In this week’s study from Tehillim / Psalms 118:1-29, the psalm opens saying, א הוֹדוּ לַיהֹוָה כִּי-טוֹב כִּי לְעוֹלָם חַסְדּוֹ: ב יֹאמַר-נָא יִשְֹרָאֵל כִּי לְעוֹלָם חַסְדּוֹ: 118:1 Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; For His lovingkindness is everlasting. 118:2 Oh let Israel say, ‘His lovingkindness is everlasting.’ (NASB) The psalmist calls out to the people to give thanks and parallels this to the grace (chesed) of God being eternal. The priesthood declares the same (118:3), and says those that fear the Lord say the same (118:4). The psalmist states, ה מִן-הַמֵּצַר קָרָאתִי יָּהּ עָנָנִי בַמֶּרְחָב יָהּ: ו יְהֹוָה לִי לֹא אִירָא מַה-יַּעֲשֶֹה לִי אָדָם: 118:5 From my distress I called upon the Lord; The Lord answered me and set me in a large place. 118:6 The Lord is for me; I will not fear; What can man do to me? 118:7 The Lord is for me among those who help me; Therefore I will look with satisfaction on those who hate me. (NASB) The psalmist states that it is better to take refuge in the Lord (118:8) and repeats this statement for emphasis (118:9). The Psalmist (David) declares that it is the Lord who helps him to cut off the nations (118:10) and repeats this for emphasis (118:11). The Lord extinguishes the enemy as thorns in a fire (118:12), the Lord is his help (118:13). Read more here: Tehillim 118-Part1
