Psalm 118 Translation, structure, exegesis & exposition

psalm 118 118 Translation, structure, exegesis & exposition J. Akel 1 psalm 118 contents Abbreviations and Bibliography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . i A translation of Psalm 118 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Commentary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Appendix—Transliteration of the divine name . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 i psalm 118 a b b r e v i at i o n s a n d b i b l i o g r a p h y ab . . . . . . . . . . . The Anchor Bible, Psalms III, 101–150, Introduction, Translation, and Notes with an Appendix The Grammar of the Psalter, by Mitchell Dahood, S .J ., Doubleday, 1970 . Ayers . . . . . . . . Matthew Ayars, The Shape of Hebrew Poetry; Exploring the Discourse Function of Linguistic Parallelism in the Egyptian Hallel, Studia Semitica Neerlandica . Barclay . . . . . . . New Testament Words, scm Press, 1964 . bdb . . . . . . . . . . A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament, Brown, Driver and Briggs, Oxford, 1907/1977 . gkc . . . . . . . . . Gesenius’ Hebrew Grammar, Wilhelm Gesenius, edited and enlarged by Emil Kautzsch, translated into English by Arthur Ernest Cowley, Oxford, 1910 . Glossary . . . . . . New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures (Study Edition) Glossary, Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York, Inc ., Wallkill, New York, u .s .a . halot . . . . . . . . The Hebrew and Aramaic Lexicon of the Old Testament, Ludwig Koehler and Walter Baumgartner, revised by Walter Baumgartner and Johann Jakob Stamm, translated by M .E .J . Richardson, Leiden, 1994 . Insight . . . . . . . . Insight on the Scriptures, Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania, 2018 . kbl . . . . . . . . . . Lexicon in Veteris Testamenti Libros, L . Koehler and W . Baum­ gartner, E .J . Brill, 1958 . nwtsty . . . . . . . . New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures (Study Edition), Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York, Inc ., Wallkill, New York, u .s .a . mt . . . . . . . . . . Masoretic Text. nasb . . . . . . . . . The New American Standard Bible, The Lockman Foundation, 2020 . net . . . . . . . . . . New English Translation, Biblical Studies Press, 1996 . Owens . . . . . . . Analytical Key to the Old Testament, John Joseph Owens, Baker, 1996 . i psalm 118 Price . . . . . . . . J . D . Price, Exegesis and Pausal Forms with Non­Pausal Accents in the Hebrew Bible . A Paper for Presentation at the Southeastern Regional Meeting of The Evangelical Theological Society, 2006 . Rotherham . . . .The Emphasised Bible, Joseph Bryan Rotherham, The Standard Press, 1897 . rsv . . . . . . . . . . The Holy Bible, Revised Standard Version, Thomas Nelson & Sons, New York, 1952 . tdot . . . . . . . . Theological Dictionary of the Old Testament, English translation, Eerdmans, 1974–2021 . JE . . . . . . . . . . .The Jewish Encyclopedia: A Descriptive Record of the History, Religion, Literature, and Customs of the Jewish People from the Earliest Times to the Present Day, Funk and Wagnalls Company, 1906 . twot . . . . . . . . Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament, R . Laird Harris, Gleason L . Archer, Jr, Bruce K . Waltke, Moody Press, 1980 . Watson . . . . . . . Classical Hebrew Poetry—A Guide to its Techniques, Wilfred G .E . Watson, Journal for the Study of the Old Testament Supplement Series 26, 1986 Bible quotations are from the New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures, with References, 1984, unless otherwise indicated . The translation of Psalm 118 is mine . ii psalm 1 Give thanks to Jehovah for he is good; ‫הֹודּו לַ יהוָ ה ִּכִ י־טֹוב‬ ‫ִּכִ י לְ עֹולָ ם ַח ְסּדֹו‬ ‫ֹאמר־נָ א יִ ְְׂש ָר ֵאל‬ ַ ‫י‬ ‫ִּכִ י לְ עֹולָ ם ַח ְסּדֹו‬ ‫ית־א ֲהרֹן‬ ַ ‫ֹאמרּו־נָ א ֵב‬ ְ ‫י‬ ‫ִּכִ י לְ עֹולָ ם ַח ְסּדֹו‬ ‫ֹאמרּו־נָ א יִ ְר ֵאי יְ הוָ ה‬ ְ ‫י‬ ‫ִּכִ י לְ עֹולָ ם ַח ְסּדֹו‬ ‫אתי ָּיָ ּה‬ ִ ‫ן־ה ֵֵּמצַ ר ָק ָר‬ ַ ‫ִמ‬ ‫עָ נָ נִ י ַב ֵֶּמ ְר ָחב יָ ּה‬ ‫יְ הוָ ה לִ י ל ֹא ִא ָירא‬ ‫ַמה־ָּיַ ֲע ְֶׂשה לִ י ָא ָדם‬ ‫יְ הוָ ה לִ י ְְּבעֹזְ ָרי‬ ‫וַ ֲאנִ י ֶא ְר ֶאה ְבְׂשֹנְ ָאי‬ ‫טֹוב לַ ֲחסֹות ְַּביהוָ ה‬ ‫ִמ ְְּבט ַֹח ְָּב ָא ָדם‬ ‫טֹוב לַ ֲחסֹות ְַּביהוָ ה‬ ‫ִמ ְְּבט ַֹח ְִּבנְ ִד ִיבים‬ ‫ִּכָ ל־ּגֹויִ ם ְס ָבבּונִ י‬ ‫ְְּב ֵֵׁשם יְ הוָ ה ִּכִ י ֲא ִמילַ ם‬ ‫ם־ס ָבבּונִ י‬ ְ ַ‫ַסְּבּונִ י ג‬ ‫ְְּב ֵֵׁשם יְ הוָ ה ִּכִ י ֲא ִמילַ ם‬ ‫בֹורים‬ ִ ‫ַסְּבּונִ י כִ ְד‬ ‫ּד ֲֹעכּו ִּכְ ֵאֵׁש קֹוצִ ים‬ ‫ְְּב ֵֵׁשם יְ הוָ ה ִּכִ י ֲא ִמילַ ם‬ ‫ַּדחֹה ְד ִח ַיתנִ י‬ ‫לִ נְ ֹּפֹל וַ יהוָ ה ֲעזָ ָרנִ י‬ ‫עָ ִּזִ י וְ זִ ְמ ָרת יָ ּה‬ ‫יֵׁשּועה‬ ָ ִ‫וַ יְ ִהי־לִ י ל‬ ‫יֵׁשּועה‬ ָ ִ‫קֹול ִרָּנָ ה ו‬ ‫ְְּב ָא ֳהלֵ י צַ ִּד ִיקים‬ ‫יְ ִמין יְ הוָ ה ע ְָֹׂשה ָחיִ ל‬ ‫רֹומ ָמה‬ ֵ ‫יְ ִמין יְ הוָ ה‬ ‫יְ ִמין יְ הוָ ה ע ְָֹׂשה ָחיִ ל‬ ‫י־א ְחיֶ ה‬ ֶ ִ‫ֹא־אמּות ִּכ‬ ָ ‫ל‬ ‫וַ ֲא ַס ֵֹּפר ַמ ֲע ְֵׂשי יָ ּה‬ ‫יַ ְּסֹר יִ ְְּס ַרָּנִ י ָּיָ ּה‬ ‫וְ לַ ֵָּמוֶ ת ל ֹא נְ ָתנָ נִ י‬ ‫ִֹּפ ְתחּו־לִ י ֵַׁשעֲ ֵרי־צֶ ֶדק‬ ‫ֹא־בם‬ ָ ‫ָאב‬ ‫אֹודה יָ ּה‬ ֶ ‫ה־ה ַַּׁש ַער לַ יהוָ ה‬ ַ ֶ‫ז‬ ‫צַ ִּד ִיקים יָ בֹאּו בֹו‬ ‫אֹודָך ִּכִ י ֲענִ ָיתנִ י‬ ְ ‫יֵׁשּועה‬ ָ ִ‫וַ ְְּת ִהי־לִ י ל‬ ‫ֶא ֶבן ָמ ֲאסּו ַהְּבֹונִ ים‬ ‫ָהיְ ָתה לְ רֹאֵׁש ִֹּפָּנָ ה‬ ‫ֵמ ֵאת יְ הוָ ה ָהיְ ָתה ִּזֹאת‬ ‫ִהיא נִ ְפלָ את ְְּב ֵעינֵ ינּו‬ ‫ה־הָּיֹום ָע ְָׂשה יְ הוָ ה‬ ַ ֶ‫ז‬ ‫נָ גִ ילָ ה וְ נִ ְְׂש ְמ ָחה בֹו‬ ‫הֹוֵׁש ָיעה ָּנָ א‬ ִ ‫ָאָּנָ א יְ הוָ ה‬ ‫ָאָּנָ א יְ הוָ ה ַהצְ לִ ָיחה ָּנָ א‬ ‫ְָּברּוְך ַה ְָּבא ְְּב ֵֵׁשם יְ הוָ ה‬ ‫ְֵּב ַרכְ נּוכֶ ם ִמ ְֵּבית יְ הוָ ה‬ ‫ֵאל יְ הוָ ה וַ ָּיָ ֶאר־לָ נּו‬ ‫רּו־חג ְַּב ֲעב ִֹתים‬ ַ ‫ִא ְס‬ ‫ַעד ַק ְרנֹות ַה ִֵּמ ֵזְְּב ַח‬ ָ‫אֹודָּך‬ ֶ ְ‫ֵאלִ י ַא ְָּתה ו‬ ָ‫רֹומ ֶמָּך‬ ְ ‫ֹלהי ֲא‬ ַ ‫ֱא‬ ‫הֹודּו לַ יהוָ ה ִּכִ י־טֹוב‬ ֹ‫ִּכִ י לְ עֹולָ ם ַח ְסּדֹו‬ For his loyal love is to time indefinite. 2 Let Israel now say: “For his loyal love is to time indefinite”. 3 Let those of the house of Aaron now say: “For his loyal love is to time indefinite”. 4 Let those fearing Jehovah now say: “For his loyal love is to time indefinite”. 5 From in the confinement of the distress I called Jah; Jah answered me into freedom of an open place. 6 Jehovah is with me; I shall not fear. What can earthling man do with me? 7 Jehovah is with me—among those helping me, And I myself shall look at those hating me. 8 It is better to take refuge in Jehovah Than to trust in man. 9 It is better to take refuge in Jehovah Than to trust in the generous. 10 All the nations themselves surrounded me. It was in the name of Jehovah that I kept holding them off. 11 They surrounded me, yes, they had me surrounded. It was in the name of Jehovah that I kept holding them off. 12 They surrounded me like bees; They were extinguished like a fire of thorn bushes. It was in the name of Jehovah that I kept holding them off. 13 You aggressively pushed me to fall, And Jehovah himself helped me. 14 My strength and song is Jah. And to me he becomes salvation. 15 The voice of a joyful cry and salvation Is in the tents of the righteous ones. The right hand of Jehovah is acting powerfully. 16 The right hand of Jehovah has risen; The right hand of Jehovah is acting powerfully. 17 I shall not be dying, for I shall keep living, So that I will keep declaring the works of Jah. 18 Severely I was disciplined by Jah, And to death itself he did not give me. 19 Open to me the gates of righteousness! I shall enter into them; I shall acknowledge Jah. 20 This gate belongs to Jehovah— Only the righteous shall enter into it. 21 I shall acknowledge you, for you answered me And you came to be my salvation. 22 The very stone which the builders have rejected, 23 From Jehovah himself this has come about— 24 This is the day that Jehovah has made! It has become the head of the corner. It is being marvellously done in our eyes. Let us be joyful and be happy in him. 25 We implore you—O Jehovah, do save, please ! 26 Blessed is the one entering in the name of Jehovah; 27 Jehovah is God, and he gives light to us. We implore you—O Jehovah, do grant success, please ! You all leave the house of Jehovah blessed. Bind the festival procession with boughs, O you people, As far as the horns of the altar. 28 My God you are, and I shall thank you; My God—I shall exalt you. 29 118 Give thanks to Jehovah for he is good; For his loyal love is to time indefinite. 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 psalm 118 T he writer of this psalm is a virtuoso poet . He knows the full palette of his art . The writer plays with all the poetic forms with great style, agility, confidence and exuberance, to express his gratitude to God for a national salvation . This psalm is the sixth of the Hallel psalms . By the first century, these psalms were sung, possibly antiphonally, during the three festivals of Passover, Weeks and Booths . Their name, ‫הלל‬, means “praise” . “According to one Jewish tradition, the first Hallel Psalms (113, 114) were sung, or recited, during the Passover meal; the last four (115­118) at its conclusion . The latter contain some of the prophecies that apply to the Messiah . Ps 118 begins and ends with the words: ‘Give thanks to Jehovah, for he is good; his loyal love endures forever .’ (Ps 118:1, 29) These may well have been the last words of praise that Jesus sang with his faithful apostles on the night before his death” (nwtsty— Matthew 26:30) . 1 Give thanks to Jehovah for he is good; For his loyal love is to time indefinite. 2 Let Israel now say: “For his loyal love is to time indefinite”. 3 Let those of the house of Aaron now say: “For his loyal love is to time indefinite”. 4 Let those fearing Jehovah now say: “For his loyal love is to time indefinite”. The three groups addressed are the same three groups addressed in the first of the Hallel psalms: O Israel, trust in Jehovah; He is their help and their shield. O house of Aaron, put your trust in Jehovah; He is their help and their shield. You that fear Jehovah, trust in Jehovah; He is their help and their shield. (113:9–11) . 2 psalm 118 Verse 1 1 Give thanks to Jehovah, for he is good; For his loyal love is to time indefinite. ‫הֹודּו לַ יהוָ ה ִּכִ י־טֹוב ִּכִ י לְ עֹולָ ם ַח ְסּדֹו‬ Here is a call to worship for all God’s people . “Give thanks” is a plural imperative . This verb ‫ידה‬, will occur a further four times in this psalm, especially in the climax (verse 19, 21, 28, 29) . Gratitude was the impulse to write this poem . God is addressed by his name . This psalm uses God’s name Jehovah, twenty­two times, and the contracted form Jah, six times . Of course, all people should give thanks to Jehovah, but the psalmist is only addressing God’s people . Why should they thank Jehovah? There are two reasons introduced by the two prepositions ‫ ִּכִ י‬. First, because he is good . He is good by his own definition of what is good . That’s rather circular, you might say . Are there not other definitions of what is good? That is the big issue . All the other definitions have been tried and are be­ ing tried . All of them have been found deficient and are being found deficient as alternative codes of goodness . Worse, when multiple definitions of what is good are tried simultaneously, there is inevitable conflict . We need one definition that is for the benefit of all, and only God can do that . When that one standard is ap­ plied everywhere, we will all be at peace . That is something to be appreciative for . The second line adds to the reason why God’s people should give thanks, and it also gives us reason to believe that God’s definition of what is good is indeed for everyone’s benefit . The much discussed Hebrew word ‫ח ֶסד‬, ֶ is defined theologically as “a righteous, devoted, holy loyalty” (Insight, vol . 2, p . 280) . It is “love motivated by commitment, integrity, loyalty, and deep attachment” (Glossary) . One more English word should be included—dependability . If God shows that sort of love for his people, then he should be thanked, often . “The poem can be understood as a sort of lexical entry on defining the semantic range of [‫ ]ח ֶסד‬. ֶ As the various themes (all relating to redemption in one way or another) unfold throughout the poem, the psalmist brings in another angle of what [‫]ח ֶסד‬ ֶ signifies” (Ayars, Vol: 70, page 233) . In front of ‫ ֶח ֶסד‬is the word ‫ לְ עֹולָ ם‬. Why is this word present? Should we not just thank Jehovah for his ? ‫ לְ עֹולָ ם‬is derived from the verbal root ‫עלם‬, meaning “hide”, “conceal” . Gesenius offers the meaning “hidden time” . ‫ לְ עֹולָ ם‬can mean “forever” 3 psalm 118 (Exodus 3:15; Psalm 90:2), but it also can be used to refer to an unknown amount of time in the future or the past . For example, God said that the Abrahamic Covenant would last ‫( לְ עֹולָ ם‬Genesis 17:19); that the Passover would be celebrated ‫( לְ עֹולָ ם‬Exodus 12:17); that a fellow Israelite who wanted to stay as a slave could do so ‫( לְ עֹולָ ם‬Exodus 21:6); that the temple in Jerusalem would be God’s house (1 Kings 8:13) . “Though ‘ôlām [‫ ]עֹולָ ם‬is used more than three hundred times to indicate indefinite continuance into the very distant future, the meaning of the word is not confined to the future . There are at least twenty instances where it clearly refers to the past” (twot) . Which meaning is it here? Since the verse is addressed to God’s people, then it must be with the idea of forever . Since God’s ‫ ֶח ֶסד‬is already an enduring quality, then the addition of ‫ לְ עֹולָ ם‬is for emphasis . Had the definition of goodness not been questioned, then everyone’s loyal love would have lasted forever . But since the rebellion, God’s enduring loyal love has been seen in contrast with the fallibility of the loyal love of the imperfect . 2 Let Israel now say: “For his loyal love is to time indefinite”. 3 Let those of the house of Aaron now say: “For his loyal love is to time indefinite”. 