Psalm 118 (117):10Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

In expressing the ability of God to deliver those who face even the gravest adversities and face destruction—not just in the initial stages of hardship—consider the following insight: “all nations surrounded me, but in the name of the Lord I resisted them.” Can you perceive the urgency of the situation? He wasn’t contending with a lone faction or foes singularly aligned against him; rather, he found himself encircled on every side, as if caught in a snare, enveloped by darkness—not from one, two, or three nations, but from every direction. Yet, despite these overwhelming constraints, the expectation of God provided liberation.

In this Psalm, we learn that when we proclaim Hallelujah, which translates to "Praise the Lord," we are called to adore God, especially upon hearing the phrase, "Confess to the Lord" (Psalm 116:1). Our praise can be succinctly summed up with the declaration: "For He is good." There is a profound solemnity in this simple assertion, as God’s inherent goodness is unmatched. Even the Son of God, when referred to as the Good Teacher by someone who perceived only His earthly form and failed to grasp His divine essence, responded, "Why do you call Me good? No one is good except God alone" (Mark 10:17-18). This signifies that to speak of Jesus as good is to recognize Him as divine. Further, in the context of future revelation to a liberated people engaged in true worship, it is fitting to include: "Because His mercy endures forever."

Let Israel now testify to His goodness and the everlasting nature of His mercy (Psalm 116:2). Let the house of Aaron now declare that His mercy is eternal (Psalm 116:3). Indeed, let all who revere the Lord affirm that His mercy lasts forever (Psalm 116:4). Dear friends, you recall the significance of both the house of Israel and the house of Aaron, which embody the faithful in their entirety, as previously expressed in another Psalm. Together, we rejoice in the unifying grace of the One who is good and whose mercy is everlasting. They proclaimed, "May the Lord multiply you and your children," referring to the faithful Israelites who believed in Christ, from whom came an influx of Gentiles. In unity under Christ, we become one flock with one Shepherd, proclaiming, "I called upon the Lord in my distress, and He heard me" (Psalm 116:5). Our trials may be narrow, but the path we tread is boundless. Who can bring any charge against God's elect? (Romans 8:33).

The Lord is my help; I will not fear what mere mortals may do to me (Psalm 116:6). Yet are humans the sole adversaries of the Church? What is a man, but flesh? The apostle clarifies, "Our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places" (Ephesians 6:12). These evil spirits include the devil and his minions; that enemy whom the apostle also refers to as the prince of the power of the air (Ephesians 2:2). Thus, let me reiterate: The Lord is my helper; I shall triumph over my adversaries (Psalm 116:7). Regardless of whether my foes arise from wicked men or evil spirits, with the Lord's support, whom we will praise with Hallelujah, they shall remain insignificant.

Let not my friend present himself before me as a source of hope when my adversaries are put to shame; for it is far better to trust in the Lord than in any man (Psalm 116:8). I should not regard a good angel as one to rely upon either; for no one is good except God alone (Mark 10:18). Even when men or angels assist us out of genuine love, it is through Him who grants them goodness according to their measure. Therefore, it is more prudent to depend on the Lord than on earthly princes (Psalm 116:9). Indeed, angels are referred to as princes, as seen when it mentions, "Michael, your prince" (Daniel 12:1).

All nations encircled me, but I invoked the name of the Lord to defeat them (Psalm 117:10). I was encompassed on every side; yet, in the name of the Lord, I brought them down (Psalm 117:11). This reflects the struggles and victories of the Church. When asked how she can overcome such great evil, she reflects on her initial experience, stating, "They surrounded me on all sides." The phrase "all nations" is intentionally omitted here, highlighting that the Jews were primarily responsible. Those among them, comprising the body of Christ—who endured all that was done in mortal form through immortal strength—faced persecution, with Christ's flesh symbolizing their common suffering.

They swarmed me like bees around a hive and blazed like fire among thorns; yet, in the name of the Lord, I overcame them (Psalm 117:12). The sequence of the words reflects the course of events. Our Lord, the Head of the Church, was besieged by His persecutors as bees crowd a hive. The Holy Spirit speaks with profound insight regarding those who acted without understanding. Bees create honey within the hive, while the persecutors of our Lord, although unwitting, sweetened His suffering for us; that we might see and savor the Lord, who dies for our sins and is resurrected for our justification (Romans 4:25). The subsequent image, which burned amid thorns, is better related to His Body, the scattered people gathered from all nations, who faced the consuming fire of persecution. As they avenged these acts upon themselves, those who persecuted the righteous either ceased to exist or, for those who neglected His mercy, will ultimately face the judgment of their Divine Lord.

