Ps. 118:0 THE ARGUMENT This Psalm most probably was composed by David, when the civil wars between the houses of Saul and David were ended, and David was newly settled in the kingdom of all Israel, and had newly brought up the ark of God to his royal city, But though this was the occasion, yet…

O give thanks; all sorts of persons, which are particularly expressed in the three next verses, as they are mentioned in like manner and order Ps. 115:9–11, See Poole “Ps. 115:9”, See Poole “Ps. 115:10”, See Poole “Ps. 115:11”

Israel, after the flesh, all the tribes and people of Israel, except the Levites.

The priests and Levites, who were greatly discouraged and oppressed in Saul’s time, and shall receive great benefits by my government.

The Gentile proselytes, whereof there were in David’s time, and were likely to be, greater numbers than formerly had been.

Set me; which verb is tacitly included in the former, and is easily understood out of Ps. 31:8, where the full phrase is expressed, and from the following word. See the like examples in the Hebrew text, Gen. 12:15, Ps. 22:21;c.

A frail and impotent creature in himself, and much more when he is opposed to the Almighty God.

The Lord taketh my part with them that help me; he is one of the number of my helpers, and enables them to defend me.

As mine adversaries do in their own numbers, and in their great confederates.

All nations compassed me about; the neighbouring and heathen nations, Philistines, Syrians, Ammonites, Moabites, &c., who were stirred up, partly, by the overthrows which David had given some of them; partly, by their jealousy at David’s growing greatness and fear for themselves; and partly, by…

They compassed me about; the repetition implies their frequency and fervency in this action, and their confidence of success.

Like bees; in great numbers, and with great and potent fury, and to their own ruin, as bees do when they fly about a man, and leave their stings in him. They are quenched: so this word is used Job 6:17, Job 18:5–6, Job 21:17. Or, as the LXX. and Chaldee render it, they burnt or flamed, i.e.

Thou, O mine enemy, and the head of all mine enemies. Possibly he understandeth Saul, whom for honour’s sake he forbears to name; or some other chief commander of his enemies. Or the singular word is here put collectively for all his enemies.

My strength and song; the author of my strength, and therefore the just object of my song and praise. My salvation, i.e. my Saviour.

The voice of rejoicing and salvation, of rejoicing and thanksgiving for the salvation and deliverance which God hall wrought for me, is in the tabernacles of the righteous; partly because they clearly saw God’s hand in the work, and therefore took pleasure in it; and partly because all good men…

Is exalted; hath appeared evidently, and wrought powerfully and gloriously on my behalf.

I shall not die, to wit, so soon as mine enemies desire, nor by their sword, as they hope and endeavour. Declare the works of the Lord; one branch whereof is the total destruction of mine enemies.

Hath chastened me sore by the hands of mine enemies, whom God used to that very purpose for my greater good, and their own greater and surer ruin and confusion.

Open to me, O ye porters, appointed by God for this work. Or it is a figurative and poetical manner of expression, whereby he speaks to the gates themselves, as if they had sense and understanding. Or by saying open, he implies that they had been long shut against him in Saul’s time.

These may be the words either, 1. Of the Levites, the porters returning this answer to the foregoing question: This is the gate of the Lord which thou seekest, and which shall be opened to thee according to thy desire, and thy just privilege, for then art one of those righteous ones to whom this of…

The commonwealth of Israel and the church of God are here and elsewhere in Scripture compared to a building, wherein as the people are the stones and the matter, so the princes and rulers are the builders, whose office it was to erect, and support, and improve the building, and to use their wisdom…

This; this strange event; the feminine gender being put for the neuter, as it is in other places of Scripture. The Lord’s doing; peculiarly an effect of his omnipotent wisdom; done not only without the help of man, but against all the artifices and forces of men.

Made; either created, or exalted and glorified, as this word is used, 1 Sam. 12:6, or sanctified by his glorious presence and work, and by his appointment, as a time or season never to be forgotten, but to be observed with great thankfulness and rejoicing, as it follows.

I beseech thee; or, we beseech thee; for the Hebrew words may be rendered either way. These seem to be the words of the Levites, to whom he spake Ps. 118:19; or of the people, using these joyful acclamations or prayers to God for the preservation of their king and kingdom.

Blessed be he; we earnestly pray that God would bless his person and government, and all his enterprises. That cometh, to wit, unto us, from whom he was long banished; or unto the throne; or from his Father into the world; the Messias, who is known by the name of him that cometh or was to come, as…

God is the Lord; God hath proved himself to be the Lord Jehovah by the accomplishment of his promises. See Poole “Ex. 6:3”. Or, the Lord or Jehovah is God, as it was said upon another solemn occasion and appearance of God, 1 Kings 18:39; or, is the mighty God, as this name of God signifies, and as…