4 Let those fearing Jehovah now say: “For his loyal love is to time indefinite”. ‫ֹאמר־נָ א יִ ְְׂש ָר ֵאל‬ ַ ‫י‬ ‫ִּכִ י לְ עֹולָ ם ַח ְסּדֹו‬ ‫ית־א ֲהרֹן‬ ַ ‫ֹאמרּו־נָ א ֵב‬ ְ ‫י‬ ‫ִּכִ י לְ עֹולָ ם ַח ְסּדֹו‬ ‫ֹאמרּו־נָ א יִ ְר ֵאי יְ הוָ ה‬ ְ ‫י‬ ‫ִּכִ י לְ עֹולָ ם ַח ְסּדֹו‬ Next, God’s people are given the words to use in their appreciation . First, Israel, then, the house of Aaron, then, those fearing Jehovah . As this is most probably an antiphonal section, the first verse could well have been sung by the house of Aaron to the twelve tribes of Israel, and the second verse sung by the twelve tribes in response, with everyone joining in with the third verse . We may claim to be one of God’s people, but fearing Jehovah every moment of the day is vital, since our fear of Jehovah can lapse in a moment . The house of Aaron played a critical role as an interface between Israel and 4 psalm 118 Jehovah—operating the temple, administering the nation’s atonement and orchestrating its praise . They were also charged with maintaining the nation’s knowledge of its obligations under the covenant . Since this psalm was used on the holy festivals, then the house of Aaron would have played a central role in co­ordinating the event . What does the threefold use of the word ‫ נָ א‬add to these verses? It is the particle of entreaty, the optative . It is often translated as “please”, by way of an emotive plea and sometimes it is used to add urgency to a request . Therefore, God’s people are being exhorted, implored to praise Jehovah . The eight lines of verses 1–4 are formed of this sequence of syllables: 6, 6, 6, 6, 7, 6, 8, 6 . As the strophe progresses, the syllables increase, subtly increasing the admonition . 5 From in the confinement of the distress I called Jah; Jah answered me into freedom of an open place. 6 Jehovah is with me; I shall not fear. What can man do with me! 7 Jehovah is with me—in among those helping me. And I myself shall look at those hating me. ‫אתי ָּיָ ּה‬ ִ ‫ן־ה ֵֵּמצַ ר ָק ָר‬ ַ ‫ִמ‬ ‫עָ נָ נִ י ַב ֵֶּמ ְר ָחב יָ ּה‬ ‫יְ הוָ ה לִ י ל ֹא ִא ָירא‬ ‫ַמה־ָּיַ עֲ ְֶׂשה לִ י ָא ָדם‬ ‫יְ הוָ ה לִ י ְְּבעֹזְ ָרי‬ ‫וַ ֲאנִ י ֶא ְר ֶאה ְבְׂשֹנְ ָאי‬ 5 From in the confinement of the distress I called Jah; Jah answered me into freedom of an open place. ‫אתי ָּיָ ּה‬ ִ ‫ן־ה ֵֵּמצַ ר ָק ָר‬ ַ ‫ִמ‬ ‫עָ נָ נִ י ַב ֵֶּמ ְר ָחב יָ ּה‬ Verses 5 to 7 form the second strophe . There are 6 lines . The syllables in the strophe are symmetrical: 8, 7, 7, 7, 7, 8 . 5 psalm 118 The object of line one is the singular noun ‫ ֵּמצַ ר‬. ֵ This word occurs just three times in the canon, and all of them in poetry . The other two occasions, which are both in the plural, are Psalm 116:3, where the psalmist feels encircled by the ropes of death and the ‫מצָ ֵרי ְֵׁשאֹול‬, ְ and Lamentations 1:3, where Jeremiah says of Jerusalem that “all those who were persecuting her have overtaken her among distressing circumstances” . In both plural occasions, the 1984 edition of the nw has added the word “circumstances” to highlight the plural aspect of the distress . bdb defines the noun ‫ ֵֵּמצַ ר‬as “straits” and “distress” . kbl follows suit, with the 1996 halot dropping “straits” and just giving “distress” as the definition . Of course, here in Psalm 118:5, the word is in juxtaposition to ‫ֵּמ ְר ָחב‬, ֶ which means a wide, broad space . So, there would be some justification for ‫ ֵֵּמצַ ר‬meaning a tight, restrictive space . ab uses the word “confinement” . All distress makes us feel uncomfortably confined . So does the translator go with “confinement” or the result “distress”? The parallelism prompts us to translate with “confinement” . “The distress of confinement” is wordy for one Hebrew word . But that is what it means in this context . This would effect the translation of the “open place” . We would have to translate as “The freedom of an open place” . The Hebrew is terse . The word order is telling . Instead of the usual, the first line ends with the subject clause and begins with the object . The psalmist is therefore wanting to emphasise his distress, and, more especially, the first word of his line, namely ‫ מן‬. ִ Translating ‫ ִמן‬with the usual “from” doesn’t quite express the contrast between the two lines . Of course, that is the outcome, but the psalmist has called out in the distress . It might be good to translate ‫ ִמן‬as ‘from in’ to cover the term’s usual meaning and the contextual sense . On the other hand, the equivalent term in the parallel line is ‫ב‬, ַ which certainly does mean ‘in’ . So, perhaps the writer is stating his faith in Jah, that Jah can always help us out from distress and into a place of freedom . Interestingly, he does not say, my distress, but the distress . Verse 10 implies that the distress was a national one, and the writer of the psalm is either donning the persona of the nation, or is perhaps the king . Some have thought that the psalm was written by Hezekiah following the destruction of the Assyrians by Jehovah’s angel . The problem with this suggestion is that in verse 15, God’s people are described as being in tents, in other words outside the walls of a town, fighting in the open . Something Hezekiah did not do against the Assyrian invasion . The king could possibly be David (see comments on verse 22) . By saying “the distress”, the writer is suggesting that it is a shared national dis­ 6 psalm 118 tress . All the faithful kings of Judah felt their own distress mixed with the nation­ al distress . The first line ends with the subject of the sentence . The verb is in the perfect . This is intriguing . It would be less surprising had the verb been in the imperfect, since in times of distress we call out repeatedly, and Jehovah’s answer would usually come in the midst of our calling out . However, the writer is saying “I called Jah”, once, and Jah answered . The writer is highlighting the speed and responsiveness of his God . What a faithful man the psalmist must be . He called out to his God and left it with him . Perhaps it was this approach which elicited Jehovah’s prompt answer . Jesus extolled us to have this same approach to prayer . Truly I say to you that whoever tells this mountain, ‘Be lifted up and thrown into the sea’, and does not doubt in his heart but has faith that what he says is going to occur, he will have it so. This is why I tell you, All the things you pray and ask for have faith that you have practically received, and you will have them (Mark 11:23, 24) . This is the ideal . Even great people have done otherwise . In the confinement of Pihahiroth between Migdol and the sea (Exodus 14:2), Jehovah reprimanded Moses by asking, “Why do you keep crying out to me?” (verse 15) . Jehovah used the imperfect when he said this . Also in that retort to Moses, Jehovah used the preposition ‫אל‬, ֶ whereas here in Psalm 118:5 the psalmist just says, ‫אתי ָּיָ ּה‬ ִ ‫ ק ָר‬.ָ There is an immediacy and especially an intimacy with Jah without the preposition, as if he did not have to call to Jah, but Jah was so close that he just called Jah . Undoubtedly, if we feel close to Jah, then we will feel confident that he has heard, and we will be able to ‘throw the burden’ on him and leave it with him (Psalm 55:22) . There is also a pace in the first line derived from the word order, the omission of the preposition and the contracted form of the divine name . That pace highlights the urgency of the distress and the alacrity of the response . The second line begins conventionally with the subject’s verb . The pointing of ‫ עָ נָ נִ י‬is possibly worth a note . The verb is usually pointed ‫עָ נַ נִ י‬, but here the second syllable is stressed . This means that the verb is in the pausal form, which means that the verb is being underlined . The pointing was added many hundreds of years after the psalm was written, so we cannot put too much store by this detail, but if the original writer meant that the verb had this added stress, then he is 7 psalm 118 rejoicing in the readiness of the divine answer . Therefore, with the emphasis, the Hebrew of the second line is literally: He answered me/in a big space/Jah . That big space is a place to treasure . A place where there is a sense of freedom, peace of mind, joy, no anxiety . I like the movement in “Jah answered me into an open place” . Jah’s answer sweeps the writer out of confinement into a big space . Let’s look at both lines and their relationship again . There is contrast and progression with ‘from’ to ‘in’, also with ‘confined distress’ to ‘open space’, and there is a sequence with ‘I called’ and ‘answered me’ . Both lines end with ‫ ָּיָ ּה‬. As I have already mentioned, in the first line the writer has started with the object clause to draw attention to—and to stress—the nation’s shared anguish . In the second line, he has started with the subject verb, but he has put the subject Jah after the object . This means that he is excited by the rapid transformation from distressful confinement to a generous and ample space . It is this excitement that has prompted the writing of the psalm with it’s opening and closing exclamation: Give thanks to Jehovah, for he is good; For his loyal love is to time indefinite. It is always good to show our thanks to Jehovah for his acts of salvation, and not to be tardy in our expression . 6 Jehovah is with me; I shall not fear. What can man do with me! ‫יְ הוָ ה לִ י ל ֹא ִא ָירא‬ ‫ַמה־ָּיַ עֲ ְֶׂשה לִ י ָא ָדם‬ The first word in Hebrew is Jehovah and the last word is man . In fact, the first two words are chiastically arranged with the last two: ‫לִ י ָא ָדם‬/ . It would be ideal to translate the word ‫ לִ י‬with the same word in English . This would clearly show the psalmist’s confidence in his God as the counterbalance to the threats from man . Of course, ‫ יְ הוָ ה לִ י‬could be translated as “Jehovah is on my side”, or even “Jehovah is mine”, but then we come unstuck when we try and repeat that phraseology for the last clause of the verse . ‫ לִ י‬can mean ‘to’ 8 psalm 118 or ‘against’, so there is the possibility that the psalmist is making a play on the different possible meanings of ‫ ל‬. This gives the verse even more dimension, but makes translation all the more difficult . This is a very personal statement of faith . If we maintain a close relationship with Jehovah, we should not be afraid of anything . The happy man in Psalm 112, is not even afraid of bad news (verse 7) . In essence, the psalmist is proclaiming that man can only do what God allows . For example, at the moment Nebuchadnezzar threw Hannaniah, Mishael and Azariah into the fire, Jehovah had opposite ideas and rescued them (Daniel 3:20–24) . At the moment Haman was standing in the king’s courtyard planning to execute Mordecai, God was planning to honour him (Esther 6:4–6) . For a certainty, “Any weapon whatever that will be formed against you will have no success” (Isaiah 54:17), God tells his people . The verb ‫ָּיַ עֲ ְֶׂשה‬, “do”, is in the imperfect . This means that the enemies of God are constantly endeavouring to do something hostile to God’s friends . But, “Look! He will not be drowsy nor go to sleep” (Psalm 121:4) . When Balak hired Balaam to curse God’s people, God’s people did not know of this plot, but their God did, and he changed the curse into a blessing . How many times every day does God protect his people? How many of these plots are we unaware of? The interrogative ‫מה‬, ַ “what”, expresses the writers exuberant conviction that he is untouchable because of his intimacy with his God, Jehovah . The two lines of verse 6 both have four words and both have seven syllables . This makes the verse rhythmically balanced . I am bound to be reading far too much into this if I said that this adds a certainty to the words, a certainty that comes from faith in God . Verses 5 and 6 form a chiasm . a From in the confinement of the distress I called Jah; b Jah answered me into the freedom of an open place. b’ Jehovah is with me; I shall not fear. a’ What can man do with me! The certainty of verse 6 is the result of the events outlined in verse 5 . In the distress the psalmist knew that Jehovah was with him, but the speedy response has enhanced his faith . He might have felt some fear in a, but now that he has been delivered into the open space he is free of his fear and cries out with pleasure . 9 psalm 7 118 Jehovah is with me—in among those helping me. And I myself shall look at those hating me. ‫יְ הוָ ה לִ י ְְּבעֹזְ ָרי‬ ‫וַ ֲאנִ י ֶא ְר ֶאה ְבְׂשֹנְ ָאי‬ The phrase which began verse 6, ‫יְ הוָ ה לִ י‬, is repeated again at the beginning of verse 7 . But now Jehovah is not only “with me”, but taking action . More than that, and somewhat surprisingly, Jehovah is one of many helping the writer . Usu­ ally, one would think of Jehovah as the helper, who orchestrates others to come to one’s assistance . But here, Jehovah is one of many, part of a team of support . Comparing the two lines, ‫לִ י‬, the preposition ‘to’ with the first person singular object pronoun suffix, is expanded in the second line into the first person singular subject pronoun . Included in this development of ‫ לִ י‬is the verb ‫א ְר ֶאה‬, ֶ which is in the Qal imperfect . Since the first line is in the present in time, this expansion of thought in the second line tells us that since the psalmist has all this help he will always be looking at his haters in an unafraid state . Both ‫ ְְּבעֹזְ ָרי‬and ‫ ְבְׂשֹנְ ָאי‬begin with the preposition ‫ ב‬. Once again, the writer is playing with a preposition and its meaning . Once again, it is not easy to translate into a simple English line . In the first line he is stating that Jehovah is ‘in’ with those helping him, he is amongst them, part of the team of supporters and assistants . In the second line, the writer has attached ‫ ב‬to the ones hating him . Can we now translate ‫ ב‬as ‘in’ or ‘among’? Could it be that the writer is picturing himself amongst his haters, standing in their midst, unafraid, unfazed by their malevolent intent, because he knows that his helpers are so much mightier? In which case, how can one translate the second ‫“ ?