Psalm 118 - Bob's Version

This is not a grand book on one Psalm, but is stimulated by this post and because I am interested in discovering the role of the Psalms in the expression of the Gospel. (You can read most of the introduction to the grand book here.)

Give thanks to יְהוָה for good

כִּי לְעוֹלָם חַסְדּוֹ for his mercy is forever

Let Israel please say for his mercy is forever

Let the house of Aaron please say for his mercy is forever

Let all who fear יְהוָה please say for his mercy is forever

Let all you who read and write - let all please say

for his mercy is forever

This is an inclusive call - what does it mean? What is forever, (literally to the age)? What is this good ci-tov that we are to give thanks for. The same phrase is used 6 times in Genesis 1 and in Psalm 34 - taste and see that יְהוָה is good.

In the distress I called Yah
Yah answered me in a large place
יְהוָה for me - I will not fear
What can a human do to me?

If God is for us, who is against us (Romans 8:31)

יְהוָה is for me with those helping me
and I will see with those hating me
better to seek refuge in יְהוָה than to trust in a human
better to seek refuge in יְהוָה than to trust in princes

All nations encompassed me
in the name of יְהוָה indeed I will have them circumcised
They encompassed me yea encompassed me
In the name of יְהוָה indeed I will have them circumcised
They encompassed me like a swarm of bees
They burned like a fire of thorns
In the name of יְהוָה indeed I will have them circumcised

That's what the text says - don't blame me for the tanins in the wine. Perhaps we might begin to understand circumcision as the type of the death of Jesus (see Colossians 2:11). It is not so much that he needs to win his bride by slaying so many Philistines but that we, his bride, need to find our place on the horns of the altar that is his gift to us.

Pushing you push me to fall but יְהוָה has helped me
Yah is my strength and sentinel and has become to me salvation
A voice of a ringing cry and salvation in the tents of righteous ones

The right hand of יְהוָה making victory
The right hand of יְהוָה exalted
The right hand of יְהוָה making victory
I will not die for I will live and declare the works of Yah

To chasten Yah chastened me but to death he did not give me over
Open to me gates of righteousness
I will go into them
I will praise Yah
This is the gate of יְהוָה
Righteous ones will enter into it

I will praise you for you have answered me and you are to me salvation
A stone the builders rejected becomes the head of the corner
From יְהוָה is this
It is marvelous in our eyes
This is the day יְהוָה made
Rejoice and be glad in it
Now יְהוָה Save Please
Now יְהוָה Send prosperity Please

Blessed is the one coming in the name of יְהוָה
We have blessed you from the house of יְהוָה
יְהוָה is God and will show us light
Bind a sacrifice with the cords even to the horns of the altar
My God you are - I will praise you
My God I will exalt you

Give thanks to יְהוָה for good for his mercy is forever

Of course you could write a book on this psalm. Just consider the extent of the heavily loaded words of covenant in this psalm: mercy, fear, refuge, blessing, salvation, the day. How do we translate even one of them: חַסְדּוֹ XSDV - chesedo - his mercy? It is untranslatable because our tradition cannot find its understanding of the extent of the protection of God's promises in covenant. Perhaps no single word can substitute for the sense of covering, protection, loving kindness, mercy, and completeness contained in this word. How does one word come to have such weight? By repetitive usage over a long period of time in canonical tradition? Not only that - but by the joy of one knowing of the presence of such a God. Perhaps there is a chosen after all - and it is Israel, it is Aaron, it is each and all who fear Yah, it is each who reads and believes, and is blessed, and who loves and walks in the name of יְהוָה, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.