I was crushed so that I fell, yet the Lord upheld me (Psalm 117:13). Despite the multitude of believers resembling countless grains of sand forming a single heap, what is humanity but a fleeting thought? The multitude of Gentiles could not surpass the unity achieved by believers, for the Lord upheld me. The persecution of the Gentiles did not dismantle the fellowship of believers who are one in faith.

The Lord is my strength and my song, and He has become my salvation (Psalm 116:14). Who falls when compelled, except those who rely on their own strength and praise? No one fails unless their strength and honor forsake them; thus, whoever depends on the Lord will stand unyielding. This is why He is our salvation—not because He became anything different but because through faith, we became renewed.

In the homes of the righteous is joy and salvation (Psalm 117:15), where the persecutors of their bodies believed they brought ruin. Yet they were unaware of the deep joy and hope that the saints harbor for the future. Hence the apostle remarks, "I am sorrowful, yet always rejoicing" (2 Corinthians 6:10) and again, "Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings" (Romans 5:3).

The right hand of the Lord has accomplished mighty deeds (Psalm 117:16). What mighty deeds, one may ask? The right hand of the Lord has exalted me. Mighty acts indeed—lifting the humble, sanctifying the mortal, transforming weakness into strength, subjugation into glory, and suffering into triumph. These acts reveal the true salvation of God to those in distress while rendering the salvation of man ineffective to those who persecute. These are wondrous acts; but why be amazed? Pay attention to the reiteration: the right hand of the Lord has accomplished great feats.

"I shall not die, but live, and proclaim the works of the Lord" (Psalm 117:17). Yet, those who spread desolation believed that the Church was perishing. Observe! He now proclaims the mighty works of God. In every place, Christ stands as the glory of the blessed martyrs. Though vanquished, He triumphed over those who struck Him, patiently enduring pain, loving those who rebelled against Him.

Yet, why has the Body of Christ, the Holy Church, the people embraced by God, faced such humiliation? The Lord has chastised me, but He has not delivered me unto death (Psalm 116:18). Let not the arrogant wicked think their power is unlimited; their authority is only given from above. Just as a father may use the least valuable servants to correct his children while providing an inheritance to the latter, what is that inheritance? Is it of material wealth? Understand how we enter into it, for it is something far greater.

"Open to me the gates of righteousness" (Psalm 117:19). We hear of a gate. What lies beyond? "That I may enter through them and give thanks to the Lord." This represents a profound act of praise, echoing joy, and a heartfelt acknowledgment within the house of God. It symbolizes the eternal blessedness of the righteous, a blessing for those dwelling in the Lord's house who continually worship Him forever.

Consider how they enter the gates of righteousness: "This is the gate of the Lord; the righteous shall enter through it" (Psalm 116:20). Wickedness is barred from that Jerusalem which admits no one uncircumcised, as noted, "Outside are the dogs" (Revelation 22:15). It suffices that during my long journey, I lived among the tents of Kedar, enduring the company of the wicked. But this is the gate of the Lord; the righteous shall enter therein.

"I give thanks to You, O Lord, for You have heard me and have become my salvation" (Psalm 116:21). How often does the acknowledgment of one, who does not detail his wounds to the healer but expresses gratitude for his newfound health, prove worthy? Yet, the Physician Himself is Salvation.

But who do we speak of? The stone that was rejected by the builders has become the chief cornerstone (Psalm 116:22). This union of two has created in Himself one new man, establishing peace and reconciling both to God as one body (Ephesians 2:15-16), both Jew and Gentile.

The Lord has made it so (Psalms 117:23): He made Him the cornerstone. Despite not being the cornerstone without His suffering, it was not through His afflicters that He attained this place. The builders rejected Him, yet in the divine construction the Lord established, He became the chief cornerstone they dismissed. This is marvelous in our sight: to the inner man, to those who believe, hope, and love—unlike the carnal eye, which scorns Him, seeing only a man to scorn.

"This is the day that the Lord has made" (Psalm 117:24). This man recalls what he stated in earlier psalms: "For He has inclined His ear to me, I will call upon Him as long as I live," connecting to the past; thus he proclaims, "This is the day the Lord has made," namely, the day of salvation granted to me. It is the day when He said, "In an acceptable time I have heard you, and in the day of salvation I have helped you" (Isaiah 49:8), indicating the day when the Mediator became the cornerstone. Let us, therefore, rejoice and be glad in Him.

"Save me, O Lord; prosper me in my way" (Psalm 116:25). Since this is the day of Salvation, save me: as we return from a long journey, we are separated from those who loved the world, with whom we had peace; upon hearing our words, they unjustly declared war on us. Prosper our path as we return, for You are our Way.