ב‬And I myself will be among those hating me, looking at them”? By putting ‫ ְְּבעֹזְ ָרי‬and ‫ ְבְׂשֹנְ ָאי‬in parallel, the writer feels as if he has such a strong team behind him, he will not be afraid even if he is surrounded by his enemies . Verses 5 and 6 formed a chiasm, now verses 6 and 7 form a pair . a Jehovah is with me; I shall not fear. b What can man do with me! a’ Jehovah is with me—among those helping me. b’ And I myself will look at those hating me. Why does the writer refer to his God twice as Jah in verse 5, but as Jehovah in verses 6 and 7? Could it be that in the midst of the distress and the rescue, 10 psalm 118 the contracted form of the divine name is used, but now after the rescue—in the roomy place—there is time? Is the poet playing with the length of the name to illustrate the urgency of verse 5 and the subsequent calmness and assurance he felt in verses 6 and 7? Comparing lines a and a’, we see that in line a the writer is focused on Jehovah as his helper, but in line a’ the writer has panned back to see a great host of helpers . His assertively bold statement in line b is elaborated in line b’—not only does he believe that man cannot touch him, but he can wander into the midst of his enemies unaffected . 8 It is better to take refuge in Jehovah Than to trust in man. 9 It is better to take refuge in Jehovah Than to trust in the generous. ‫טֹוב לַ ֲחסֹות ְַּביהוָ ה‬ ‫ִמ ְְּבט ַֹח ְָּב ָא ָדם‬ ‫טֹוב לַ ֲחסֹות ְַּביהוָ ה‬ ‫ִמ ְְּבט ַֹח ְִּבנְ ִד ִיבים‬ The third strophe is composed of four lines, with 3/2/3/2 words, and each line has 6 syllables . There is plenty of repetition here, but differences in the lines are ‫ לַ ֲחסֹות‬in line 1, compared with ‫ ְְּבט ַֹח‬in line 2, and ‫ ָא ָדם‬in line 2 and ‫ נְ ִד ִיבים‬in line 4 . Let’s look at the difference between ‫ לַ ֲחסֹות‬and ‫ ְְּבט ַֹח‬first . ‫ לַ ֲחסֹות‬is the infinitive of the verb ‫חסה‬, which means ‘seek refuge’, ‘flee for protection’ . ‫ ְְּבט ַֹח‬is the infinitive of the verb ‫בטח‬, which means ‘trust’ . ‫ חסה‬is therefore the result of ‫בטח‬, the active demonstration of ‫ בטח‬. This is an interesting shift . The poet is encouraging us to go beyond a statement of trust in Jehovah, and show it by actions . In truth, “faith without works is dead” (James 2:26), so an expression of confidence in Jehovah is meaningless without an act of confidence . Now, ‫ בטח‬does not in itself imply inaction, far from it, but when it appears in parallel with ‫ חסה‬then the poet is urging us to act and seek refuge in Jehovah . What is the difference between ‫ ָא ָדם‬and ? ‫ ָא ָדם‬is “man”, the very first description of man, and then the name of the first man . Because Adam was made from the soil and then failed to recognise Jehovah as his sovereign, ‫ ָא ָדם‬came to 11 psalm 118 be closely associated with imperfection . The first ‫ ָא ָדם‬did not trust Jehovah or his standards—‫ ָא ָדם‬chose to set his own standards . Therefore, the first contrast is telling us to deliberately choose Jehovah’s side in this issue, his refuge is the best place to be . Then the refrain comes again, but this time ‫ ָא ָדם‬is changed to ‫ נְ ִד ִיבים‬. We have gone from singular—albeit a collective—to plural, and from a noun to an adjective . ‫ נְ ִד ִיבים‬is the masculine plural of the ‫ נָ ִדיב‬. This is an overwhelmingly positive adjective . For example, it is translated as “willing” in the phrase “willing­ hearted” in Exodus 35:5, 22, and “generous” in Proverbs 19:6 . This adjective is used to describe the well intentioned . Whereas ‫ ָא ָדם‬is often used in a pejorative sense, ‫ נָ ִדיב‬is always used as an adjective to describe the worthy . It is always better to trust Jehovah, and we would not be surprised that it is better to trust him than imperfect and disobedient man, but the second couplet makes it clear that it is better to trust Jehovah than to trust even those whose hearts are inclined to what is good and generous . In the preceding verses, the poet has stated his certainty that his God is with him . He now wants to declare this good news and to persuade us to agree with him . There are obviously many reasons why this would be true . After all, Jehovah is the Almighty and he is always close, loyal to his people . There will always be times when even our best and most loyal friends will be absent, or will be just unable to help us . This is never true of Jehovah . 10 All the nations themselves surrounded me. It was in the name of Jehovah that I kept holding them off. 11 They surrounded me, yes, they had me surrounded. It was in the name of Jehovah that I kept holding them off. 12 They surrounded me like bees; They were extinguished like a fire of thorn bushes. It was in the name of Jehovah that I kept holding them off. ‫ִּכָ ל־ּגֹויִ ם ְס ָבבּונִ י‬ ‫ְְּב ֵֵׁשם יְ הוָ ה ִּכִ י ֲא ִמילַ ם‬ ‫ם־ס ָבבּונִ י‬ ְ ַ‫ַסְּבּונִ י ג‬ ‫ְְּב ֵֵׁשם יְ הוָ ה ִּכִ י ֲא ִמילַ ם‬ ‫בֹורים‬ ִ ‫ַסְּבּונִ י כִ ְד‬ ‫ּדֹעֲ כּו ִּכְ ֵאֵׁש קֹוצִ ים‬ ‫ְְּב ֵֵׁשם יְ הוָ ה ִּכִ י ֲא ִמילַ ם‬ 12 psalm 118 The strophe is made up of 7 lines . The word count is 3/4/3/4/2/3/4 . The rhythm of 3/4/3/4 is broken in line 5 with just 2 words . There is plenty of pattern in the parallelism . Does this strophe elaborate on the distress that the psalmist mentioned in verse 5? As was previously suggested, either the psalmist is the king with the responsibility to protect the nation, or he is donning the persona of the nation . The distress is described by hyperbole—“all the nations themselves surrounded me” . The emphasis is on “all the nations”, because this phrase precedes the verb . The distress is caused by being surrounded, and that verb, ‫סבב‬, is repeated four times in the strophe, each time in Qal, each time in the perfect . ‫ סבב‬means “turn oneself around”, “go around”, “surround” . The first and third uses of the verb are in pause, which means that it is intended that the singer or the reader lingers on the word . The second and the fourth uses of the verb are in the shortened bilateral form . The rhythm that the poet is creating starts with this overwhelming statement that “all the nations surrounded (pausal) him; they surrounded him, yes surrounded (pausal) him…they surrounded him” . In fact, since the verb is repeated over and over again, and since the verb could also mean “go around”, the poet is making us feel that he was encircled; round and round the enemy came . And the alternating length of the verb ‫סבב‬, connotes the repeated advances of the enemy . What does the perfect of each use of ‫ סבב‬denote? The perfect can be used for past actions . However, it can also be translated with the present perfect in English—“I am surrounded” . Or, it can be used to express the certainty of the action . In this strophe, there are plenty of poetical techniques being utilised to create accentua­ tion giving the singer/reader the impression of the intensity of the moment . As verse 15 shows, God’s people are in tents, in other words, they are not in a town with walls, but out in the open fighting this particular alliance of nations . The use of ‫גַ ם‬, “also” or “yes”, in the third line is part of this . This adverb is employed to increase the degree of fear and shock that came from being so surrounded by so many . “In the name of Jehovah”, the psalmist succeeded against his enemy . The name of Jehovah is shorthand for his reputation . Here the psalmist trusted that Jehovah would uphold that reputation . He also believed that he was fighting this war with Jehovah’s authority, it was a just war . By saying that he cut off the enemy “in the name of Jehovah” he believed he was doing it for God’s name, to enhance it . 13 psalm 118 Further, the psalmist did not say, ‘It was Jehovah who cut my enemies off’, but Jehovah and the psalmist worked together as a team . This is how Jehovah shows his strength to us and to those who oppose us . As a result, the poet was able to ‫ מּול‬the enemy . This verb means to “circumcise” according to bdb and according to Owens, “cut off” . ab translates as “I cut off their foreskins”, adding, “many translators and commentators fight shy of the obvious meaning of mt [‫]א ִמילַ ם‬, ֲ the Hiphil of [‫]מּול‬, ‘to circumcise,’… . The poet doubtless alludes to the practice mentioned in i Sam xviii 25–27” . All of Israel’s enemies were often referred to as the “uncircumcised” (Judges 14:3; 15:8; 1 Samuel 14:6; Ezekiel 28:10; 32:19; 44:9; Habakkuk 2:16) . Here, the psalmist is saying that they were “circumcised” by being cut off . However, halot adds a homonym, “fend off” . But if there is no separate homonym, then there is a symmetry between the verbs ‫ סבב‬and ‫מּול‬, which lies in the form of the attack and the form of the defence . The nations attacked in a circular way, the writer had to defend himself in a circular way, cutting the attackers off all round . But the verb ‫ ֲא ִמילַ ם‬is not in the perfect, but in the imperfect, so the response to the first wave of attack is not final; the psalmist is describing a process . Round and round the enemy encircled, each time they encircled they were being cut off . We are given the impression that after the enemy seemed to have been cut off, they rose again, encircling, only for the defenders to repeat the process . After all the repetition in lines 1 to 4, line 5 begins just like the other lines exclaiming that the writer had been surrounded, but now he adds a metaphor— “They surrounded me like bees” . What does the metaphor of bees tell us about the enemy and how the psalmist perceived the threat? When in a swarm, bees are numerous and move quickly, so that an individual bee is indistinguishable in the mass . They are armed . They make a menacing, intimidating, angry noise that increases the closer they encircle . They are very difficult, if not impossible, to control . They are united in their attack . And, they can be all encompassing, all round the victim . One particular aspect of the bee metaphor that fits the poet’s distress is that the more swarming bees are attacked, the more agitated they become and the more fiercely they will continue to attack . This is in harmony with the sense that the enemy kept returning after being cut off, rising again, encircling again . Another aspect of this metaphor is that when a bee is attacked it emits an alarm pheromone . This calls for many more bees to come for assistance . Lines 3 and 5 14 psalm 118 give this impression . When one bee stings, the pheromones cause the other bees to follow suit . The hive mentality puts the welfare of the group ahead of individual safety . When bees sting en masse, the result can be lethal . Thankfully, the psalmist had Jehovah to rescue him . Line 6, the second line in verse 12, breaks the pattern . The verb ‫ ּדֹעֲ כּו‬is the Pual— the intensive passive—of ‫ּדעַ ְך‬,ָ to “extinguish” . Four times in the Bible the word is used of a lamp being extinguished (Job 18:6; Proverbs 13:9; 20:20) . At Isaiah 43:17, the enemy “will certainly be extinguished . Like a flaxen wick they must be put out” . This is an interesting simile to describe the destruction of a swarm of bees . Bee stings give the victim a hot sensation, so when the enemy were cut off, then all the heat was extinguished . ‫ ּדֹעֲ כּו‬is in the perfect, which would seem to indicate the complete destruction of the attackers . We should remember this when we are agitated . However, there is a surprise at the end of these three verses . The last line should really be line 6, but then the refrain makes a final appearance . What are we to conclude from this? There are two options . One, the perfect expresses an intention . God’s people must be deliberate in their intentions to win their spiritual fight . Doubts are the gaps in the armour . Two, in spite of all the cutting off, the extinguishing, the attack returned and continued? God’s people will not be free of their enemy for quite some time to come . “They were extinguished like a fire of thorn bushes .” What does the simile add to the meaning? There is not much moisture in a thorn and a thorn bush is made up of many narrow branches . This means that a thorn bush will catch light quickly, burn brightly and noisily, and burn out rapidly . Although the enemy’s attack is hot, it was soon gone . Have another look at the sequence of states of the verb in this strophe . 10 All the nations themselves surrounded (perfect) me. It was in the name of Jehovah that I kept holding them off (imperfect). 11 They surrounded (perfect) me, yes, they had me surrounded (perfect). It was in the name of Jehovah that I kept holding them off (imperfect). 15 psalm 12 118 They surrounded (perfect) me like bees; They were extinguished (perfect) like a fire of thorn bushes. It was in the name of Jehovah that I kept holding them off (imperfect). Here is a chart of perfect and imperfect divided up into two columns representing the attacker and the victim . Attacker Victim p i p, p i p p i From this it can be seen that the attackers have all the completed actions, and the victim has only one, the rest are a process of defending . Only the last line gives hope, although open­ended . 