Text -- Psalms 118:1-6 (NET)

Psalm 118

118:1 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good and his loyal love endures! 118:2 Let Israel say, “Yes, his loyal love endures!” 118:3 Let the family of Aaron say, “Yes, his loyal love endures!” 118:4 Let the loyal followers of the Lord say, “Yes, his loyal love endures!” 118:5 In my distress I cried out to the Lord. The Lord answered me and put me in a wide open place. 118:6 The Lord is on my side, I am not afraid! What can people do to me?

Commentary -- Verse Notes / Footnotes

NET Notes: Psa 118:1

¹ sn Psalm 118. The psalmist thanks God for his deliverance and urges others to join him in praise.

² tn Or “is forever.”

NET Notes: Psa 118:3

¹ tn Heb “house.”

NET Notes: Psa 118:4

¹ tn Heb “fearers of the Lord.” See Ps 15:4.

NET Notes: Psa 118:5

¹ tn Heb “from the distress.” The noun מֵצַר (metsar, “straits; distress”) occurs only here and in Lam 1:3. In Ps 116:3 מצר should probably be emended to מְצָדֵי (mÿtsadey, “snares of”).

² tn Heb “the Lord answered me in a wide open place.”

NET Notes: Psa 118:6

¹ tn Heb “for me.”

² tn The rhetorical question assumes the answer, “Nothing!” The imperfect is used in a modal sense here, indicating capability or potential. See Ps 56:11.