Psalm 118

Sandwiched between the shortest psalm and the longest, this is the last song in the Egyptian Hallel. The background is probably the dedication of the restored walls and gates of Jerusalem during the Feast of Tabernacles in 444 BC, in the time of Ezra and Nehemiah. The Jews in the city were surrounded by enemies who first ridiculed them and then threatened to attack them and stop the work (vv. 10-14; Neh. 2:19-20; 4:1-9; 6:1-9). The rebuilding project took fifty-two days, and the report of this remarkable accomplishment astounded the nations (vv. 15-16, 23-24; Neh. 6:15-16). The psalm mentions gates (vv. 19-20) and building (vv. 22) and certainly expresses the joy the people experienced as they beheld what the Lord had done. The repeated phrases in verses 2-4, 10-12, and 15-16 suggest that the psalm was written for public worship. The pronouns “I” and “me” in verses 5-21 refer to the nation of Israel and not to the psalmist. But the psalm speaks to all believers in every age and gives them four practical instructions.