13 You aggressively pushed me to fall, And Jehovah himself helped me. 14 My strength and song is Jah, And to me he becomes salvation. ‫ַּדחֹה ְד ִח ַיתנִ י לִ נְ ֹּפֹל‬ ‫וַ יהוָ ה עֲ זָ ָרנִ י‬ ‫עָ ִּזִ י וְ זִ ְמ ָרת יָ ּה‬ ‫וַ יְ ִהי־לִ י לִ יֵׁשּועָ ה‬ This strophe begins with one of the ways that Hebrew has for stating the intensity of an action—the verb preceded by that same verb in the infinitive (but without the ‫ל‬, “to”) . This makes for a vehement opening, especially since the subject of the verb is left unspecified . The verb in Qal ‫ דחה‬means to “push (down)” according to halot . twot says that “this root connotes ‘to pursue and cast down’ with the intent to harm” . But that meaning is before the infinitive absolute has been added . Hence the nw: “You pushed me hard” (italics added) . Others translate this phrase as, “You aggressively attacked me” (net), “You pushed me violently” (nasb) . Presumably the subject of the verb is “all the nations” (verse 10) . The psalmist has been repeatedly battling against this conglomerate throughout the fourth strophe, referring to this enemy as “them” . In verse 13 it would appear that he suddenly turns and directly addresses his attackers . The second person pronoun 16 psalm 118 is singular . Is he picturing “all the nations” as a singular entity, a person? Could the personal nature of this invective be delivered to the leader of the alliance? Of course, behind all the enemies of God’s people is Satan, who has been violently pushing God’s people so that they fall . Think of the huge and cruel push that Satan gave Job, or the traumatic and harrowing push that he gave Jesus . The fourth strophe ends with the writer still fending off the aggression, but now this intense form of the verb ‫ ַּדחֹה ְד ִח ַיתנִ י‬is in the perfect . So, although the attack is over, what is not over is the vociferous emotion that the writer still has from the attack . He had been pushed hard so that he would be knocked down . He would still seem to be wide eyed and shaking with the severity of the attack . The verb ‫ לִ נְ ֹּפֹל‬is in the infinitive, “to fall” . Therefore, although the sense is, “You pushed me hard that I might fall”, the Hebrew is more abrupt than that, merely having three words in the line . The effect of this is to indicate the sudden powerful blow that the writer experienced . However, the divine response to this attack is swift and equally sudden: ‫ וַ יהוָ ה עֲ זָ ָרנִ י‬. Here we have the conjunction in compound with the divine name and the verb for “help” with the first person object pronoun in compound . So, just as the first person pronoun is in compound with the aggressor’s action ‫ ְד ִח ַיתנִ י‬in line one of the strophe, so the first person pronoun is in compound with the saviour’s action ‫ עֲ זָ ָרנִ י‬in line two . The saviour’s action is in the same state as the aggressor’s—the Qal perfect . The aggressor’s push and the divine response match perfectly . Christians are “distressed by various (ποικίλοις) trials” (1 Peter 1:6) . Three chapters later, Peter states that “God’s undeserved kindness” is “expressed in various ways (ποικίλης)” (1 Peter 4:10) . Barclay (p . 236, 237) says, This is a tremendous thought . Poikilos means many coloured; therefore to speak of the grace of God as poikilos means that there is no colour in the human situation which the grace of God cannot match… No possible situation can arise in life which the grace of God cannot match and answer… Poikilos means artful, clever, resourceful; therefore to speak of the grace of God as poikilos means that no possible problem can arise to which the grace of God cannot supply the solution…no possible crisis, emergency or demand through which the grace of God cannot find a way, and which the grace of God cannot triumphantly deal with and overcome . There is nothing in life with which the grace of God cannot cope . This vivid word poikilos leads our thoughts straight to that many­coloured grace of God which is indeed sufficient for all things . 17 psalm 118 Verse 14, lines 3 and 4 of the strophe, are an exact quotation of Exodus 15:2, which is the song that Israel sung after emerging from the Red Sea basin . The song was a direct result of these events: As for the sons of Israel, they walked on dry land in the midst of the seabed, and the waters were for them a wall on their right hand and on their left. Thus on that day Jehovah saved Israel from the hand of the Egyptians, and Israel got to see the Egyptians dead on the seashore. Israel also got to see the great hand that Jehovah put in action against the Egyptians; and the people began to fear Jehovah and to put faith in Jehovah and in Moses his servant. (Exodus 14:29–31) This psalm was part of the Hallel Psalms, sung during the Passover, the great moment of national salvation, culminating in the destruction of the Egyptian army in the Red Sea . This context is significant . It means that the psalmist has been meditating on what he has read in the Bible, and he has trusted what he has read, and he has reassured himself in the midst of the distress that his God has not changed . This is the way to live . We will be pushed hard . But if we remember what Jehovah has done in the past for his people—and for us personally—then we will remain calm . We will discover the truth of what the psalmist has already confidently stated: “Jehovah is with me; I shall not fear . What can earthling man do with me?” (verse 6) . Memory is a vital part of faith . The fifth strophe has four lines . The two centre lines form one comment that starts with the divine name and ends with it . There are three words in between: ‘he helps me’, ‘my strength’, ‘might’ . The help that Jehovah gives is specified in the second line as ‘my strength’ and ‘might’ . There is some dispute as to the meaning of ‫ זִ ְמ ָרת‬. It is either a derivative of the feminine verb “to sing”, “play music”, or it is a homonym meaning “strength”, “might” . Those who prefer “might”, say that the word is being used in parallel as a synonym of “strength” . halot and the tdot make it a homonym because “of the difficulty of referring to God as ‘my song’”, although they admit that in Psalm 109:1 we have the phrase, ‫ֹלהי ְת ִהָלָּ תי‬ ֵ ‫א‬, ֱ “God of my praise” . The word does have an odd ending . It should really be ‫זִ ְמ ָרה‬, which is a traditional feminine ending for a noun, not ‫ זִ ְמ ָרת‬. gkc puts it into a section of rare feminine endings, but adds that it is more probable that the letter ‫ י‬is missing off the end, which would give it a personal pronoun, matching the personal pronoun that 18 psalm 118 “strength” has . I am usually very reticent to alter the Masoretic text, but this change would account for the absence of the possessive on this noun . The only problem with claiming that there is an error in the Masoretic text here, is that this phrase is quoted exactly from Exodus 15:2 both in Psalm 118:14 and Isaiah 12:2, and it is unlikely that the quotations would have repeated a mistake . The Samar­ itan Hebrew Pentateuch has the word with the first person pronoun possessive . The lxx misses the word out of its translation of Exodus 15:2, but at Psalm 118:14 it has: ὕμνησίς, meaning “song” . The Vulgate has laus, meaning “praise” . Feminine construct nouns in the singular end with a ‫ת‬, which fits ‫ זִ ְמ ָרת‬. This would then mean that the phrase is “and song of Jah”, but if it was a feminine construct noun, the vowel under the preceding letter would have to be a patach, but here it is a qamatz . I am going to read this verse like this: My strength and song is Jah, And to me he becomes salvation. This fits with the context of Exodus 15, and it fits with the quotation here . It also fits the quotation in Isaiah 12:2, which has this appeal in verse 5: “Make melody to Jehovah, for he has done surpassingly” . So, what does it mean that “my…song is Jah”? Does “song” stand for an expres­ sion of joy, or is Jah the cause of the song, or is Jah the subject of the song? Per­ haps the poet intended all three . The next line in the sixth strophe says, “The sound of a joyful cry and victory is in the tents of the righteous ones” . So we will now hear that song . 15 A sound of a joyful cry and victory Is in the tents of the righteous ones. The right hand of Jehovah is acting powerfully. 16 The right hand of Jehovah has risen. The right hand of Jehovah is acting powerfully. ‫קֹול ִרָּנָ ה וִ יֵׁשּועָ ה‬ ‫ְְּב ָא ֳהלֵ י צַ ִּד ִיקים‬ ‫יְ ִמין יְ הוָ ה ע ְָֹׂשה ָחיִ ל‬ ‫רֹומ ָמה‬ ֵ ‫יְ ִמין יְ הוָ ה‬ ‫יְ ִמין יְ הוָ ה ע ְָֹׂשה ָחיִ ל‬ 19 psalm 118 The first word is ‫ קֹול‬. It can refer to a “sound” or a “voice” . Rotherham translates this first line, “A voice! a ringing cry and salvation” . The psalmist has just mentioned how his song is Jah and how Jah is his source of salvation . This personal comment of faith and happiness is shared by all the righteous ones . They are expressing their faith and love of their God and the psalmist is describing it with the vocal word, ‫ רָּנָ ה‬.ִ This noun occurs thirty­ three times in the Hebrew Bible . It means to “cry out”, “shout for joy” . In his commentary on the Psalms, Joseph Alexander says that “the word…means properly the audible expression of [joy] by shout or song” . “The term [is used to describe] the joy of Israel at God’s saving acts…throughout the ot . In all fourteen occurrences…in Isaiah, it is the connotation of holy joy which is being celebrated” (twot) . Is there a hendiadys in “A sound of a joyful cry and salvation”? After all, what is a sound of salvation? So, it must be effect and cause: “A sound of a joyful cry of salvation” . The nw (2013) adds a footnote to “salvation”, offering “victory” as an alternative . Salvation in this case is experienced through a victory . The reference to the tents of the righteous, implies that these are the members of the army who are celebrating the victory, and because they are righteous they have had their God’s help . Looking at the parallelism, we see that “a sound” is aligned with “in the tents of”, which suggests that the psalmist, who is the king, is looking out over the camp and he can hear a sound from all the tents . “Joyful cry and salvation” aligns with “the righteous ones” . The psalmist wants us to encourage others to be righteous since this always results in being joyful and being saved from calamity . ‫יְ ִמין יְ הוָ ה ע ְָֹׂשה ָחיִ ל‬ ‫רֹומ ָמה‬ ֵ ‫יְ ִמין יְ הוָ ה‬ ‫יְ ִמין יְ הוָ ה ע ְָֹׂשה ָחיִ ל‬ The song that the victors are singing is made up of three lines . In the first strophe (verses 2–4), the poet repeated the same line four times, ‫ִּכִ י לְ עֹולָ ם ַח ְסּדו‬, “for his loyal love is to time indefinite” . In the fourth strophe (verses 10–12), the poet used the same line three times, ‫ְּב ֵֵׁשם יְ הוָ ה ִּכִ י ֲא ִמילַ ם‬, ְ describing how during the battle, he kept holding off the enemy in the name of Jehovah . Now, he uses another triplet, 20 psalm 118 but this time he creates an aba structure . Watson points out that “aba strophes, where the two outer lines are identical…are very rare—examples being confined to Ps 27,14 and Ps 118,15­16” (page 204) . Each of the lines begin with the same words, ‫יְ ִמין יְ הוָ ה‬, “the right hand of Jehovah”, and the beginning and last lines are repeated . The right hand of Jehovah is here a metaphor expressing power . The verb, ‫עְׂשה‬, “do” or “make”, is in the form of a Qal participle, ‫ ע ְָֹׂשה‬. So although the writer has just experienced a great salvation, he is confident that the right hand of his God is always in action . The noun at the end of the line is ‫חיִ ל‬, ָ one of many Hebrew words meaning “strength” . Together, the last phrase is telling us that Jehovah’s right hand is acting powerfully, demonstrating strength . This is another reference to the Moses’s victory song at the Red Sea . Moses sings this couplet to his God, “Your right hand, O Jehovah is glorious in power; your right hand, O Jehovah, shatters the enemy” (Exodus 15:6) . The only other word in this triplet is ‫ רֹומ ָמה‬. ֵ According to Owens this verb is the Polel perfect, third person feminine singular, pausal of ‫ רּום‬. The Polel form is rare . Gesenius writes that this form is related to Piel, the intensive, and it “expresses an aim or endeavour to perform the action, especially with hostile intent” . He did not cite Psalm 118:16, but his comments are apt, although the Polel form of this verb is used again in verse 28 with absolutely no hostile intent . The verb is in feminine to agree with the feminine noun, ‫יְ ִמין‬, “right hand” . Pausal forms “normally mark the major syntactical divisions of a verse . When they occur in other places in a verse, they mark exegetically significant words or phrases in the text that are of rhetorical interest” (Price) . Given that ‫רֹומ ָמה‬ ֵ is the only word that is not repeated, and it is in the pausal form, this makes it singularly important sitting as it does in the middle of the army’s song . ‫ רּום‬means to “be high”, “exalted”, “rise” (bdb) . In the Polel intensive perfect with the pausal, Jehovah’s powerful right hand is completely victorious, above all his opposers . Even Satan has never questioned this . The first and last verb in the song, ‫ע ְָֹׂשה‬, is a participle, whereas the middle verb is in the perfect . The poet is playing with these forms of the verb . The surrounding lines tell us that Jehovah’s power is always evident (present participle) . In this context, the perfect in the middle line, must mean that Jehovah’s right hand has been exalted and will never be lowered . Jehovah is always victorious, so we should never worry . However, we are in Jehovah’s army and we are in the front line, and we have not personally been ultimately victorious . We want to be in the tents of the righteous—we want to be 21 psalm 118 righteous . If no one wanted to be righteous Jehovah would not be victorious . This psalm has been given to Jehovah’s army to encourage them to be righteous and never give up . There are more allusions here to the song at the Red Sea: “Jehovah let the heart of Pharaoh the king of Egypt become obstinate, and he went chasing after the sons of Israel, while the sons of Israel were going out with uplifted hand . Israel also got to see the great hand that Jehovah put in action against the Egyptians” (Exodus 14:8, 31) . 