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Wisdom & Poetry · WORLD ENGLISH BIBLE

Psalm 118

Psalm 118 is read especially through the theme of thanksgiving, within Book V (Psalms 107–150). Its language invites attentive prayer before quick application.

ThanksgivingWisdomTrust & Refuge
Old Testament

Psalm 118

1Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, for his loving kindness endures forever.

2Let Israel now say that his loving kindness endures forever.

3Let the house of Aaron now say that his loving kindness endures forever.

4Now let those who fear the LORD say that his loving kindness endures forever.

5Out of my distress, I called on the LORD. The LORD answered me with freedom.

6The LORD is on my side. I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?

7The LORD is on my side among those who help me. Therefore I will look in triumph at those who hate me.

8It is better to take refuge in the LORD, than to put confidence in man.

9It is better to take refuge in the LORD, than to put confidence in princes.

10All the nations surrounded me, but in the LORD’s name I cut them off.

11They surrounded me, yes, they surrounded me. In the LORD’s name I indeed cut them off.

12They surrounded me like bees. They are quenched like the burning thorns. In the LORD’s name I cut them off.

13You pushed me back hard, to make me fall, but the LORD helped me.

14The LORD is my strength and song. He has become my salvation.

15The voice of rejoicing and salvation is in the tents of the righteous. “The right hand of the LORD does valiantly.

16The right hand of the LORD is exalted! The right hand of the LORD does valiantly!”

17I will not die, but live, and declare the LORD’s works.

18The LORD has punished me severely, but he has not given me over to death.

19Open to me the gates of righteousness. I will enter into them. I will give thanks to the LORD.

20This is the gate of the LORD; the righteous will enter into it.

21I will give thanks to you, for you have answered me, and have become my salvation.

22The stone which the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.

23This is the LORD’s doing. It is marvelous in our eyes.

24This is the day that the LORD has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it!

25Save us now, we beg you, LORD! LORD, we beg you, send prosperity now.

26Blessed is he who comes in the LORD’s name! We have blessed you out of the LORD’s house.

27The LORD is God, and he has given us light. Bind the sacrifice with cords, even to the horns of the altar.

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

29Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, for his loving kindness endures forever.

READ IN CONTEXT

Understanding Psalm 118

Psalm 118 is read especially through the theme of thanksgiving, within Book V (Psalms 107–150). Its language invites attentive prayer before quick application. Read it within the complete five-book Psalms collection, then compare its prayer language with the types of prayer found across Scripture. Classification is a reading aid rather than a replacement for the Psalm's own movement and tension.

Collection

Book V (Psalms 107–150). The five-book shape of the Psalter helps readers hear individual prayers within a deliberately arranged collection.

Themes detected

Thanksgiving, Wisdom, Trust & Refuge. Read for these themes while remaining open to tension and secondary movements.

TEXT-DERIVED READING NOTES

What to notice in Psalm 118

Psalm 118 contains 29 verses and about 438 words in this translation. These observations come from the chapter itself; they are prompts for close reading, not claims about its only possible meaning.

The opening movement

Verse 1 begins: “Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, for his loving kindness endures forever.” Ask what situation, voice, image, or argument this opening establishes for everything that follows.

The closing movement

Verse 29 closes: “Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, for his loving kindness endures forever.” Compare the ending with the opening and note what changed, resolved, intensified, or remained open.

Vocabulary worth tracing

Recurring or prominent content words include will, lord’s, give, thanks, loving, kindness. Follow where each word appears and whether its meaning shifts with the speaker or setting.

COMMON QUESTIONS

About Psalm 118

Which Bible translation is shown here?+

This page reproduces the World English Bible Protestant edition (WEBP), a modern-English translation dedicated to the public domain.

How should I cite a specific verse?+

Use the book, chapter, and verse—for example, Psalms 118:1—and name the World English Bible if the wording matters. Each verse number above is a direct anchor link.

Does the chapter number define the complete literary unit?+

Not always. Chapter and verse numbers were added for navigation. Check the paragraphs, scenes, poetic stanzas, or argument before and after this chapter.

What kind of Psalm is this?+

Our reading profile emphasizes thanksgiving, with related themes of Thanksgiving, Wisdom, Trust & Refuge. Many Psalms blend genres or move between moods, so this label is a guide rather than a rigid classification.

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