The Meaning of Psalms 118:14 Explained

Psalms 118:14

KJV: The LORD is my strength and song, and is become my salvation.

YLT: My strength and song is Jah, And He is to me for salvation.

Darby: My strength and song is Jah, and he is become my salvation.

ASV: Jehovah is my strength and song; And he is become my salvation.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

The LORD  [is] my strength  and song,  and is become my salvation. 

What does Psalms 118:14 Mean?

Context Summary

Psalms 118:1-14 - Trust In God Brings Strength
It is generally agreed that this psalm dates back to the restoration from Babylon. It was probably used as a processional hymn for the first time at the great Feast of Tabernacles mentioned in Nehemiah 8:13-18. The structure of the psalm is as follows: Psalms 118:1-4, the summons of the full choir to the constituent parts of the procession; Psalms 118:5-14, the song of the soloist; Psalms 118:15-16, the answer of the choir; Psalms 118:17-19, the soloist. At this point the procession reaches the Temple gates. Psalms 118:20 is the response of priests and Levites, the custodians of the sacred edifice, who lay stress on the character of those who tread its courts. Psalms 118:21, the soloist; Psalms 118:22-27, the full chorus; Psalms 118:28, the soloist; Psalms 118:29, the concluding doxology.
Luther says of this psalm: "This is mine, the one which I love." As it was included in the great Hallel we infer that our Lord sang it as He went forth to die, Matthew 26:30. It will be sung once more on that coming day for which we wait. See Isaiah 25:9; Matthew 23:39. When we identify ourselves with God's great cause, we may absolutely count on God as our strength in the conflict, and our song in assured victory. [source]

Chapter Summary: Psalms 118

1  An exhortation to praise God for his mercy
5  The psalmist by his experience shows how good it is to trust in God
19  Under the type of the psalmist the coming of Christ in his kingdom is expressed

What do the individual words in Psalms 118:14 mean?

My strength and song YAH [is] and He has become my salvation
עָזִּ֣י וְזִמְרָ֣ת יָ֑הּ וַֽיְהִי־ לִ֝֗י לִֽישׁוּעָֽה

עָזִּ֣י  My  strength 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, first person common singular
Root: עֹז  
Sense: might, strength.
וְזִמְרָ֣ת  and  song 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: זִמְרָת  
Sense: song of praise, song, music, melody.
יָ֑הּ  YAH  [is] 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יָהּ  
Sense: Jah (Jehovah in the shortened form).
וַֽיְהִי־  and  He  has  become 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
לִ֝֗י  my 
Parse: Preposition, first person common singular
לִֽישׁוּעָֽה  salvation 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, feminine singular
Root: יְשׁוּעָה  
Sense: salvation, deliverance.