Historical Setting of Tehillim 118/2

The Historical Setting of Tehillim 118

Exegetical Approaches

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Coronation of David

The psalm was said by David after his coronation in thanksgiving to Hashem for past salvations that enabled him to attain the throne.

Sources:Bavli PesachimPesachim 119aAbout the Bavli, RadakTehillim 118About R. David Kimchi, Anonymous Northern FrenchTehillim 118About Anonymous Northern French

יֹאמַר נָא יִשְׂרָאֵל,  בֵית אַהֲרֹן,   יִרְאֵי י"י – According to Radak, after David was kinged, he called on all of Israel to thank Hashem for his anointment, singling out individual groups which would have specific cause for gratitude:

• יֹאמַר נָא יִשְׂרָאֵל – David tells Israel at large that they should be thankful for he will help them defeat their enemies.
• יֹאמְרוּ נָא בֵית אַהֲרֹן –The priests should be grateful that David was replacing Shaul who had killed off the priests of Nov.
• יֹאמְרוּ נָא יִרְאֵי י"י –The righteous, too, have reason to praise Hashem, as David's reign was to usher in a period pf peace which would give them time to study.

"מִן הַמֵּצַר קָרָאתִי" – David recalls how he had been forced to flee from Shaul and hide in narrow straits, and thanks Hashem for saving him.

טוֹב לַחֲסוֹת בַּי"י מִבְּטֹחַ בָּאָדָם – David might be referring here specifically to his trip to Nov when fleeing from Shaul and his request of assistance from the priests there.  Though David received the aid requested, the act was viewed by Doeg who informed on them to Shaul, leading to massacre.  Alternatively David is referring to his failed attempt to hide in the Philistine lands when he was forced to act as a drunkard to save himself from death. david learned that trsuting in man for aid does not always end successfully.

"כׇּל גּוֹיִם סְבָבוּנִי " – In these words David shifts from speaking about individual, internal enemies to external national enemies: the Philistines who attempted to harm him in Gat, and the Amalekites who attacked Ziklag. He praises Hashem for keeping him from falling before these enemies.

קוֹל רִנָּה וִישׁוּעָה בְּאׇהֳלֵי צַדִּיקִים

"לֹא אָמוּת כִּי אֶחְיֶה וַאֲסַפֵּר מַעֲשֵׂי יָהּ" – David now speaks about all his travails together, thanking Hashem that none of his enemies were successful in actually killing him, enabling him to now praise Hashem and share the wonders He did with David.  The words "וַאֲסַפֵּר מַעֲשֵׂי יָהּ" might refer to the many psalms of Tehillim that David wrote in honor or HAshem's saving of him from personal rials.

"יַסֹּר יִסְּרַנִּי יָּהּ" – David view his suffering as Hashem's means of cleansing him from sin

פתחו לי שערי צדק – Radak suggests that the "gates of righteousness" are a metaphor for praise and thanksgiving, but does elaborate on how they symbolize this. Perhaps they refer to the gates of any place of worship in which praise is given and David is requesting permission to merit join the righteous who praise God.

The end of the Mizmor – The end of the Mizmor (verses 21-29) can be understood in varying ways according to this approach:

• R. Yochanan in Bavli Pesachim (as understood by Rashi Pesachim 119aAbout R. Shelomo Yitzchakiand Radak) assume that David here is reflecting back on a conversation that took place during his original anointment by Shemuel. David thanks Hashem for the anointment,¹ while his father refers to him as "a rejected stone", someone who had been a mere shepherd but is now to be a cornerstone of the nation.² The prophet speak about how wonderful this day is and the brothers and David pray that David should be successful in bringing  salvation to the nation (אָנָּא י"י הוֹשִׁיעָה נָּא). Yishai then tells his son that he should be blessed ('בָּרוּךְ הַבָּא בְּשֵׁם ה) and Shemuel echoes the blessing from the House of Hashem (the Mishkan). They all then share in offering sacrifices (אִסְרוּ חַג בַּעֲבֹתִים עַד קַרְנוֹת הַמִּזְבֵּחַ), perhaps the זבח referred to In Shemuel I 16:5, and offer final thanksgiving to God.
• The anonymous French commentary, instead, suggests that these last few verses refer to the celebration upon bringing the ark to Jerusalem.

Laymen Bringing a Thanksgiving Offering

Sources:RashbamTehillim 118About R. Shemuel b. Meir, Netiv Binah, Daat Mikra

Chizkiyahu and Sancheriv

Sources:R. Elazar b. Azaryah in Bavli PesachimPesachim 117aAbout the Bavli, MalbimTehillim Beur HaInyan 118About R. Meir Leibush Weiser

Redemption in Messianic Times

Sources:one opinion in Bavli PesachimPesachim 117aAbout the Bavli, MalbimTehillim Beur HaInyan 118About R. Meir Leibush Weiser

¹ It is not clear, though, why David would say "אוֹדְךָ כִּי עֲנִיתָנִי״" as if he had made a request beforehand that Hashem was now answering.

² He might refer to him as rejected since David, being the youngest, had not even been brought as a potential candidate to Shemuel.