Psalm 118:1-2, 16-17, 22-23 (24)

“The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone. This is the Lord's doing.” (Psalm 118:22-23)

This psalm uniquely combines corporate hymnic praise (vv. 1–4, 22–24, 29), individual thanksgiving (vv. 5–18, 21, 28; which includes a victory song [vv. 14–16]), a petition (v. 25), and a processional liturgy of entering the temple gates and processing to the altar (vv. 19–20, 26–27). It alternates between referring to Yahweh in the third person and addressing him in the second person, and between hymnic sections, spoken by “we,” and thanksgiving sections, spoken by “I.” The “gate liturgy” (vv. 19–20, 26) illustrates that we cannot distinguish sharply between the individual and the group. A speaker commands, “Open for me” and “I will enter,” but the psalm then points to a group: “This is the gate of the LORD through which the righteous may enter.” Later, a speaker says, “Blessed is he who comes,” and then says, “we bless you” (pl. “you all”). The “he” is simply any individual among the “you” group.

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