Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Psalms 118:29
O give thanks unto the LORD; for [he is] good: for his mercy [endureth] forever.
29. The Psalm concludes with the chorus of praise with which it began.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
O give thanks unto the Lord … – The psalm closes, as it began, with an exhortation to praise God. In the beginning of the psalm, it was a general exhortation; here it is an exhortation founded on the course of thought in the psalm, or as a proper conclusion from what had been referred to in the psalm. Evidence had been given that the Lord was good; on the ground of that, all people are exhorted to give him thanks.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 29. O give thanks unto the Lord] This is the general doxology or chorus. All join in thanksgiving, and they end as they began: “His mercy endureth for ever.” It began at the creation of man; it will continue till the earth is burnt up.
ANALYSIS OF THE HUNDRED AND EIGHTEENTH PSALM
The parts of this Psalm are the following: –
I. An exhortation to praise God for his mercy, Ps 118:1-5.
II. A persuasion to trust in God, and that from the psalmist’s own example, who called upon God, and was delivered from trouble, Ps 118:5-14.
III. The exultation of the Church for it, Ps 118:15-18.
IV. A solemn thanksgiving kept for it, and in what manner it was celebrated, Ps 118:19-27.
V. A short doxology.
1. The psalmist invites all to praise God: “O give thanks,” c., and adds his reasons: –
1. “For he is good.” How briefly and powerfully spoken! He is absolutely good.
2. “He is good, and ever good.” To us he is a merciful God, which flows from his goodness his mercy created, redeemed, protects, and will crown us. Thus his mercy extends especially to his people; therefore, –
1. “Let Israel now say,” c. The whole nation.
2. “Let the house of Aaron,” c. That whole consecrated tribe.
3. “Let them now that fear the Lord,” &c. Proselytes, &c.
II. And thus, having given a general recommendation of his mercy, he descends to instance in what it consists that is, God’s great deliverance of him.
1. “I was in distress,” c. A frequent case with God’s people, as well as with David.
2. “I called upon the lord,” &c. I fled to him, not trusting in myself, and found mercy.
3. “The Lord answered me, and set me in a large place.” This was the issue.
Upon which experience the psalmist exults, and attributes it to God’s mercy.
1. “The Lord is my helper,” &c. The Lord is for me, therefore I shall not suffer.
2. “The Lord takes my part,” &c. I shall be in safety, while my enemies will be cast down, and the Church freed.
From which he deduces a third inference: –
1, “It is better to trust in the Lord,” &c. He is both able and willing to help.
2. “It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in princes.” David found this in the case of Achish, king of Gath.
In a song of triumph he acquaints us in what dangers he was, and from which God delivered him. It is good then to trust in the Lord.
1. “All nations compassed me about,” &c., but to no purpose.
2. “They compassed me about yea, they compassed me about,” c.
3. “They compassed me about like bees,” &c. Angry, and armed with stings but my trust is alone in the Lord. In his name, and by his help, “I will destroy them.”
He told us of a multitude of enemies and for the overthrow of these he sang his triumph.
1. “Thou hast thrust sore at me,” c. I was in great danger there was little hope of escape.
2. “But the Lord helped me.” No help was in myself, but the Lord.
In the next verse he fully acknowledges the Lord as his strength.
1. “My strength.” By which I resist my enemies.
2. “My salvation.” To deliver me from my enemies.
3. “My song.” Him whom I joyfully sing after my deliverance.
III. And that this song might be fuller, he calls for the whole choir to sing with him. His delivery concerned the whole Church, and therefore it must be sung by the whole Church; and so it was kept as a jubilee, a day of thanksgiving.
1. “The voice of rejoicing,” c. They congratulate their own safety in mine.
2. “The right hand of the Lord,” c. This anthem the whole choir sang.
Now this anthem was no sooner ended by the choir, than the psalmist took his harp again and, exulting over his enemies, sings, “I shall not die,” c. Not be heart-broken, but “declare the works of the Lord.”
And among his works this is one: –
1. “The Lord hath chastened me sore,” &c. Within have I struggled hard with sin without have I been assaulted with bitter enemies.
2. “But he hath not given me over,” c. I acknowledge in this his fatherly affection.
IV. It is supposed that this Psalm was composed by David, in order that it might be sung when the people and the priests were assembled before the Lord, for the purpose of thanksgiving we may, with Junius, form it into a dialogue.
