Bible Commentaries
Psalms 118

Verse 10

All nations compassed me about: but in the name of the LORD will I destroy them.

Nations — The neighbouring nations, Philistines, Syrians, Ammonites, Moabites, who were stirred up, by the overthrows which David had given some of them, by their jealousy at his growing greatness, and by their hatred against the true religion.

Verse 11

They compassed me about; yea, they compassed me about: but in the name of the LORD I will destroy them.

Yea — The repetition implies their frequency and fervency in this action.

Verse 12

They compassed me about like bees; they are quenched as the fire of thorns: for in the name of the LORD I will destroy them.

Bees — ln great numbers.

Thorns — Which burns fiercely, but quickly spends itself.

Verse 13

Thou hast thrust sore at me that I might fall: but the LORD helped me.

Thou — O mine enemy. The singular word is here put collectively for all his enemies.

Verse 14

The LORD is my strength and song, and is become my salvation.

Salvation — My Saviour.

Verse 15

The voice of rejoicing and salvation is in the tabernacles of the righteous: the right hand of the LORD doeth valiantly.

Doth valiantly — These are the words of that song of praise now mentioned.

Verse 16

The right hand of the LORD is exalted: the right hand of the LORD doeth valiantly.

Exalted — Hath appeared evidently, and wrought powerfully and gloriously.

Verse 19

Open to me the gates of righteousness: I will go into them, and I will praise the LORD:

Open — O ye porters, appointed by God for this work.

The gates — Of the Lord’s tabernacle: where the rule of righteousness was kept and taught, and the sacrifices of righteousness were offered.

Verse 20

This gate of the LORD, into which the righteous shall enter.

The righteous — As David was a type of Christ and the temple of heaven, so this place hath a farther prospect than David, and relates to Christ’s ascending into heaven, and opening the gates of that blessed temple, both for himself and for all believers.

Verse 22

The stone which the builders refused is become the head stone of the corner.

The builders — The commonwealth of Israel and the church of God are here and elsewhere compared to a building, wherein, as the people are the stones, so the princes and rulers are the builders. And as these master-builders rejected David, so their successors rejected Christ.

Head stone — The chief stone in the whole building, by which the several parts of the building are upheld and firmly united together. Thus David united all the tribes and families of Israel: and thus Christ united Jews and Gentiles together. And therefore this place is justly expounded of Christ, Mark 12:10; Acts 4:11; Romans 9:32; Ephesians 2:20. And to him the words agree more properly than to David.

Verse 24

This is the day which the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.

Made — Or sanctified as a season never to be forgotten.

Verse 25

Save now, I beseech thee, O LORD: O LORD, I beseech thee, send now prosperity.

We — These seem to be the words of the Levites, to whom he spake verse — 19.

Verse 26

Blessed be he that cometh in the name of the LORD: we have blessed you out of the house of the LORD.

Blessed — We pray that God would bless his person and government.

Cometh — To the throne; or from his Father into the world: who is known by the name of him that cometh or was to come, and of whom this very word is used, Genesis 49:10; Isaiah 35:4.

Name — By commission from him.

We — We who are the Lord’s ministers attending upon him in his house, and appointed to bless in his name, Numbers 6:23; Deuteronomy 10:8. So these are the words of the priests.

Verse 27

God is the LORD, which hath shewed us light: bind the sacrifice with cords, even unto the horns of the altar.

The Lord — Or, The mighty God, as this name of God signifies, and as he shewed himself to be by this, his wonderful work.

Who — Who hath scattered our dark clouds, and put us into a state of peace, and safety, and happiness.

The horns — These are supposed to he made for this very use, that the beasts should be bound and killed there. These three last verses are David’s words.