Psalms 118:5-9

118:5 In my distress 1  I cried out to the Lord.

The Lord answered me and put me in a wide open place. 2 

118:6 The Lord is on my side, 3  I am not afraid!

What can people do to me? 4 

118:7 The Lord is on my side 5  as my helper. 6 

I look in triumph on those who hate me.

118:8 It is better to take shelter 7  in the Lord

than to trust in people.

118:9 It is better to take shelter in the Lord

than to trust in princes.

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.”

3 tn Heb “for me.”

4 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.

5 tn Heb “for me.”

6 tn Heb “among my helpers.” The preposition may indicate identity here, while the plural may be one of majesty or respect.

7 tn “Taking shelter” in the Lord is an idiom for seeking his protection. Seeking his protection presupposes and even demonstrates the subject’s loyalty to the Lord. In the psalms those who “take shelter” in the Lord are contrasted with the wicked and equated with those who love, fear, and serve the Lord (Pss 5:11-12; 31:17-20; 34:21-22).