1. David speaks of the priests and Levites who had the care of the tabernacle: “Open to me the gates,” c., that is, the Lord’s house “for I will go in to them,” c.
2. To this the priests reply, “This is the gate,” &c. The sole gate of justice that leads to him.
David replies, showing in brief his reason: “I will praise thee,” &c. and to the twenty-eighth verse, he shows how God had settled him in his kingdom, making him “the head of the corner” which words, though they refer to David, there is no doubt of their having reference also to Christ, of whom David was a type; and of Christ then I shall rather interpret them.
“The stone which the builders refused,” c.
1. The Church is sometimes in Scripture called a building the saints are the living stones, and Christ is “the chief Corner-stone.”
2. But the Jews, the priests, to whom belonged the office of building the Church, refused this stone: “We will not have this man,” c.
3. But “he is become the head of the corner.” And whoever is not connected with him cannot be saved. 1. “This was the Lord’s doing,” c. That Christ became our salvation. 2. “And it is marvellous in our eyes.” And so it ever must be, that Christ should die, the just for the unjust, to bring us to God.
In commemoration of so great a work, a day should be set apart.
1. “This is the day,” &c. Which without doubt was the day of the resurrection the Lord making it a high and holy day.
2. “We will be glad and rejoice,” c. Adam’s fall was a doleful day. On the day of Christ’s resurrection we will be glad.
3. In the midst of our rejoicing we will pray, and sound forth Hosanna to the Son of David. This was done by the people on the entering of Christ into Jerusalem. It was the opinion of the Jews that this form of acclamation would be used before the Messiah.
The whole prophecy of Christ’s coming, riding into Jerusalem in triumph, rejection, passion, &c., being thus explained, the prophet puts this into the mouths of the priests: –
“We have blessed you.” All true happiness is under this King.
2. “Out of the house of the Lord,” &c. From out of the Church.
3. “God is the Lord,” &c. Revealed unto us his Son as the Light of the world.
4. “Bind the sacrifice with cords,” &c. Be thankful to him, and meet in the Church to celebrate your thanksgivings.
V. The prophet concludes with a doxology.
1. “Thou art my God,” I have taken thee for my portion.
2. “And I will praise thee” which he doubles: “Thou art my God, and I will exalt thee.” Which repetition shows his ardent desire of evincing his gratitude.
And thus the psalmist concludes with the same exhortation with which he began the Psalm.
“O give thanks unto the Lord, for he is good for his mercy endureth for ever.” And let him that readeth, and him that heareth, say, Amen!
THIS is an uncommonly fine Psalm, and among the many noble ones it is one of the most noble. Its beauties are so many and so prominent that every reader, whose mind is at all influenced by spiritual things, must see, feel, and admire them.
The 22nd verse, “The stone which the builders rejected is become the head stone of the corner,” must have been a proverbial expression; but what gave birth to it I cannot find; but, like all other proverbs, it doubtless had its origin from some fact. One thing is evident from the Jewish doctors. The most enlightened of them understand this as a prophecy of the Messiah; and it was this general opinion, as well as the knowledge that the Spirit of prophecy thus intended it, that caused our Lord to apply it to himself, Mt 21:42; nor did any of them attempt to dispute the propriety of the application.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
O give thanks unto the Lord, for [he is] good,…. And thus the psalm ends as it began; there having been given many instances of the divine goodness, in hearing and delivering the psalmist when in distress; saving him from his enemies, when compassed about with them; sparing his life, when in great danger; and especially in making the stone rejected by the builders the head of the corner;
for his mercy [endureth] for ever; the above instances are proofs of it; and still it continues, and will for evermore. Here ends the great “Hallel”, or hymn, sung at the passover and other festivals.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
29. The psalm ends as it began. Compare the last line with Ezr 3:11. With this beautiful lyric closes the hallel. See introduction. It must for ever stand in hallowed relation to the blessed Saviour in his triumphal entry into Jerusalem, and the scenes of the Last Supper. Mat 21:9; Mat 26:30.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
REFLECTIONS
SURELY this Psalm opens a most blessed view of Jesus; and it is hardly possible to go over the perusal of it, if the soul be at all awakened to the renewed enjoyment of her Lord, without being led by it to follow the footsteps of Him whom we love, through all his eventful ministry, until we see this rejected stone the head of the corner. Blessed Spirit! I would say, do thou, merciful Lord, in thy one gracious work of glorifying Jesus, lead out my heart, while reading this blessed scripture of thine, to trace Him, whom my soul loveth, through every part of it. And in the very opening of it, do I not see my Lord and Saviour assuming my nature for the purpose of salvation, and calling upon the Father, as this Psalm records, in his distress; until the Father heard and answered, and brought him forth into a large place? Do not see the Father on his side, when strong bulls of Basilan beset him around, and when the assembly of the wicked enclosed him? And though all nations compassed him about, and were like bees, so, thick upon him; yet in the name of Jehovah, how did our Lord overcome them! And shall I not with such believing views of the Lord Jesus, feel my whole soul going out after him, in love, and praise, and obedience, and affection; welcoming the coming Saviour, and standing astonished at such stupendous deeds as are connected with salvation, which are marvellous in our eyes?
