Salmos 118

Salmos 118

Maclaren - "The day" is that of the festival now in process, the joyful culmination of God’s manifold deliverances. It is a day in which joy is duty, and no heart has a right to be too heavy to leap for gladness. Private sorrows enough many of the jubilant worshippers no doubt had, but the sight of the Stone laid as the head of the corner should bring joy even to such. If sadness was ingratitude and almost treason then, what sorrow should now be so dense that it cannot be pierced by the Light which lighteth every man? The joy of the Lord should float, like oil on stormy waves, above our troublous sorrows, and smooth their tossing. (Psalm 118 Commentary) H A Ironside on Ps 118:22 - We may safely say that the guidance of the Holy Spirit led believers to give special recognition to the memorial day of Christ’s resurrection, “This is the day the Lord has made; We will rejoice and be glad in it” (Psalm 118:24). This is the day of verses 22 and 23, when the rejected stone was made “the chief cornerstone,” when God raised Christ from the dead. The day of resurrection! Earth tell it out abroad; The Passover of gladness, The Passover of God. From death to life eternal, From earth unto the sky, Our Christ hath brought us over, With hymns of victory. —John of Damascus Pulpit Commentary - The position of Jesus Christ as "Prince and Savior, giving redemption and remission of sins," is a long, bright day, succeeding the darkness of heathendom or the twilight of "the Law;" it is a day which "the Lord has made" for the nations of the earth. We may well "rejoice and be glad in it;" not thinking and speaking and singing of it as if it were a dispensation of dreariness and gloom, but realizing that it is one of close fellowship with God, of holy and happy service, of ever-brightening, hope (see Philippians 3:1; Philippians 4:4; Ephesians 2:6; Ephesians 3:19; Revelation 1:6). "The joy of the Lord" is that which becomes us; it is our duty and it is "our strength." (Ref) See James Hastings' in depth message on Psalm 118:24 - The Day which the Lord made LET US REJOICE AND BE GLAD IN IT: neither of these are imperatives for we should not have to be commanded to render a sacrifice of praise which is the fruit of lips which give joy-filled thanks to God for such a great and marvelous Saviour & salvation. (cp Ro 11:33-35, 1Pe 1:3) Let us rejoice (08056)(sameach) is an adjective which denotes being glad, happy or joyful with one's entire being (filled with joy, exceedingly glad) as indicated by association with heart (cognate verb samach uses in Ex 4:14; Ps 19:8; Ps 104:15; Ps 105:3), with one's soul (Ps 86:4) and with one's countenance and the lighting up of eyes (Pr 15:30). Joy comes from the blessing of Jehovah (Dt 16:15), joy of having children (Ps 113:9), description of God's people (glad) when "Jehovah has done great things." (Ps 126:3) The wicked are deceived and perverted that they are joyful at evil (Pr 2:14 = those who walk in paths of darkness "delight [Lxx = euphraino] in doing evil."; 17:5 = " He who rejoices [epichairo] at calamity will not go unpunished"). Similarly David says that those who "rejoice (Lxx = epichairo = rejoice over or against - with malignant intent) at my distress." (Ps 35:26). Sameach is used in rejoicing with a sense of bragging about their conquest of Lo-Debar (no pasture, i.e., they rejoice over "nothing!") (Amos 6:13) The Septuagint translates rejoice with the verb agalliao which is derived from agan = much + hallomai = jump; gush, leap, spring up and thus means literally to "jump much", "leap for joy", skip and jump with happy excitement and so to be exceedingly joyful, overjoyed or exuberantly happy. The fact that Ps 118 was sung at the Passover festival made it all the more poignant. This is the last Hallel psalm (Ps 113-118). Ps 113-118 are known as Hallel (lit. "praise") psalms, being designated in the Talmud as the "Hallel of Egypt" (cf. Ps 114:1). These psalms were sung on the great feast days, but esp at Passover. Ps 113,114 before the meal; Ps 115-118 chanted at the close. When Christ instituted the Lord's Supper with His disciples (in the context of the Feast of the Passover), the Scriptures make mention of the singing of a hymn at the close of the meal (cf. Mt 26:30; Mk 14:26). In all probability Jesus sang one of these "Messianic" Hallel psalms with His disciples the night before His death! Robert