Chapter Overview
Summary
Psalm 118 (MT) / Psalm 117 (LXX) closes the Egyptian Hallel — and is among the NT's most-cited Psalms, bearing two crucial citation-clusters: (1) vv. 22–23 'the stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone' → Matt 21:42, Mark 12:10, Luke 20:17, Acts 4:11, 1 Pet 2:7 — the cornerstone-Christology foundation; (2) vv. 25–26 'Save us, we pray! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD' → Matt 21:9, Mark 11:9, Luke 19:38, John 12:13 — the PALM SUNDAY crowd's acclamation at Jesus' triumphal entry, and Jesus' own 'you will not see me again until you say: Blessed is he who comes' (Matt 23:39, Luke 13:35). The psalm is also the 'hymn' Jesus and disciples sang after the Last Supper (Matt 26:30) — thus it is literally the last-psalm Jesus sang before the cross.
Notable Variants
118:22–23 'stone the builders rejected' → Matt 21:42, Mark 12:10, Luke 20:17, Acts 4:11, 1 Pet 2:7 cornerstone-Christology; 118:25–26 'Hosanna / blessed is he who comes' → all four Gospels at Palm Sunday + Matt 23:39, Luke 13:35; 118:6 'the LORD is my helper' → Heb 13:6; the closing Passover-Hallel psalm.
Structural Notes
MT Ps 118 = LXX Ps 117. 29 verses. Closing Egyptian Hallel psalm — sung at Passover after the meal (possibly the hymn of Matt 26:30 / Mark 14:26).
Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good, for His faithful love endures forever.
'Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever!' tracks MT. CHESED-ENDURES-FOREVER refrain opening (repeated at vv. 2, 3, 4, 29 as fourfold-inclusio).
Let Israel say: "His faithful love endures forever."
'Let Israel say: His steadfast love endures forever' tracks MT.
Let the house of Aaron say: "His faithful love endures forever."
'Let the house of Aaron say: His steadfast love endures forever' tracks MT.
Let those who fear the LORD say: "His faithful love endures forever."
'Let those who fear the LORD say: His steadfast love endures forever' tracks MT. Three-fold 'say' invitation — Israel, Aaron, fearers.
From the narrow place I called on the LORD; the LORD answered me with wide-open space.
'Out of my distress I called on the LORD; the LORD answered me and set me free' tracks MT.
The LORD is for me — I will not fear. What can any human do to me?
'The LORD is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me?' tracks MT. HEBREWS 13:6 CITATION. 'So we can confidently say: THE LORD IS MY HELPER; I WILL NOT FEAR; WHAT CAN MAN DO TO ME? (kyrios emoi boēthos, kai ou phobēthēsomai, ti poiēsei moi anthrōpos).' Hebrews cites verbatim from the LXX. Paired with Ps 56:4, 11's 'what can flesh do to me' tradition.
The LORD is for me, among my helpers; I will look in triumph on those who hate me.
'The LORD is on my side as my helper; I shall look in triumph on those who hate me' tracks MT.
It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in any human.
'It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in man' tracks MT. This verse is the EXACT MIDDLE-VERSE of the Bible (by verse-count in the Protestant canon). The theological-centrality of trust-in-God-over-trust-in-man is fittingly at the Bible's center.
It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in princes.
'It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in princes' tracks MT.
All nations surrounded me, but in the name of the LORD I cut them off.
'All nations surrounded me; in the name of the LORD I cut them off!' tracks MT. 'IN-THE-NAME-OF-THE-LORD I CUT THEM OFF' refrain (vv. 10, 11, 12).
They surrounded me — yes, surrounded me on every side, but in the name of the LORD I cut them off.
'They surrounded me, surrounded me on every side; in the name of the LORD I cut them off!' tracks MT.
They swarmed around me like bees; they blazed like a fire of thorns, but in the name of the LORD I cut them off.
'They surrounded me like bees; they went out like a fire among thorns; in the name of the LORD I cut them off!' tracks MT. BEES-AND-THORN-FIRE imagery.
I was pushed hard — pushed to falling, but the LORD helped me.
'I was pushed hard, so that I was falling, but the LORD helped me' tracks MT.
The LORD is my strength and my song; He has become my salvation.
'The LORD is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation' tracks MT. // Exodus 15:2 (Song of the Sea); Isaiah 12:2. Triple-occurrence across the Hebrew Bible — the salvation-song signature.
Shouts of joy and salvation fill the tents of the righteous: "The right hand of the LORD acts with power!"
'Glad songs of salvation are in the tents of the righteous: The right hand of the LORD does valiantly' tracks MT.
The right hand of the LORD is raised high; the right hand of the LORD acts with power!
'The right hand of the LORD exalts; the right hand of the LORD does valiantly!' tracks MT.
I will not die but live, and I will declare the works of the LORD.
'I shall not die, but I shall live, and recount the deeds of the LORD' tracks MT. I-SHALL-NOT-DIE-BUT-LIVE resurrection-anticipation. Christologically read as Christ's own voice in the tomb: the crucified-but-resurrected declares not-die-but-live.
The LORD disciplined me severely, but He did not hand me over to death.
'The LORD has disciplined me severely, but he has not given me over to death' tracks MT.
Open the gates of righteousness for me; I will enter through them and thank the LORD.
'Open to me the gates of righteousness, that I may enter through them and give thanks to the LORD' tracks MT.
This is the gate of the LORD; the righteous will enter through it.
'This is the gate of the LORD; the righteous shall enter through it' tracks MT. GATE-OF-THE-LORD. John 10:9 ('I am the door; if anyone enters by me, he will be saved') Christologically applies the entry-gate theology.
