O Lord, save us, we pray.

We beseech You, O Lord, cause us to prosper!

²⁶Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.

From the house of the Lord we bless you.

²⁷The Lord is God;

He has made His light to shine upon us.

Bind the festal sacrifice with cords

to the horns of the altar.

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

You are my God, and I will exalt You.

²⁹Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good;

His loving devotion endures forever.

Footnotes (8)

a v2 LXX the house of Israel
b v6 Or The LORD is with me; also in verse 7; LXX The Lord is my helper
c v6 Cited in Hebrews 13:6
d v22 Hebrew the head of the corner; cited in Matthew 21:42,Mark 12:10,Luke 20:17,Acts 4:11,and 1 Peter 2:7
e v23 Cited in Matthew 21:42and Mark 12:11
f v25 Hebrew hosia-na, meaning save, we pray or save now; see Matthew 21:9,Matthew 21:15,Mark 11:9,and John 12:13.
g v26 Cited in Matthew 21:9,Matthew 23:39,Mark 11:9,Luke 13:35,Luke 19:38,and John 12:13
h v27 Or Join in the festal procession with boughs in hand, up to the horns of the altar.

Study notes on this chapter · 3

QuotationLinked by the New Testament

I will never leave you nor forsake you

Moses and then the LORD himself promise Joshua that God will not leave or abandon him. Hebrews applies the promise to every believer, and adds Psalm 118's confidence that the LORD is my helper, I will not fear.

When: Moses' final charge to Joshua (traditionally c. 1406 BC); Hebrews, before AD 70 (most likely).

Original passageDeuteronomy 31:6Joshua 1:5Psalms 118:6

Where the New Testament applies itHebrews 13:5–6

Editorial note by BibleWay. Interpretations vary; dates are approximate scholarly estimates.

Prophecy & fulfillmentLinked by the New Testament

The stone the builders rejected

A psalm of thanksgiving in which the stone rejected by builders becomes the cornerstone. Jesus applies it to himself, and Peter repeats it before the council.

When: A pilgrimage psalm from the period of the temple; quoted by Jesus, c. AD 30–33.

Original passagePsalms 118:22–23

Where the New Testament applies itMatthew 21:42Acts 4:111 Peter 2:7

Editorial note by BibleWay. Interpretations vary; dates are approximate scholarly estimates.

Prophecy & fulfillmentLinked by the New Testament

Hosanna: blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD

The Palm Sunday crowds greet Jesus with words from Psalm 118, a pilgrim psalm sung at Passover: 'Hosanna' (Save us) and 'Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD'. The gospels report this.

When: Psalm 118, sung by pilgrims to the temple; Jesus' entry into Jerusalem, c. AD 30–33.

Original passagePsalms 118:25–26

Where the New Testament applies itMatthew 21:9Mark 11:9–10John 12:13

Echoed inMatthew 23:39

Editorial note by BibleWay. Interpretations vary; dates are approximate scholarly estimates.

See all prophecy & fulfillment notes →

Psalms 118

The LORD Is on My Sideⓘ

Study notes on this chapter · 3

I will never leave you nor forsake you

The stone the builders rejected

Hosanna: blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD

The LORD Is on My Side