Psalm 118:29
ESV
Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever!
NIV
Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever.
NASB
Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; For His mercy is everlasting.
CSB
Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his faithful love endures forever.
NLT
Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever.
KJV
O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.
NKJV
Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever.
What does Psalm 118:29 mean?
This verse concludes the psalm using identical words as the opening line (Psalm 118:1). For all the Lord's work on behalf of Israel, He deserved the people's thanks and worship. The Lord brought them home from seventy years of captivity (Ezra 2:1). He empowered them to rebuild the temple and Jerusalem's walls (Ezra 3:1–2, 8). Even earlier, the Lord had given His people abundant evidence of His goodness and love.Believers in the New Testament era also have more than sufficient reason to thank the Lord. He is good to us every day. He meets our needs and answers our prayers. Even more, our experiences and the words of the Bible tell us His love is loyal and unchanging. He expressed love toward us by giving His Son to die for our sins (Romans 5:8; 1 Corinthians 15:3). In love He relates to us as His children (1 John 3:1). Also, in love He has given us an eternal inheritance (Ephesians 1:3–14).
Psalm 118:19–29 includes phrases used during Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem (Matthew 21:8–9). References to gates, cornerstones, and salvation are themes repeated frequently in the Bible (John 10:9; Matthew 7:13–14; Titus 2:11; 1 Peter 2:6). Similar ideas about entering through gates to praise God are found in Psalm 24:7–10 and Psalm 26:6–8.
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.