"Blessed is He who comes in the Name of the Lord" (Psalm 117:26). Cursed is he who approaches in his own name, as stated in the Gospel: "If another comes in his own name, you will receive him" (John 5:43). We bless you from the house of God. I believe these words speak from the great to the humble; those filled with spirit who commune with the Word of God, who, as much as they can in this life, moderate their expressions for the sake of the little ones, enabling them to faithfully proclaim what the apostle asserts: "For whether we are out of our minds, it is for God; or whether we are in our right mind, it is for you" (2 Corinthians 5:13-14). They bless the children from within the Lord's house, where this praise endures from age to age; so consider the proclamation from this place.

"God is the Lord who has shown us light" (Psalm 116:27). That Lord, who came in God's name, whom the builders rejected and who became the cornerstone (Matthew 21:9, 42), He is the Mediator between God and man, Jesus Christ (1 Timothy 2:5). He is equal to the Father; He has illuminated our understanding of what we believe and we declare it to those who have yet to grasp it, but who already have faith. To ensure understanding, declare the holy day with the entire assembly, even to the horns of the altar; that is, into the inner sanctuary of God, where we bless you, where the altar rises high. Proclaim the holy day, not half-heartedly but alongside the whole assembly. (Psalm 117:28).

This is indeed the voice of joy among those who observe the holy day, treading the wondrous path toward God’s temple. If there is a spiritual offering present—a perpetual sacrifice of praise—then the Priest is eternal, and the righteous maintain an abiding altar...

The faithful invoke the name of the one true God, and through this invocation, they fend off both seen and unseen adversaries. In contrast, those who schematically conspire against them depend solely on earthly powers and authorities. The phrase “all the Gentiles” is used in an exaggerated sense, as the entirety of Judah found itself encircled by foreign nations. (Psalms 100:8) This includes those fervent imaginations incited by evil spirits, along with the deceptive reasoning they inspire, and God will ultimately vanquish these adversaries. At times, He eradicates them through His name, purging fervent desires and dismantling crafty arguments.

The Church faced hostility from all nations, though Jerusalem experienced this only from a portion of them. Consequently, while the statement about the Jews may be considered an exaggeration, it holds true for the Church; across all nations, believers encountered opposition and hardship from non-believers. Nevertheless, both the Jews and the faithful, by placing their faith in God, triumphed over their adversaries.

Every nation will pursue me, yet I will stand against them in the name of the Lord. All the peoples residing in Palestine have conspired together and encircle me, but I will confront them in the name of the Lord. As scripture states, all nations dwelling in Palestine conspire against me from every direction, like fishermen casting nets over their catch; nevertheless, I have punished and triumphed over them in the name of the Lord. Alternatively, the term nations can refer to the various legions of demons, which frequently gather around to challenge the righteous, intimidating and tempting them in a multitude of ways.

In the world, we observe that warriors protect themselves from enemy arrows. Believer, our existence is akin to a continuous struggle, a confrontation with numerous adversaries. We face the devil and his minions, the battle against our sinful nature and its desires, the hostilities of a wicked world, and the discord of false brethren, among many hidden and overt foes. This conflict is relentless and daunting. What protection can we employ on that fearsome day to guard against our enemies' assaults? The holy scriptures guide us to rely on faith and the power of the Lord’s name. The examples set by saints throughout history reveal this truth, and in times of distress, authentic Christians seek refuge in this shield, thereby guarding themselves against their aggressors.

In this passage, we see a profound illustration of the virtue of placing one's faith in the Lord. David, surrounded repeatedly by a multitude of adversaries, experienced divine rescue from God, leading him to witness the downfall of his enemies. He recognized that only God's hand could account for the victories he achieved, rather than attributing it to human might. When David declares, "All the Gentiles have overcome me," some interpret this as a reference to nearby nations that had oppressed him. However, he seems to convey a broader sentiment, indicating that the entirety of the world had turned against him.

This Psalm, inspired by the Holy Spirit and filled with joy and exultation, acknowledges the boundless and incomprehensible mercy of God, the Creator of humanity, expressed through heartfelt gratitude and praise on the day of His glorious victory. On that momentous occasion, the people of Israel were united under the sovereign reign of David, symbolizing the coming together of every tribe and tongue into the kingdom of Christ the Lord, the King of eternal splendor, celebrating the triumphant day of His solemn Resurrection. Praise also be to Christ, the Redeemer of mankind, whose mercy is eternal and unchanging toward those who repent.