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Read the Bible

King James Version

Psalms 118:29

O give thanks unto the Lord ; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - God;   God Continued...;   Jesus, the Christ;   Praise;   Scofield Reference Index - Psalms;   Summary;   The Topic Concordance - Endurance;   God;   Goodness;   Thankfulness;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Feast of Tabernacles, the;   Mercy of God, the;  

Dictionaries:

- Fausset Bible Dictionary - Tabernacles, Feast of;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Dedication, Feast of the;   Hallel;   Hallelujah;   Joy;   Passover and Feast of Unleavened Bread;   Psalms;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Hallel ;   The Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary - Passover;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Hosanna;   Jesus christ;   Psalms the book of;   Tabernacles feast of;  

Parallel Translations

English Standard Version
Oh give thanks to the Lord , for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever!
Geneva Bible (1587)
Praise ye the Lord, because he is good: for his mercie endureth for euer.
Christian Standard Bible®
Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;his faithful love endures forever.
Hebrew Names Version
Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, For his lovingkindness endures forever.
Easy-to-Read Version
Praise the Lord because he is good. His faithful love will last forever.
Amplified Bible
O give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; For His lovingkindness endures forever.
American Standard Version
Oh give thanks unto Jehovah; for he is good; For his lovingkindness endureth for ever.
Contemporary English Version
Tell the Lord how thankful you are, because he is kind and always merciful.
Complete Jewish Bible
Give thanks to Adonai ; for he is good, for his grace continues forever.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
O give thanks unto the LORD, for He is good, for His mercy endureth for ever.
King James Version (1611)
O giue thanks vnto the Lord, for he is good: for his mercy endureth for euer.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
Give thanks to the Lord; for he is good: for his mercy endures for ever.
English Revised Version
O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.
Berean Standard Bible
Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; His loving devotion endures forever.
Lexham English Bible
Give thanks to Yahweh for he is good, for his loyal love is forever.
Literal Translation
O give thanks to Jehovah, for He is good; for His mercy endures forever.
New Century Version
Thank the Lord because he is good. His love continues forever.
New English Translation
Give thanks to the Lord , for he is good and his loyal love endures!
New King James Version
Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever.
New Living Translation
Give thanks to the Lord , for he is good! His faithful love endures forever.
New Life Bible
Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good. His loving-kindness lasts forever.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Give ye thanks to Yahweh - For he is good, For, age-abiding, is his lovingkindness.
Douay-Rheims Bible
(117-29) O praise ye the Lord, for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.
George Lamsa Translation
O give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; for his mercy endures for ever.
Good News Translation
Give thanks to the Lord , because he is good, and his love is eternal.
New American Standard Bible
Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; For His mercy is everlasting.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
O confesse you [it] vnto God, for he is gratious: and his mercie endureth for euer.
New Revised Standard
O give thanks to the Lord , for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever.
Darby Translation
Give ye thanks unto Jehovah; for he is good; for his loving-kindness [endureth] for ever.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Knouleche ye to the Lord, for he is good; for his merci is with outen ende.
Young's Literal Translation
Give ye thanks to Jehovah, For good, for to the age, [is] His kindness!
World English Bible
Oh give thanks to Yahweh, for he is good, For his lovingkindness endures forever.
Revised Standard Version
O give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures for ever!
Update Bible Version
Oh give thanks to Yahweh; for he is good; For his loving-kindness [endures] forever.
Webster's Bible Translation
O give thanks to the LORD; for [he is] good: for his mercy [endureth] for ever.
Bible in Basic English
O give praise to the Lord, for he is good: for his mercy is unchanging for ever.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
O geue thankes vnto the LORDE, for he is gracious, & his mercy endureth for euer.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
Give thanks to the Lord , for He is good; For His lovingkindness is everlasting.
Legacy Standard Bible
Give thanks to Yahweh, for He is good;For His lovingkindness endures forever.

