Psalm 118:18
ESV
The Lord has disciplined me severely, but he has not given me over to death.
NIV
The Lord has chastened me severely, but he has not given me over to death.
NASB
The Lord has disciplined me severely, But He has not turned me over to death.
CSB
The Lord disciplined me severely but did not give me over to death.
NLT
The Lord has punished me severely, but he did not let me die.
KJV
The Lord hath chastened me sore: but he hath not given me over unto death.
NKJV
The Lord has chastened me severely, But He has not given me over to death.
What does Psalm 118:18 mean?
Much of this psalm seems to be a poetic expression of the nation of Israel. Passages referring to the psalmist's victories (Psalm 118:10–17) fit the patterns of Israel's history. God's discipline was also part of that record. When the nation failed to honor their God, they suffered consequences to correct their errors (Judges 2:16–19). Eventually, the people drifted so far from the Lord that He sent them into captivity and exile (Jeremiah 25:8–11; 2 Chronicles 36:17–21).Yet, in those times, God had not abandoned His chosen people. The nation was not erased, nor all of its people killed. Instead, God preserved the people and eventually brought them back to their land (Ezra 1:1–3; 2:1–2; 3:1–2, 8). This was certainly severe discipline. But a caring Father corrects and redirects His children for their own benefit (Psalm 94:12; Hebrews 12:5–9).
Psalm 118:10–18 speaks for the nation of Israel and gives reasons for trusting in the Lord. One possible inspiration for these words was Israel's freedom from seventy years of exile (Ezra 2:1) and the rebuilding of Jerusalem's walls and temple. The repeated phrases were probably meant to be expressed by the entire congregation, in response to the cue lines which come before. The use of past tense here may also be poetic, implying that the psalmist is looking ahead to something God will certainly do, as if it had already happened.
Psalm 118 appears to be a "call and response." The repeated phrases may have been spoken by a congregation after the prompts, read by a song leader. The psalmist begins with a declaration of God's loyal love and its expression by all of Israel. Next is a celebration of the Lord's rescue and the value of honoring Him. Despite Israel's many powerful neighbors, God preserved them through discipline and exile, not allowing the nation to die. What the world rejects has now become the key piece of God's plan for mankind.