Precious Jesus! thou foundation-stone, which Jehovah thy Father hath laid in Zion! on thee, Lord, may my soul rest her whole stress, for strength and help, for union and prosperity. Let those who know thee not, like the foolish Jewish builders, go on to reject thee. Alas! on whomsoever ultimately thou shalt fall, thou wilt grind them to powder. But oh! grant me, Lord, to rest wholly on thee, and as a lively stone, to be built up daily upon thee. Be thou to me, the rock of ages! Be thou to me, that blessed mountain, cut out without hands, that is to fill the earth! Fill thou, my soul, my whole heart, and all its affections! And be thou that one stone, upon which are seven eyes, that I may be everlastingly feasting myself with contemplating thy beauties, thy glories, thine excellencies, thy suitableness, and all-sufficiency, until I come to behold thy face in glory; that when I awake in thy likeness, I may be satisfied with thee.
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Psa 118:29 O give thanks unto the LORD; for [he is] good: for his mercy [endureth] for ever.
Ver. 29. O give thanks unto the Lord, &c. ] Repetit proaemium pro epilogo. See Psa 118:1 .
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
O give thanks unto the Lord
The Messianic Psalms: Summary. That the Psalms contain a testimony to Christ our Lord Himself affirmed (Luk 24:44) and the New Testament quotations from the Psalter point unerringly to those Psalms which have the Messianic character. A close spiritual and prophetic character as surely identifies others. Christ is seen in the Psalms
(1) in two general character, as suffering (for example Psalms 22), and as entering into His kingdom glory (for example Psalms 2; Psalms 24.) Compare (Luk 24:25-27).
(2) Christ is seen in His person
(a) as Son of God (Psa 2:7) and very God; (Psa 45:6); (Psa 45:7); (Psa 102:25); (Psa 110:1).
(b) as Son of man (Psa 8:4-6)
(c) as Son of David (Psa 89:3); (Psa 89:4); (Psa 89:27); (Psa 89:29).
(3) Christ is seen in His offices
(a) as Prophet (Psa 22:22); (Psa 22:25); (Psa 40:9); (Psa 40:10).
(b) as Priest (Psa 110:4) and
(c) as King (for example Psalms 2; Psalms 24.)
(4) Christ is seen in His varied work. As Priest He offers Himself in sacrifice (Psa 22:1-31); (Psa 40:6); (Heb 10:5-12) and, in resurrection, as the Priest-Shepherd, ever living to make intercession; (Psa 23:1-6); (Heb 7:21-25); (Heb 13:20). As Prophet He proclaims the name of Jehovah as Father; (Psa 22:22); (Joh 20:17). As King He fulfils the Davidic Covenant (Psa 89:1-52) and restores alike the dominion of man over creation; (Psa 8:4-8); (Rom 8:17-21) and of the Father over all. (1Co 15:25-28).
(5) The Messianic Psalms give, also, the inner thoughts, the exercises of soul, of Christ in His earthly experiences. (See, e.g, (Psa 16:8-11); (Psa 22:1-31); (Psa 22:1-17).
Fuente: Scofield Reference Bible Notes
Psa 118:1, Psa 103:17, Ezr 3:11, Isa 63:7
Reciprocal: Psa 69:30 – I will Psa 118:20 – This gate