17 I shall not be dying, for I shall keep living So that I will keep declaring the works of Jah 18 Severely I was disciplined by Jah, And to death itself he did not give me. ‫י־א ְחיֶ ה‬ ֶ ִ‫ֹא־אמּות ִּכ‬ ָ ‫ל‬ ‫וַ ֲא ַס ֵֹּפר ַמעֲ ְֵׂשי יָ ּה‬ ‫יַ ְּסֹר יִ ְְּס ַרָּנִ י ָּיָ ּה‬ ‫וְ לַ ֵָּמוֶ ת ל ֹא נְ ָתנָ נִ י‬ Sandwiched between the great salvation in battle (verses 10–14) and entering the gates of righteousness (verses 19, 20), there is a confession . Perhaps this is a necessary precondition for entrance . This time the psalmist’s proximity to death is not as a result of “the distress” (verse 10) and the enemy (verse 13), but as a result of a moral crime he has committed against Jah . This would make verse 18 an explanation of verse 17 . The two verbs in the first line are in the imperfect, hence they complement each other . If the second verb should be translated “I shall keep living”, should not the first one be translated with this idea too? However, in English what would “I shall not be dying” imply? Being sinners from birth (Psalm 51:5), we live short lives, some shorter than others . The psalmist would no doubt agree with Paul’s comment that “in Adam all are dying” (1 Corinthians 15:22) . However, the psalmist is making a reference to a specific event, since the verb translated “corrected me severely” is in the perfect . Nevertheless, if we confess our sins, Jehovah’s rescue from death will turn out to be eternal (“I shall keep living”) . This comes straight after the references to the Passover . The ultimate rescue for mankind has been made, since the lamb of God has been sacrificed, atonement has been made for all those who show their faith in this sacrifice . 22 psalm 118 The second line echoes sentiments made elsewhere in the psalter . David asked Jehovah that he might be rescued from death, “For in death there is no mention of you; in Sheol who will laud you?” (6:5) . And rhetorically: “What profit is there in my blood when I go down to the pit? Will the dust laud you? Will it tell of your trueness?” (30:9) . Heman likewise: “Will your loving­kindness be declared in the burial place itself, your faithfulness in [the place of] destruction?” (88:11) . And, in the first Hallel psalm, the poet had stated: “The dead themselves do not praise Jah, nor do any going down into silence” (115:17) . Life is a gift, and the giver has a purpose for this gift, especially an extension of life . Following the libellous claims of Satan about the giver, God’s true reputation needs to be declared . The psalmist showed that he loved to use his life to “keep declaring the works of Jah” . All three verbs in verse 17 are in the imperfect and form a progression from dying, to living, to evangelising . A succinct summation . We are not to “accept the undeserved kindness of God and miss its purpose” (2 Corinthians 6:1) . The psalmist describes Jehovah’s discipline with the verb ‫יסר‬, which has a semantic spread from the harsh to the mild . For example, Rehoboam used ‫ יסר‬to tell the ten tribes how he would treat them: “My father, for his part, chastised you with whips, but I, for my part, shall chastise you with scourges” (1 Kings 12:11) . However, Ezra used the verb in a different context: “Chenaniah the chief of the Levites in carrying, he giving instruction in carrying, for he was expert” (1 Chronicles 15:22) . Since the verb’s use in Psalm 118 is not only in the Piel, the intensive, but also repeated for emphasis, the meaning here would be severely punitive . Solomon made this appeal: “The discipline (the nominal form of ‫ )יסר‬of Jehovah, O my son, do not reject; and do not abhor his reproof, because the one whom Jehovah loves he reproves, even as a father does a son in whom he finds pleasure” (Proverbs 3:11, 12) . Admirably, the psalmist must have taken the correction humbly, because he ‘kept living’ and was allowed to continue ‘declaring the works of Jah’ . The last line of the strophe starts with the copulative ‫ ו‬. Translating ‫ ו‬as “but”, would mean that the severe discipline stopped before the recipient died from it . I prefer to translate ‫ ו‬as “and” in this instance, because the psalmist accepted the discipline and so did not die for his sin . Comparing the last two lines, we see that the ‘severe discipline’ in the first line, is parallel with “death” in the second . Had the psalmist not responded favourably 23 psalm 118 to the discipline, death would have been the result of the chastisement . In fact, the gravity of the situation is emphasised by the poet putting the word for “death”, ‫ֵּמוֶ ת‬, ָ ahead of the verb in the second line . 19 Open to me the gates of righteousness! I shall enter into them; I shall acknowledge Jah. 20 This gate belongs to Jehovah— Only the righteous shall enter into it. 21 I shall acknowledge you because you answered me And you are my salvation. ‫ִֹּפ ְתחּו־לִ י ֵַׁשעֲ ֵרי־צֶ ֶדק‬ ‫אֹודה יָ ּה‬ ֶ ‫ֹא־בם‬ ָ ‫ָאב‬ ‫ה־ה ַַּׁשעַ ר לַ יהוָ ה‬ ַ ֶ‫ז‬ ‫צַ ִּד ִיקים יָ בֹאּו בֹו‬ ‫אֹודָך ִּכִ י עֲ נִ ָיתנִ י‬ ְ ‫וַ ְְּת ִהי־לִ י לִ יֵׁשּועָ ה‬ The king, who had been out in the field encamped with his warriors against their enemies, has been saved, he has confessed, and accepted the discipline, and now he is able to confidently enter the gates of righteousness . You can sense this confidence in the first word of the eighth strophe . “Open to me!”, he shouts, using the masculine plural imperative of ‫ פתח‬. Since the king’s call is in the masculine plural, so he is commanding the gatemen to open up . Righteousness is defined by God . The king feels that he has now aligned his life to that standard and is in no doubt that he is allowed to pass through the gates of righteousness . Jehovah is not a God who sets unachievable requirements . Even then, he remembers our imperfections too . So it is not presumptuous to regard ourselves as righteous if we have done his will as far as we can, and we have been contrite where we have failed him . Failures do not necessarily make us unrighteous . It is the attitude we have to those failures which makes all the difference . Thankfully, Jehovah has made a sacrifice, allowing us to be viewed as righteous . We can ‘wash our robes and make them white in the blood of the Lamb’ (Revelation 7:14) . We too can confidently call out to the gates of righteousness, “Open to me!” 24 psalm 118 It is worth comparing the phrase, “The gates of righteousness”, ‫ֵׁשעֲ ֵרי־צֶ ֶדק‬, ַ with “The tents of the righteous” (verse 15), ‫ ְּב ָא ֳהלֵ י צַ ִּד ִיקים‬. ְ In verse 15, the adjective is used, and so it rightly agrees in number with the construct noun—they are both in the plural . Here in verse 19, the phrase has the construct noun followed by the nominal form of the word, namely ‫ צֶ ֶדק‬. So, ‫ ֵַׁשעֲ ֵרי־צֶ ֶדק‬cannot be translated, “The gates of the righteous” . However, “Gates of righteousness” preserves the two Hebrew nouns in the phrase . Hermeneutically, what can we say? If the writer is emphasising the righteousness of those who pass through the gates, then it would be “the gates of the righteous” . After all in verse 15, the tents were just tents; but it was the state of their inhabitants that was being emphasised . But in verse 19, the gates are being used to regulate who is allowed to enter . The gates are a metaphor for Jehovah’s rules, his sovereignty . If we want to enter we have to submit to Jehovah’s sovereignty— accept his right to decide what is right and what is wrong . Why is there more than one gate of righteousness? The metaphor is not about multiple gates of righteousness, as if an ecumenical approach is being encouraged . The metaphor is of the holy city which is surrounded by gates . For example, New Jerusalem “had twelve gates… . On the east were three gates, and on the north three gates, and on the south three gates, and on the west three gates” (Revelation 21:12, 13) . Of course, the king is accompanied by a righteous army, those from the tents of the righteous (verse 15) . Even still, all the army could enter the city by just one gate . Initially, the king does not mention his army; in line two he says, “I shall enter them” . This either means that the two sides of the gate are viewed as gates in themselves, or it means that this city has two sets of gates . The latter was not unusual . There would be a foregate leading into a walled courtyard before getting to the main defensive gate . This meant that if attackers were able to get through the first gate, they would then be in an even more vulnerable confined place . This is why the psalmist does not say that he will pass through the gates, but rather he uses the verb ‫ ְּבֹוא‬followed by ‫ְּב‬, “to enter into” . If the latter is the correct interpretation, then it would mean that the gates of righteousness are heavily defended, that righteousness is achieved by following narrowly defined requirements . Indeed, this is very much in harmony with the metaphor that Jesus used for the way to God’s favour and eternal life . He too pictured the way of righteousness as a narrow gate in a city wall, for he exhorted us to “go in through the narrow gate; because broad and spacious is the road leading off into destruction, and many are the ones going in through it; whereas 25 psalm 118 narrow is the gate and cramped the road leading off into life, and few are the ones finding it” (Matthew 7:13, 14) . The only difference being that the psalmist pictures the king entering the city by the gates, whereas Jesus pictures the righteous going out of the city by the gate onto a cramped road . The two metaphors though, amount to the same thing . The king has shouted out to the gatemen to open up as he is wanting to enter into the gates of righteousness . We have a right to enter the gates, but we cannot open the gates ourselves . Jah is the gatekeeper . The king then tells the gatekeepers what he intends to do concerning Jah . This strophe is chiastic and this phrase is at the centre: ‫ אֹודה יָ ּה‬. ֶ The verb ‫ ידה‬is in the Hiphil imperfect . “The primary meaning of this root is “to acknowledge or confess sin, [or] God’s character and works, or man’s character” (twot) . This reference work went on to explain that “the basic difference between this verb and its synonym, hālal, is that the latter term tends to stress ‘acclaim of,’ ‘boasting of,’ or ‘glorying in’ an object, while yādâ emphasizes ‘recognition’ and ‘declaration’ of a fact, whether good or bad” . Coming straight after the psalmist reporting that he had been severely disciplined by Jehovah, this is an appropriate next step . Those who enter the gates of righteousness can only do so if they acknowledge Jehovah’s right to choose for them what is morally good and bad . The third line of the strophe is presumably an antiphonal response from the guardians of the gate . They do not use the genitive, the construct form, which would be “the gate of Jehovah”, but instead he uses the preposition ‫ ל‬in front of the divine name . This means primarily, “to” . While “a gate to Jehovah” does not make much sense in English, “a gate for Jehovah” could express the use of the preposition ‫ ל‬. Better still, and perfectly within the semantic sense of ‫ל‬, it could be translated as “belonging to” . It is Jehovah’s gate—he sets the terms for entrance . Only the righteous will enter into it, as the last line says . And, to make the point more emphatically, the noun “the righteous” precedes the noun . How can this emphasis be translated into English? One way would be to use an extra pronoun: “The righteous themselves will go into it” (nw) . But the emphasis is identifying for us who is allowed to gain access . So I have gone with: “Only the righteous shall enter into it” . Let’s consider the structure of the strophe up to this point . 26 psalm 118 a Open to me the gates of righteousness! b x a’ I shall enter into them; I shall acknowledge Jah. This gate belongs to Jehovah. b’ Only the righteous will enter into it. The structure is not entirely chiastic . It is more like a repeated parallelism around a core statement . At the strophe’s heart is the king’s acknowledgement of Jehovah—that the king has a sovereign above him, that he has to acknowledge Jehovah’s authority in order to enter the gate . The king has cast his crown down in front of Jehovah’s supreme authority (Revelation 4:10) . The centre line x, is the key to the gates . a and b are both referring to the two sets of gates; a’ and b’ both narrow the focus onto the second gate . Contrastingly, a and b are focused on just the king, using the first person three times; whereas in a’ and b’ the gates’ guardians widen the opportunity to say that all the righteous may enter . Finally, notice the position of “righteousness” in line a and “Jehovah” in line a’ . This symmetry is once more telling us that Jehovah defines what is righteous . The king addressed the gatemen (verse 19), the gatemen addressed the king . Now the king—for the very first time in the psalm—addresses God . Presumably, this is the moment that the king has come through the gates and is now considered righteous . He feels the presence of his God in a heightened way having been disciplined and then allowed to enter into and through the gates of righteousness . Turning to his God, the champion says, using the imperfect, that he will express his appreciation . His appreciation is going to be long lasting . This form of the verb is in contrast with the cause of his appreciation—the answer to his petition . “You answered me”, he tells Jehovah . He uses the Qal perfect, ‫ עֲ נִ ָיתנִ י‬. In verse 5, he had told us that his God had “answered me”, ‫ עָ נָ נִ י‬. The only difference between the verbs is that in verse 5 the verb is in the third person, and in verse 21, in the second person . The answer was a past event, his appreciation was present and continuous . There is no better way of