Contextual Overview

19 Open to me the gates of righteousness: I will go into them, and I will praise the Lord : 20 This gate of the Lord , into which the righteous shall enter. 21 I will praise thee: for thou hast heard me, and art become my salvation. 22 The stone which the builders refused is become the head stone of the corner. 23 This is the Lord 's doing; it is marvellous in our eyes. 24 This is the day which the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it. 25 Save now, I beseech thee, O Lord : O Lord , I beseech thee, send now prosperity. 26 Blessed be he that cometh in the name of the Lord : we have blessed you out of the house of the Lord . 27 God is the Lord , which hath shewed us light: bind the sacrifice with cords, even unto the horns of the altar. 28 Thou art my God, and I will praise thee: thou art my God, I will exalt thee.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Psalms 118:1, Psalms 103:17, Ezra 3:11, Isaiah 63:7

Reciprocal: Psalms 69:30 - I will Psalms 118:20 - This gate

Gill's Notes on the Bible

O give thanks unto the Lord, for [he is] good,.... And thus the psalm ends as it began; there having been given many instances of the divine goodness, in hearing and delivering the psalmist when in distress; saving him from his enemies, when compassed about with them; sparing his life, when in great danger; and especially in making the stone rejected by the builders the head of the corner;

for his mercy [endureth] for ever; the above instances are proofs of it; and still it continues, and will for evermore. Here ends the great "Hallel", or hymn, sung at the passover and other festivals.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

O give thanks unto the Lord ... - The psalm closes, as it began, with an exhortation to praise God. In the beginning of the psalm, it was a general exhortation; here it is an exhortation founded on the course of thought in the psalm, or as a proper conclusion from what had been referred to in the psalm. Evidence had been given that the Lord was good; on the ground of that, all people are exhorted to give him thanks.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Psalms 118:29. O give thanks unto the Lord — This is the general doxology or chorus. All join in thanksgiving, and they end as they began: "His mercy endureth for ever." It began at the creation of man; it will continue till the earth is burnt up.

ANALYSIS OF THE HUNDRED AND EIGHTEENTH PSALM

The parts of this Psalm are the following: -

I. An exhortation to praise God for his mercy, Psalms 118:1-5.

II. A persuasion to trust in God, and that from the psalmist's own example, who called upon God, and was delivered from trouble, Psalms 118:5-14.

III. The exultation of the Church for it, Psalms 118:15-18.

IV. A solemn thanksgiving kept for it, and in what manner it was celebrated, Psalms 118:19-27.

V. A short doxology.

1. The psalmist invites all to praise God: "O give thanks," c., and adds his reasons: -

1. "For he is good." How briefly and powerfully spoken! He is absolutely good.

2. "He is good, and ever good." To us he is a merciful God, which flows from his goodness his mercy created, redeemed, protects, and will crown us. Thus his mercy extends especially to his people; therefore, -

1. "Let Israel now say," c. The whole nation.

2. "Let the house of Aaron," c. That whole consecrated tribe.

3. "Let them now that fear the Lord," &c. Proselytes, &c.

II. And thus, having given a general recommendation of his mercy, he descends to instance in what it consists that is, God's great deliverance of him.

1. "I was in distress," c. A frequent case with God's people, as well as with David.

2. "I called upon the lord," &c. I fled to him, not trusting in myself, and found mercy.

3. "The Lord answered me, and set me in a large place." This was the issue.

Upon which experience the psalmist exults, and attributes it to God's mercy.

1. "The Lord is my helper," &c. The Lord is for me, therefore I shall not suffer.

2. "The Lord takes my part," &c. I shall be in safety, while my enemies will be cast down, and the Church freed.

From which he deduces a third inference: -

1, "It is better to trust in the Lord," &c. He is both able and willing to help.

2. "It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in princes." David found this in the case of Achish, king of Gath.

In a song of triumph he acquaints us in what dangers he was, and from which God delivered him. It is good then to trust in the Lord.

1. "All nations compassed me about," &c., but to no purpose.

2. "They compassed me about yea, they compassed me about," c.

3. "They compassed me about like bees," &c. Angry, and armed with stings but my trust is alone in the Lord. In his name, and by his help, "I will destroy them."

He told us of a multitude of enemies and for the overthrow of these he sang his triumph.

1. "Thou hast thrust sore at me," c. I was in great danger there was little hope of escape.

2. "But the Lord helped me." No help was in myself, but the Lord.

In the next verse he fully acknowledges the Lord as his strength.

1. "My strength." By which I resist my enemies.

2. "My salvation." To deliver me from my enemies.

