Psalm 118 21

Psalm 118:21 kjv

I will praise thee: for thou hast heard me, and art become my salvation.

Psalm 118:21 nkjv

I will praise You, For You have answered me, And have become my salvation.

Psalm 118:21 niv

I will give you thanks, for you answered me; you have become my salvation.

Psalm 118:21 esv

I thank you that you have answered me and have become my salvation.

Psalm 118:21 nlt

I thank you for answering my prayer
and giving me victory!

Psalm 118 verses

Psalm 118 21 Meaning

Psalm 118:21 is a deeply personal declaration of gratitude and praise directed to God. The speaker thanks God because He has heard and responded to their cries or prayers, and, as a direct result, has become their salvation or deliverance. It encapsulates a heartfelt acknowledgment of divine intervention and a newfound or reinforced reliance on God as the ultimate source of help and rescue.

Psalm 118 21 Context

Psalm 118 is a triumphant psalm of thanksgiving, part of the "Egyptian Hallel" (Psalms 113-118), traditionally sung during Passover, Sukkot, and other major Jewish feasts. It reflects Israel's national experience of God's steadfast love (hesed) delivering them from enemies and distress. The psalm begins and ends with the refrain, "Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; for His steadfast love endures forever!" (Ps 118:1, 29). The speaker in the psalm (which can be understood as an individual Israelite, the nation personified, or even a king like David) recounts being surrounded by foes and crying out to the Lord, who answered and provided salvation (Ps 118:5-7, 10-14). Verse 21 flows naturally from the preceding verses where the psalmist enters the gates of righteousness to give thanks (Ps 118:19). It marks the psalmist's personal testimony and praise upon experiencing God's direct and specific intervention after affliction. The verses immediately following (Ps 118:22-24) contain the crucial "stone the builders rejected" prophecy, which is heavily cited in the New Testament concerning Christ.

Psalm 118 21 Word analysis

• א֫וֹדֶךָ (ʾōwdekkāh) - "I will praise You" / "I will give thanks to You"

  • Derived from the verb יָדָה (yāḏāh), meaning "to praise, thank, give thanks, confess."
  • This is not merely a polite acknowledgement but an active, solemn act of worship and confession, stemming from a place of gratitude and trust.
  • It implies an outward expression of a deeply held belief in God's goodness and power, often through singing or shouting.
  • The "I" is personal, direct, and emphatic, reflecting an intimate relationship with God.

• כִּי (kî) - "for" / "because" / "that"

  • A conjunction introducing the reason or cause for the praise.
  • It establishes a clear cause-and-effect relationship: God's actions are the direct reason for the psalmist's thanksgiving.
  • It affirms the objective basis for praise—not a mere feeling, but a verifiable divine act.

• עֲנִיתָ֑נִי (ʿanîṯānî) - "You have heard me" / "You have answered me"

  • From the verb עָנָה (ʿānāh), meaning "to answer, respond, attend to, be concerned with."
  • It signifies God's active, personal engagement and intervention, not just a passive hearing.
  • The suffix "-nî" emphasizes "me," highlighting the personal nature of God's response to the speaker's plea.
  • This "hearing" or "answering" refers to deliverance from distress, an actual divine solution to a dire situation.

• וַתְּהִי (wattəhî) - "and You have become"

  • From the verb הָיָה (hāyāh), "to be, become, happen, exist."
  • The specific verbal form here (Waw-consecutive perfect) denotes a past action that leads to a new, established reality or state.
  • It means God didn't just provide salvation; He became salvation to the speaker, implying a comprehensive, inherent identity and function.

• לִּישׁוּעָֽה (lîšûʿāh) - "my salvation" / "my deliverance"

  • From the noun יְשׁוּעָה (yᵊšûʿāh), meaning "salvation, deliverance, help, welfare, prosperity, victory."
  • This Hebrew term is critically important as it is the root from which the name "Jesus" (Yeshua) derives, signifying "YHWH saves" or "YHWH is salvation."
  • The possessive "my" emphasizes the personal, experiential nature of this divine rescue. It's not a generic salvation, but a salvation directly experienced by the speaker.
  • This term encompasses various forms of rescue, whether from physical enemies, sickness, or spiritual despair.

Psalm 118 21 Bonus section

• Messianic Significance: While originally a thanksgiving from an individual or nation, this verse takes on profound Messianic implications in Christian tradition. Given that Psalm 118 culminates in the prophecy of the "stone the builders rejected" (Ps 118:22) which becomes the cornerstone, the "salvation" referred to can be directly linked to the Person of Jesus Christ. His resurrection is God's ultimate answer, His decisive act of making Him, Yeshua, the Lord of salvation.
• Liturgical Use: The prominent place of Psalm 118 in Jewish and Christian liturgy (especially Passover/Easter) highlights its enduring significance as a confession of God's redemptive power throughout history. The joy and confidence expressed in verse 21 resonated with generations experiencing God's deliverance.
• "Gate of Righteousness": The previous verse (118:19) speaks of entering the "gates of righteousness" to give thanks. This suggests that experiencing God's salvation (v.21) allows access to His presence and a life lived in alignment with His righteousness, making the praise well-grounded and integrated into a life of faith.

Psalm 118 21 Commentary

Psalm 118:21 is a powerful expression of experienced divine faithfulness. It marks the pinnacle of the psalmist's journey from distress to deliverance. The praise is not pre-emptive or merely formal; it is a grateful response to God's demonstrated power and compassion. The very identity of God for the psalmist is reshaped: He has actively heard, responded, and become the deliverer, signifying a profound, personal and ongoing relationship. This verse reflects the core Old Testament understanding of YHWH as the acting, saving God of His people, particularly as He hears their cries and intervenes. For Christians, this echoes not only God's answer to all prayers but points towards the ultimate answer in Jesus Christ, who perfectly embodies God's "salvation" by becoming it for humanity through His life, death, and resurrection.

• Example 1 (Personal Prayer): Someone prays earnestly for healing from an illness and experiences a remarkable recovery; they then offer heartfelt praise, "I thank You, for You have heard me and become my salvation!"
• Example 2 (Deliverance): A nation facing severe threats miraculously overcomes them; their leader could declare, echoing the psalm, "We praise You, God, for You heard our cries and became our salvation!"