I thank You, for You answered me and became my salvation.
'I thank you that you have answered me and have become my salvation' tracks MT.
The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.
Masoretic (WLC)
אֶבֶן מָאֲסוּ הַבּוֹנִים הָיְתָה לְרֹאשׁ פִּנָּה
The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone
Septuagint (LXX)
λίθον ὃν ἀπεδοκίμασαν οἱ οἰκοδομοῦντες οὗτος ἐγενήθη εἰς κεφαλὴν γωνίας
The stone that the builders rejected, this has become the head of the corner
THE CORNERSTONE-CHRISTOLOGY FOUNDATION. This verse (together with Isa 28:16 and Isa 8:14) is cited no fewer than FIVE TIMES in the NT in direct Christological application: (1) MATTHEW 21:42 — Jesus closes the Parable of the Wicked Tenants: 'Have you never read in the Scriptures: THE STONE THAT THE BUILDERS REJECTED HAS BECOME THE CORNERSTONE? This was the Lord's doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes'; (2) MARK 12:10–11 — parallel to Matt 21:42; (3) LUKE 20:17 — parallel; (4) ACTS 4:11 — Peter before the Sanhedrin: 'This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone'; (5) 1 PETER 2:7 — Peter combines this verse with Isa 28:16 in extended cornerstone-ecclesiology.
THE REJECTION-EXALTATION PATTERN. The psalm's narrative-logic — the stone rejected-then-exalted — becomes the Passion-Resurrection pattern: Jesus rejected by the Jewish-leaders, vindicated-by-the-Father through resurrection and enthronement. The 'builders' are interpreted as the religious-authorities who refused Jesus as Messiah.
THE CORNERSTONE (kephalēn gōnias — 'head of the corner'). Whether 'cornerstone' (architectural foundation) or 'capstone' (final-completion stone) is debated; either way, the decisive-stone essential to the structure. Ephesians 2:20's 'Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone (akrogōniaiou)' develops ecclesiologically.
HEBREW WORDPLAY. Hebrew 'eben / 'av ('stone / father') and 'banim / bonim ('sons / builders') — the rejected stone (eben) is the REJECTED SON whom the BUILDERS reject but who becomes the foundation.
This is from the LORD; it is marvelous in our eyes.
'This is the LORD's doing; it is marvelous in our eyes' tracks MT. Cited at Matt 21:42 / Mark 12:11 with v. 22 as a unit.
This is the day the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.
'This is the day that the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it' tracks MT. LITURGICAL SIGNATURE. 'This is the day the Lord has made' has become one of the most-quoted liturgical-declarations. In Christian-tradition, applied especially to Easter Sunday — the day of resurrection.
Please, LORD, save us! Please, LORD, grant us success!
Masoretic (WLC)
אָנָּא יְהוָה הוֹשִׁיעָה נָּא אָנָּא יְהוָה הַצְלִיחָה נָּא
Save us, we pray, O LORD! O LORD, we pray, give us success!
Septuagint (LXX)
ὦ κύριε σῶσον δή ὦ κύριε εὐόδωσον δή
O Lord, save us, we pray! O Lord, grant us good success!
'HOSANNA.' The Hebrew hoshi'ah na — 'save, please!' — is transliterated directly into Greek and English as HOSANNA. It is THE Palm Sunday crowd's acclamation at Jesus' triumphal entry. All four Gospels narrate the crowd chanting v. 25 + v. 26: Matthew 21:9 ('Hosanna to the Son of David! BLESSED IS HE WHO COMES IN THE NAME OF THE LORD! Hosanna in the highest!'), Mark 11:9, Luke 19:38 (which preserves only 'blessed is the King who comes'), John 12:13.
MESSIANIC-RECOGNITION. The crowd's choice of Psalm 118:25–26 for the Palm-Sunday-shout signals explicit Messianic-recognition: this is the Passover-Hallel psalm sung at all festival-pilgrimages to Zion, and applying its 'blessed is he who comes' to Jesus entering-Jerusalem-on-a-donkey is to proclaim him as the-one-expected. Zechariah 9:9's donkey-entering-Messianic-king is explicitly-invoked by all four Gospels.
Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the LORD. We bless you from the house of the LORD.
'Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD! We bless you from the house of the LORD' tracks MT. MATT 21:9 / 23:39 / LUKE 13:35 / LUKE 19:38 / JOHN 12:13 CITATIONS. The 'BLESSED IS HE WHO COMES IN THE NAME OF THE LORD' (eulogēmenos ho erchomenos en onomati kyriou) is quoted directly at the triumphal entry in all four Gospels and at Matthew 23:39 / Luke 13:35 (Jesus: 'you will not see me again, UNTIL YOU SAY: Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord'). The dual-use — triumphal-entry past + parousia-anticipation future — binds the First and Second Coming of Christ to the same psalmic acclamation.
The LORD is God, and He has given us light. Bind the festival offering with branches up to the horns of the altar.
'The LORD is God, and he has made his light to shine upon us. Bind the festal sacrifice with cords, up to the horns of the altar!' tracks MT. LIGHT-SHINE Aaronic-blessing echo.
You are my God, and I will thank You; my God, I will exalt You.
'You are my God, and I will give thanks to you; you are my God; I will extol you' tracks MT.
Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good, for His faithful love endures forever.
'Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever!' tracks MT. CHESED-ENDURES-FOREVER CLOSING (// v. 1 opening) — the inclusio frames the entire psalm. Jesus' 'hymn' at Matthew 26:30 / Mark 14:26 almost-certainly closed with this verse.