3. "My song." Him whom I joyfully sing after my deliverance.

III. And that this song might be fuller, he calls for the whole choir to sing with him. His delivery concerned the whole Church, and therefore it must be sung by the whole Church; and so it was kept as a jubilee, a day of thanksgiving.

1. "The voice of rejoicing," c. They congratulate their own safety in mine.

2. "The right hand of the Lord," c. This anthem the whole choir sang.

Now this anthem was no sooner ended by the choir, than the psalmist took his harp again and, exulting over his enemies, sings, "I shall not die," c. Not be heart-broken, but "declare the works of the Lord."

And among his works this is one: -

1. "The Lord hath chastened me sore," &c. Within have I struggled hard with sin without have I been assaulted with bitter enemies.

2. "But he hath not given me over," c. I acknowledge in this his fatherly affection.

IV. It is supposed that this Psalm was composed by David, in order that it might be sung when the people and the priests were assembled before the Lord, for the purpose of thanksgiving we may, with Junius, form it into a dialogue.

1. David speaks of the priests and Levites who had the care of the tabernacle: "Open to me the gates," c., that is, the Lord's house "for I will go in to them," c.

2. To this the priests reply, "This is the gate," &c. The sole gate of justice that leads to him.

David replies, showing in brief his reason: "I will praise thee," &c. and to the twenty-eighth verse, he shows how God had settled him in his kingdom, making him "the head of the corner" which words, though they refer to David, there is no doubt of their having reference also to Christ, of whom David was a type; and of Christ then I shall rather interpret them.

"The stone which the builders refused," c.

1. The Church is sometimes in Scripture called a building the saints are the living stones, and Christ is "the chief Corner-stone."

2. But the Jews, the priests, to whom belonged the office of building the Church, refused this stone: "We will not have this man," c.

3. But "he is become the head of the corner." And whoever is not connected with him cannot be saved. 1. "This was the Lord's doing," c. That Christ became our salvation. 2. "And it is marvellous in our eyes." And so it ever must be, that Christ should die, the just for the unjust, to bring us to God.

In commemoration of so great a work, a day should be set apart.

1. "This is the day," &c. Which without doubt was the day of the resurrection the Lord making it a high and holy day.

2. "We will be glad and rejoice," c. Adam's fall was a doleful day. On the day of Christ's resurrection we will be glad.

3. In the midst of our rejoicing we will pray, and sound forth Hosanna to the Son of David. This was done by the people on the entering of Christ into Jerusalem. It was the opinion of the Jews that this form of acclamation would be used before the Messiah.

The whole prophecy of Christ's coming, riding into Jerusalem in triumph, rejection, passion, &c., being thus explained, the prophet puts this into the mouths of the priests: -

"We have blessed you." All true happiness is under this King.

2. "Out of the house of the Lord," &c. From out of the Church.

3. "God is the Lord," &c. Revealed unto us his Son as the Light of the world.

4. "Bind the sacrifice with cords," &c. Be thankful to him, and meet in the Church to celebrate your thanksgivings.

V. The prophet concludes with a doxology.

1. "Thou art my God," I have taken thee for my portion.

2. "And I will praise thee" which he doubles: "Thou art my God, and I will exalt thee." Which repetition shows his ardent desire of evincing his gratitude.

And thus the psalmist concludes with the same exhortation with which he began the Psalm.

"O give thanks unto the Lord, for he is good for his mercy endureth for ever." And let him that readeth, and him that heareth, say, Amen!

THIS is an uncommonly fine Psalm, and among the many noble ones it is one of the most noble. Its beauties are so many and so prominent that every reader, whose mind is at all influenced by spiritual things, must see, feel, and admire them.

The Psalms 118:22 verse, "The stone which the builders rejected is become the head stone of the corner," must have been a proverbial expression; but what gave birth to it I cannot find; but, like all other proverbs, it doubtless had its origin from some fact. One thing is evident from the Jewish doctors. The most enlightened of them understand this as a prophecy of the Messiah; and it was this general opinion, as well as the knowledge that the Spirit of prophecy thus intended it, that caused our Lord to apply it to himself, Matthew 21:42; nor did any of them attempt to dispute the propriety of the application.


 
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