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Psalm 118
Rough somewhat literal translation by Richard M Wright
Superscription … Inclusio I Give thanks to Yhwh because (he is) good. Because his faithful love 1 is forever. Call to thanksgiving I Let Israel say, Because his faithful love is forever. Let the house of Aaron say 2 because his faithful love is forever. Let those who fear Yhwh say, Because his faithful love is forever. Testimony I From the distress I called (on) Yah(weh). He answered me in (or from ) the broad place of Yah(weh) (or set me free ). 3 Yhwh (is) on my (side). I will not be afraid. What will a human do to me? Yhwh (is) on my (side) as my helper (or as the one helping me ). And will see (or look at ) those hating me. Testimony/wisdom I (It is) better to take refuge in Yhwh than trusting in a human (or humanity ). 4 (It is) better to take refuge in Yhwh than to trust in princes. Testimony II All nations surrounded me. In the name of Yhwh I will cut them off (or make them be circumcised ). 5 They surrounded me, they even surrounded me. In the name of Yhwh I will cut them off (or make them be circumcised ). 6 They surrounded me like bees. They went out (or were extinguished ) like a fire (among) thorns (or burning thorns ). In the name of Yhwh I will cut them off .
1 Hebrew ḥesed which is difficult to translate with one simple English word. 2 Well this is interesting. House of Aaron is a collective noun and the verb is plural. One sees the same thing in British English. “The committee are considering the proposal”. 3 The text is difficult here. Septuagint, Syriac, Hieronymous read this as a passive verb. 4 Hebrew haʾadam – somewhat literally “the Man, or Humanity”. 5 No seriously. Hiphil stem (usually causative) of Hebrew m w l which usually means “circumcise”. The form is imperfect so future and yet the context is testimony = past . In Archaic Biblical Hebrew the imperfect form could express past or completed action. Actually it is an old preterite form. See Richard Wright, Linguistic Evidence for the Pre Exilic Date of the Yahwistic Source , LHB/OTS 419, 22 23. But this is not an Archaic text so…? 6 Hoo boy. Scholars refer to this as a verb of uncertain meaning. Seems pretty clear to me. Hiphil (or causative) step of m w l which Brown Driver Briggs defines as “circumcise”. There is supposedly another root m w l (?) that means “cut off”. And sure enough that is how the Septuagint translates. See Konrad Schaefer, Psalms , Berit Olam, 290 and n25. 2
Testimony III? You surely pushed me (or I was surely pushed )7 to fall (or so that I was falling ). And Yhwh helped me. Yah(weh) is my strength and my song. And he has become for me salvation. The sound of a ringing cry and salvation (or a shout of salvation ) in the tents of the righteous. The right hand of Yhwh acts strongly. 8 The right hand of Yhwh is exalted. The right hand of the Yhwh acts strongly. Testimony IV? I will not die but will live. And I will recount the deeds of Yah(weh). Yah(weh) surely admonished (or disciplined ) me. But he did not give me (over) to death. Request Open for me the gates of righteousness. I will enter them (and) give thanks (to) Yah(weh). Response This is the gate of Yhwh (or (that) belongs to Yhwh ). The righteous enter therein (or through it ). Vow/testimony I will give thanks to you (or will thank you ) because you answered me. And you have become salvation for me (or my salvation ). (The) stone the builders rejected has become cornerstone (or chief corner ). This happened from (or because of ) Yhwh. It is wonderful in our eyes. This is the day Yhwh acted (or (that) Yhwh made ). 9 We shall be glad and we shall rejoice in it. Prayer I? Ah Yhwh, save me now (or please save me ). 10 Ah Yhwh, deliver me now (or please deliver me ). Blessed be the one coming in (the) name (of) Yhwh. Response I? We bless you from the house (of) Yhwh. Testimony/summons Yhwh is G d. And he has shined upon us. Bind the festal (sacrifice) 11 with cords (or ropes ) / unto (the) horns (of) the altar. 12
7 The text is difficult here. Septuagint, Syriac, Hieronymous read this as a passive verb. Because who is the “you”? In a way words of defiance toward these invisible enemies. 8 Hebrew ḥayil that sometimes refers to military strength. Might not be the case here but… 9 Yeah I know we always translate this “the day the Lord has made ” which focuses on the day which God created (today? distant past with the creation of the solar system?). However I think “acted” seems to fit the theme and focus of this psalm. The psalmist celebrates something that God did or accomplished (salvation for the psalmist? what happened to the cornerstone? both?). I do not think he is saying “nice day you made, God”. 10 The famous ho(w)shiʿa(h) (n)naʾ aka hosanna! 11 Hebrew ḥag usually “festival”. 12 Horns?!? Actually we know from archeology that altars in the ancient Levant (aka Canaan) had raised corners that could easily be called “horns”. 3
Address/vow You are my G d and I will give you thanks (or will thank you ). My God, I will (or shall ) exalt you. Inclusio II Give thanks to Yhwh because (he is) good. Because his faithful love is forever.
Some notes on the text
(1) Wow. Not as difficult as Psalms 55 or 104 but moderately long psalm with moderately difficult vocabulary and a moderate number of text critical notes (or issues). Some of the text critical issues involve differences between the Masoretic Text of Psalm 118 and how the psalm appear in the Septuagint. And some involve comparisons to 4QPs b (= Psalm scroll b from cave 4 at Qumran). Some of the issues the editors note “as in verse x critical note y” which simply takes you to another critical note that points to a few manuscripts, the Septuagint, and so on.