praising Jehovah than giving him our appreciation as soon as we sense his response, and continuing to show appreciation for his loyalty as verses 1–4 instructs . It is probably safe to assume that the answer that the king is referring to is the one mentioned in verse 5: “From in the distress I called Jah; Jah answered me into an 27 psalm 118 open place” . However, he has also just asked that he might enter into the gates of righteousness, and that request too has been answered positively . When our prayers are answered we feel a special closeness to our God since we feel his favour . It is good to know that we have been heard, that someone is listening . Of course, our closeness is not dependent on our prayers being answered . Nonetheless, David felt that his God was distant when he had not had his prayers answered . He prayed, “Why, O Jehovah, do you keep standing afar off? [Why] do you keep yourself hid in times of distress?” (Psalm 10:1) . The psalmist had gone through extreme distress, he had been rescued dramatically and he had experienced severe divine discipline which had not resulted in death . He expresses his gratitude as he enters the gates of righteousness . Given that this psalm has a number of voices and often these voices are singing antiphonally, notice the pattern in the eighth strophe . k stands for the king; g for the gatemen . k Open to me the gates of righteousness! k I shall enter into them; k I shall acknowledge Jah. g This gate belongs to Jehovah. g Only the righteous will enter into it. k I shall acknowledge you because you answered me. k And to me you are salvation. I like the way the king speaks to the gatemen about his submission to Jah, and then after the gatemen have responded, the king turns to Jah himself in submission and in gratitude . Here is a person who sees his God in all of his life; someone who weaves his prayers into every event and moment; someone who is spontaneously grateful to his God . Verse 21 is referring back to previous verses . Part of the first line is referring back to verse 5 (“From in the distress I called Jah; Jah answered me into a roomy place); part of the second line is referring back to verse 14 . Let’s compare the second line of verse 21, ‫“( וַ ְְּת ִהי־לִ י לִ יֵׁשּועָ ה‬And to me you are salvation”), with the second line of verse 14, ‫“( וַ יְ ִהי־לִ י לִ יֵׁשּועָ ה‬And to me he becomes salvation”) . They are identical except that in verse 14 the psalmist uses the third person singular to tell others about God’s salvation, but in verse 21 he uses the second person singular to tell God himself . 28 psalm 118 In both lines he uses the verb “to be” in the imperfect, celebrating the continual nature of God’s salvation . The king is not heard again until verse 28 . 22 The very stone which the builders have rejected, It has become the head of the corner. 23 From Jehovah himself this has come about— It is being marvellously done in our eyes. 24 This is the day that Jehovah has made! Let us be joyful and rejoice in him. ‫ֶא ֶבן ָמ ֲאסּו ַהְּבֹונִ ים‬ ‫ָהיְ ָתה לְ רֹאֵׁש ִֹּפָּנָ ה‬ ‫ֵמ ֵאת יְ הוָ ה ָהיְ ָתה ִּזֹאת‬ ‫ִהיא נִ ְפלָ את ְְּבעֵ ינֵ ינּו‬ ‫הָּיֹום עָ ְָׂשה יְ הוָ ה‬-‫ה‬ ַ ֶ‫ז‬ ‫נָ גִ ילָ ה וְ נִ ְְׂש ְמ ָחה בֹו‬ During the last week of his life on Earth, Jesus entered the temple in Jerusalem and threw “out those selling and buying in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves” (Mark 11:15) . Not surprisingly, “the chief priests and the scribes and the older men came to him and began to say to him: ‘By what authority do you do these things? or who gave you this authority to do these things?’” (verses 27, 28) . After obliquely explaining that God had granted him this authority, he went on to relate a parable about a vineyard . Over time, the absent owner sent various servants to collect “some of the fruits of the vineyard from the cultivators” . However, the tenant cultivators beat each of his servants and sent them away . Finally, the owner sent his son, believing that the tenants would respect him . Horrifically, his son was slaughtered . Jesus concluded the parable by quoting Psalm 118 verses 22 and 23 . The chief priests “took note that he spoke the illustration with them in mind” (Mark 12:1–12) . But what did the psalmist have in mind when he wrote these verses? Are the words of these verses—sung by the crowds—referring metaphorically to the psalmist? If they are, what do we know from his poem? He has won a war with divine assistance; he has been chastened for an unspecified sin; now he has been allowed to enter the gates of righteousness . All of which could constitute becoming like 29 psalm 118 a headstone—the conspicuous stone that held two joining walls together . The fitting of the headstone or capstone, came at the completion of the building . But what of the rejection? Looking back on the poem, verses 7 to 9 could feasibly refer to a rejection . However, it is better to see the events in verses 5 to 16 as a continuum, so that “the distress” mentioned in verse 5 is elaborated in the following verses . Of the kings who ruled in Jerusalem, only David became king after being initially rejected by the majority of the nation . Following the death of Saul, a civil war broke out between the tribe of Judah and the other tribes who supported Abner and his puppet king, Ishbosheth (2 Samuel 2:8–3:1) . After the assassination of Ishbosheth, David was made king of Israel (2 Samuel 5:5) . Joab later captured Jerusalem “and David took up dwelling in the stronghold, and it came to be called the City of David” (verse 9) . But David’s entry into this city does not fit with the sequence of events in the psalm . In a psalm so replete with metaphors, the gates do not have to be literal as well as metaphorical . It could just as well be that no city is being entered, rather, the king, having met the standards of righteousness, is entering a state of divine approval . Jesus’s quotation of Psalm 118:22, 23 does not automatically make those verses into a Messianic prophecy . Rather, the words fitted Jesus’s rejection and later instalment as the king of God’s kingdom . And, since Jesus the Messiah would be the son of David, then this quotation had added relevance . The Hebrew of these two verses is full of surprise and shock . The first line starts with the subject in front of the verb, hence, “the very stone that the builders rejected has become the head of the corner!” The verb, ‫מ ֲאסּו‬, ָ “they rejected”, is in the completed sense—the perfect . This matches the verb in line two, ‫היְ ָתה‬, ָ “has become” . The rejection was once and for all time; the acceptance was once and for all time . The positions of the words in the first two lines is suggestive . “Stone” and “has become” are lined up; “they rejected” is in same position as “head”, as if to emphasise the contrast; “the builders” and “corner” end each line . In addition, the word ‫א ֶבן‬, ֶ “stone”, is the first word of the first line, ‫ֹּפָּנָ ה‬, ִ “corner”, is the last word of the second line . These two words are together in Job 38:6 (‫ֶא ֶבן‬ ‫ֹּפָּנָ ָתּה‬, ִ “her cornerstone”) and Jeremiah 51:26 (‫א ֶבן לְ ִפָּנָ ה‬, ֶ “cornerstone”) . But here, the psalmist has broken this term up . He is showing that the installation of the stone as the corner was not straightforward, there was opposition . At one 30 psalm 118 point it looked as if the stone would not be chosen . But from Jehovah came the word, and the situation was reversed . If we trust in Jehovah, things that appear to be in opposition will be overturned . We will be just as excited by the outcome as the people are who make their wide­eyed wonder known in verse 23, and their rejoicing known in verse 24 . Indeed, the words of the ninth strophe are attributed to the crowds as they witness the metaphorical completion of the building (Zechariah 4:7) . As in the first line, so in line three, the subject precedes the verb . A literal translation of the four words would be, “From/Jehovah/it has become/this” . The usual word order would be, “It has become/this/from Jehovah” . Therefore, the psalmist is expressing his joy by emphasising Jehovah’s role in this turn around . One could translate the line this way: “It is Jehovah himself who has made this happen” . I would like to do that, but there is no relative pronoun such as ‫ֲא ֵֶׁשר‬ in the Hebrew . Mind you, the first line requires a relative pronoun in order to satisfy English grammar . So the absence of a relative pronoun in the Hebrew, does not prevent such an addition in translation . But what about the particle ‫מ‬, which means “from”? The writer is underlining the origin of and authority behind the edict—Jehovah decreed it and so it happened . This is important to the psalmist, so a more faithful translation would be: “From Jehovah himself this has come about” . Since ‫ִּזֹאת‬, “this”, is a feminine pronoun, the verb is in the feminine, so is the pronoun (literally, “she”) that begins the last line . The verb in the fourth line is ‫ נִ ְפלָ את‬. This word, ‫נפל‬, is often used to describe Jehovah’s great acts . By implication, only Jehovah could perform such deeds . Jeremiah exclaims: “O Sovereign Lord Jehovah! Here you yourself have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and by your outstretched arm . The whole matter is not too wonderful [‫ ]נפל‬for you yourself” (Jeremiah 32:17) . Here in Psalm 118, the verb, is a passive participle—‫ נִ ְפלָ את‬. In other words, “this is being wonderfully done” . The participle describes the process which started from the stone’s rejection through to its instalment as the top corner stone, conspicuously holding the building together . But it is not the end result that is marvellous/ wonderful, it is the process, otherwise the psalmist would have put the perfect into the mouths of the singers . So we are to rejoice in the way that Jehovah fulfils his word, whether that is for his congregation or for us personally . We should not be so anxious for the end result that we miss the process which Jehovah is working his way through . Here the people, specifically, the priests (verse 26), are 31 psalm 118 so grateful for the process that brought the stone to the top of the building . Their eyes followed each step of that process in wonder . In the next verse, verse 24, we move from joy in the process to joy in the end result . Here the announcement is in the perfect . The Hebrew could legitimately be translated, “This is the day that Jehovah has made” . This makes the day the object . The word order in the Hebrew is: “This/the day/he has made/ Jehovah” . Usually the verb comes first, followed by the subject, then the object . Of course, Jehovah is uncreated, so he must be the subject . So the psalmist is giving prominence to the time—the moment of achievement—“This is the day” . And since the priests are watching with pleasure the elevation of the stone to its honourable place, then the verb “he has made”, in all likelihood, refers not to the day, but to the making of this reversal possible . Consequently, the line could be translated, “This is the day that Jehovah has made it happen”, so that the object is the installation of the stone . But this translation would require the addition of a pronoun . Accordingly, I have reverted to “the day” as the object of the sentence . Either way, the sense would be the same . This triumphant feat has been accomplished (perfect); Jehovah has made it occur on this day . The last line of the strophe, has two verbs . The first is ‫ ּגִ יל‬. This is a word that is only used in poetry in the Bible . It is used five times in Proverbs, thirty­nine times in the Psalms and once in David’s psalm that he composed when he had finally got the ark of the covenant to Jerusalem: “Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be joyful, and let them say among the nations, ‘Jehovah himself has become king!’ (1 Chronicles 16:31) . In Psalm 118:24, the form is ‫נָ גִ ילָ ה‬, the Qal imperfect, first person plural, with the cohortative ending ‫ ָ ה‬. The second verb is ‫נִ ְְׂש ְמ ָחה‬, from ‫ ְׂשמח‬. It too means “rejoice”, “be glad”, occurring many more times in the Bible—one hundred and fifty . Here, it too is the Qal imperfect, first person plural, with the cohortative ending ‫ ָ ה‬. This is the moment when the silent wonder at the process expressed in the eyes breaks out into noisy delight . Whereas the announcement was in the perfect, the effect is in the imperfect—the joy is long lasting . And the two synonyms express the great amount of happiness . Concerning the two cohortative endings, gkc states that, “while the corresponding forms of the indicative rather express the mere announcement that an action will be undertaken, the cohortative lays stress on the determination underlying the action, and the personal interest in it” (§106) . 32 psalm 118 There is an ambiguity at the end of the line . Is the joy in the day or in Jehovah? Since “day” and “Jehovah” are both masculine nouns, it is not absolutely clear whether one translates the last word as “in it” or “in him” . It would seem appropriate to translate “in him” since it is Jehovah who made it such a great day . What’s more, the word ‫ ְּבֹו‬is the last word of the line, matching the place of the divine name in the previous line . But what would rejoicing in Jehovah mean? It is certainly a legitimate phrase, the exhortation occurs five times in the Hebrew Bible using the same Hebrew verbs . For example: “Rejoice in Jehovah and be joyful, you righteous ones; shout joyfully, all you who are upright in heart” (Psalm 32:11 . See also 33:21; 64:10; 66:6; 97:12; 104:34; Joel 2:23) . Also, Paul uses the phrase: Χαίρετε ἐν κυρίῳ πάντοτε, “Always rejoice in [the] Lord” (Philippians 4:4) . So, although ‘rejoicing in a person’ is not a usual phrase in English, the entreaty to rejoice in Jehovah may be shorthand for rejoicing in what he is doing, but it is probably more than that—an admonition for us to have a depth to our relationship with Jehovah, an exclusivity as to who is our source of happiness, to find our joy in all that Jehovah represents . In the context of this psalm, it would be an enjoinder to “take refuge in Jehovah” (verse 8) because our “strength and song is Jah” (verse 14) . The rejected Messiah was resurrected and “God exalted this one as Chief Agent and Saviour to his right hand, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins” (Acts 5:31) . Since this is the case, we obey the encouragement: “Let us be joyful and be happy in him” . Each new day this should be the case, “because his mercies will certainly not come to an end . They are new each morning” (Lamentations 3:22, 23) . 