Psalms 118:4

Let Israel now say, that his mercy endureth for ever. LET ISRAEL ... THE HOUSE OF AARON ... THEM NOW THAT FEAR THE LORD, SAY ... The same division as in Psalms 115:9, where see note. Compare Psalms 100:4....

1-18 The account the psalmist here gives of his troubles is very applicable to Christ: many hated him without a cause; nay, the Lord himself chastened him sorely, bruised him, and put him to grief, that by his stripes we might be healed. God is sometimes the strength of his people, when he is not their song; they have spiritual supports, though they want spiritual delights. Whether the believer traces back his comfort to the everlasting goodness and mercy of God, or whether he looks forward to the blessing secured to him, he will find abundant cause for joy and praise. Every answer to our prayers is an evidence that the Lord is on our side; and then we need not fear what man can do unto us; we should conscientiously do our duty to all, and trust in him alone to accept and bless us. Let us seek to live to declare the works of God, and to encourage others to serve him and trust in him. Su...

Verse Psalms 118:4. _THAT FEAR THE LORD_] All sincere penitents and genuine believers. See the notes on Psalms 115:9....

LET THEM NOW THAT FEAR THE LORD SAY ... - Compare Psalms 115:11. All that worship God are interested in what God has done for me. It is a manifestation of the divine character which should cheer them. They are called, therefore, to unite with the author of the psalm in praise and thanksgiving, not merely from sympathy with him, but because great truths of religion had been illustrated, in his case, which were of as much importance to them as to him....

EXPOSITION AN antiphonal hymn, composed for a joyful occasion, when there was to be a procession to the temple, a welcoming of the procession by those inside, and the solemn offering of a sacrifice upon the altar there. Dr. Kay's conjecture, that the occasion was the joyful Passover which followed the dedication of the second temple in B.C. 516 (Ezra 6:19-15), is not improbable, though it cannot be regarded as more than a reasonable hypo thesis. The first eighteen verses are the song of the procession as it winds its way slowly up the hill to the great gate of the temple, sung alternately, as it would seem, by the two halves of the procession. Psalms 118:19 is the utterance of the leader, in the name of the whole hand, on their arrival before the gates....

LET THEM NOW THAT FEAR THE LORD SAY, THAT HIS MERCY [ENDURETH] FOR EVER. Not the proselytes to the Jewish religion only, but all that feared the Lord among all people, as Aben Ezra observes; such as fear the Lord and his goodness, and have had an experience of his grace and mercy, which has caused them to fear him; and to whom the mercy of God is great, and on whom it is from everlasting to everlasting; and therefore should speak well of it, and set their seal to it, that it abides for ever; see Psalms 103:11....

May the Good Spirit, who taught the psalmist to indite these words help us to feel their inward meaning! Psalms 118:1. _O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: because his mercy endureth for ever._ Now, do that, dear friends. Before we read another verse let us do that. In your hearts think of the goodness and mercy of God to you-to each one as an individual, and give him thanks now: no murmuring, no coldness of heart. Cast out everything, and give God thanks at this moment. It is the least we can do. It is to our own benefit to be grateful. How can we be holy if we are deficient in that simple matter? « Oh give thanks unto Jehovah, for he is good, because his mercy endureth for ever.» Psalms 118:2. _Let Israel now say, that his mercy endureth for ever._...

FEAR (_ See Scofield) - (Psalms 19:9). _...

PSALM 118-119 Psalms 118 Christ the Head of the Corner _ 1. His mercy endureth forever (Psalms 118:1)_ 2. The past experience (Psalms 118:8) 3. Jehovah My Salvation (Psalms 118:13) 4. The rejected stone the head of the corner (Psalms 118:20) This Psalm is the last one which is used from ancient times by the Jews in celebrating the Passover in the home. The Psalms sung begin with Psalms 113:1 and end

CXVIII. A HYMN FOR FESTAL PROCESSION TO ZION. The old tradition that different parts were appropriated to different voices is right in substance, though the statement of the Targum that in Psalms 118:23 single parts should be assigned to the Temple builders, to the sons of Jesse, the tribe of Judah, Samuel, David, is fantastic enough. The Talmud (quoted by Stä rk) takes a more reasonable view. According to it Psalms 118:1 was sung by the pilgrims not yet arrived; Psalms 118:20 by the priests and scribes who welcomed them; Psalms 118:28 by the pilgrims; Psa 118:30 by the whole procession. It is at all events clear that...