(2) I do not see anything in Psalm 118 that seems to point toward a different dialect (non Jerusalemite Hebrew) or Late Biblical Hebrew. Which does not prove anything. Gary Rendsburg does not identify it as a northern psalm ( Linguistic Evidence for the Northern Origin of Selected Psalms) and Avi Hurvitz does not Beyn lashon le lashon ) or even as a psalm בין לשׁון ללשׁון) identify it as a late psalm with late features that is not necessarily late (see Wright, Linguistic Evidence for the Pre Exilic Date of the Yahwistic Source , 13 and n68).
(2b) Psalm 118 is the last in a group of psalms known as the Egyptian Hallel = Psalms 113 118). These psalms are used in festivals especially Passover. The Exodus tradition informs the psalm in terms of words and motifs and expressions that we find also in the Exodus narrative especially Exodus 15 (= the Song of the Sea which some argue is one of the oldest passages in the Hebrew Bible). 13 For what it is worth, Rendsburg describes Psalm 116 as northern, and Hurvitz lists Psalm 117 as late. Psalm 113 is not listed as late although it displays some late features. This suggests the Egyptian Hallel psalms include psalms composed at different times and not all of them at Jerusalem.
(2c) Psalm 118 is associated with the Jewish celebration of Sukkot aka the Festival of Booths.
13 I am unable to find the citation to a dissertation I read while in seminary. Might have some photocopied pages buried in a box. 4
(3) The point of which is that Psalms 113 118 are somehow associated with the Exodus tradition and with themes and images from the Exodus narrative. That in a way the people of Israel is like the celebrant in Psalm 118… is like the cornerstone that the builders (other nations) rejected… and yet plays a distinguished role. And just as God rescued the people of Israel from death in Egypt God also rescued the people of Israel from the death of exile. In the Hebrew Bible (aka Old Testament) the return from exile is like a second Exodus. That does not mean Psalm 118 was originally composed with that in mind. We are talking about how Psalm 118 was understood and interpreted and used by the community of faith.
(4) Psalm 118 is complicated in that it seems to have a complex structure of movement. On the one hand it is simple. A framework of hymnic praise (verses 1 4, 29) surrounding two sections (5 18 and 18 28). In terms of form it appears to be an individual psalm of thanksgiving. An individual thanks God for what God did to rescue that person. See Walter Brueggemann, Israel’s Praise: Doxology against Idolatry and Ideology on the important distinction between thanksgiving and praise .
(5) On the other hand within this seemingly simple structure is a complex liturgy. Imagine that you have the words (= speaking parts) for a complicated ceremony with a leader and supporting cast and assembly. But you do not label who says what and does what and when. You can read Psalm 118 and guess that this is the script for a ritual or liturgical celebration at the temple. Complete with celebrant and priests(?) and chorus(?) and/or assembly of worshipers.
(6) Look at the opening refrains. Let Israel say… let the house of Aaron say… let those who fear(?) Yhwh say… Three principle groups or choirs in this temple liturgy. Then look especially at the second section. One can easily see a procession with a celebrant (the individual who comes to thank God) who stops at the gates to the temple. Let me in! People at the gate reply, Only the righteous can enter. The celebrant explains why he needs to enter. One of the groups interprets what has happened so that this person has come to thank God at the temple. Then there are instructions to the procession(?) of worshipers. Carry branches up to the altar! And at the altar the celebrant begins, Give thanks to Yhwh…, and the gathered worshipers reply, Because his ḥesed (= faithful love) is forever.
(7) Which hopefully prompts us to wonder about how we practice liturgy with movement and ritual in our life of worship. Must worship be only what we see and say and hear and think? 5
(9) So what gave rise to this psalm? It seems pretty clear. Something about how the celebrant (a king? a general? someone who represents the nation?) was surrounded by the nations and threatened with destruction (death). There is some amusing(?) language describing them like bees, like bushes that catch fire and burn, about either cutting them off or circumcising them(?!?!) or both(?!?!?). This is what one expects in a psalm of thanksgiving. We are here to thank God. Because I was in distress. Which leads to a testimony describing the threat. Which leads to a testimony describing the victory or experience of salvation.
(9b) The first section seems to describe some sort of military threat followed by victory. James Mays suggests “I will not die but live” as a central declaration of the psalm. I thought I was going to die. But instead I will live. And in the psalter an important part of life (in the sense of true existence and not merely biological life) is praising God. How often the psalmist says, Save me! Why? Because the dead do not praise you.
(10) And Psalm 118 is associated with the story of Jesus. Especially (specifically?) the entry into Jerusalem. So if Psalm 118 is an individual psalm of thanksgiving… for salvation from and/or victory over armies representing the nations who oppose the people of God… who think the people of God are a stupid piece of useless rock… and is part of a liturgy of procession to the temple… with celebrant and priests(?) and assembly of worshipers(?)… and somehow Psalm 118 points to(?) or is associated with or is used by gospel writers to interpret the entry of Jesus into Jerusalem before the week of his passion… does that inform how we understand the person and passion of Jesus?
(11) Yeah yeah “this is the day that the Lord has made ” and I argue “… the Lord has acted is better”. However scholars suggest this is not just “hey thanks for this day that you made” but “this is the day to celebrate the salvation of God ”.
(12) Personal/linguistic note. In seminary a classmate made a short film about Psalm 118 and asked me to do a voiceover of the opening verses… as close as I could reasonably get to how people might have read them around 1000 600 BC. I have a generally strong handle on phonological morphological issues.