25 We implore you—O Jehovah, do save, please! We implore you—O Jehovah, do grant success, please! ‫הֹוֵׁשיעָ ה ָּנָ א‬ ִ ‫ָאָּנָ א יְ הוָ ה‬ ‫ָאָּנָ א יְ הוָ ה ַהצְ לִ ָיחה ָּנָ א‬ The priests who have greeted the king and his warriors have rejoiced at the victory that Jehovah has achieved . They have been singing about Jehovah; now they turn to address him directly . Why do they now ask him for salvation? The two verbs in verse 25 are once more in the cohortative, echoing the call in the previous line to be glad and to be happy . What happened to all the joy? Is this a good example of human uncertainty—crying out to all publicly to be happy, while at the same 33 psalm 118 time, crying out to Jehovah in distress . Just at the moment when our prayers are answered and we should be confident, calm, trusting Jehovah, do we sometimes still feel uncertain for the future? Of course, this should not be the case, but is this text a candid admission? And through this, is Jehovah saying that although it is not good, it is understandable? The first two lines begin with ‫ אָּנָ א‬. ָ The lexica call this word an interjection; it is a word that is used when pleading for something . It occurs just thirteen times in the Bible . In all but three of those occasions, ‫ ָאָּנָ א‬is used with ‫ ָּנָ א‬. Here in verse 25, the combination of the two words bookend the two lines . ‫ָּנָ א‬, which occurs over four hundred times in the Bible, is also a word of exclamation, often translated “please” . In all but one instance, ‫ ָאָּנָ א‬is used in a prayer to Jehovah—at Genesis 50:17, Jacob pleads with Joseph to pardon his other sons . In every instance where the two words are used they form a “strong…entreaty” (bdb) (Exodus 32:31, 32; 2 Kings 20:3; Isaiah 38:3; Nehemiah 1:5, 6, 11; Jonah 1:14; 4:2, 3) . The psalm is characterised by repetition (verses 1–4, 29; 6, 7; 8, 9; 10–12; 15, 16) . Here these two words of strong entreaty are repeated making the supplication all the more desperate and urgent . So, I have translated the plea as, “We implore you”, followed by, “O Jehovah” . Between this insistent reiteration ‫אָּנָ א ָּנָ א ָאָּנָ א ָּנָ א‬, ָ the divine name is reiterated . The only difference between the two lines is the verbs . Even still, both verbs are in the imperfect Hiphil; both have cohortative endings . The verb in the first line is from ‫יְׂשע‬, which, in the Hiphil, means “to save”, “to deliver” . The verb in the second line is from ‫צלח‬, which, in the Hiphil, means “to make prosperous”, “to make successful” . Given that the first invocation is for deliverance/salvation, then it is better to translate ‫הצְ לִ ָיחה‬, ַ “do grant success”, not “do grant us prosperity” . “Grant” fits perfectly with the causative nature of Hiphil and the supplication . Actually, we are told in the Bible how all the different prayers recorded in the Bible will be answered . We pray for salvation, as the crowds did who lined the way when Jesus entered Jerusalem on the 9th Abib, 33 c .e . (Matthew 21:9), and the Bible relates how Jehovah has been working out the salvation of mankind beginning with his prophecy at Genesis 3:15 . When God’s kingdom rules the Earth, his people will exclaim: “Look! This is our God . We have hoped in him, and he will save us [‫ ]יְׂשע‬. This is Jehovah . We have hoped in him . Let us be joyful and rejoice in the salvation by him” (Isaiah 25:9) . 34 psalm 118 We pray for success, and we are told the how it can be achieved with divine help . “Happy is the man [whose] delight is in the law of Jehovah, and in his law he reads in an undertone day and night . And he will certainly become like a tree planted by streams of water, that gives its own fruit in its season and the foliage of which does not wither, and everything he does will succeed [‫( ”]צלח‬Psalm 1:1–3) . 26 Blessed is the one entering in the name of Jehovah. We have blessed you from the house of Jehovah. ‫ְָּברּוְך ַה ְָּבא ְְּב ֵֵׁשם יְ הוָ ה‬ ‫ְֵּב ַרכְ נּוכֶ ם ִמ ְֵּבית יְ הוָ ה‬ The priests (verse 26) have addressed Jehovah directly, now they turn their attention to the warrior king . They bless him, using the Qal passive participle of ‫ברך‬, which could be translated, “blessed be” . They refer to him as ‫ ה ְָּבא ְְּב ֵֵׁשם יְ הוָ ה‬. ַ The verb ‫ה ְָּבא‬, ַ is the definite article with the verb as a Qal active participle . This verb in the Qal can mean “to come in”, “to enter” . Since the king has just come through the gates of righteousness, it would seem apropos to translate it as “the one entering” . They bless their warrior king because they have identified him as God’s means of answering their entreaties for salvation and success . They recognise that he is entering in Jehovah’s name . Not only has he fought off their enemies “in Jehovah’s name” (verses 10–12), but he is righteous in Jehovah’s estimation . Even though he had to be disciplined, he accepted the disciple . “True, no discipline seems for the present to be joyous, but it is painful; yet afterward, it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it” (Hebrews 12:11) . So, he now represents all of Jehovah’s qualities . This is the goal of all who wish to serve God, “reflect[ing] like mirrors the glory of Jehovah” (2 Corinthians 3:18) . The king has entered, he has been blessed by the priests . Then, the priests extend their blessing to include his righteous attendant warriors (verse 15) . In so doing, they use, not the Qal passive participle form of the verb ‫ברך‬, which they used for the king, but the Piel, which is the intensive, in the perfect . I imagine that the Piel is used here to express the expanded blessing for all the king’s forces . Instead of using the imperfect state, they use the perfect, in other words, their blessing does not extend into the future unconditionally . The warrior and his 35 psalm 118 forces are blessed for what they have achieved . Our eternal blessing is conditional upon our maintaining our integrity . We are all exhorted: “Seek Jehovah, all you meek ones of the earth, who observe his righteous decrees . Seek righteousness, seek meekness . Probably you will be concealed on the day of Jehovah’s anger” (Zephaniah 2:3) . Why do the priests use the passive participle to bless the king, but the perfect state of the verb when they extend their benediction to him and his entourage? The second blessing is said to be ‫מ ְֵּבית יְ הוָ ה‬, ִ literally, “from the house of Jehovah” . The preposition ‫מ‬, is usually translated “from”, but it could be translated “out of” . In which case, the king is blessed entering the house of Jehovah; the entire entourage is blessed while they are in the house of Jehovah, and this is referred to in the perfect when they all come out of the house of Jehovah . The second line of verse 26 is literally, word for word, “We have blessed you [plural]/from the house of/Jehovah” I would have to resort to paraphrase to express this in English: “You all leave the house of Jehovah blessed” . What a reassuring thing it is to receive a blessing as we leave the house of Jehovah to face whatever we will meet beyond . Although, the parallelism works well—entering, exiting—I am not altogether confident about this translation . However, if it is, “We have blessed you from the house of Jehovah”, perhaps we ought to picture the king and his army in the courtyard of the house of Jehovah . This will fit well with the next verse . 27 Jehovah is God And he gives light to us. Bind the branches of the festival As far as the horns of the altar. ‫ֵאל יְ הוָ ה‬ ‫וַ ָּיָ ֶאר לָ נּו‬ ‫רּו־חג ְַּבעֲ ב ִֹתים‬ ַ ‫ִא ְס‬ ‫עַ ד ַק ְרנֹות ַה ִֵּמ ֵזְְּב ַח‬ In the last three verses of the psalm, first the people exclaim their happy confidence in their God, then the king makes his personal statement, then the people bring the psalm to its conclusion by repeating the words of the first verse . Through the events that are sketched in the psalm, Jehovah has proved that he is God, and his people have shown their appreciation . That appreciation was 36 psalm 118 the stimulus for the psalm (verse 1) . Jehovah had rescued his people out of the darkness of distress (verse 5) . Also, since this psalm has made direct quotations from the Song of Moses at the Red Sea (verse 14) and allusions to it (verses 15, 16), the reference to God giving his people light in verse 27, may also be an allusion to the Passover when the pillar of fire led the Israelites out of Egypt (Exodus 13:21) . The object of the third line is the plural masculine noun ‫ עֲ ב ִֹתים‬preceded with the preposition ‫“( ְַּב‬in” or “with”) . An ‫ עֲ בֹת‬is a rope or cord, something interwoven . It is used twenty­four times in the Bible . For example, the word is used four times in Exodus 28 to describe the cords that held the front and the back of the priest’s ephod together . At verse 14, Moses was told to make “two chains of pure gold . As cords you will make them, with the workmanship of a rope [‫ ;]עֲ בֹת‬and you must attach the ropelike chains to the settings .” There is a cluster of synonyms here: ‫[ ֵַׁש ְר ְֵׁשרֹת‬chains], ‫[ ִמגְ ְָּבֹלת‬cords], ‫[ עֲ בֹת‬rope] . These terms are being used to describe something plaited, linked, interwoven . Twenty of the twenty­four uses of the word describe something like this . In Ezekiel, the word is used once as ropes (4:8), but four times as branches: branches of a vine with abundant foliage (19:11) and the tree canopy (31:3, 10, 14) . The idea behind these is the interwoven, matted branches . So, what does ‫ עֲ ב ִֹתים‬mean here in Psalm 118? Not surprisingly, the verb that relates to it is the imperative plural masculine of ‫אסר‬, “bind!” or “tie!” . The other word in the line is ‫חג‬, ַ which means “festival” . So the Hebrew is literally, word for word: “Tie [imperative]/festival/in ropes” . The last line of the verse is: “As far as/the horns of/the altar” . There are a few ways of interpreting these two lines . There is no reference in the Bible of tying ropes onto the horns of the altar . The horns were for a different purpose . They were symbols of the power of the blood of the sacrifice to take away sins (Exodus 29:12; Leviticus 8:15; 9:8, 9; Jeremiah 17:1) . The lxx says, συστήσασθε ἑορτὴν ἐν τοῖς πυκάζουσιν . συνιστάνω has the idea of bringing things or people together, in this context, to celebrate . Here it is in the aorist (συστήσασθε) . ἑορτὴν is festival . πυκάζουσιν is the present active indicative of πυκάζω, meaning to cover something thickly . “Come together/celebrate a festival with those covering thickly the horns of the altar” . Perhaps the translators had in mind the blood of the sacrifices being put many times on the horns during the festival . One possible interpretation of the Hebrew text takes the usual usage of ‫ עֲ בֹת‬to mean “a rope” . In this view, the sacrificial victim would be tied with ropes while it is taken all the way to the altar, where it would be slaughtered and its blood put 37 psalm 118 on the horns of the altar . A sacrificial animal would need to be brought to the altar with a cord or rope of some sort . One would certainly need to have a rope to lead a bull by the nose, but “ropes”, plural, even for a sheep or a goat? This would therefore require ‫ ַחג‬to mean rather more than just “festival”, specifically the sacrifice for the festival . bdb is in support of this idea, saying that in Late Hebrew, the ‫ ֲחגִ יגָ ה‬was the word used as a festival offering . ‫ ַחג‬is used in the Bible almost exclusively for one of the three festivals of the year—Passover, Weeks, Booths— that all males were to attend . The sacrifice that they were to bring was known later as a ‫ חגִ יגָ ה‬. ֲ The only other issue with this view is that ‫עַ ד‬, “as far as”, “until”, is not used as a verb to imply motion, but is used to refer to space (“To the south all the land of the Canaanites…as far as Aphek” (Joshua 13:4)), time (“The waters kept on…lessening until the tenth month” (Genesis 8:5)) and as a conjunction (“He took the calf…and crushed it till it was fine” (Exodus 32:20)) . Another possibility is to take the meaning of ‫ עֲ בֹת‬as branches and foliage . Therefore, “Tie [imperative]/festival/with branches/as far as/the horns of/the altar” . The Israelites were instructed to celebrate the festival of booths in this way: “On the first day, you will take the fruit of majestic trees, the fronds of palm trees, the branches of leafy trees and poplars of the valley, and you will rejoice before Jehovah your God for seven days” (Leviticus 23:40) . These items they collected by each household in order to build a temporary shelter for the festival . Josephus explained that in his day, the Israelites “should then carry in [their] hands a branch of myrtle and willow and a bough of the palm­tree, with the addition of the pome citron” (Antiq. iii . x . 4) . This cluster of small branches and fruit came to be known as the lulab . According to JE (Lulab), “The use of the lulab is closely connected with the reciting of the Hallel (Ps . cxiii .–cxviii .) . In the Second Temple it was waved during the recitation of the passages expressive of thanksgiving or prayer, viz ., Ps . cxviii . 1–4, 25 (Suk . 37b) .… After the additional sacrifices of the day had been offered the lulab and etrog [a piece of citrus fruit] were carried in procession around the altar in the court while Ps . cxviii . 25…was chanted .” That description of events with the quotations from Psalm 118, seems to chime with the cryptic words of the second half of verse 27 . Further, after the Maccabees cleansed the temple, they celebrated a festival “for eight days with rejoicing, in the manner of the feast of booths, remembering how not long before, during the feast of booths, they had been wandering in the mountains and caves like wild animals . Therefore bearing ivy­wreathed wands and beautiful branches and also fronds of palm, they offered hymns of thanksgiv­ 38 psalm 118 ing to him who had given success to the purifying of his own holy place” (2 Mac­ cabees 10:6, 7, rsv) . Although we can surmise, we do not know when Psalm 118 was written, or when these practices, that occurred during the Second Temple period, originated . Nonetheless, these customs give the impression that celebrations were accompanied with waving branches and wreaths . When Jesus rode into Jerusalem, the people expressed their joy by taking palm trees fronds and shouting out the words of Psalm 118:25a (John 12:13) . There is one problem with this second possibility . There does appear to be a word or two missing in order to understand the terse command, “Tie the festival with branches”, as a reference to these types of celebration . In spite of these difficulties, it is eminently appropriate though, that in this psalm of gratitude following such a great salvation, and the arrival of the king and his troops, that the people should be gathered to celebrate a festival . There are not very many things that we can give to our God apart from our obedience and our gratitude . After all, he says, “The one who offers thanksgiving as his sacrifice glorifies me” (Psalm 50:23) . 28 My God you are, and I shall thank you! My God—I shall exalt you! ָ‫אֹודָּך‬ ֶ ְ‫ֵאלִ י ַא ְָּתה ו‬ ָ‫רֹומ ֶמָּך‬ ְ ‫ֹלהי ֲא‬ ַ ‫ֱא‬ We are back to the first person singular for the penultimate verse . It is a final personal shout of faith and praise . The poet begins the first line by putting the object first, before the verb, giving emphasis to “my God”, as if these words were to bellowed out . In the second line, he increases the exclamation, by using the longer, plural form of the Hebrew word for God . He uses this longer, plural form for “the pluralis excellentiae or pluralis maiestatis” (gkc, §124 .1) . There is not much that an English translation can do to express this change of gear from line one to two . The verb in line one is ‫ידה‬, which means “give thanks”, “praise” . Not surprisingly, in a hymn written to express gratitude, this verb occurs five times, especially fre­ quently in the climax (verses 1, 19, 21, 28, 29) . Here, the verb is in the Hifil, imperfect . The verb in line two is ‫רּום‬, which means “rise”, “put on high”, and it is in the Polel, 39 psalm 118 which is used as an intensive . “Exalt” is defined as speaking very highly of someone or something . That would express the intensive of ‫ רּום‬well . This verb in the Polel was also used in verse 16, where the poet announced that “the right hand of Jehovah has risen” . There it was in the perfect; here it is in the imperfect . There he was referring to the rescue that Jehovah had achieved for him; here he is referring to his response to that rescue . How apt that he should put the response in the imperfect—his exaltation of his God will go on and on . The Hebrew for both lines form two small envelopes—both lines begin with “God” and both lines end with “you” . In his personal devotion, he invokes his God to tell him that he will thank him and tell others about him so that his reputation is enhanced . There is no more important prayer than this according to Jesus . When asked how to pray, Jesus put the sanctification of Jehovah’s name first . His father’s name is, of course, the holiest name, but not in the eyes of everyone . Far from it . Most do not know his name, let alone care for it or think highly of it . The psalmist is in a different category . He has not only mentioned the divine name twenty­eight times in twenty­nine verses, but he has, through his poem, endeavoured to raise the profile of God’s reputation . The writer of the hundred and forty­eighth psalm called on all people to “praise the name of Jehovah, for his name alone is unreachably high” (verse 13) . All of God’s people should do the same . 29 Give thanks to Jehovah for he is good; For his loyal love is to time indefinite. ‫טֹוב‬-‫הֹודּו לַ יהוָ ה ִּכִ י‬ ‫ִּכִ י לְ עֹולָ ם ַח ְסּדֹו‬ Here is the second half of the inclusio from the first verse . We have, as Matthew Ayars said, enjoyed “a sort of lexical entry on defining the semantic range of” God’s loyal love . Give thanks to Jehovah . 40 psalm 118 appendix In the Bible the divine name ‫ יהוה‬occurs almost seven thousand times, more often than any of God’s titles, and more often than any other separate Hebrew word . There are many theophoric names in the Bible . The majority of Bible translators transliterate the first two syllables of those names as Jeho . Hence: Jehonathan, Jehoshua, Jehoshaphat, Jehoahaz, Jehonadab, Jehoram etc . When the Israelites shortened a name they would not abbreviate but they contracted it by removing syllables from the middle of the name . So Jehonathan was reduced to Jonathan; Jehoshua became Joshua; Jehonadab became Jonadab . God’s name was contract­ ed to Jah, hence: Elijah, Abijah and Hallelujah etc . Therefore, the divine name must have had three syllables, not two . We believe that a ‫ י‬is more likely to be transliterated as a y in English, and a ‫ ו‬is more likely to be transliterated as a w . So the divine name could be Yehowah . However, most Bible scholars avoid any transliteration . They use the tetragrammaton in Hebrew letters ‫יהוה‬, or they display the divine name as yhwh . This is all well and good, but it is inconsistent with their transliteration of other Bible names . If they are to be consistent then they should either use Yehonathan for Jonathan or show the Hebrew letters ‫יהנתן‬, or ywntn . Sometimes they use Yahweh which disregards how names were shortened, and it only has two syllables . The argument that the vowels of ‫ יְ הוָ ה‬are those of ‫ ֲאדֹנַ י‬does not hold up because the vowels are not the same . Gesenius pointed out that “Those who consider that ‫ יְ הֹוָ ה‬was the actual pronun­ ciation [of God’s name] are not altogether without ground on which to defend their opinion . In this way can the abbreviated syllables ‫ יְ הֹו‬and ‫יֹו‬, with which many proper names begin, be more satisfactorily explained .” We believe that Jehovah is a reasonable transliteration of the tetragrammaton . 41 psalm 118 journal of biblical literature Volume 46:146–149 On the Use of the Word Jehovah in Translating the Old Testament Conclusions based on forty years experience in the Hebrew classroom Francis B. Dento In the Authorized version of the Old Testament the English word Lord is used to represent two quite different words in the Hebrew . For the one word it is printed Lord, and for the other lord or god . The explanation is given that the latter printing indicates that it stands for the Hebrew word designating the covenant God of Israel, and is a proper name . The proper assimilation of this fact rarely occurs . In all cases the words carry the idea, Master, Ruler . Neither of them after four centuries of use has acquired the connotations that are desired . In order to secure the proper idea in the mind of the student the custom was adopted in the early years of teaching to require him to give the rendering Yahweh when the Hebrew yhwh occurred . Gradually it came to be felt that this method savored of pedantry rather than scholarship . And plainly the desired result was not secured . Not only was it a literary barbarism, but it was a word empty of meaning which needed generations of use before it could be filled with the proper meaning . Its use was abandoned . Classroom needs demanded some word . The only hopeful candidate was the word Jehovah . The following considerations led to its adoption . Unquestionably it is an erroneous form . Other forms equally erroneous are unchallenged . Isaiah and Jeremiah, to name no others, would, if correctly printed, be as much barbarisms as Yahweh . The difference between them and Jehovah is that there was once a famous controversy and the facts about the word Jehovah were made public knowledge . Isaiah and Jeremiah received no such publicity . Jehovah misrepresents Yahweh no more than Jeremiah misrepresents Yirmeyahu . The settled connotations of Isaiah and Jeremiah forbid questioning their right . Usage has given them the connotations proper for designating the personalities which these words represent . Much the same thing is true of Jehovah . It is not a barbarism . It has already many of the connotations needed for the proper name of the covenant God of Israel . 42 psalm 118 There is no other word which can faintly compare with it . For four centuries it has been gathering these connotations . In the sixteenth century Protestant and Roman Catholic scholars alike began to use this word freely . At the outset they believed that the Hebrew points were correctly used . The word thus launched into literature was not wholly relinquished when the facts became known . For one reason, it filled a felt need . The literature of devotion appropriated it more and more as time went on . Few collections of hymns are without the one beginning: Guide me, O thou great Jehovah. Almost as many have that beginning: Before Jehovah’s awful throne. In half a dozen hymn books used by three different denominations the following first lines are found: Call Jehovah thy salvation. Jehovah God the Father. Jehovah! thy gracious power. Jehovah reigns, he dwells in light. Jehovah reigns, his throne is high. Jehovah reigns, let all the earth rejoice. Jehovah speaks, let Israel. Praise ye Jehovah! Praise ye Jehovah’s name! Sing to the great Jehovah’s praise. Sing to the Lord Jehovah’s name. Thank and praise Jehovah’s name. The Lord Jehovah reigns. And royal. The Lord Jehovah reigns. His throne. These occurrences give only first lines, but the use is not confined to first lines . These suffice to show the fact of usage and the meaning which usage gives . They show it to be a personal name with associations of reverence and trust and affection such as befit the name of the covenant God of Israel . These are the qualities upon which 43 psalm 118 the Psalmists of Israel love to dwell . In fact the use of this word in our devotional literature especially adapts it for use in the Psalter, and also in the prophets . No other word approaches this name in the fulness of associations required . The use of any other word falls so far short of the proper ideas that it is a serious blemish in a translation . The result of the use in the classroom was satisfactory . The habit received strong support from the publication of the American Revision . During the twenty­five years since the publication of this revision its use in family worship has steadily increased the conviction that this is the one word to secure to the general reader of the Old Testament the conception which its adoption was designed to secure . In Psalms and Prophets alike it is helpful beyond expression . The words of the Revisers in their preface are fully justified: “The change first recommended in the Appendix (of the English Revision of 1885)—that which substitutes ‘Jehovah’ for ‘lord’ and ‘god’—is one which will be unwelcome to many, because of the frequency and familiarity of the terms displaced . But the American Revisers, after a careful consideration, were brought to the unanimous conviction that a Jewish superstition, which regarded the Divine name as too sacred to be uttered, ought no longer to dominate the English or any other version of the Old Testament, as it fortunately does not in the numerous versions made by modern missionaries . This Memorial Name, explained in Ex . 3 14, 15, and emphasized as such over and over in the orginal text of the Old Testament, designates God as the personal God, as the covenant God, the God of revelation, the Deliverer, the Friend of his people;—not merely the abstract ‘Eternal’ One of many French translations, but the ever living Helper of those who are in trouble . This personal name, with its wealth of sacred associations, it now restored to its place in the sacred text to which it has an unquestionable claim .” It is well to record the fact that the American Revisers were not pioneers in using the word . The earlier translators themselves apparently felt that in some instances its use was imperative . It is said to have appeared in the Pentateuch translated by Tyndale (1530) . The Geneva Bible (1560) and Bishop’s Bible (1568) used it in Ex . 63 and Psa . 8318 . A . V . (1611) followed these bibles and added it in Is, 12 2; 264 . The 1885 Revision added to these four Ex . 66, 7,8; Psa . 68 20; Isa . 49 14; Jer . 16 21 44 psalm 118 and Hab . 319 . The compounds Jehovah Jireh, Gen . 22 14; Jehovah Nissi, Ex . 17 15, and Jehovah Shalom, Jud . 6 24 are given in the Geneva Bible and in the versions of 1611 and 1885, though not in the Bishop’s Bible . In some of these passages, as Jer . 16 21, a personal name is fairly demanded: “And they shall know that my name is Jehovah .” Others where no change was made call as loudly as Isa . 42 8: “I am the lord: that is my name .” The virtue of the American Revisers was that they missed no passage of this sort nor any other where the Hebrew ihwh occurred . 45